For Immediate Release
Friday, August 30, 2019
Contact:
Lauren Robinson
410.547.5369 (office)
443.739.7876 (Cell)
Baltimore, MD, August 30, 2019 – More than 1,300 Catholic school administrators and educators gathered on Thursday, August 29th, for the annual Convocation of Catholic Schools at the Church of the Nativity in Timonium.
Convocation began with Mass celebrated by Archbishop William E. Lori. During his homily, Archbishop Lori expressed his gratitude, stating “Our schools could not hope to be successful without your leadership and service. I hope you know how much your daily work of heart and hand means to me and to the whole community of Catholics and to the community at large.”
Following Mass, Chancellor of Education, James Sellinger, addressed the crowd and revealed the theme for the 2019-2020 school year as “The Year to Lead.” Mr. Sellinger stated he is looking forward to making the Year to Lead “one that recognizes & grows our collective leadership qualities and further demonstrates the value of a Catholic education to our students, parents and community.”
Educators celebrating years of service milestones were also recognized for their dedication and commitment to Catholic education, along with the 2019 Catholic School Teachers of the Year. Dr. Donna Hargens, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, honored Mrs. Jennifer Karn, from St. Mary Catholic School in Hagerstown, and Mrs. Kaitlyn Marsh, from St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis, as the 2019 Archdiocesan Elementary and High School Teachers of the Year. Mrs. Becky Hogg from Mercy High School in Baltimore, was honored as the 2019 Independent Catholic School Teacher of the Year.
In addition to the Years of Service and Teacher of the Year awards, Mr. Lawrence Callahan, President of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel High School, received the Doris Musil Award, named in honor of the late Catholic Schools assistant superintendent, who inspired others through her faith and commitment to sharing the Gospel message, and deep abiding love for children.
The program concluded with Rick Bernstein, co-founder of First Fruits Farm. Mr. Bernstein delivered the keynote address, discussing the importance of service to others and the opportunities Catholic schools provide for students to “put their faith into action.”
Almost 25,000 students will attend archdiocesan and independent Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore for the 2019-20 school year, which will begin on Tuesday, September 3, 2019.
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About Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic Schools: Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore provide a Christ-centered education that is academically excellent and empowers students to reach their full potential–spiritually, intellectually, physically, socially and morally. There are 44 Archdiocesan Catholic schools in nine jurisdictions in Maryland, including the city and county of Baltimore. The 38 elementary schools and 6 high schools enroll more than 17,000 students and are vibrant communities of faith and learning. For more information on Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, please visit Archbalt.org/schools.