By Elena Perri • Posted February 2, 2024

For almost five decades archdiocesan teachers celebrating milestone anniversaries of 25 years or 50 years of service have been recognized at a Mass of Thanksgiving during Catholic Schools Week.

While this tradition has been on hiatus since 2021 due to the pandemic, 37 teachers and six administrators from 13 Archdiocesan high schools throughout the region were honored this past fall during faculty meetings or Masses held at each high school.

“This year we used the most advantageous time for a school, whether it was a Mass or faculty meeting, and representatives from the Office of Catholic Education honored the staff members celebrating anniversaries,” said Steve Clement, Chief Administrative Officer for Secondary Schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

“We did the recognition a little earlier [this year] because we didn’t want to further delay honoring them for their years of commitment to the secondary system in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.”

Clement said he expects the tradition of recognizing teachers and administrators during Catholic Schools Week to resume next year.

The 50^th anniversary of Catholic Schools Week is being celebrated Jan. 28 – Feb. 3, 2024. The national theme for Catholic Schools Week 2024 is “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community.”

As part of the national Catholic School Week celebrations, school communities throughout the five-county Archdiocese will honor all teachers and principals as well as administrators and staff on Fri., Feb. 2.

High schools with staff members celebrating significant milestones included Archbishop Carroll, Archbishop Ryan, Archbishop Wood, Bishop Shanahan, Cardinal O’Hara, Conwell-Egan Catholic, Father Judge, Lansdale Catholic, Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast, Pope John Paul II, Roman Catholic, Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti, and St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls.

The years of service for the six administrators totaled 180, and the 37 high school teachers have a combined total of more than 1,000 years of service to Catholic education

“Showing our staff that they are valued allows them to want to be a part of this for as long as these folks have,” Clement said. “It’s important for us as a Catholic institution to have teachers who are dedicated to faith, to mission, and to their local institutions. Our education system bears fruit because of all the good work they [teachers, staff, and administrators] do.”

He noted the longevity of these educators is one of the numerous reasons that families choose to send their children to Catholic schools.

“The fact that we have so many teachers really committed to being a part of our organization for as long as they have shows the value of a Catholic education,” Clement added. “For many, it’s more than a job. It’s a vocation.”

Clement highlighted the importance of teachers and administrators dedicating themselves to providing a quality Catholic education to students across the Archdiocese.

“We admire their commitment to being missionary disciples and their desire to provide a space in their classrooms for young minds to develop in the tradition of Catholic education,” he said. “Many of our newer teachers look to this group of experienced educators for their wisdom and support throughout the school year. Our schools are growing because of the faculty and staff we have in our buildings every day.”

This year’s teachers and administrators recognized include:

Archbishop Carroll
• Tyrone Chase, 25 years
• John Woehlcke, 25 years

Archbishop Ryan
• Glen Galeone, 50 years
• Victoria Gradel, 27 years
• Anthony Salvatore, 27 years
• William Finnegan, 27 years
• Christopher Vitale, 26 years
• Stephanie Salvatore, 25 years
• Donna Hnosko, 25 years

Archbishop Wood
• Cloe O’Grady, 26 years
• Candace Morris, 27 years

Bishop Shanahan
• Joan Hayes, 27 years
• Mary Ann Thompson, 27 years
• Joseph Aquilante, 26 years

Cardinal O’Hara
• Robert Wills, 27 years
• Stephanie Cawley, 27 years
• Christine Tickman, 25 years

Conwell-Egan Catholic
• Christine Maldonado, 27 years
• Wendi Wiley, 25 years
• Evan Ortiz, 25 years

Father Judge
• John Cramutolo, 51 years
• Michael Campellone, 27 years
• Michele Purcell, 27 years
• William Moser, 26 years
• Michael Groves, 26 years
• Joseph Rome, 25 years

Lansdale Catholic
• Amy MacKay, 27 years
• Monica Stolic , 26 years
• Deborah Lynch, 25 years
• Christine Fitch, 25 years

Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast
• Mary Callan, 25 years
• Rosanne Betham, 25 years

Pope John Paul II
• Stephanie Rowland, 27 years
• Domenico DiMartino, 26 years
• Richard Knowlton, 25 years
• Steven Tighe , 25 years

Roman Catholic
• Ann Trost, 25 years
• Robert Hill, 27 years

SS. John Neumann and Maria Goretti
• Delores McCaughan, 52 years

St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls
• Mary Clifford, 27 years
• Kristie McGovern, 27 years
• Mario Barrucci, 25 years
• Karen Scott Benjamin, 26 years