Coffeyville’s Holy Name School closes after 109 faithful years

Following 109 years of Catholic education in Coffeyville, Holy Name Catholic School concluded its school operations at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Nevertheless, parish leaders say the school remains an active center of parish life and faith formation.

Founded in 1917, Holy Name School has been an enduring presence in southeast Kansas, providing generations of children with an education rooted in faith, academic growth, and service, observes Diocese of Wichita Superintendent of Catholic Schools Janet Eaton. During the course of more than a century, she notes, thousands of students have passed through its classrooms, carrying with them the lessons, friendships, and values formed during their years at the school.

Bishop Carl A. Kemme explains that the closure is a wrenching development made necessary by circumstances outside the diocese’s control.

“Sadness filled my heart in making the decision as bishop to close an elementary Catholic school in our diocese, Holy Name in Coffeyville,” he said. “The inability to find enough teachers and a principal necessitated this decision. I wish to express my thanks to Fr. Drew Dellasega, current pastor, and Mrs. Daria Jerauld, current principal, for leading our good people of this parish in such a challenging time.”

Nevertheless, the bishop continued, the diocese’s faithful can be grateful for the years of formation the school provided for thousands of students. And though the venerable and beloved institution’s doors closed at the end of this academic year, “The mission of forming disciples for the next generation continues,” he said.

According to Eaton, Holy Name School’s history is inseparable from the people who sustained it throughout the decades. “Countless priests, religious sisters, principals, teachers, staff members, parents, and parishioners contributed to the school’s mission and helped shape generations of young people through their dedication and witness,” she said.

She went on to affirm that the 2025-26 faculty and staff had continued that tradition of commitment and care. “Among the teachers are educators whose ties to Holy Name span decades – including Mrs. Blair Argon, who once attended Holy Name School herself before returning to teach there, and Mrs. Patty Sherwood, whose 30 years of faithful service have impacted generations of students and families,” Eaton said. “Their stories reflect the deep sense of vocation and community that has long characterized Holy Name.”

Throughout the years, Holy Name students have consistently demonstrated strong academic achievement while also growing in faith and character, Eaton details. Despite its small size, she continues, the school has developed a reputation for academic excellence, high student achievement, and a close-knit environment where children were known, supported, and encouraged to succeed. 

“More importantly, generations of students left Holy Name with a love for their Catholic faith and an understanding of the importance of prayer, service, and discipleship,” she said.

In the Coffeyville community, Jerauld notes that the school’s sixth grade students have long been featured on KGGF 690 AM radio and have frequently appeared in the pages of the Coffeyville Journal and Montgomery County Chronicle. She also notes that the school’s fifth and sixth grade classes maintained a tradition of monthly visits to an assisted living facility, as well an annual custom of decorating and placing a pair of Christmas trees each year in Coffeyville’s Brown Mansion for its annual Festival of Trees. 

Jerauld also expressed appreciation for how local businesses such as Sonic and Domino’s – which provided shakes and pizza, respectively, for the school at a discount,  – helped support Holy Name.

As Eaton reflects on the school’s impact and legacy, she acknowledges that her eight years as superintendent have given her a deep admiration for the people of the school and parish. “Over that time, I have witnessed the courage, faith, and steadfast love that define this community,” she said. “I have watched students at Holy Name achieve at exceptionally high levels academically while also growing into young people who genuinely love their Catholic faith. The school has consistently provided an outstanding education rooted in faith, and that happens only because of the dedication and sacrifice of its teachers, principals, pastors, and families over many decades.”

According to Eaton, it gave her particular joy to recognize Holy Name in 2021 as the first school to receive the Distinguished Catholic School Award for Innovative Initiative under the leadership of Lisa Payne. That recognition lauded the school community’s longstanding creativity, commitment, and excellence.

“I am especially grateful for the years of leadership and service provided by Mrs. Payne, and, most recently, interim principal Mrs. Jerauld, plus the many teachers and staff members who worked alongside these leaders throughout the years to build and sustain a culture of excellence and care for students,” Eaton said. “The commitment of the faculty – past and present – has left an enduring impact on generations of children and families.”

Poignant as the closure is, Eaton notes she also has been moved by the solidarity shown by the diocese’s other schools. “At the announcement of Holy Name closing, our other schools came forward with a project titled, ‘What 37 Can Do for One,’” Eaton said. “The students in the 37 other schools – spread across the entire diocese – began praying for Holy Name students as they prepare to find their seats in new schools next year. While this transition will not be easy, we pray they always remember the faith, values, friendships, and sense of belonging they received at Holy Name Catholic School.”

As Holy Name School closes, parishioners and alumni are no doubt remembering not only an institution or building, but the many experiences they shared within its walls, such as school Masses, athletic events, classroom celebrations, sacramental preparation, and the daily witness of Catholic education lived out in community.

While this chapter in the parish’s history is ending, Eaton said, its leaders emphasize that the mission of Catholic formation within Holy Name Parish will continue. The legacy of the school remains visible in the lives of its alumni, the dedication of its educators, and the faith passed from one generation to the next.

“For 109 years, Holy Name Catholic School served the Coffeyville community with faith, perseverance, and devotion – a legacy that will long be remembered with gratitude,” Eaton concluded.

Bishop Kemme urged the diocese’s faithful to continue to offer spiritual assistance to their Coffeyville brethren. “I invite us to pray that the Holy Spirit will ignite the minds and hearts of everyone to devote themselves to helping the youth of the parish hear the Lord’s call to be his faithful friends in the world,” he said.