22 Years of life dedicated to Cathedral High School comes to an end. Mr. Dave Worland retired in October 202 and now the Irish community reflects on his career here on the Hill.
Mr. Dave Worland began at Cathedral as principal in August 2002. He served as principal until December 2020 when he moved to being the Senior Vice President for Mission and Advancement up until October 2024. In between all of that, Mr. Worland has also been club moderator of Champions Together (Unified Sports) for the past 10 years. For these efforts, it is clear that Worland has been a vital component to the success of Cathedral High School for over two decades. He was more than just a staff member, but a friend to many.
Mr. Worland accomplished many things while working on the Hill. Some notable achievements include being named a Blue Ribbon School in 2016 and 2004. In 2017 Mr Worland was named Principal of the Year. In 2019, he was named as one of Indy’s most pivotal leaders. In 2022, he was nominated for the Circle of Excellence award. While Mr. Worland served as principal, he also served on several boards including INPEA and IHSAA, which ultimately improved Cathedral in many ways.
Over his years at Cathedral, Mr Worland. built many lifelong connections with other staff members. While Worland was in the running for the Circle of Excellence award, Mrs. Lisa Ford, Math teacher, wrote in a recommendation letter, “One thing that makes Dave special as a principal is his consistent outreach. He viewed Cathedral as part of a bigger whole, and he was always looking for ways to extend our connection with others. He was very active in the IHSAA, and he fostered community relationships to help the Enrollment and Advancement Teams while he was principal. His door was always open to parents, and parents felt comfortable just popping in and shooting the breeze with him.” Mrs. Ford has spent many years under the leadership of Mr. Worland. She, alongside many others, feel grateful to have gotten to work with him. Ford said, “Mr. Worland encouraged and expected us teachers to be excellent in and out of the classroom, and his door was always open to us too whenever we had questions about how to live up to that expectation. He encouraged us to network with other teachers, especially those in our fellow Catholic schools. Rivalries aside, he pushed us to hone our craft by learning from others and from each other. One time, he actually taught a unit in a health class, so that he could ‘walk the talk’ and better understand the daily challenges of being a teacher. For a few years, I served as an administrator, and during that time, Mr. Worland was always available to coach me and to encourage me as I navigated unfamiliar waters.”
While in a position of leadership, it was important for Worland to be personable and approachable to not only staff members but to the students as well. Mrs. Shannon Braun, Assistant to Worland from April, 2016 – January, 2020 said , “When I worked with Mr. Worland it was evident that he was incredible at fostering relationships and making people understand that they are important and loved! He is one of the most personable people I have ever known. It was his goal to know every single student’s name, whether they were performers, bowlers, football players, swimmers, etc. He would not only study names from the yearbook, but he would also attend multiple events/competitions each night/weekend to cheer on and support our Irish. I would estimate that Mr. Worland gave at least 14 hours a day to Cathedral. Mr. Worland would also zone in on our students and educators’ accomplishments and always congratulated them no matter how big or small the milestone was! He had a way of building people up and empowering them to believe in themselves and be the ultimate person they could be. When he was principal, he gave his whole heart to Cathedral.”
Mr. Worland was a very involved principal. He took it upon himself to go to as many school activities as possible. It was important to him that he built relationships with as many people in the Cathedral community as he could. This made Mr. Worland truly stand out as a staff member on the Hill.
Worland has many gifts that made him important to the Cathedral community. While working alongside adults, high schoolers, and their families, Worland was incredibly supportive, patient, and understanding. Mrs. Beth Wissler, Associate Director of Admissions and parent at the time of Worland’s principal role said, “He is one of the most positive, spirit filled human beings I’ve ever met. He truly radiates the love of Christ.”
Worland is known to be compassionate, genuine, pastoral, and approachable. As someone who was hired by Worland and felt guided by him, Mr. Anthony Ernst, Social Studies teacher, Director of Students Activities and Director of Camp Programs said, “Mr. Worland was always willing to listen to anyone.” He went on to say, “Without him I wouldn’t be here. He often served as a mentor to me early on in my career and I credit him with supporting me in the various duties that I have held throughout 22 years of employment.” Worland impacted everyone he came across.
Mr. Bill Peebles, Admissions Liaison and head football coach said, “He was a patient and empathetic person who knows how to diffuse crises. He would go out of his way to support teachers and students and be an advocate for both.”
Mrs. Braun added, “While I know Mr. Worland will be incredibly missed, I have no doubt that he is going to spread his greatness in our community! Mr. Worland will someday be named a Saint! God blessed me beyond measure to have the opportunity to work for Mr. Worland and I am a better person because of his influence on me! While he may not be working at Cathedral, his impact will last for many years to come!”
Upon Mr. Worlands retirement, the Cathedral community is sad to say goodbye. Although they know he won’t stray too far as he will always stay involved, Cathedral knows that they are losing an Irish Legend. Mr. Worland has been a calming steady influence that has had a huge impact that Cathedral will miss. The Cathedral Family says, Thank you for a job well done, and God bless you as you move forward into the future! Your influence will live on through all of the students and teachers and parents that you touched during your time as principal.
