West Bend, WI – As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week each year, we pause to recognize past students with the National Catholic Educational Association’s Distinguished Graduate Award. Our mission statement at Holy Angels School begins with the words: “We belong to a Catholic community which gathers together to proclaim the gospel, serve others, and praise God.” We’d like to recognize this year’s distinguished graduate at this time.
This year’s recipient has certainly embodied our mission statement by his service to others, especially our school and parish community. He has been a member of Holy Angels Parish for 56 years. You’ve probably seen him as he assists with and trains people in various ministries, such as Eucharistic Minister, Lector, Sacristan, and Mass Server.
He assists, prepares, and handles the upkeep of items in the church, sacristy, and sanctuary. He helps with seasonal decorating in the church, trains the grade school servers, and assists with daily duties at the Holy Angels Cemetery. He’s the past president and member of the Holy Angels Property and Grounds Committee, Parish Council, and Worship Committee.
Our Distinguished Graduate is also active in our community. He has helped build homes with Habitat for Humanity, is a Founding Member of the West Bend Soccer Club, is past President of the United Soccer Club, was the Head soccer coach of UW Washington County, and was on the City of West Bend Deer Management Committee
His favorite memories of his time as a student at Holy Angels are serving at Mass (back then, some of it was in Latin), cub scouts, soap box derbies, science fairs, and special events like Christmas concerts and the Valentine’s Day party.
He said his Holy Angels’ education has helped him because prayer is an extremely important part of his daily life. Also, the nuns at Holy Angels taught discipline, responsibility, honesty, and respect. He said Holy Angels also taught him problem solving and the thinking process.
As a member of the HA Class of 1968, he believed Catholic education encourages people to put faith and trust in God. It teaches moral values, offers academic excellence and challenging curriculum, and stresses hard work, discipline, respect, honesty, and responsibility.”
It is with much gratitude I present our 2025 NCEA Distinguished Graduate Award to Marv Wolf.
