Fr. Ted Rothrock President/Pastor

Fr. Dale Ehrman Vice President/ Associate Pastor

Understanding the Guerin Catholic Difference

Many people tell us that Guerin Catholic high school is a special and unique place. Their reasons vary: Some might comment on our excellent academics and small class size.  Others might appreciate our sense of community and how our high school provides our students with individual attention and a wide range of opportunities. Still others might say that it is our Catholic faith and faith-based education that is most exceptional. These are all true, of course, but what truly makes Guerin Catholic special is the fact that we are a diocesan Catholic high school.  

Catholic high schools can be independent, sponsored by a religious order, or diocesan. Each distinction includes the name Catholic, but there are three fundamental ways that a diocesan Catholic high school differs from other Catholic or private high schools:

• Structure
  
• Teaching
  
• Community

Structure
As a diocesan Catholic high school, St. Theodore Guerin High School is part of the official Church structure. The school is under the control of our diocesan bishop, William L. Higi, who serves as chairman of the Corporate Board. This means Bishop Higi and his successors have ultimate authority over the school’s operations. Priests are appointed to run and supervise the operations of the school as agents of the bishop. The structure also includes the pastors of area diocesan parishes. They serve on the Guerin Catholic School Governing Board with lay members from diocesan parishes. This structure assures priest involvement and oversight regarding living the Catholic identity and values that are intrinsic to our mission.

Teaching
A school is a place of teaching and learning. As a diocesan Catholic high school, the teaching and learning--in fact the overall environment and culture--is shaped by the teachings of Christ as given to us by official Catholic Church teaching. Our staff and faculty work as ministers of the Church. Vatican documents--including, but not limited to, the Declaration on Christian Education, The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School, The Catholic School--provide direction to administration, faculty, and staff on how they are to approach their education ministries. All subject areas and extra-curricular activities emphasize Catholic principles of living a Sacramental life, the dignity of the human person, moral responsibility, valuing faith and reason, and the role of the family and social teachings. As a diocesan high school, our teaching flows from the Magisterium, which is the official teaching office of the Church. 

Community
The community of Guerin Catholic includes more than our students, families and staff. The Guerin Catholic community includes our diocesan parishes. Our mission is to serve the parishes in the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. This means much more than accepting students from these parishes and providing them a Catholic education. Our school community is part of the parish communities. Practically speaking, this means we host parish or deanery events (such as Destination Jesus), speakers, and workshops. In terms of education, the principals and teachers from parish schools meet to align curriculum, share best practices, and coordinate the matriculation of students from elementary Catholic schools and parish religious education programs. We work with parish youth ministers to coordinate retreat programs and encourage Guerin Catholic students to participate in parish youth ministry. The Guerin Catholic community includes the communities of our diocesan parishes.

Each year, St. Theodore Guerin High School grows and develops as a unique Catholic high school -- unique because of our structure, teaching and community.