What's Happening in Cougar Country

In Matthew’s Gospel, it is written that Jesus told the Pharisees the second-greatest commandment is “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Lake Catholic High School and St. John Vianney Parish have been neighbors since Lake Catholic opened, shortly after St. John Vianney was established. The partnership between the two has grown and thrived for more than 50 years. Much of that relationship has been nurtured by SJV pastor Rev. Tom Johns.

To honor him and his commitment to the school, Fr. Johns was presented with the Lake Catholic Torch of Loyalty Award on December 11 at the school’s President’s Circle reception. 
“It is my privilege to extend the Torch of Loyalty Award to Fr. Thomas Johns, in recognition of his lifelong commitment to faith, leadership, and his enduring partnership with Lake Catholic,” President John Morabeto said in front of nearly 200 guests. 

The Torch of Loyalty Award is the highest recognition the Lake Catholic President can bestow on an individual, family, or organization. It exists to celebrate those who embody the core values of Lake Catholic and demonstrate a lasting commitment to the success of the school, not just for today, but for generations to come.

Michele Bernot, who worked at Lake Catholic from 1996 to 2017 as a theology teacher, service coordinator, campus minister, and Vice President of Mission and Ministry, introduced Fr. Johns with several stories of her time working with him.

She recalled how he had celebrated hundreds of reconciliations, masses, and team blessings. He would grant every request to bless rings, talk with a distraught student, run over to the school for ‘just a minute,’ or serve on a committee. 

With the completion of the current SJV church in 2002, Fr. Johns helped facilitate the Lake Catholic all-school masses there. The walks as an entire Cougar community grew into opportunities to not just ‘travel’ but to serve, as the Honor Guard tradition along Bellflower Road during funeral processions began with Fr. Johns’ guidance as well.

The stained glass windowpanes that grace the St. Thomas Aquinas Learning Center are sections from the original SJV Church building donated by Fr. Johns. Additionally, after many conversations with him about growing Catholic identity at Lake Catholic in the early 2000s, he was instrumental in suggesting, supporting, and celebrating the selection by student vote of the school’s patron saint, St. Thomas Aquinas — the patron of scholars. The evening's event in that space, in the center of this school, in the presence of visible displays of St. Thomas Aquinas, is because of him, his support, and his joyful efforts, Bernot said.

“His presence and his inspiration are timeless here,” she said. “Indeed, as the years pass, many may not even realize his fingerprint on so much of the mission and Catholic identity here — but he IS the cornerstone.”

Upon his introduction, Fr. Johns was greeted with a standing ovation.

Fr. Johns received a crystal flame award to commemorate this special recognition. In addition, he was presented with a hand-embroidered stole featuring elements of Lake Catholic’s stained-glass artwork. The stole symbolizes faith, service, and a lasting connection to the school. Fr. Johns joins Fr. Marty Polito, Lake Catholic’s inaugural Torch of Loyalty honoree, as the only recipients of this stole — a distinction that reflects the profound and enduring impact of their ministry on Lake Catholic.

To honor and celebrate Fr. Johns and the legacy he has built, the Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve, for whom he has served as chaplain for more than 40 years, donated $20,000 to benefit Lake Catholic student scholarships. The Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve was last year’s recipient of the Torch of Loyalty Award.

“Lake Catholic has been so generous to us (St. John Vianney),” Fr. John said. “They’ve truly been great neighbors, and it’s a great pleasure for us to be associated with Lake Catholic.”

Fr. Johns recalled the number of SJV parishioners who are Lake Catholic alumni, whose weddings he’s officiated, who he still sees in every part of his life.

“I’m constantly running into Lake Catholic graduates, and it’s always fun to see how great they turned out,” he said. “Lake Catholic inspires kids to be great and give back, and I see it all the time.”

The evening started with the LC Singers performing a stirring rendition of O, Holy Night.

Morabeto then took to the podium and, before presenting the award to Fr. John, thanked everyone in attendance for their continued partnership with Lake Catholic as the school continues its forward-moving momentum.

“This gathering is one of my favorite moments of the year, because it offers me the opportunity to stand before the people who make so much of our mission possible,” he said. “You, our most dedicated families, supporters, and friends, are the energy behind Lake Catholic’s forward momentum. And this year, that energy wasn’t abstract or symbolic. It was visible. It was measurable. It was unmistakable. This year, you showed up in every way a community can.”

