The sense of grief enveloping Mary, Seat of Wisdom Catholic School in Park Ridge is occasionally soothed by memories of 9-year-old Lucas Kaleta, who brightened the lives of everyone he touched, those who knew him said.
“The third graders said Lucas was the sunshine of the school,” Mary, Seat of Wisdom Principal Julie Due said of Kaleta, who died March 4 of complications from COVID-19.
“He was in a wheelchair, but he lit up every room in school,” Due said. “All high-fived and bumped him. He just loved to be in school. As sick as he could be, he wanted to be in school. During COVID, Lucas never missed a day of e-learning. He would show up every day. He never missed a beat.
“He was just a sweet, gentle soul. The song they sang for him was, ‘You Are My Sunshine.’ They would fight over who would push his wheelchair.”
The Rev. Derek Ho, pastor of Mary, Seat of Wisdom Church, also will never forget Lucas’ effect on the school.
“My fondest memory of Lucas is seeing him in the hallways, giving a fist bump, and seeing how his classmates really cared about him in recess,” Father Ho said. “They were genuine friends, and wanted to spend time with him. They had a genuine desire to be together.”
Due and Father Ho had to use every bit of their educational and ministerial training while fighting through their own feelings to help the 600-some students and faculty. The parish’s community came together in times when students already were bombarded with video images of children their age under stress in war-torn Ukraine.
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The reaction of mourners of all ages touched Lucas’ parents, Maggie and Adam Kaleta, who released a statement through Due:
“It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of our beloved Lucas. He was the source of strength for all that knew him and a friend to everyone. His memory will forever live in our hearts. Heaven gained a beautiful angel. His wings were ready but our hearts were not.”
Lucas, whose health was immunocompromised, was hospitalized in December, according to Due, at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Due noted that Lucas had an autoimmune disorder that prevented him from recovering after he contracted COVID-19.
“The kids and teachers made up baskets for him at Lurie with all his favorite things,” said Due. “The family never asked for anything, just their prayers.
“I’m in contact with the family daily. We are sending them meals every day. They are so full of gratitude.”
A funeral Mass for Lucas was held March 10 before a packed audience at the church. Lucas’ favorite color was yellow, so all the third-grade girls wore yellow ribbon in their hair. The class also sold yellow bracelets in his honor, with custom-made “Lucas Love” bracelets shipped to Park Ridge. Proceeds went to the Kaleta family.
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“Some gave $1, some gave $500,” Due said. “We ordered 1,000 bracelets, but we ran out, so we had to order more.”
Due, Father Ho and assistant principal Rob Potempa first had to fight through their own grief upon hearing of Lucas’ death.
“Originally, I just sobbed and sobbed,” Due said.
“Yeah, it is devastating to lose someone who is such a sweet kid,” said Father Ho. “But ultimately, an important lesson for our community is our faith. What is best for Lucas is to end his suffering. We don’t want to cast blame, it’s just not helpful. The reality is Lucas got sick and God wanted Lucas for himself.”
Both had to quickly think of all the others in the school, and how to break the news.
“We went to each third-grade classroom (a total three classes),” said Father Ho. Then they informed the sixth grade, in which Lucas’ sister Olivia is a student. Then an all-school assembly was convened.
In an era when parochial schools often are budget-strapped, Mary, Seat of Wisdom has a therapist and counselor on staff. But even that was not enough. The school got assistance from a counselor at Notre Dame College Prep and Catholic Charities.
“Every class was in distress,” said Due.
Students asked all kinds of questions about death as Lucas’ passing reminded them of losing their own loved ones, like grandparents.
“You can do all these things, but you can’t prepare for all this,” said Father Ho. “Younger children who were not understanding much were talking about heaven — who’s there, how do we know about heaven? For older children, we’re talking about how Jesus wept, Jesus was sad at the death of his friend. God became man to fully enter our lived experience. Why would God even suffer if he didn’t want to bring good out of suffering?”
The relationship of Mary, Seat of Wisdom was never one-way. Lucas’ grandmother, a former teacher in Poland, frequently joined him in class. The third graders loved her.
“They have asked if she can come back,” said Due.
Lucas’ desk and chair remain empty in his memory, and he will be remembered far into the future.
‘We are so happy we got to share Lucas. He was a gift,” said Due.
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