The Angel of Hope is a statue located  on  the east  side of Xavier High School. It symbolizes the hope that the students and faculty of Xavier have for all those grieving the loss of a child.

During Advent, Catholics are called to pray for everyone seeking hope and light. On December 6, Xavier invited all community members to attend the annual prayer service at the Angel of Hope statue. The purpose was to lift up those in need during the Advent season.

“It’s really great to be a support system and let them know that there are others out there going through the same thing,” senior Kayla Seymour said. “It gives them a tiny bit of comfort.”

Seymour helped organize the gathering by seeking out people who would be willing to sing or read. Senior Hannah Zwanziger and junior Nolan Pithan sang at the service, while senior Luke Lesnik and freshmen Devin Muresan and Hayley Seymour read scripture.

“It was a good opportunity to join together as a community and support those who have recently lost loved ones, especially during this holiday season,” Zwanziger said.

The statue was permanently placed on Xavier’s campus on July 7, 2014. There is a plaque on the pedestal where the statue sits, reading: “With hope in its wings…the Christmas Box Angel of Hope was dedicated here in 2014 for all those who have lost children. We hope you find healing here.”

After the prayer service, Seymour reflected on her experience.

“I feel that one of the best parts of the prayer service was having the names of the ones we have  lost  read out to the parents,” Seymour said. “I think it really tugs at heart strings when people hear that. It makes them tear up.”

Former Xavier student Kylie DeWees (X14) was inspired by the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012. She worked to raise the money that was needed to bring the statue to Xavier. She composed a series of songs for a CD, titled “Believe,” after teaching herself to play piano. The proceeds from the CD combined with contributions from Iowa Walls Concrete Construction, Inc., King’s Material, and Murdoch Funeral Homes amounted to more than $19,000 that was used to construct the Angel of Hope statue. It was the 124th statue placed nationally as a result of a student proactively raising funds for its construction. It was blessed in  April of 2014 by  Fr.  Ivan Nienhaus at an all-school Mass.