OLDENBURG, Ind. — As Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception opens its 150th anniversary celebration with an all-school Mass today, one student's words echo the sentiments of many connected with this historic Catholic college preparatory school.

Spires from the Mother House for the Sisters of St. Francis, founders of Oldenburg Academy. (Michael E. Keating photos) | ZOOM |

        “If we've been around this long and we're still growing, then it proves our school has a strong foundation,” said senior Abby Alford, 17, of Harrison.

        Miss Alford is one of 34 members of the last all-girls class that will graduate from Oldenburg in June.

        Oldenburg opened its doors to boys for the first time in 1999, following a study by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis that concluded parents in the area had an overwhelming interest in establishing a Catholic co-educational high school.

        “The call became louder for the need for co-education — the need to minister to everybody,” said Oldenburg Principal Constance “Connie” Deardorff.

The final all-girls graduating class of Oldenburg Academy will graduate May, 2003. | ZOOM |

        Oldenburg answered the call, as it has so often in the past, and that is what helped the school endure and grow over the years, officials say.

        Sister Therese de Lourdes Galm, 90, a former teacher and principal from 1962 to 1975, heard that same call years ago and took it upon herself to tutor two boys from a nearby school who were having academic difficulties.

        “I'm thankful that boys are (part of the school) now,” she said.

        Oldenburg Academy, 40 miles west of Cincinnati in Franklin County, was founded by the Oldenburg Community of Sisters of St. Francis in 1852. The school has 178 students in grades 9-12.

        This year, boys make up about 40 percent of students in grades 9-11. Average class size is 18 students. Ninety-seven percent of all graduates go on to college, while 85 percent score above state standards on standardized tests.

OLDENBURG ACADEMY

Calendar of events     1844: Missionary Francis Joseph Rudolf arrived in Oldenburg from Alsace-Lorraine.     1851: Father Rudolf founded the Oldenburg Community of Sisters of St. Francis with Sister Theresia Hackelmeier as Superior General.     1852: The school was founded by the Oldenburg Community of Sisters of St. Francis with 12 studentboarders.     1941: The school eliminated elementary education.     1980s: Day students outnumber boarders for the first time.     1999: Boarders are eliminated.     1999: The all-girls school was opened to boys.     2002-03: Last all-girls class (34 members) will graduate. Overall enrollment is 178. Other events planned for the year:     Oct. 12 — Homecoming.     Dec. 8 — Jubilee Mass and lunch with Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein.     Feb. 15 — Reverse raffle fund-raiser. Ruthven painting to be auctioned to highest bidder.     May 17 — 150th anniversary grand gala dinner and dance.     May 18 — May crowning.     June 7 — Graduation ceremonies.     For times and details, call (812) 933-0737.

        Dan Kuntz, 16, a junior from Batesville, is a member of the first class of boys to attend Oldenburg.

        “Some of the girls don't like the boy idea and they aren't afraid to come right out and say what they feel,” he said with a smile.

        But the benefits of attending Oldenburg Academy far outweigh the occasional negative comments, he said.

        Dan has the unique privilege of carrying on a family tradition. His mother, grandmother and other family members attended Oldenburg. Going co-ed at Oldenburg Academy has been a monumental change, but students and teachers strive to preserve historical links.

        The school's 150-year motto is, “Our link to the past is our bridge to the future.”

        Elizabeth Schrimpf, 16, a junior from Batesville, was instrumental in establishing an “Adopt-a-Sister” program through the school's Key Club. Students meet once a week with the Sisters of St. Francis to talk and tap into their knowledge and sense of history.

        “We're very lucky to have these people and their knowledge and their experience,” she said. “We should take advantage of it. We shouldn't forget about them.”

        Oldenburg Academy also is a motherhouse for Sisters of the Order of St. Francis. About 150 sisters of all ages and ministries live on the 30-acre campus. The curriculum at Oldenburg includes basics, academics and advanced placement college courses.

        Admissions director and teacher Sherri Kirschner said the school wants its basic skills education to remain, yet recognizes that some students need to be more challenged. At the same time, students are encouraged not to overbook their academic and extracurricular schedules, but rather, identify their individual gifts and develop them. Staff members have frequent meetings with parents to bring them into the process.

        “I think it's a struggle for some students, but with advice from parents and us, we can help them focus on what really is their gift in order to be successful,” said school president Sister Therese Gillman.

        A year of activities celebrating the school's 150 years begins today and includes the unveiling of a painting by artist John A. Ruthven.

        Over the years, the focus of the curriculum at Oldenburg hasn't changed much. College prep is still the norm. Students today enjoy many of the same class offerings as their predecessors.

        Still, when that last all-girls class graduates next spring, there will be some twinges of nostalgia.

        “It's the end of a historic epoch, more or less,” Ms. Deardorff said. “But change can be something very productive and can be really exciting because of how it's developed.”
       

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