Catholic Central embraces deep faith despite unthinkable tragedies

Novi — One week before Detroit Catholic Central student David Widzinski unexpectedly passed away, he wrote a note to classmate Timothy Fitzpatrick, who was suffering from a rare spinal cord disease.

“The fact you are fighting for your life is inspiring: When times are hard, your CC brothers have people like you and Sal to lean on because we know that you guys won’t give up. So how could WE?” wrote Widzinski, also referencing classmate Salvatore Cipriano, who was severely injured in an attack on his family in April 2012.

Widzinski died in his sleep in December 2012, shocking the Catholic Central community that had not only suffered with the Cipriano family, but was journeying with Fitzpatrick, whose disease first appeared in November 2012.

Yet, the all-male Catholic high school, which had its first class in 1928 under the guidance of the Basilian Fathers, who lead it to this day, remained steadfast through not only supporting those suffering, but in following the example of those who underwent the tragedies.

Catholic Central was tested again when 19-year-old Chas Schneider, who graduated in 2011 and had been a star wrestler at Catholic Central, died from colon cancer in March 2013.

Fr. John B. Huber, CSB, principal of Catholic Central, told The Michigan Catholic that prior to Schneider’s death, the much-loved graduate had received a text from the school’s athletic director, Aaron Babicz, who expressed the prayer that Schneider not suffer.

“Chas texted Aaron back, stating ‘I don’t want God to spare me the suffering, it brings me closer to Him,’” remembered Fr. Huber.

With the accidental paralyzing injury of hockey player Matt Sorisho during an October 2013 game, and the recent death of 2012 graduate Peter Halash in a car accident in early January 2014, Catholic Central’s faith has been tested time and time again.

But they have never run from the suffering.

“I think, as a community of young men, along with the community of faculty, staff, administrators, coaches and parents who support them, we have learned something powerful through these painful experience, as Chas learned something powerful through his pain,” said Fr. Huber. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God, and pain can be understood as a means to allow us to come closer to Him.”

 

Lesson in forgiveness

Students and twins Salvatore Cipriano and Tanner Cipriano’s family would never be the same when their older brother, Tucker Cipriano, attacked the family in April 2012, which resulted in the death of their father, Robert Cipriano, and critical injuries to mother Rose Cipriano and Salvatore Cipriano.

“All of us were awestruck when Tanner Cipriano publically asked for everyone to forgive the brother who had killed his father,” said Fr. Huber, who recalled the school held a candlelight prayer service and procession for the Ciprianos a week after the incident.

Fr. Huber said that after the candlelight procession, Tanner Cipriano led his uncles, aunts and cousins into the school chapel.

“They gathered in a circle, and Tanner looked them in the eye and said to them, ‘I think we need to start forgiving,’” said Fr. Huber. “He then led his family in the Our Father, and ended with ‘Dad, pray for us.’”

Fr. Huber reflected on where this 17-year-old, who was still mourning the loss of his father, and whose twin brother and mother were still in the hospital, had received such strength.

“As I looked around the chapel, I recalled the daily gatherings of the young men from Catholic Central, along with young ladies from Mercy, Ladywood and St. Catherine’s, along with students from Novi, Northville and Farmington, who prayed day after day the rosary for their brother Sal Cipriano,” said Fr. Huber.

He admitted that he had prepared the faculty for the day that he would have to give the “bad news” to the students; but that day never came.

“Why? Because Sal fought, and came back, and continues to do so,” said Fr. Huber. “Why? Because teenagers prayed.”

 

Solidarity among schools

Fr. Huber said that in the past he has been greatly upset by the strong rivalry concept among Catholic high schools in the United States, especially in local schools.

He explained, however, that in the midst of the various tragedies, a “tremendous amount of solidarity” has grown up among the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Detroit, not limited to the all-male high schools, but including the co-ed schools, the girls’ schools and grade schools.

The day after Widzinski’s death, Catholic Central’s chapel was filled with flowers and cards from the other schools.

“Kids would come into the chapel and read these cards and it really touched their hearts,” Fr. Huber said.

This has helped enhance the understanding that “kids that go to other schools are not your enemies,” said Fr. Huber, explaining that in photos taken at David Widzinski’s funeral, jackets from many different schools could be seen in the crowds, and the same for the Cipriano family candlelight procession.

He said local school administrators and counselors have grown in stronger solidarity as well, and keep up the practice of frequently meeting and sharing with one another.

 

Faith in the young generation

Fr. Huber said he is constantly challenged to grow in his own faith through the example of his students.

“The love of God and the Holy Spirit is alive and well and thriving among our teenagers,” he said. “Perhaps those of an older generation ought to realize that, and not write them off. Our young people face a lot more difficult and intense choices than we did; yet, when they go off track, we don’t give the Holy Spirit enough credit for still working in them.”

He explained that in serving youth from both the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Diocese of Lansing, he has discovered that “there’s a lot going on in our teenagers that we don’t give credit for.”

Fr. Huber said he would openly admit that the young men who have either directly experienced tragedies, or who have accompanied and supported them, “have brought me personally incredibly closer to God.”

He said it’s humbling to realize that “a 17-year-old had more of an ability to forgive than did his principal who is a priest, and a 19-year-old was more willing to tolerate pain than that same priest who would have been … but it’s also inspiring, and it’s also grace-filled, and it’s a tremendous gift of love to the rest of us.”

 

The rosary on the wall

Fr. Huber said his own mother had always taught him that Our Lady is the greatest example of uniting sufferings to Christ, that “she suffered tremendously, but she was faithful,” and the young men of Catholic Central realize that fully.

“Perhaps we’re not always the best as adults at enabling that spirituality in ways that are meaningful to them, but they’ve got it within them,” Fr. Huber said. “They’ve proven that they’ve got it within them. It didn’t suddenly convert them overnight. You could tell.”

Fr. Huber recalled that the morning Widzinski died, he and Catholic Central’s president, Fr. Jefferson Thompson, CSB, came to the family’s house shortly after receiving the news.

“There were religious pictures all around David’s room,” said Fr. Huber, pointing out that “he didn’t put that room together because he knew two priests were coming over.”

Fr. Huber noticed a rosary hanging on a nail near Widzinski’s bed: “After my experience of hundreds of teenagers turning toward her when Sal and Rose (Cipriano) were in trouble, I knew instinctively that she had picked David up and carried him to her Son.”

“The Holy Spirit has not retired: we have no need to be so anxious as to think that the upcoming generation has no faith,” he said. “Thousands of teenagers from our corner of Michigan have proved otherwise.”