The Holy Family School of Faith was created a bit by accident and a lot by Providence. It came about after founders Dr. Mike Scherschligt and Troy Hinkel taught classes about Catholicism at Kansas University.

“The classes were wildly popular, so popular in fact that parents of students were driving from Kansas City to attend the classes,” said John Leyendecker, the Director of Mission with the Holy Family School of Faith. “The Archbishop of Kansas City at the time became aware of it and came to some of the classes and then informed Dr. Scherschlight that this was the formation he needed for his Catholic school teachers in the archdiocese.”

Today, School of Faith reaches tens of thousands of individuals annually, with a goal to connect individuals in a way that they grow closer to God and share His good works with others.

With the School of Faith for seven years, Leyendecker said,“So many peoples’ and teachers’ lives have been transformed and helped by how God has used the School of Faith. That’s what drives me. Christ and the Church changed my life and I’m compelled and grateful to share that with others.”

The School of Faith connects individuals through formation tools and events, including their Daily Rosary Meditation Podcast, Spiritual Mentorship Institute, pilgrimages and Catholic Teacher Formation.

“We use the word ‘formation’ because it’s more than just teaching people,” said Leyendecker. “We certainly do teach and have an intellectual component to our catechesis, but it’s more than that. With our Rosary Podcast, we invite people to pray it together and to form groups with other couples and families; to get together regularly to not only pray it together, but to foster friendships through having a conversation about the meditation and what Our Lord or Our Lady are stirring in their hearts.”

Many Archdiocese of Cincinnati educational leaders have taken part in the School of Faith, including those at St. James School in White Oak, Piqua Catholic School and The Center For Early Learning at Piqua Catholic School.

“We began School of Faith at St. James in the 2016- 17 school year,” said Chrissy Riggins, Principal at St. James School. “We were an inaugural school in Cincinnati. Ultimately, our mission as Catholics is to make disciples of Christ, and how can we expect our staff to give what they don’t have? We wanted to provide our staff an opportunity to develop their own faith in order to share that with each other and with the children.”

“School of Faith is an ongoing ‘faith formation’ program for our school team,” said Bradley Zimmerman, Principal at Piqua Catholic School and The Center For Early Learning at Piqua Catholic. “The most important part of Piqua Catholic is our faith, and it’s vital for us to continue to learn more about the gospels and foundations of the Catholic faith to be able to serve our families and share the Good News of God.”

Both principals agree that the School of Faith has made a significant impact both in and out of the classroom. Riggins recalled how one pilgrimage impacted her.

“For me personally, it was the pilgrimage to the Holy Land that John Leyendecker leads each summer—for me specifically, the site of the Visitation,” said Riggins. “Half of our staff has been to the Holy Land at this point.”

Zimmerman added, “They have constructed a program that is designed to inspire and encourage a deeper relationship with the Holy Trinity and those around us. We have so much respect and trust in their leadership to aid us in our ministry as a Catholic school.”

School leaders interested in the School of Faith are encouraged to learn more by contacting Leyendecker at [email protected].

This article appeared in the September 2023 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.