Page 19: Bucking the Trend, continued

Another large flourishing school is Mount Carmel Academy in New Orleans. The all-female, 1,250-student school is located just a few blocks from the 17th Street Canal levee breech, one of the areas most devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Under 12 feet of water for more than two weeks, each of the buildings on the 80 year-old campus sustained substantial damage. Students and staff were forced to scatter to neighboring states and communication with them was limited to periodic website postings. Virtually all records were lost, and no one in the city thought reopening the school would happen very quickly, if at all.

Despair and defeat were widespread feeling, except with the school’s principal, Sister Camille Anne Campbell. Within weeks, the flood waters began to recede and she was able to arrive at the school to begin restoration. Without hesitation, she called on the help of parents, students, friends, and a number of the nearly 10,000 alumni. Despite the enormity of this task, Susan Perron, a school administrator, said “the re-build, the re-population, and the resurrection of our campus are already the stuff of legend.”

However, even more important than the building restoration was Sister Camille’s compelling devotion to the Catholic formation of her students. Ultimately she knew the spiritual needs of her students were more important than the physical condition of the campus. Her fervent devotion to God and concern for the rigorous education at Mount Carmel provided the motivation she needed to stay focused and restore the school. This is exactly the type of dedicated leadership that keeps numerous Catholic schools flourishing, despite facing today’s many challenges.

This miraculous turn-around is no doubt attributed to the faithful leadership that recognizes the unique value of providing strong, vibrant Catholic education. Hurricane Katrina certainly gave Sister Camille a unique way to reveal her commitment to academic excellence and preparation of her students for life in the world. She also showed that giving her life in service to the students was ultimately a service to parents, to the Church, and ultimately, to God. Her devotion serves as a great example for what is required of today’s successful Catholic education leaders, no matter the school’s size.

Brother Rice High School and Mount Carmel Academy both exemplify what the Catholic High School Honor Roll has found to be true, that it is not so much the size or history of a school that makes it successful. Rather, all Catholic schools have the same calling, to educate and form their students in the Catholic Faith. This includes a common commitment to demanding academics and preparation of their students for life in the world, and even more, an understanding of their work as being in service to parents and to the Church. Those are and ever will be the ingredients of successful Catholic schools, no matter the size.

Kevin Schmiesing is a research fellow at the Acton Institute and executive director of Catholichistory.net. He is a consultant to the Catholic High School Honor Roll. Anthony Pienta is a project coordinator for the Acton Institute and the Catholic High School Honor Roll.

______________________________

About the Catholic High School Honor Roll
The Honor Roll is a national program recognizing America’s best Catholic high schools based on the criteria of academic excellence, Catholic identity, and civic education. The Honor Roll has proven to be a strong resource for parents and a great opportunity for schools to receive much deserved recognition. The primary goal of the Honor Roll is to encourage schools to educate students as effectively as possible, in a way that integrates Catholic faith and prepares students for active engagement with the world. By supporting this constructive competition, the Honor Roll provides insight into the character of Catholic secondary education and calls everyone to improve the academic and spiritual formation given to America’s youth. In promoting rigorous education, the Honor Roll desires to better prepare students for fruitful vocations in politics, business, and the Church. The Catholic High School Honor Roll is an independent project of the Acton Institute, an international research and educational organization. The Honor Roll was produced in consultation with a national advisory board comprised of Catholic college presidents and noted Catholic scholars. For more on Acton, please go to www.acton.org. Questions about the Honor Roll may be directed to Anthony Pienta at (616) 454-3080, apienta@acton.org, or info@chshonor.org.