×

Assistant chaplains grow in faith

Submitted Photo Many seniors at Bishop Ryan Catholic School are assistant chaplains who assist school chaplain the Rev. Douglas Krebs at Mass and with setting up events.

Many of the seniors at Bishop Ryan Catholic School are assistant chaplains who are called upon to assist school chaplain The Rev. Douglas Krebs with school activities. And Krebs said their reputation for dependability also is widely known in the community.

“People are constantly calling me (to ask), ‘Hey, can the assistant chaplains do this?’ “ said Krebs.

He said he can’t pass along every request for involvement by the assistant chaplains because he said they would then have no time for school and other activities.

Nineteen out of the 26 seniors at the Catholic high school applied to be assistant chaplains.

Krebs said nearly anyone who expresses an interest and applies to be an assistant chaplain will be approved. It says something about the popularity of the program and the students’ desire to get involved that so many from the class want to be assistant chaplains.

Not all of the students at Ryan are Catholic and assistant chaplains do not have to be Catholic either, said the students.

Among the things they do are helping to set up for a school Mass and different Catholic School Week events, said senior Jacob Bohl.

Senior Hannah Candrian said the assistant chaplains also set up for other events, like the ROCK. Different speakers are brought in at different ROCK events and free pizza and drinks are often served.

Krebs said students are assigned to different committees that help organize different events.

“I think it has taught us responsibility,” said senior Gabriel Thom.

Shayla Elm added that working together has also taught them the importance of teamwork and cooperation.

The experience has also helped to deepen their faith.

These are attributes that they will be able to carry over into other areas of their lives.

Krebs said a few Ryan graduates who were former assistant chaplains have even gone on to try religious life as priests, though that is not the intent of the assistant chaplain program.

Assisting at Mass and helping to organize events will teach them the importance of being active in their church communities and in the general community when they are adults.

Bohl, Candrian, Thom, Elm and classmates Holly Burckhard and Hailee Jundt said attending Ryan is a special experience.

Thom said the school is small enough that he doesn’t feel like just another student. Students have formed relationships during their work together.

Krebs said he has talked to students at the much larger Minot High School who don’t know many of their classmates because of the size of the class.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today