50 years of graduating classes span the generations at Scecina

Graduating from Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School is a tradition that bonds many east-side Indianapolis families. From left, Edna Guedel, Class of 1957, poses with her granddaughter, Morgan Parsons, Class of 2007, and her daughter, Robin Parsons, Class of 1979.

By John Shaughnessy

Edna Guedel knows she will cry when she watches her granddaughter cross the stage to receive her high school diploma.

Not only will they be tears of joy and pride for Guedel, they’ll also be tears for the special bond that will now connect three generations of her family.

After all, it was 50 years ago this spring when Guedel was a member of the first graduating class at Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis.

And now—five decades later—her granddaughter, Morgan Parsons, will also be graduating from Scecina, just as Morgan’s mother and Edna’s daughter did in 1979.

“I won’t be able to talk about it without crying,” Guedel says. “It really means so much to me that my children and my grandchildren have gone here. It’s something that I’ve found other people don’t have as they look back—the extreme closeness of all your classmates. I also know the value of a Catholic education.”

So does Morgan. On May 25, she will cross the same school stage as her mother and her grandmother did to receive their diplomas.

“I almost went to a different high school,” says Morgan, a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Indianapolis. “I had a choice, but I just felt like this was the place for me. I felt I should carry on the family tradition. I’m so glad I went here. A lot of my values and beliefs wouldn’t be where they are right now if I hadn’t gone to a Catholic school.”

While Morgan gets to share her special moment with her grandmother, her classmate, Cara Doyle, will be remembering her grandmother, who was also a member of Scecina’s first graduating class. Margaret McCallister Kleifgen died two years ago.

“When she died, the hardest part was knowing she wasn’t going to be there when I graduate,” says Cara, 18, a member of Holy Spirit Parish in Indianapolis. “We knew it would be 50 years since she graduated. It was really important to her that her grandchildren have a Catholic education, and it meant a lot to her that we went to Scecina. It means a lot to me following in her footsteps. She was very close to me and all of her grandkids.”

Cara will celebrate her graduation with her parents, who are both Scecina graduates: Sandy Kleifgen Doyle, a 1983 graduate, and Jim Doyle, a 1980 graduate.

Jessica Tooley also has the distinction of being a 2007 Scecina graduate with family ties to the school’s class of 1957. Her grandfather, Robert Moss, was a member of Scecina’s first graduating class. Her grandmother, Frances Corsaro Moss, graduated from the school in 1959. Her father, Thomas Tooley, graduated from Scecina in 1981.

“It’s nice to know you’re carrying on the tradition,” say Jessica, a member of St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower) Parish in Indianapolis. “All my expectations for high school were met. It’s such a small school and a small community, and I like that. I know my grandparents’ friends and my dad’s friends still get together. I think that’s neat after all those years.”

The years pass and the number of graduating classes increases yet the sense of family, faith and community continues for the school that takes pride in its Catholic,

east-side Indianapolis roots.

“As a parent, you’re always looking for what’s in the best interests of your kids,” Parsons says. “After I went off to college in Bloomington, I was open to any place. It wasn’t my vision for my kids to go to Scecina, but it was such a healthy environment to have kids in.

“So many people look out for each other and support each other. You’re always among friends. Once you’re involved in that community, you don’t want to lose it. There are so many opportunities spiritually, athletically and socially that maybe they wouldn’t get at a larger school. You do whatever you can to make it happen for your kids.”

That has often meant a financial sacrifice. Yet the three generations of their family believe that sacrifice results in a great return. Plus, it also provides another special bond that connects them through Morgan’s graduation.

“When we graduated in ’57, it was extremely meaningful for us,” Guedel recalls. “When we were freshmen, we were the only class in the school. We wrote the school song. We decided on the colors of the uniforms. We came up with the nickname, the Crusaders. That was our school.”

She’s glad that Morgan feels the same way 50 years later.

“It’s all part of our faith,” Guedel says. “If you have a strong faith, it exudes from you. Other people see it. It spreads. That is something that has trickled down to everyone in our family.

“Scecina is a part of this neighborhood. It’s a part of who we are. We’ve always been proud to say, ‘I’m from Scecina. I’m from the east side.’ There’s just something about it that you carry with you as you go through life—the pride, the faith.” †