Sedalia Sacred Heart H.S. sends 25 forth to work as disciples
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Before ascending to the Father, Jesus commanded his friends to go forth and keep doing what he had taught them to do, confident that he would be with them always.
Bishop Ralph B. O’Donnell advised the graduating seniors of Sacred Heart High School (SHS) in Sedalia to go and do likewise.
“Our work is always before us as disciples of Jesus,” Bishop O’Donnell noted in his homily for Sacred Heart’s Baccalaureate Mass on May 17 in the soaring gothic Sacred Heart Chapel.
“And now today, you step into the next level, the next work that is yours.”
It was the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord, 40 days after Easter Sunday.
“Jesus has returned to God the Father in heaven, and where he is gone, we are called to go,” said Bishop O’Donnell. “We do that one step at a time, following in his footsteps.”
The 25 members of the Class of 2026 began their day by processing into the chapel filled with family and fellow parishioners, each senior wearing a bright red choir robe but no tasseled mortarboard.
Starting anew
Each of the readings was a sending-forth to continue God’s important work.
“Jesus promised, I will send you the Holy Spirit,” Bishop O’Donnell noted.
He reminded the seniors that they had received that gift in Baptism and in a special way in Confirmation.
The bishop spoke of the things they had learned and the gifts they had acquired through their years of study, experience, revelation from God and interaction with one another.
“You start anew today,” said Bishop O’Donnell. “What you’ve put together in all these years of study now moves you to the next stage.”
That process will continue.
“All you’ve done moves with you into the next stage,” the bishop stated.
He was quick to thank God, the graduating seniors’ parents, their pastor, their teachers and anyone else who helped them become who they are.
Father Joseph Corel, pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish of Pettis County, then presented each graduating senior a St. Michael medal, symbolizing God’s armor and protection, along with a prayer card.
Parish Director of Religious Education Jose Maria Gonzalez led them in praying together a Prayer to the Holy Spirit.
Fr. Corel concelebrated the Mass.
Deacon Jim Rangitsch proclaimed the Gospel and assisted at the altar.
Invaluable hope
Commencement Exercises took place later that day in the school’s gymnasium.
Assistant Principal and longtime history teacher Jane McMullen, a member of SHS’s Class of 1987, gave the commencement address.
She urged the graduating seniors to keep important relationships at the center of their lives and never to give up hope.
“As humans, we are built to connect with others,” she said. “It is the people in our lives who bring us the most joy.”
She advised the graduating seniors to maintain strong ties to their friends and family.
“Nobody quite has your back like your loved ones,” she said.
Ms. McMullen proposed that hope offers each person the most positive experience of the world.
“I’m not sure true happiness is possible without some element of hope,” she said. “Hope offers us some peace when life is not going well. It provides us with a guiding light to make things better.”
She shared a thought from the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy: “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope ... and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring ... those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
Difference made
President Nikki Howell served as master of ceremonies at the Commencement and invited Fr. Corel to give the invocation.
“Thank you for giving (these seniors) the gift of life and for giving them the parents who love and support them,” Fr. Corel prayed. “... Thank you for allowing them to already make a positive impact in our community, and help them to make a positive difference in the places they travel next.”
Joining Mrs. Howell and Fr. Corel on the platform were Father Greiven Rodriguez Aquero, associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish; Suzanne Jenkins, principal of Sacred Heart High School; Ms. McMullin; and Sarah Tippie, counselor and member of the Class of 1998.
“We love shining the spotlight on a few of the impressive academic achievements of these 25 seniors in the class of 2026,” said Mrs. Howell.
She noted that SHS’s Class of 2026 has completed more than 3,200 service hours.
Many of the SHS graduates have already completed college courses and have earned 338 college credit hours.
Over half of the class earned the college prep certificate, an accomplishment that requires a GPA of 3.0 or higher, along with an composite score above the national average on the ACT standardized college test.
Forty-one percent of the SHS 2026 class earned a score of 30 or higher and one student achieved a perfect 36 on the ACT.
“We here at Sacred Heart foster an environment that prioritizes academic excellence and instills in our young people a sense of pride in their academic endeavors,” said Mrs. Howell. “Well done, Class of 2026!”
Power of perseverance
Salutatorian Anthony Sierra spoke of the loss of his mother and the value of perseverance.
“Life is not easy, it never has been, hopefully one day it will be, but despite that fact, I know that this class of 2026 will push with unwavering determination in order to pursue their goals,” said Anthony. “To my friends, I say this: Be the change in the world that you so desperately seek, no matter what obstacles you face, perseverance will always win.”
The high school men’s choir sang stirring renditions of “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” and “Not Yet I, But Through Christ In Me,” accompanied by music director Darrin Hartman.
Valedictorian Max Van Leer thanked St. Vincent de Paul’s priests and parishioners for providing a school where students could grow both academically and spiritually.
He thanked his classmates for enriching his time in school.
“Thank you for making every single moment count,” said Max.
Due recognition
The 2026 class was offered a combined $3,828,876 in scholarships and plans to utilize at least $1,905,076.
“Today isn’t just about celebrating grades, awards, scholarships or competitions,” said Senior Class President Emilee Jackson. “It’s about celebrating (each other). Every person sitting here today has overcome endless challenges, roadblocks and setbacks to make it to this moment, and that deserves recognition and a tremendous sense of accomplishment.”
Chris Howell is a reporter for the Sedalia Democrat (sedaliademocrat.com). Portions of this story were originally published in the May 19, 2026, issue of the Democrat and are republished here with permission.
