Annually, Roncalli High School, in conjunction with the Roncalli Alumni Association, present the Circle of Faith Distinction Awards. These awards were created to honor and recognize faculty, staff, alumni, volunteers and community members who serve with distinction, excel in their careers and devote themselves to their Catholic faith and Catholic education. Please take a moment to nominate a deserving recipient for one of the following awards:
- Alumni of the Year
- Honorary Alumni
- Volunteer of the Year
- St. John XXIII Award
- Royal Award
These awards recognize the important role our community plays in educating, nurturing and forming today’s students — tomorrow’s leaders.
Although nominations are accepted throughout the year, the deadline for 2024 recognition is Friday, March 1, 2024.
For a complete explanation of the criteria for these awards. See this link.
Contact Aaron Hommell by email or call (317) 787-8277 ext. 242 with questions.
Meet the 2023 award winners:
Kerrie (Schludecker) Rosati R’03 was awarded the ROYAL Award. 
The ROYAL award, which stands for the Roncalli Outstanding Young Alumni Legacy, honors game-changers and emerging professionals who have enhanced the reputation of Roncalli High School by making significant contributions to their community through professional work, public service and civic activities.
The ROYAL Award recipient is a 2003 graduate of Roncalli High School – Kerri Schludecker Rosati. After Roncalli, Kerrie then attended Marian University where she played softball and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management in 2007. She is married to Philip and has worked in three different school corporations before landing at the Indiana High School Athletic Association in 2015 where she serves as the assistant commissioner. She is responsible for softball, boys and girls swimming and diving, and volleyball. Additionally, her duties entail organizing the IHSAA Student Advisory Committee and the Student Leadership Conference. She attends St. Jude parish and spends time volunteering with Gigi’s Playhouse, Gleaners Food Bank, the Special Olympics and iCan Shine Bike Camp.
It is evident that Kerrie is making an impact in athletics for the state of Indiana and for our local youth in her work at both her parish and the IHSAA.
Congratulations to Kerrie (Schludecker) Rosati R’04, Roncalli’s ROYAL Award recipient!
Barb (Holzer) Hatfield R’78 was awarded this year’s Volunteer of the Year award.
Our Volunteer of the Year has been around Roncalli since the 1970s. Barb Hatfield graduated from Roncalli in 1978 and has never really left. As a proud Roncalli alum, Barb and her husband Dan, sent their 4 children to Roncalli – Keith class of 2003, Katie class of 2004, Amy class of 2007 and Scott class of 2010. Throughout Barb’s work volunteering, she has been a huge part of the success of our theater program by helping with costuming.
Although Barb has been employed at Roncalli for over 21 years, she also finds true joy in her volunteer work. She sews baptismal gowns and makes rosaries at her parish, St. Barnabas. She does costuming for family and friends and has done the costumes for 20 musicals here at Roncalli! She also assists with the costuming for Junior Royal Theatre Camp, Roncalli’s Good Friday Service and even did costuming here at Roncalli while she was a student assisting Patti Brown Cunningham.
When not designing costumes, Barb enjoys spending time with her family, her 11 grandchildren, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and everything Disney!
Thank you to, Barb (Holzer) Hatfield R’78 our Volunteer of the Year who has made a significant impact on the students, families, faculty and staff of Roncalli.
Luella and Marvin Feldman was awarded this year’s Honorary Alumni award.
The Honorary Alumnus Award recognizes an individual who lives out the spirit and mission of Roncalli. In the Roncalli Family, we want people who believe in the red, white and blue. Our Honorary Alumni this year, Luella and Marvin Feldman, can take those three colors, and turn them into something meaningful in every aspect of their lives. Luella and Marvin have been married for over 65 years, yes, you heard that right, 65 years! They have six children Barry, Brian, Nancy, Bruce, Brent and Brad who are all Roncalli alums! The Feldmans have fourteen grandchildren, three of whom are current Royals and seven great-grandchildren!
