-
February 3, 2017When you think about Catholic education at VASJ, it is impossible to not think about Bill Raddell ’68. After all, he is in his 45th year of teaching religion at VASJ (and formerly St. Joseph High School).“This has been my entire life,” Raddell says.
Of his 45 years of teaching, Raddell spent 27 as the school’s Religion Department Chair. His last 10 years have been in the position of Coordinator of Mission Effectiveness.
"His contribution to Catholic education cannot be measured,” says VASJ principal David Csank. “His dedication, not just to the thousands of students he has served, but to the mission of VASJ and Catholic education as a whole, is unparalleled. His passion for the mission, his passion for the students, and his passion for teaching, are still going strong."
Those contributions include more than just teaching the students at VASJ. He has written textbooks and film books, and has taught certification classes for the Diocese of Cleveland. He has become a source of knowledge and has earned much respect in the world of religious education.
And to think he never saw himself becoming a high school religion teacher.
As his graduation from John Carroll University approached, he wasn’t sure what his next steps would be. He felt he was being called to some form of Christian ministry, but teaching high school religion wasn’t even on his radar.
That is, until he ran into one of his former high school teachers, a Marianist brother, just three weeks before his college graduation.
“He asked if I had ever thought about teaching religion,” Raddell says.
He hadn’t. But this conversation got him thinking that maybe he should.
So he put in two applications for high school religion teaching positions - one at his alma mater, St. Joseph High School, and the other at Villa Angela Academy. Both schools offered him a job.
However, one was a full-time teaching position and the other was only part-time. So he accepted the full-time job at St. Joe’s, although still unsure whether it would be the right career fit for him.
“I thought I would give it a try,” says Raddell. “Maybe I’ll give it five years and see how it goes. And here I am, 45 years later and still just as passionate about it now as I was then, if not more so.”
It hasn’t always been easy. There have been hard years along the way. Sometimes he wondered if he made the right choice and whether he was having the impact he had hoped he would. But every time he prayed about it, he received a resounding “yes,” that he is doing exactly what he has been called to do.
“It’s not just the job,” says Raddell. “It’s serving the Lord. That’s a big piece of it. And seeing the kids that we have and knowing what God wants to do in their lives.”
Each time he hears the students proclaim what their VASJ Catholic education means to them, it reignites his passion and reaffirms the importance of Catholic education.
“I used to tell my parents when they were still alive, ‘the greatest gift you ever gave me was a Catholic education,’” says Raddell. “It’s not just academics, but helping form the whole person. In addition to providing a quality education, we do so much more.”
It is the school’s mission to help students grow not only spiritually and academically, but also personally. The school’s diversity is an important part of that process.
“We’re a sign of what the church is supposed to be,” says Raddell. “Both Chaminade and Angela (the school’s founders) in their teachings talk about the whole idea of inclusivity. That everyone is welcome.”
The school's inclusive, family atmosphere is something that can be felt by all who enter the school.
“I think VASJ, by the fact that we are Catholic and protestant, male and female, black and white, and different socioeconomic levels, represents what the church is,” Raddell says. “One of the signs of the presence of God is unity. Overall, kids who are here have a real sense of that. We are a family. There are people here who authentically care about them. And that becomes a sign to the world, that unity is possible, even in the midst of diversity.”
When one truly loves what they do, it doesn’t feel like work. That is how Raddell feels about his job at VASJ.
“I love what I do,” Raddell says. “I love the kids. It’s always different. I work with great people and I enjoy going to work. This has been a great place.”
People often ask Raddell, how many more years of teaching does he have in him. His response? It’s not up to him.
“I see this as more of a ministry than a job,” says Raddell. “I love what I’m doing and I don’t have an end goal. I think I’ll have a sense when the Lord is saying okay, it’s time to move on.”
He trusted God to guide him into the ministry and he is trusting that God will also guide him out of it. Until then, VASJ and the students it serves, will continue to be blessed by his presence, his calm influence, and his rich understanding of what it means to serve the Lord through Catholic education.
