For 10 days in Costa Rica, a group of students from the Diocese of Dallas traded the relaxing routines of summer break for work gloves, prayer, and a mission to serve.
Bishop Dunne Catholic School
When asked to describe Bishop Dunne Catholic School’s graduation ceremony held May 22 at Concord Church in Dallas, senior Ryder Smith mentioned the final time of engaging with classmates and teachers backstage, the sound of the applause from family and friends when the class took their seats, and the speeches given by students like valedictorian Bryce Mills and salutatorian Allison Smith.
A career defined by empathy, equity, and genuine connection — that, Alandra Barfield said, is her dream for the future. That future may be years removed from the present moment for the high school junior; but, as a member of Project Guardian Angel’s first mentorship cohort, which launched Jan. 21, Barfield’s dream-building starts now.
Three Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Dallas joined forces July 14 to collect and deliver emergency supplies to flood-ravaged Kerr County, answering a call to service with a show of faith and solidarity.
After devastating floods swept through Central Texas over the July 4 holiday weekend, three Diocese of Dallas Catholic high schools are stepping up in faith and solidarity.
“I’m the kind of person where you stand on the shoulders of your ancestors,” Bishop Dunne Catholic School’s Gaby Gonzalez said the morning of her graduation two weeks ago. Of the dozens of relatives who preceded her at the high school during the past 60 years, no shoulders are broader than those of her paternal grandfather.
From the age of 12, Daniel Harrelson has known he wanted to be a band director. Now in his 11th year at Bishop Dunne Catholic School, that lifelong calling has earned him recognition among his peers. Harrelson, who serves as director of bands at Bishop Dunne, was named one of three Distinguished Educators of the Year April 25 during the 2025 Diocese of Dallas Catholic Schools Distinguished Educator of the Year dinner, held in the parish hall of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church.
Joined by Bishop Edward J. Burns and Dr. Rebecca Hammel, superintendent of Dallas Catholic Schools, the Bishop Dunne community came together to honor Clifford for being named the 2025 Texas Catholic Conference Bishops’ High School Teacher of the Year.
When Kaden Polachek chose to attend Bishop Dunne Catholic School, he had his sights set on finding a school with a tradition of academic excellence and one that allowed him to stay connected with his Oak Cliff community of friends. At Bishop Dunne, Polachek discovered something more: the Catholic faith.
“When I think of faith, I think of service,” said Isabella Martinez, a 17-year-old rising senior at Bishop Dunne Catholic School, as she reflected on her school’s Community Service Club. Martinez founded the club in the fall of 2023 to offer Catholic high school students like herself the opportunity to live their faith through service to their local community.