By Steve Neill
of The Catholic Virginian

After 90 years of Catholic education in which numerous families of multi-generations can share memories, St. Benedict School of Richmond feels it has a lot to celebrate.

The school, located at 3100 Grove Ave. in an area of Richmond often called the Near West End or Museum District, has been in the same location its entire 90 years. Its neighbors are a mixture of residents who live in older brick row houses and small businesses which are on Belmont Avenue across from the east side of the school.

With its inner city location, St. Benedict’s serves a very diverse student population. The school’s 180 students highlight Richmond’s multi-cultural population — 69 percent white, 20 percent African American, 5 percent Asian, 2 percent Hispanic and 4 percent multiracial.

St. Benedict remains unabashedly Catholic, says Sean Cruess, principal.

“There is a strong emphasis on passing on the faith through weekly Mass, daily prayer, participating in the sacraments and service to the community,” he told The Catholic Virginian.

“We try to pass on the Gospel tradition that our parents passed on to us.”

About two-thirds of the students are Catholic. But those who are not still attend Mass and receive instruction on the sacraments.

“There’s no pressure on non-Catholics to convert, but they still get the opportunity to learn what the Church teaches in a Catholic environment,” Mr. Cruess said.

But the academic environment is important as well, the principal asserted.

“The focus here at St. Benedist’s is on incorporating critical thinking skills, both written and oral communication skills, and doing this through great works of literature,” Mr. Cruess said.

“We also use Latin instruction starting with the first grade,” he continued. “Studies have shown that it improves English grammar and logical thinking.

“Latin also fits with the character of the parish which uses Latin for the common prayers of the Mass,” Mr. Cruess said.

The entire student body goes to Mass normally every Friday unless a feast day occurs during the week. Father James Kauffmann, pastor of St. Benedict Church, and Deacon Paul Mahefky are frequent visitors to the school where they see students in their classrooms.

“Father likes to check on how their Latin is coming along,” Mr. Cruess said, smiling.

St. Benedict School also offers Spanish beginning in the 6th grade and students can take Spanish through the 8th grade.

“The idea is to give them a feel for both languages and then in the 7th and 8th grades they have the option of Spanish or Latin which they take for high school credit,” Mr. Cruess explained.

It is the principal’s contention that students leaving the 8th grade are well prepared for high school. Many of the students then continue their education at Benedictine or Saint Gertrude High Schools which are nearby.

“On their final Terra Nova exams in 7th grade, our students scored above the diocesan average in every subject area,” Mr. Cruess said.

The principal, who grew up in Spokane, Wash., and graduated from Franciscan
University of Steubenville, is in his third year as principal. He acknowledges there are challenges.

“Enrollment is challenging because it’s tough to keep an urban Catholic school open because people are moving or have moved to the suburbs,” Mr. Cruess said. “But this Museum District neighborhood has seen a lot of new younger families moving in.

“The parish has a lot of young families,” he continued. “The kindergarten is full and there is a waiting list. This is a sign of the youth in the parish and the neighborhood.”

Perhaps one of the strongest motivational factors which encourages the continuation of St. Benedict School is the sense of family with current students having grandparents or even great-grandparents who attended the school.

Jonathan Beirne, an 8th grader, is part of such a family. “My dad went here and his dad before that went here,” he told The Catholic Virginian. His two older brothers graduated from St. Benedict’s as well.

Another 8th grade student, Kristian Hill, whose mother is president of the PTO, said she values the professionalism of the teachers who “are really good.”

Barbara Caravati Thornton, who began in the first grade in 1939 and graduated from St. Benedict School in 1947, is pleased that her grandson, Charlie Williamson, has begun first grade there.

“I have happy memories of here,” Mrs. Thornton said. “Some of the friends I made in the first grade are still friends today. Three of us went out to lunch yesterday and we try to get together once a month.”

Patti Williamson, Mrs. Thornton’s daughter who attended St. Edward-Epiphany and St. Gertrude’s, explained she wanted her older son to attend St. Benedict School “to extend our Christian Catholic faith, in that order.” He had attended a public school for kindergarten.

“We want our son to come here to reinforce the religion we have at home,” she said.
“I feel children need to start early in learning the faith,” she said. “I think it’s so important.”

One new change this school year is that food is no longer prepared in the basement cafeteria. Instead food is prepared off site and brought in hot and served to the students.

“It’s more cost-effective,” Mr. Cruess said.

Tom Benedetti, who graduated from St. Benedict School in 1984 after his four older brothers and sister had preceded him, is proud to be the middle of three generations at the school. His mother, the late Peggy Nolte Benedetti, had graduated in 1950. Now his oldest son, Jack, is in first grade at St. Benedict’s. He and his wife Liz will be hosting a benefit for their school at their home in the Fan District.

“Just as the school has been a solid foundation for the community for 90 years, it has also been the foundation for who I am today,” said Mr. Benedetti, a husband and father of three and a local business leader involved in fundraising and start-up investments for new companies.

“I’m excited about all the new energy surrounding St. Benedict School,” he added.

Mr. and Mrs. Benedetti, who are members of Cathedral parish, are able to send their son to St. Benedict School at the same tuition rate as St. Benedict parish students. That rate is available to families registered at and supporting a Catholic parish which does not have its own parish school.

As it looks to the future, St. Benedict School has just finished the remodeling of St. Anselm Hall (formerly known as the multi-purpose room). It is continuing work on a complete technological update of the school building, including a new media center that will connect to the current library.

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