Moments at the Mount

A busy series of weeks

After spending some time getting to know some students of Mount St. Mary Catholic High School, it is time to return to coverage of events occurring around campus in recent weeks. It has certainly been a productive month for students and staff with school-wide events becoming more prevalent now that the spring semester has come into full swing. 

2025 Kairos Retreats
Similar to last semester, junior and senior ladies from the three high schools of the archdiocese gathered for a weekend of prayer and fellowship at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Camp in late January. 

The boys followed a few weeks later, with a total of 29 students from the Mount. Among them, some were student leaders while the majority were retreatants. Additionally, adult leaders from MSM included individuals such as the legendary and beloved Mark Woodward, an upperclass math teacher, and Brian Boeckman, senior theology teacher. 

Magic at the Mount Gala
During the same weekend of boys’ Kairos, MSM held its annual gala and auction at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. 

During the course of the evening, MSM launched Phase Two of the “Higher Ground” campaign. With about $8.2 million raised of a $11.5 million goal, the second phase will pave the way for enhancing athletic facilities on campus. The funds of this part of the campaign will help pay for a new fieldhouse, hospitality center and sports annex.

There will also be increased tuition assistance for students, guaranteeing the success of future Rockets and their families. 

Rockets are busy bees!
Basketball homecoming week was held in early February, featuring the halls decorated with different board game themes, such as “The Game of Life.”

Students were allowed to dress out of uniform in different themes relating to the overall homecoming theme, “Game Night,” in theory. However, three days of snow and ice in Oklahoma City resulted in students and staff having three cyber days and only one true day to celebrate homecoming.

Kylie Ross was crowned as this year’s homecoming queen during halftime of the boys game against Cache on Valentine’s Day. The following evening, the student body was treated with the opportunity to attend the semi-formal dance, sponsored by the sophomore class. All four classes were represented with many using the opportunity as their Valentine’s Day date night following the week of winter weather. 

Chaeli Herd and Lucy Rosenhamer attended the semi-formal dance on Feb. 15 at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School. Photo provided.
Before the snow and ice arrived, many senior students in spring athletics and extracurriculars were honored. Students from basketball, robotics, e-sports, swim, and others were recognized for their years of dedication as a student of Mount St. Mary. 

MSM Campus Ministry
Kathleen Bertels.
Photo 
mountstmary.org.Kathleen Bertels has stepped up as the new campus minister for Mount St. Mary, beginning her new role when campus buzzed with life as the semester began after Christmas break.
Originally planning to work in youth ministry, she instead worked for two years at Bishop Kelly High School in Tulsa after graduating college. She then transitioned to teach sophomore theology at the Mount and has done so for eight years until this semester. 

“I never thought that I’d end up doing something similar to ministry after discovering my love for teaching,” she explained, “but the Lord placed the idea on my heart when our principal, Laura Cain, released the job description.”

The student chapel has seen an increased attendance since Bertels’ stepping in. 

“We have eucharistic adoration almost every morning now before classes start, and I’m also trying to introduce the Liturgy of the Hours to the students,” she said. “Stations of the Cross are in the works for Lent as well. 

“I decided to add more adoration in the morning because I’m already here at those times, and I think there’s just something about having the Lord exposed on the altar in a candlelit chapel that is just really inviting for the students and staff. It’s really a beautiful thing to see so many of them stopping in to say quick prayers throughout the day and continue to foster their relationship with the Lord.” 

Emma Bowman is a senior at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School.

Photo: Kylie Ross was crowned basketball homecoming queen on Feb. 14 at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School. Photo Mount St. Mary Athletics.