Cathedral School presents new award
Superior resident is recipient of first ever Lumen Christi recognition
Amy Pezderic
Catholic Herald correspondent
SUPERIOR -- Cathedral School, Superior, held the first Lumen Christi award dinner May 14 in the Cathedral of Christ the King’s Kress Hall. Steve Bachand, a teacher and coach at Cathedral School, was presented the award by Bishop Peter Christensen in a ceremony featuring music by the Superior High School Chamber Orchestra and a display of local art.
Bachand’s presence at Cathedral School spanned 35 years, but he has continued to stay in touch with many of his former students and players. His life and example has touched the hearts and minds of many.
“He really brought me through my life, he forged a lasting relationship, his demeanor just rubbed off on the players,” council member Joe Koehler said.
Over the course of the evening many similar comments were made. Bachand’s prowess as a winning coach was noted, but his poise and quiet calm under pressure came to the fore.
“Practice with a purpose: always have a ball in your hand, because that’s what basketball is all about. He always had a smart, positive way to win, and that’s why I came tonight,” George LaValley said. Bachand’s easygoing manner and his calm under pressure not only worked to Cathedral’s athletic advantage, but his example set him and his players, his students apart from the rest.
The new Lumen Christi Award was created to honor just such an individual. Lumen Christi, meaning “the light of Christ” has its application on the light of knowledge, character, and truth that finds its source in Jesus Christ. The award recognizes individuals whose lives reflect the core values of Cathedral School: faith, respect, prayer, honesty, responsibility, compassion, service and excellence.
“Because Christ is the light, the award is to recognize those who bring light to our community,” said Fr. Andrew Ricci, rector of the Cathedral.
The recipients must demonstrate a commitment to sharing “the light of Christ” with others by their living example, making Bachand a prime candidate for such an honor.
Bachand, 93, is a life-long Superior resident and member of Cathedral of Christ the King. He graduated from Cathedral High School in 1935, and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Education and later a Master’s in History from Superior State (now UWS). He began his career at Cathedral School in 1937 coaching football, basketball and track and field. Beginning in 1946 he also taught history.
In attendance were Bachand’s wife of 69 years, Helen, family members, friends, faculty and staff of Cathedral School, and many former students who felt his lasting impression.
The entire event was planned with gratitude and a strong sense of community, from the gifts of postcards featuring the drawing of Cathedral School’s art students at each place setting, to the careful decoration and transformation of Kress Hall into an elegant springtime display of budding birch branches and hand-picked wild flowers.
“Me and my Dad pulled down all the branches ourselves,” school secretary, Colleen Anderson, said. The event took some two months to prepare with students and staff having active roles.
Local artists and studios were represented in exhibition of their work. The Oulu Glass Gallery/Studio featured a number of fine pieces, and a painting by Amanda K entitled “Mary,” after the famous “The Virgin in Prayer,” by Sassofrato was of particular interest.
Talk centered around the importance of Catholic education even in the face of the sacrifice it so often entails, how Cathedral School’s three-fold mission to educate, nurture and inspire sets its students apart. Communities need such schools and educators who embody such principles and values like Bachand. The Lumen Christi Award was created to honor this wonderful presence.
The evening concluded with the recitation of the Cathedral School prayer and a statement from Fr. Ricci on Bachand and the Lumen Christi Award, “This is a gift—a precious, holy, and amazing gift. What a treasure you have within your community, and we thank God for it.”
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