Posted May 27, 2021

“Who says you can’t go back?” I woke up singing this song after one of the most delightful evenings I can remember.

On Sunday, May 16, Ed Morris, Archbishop Carroll High School class of ’76 and current board member, hosted an incredible evening on the patio at Teca Restaurant in Newtown Square.

With over 130 in attendance, Ed and several speakers thanked alumni and honored 12 “legendary” teachers who devoted their lives to bringing faith and an excellent education to children in our archdiocese. The list of honored teachers is presented below.

Something very special is happening at Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor. I felt an inexplicable sense of unity, in purpose, love for God and for one another at this event. It was easy to get caught up in the joy and hope for the future of Carroll and Catholic education.

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The evening opened with beautiful spiritual music by Dennis Chiccino, ’73, Doc Strong, ‘73 and Donna Gebhart Kelly, ‘79.

Ed inspired everyone with his initial remark, “Every way you can measure a high school, Archbishop Carroll is up.” He reminded us that God gave us this school. “Fifty-four years ago, God had an idea. He gave us fifty-five acres. He gave us great teachers. He ran 15,000 children through the school. He gave us all this because he knew what it would be like to be a Catholic today. He knew we would come together for him.”

This Carroll alumni community has responded to God’s call in the following ways:

Over three years ago, Tom “Farmer” McCoy, ’75, started a Carroll alumni prayer group. “TEAM HOPE” now has over 1,000 members including 600 Carroll alumni (’70s to the ‘20s) and 400 alumni from other local high schools (Cardinal O’Hara, Notre Dame Academy, Msgr. Bonner, Malvern Prep, Villa Maria Academy, St. Joe’s Prep, Haverford High public and Ridley High public). The entire group receives daily texts at 3 p.m. listing that day’s prayer requests.

“TEAM HOPE” gathers at St. Norbert Church in Paoli regularly (prior to the pandemic) for evenings of prayer and inspiration. These events are attended by 300 to 400 men and women.

Eustace Mita, ’73, leads the very popular and successful Man-Up Philly Conference, held annually in Philadelphia. This spiritual conference is attended by over 1,500 and is the largest men’s spirituality conference in the country. Many men in the Carroll alumni community participate.

Financially, the Carroll alumni community has responded in a huge way, raising $1.4 million in the last six months! A large portion of this commitment is already available for 2022 tuition assistance through Pennsylvania’s EITC tax credit and BLOCS program. You can redirect your state tax credit to Archbishop Carroll High School students through this program for tuition assistance for those in financial need. For more information, visit https://www.jcarroll.org/eitc-ostc.

These spiritual and financial achievements at Carroll give cause for great hope. As a member of Carroll’s alumni, ’74, I believe the faith, friendship and generosity of spirit being shared in this amazing Carroll community now will provide many opportunities for the Holy Spirit to move in ways we couldn’t even imagine!

Ed celebrated the good that is happening at Carroll now. He celebrated the work and momentum of the newly formed “Carroll Alumni Leaders,” the teachers and all who are participating in Carroll’s success, as he said, “financially, spiritually and by coming together regularly to make Carroll the best it can be for all future students!”

In closing, Ed said, “There is no greater gift we can give him (Jesus Christ) than to bring a child through Carroll or any Catholic school. We can lead the city. We have so many people donating, the strongest alumni, we pray every day. We are doing it all for him (Jesus Christ) and his mother. You answered the call. Thank you. Carroll is on the road to be number one.”

Following the presentations of awards for teachers (below), John Goldschmidt, chair of Archbishop Carroll’s board, thanked the board, teachers, administration and specifically past president Frank Fox, ‘77, noting that his work put Carroll on its current trajectory.

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Archbishop Carroll High School teachers recognized for “timeless commitment and leadership in conveying the virtues of Catholic education to generations of young men and women” include:

Daniel Bielli – 44 years
Joseph Dowd – 40 years
Richard Greco – 44 years
Stephen French – 13 years
William Hauber – 21 years
Barry Kirsch – 53 years
Frederick Magenheimer – 29 years
Paul McGeehan – 53 years
John Morris – 45 years
Frank Santoro – 9 years
Christopher Scattergood – 35 years
Walter Weinrich – 24 years

For more information about Archbishop Carroll High School, visit their website https://www.jcarroll.org or contact Nora McGeever, Institutional Advancement Director at nmcgeever@jcarroll.org.

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Cathy Peacock holds an M.A. in theology and is a retired Certified Public Accountant and member of St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Wayne.