Notre Dame faculty and staff surprise Fr. Joe Hindelang, s.m., Thursday with a special celebration as he nears 40 years as a priest.
Fr. Joe Hindelang, s.m., at right, was surprised Thursday with a celebration honoring his 40th anniversary as a priest.
A faithful servant for many years to God, Mary, his fellow Marists and to the faculty, staff and students of Notre Dame, Hindelang shows no sign of slowing down.
Mary Jane Pasko, who has worked in the Notre Dame Prep front office with Hindelang since October of 2003, said the longtime principal is probably the most Marist, Christian, wise person she's ever met, with the possible exception of her own father. She helped organize a special celebration for Hindelang on Thursday.
"Sometimes a sensitive situation arises in the office that I consult with him on and he always has the perfect solution," Pasko said. "He is an absolute gem to work for!"
Ordained to the priesthood on May 27, 1978, Hindelang is a 1968 alumnus of Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods. His four brothers also graduated from Notre Dame: Ron ('59), Tom ('61), Mike ('63) and Bob ('64). So for Fr. Joe, his Notre Dame and Marist roots go very deep.
Hindelang, left, is with his parents and the Most Rev. George Hamilton Pearce, s.m., who at the time was archbishop of Suva in Fiji, at Hindelang’s ordination on May 27, 1978.
Marist servant
In 1972, during his apostolic year as a seminarian, Hindelang taught religion and history at Bishop Grimes High School in Syracuse, New York, followed by a stint as a deacon at Holy Name parish in Detroit.
Immediately after his ordination, Hindelang became an associate at the parish of St. Joseph in Haverhill, Massachusetts, from 1978 to 1981 and soon thereafter was hired on at Notre Dame in Harper Woods to teach religion. In 1987, he was appointed vice principal at NDHS and superior of the Marist community on campus a year later, serving in that position until 1991. Hindelang is pictured in 1971 as a university student at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass.
Fr. Eric Fedewa, currently a pastor at St. Basil the Great Catholic Community in Eastpointe, Mich., and a 2000 alum of ND Prep, remembers Hindelang well.
"One of my favorite memories from NDP was when, at the beginning of Fr. Joe's church history class, he would inevitably have to say to Bill Holland and me, 'Eric and Bill. . .are you ready to begin class?!' That's because Bill and I would no doubt be absorbed in blabbing together about whatever topic mattered to us that day."
Hindelang addresses graduates at the 2017 Notre Dame Prep commencement.
Lauren Neiheisel, who graduated from NDP last Sunday and who was honored with among many scholarships and awards the Donna M. Kotzan School Mission Award, said Hindelang was a true inspiration to her.
"For me, Fr. Joe truly embodies our school mission and has helped guide me on my faith journey especially through what he teaches in his homilies at morning mass," she said. "He is both a spiritual and academic support for all of us at the school."
Impressive academics
Born on February 22, 1950, to parents John and Louise Van Tiem Hindelang, Fr. Joe Hindelang's own academic career is impressive. After graduation from NDHS in 1968, he studied at Framingham State College in Framingham, Mass., the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Tex., and Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., where he received a B.A. in philosophy in 1972.
In 1977, Hindelang received a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass., and attended Boston College/St. John's Seminary, Harvard Divinity School and the Catholic University of America.
Hindelang, far left, is with a number of fellow Marists at Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods.
Among the many at Notre Dame Prep who were on hand Thursday at the surprise celebration of Hindelang's 40th was NDPMA Head of School Andy Guest.
"I have a great deal of admiration for Fr. Joe," said Guest, a 1984 NDHS alum. "He has dedicated his life to his order, the mission of Catholic education and to God, and is a role model for all of the lay faculty and staff at Notre Dame. He's also a great friend and I wish him all the best as he celebrates this significant milestone as a priest."
Hindelang walks into school with a number of future Notre Dame Prep students.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.