Annelise Coello never thought doodling in class would lead to this. Coello, a recent graduate of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Grade School, is the artist behind the images of the four evangelists that grace the front of the new regional Catholic school in Herrin. The school opened last month.

As temperatures plunged to below zero many people were forced to show up at the Catholic relief agencies like Daystar in Cairo, and Catholic Urban Programs and St. Vincent de Paul in East St. Louis. And because of the overwhelming numbers of people seeking help relief agencies, both private and public, were soon tapped out.

At a time when many Catholic schools are shutting down or partnering with other parish schools, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Regional Grade School in Herrin has outgrown its old space and moved into a larger, state-of-the-art building.