2024 Catholic Schools Week Supplement
Curious children lead a teacher to a ‘home’ where God wants her to be
The combination of joy and faith marks the approach of Cassie Echegaray in teaching her students at St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower) School in Indianapolis. (Photo by John Shaughnessy)
By John Shaughnessy
As she looks back on the choice that has come to define her life, Cassie Echegaray has a group of curious fourth-graders to thank.
At the time, she was completing her student teaching in a public school—a time when she was trying to decide where she would apply for a permanent teaching position. Amid that soul searching, a conversation with her fourth-grade students in the public school became a deciding factor.
She was asked three questions by the children: Do you believe in God? What is your faith? Where do you go to church?
“They were curious fourth-graders,” she recalls about that moment nine years ago. “Sadly, I had to simply reply, ‘I am not allowed to discuss those things with you.’
“This short conversation weighed heavily on me and ultimately pushed me to apply to Catholic schools.”
Ever since, Echegaray has been a teacher at Little Flower School—the place she calls “home,” the place where she believes God wants her to be.
“I do not see it as teaching. I see it as living out the vocation that God had planned for me,” says Echegaray, one of the finalists for the 2023 Saint Theodora Excellence in Education Award, the highest honor the archdiocese gives an educator. “Day in and day out, my students see me living out my faith through my work.
“They know the passion and love that I have for my vocation. They know that I will be there for them regardless of the situation, and that I will do whatever it takes for the school community.”
Echegaray teaches the subject she loves—math—to third-,fourth- and fifth-grade students at Little Flower, the Indianapolis school named in honor of St. Therese of the Infant Jesus.
“I love this age group because they’re old enough to understand some harder things, yet they’re young enough to have fun with it, to get up and do dance moves with, whatever the topic is.
“I love being able to make learning fun for them. I’ve had some phenomenal teachers through the years. And when I look back, the ones who were most meaningful made it fun. I love for my students to feel confident in themselves, to get those lightbulb moments, and just see the excitement on their faces when they understand something.”
She also loves finding ways to share her faith in her math classes and her religion class with her fifth-graders.
“I can share my faith journey with them and help them to see that they can make a difference even at their age,” she says. “I have found that if we allow them to be curious, ask questions about their faith, and be honest about our own understanding, then they gain so much more insight and awe about the Catholic faith.”
Her approach includes sometimes sharing her struggles.
“I always make sure they know there are going to be times in your life where you’re stronger in your faith, and other times where you’re a little bit further away from the Church and less active. I tell them for me, college was really hard. My faith wasn’t a priority. And then how I came back once I was engaged to be married in 2013. That’s when I was jumping in, diving in.
“I tell them that when I’m struggling with something, the first thing that I do is pray to God, that I can see what his vision for me is. I also tell them that’s why I got into teaching. It was something that kept pulling at me, and I finally listened to God. And ultimately it led me to a Catholic school.”
As Little Flower’s principal, Kevin Gawrys is thrilled it did. In nominating Echegaray for the Saint Theodora honor, he shared this insight: “Students, teachers and parents are all drawn to Cassie because she is a ‘bucket-filler.’ She is able to see the needs of others and fill them. Her commitment to her Church and her faith are obvious. She began a program to provide all fifth-graders with their very own Bible.”
Her influence continues into the parish community. A parent of three young children—ages 8, 6 and 3—with her husband Kevin, she has served as president of the parish council, volunteered as a basketball coach in the archdiocese’s Catholic Youth Organization, shares Christ’s body and blood as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion, and leads students in volunteering at a food pantry.
She views her approach as striving to live life “as
St. Therese lived hers.”
“My students are able to see me practicing my faith at Mass, volunteering at parish events, leading faith discussions, praying, and giving grace to others, even in times of distress,” says the 2007 graduate of Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School in Indianapolis.
“Living out Christ’s teachings is the most effective way to share our faith with others and impact the world, especially impressionable children.”
Living Christ’s teachings has also left an impact on her—on her teaching and her life.
“My faith is a lot stronger than where it was 10 years ago. I used to have a lot of anxiety about just a lot of different stuff. Over the last 10 years, just growing closer to God and learning more, especially with teaching, I notice that a lot of things I was anxious about have dissipated. I feel those burdens are lifted off me now because of my faith.” †
