Notre Dame Academy has a rich foundation of Catholic tradition. Too often everyone assumes that the student body, including teachers and faculty, are Catholic. While most students and staff do come from a Catholic background, that statement is not true.

College Counselor Becky Bain had been non-denominational for five years while working at Notre Dame. Despite a strong, vibrant faith, she wanted to grow stronger and, during her time and worship here, developed a passion and appreciation for the Catholic mass.  As she put it, she was “moved” by the way Catholics worship God.

“I love the reverence and the deep tradition of Catholicism. The Catholics i work with are truly the face of Christ, loving  and concerned with their atmosphere, and they have challenged me to become deeper in my faith,” she explained.

Making the decision to become a Catholic was a shock for her family. When Ms. Bain told her mother “I became Catholic,” her mother responded,  “Who, what, where made you decide on this?”  

The first word that came out of Ms. Bain’s mouth was “Father Brad” followed by “I hope you are okay with me being a Catholic.”  Her mother’s response was profound and quite a testimony to another NDA staff member, business teacher Eileen Montgomery..

“I’m happy for you, as long as you practice faith like Ms. Montgomery,” said the college counselor’s mother.

Ms. Bain said she will still attend services with her family at her old church, Life, but participating in Catholic mass is her priority and joy “because it is incredibly meaningful to her faith life.”  

In addition to mass, she appreciates “saying the rosary after school on Wednesdays, Eucharistic adoration in the mornings and spiritual direction with Father Brad.”

Although she joined the Church months ago, she recently had the honor of participating in the rite of initiation with Bishop Ricken.  She will be joining Resurrection Catholic Church.

“I feel strongly about the fact that my spirituality is not so much about organized religion and all its rules and regulations. Rather, it is about relationship,” said Ms. Bain.

“It’s about loving God first and foremost and then loving others as I love myself. Sometimes, this is really hard to do. If I try via my own effort, I fail. I need the Holy Spirit’s daily sanctification so I am enabled to love, which means surrendering to God so He can work in and through me. Only as I open myself up to be transformed into my true self can I love others. For me, Catholicism provides the right environment in which to do this.”