He thanked everyone for their support at the school’s 41st Annual Gala, this past summer’s Grand Reunion, including the Class of 1975’s 50th reunion, the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony and Athletic Giving Day, the recent #weGiveCatholic day of giving, and the powerful impact that was made through the Angel Scholarship Fund – allowing people to direct their state tax liability to Lake Catholic for scholarships. 

Morabeto said the current momentum gives the school confidence to tackle the work that needs to continue to get done.

“Our Strategic Plan is no longer a plan,” he said. “It’s in motion. Our Advisory Board is helping steer the ship with purpose. And thanks to their support, we’ve already celebrated some early wins.”

Those early wins include:

• A Facilities Master Plan to assess and prioritize decades of deferred maintenance on the now more than 50-year-old building
• A refreshed brand that honors the school’s history and positions it for growth
• A comprehensive enrollment strategy that is already increasing class sizes
• A strengthened advancement plan that’s building sustainable support and transparency in giving
• And the introduction of the new planned giving society – a lasting way to carry values forward for the next generation.

“When we expect more of ourselves, when we lead with transparency, excellence, and purpose, your trust grows,” Morabeto said. “And you’re showing us that trust in the most meaningful ways. We feel the energy. We’re moving forward together.”

Historically, as both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays approach, volunteerism and charitable giving peak compared to other times throughout the calendar year.

Lake Catholic High School is no different. 

The entire school participates in Socktober throughout October. Led by Visual Arts Department Chair Mrs. Kelly Wolf, students, faculty, and staff collect socks and money for donation to several local charities.

On Monday of this week, the Class of 2026 took part in the 51st annual Turkey Day event. What had started back in 1974 as a Thanksgiving feast for friends to enjoy each other as an entire class has turned into much more for Lake Catholic students, as they live out one of the school’s core values – its willingness to serve.

And next week, on the National Day of Giving, the school community will once again participate in #weGiveCatholic, which is the school’s largest single-day of giving, and benefits all current students.

Although students have always been called to serve and give back throughout all four years at Lake Catholic, Mrs. Beth Paskey, who joined the faculty this school year, is enriching that commitment in new ways. She’s making service more accessible, more visible, and more woven into everyday school life.

Paskey, who’s been in Catholic education for the past 34 years, including the last 17 years at St. Gabriel, teaches Freshmen Theology during the morning and then serves as the school’s service coordinator throughout the afternoon – not that those roles are exclusive of each other.

“When this job became available, and the way it’s structured, it was a no-brainer for me,” Paskey said. “A life of service is what we’re called to live. Watching the students get involved and help others is what I enjoy the most. Taking time out of school and helping others in a different environment – it’s very rewarding for me to see.”

Outside of Turkey Day, where nearly a dozen locations were visited by the senior class, students of all grade levels have made multiple trips to Birthright Lake, Inc., Brookdale Senior Living, and the St. Gabriel Food Pantry. Students have also been to the Warehouse of HOPE, participated in both a Living Rosary at St. Gabriel School and the Respect Life Day planned by the Catholic Schools for Peace and Justice Network, and helped out at the Special Sports Halloween Party hosted right here at Lake Catholic. 

So far, 103 students have participated in 15 projects, averaging approximately 154.5 hours of service. Turkey Day accounted for another 111 students at 12 locations for about 2.5 hours of service each.

All that in three-plus months of school. And that’s not even counting any service the students do on their own.

“We want service to become the norm,” Paskey said. “We want the students to want to do these things, and not something they have to do to check the box, so to speak.”

The school does have service requirements for the students to graduate. A minimum of 50 hours – 10 hours as a freshman, 15 hours as both a sophomore and junior, and another 10 hours as a senior – is the minimum. To earn the service cord to be worn at the commencement ceremony, a student must have at least 80 hours of service.

“Right now, I work a lot with the freshmen because that’s who I teach,” Paskey said. “To some of the upperclassmen, I’m just a name on an email. But I’m already making plans for the second semester and would love to take kids to different places at least two days a week.”

Some students have even reached out to Paskey with their own ideas for service. A group of students approached her about going to play music at different locations. 

“This is not just a me thing,” she said. “Students can come up with their own plans, and I’ll help arrange them in any way I can.”

With Paskey’s leadership and the students’ growing enthusiasm, service at Lake Catholic continues to evolve—not as an obligation, but as a shared way of life.