Archbishop Lori helps move Catholic education forward

Note: This is part of a package of editorial content celebrating the 10th anniversary of Archbishop William. E. Lori’s installation as archbishop of Baltimore and the 45th anniversary of his priestly ordination. Read all the stories here.

When the long-awaited Mother Mary Lange Catholic School opened its doors in West Baltimore in 2021 as the first new Catholic school built in the city in 60 years, Archbishop William E. Lori walked into every classroom from pre-k to eighth grade to greet students.

“Do you like your new school?” he asked. “What do you like the best about your school?”

Many doubted the 65,000-square-foot, $24 million project the archbishop calls the “Miracle on Martin Luther King Boulevard” could ever be built. But Dr. Donna Hargens, superintendent of Catholic schools, noted that “Archbishop Lori promised it was going to happen, and it happened.”

“He wanted to make sure families in Baltimore had access to a state-of-the-art Catholic school,” she said. “Mother Mary Lange is the school you would want every child to have.”

A product of Catholic schools himself, Archbishop Lori sees education as an “incredible ministry and evangelization tool to build future Catholics,” Hargens said.

Both Hargens and James Sellinger, chancellor of Catholic education, were hired by Archbishop Lori. Sellinger said the archbishop has been extremely supportive of the Catholic school system and has high expectations.

Early in his Baltimore tenure,  Archbishop Lori championed a multimillion-dollar capital campaign in support of Catholic education throughout the archdiocese that provided tuition assistance and much-needed funding for capital improvements for school facilities.

To establish a sound foundation for Catholic schools to be successful, Sellinger said it is critical for pastors to work with principals, collaborating with the archdiocesan school board and the Department of Catholic Schools.

“Catholic schools are a ministry of the parish,” Sellinger said. “It is not just about academics, but encouraging students to grow in their faith.”

The archdiocesan school board, made up of members appointed by the archbishop, approved a plan that focuses on “the whole child.” It consists of four pillars: Catholic identity, academic excellence, governance and stewardship.

Sellinger noted that Catholic schools took the lead during the coronavirus pandemic. Archbishop Lori worked with school leaders, public health experts and civic leaders in helping to guide an effective policy.

Catholic schools provided remote learning early in the pandemic, reopening for the 2020-21 school year for in-person learning at a time other school systems did not. “Hats off to those principals and teachers. They did a great job,” Archbishop Lori said.

Overall enrollment increased 7 to 8 percent for the academic years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, according to Sellinger. The archbishop said part of that increase is because Catholic schools “showed their nimbleness and their worth during the middle of this pandemic.”

Hargens said the archbishop always attends the annual schools convocation. He also supports and attends events involving academic programs such as Partners in Excellence and the state’s BOOST (Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today) scholarship program. 

Hargens said the archbishop’s support for Catholic education shows his commitment, in word and action, to make disciples of Christ.

Email Priscila González de Doran at pdoran@CatholicReview.org

Christopher Gunty contributed to this story.

Catholic Schools History

1789: The Archdiocese of Baltimore is established, becoming the first Catholic diocese in the United States.

1810: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton opens St. Joseph Free School, the first Catholic school to educate the poor, indigent and immigrant children in the United States.

1829: Mother Mary Lange opens St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, the first Catholic school for children of color in the United States.

1960s: Catholic school enrollment in the United States reaches its peak, with 5.2 million students enrolled in nearly 13,000 schools.

Today: Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore have been honored 31 times with the National Blue Ribbon School award for educational excellence. There are approximately 16,500 students enrolled in pre-K to high school for archdiocesan schools in the 2021-22 academic year.

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