Catholic school community brings student into faith

St. Philip Catholic Central High School sophomore Marcel Williams didn’t mean to call attention to himself. He was following directions in class, writing an essay about what his Catholic education meant to him. That essay would later take first place in a diocesan-wide contest for the Office of Schools.

“Marcel’s essay was more about turning around his life rather than the traditional responses,” said Nina Laney, enrollment specialist for the Diocese.

Marcel was not raised Catholic. He was attending a public elementary school in Battle Creek, but things weren’t going well. He switched to a different public school system for middle school but was still falling into the wrong crowd.

“I didn’t care about school,” Marcel said. “I was bullied a lot. I was always sidetracked, talking in class and getting yelled at.”

During sixth grade, Marcel’s neighbor asked if he would like to play football for St. Joseph Middle School. Marcel agreed. That neighbor was St. Joseph Middle School theology teacher Don Shafer.

"Marcel is like a foster-son to me,” Shafer said. “He grew up playing with my kids.” Marcel noticed a big difference on this football team.

“When I played on other teams it was not OK to lose,” Marcel said. “You get down on each other, and you start yelling at each other. With St. Joseph, you keep your head up and keep hoping for the best.”

Marcel made new friends, ones he visited at St. Joseph Middle School whenever his public school had half-days or days off. Marcel’s mother enrolled him at St. Joseph for seventh grade.

Again, there was an immediate difference.

“There was a lot more homework,” Marcel said. “It was more disciplined [than my other school], but the teachers were more enthusiastic about wanting to help. They reached out to you if they knew you were struggling.”

Marcel’s grandmother often spoke to him about God, peaking Marcel’s interest, but she was not able to answer his questions. Daily theology classes gave Marcel a chance to find those answers and develop a prayer life, something he detailed in his essay.

“Just after one year at St. Joseph, my belief in God and feeling more comfortable talking and praying to Him became very easy,” Marcel said.

As his classmates prepared for Confirmation, Marcel found he wanted to be confirmed. His first-grade sister Maddy was preparing for baptism, and Marcel discussed with his mother receiving baptism too. He worried, however, he was rushing things.

Marcel’s grandmother gave him some good advice.

“She said it was my decision and all that mattered was me growing closer in my relationship with God and finding my way home,” Marcel said.

Marcel was baptized in St. Joseph Church on April 17, 2016, along with his sister Maddy — right across the parking lot from his middle school. His family was there as well as his neighbor, coach, and teacher Mr. Shafer.

Four days later, Marcel was confirmed with the rest of his classmates, a day he considers his “favorite middle school memory.” Marcel also made his First Holy Communion that day, receiving the Precious Body and Blood from Bishop Bradley.

“It was the perfect way to receive First Communion,” Marcel said. “It was awesome.”

As he wrote in his essay, “Going to St. Joseph Catholic Middle School and St. Philip Catholic Central High School was the best thing that ever happened to me because not only do I have friends, I have a family of friends and teachers.”