Luella and Marvin both graduated from Greensburg High School and Marvin also graduated from Butler University, where they are still both very committed and loyal Bulldog fans! They established Marvin’s Wholesale Flowers in 1984 where Marvin retired in 1998 and Luella retired in 2010. They have been members of St. Jude Parish since 1961 where they have both volunteered extensively. In addition, they have been very active in the Indiana Central Little League. Luella is excellent at playing piano and plays music at nursing homes for entertainment.
Roncalli has been the beneficiary of their prayers and generosity for many years and the Feldmans have supported funding for general expenses, needs-based tuition assistance for students as well as building renovations and additions for every capital project in Roncall history. Roncalli officially welcomes Luella and Marvin Feldman into the Roncalli family as an Honorary Alum.
Brother Michael Perry, OFM, R’72 was awarded this year’s Alumnus of the Year award.
Our Alumnus of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has taken the lessons from the classrooms of Sacred Heart, Kennedy Memorial, Bishop Chartrand and Roncalli and lives them out in the world.
This year’s alumnus of the year is a 1972 graduate of Roncalli High School, Brother Michael Perry. Brother Michael is a Franciscan friar and an Indianapolis native. Following one year at the former Kennedy Memorial High School, he went to the newly merged high school named after St. John XXIII. After graduating from Roncalli, Brother Michael worked as a carpenter to pay his IUPUI tuition with the intention of becoming a civil attorney. Eventually, he discovered that he had a vocation to the Franciscan brotherhood. After graduating from Quincy University, he entered the Province of the Sacred Heart. After his ordination, Brother Michael began his PhD in 1992. From 2000 to 2006 he served as the foreign policy advisor for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington DC. With a few stops in between, by 2009, he was elected by his peers at a world-wide gathering to serve as the Vicar-General Deputy of the Order. From 2013-2021, Brother Michael was elected to serve as the head of the entire Franciscan Order. His ministry now has him working at Siena College in New York with a special focus on the plight of the poor.
We are proud of the exemplary work that Brother Michael Perry has done across the world for our Catholic faith and we are honored to recognize him as our Alumnus of the Year!
Julie and Rusty Albertson were awarded this year’s St. John XXIII award.
The St. John XXIII Award is considered to be the most prestigious award that is given to a person who best exemplifies the nine traits identified in the halls of our school as encompassing the life, legacy and spirit of Saint John XXIII. Those traits being: Welcoming, Simple, Kind, Peaceful, Humble, Humorous, Servant, Holy, and Inspired Change.
This year’s Saint John XXIII Award winners, Rusty and Julie Albertson, rarely need an introduction. They have dedicated their entire adult lives to education – both at Roncalli High School and St. Mark Catholic Church and School, in addition to other public and private schools. The Albertsons are proud parents to 4 Roncalli alumni – Dexter class of 2009, Damon class of 2012, Grace class of 2017 and Sophie class of 2022. Both Julie and Rusty graduated from the University of Missouri and are very active in their parish, St. Mark. Rusty was the Principal at St. Mark from 2008-2022 and currently holds many positions there: Director of Charitable Giving, Director of Communications, Director of Buildings and Grounds and the Director of Myanmar Outreach. Julie has a journalism background and has brought those skills to Roncalli since 2007. She also spent 9 years as the Director of Youth Ministry at St. Mark. At Roncalli, Julie supervises students who produce the school newspaper and yearbook. She also serves as a department chairperson, member of the Track and Field coaching staff and was integral in starting R Family Day at RHS. Julie and Rusty heard God’s call to help those in most need when the Myanmar Community settled at St. Mark so many years ago. They were crucial in assisting this community, many of whom came here to escape religious persecution, by welcoming them to America, our community, and to Roncalli.
To these two persons who have a servant’s heart, congratulations to Julie and Rusty Albertson, our Saint John XXIII Award recipients.