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Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2010 /  High thinking, plain living

by Jared Field of The Michigan Catholic
Published January 29, 2010

GROSSE POINTE PARK — There are few distractions in the dining room on school nights at the VanBerkum house in Grosse Pointe Park. There's no television blaring and no video games on pause, only the sound of seven children eagerly anticipating the evening meal.

But first, prayer.

The nine-strong VanBerkum family's pre- and post-dinner prayers sound more like choruses of a church choir than a single family; but, that's how this family does things: all together.

The VanBerkums are special among Roman Catholics, who throughout history tended to have a few more kids than the average American family. They have seven and this year all are attending Catholic schools, from preschool to 12th grade.

And here's the kicker: The VanBerkums do it on one modest income.

Mark VanBerkum, a biology professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, says his family simply couldn't afford Catholic education without help coming from numerous sources, including their kids' schools (De La Salle and St. Paul School) and the Archdiocese of Detroit.

For him, no sacrifice has been too great for a Catholic education for his family.

High thinking, plain living
John VanBerkum, a 16-year-old sophomore at De La Salle Collegiate High School in Warren, expressed a degree of concern about his upcoming history exam as he sat at the dinner table about to partake in some of mom's homemade lasagna.

His father, Mark, smiled as if to say "you've got it under control, son."

John, like his brother Ben and all his siblings who are old enough to get report cards with letter grades, is an exemplary student.

Every day he spends in the VanBerkum house is a lesson in history, one that resembles the high thinking and plain living principles of 19th century transcendentalist thinkers.

For Mark, placing all of his children in Catholic schools was an easy decision, though accompanied by a great many sacrifices; but, he's quick to point out, his family is not lacking in any of the important stuff.

"You make your choices," Mark said. "You see we have relatively simple furniture. We get a lot of things given to us in terms of clothing and stuff. We drive old cars; we just clunk along with those."

He said that he could put all of his kids into a great public school system in Grosse Pointe, but that the value of a Catholic education is more than worth the costs.

"I think it's a priority because God exists and it's important to keep Him in every aspect of your life," he said. "To me, it's learning the whole thing about life … the supernatural part about getting to heaven one day. From a practical point of view, you grow up to be a better person. And I think the Catholic schools do that well.

"It's not just academics, it's virtue; it's the growth of the person as a whole, and you can't be whole without God." Mark says he believes that there is more to schooling than just academics.

"The kids like to be able to talk about God while they're learning about math or history," he said. "It's not like you have your one life here and then you have your religion on Sundays. It's the whole thing in one day, constantly being reinforced." Ben, a 17-year-old senior at De La Salle, says his Catholic school experience has been invaluable both academically and spiritually.

"It's the fact that God can be in everything," said Ben, who is the top student in his class of more than 200 with a weighted G.P.A. of 4.53. "You don't feel weird talking about God ... that's probably not something that would happen in a public school." Ben's father draws on his own experience with a Catholic education, and the sacrifices his parents made to give him the opportunity he wants for all his children.

"My parents were forking out dough," said Mark, who grew up near Toronto, Ontario. "They had four children and we all went to Catholic high schools. They somehow found the money as well.

"I think a lot of my experience … the honesty, the value of charity, both giving and receiving …when you see your parents work like crazy to get you to go to school, you take your school a whole lot more seriously."

Maria, a 13-year-old at St. Paul School, says she's grateful for the decision her parents made to put her in Catholic school at a young age – and to keep her there.

"I've kind of started to realize over the past few years how much St. Paul has done for me and how grateful I am to my mom and dad for getting me there," said Maria, who studies forensics as a hobby. "Having God brought into everything I do, I go deeper into my faith and God is in every part of my life."

For Ben, the Catholic school experience is one that he believes will last a lifetime.

"I don't know if I've lived long enough to truly appreciate it," he said. "My faith is something that keeps me. I know where I am and I know where I'm going … that firm background is a really great thing, and that's what they're trying to give to us." Maria's mother, Michaele, says she rests easy with the knowledge that what she impresses upon her children at home isn't lost when they go out the door.

"What we're teaching our children in the family is being reinforced in school," she said.

Michaele added that the sacrifices her family makes for Catholic education are meager when compared to the sacrifices of others. "We have plenty to eat; we have a beautiful home," she said. "We have so much to be thankful for. We have everything we need. And I know there are other families making even greater sacrifices."

"Their best is really impressive"
There was never any question in Ben's mind that if he wanted to go to college one day, he'd have to make it on merit.

"Dad sometimes jokingly, sometimes less so, reminds me that if there isn't money coming from colleges, it isn't going to happen," said Ben, who lists MIT, Notre Dame, The University of Chicago and Stanford as courtiers. "So that's been in the back of my mind with everything I do. "God has given me gifts … everything has really just fallen into place."

Mark says that he expects that all of his children will compare favorably with his oldest when they're preparing to graduate.

"He's setting the bar high, but the other six have actually met the bar as well.

"All we ask is that they try the best they can. It just happens that with the gifts they have, their best is really impressive and difficult not to be overly proud of."