Trinity’s campus always seems to be humming with clubs and activities. Students of all different interests find clubs that appeal to their interests, finding community and connection. Connection defines the high school experience, whether it be with other students, teachers, or God. One particular club, the Saints Peter and Paul Society, intends to help students strengthen the latter connection. Through student initiatives, it gives Trinity students the opportunity to learn about and preserve Catholic traditions, strengthening the school’s community and identity.
The Sts. Peter and Paul Society’s mission is “to promote Catholic life at Trinity High School,” said Bernie Schum, the club’s co-moderator. “It’s vague on purpose because it’s supposed to fill niches where students have desires.” The group’s focus on student interest has allowed it to organize projects that better fit the needs of the school at any given time.
For example, in 2019, the Trinity community came together to install a statue of Mary in the courtyard between Alumni and Old Trinity Halls. This effort was led by the Sts. Peter and Paul Society, and particularly by Alex Cox ‘19, a dedicated member of the group. “His big concern was there wasn’t enough Marian presence on the campus. And he really wanted a Mary statue because he had a personal devotion to the Blessed Mother. That happened.”
More recently, student interest in Randy Perkins’s ordainment as a deacon led to the Sts. Peter and Paul Society hosting a talk by him for interested members of the student body.
Here lies the strength of the group’s ambiguous mission statement: it can adjust to serve the spiritual needs of the Trinity community. Schum says that by leaving the direction of the society up to members and the interests of the student body, it can answer questions people still have after having theology class and campus-wide spiritual events.
Students come to Schum saying, “I don’t know this. Can you bridge this gap for me? Or I haven’t experienced this. Is there anything in the robust Catholic history that could be inserted into our experience here as a community at Trinity that could make that happen?” By supplementing Trinity’s already-programmed events, the society addresses many questions students have.
Of course, this strength is by design and originates at the club’s inception. The club was inspired when Mike Magre, the club’s co-moderator, attended a conference at the University of Notre Dame. At the conference, it was discussed that Catholic schools should offer students ways to participate in Catholic traditions, even as they’re still growing and learning about the faith. Schum says that he and Magre took this mission on, founding a club that creates “an avenue through which [students] can enter the faith more regularly and in a way that is meaningful to them.”
In addition to large, one-time projects and talks, the group also organizes consistent activities throughout the school year. “We always do the rosary, usually in October, because that’s a Marian month. And then we usually do the Station of the Cross, which is an offering during Lent.”
However, with some of these spiritual events, many students don’t see the value of participating and opt to miss them. Today, people aren’t advertised the importance of participating in the Stations of the Cross, and the value of traditions like it seems foreign to kids who are new to Trinity. However, it is a mission of Catholic schools to help students form connection with God. Thus, the Sts. Peter and Paul Society makes sure to give people the opportunity to participate in these events.
“There is, a lot of times, value in the post-having-done. So, a lot of these activities, you’ve got to get people to do them. Like, I’ve done stations for years, and kids will do it. And then, after it’s done, they say, ‘I’m really glad I did that.’ But there’s not a whole lot of attraction to do it until they’ve had the experience.”
A group like the Sts. Peter and Paul Society is special. It’s mission of helping people connect with God on a personal level has been incredibly important to the development of many Trinity students. It is a testament to the success of Trinity, and the benefits of a Catholic education.
As Mr. Schum said, at Trinity “we touch eternity. And we’re not afraid to talk about it. And that is a critical difference. If you start putting the human person in the context of existence itself, you confront every question differently. And we’re not afraid to do that. And we’re proud to do that. Because we profess faith in God as utmost value. And that is an enormous difference.”
For anyone interested in becoming involved with the Sts. Peter and Paul Society, contact Mr. Schum or Mr. Magre. Those who participate in either events from the society or the society itself often get a lot out of it. The society is spurred by student involvement, and there is opportunity to get involved. “We’re always looking for more [student buy-in]. And then ideas as well.”
