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I have given a lot of thought to the influence of my own Catholic education over the years. Memories of teachers, traditions, and friendships come to mind easily. Each era of my Catholic educational experience was marked by the school and the religious community who founded or staffed it.
As a child at Our Lady of the Presentation School in the Oak Square neighborhood of Brighton, I learned about St. Julie Billiart from the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. In song, story, and symbol, I learned about St. Julie's relationship with God and it, in turn, influenced my own. I cannot see a sunflower and not think about how it turns towards the sun and the way in which that became a simile for how we, as humans, innately turn towards God. The exclamation "Ah! Qu'il est bon le bon Dieu." ("Oh! How good is the good God.") became my own response to the gifts God has offered me.
My high school years brought me to Mount St. Joseph Academy in Brighton and introduced me to the Sisters of St. Joseph. The school motto was "labor omnia vincit." I learned that hard work overcomes all difficulty, and this corresponded to the quality that I saw St. Joseph most representing -- responsibility. By college, I was learning in a Jesuit environment at Boston College and St. Ignatius' "Principle in Foundation" informed my understanding that we are all created for union with God. That taught me about my own purpose and about the divine purpose of every person I encountered. I have taken that with me into each classroom where I taught and schools where I worked.
I offer these reflections knowing that, in addition to the facts, figures, skills, and content that the students in archdiocesan schools will learn this year, they will also learn about themselves and who they are growing into in relation to Christ and the church. This was true for me in my Catholic school experience as a student and as a professional.
As I transitioned into leadership roles, I continued to be influenced by the religious identities of the schools where I worked. As a teacher at St. Ann School in Somerville, I was keenly aware of St. Ann's role as the mother of Mary, the Mother of God, and what kind of caring and nurturing that inspired in me as a teacher. My 19 years at Mount Alvernia High School in Newton invited me to know St. Francis of Assisi deeply. The invitation led me to prioritize "Pax et Bonum," Peace and Goodness, as we worked to respond to God's call to Francis to "rebuild my church."
Indeed, it is that call to "rebuild my church" that still resonates with me today as I transition into this most recent leadership opportunity. I feel strongly that my own time in Catholic schools, as a student, teacher, and leader, has informed the person I have become. It is that confidence that inspires and energizes me to lead the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Boston. I know the power that membership in our schools can have on a person's development. I feel Christ's presence in the work being done in our archdiocesan schools. I am grateful for the families who choose our schools for their students, for the teachers and staff who live their faith in the work that they do, and for school leaders who partner with the Catholic Schools Office to nurture communities that evangelize.
- Eileen McLaughlin is superintendent of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Boston..