Bishop gives Mater Dei plan his blessing, promises to visit school in fall
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By Rayanne Bennett | Associate Publisher
What started out as a serious and stoic meeting April 30 between representatives of the Diocese of Trenton and the principals of Mater Dei Prep’s Seraph group ended with broad smiles, warm handshakes and even a few tears of joy.
The team championing the Middletown school came to the Chancery outside Trenton to formally receive Bishop David M. O’Connell’s approval of a plan that will transform Mater Dei Prep from a financially struggling, parish-run high school to a private, Catholic high school led by an independent governance model. It will be the first time in the known history of this 134-year-old Diocese that a school has been recreated in this manner.
Noting that the meeting was happening on the Memorial of St. Pius V, a staunch defender and teacher of the Catholic faith, Bishop O’Connell thanked the group for its commitment to save Mater Dei Prep. He emphasized with great earnestness, “The plan you have developed is not just a good plan; it is an excellent plan.”
Sharing insight gained from more than three decades in Catholic education, Bishop O’Connell stipulated specific requirements and made additional suggestions in the effort to preserve Mater Dei’s Catholic identity and culture, as well as the authenticity of its faith-based curriculum.
He was clear in his support of this new venture, promising to pray for its success and to come out in the fall to re-dedicate the school and celebrate Mass.
The Bishop’s approval was the final step in an expansive, swift-moving and well-coordinated campaign that mobilized after the early February announcement by Father Jeff Kegley, pastor of the sponsoring St. Mary Parish, that the school will close in June. Father Kegley cited a severe multi-year deficit and persistently low enrollment that have plagued development efforts.
An outpouring of support for the school moved Father Kegley to revise the closure plan, allowing for a fundraising campaign. Supporters would have to raise $1 million by April 15, essentially a two-month period of grace to save the school.
In response, a group of concerned alumni, led by Jim Shaw (Class of ’76), immediately formed The Seraph’s Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, and began raising the $1 million through direct donations and fundraisers. A separate steering committee, led by Randy MacDonald, simultaneously developed a plan to address the school’s long-term viability through privatization.
The response from the Mater Dei community was overwhelmingly positive. As of late March, the $1 million was not only reached, but surpassed, including nearly $1 million in cash received and nearly another half million dollars in pledges.
The plan provides for Mater Dei Prep to close as planned in June, but reopen as a new entity – a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, with an independent board of trustees to act as fiscal and operational stewards over the school. The Bishop will continue to provide ecclesiastical guidance to the school.
In its new configuration, Mater Dei Prep will be financially and operationally independent from St. Mary Parish. The plan does not impact St. Mary School, which will remain a parish-run elementary school on the St. Mary’s campus adjacent to Mater Dei Prep.
Diocesan officials who consulted with the Seraph group through the process had strong praise for both the effort and the results. Anthony J. Mingarino, diocesan chancellor and chief administrative officer, shared, “When the Seraph Group first came forward with a plan to establish a private, independent Catholic school, my initial reaction was that, while success would be great for Catholic education, there is no way these fine people could address all of the issues involved in such a short timeframe.”
He added, “Much to my surprise, they did just that. From the outset, they had some of the finest minds working on every aspect of this project, attorneys, accountants, fundraisers, educators, finance specialists. They were intent on working closely with the parish and Diocese to address every issue a new Catholic school would need to address.
“Through it all and much to my own satisfaction, it was obvious to me that they intended to make this new school Catholic in every sense of the word. This group is to be commended,” he said.
JoAnn Tier, moderator for Catholic education and superintendent of schools, commented, “The committee’s strategic plan was comprehensive and forward-thinking, incorporating detail-oriented measures to address the school’s initial challenges with vision to provide an exceptional faith-based, academic environment.”
She continued, “The individuals on the committee are totally invested in the success of Mater Dei Prep and are to be congratulated for their commitment, dedication and vision.”
Father Kegley, who has been in the Seraphs’ corner from the beginning, took part in the meeting with the Bishop. Bishop O’Connell commended Father Kegley for the leadership he has demonstrated throughout the effort to save the school and for the energy and fidelity he has brought to Catholic education.
Father Kegley thanked the men and women who worked on the campaign. He said, “These are people who really believe in Catholic education. They did it for all the right reasons.”
He also expressed his appreciation to Bishop O’Connell who he described as steadfast in his support of Catholic education.
Shaw, speaking on behalf of the Seraphs group, showed his emotion in thanking the Bishop for the confidence he placed in the plan. He later reported, “My thoughts when the Bishop offered his approval were elation at having reached a goal important to our community. We saved a school where our students can learn in an academically challenging, familial, nurturing, Catholic environment. I was thankful that our prayers were heard.”
Shaw commended the vast number of volunteers who helped the group chart a viable way forward. The effort was built by “parents, students, faculty, alumni, friends, accountants, lawyers, business leaders, small business owners. Basically, anyone who had a skill stepped in to fill a need. No job was too big for the team and no job was too small for any one person.”
