Helias celebrates 'Hall of Fame' with first-ever 'gala'

Several attendees clap in response to an introduction speech given Saturday during the Celebrate the Legacy Gala at Capitol Plaza Hotel. The event was held to celebrate those who have made a positive impact on Helias High School.
Several attendees clap in response to an introduction speech given Saturday during the Celebrate the Legacy Gala at Capitol Plaza Hotel. The event was held to celebrate those who have made a positive impact on Helias High School.

To celebrate its 11th "Hall of Fame" class of inductees, Helias Catholic High School's Foundation brought several hundred people together to celebrate its first-ever gala Saturday night.

"We decided this year that it would be a good approach," Foundation Executive Director Mike Bruns explained, "since Helias is so involved in the community - to make it a community-wide event."

Father Stephan Jones, Helias' president, agreed the gala is a way to tell the school's story to a larger part of the area community.

"The Hall of Fame is geared toward honoring people who've made really positive contributions to our school community," he said, "and we want the greater community to see and know how amazing our school is."

Jones said Helias leaders believe the community is better when all the schools are good, "public, private and parochial - when the tide rises, everybody rises. We do, though, firmly believe that a Catholic education offers some unique things - focus on the entire person, body mind and soul.

"We think we offer a really great product that helps kids be successful in whatever venue they take after school."

The Rev. John Gaydos, now bishop emeritus of the Jefferson City Diocese, was among the six Hall of Fame inductees.

He grew up in St. Louis and graduated from St. Louis Preparatory Seminary in 1961.

In his recorded message accepting the honor, Gaydos said he was surprised to be honored even though he had not graduated from Helias, "but I'm moved and feel very honored to be part of this great effort to show how much has been done - and continues to be done - in the cause of Catholic education."

Gaydos said, "While they call Helias a private high school, in every sense it is a community high school.

"We would not be able to function were it not for the wider community always pitching in and supporting us."

Other Hall of Fame inductees included former President Didier "Di" Aur, who came to Jefferson City from Memphis to lead Helias for seven years.

Among his accomplishments, he's credited with starting the Hall of Fame in 2008 and with leading the effort to develop the sports complex that opened last fall.

Aur said, in his recorded comments: "Helias helped shape my life in many ways, and is the place where I experienced tremendous professional and personal growth.

"Working together, we made things happen."

Harold G. Butzer graduated from St. Peter High School in 1940 and earned an engineering degree from the Rolla School of Mines (now the Missouri University of Science and Technology).

After serving in World War II, he owned and operated the Harold G. Butzer mechanical contracting firm, retiring in 2010 at age 88. He died in 2014.

Thanking the foundation for his selection to the Hall of Fame, daughter Lisa Butzer Dulle said: "Our dad was not the kind of person who liked a lot of fanfare, or who needed the attention - he was more the kind of person who preferred to work behind the scenes.

"But he was a person of strong convictions, and one of the things that he felt very strongly about was education - particularly Catholic education and the values emphasized by it."

Mark Saucier graduated from Helias in 1968 and, hours after graduation, went to Peru on a mission trip. Today, he's the diocesan coordinator of Mission Advancement and director of the Mission Office.

"That (trip) began a relationship with the missions in the church that continues today," he said, "that would not have happened except for Helias."

Fatima High School graduate Dana Wilbers became involved with Helias through her children.

She and her husband, Gary, see a "great value in a Catholic education. A big part of what is at the heart of Helias are the great families who give their support through their time and energy."

And Peggy Kehoe Rogers, Helias' school secretary for the last 15 years, received a standing ovation when her honor was announced.

She's considered "mom" to "every Helias Catholic High School student."

She thanked a lot of people for helping her do her job, especially her mom, who "is the most Catholic person I know, and taught us all about God."

The gala's theme was "Celebrating the Legacy,' and Bruns said money raised from the event would "go to build our endowment, so it is here for the future of Helias students - and to help keep tuition low."

In his prepared remarks, Jones said: "These dollars go directly towards funding our operations and our programming - things like our accommodations program our college-readiness and A+ counselor our teacher salaries technology upgrades and professional development opportunities for our faculty and staff.

"We are, indeed, thankful for your presence here tonight because your presence is a sign of support for the witness and ministry of our school."