Dr. Frank X. McAneny, the new principal of St. Mary School, Bordentown, has exemplified the motto proudly emblazoned on the grammar school’s website: “Do your best, respect all people, put your faith into action.”
A product of Philadelphia’s St. Timothy School and Father Judge High School, McAneny completed his undergraduate education in that city’s St. Joseph’s University, then went on to earn his master’s degree in education from The College of New Jersey, Ewing, and a doctorate in the same field from Temple University, Philadelphia.
After a term as a special education teacher with the New Jersey Association for Retarded Citizens’ pre-school program, McAneny held positions with the Willingboro School District and the Mercer County Special Services School District, then spent the next two decades in the Medford Township Public School System as principal of an elementary school.
On the university level, McAneny served as a part-time instructor in special education for Pennsylvania’s Cabrini and Gwynedd Mercy Colleges and Temple University, and is currently an adjunct faculty member of Holy Family University, Philadelphia, and Rowan University, Glassboro.
The married father of three is no stranger to educating students of the Diocese of Trenton. He previously served as chairperson of the diocesan Education Advisory Committee from 1990 to 1993 and has had a long affiliation with Holy Cross High School, Delran, holding the co-chairperson position of the long range strategic planning committee in 1997 and serving on the Board of Advisors, then the Board of Trustees from 1996 to 2009.
The McAnenys are parishioners of St. John Neumann Parish, Mount Laurel, where Frank serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. A love of education and service runs throughout the McAneny family: wife Kathleen is a kindergarten teacher in St. Charles Borromeo School, Cinnaminson; son Sean is a special education teacher in Tabernacle; daughter Maura is completing a master’s program in counseling at Rider University, Lawrenceville, and son Timothy is a third grade teacher in Washington.
In an e-mail to The Monitor, McAneny expressed his eagerness to lead the 121-year-old Bordentown school. “I am excited to be the principal for St. Mary’s Catholic School since it is an opportunity to blend my faith experiences with my professional interests in education and administration,” he explained.
“The chance to model my faith in my interactions with staff, students and parents and to encourage these groups to do the same is an appealing aspect of being a Catholic school principal, especially at St. Mary’s School with the long and rich history of Catholic education.”
McAneny maintained that Catholic education should be a collaborative effort amongst teachers, the parish, parents and the students themselves on both the school and community levels.
“Our role [as Catholic educators] is to reinforce the teachings and the practice of our faith by our interactions and our display of faith in our school,” he said. “By doing this we are reinforcing the idea of a lifelong commitment to the Catholic faith for our students so that they will continue as adults to be involved in the Catholic experience.”
