Bishop Chad Zielinski thanked the parents who chose to send their children to New Ulm Area Catholic School (NUACS), saying it is not easy to send students to private school with rising costs, but he is appreciative of this commitment.

Zielinski said recently that there was a shift with members of the younger generation returning to practice the faith. He said in the last year, 83 new members had joined the New Ulm Diocese.

“It’s not a specific program or sales pitch they grab onto,” Zielinski said. “There is something stirring in people.”

Zielinski said while surveying new members, he believed there is a generation of young people who see something good and true in the Catholic church and this year’s graduates had the benefit of being raised in the Catholic school and had their consciences formed by the education.

The 24 members of CHS Class of 2026 celebrate graduation on Sunday with a mortarboard toss. Photo by Clay Schuldt

“You are going out into a disordered world,” Zielinski said. “That is why people are coming [to the church] by the thousands.”

Zielinski said as these graduates go out into the world, they will help change.

“It takes a lot of courage to be a disciple of Jesus Christ,” he said. “Go out in this world to make it a better place to live.”

This year’s teacher address was given by CHS English Teacher Paige Simon. She urged the students to continue following the class expectations given at the start of the school year. Simon said they wanted students to participate, engage and do it enthusiastically.

Simon said that participation, engagement and enthusiasm were something the 2026 seniors had latched onto, and she hoped it was something they would carry on past graduation.

CHS Valedictorian Logan Klawitter delivers the farewell address during Sunday’s graduation service for the Class of 2026. Photo by Clay Schuld

Simon said participation often seems easy, but it is important in difficult times. Students need to continue to show up, especially after graduating.

She said that after graduation, there will be no one to force students to attend mass or prayer.

“You will need to do it for yourselves and want to do it for yourself,” Simon said. She added that by participating makes engagement easier.

With engagement, she asked the students to be active in their participation because it was the only way to learn and grow. Engagement also means carrying deeply. Simon warned the class that after graduation, most of their life choices will be up to them. They will not be required to attend classes they don’t want to take.

“You have an opportunity to care deeply about what you do,” she said.

In photo left to right, CHS Class of 2026 Lumen Christi Award recipient Megan Louise Fingland, Valedictorian Logan Royal Klawitter and Salutatorian Teresa Patricia Fischer. Photo by Clay Schuldt

Simon said the most successful people are those who care deeply about what they do.

“Enough with the nonchalance,” she said. “Try hard.”

Simon also urged them to have enthusiasm throughout life and to be innately positive.

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right,” she said. “Your perception is important to getting through obstacles.”

She asked the graduates not to allow themselves to lose simply because they never thought they could win.

This year’s Salutatorian and Valedictorian were Teresa Patricia Fischer and Logan Royal Klawitter, respectively. Megan Louise Fingland received the Lumen Christi award, which is given to the student who most personifies integrity, honesty, maturity, responsibility, independence, compassion and commitment to the Catholic Faith.

At the close of the service, Klawitter addressed his class as their chosen speaker. Klawitter acknowledged that since their senior class was relatively small, they were extremely close. Many of them had been together since preschool.

“It is hard to find a class closer than they are because it is a small class,” he said. “We truly are in this together.”

Klawitter said that because they are so close, the class has built a trust between one another and after graduation, it would be difficult to go their separate ways, but said, “You can’t grow if you’re stuck in the past.”

He said the trick to moving forward is recognizing that a lot changes.

“It is not just the world around that changes, but ourselves as we improve,” Klawitter said. “From this point on, it is completely up to us as individuals to choose who we become.”

Klawitter closed by thanking the NUACS staff, teachers and parents for their support and told his fellow graduates he could not wait to see where the future takes them.