'Great Experience' For JCA

It was a chance, according to Rachel Jelinek, to show the spiritual side of Joliet Catholic Academy. Drew Pultorak recalled the reverence of his fellow students. And Katie Nicholson felt swept up by her faith.

Those were merely some of the memories from this year’s March For Life, which was held Jan. 20-24 in Washington, D.C., despite a heavy snowstorm. Thirty-three students from JCA’s Respect Life club and six chaperones took part in the pilgrimage, the most of any Catholic high school from the Diocese of Joliet.

Theology teacher Jeremy Hylka, the moderator for JCA’s Respect Life club, led the trip for a fifth straight year in support of the pro-life cause. A trend-setter in the Diocese of Joliet by requiring four years of religious studies, JCA is co-sponsored by the order of Carmelites and the Joliet Franciscan sisters.

“The overall pilgrimage itself was a great experience, not only for the Diocese of Joliet but for Joliet Catholic Academy,” Hylka said. “I take great pride in the kids of JCA. They were exceptional during the trip, very reverent, very spiritual, and it’s a true honor to see kids of that age take a stand for something.

“The world we live in can be very dark, sin-filled, secular and materialistic. To have these kids be beacons of light in a dark world is great to see. They stood up for something as vital as life itself.”

Students who attended were Sarah Adler (Joliet), Alexis Bauer (Joliet), Zak Bell (Joliet), Kellie Cunnea (), Maggie DiPietro (Bolingbrook), Nathan Dollinger (Joliet), Sydney Earl (Yorkville), Lauren Elliott (Joliet), Nicole Formhals (Joliet), Molly Gahan (Joliet), Chris Jelinek (Joliet), Rachel Jelinek (Joliet), Michael Kaminski (Joliet), Erin Kennedy (Custer Park), Caroline Knorr (Joliet) and Dana Koerner (Joliet).

Also: Nicholas Lennon (Shorewood), Paige Liston (Darien), Taylor Lofdahl (Joliet), Annah Marquardt (Joliet), Katie Nicholson (Joliet), Carly Nowaczyk (Downers Grove), Marin Pasieka (Joliet), Drew and Nate Pultorak (Joliet), Colleen Quinn (Shorewood), Rachelle Sartori (Joliet), Katie Schmig (Joliet), Katelyn Seeman (Joliet), Molly Vodacek (Crest Hill), Damian Wahl (Joliet) and Jordyn Zembruski (Shorewood).

“Mr. Hylka always tells us, ‘You can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk,’” Rachel Jelinek said. “A lot of people say they are pro-life, but do they stand up against abortion? This was the chance to go out there, make a difference and actually do something about it. The march was pretty incredible.”

“There were hundreds of thousands of people in attendance,” Drew Pultorak said. “There can be so many distractions, but the JCA students were so reverent during the masses. Other people might not have been there for the faith aspect or they were texting, but everybody from JCA was prayerful.”

The trip included touring several historical sites of the capital — a visit to the Holocaust Museum and laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery — before attending a special Sunday mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” Katie Nicholson said. “It wasn’t just the march. We prayed, we heard vocational talks, we went to the youth rally. It was a faith-filled experience. My faith grew because of it.”

Excellence in education is the hallmark of JCA, a college preparatory high school for boys and girls. And celebrating its 143rd year, JCA humbly accepts the mission of inspiring growth in knowledge and faith.

“Oftentimes, people hear about Joliet Catholic Academy and it’s about academics or athletics,” Jelinek said. “This was the chance to show that the spirituality of our school is alive and it is very strong.”