According to Shaw, “Everyone remained focused on our goal–a private, Catholic preparatory high school that retained its feel as a family, was managed like a business and supported to ensure its sustainability. The work has just begun.”
Plans will now move forward to register students, reach out to the alumni community of 6,000, plan fundraisers and deal with the many details of the transition. Students interested in attending Mater Dei Prep are asked to contact Dennis Tobin at 732-671-9100, ext. 12, to begin the registration process.
For information on the Seraph Fund, including upcoming fundraising events and how to make a donation, see seraphfund.org.
The Monitor will have an in-depth report on the Seraph’s plans for Mater Dei’s future in the next issue, including advice for other schools who want to build a strong foundation for the future.
Some content for this story came from a press release issued by the Save the Seraphs group for Mater Dei Prep. Click here to read press release in its entirety.
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By Rayanne Bennett | Associate Publisher
What started out as a serious and stoic meeting April 30 between representatives of the Diocese of Trenton and the principals of Mater Dei Prep’s Seraph group ended with broad smiles, warm handshakes and even a few tears of joy.
The team championing the Middletown school came to the Chancery outside Trenton to formally receive Bishop David M. O’Connell’s approval of a plan that will transform Mater Dei Prep from a financially struggling, parish-run high school to a private, Catholic high school led by an independent governance model. It will be the first time in the known history of this 134-year-old Diocese that a school has been recreated in this manner.
Noting that the meeting was happening on the Memorial of St. Pius V, a staunch defender and teacher of the Catholic faith, Bishop O’Connell thanked the group for its commitment to save Mater Dei Prep. He emphasized with great earnestness, “The plan you have developed is not just a good plan; it is an excellent plan.”
Sharing insight gained from more than three decades in Catholic education, Bishop O’Connell stipulated specific requirements and made additional suggestions in the effort to preserve Mater Dei’s Catholic identity and culture, as well as the authenticity of its faith-based curriculum.
He was clear in his support of this new venture, promising to pray for its success and to come out in the fall to re-dedicate the school and celebrate Mass.
The Bishop’s approval was the final step in an expansive, swift-moving and well-coordinated campaign that mobilized after the early February announcement by Father Jeff Kegley, pastor of the sponsoring St. Mary Parish, that the school will close in June. Father Kegley cited a severe multi-year deficit and persistently low enrollment that have plagued development efforts.
An outpouring of support for the school moved Father Kegley to revise the closure plan, allowing for a fundraising campaign. Supporters would have to raise $1 million by April 15, essentially a two-month period of grace to save the school.
In response, a group of concerned alumni, led by Jim Shaw (Class of ’76), immediately formed The Seraph’s Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, and began raising the $1 million through direct donations and fundraisers. A separate steering committee, led by Randy MacDonald, simultaneously developed a plan to address the school’s long-term viability through privatization.
The response from the Mater Dei community was overwhelmingly positive. As of late March, the $1 million was not only reached, but surpassed, including nearly $1 million in cash received and nearly another half million dollars in pledges.
The plan provides for Mater Dei Prep to close as planned in June, but reopen as a new entity – a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, with an independent board of trustees to act as fiscal and operational stewards over the school. The Bishop will continue to provide ecclesiastical guidance to the school.
In its new configuration, Mater Dei Prep will be financially and operationally independent from St. Mary Parish. The plan does not impact St. Mary School, which will remain a parish-run elementary school on the St. Mary’s campus adjacent to Mater Dei Prep.
Diocesan officials who consulted with the Seraph group through the process had strong praise for both the effort and the results. Anthony J. Mingarino, diocesan chancellor and chief administrative officer, shared, “When the Seraph Group first came forward with a plan to establish a private, independent Catholic school, my initial reaction was that, while success would be great for Catholic education, there is no way these fine people could address all of the issues involved in such a short timeframe.”
He added, “Much to my surprise, they did just that. From the outset, they had some of the finest minds working on every aspect of this project, attorneys, accountants, fundraisers, educators, finance specialists. They were intent on working closely with the parish and Diocese to address every issue a new Catholic school would need to address.
“Through it all and much to my own satisfaction, it was obvious to me that they intended to make this new school Catholic in every sense of the word. This group is to be commended,” he said.
JoAnn Tier, moderator for Catholic education and superintendent of schools, commented, “The committee’s strategic plan was comprehensive and forward-thinking, incorporating detail-oriented measures to address the school’s initial challenges with vision to provide an exceptional faith-based, academic environment.”
She continued, “The individuals on the committee are totally invested in the success of Mater Dei Prep and are to be congratulated for their commitment, dedication and vision.”
Father Kegley, who has been in the Seraphs’ corner from the beginning, took part in the meeting with the Bishop. Bishop O’Connell commended Father Kegley for the leadership he has demonstrated throughout the effort to save the school and for the energy and fidelity he has brought to Catholic education.
Father Kegley thanked the men and women who worked on the campaign. He said, “These are people who really believe in Catholic education. They did it for all the right reasons.”
He also expressed his appreciation to Bishop O’Connell who he described as steadfast in his support of Catholic education.
Shaw, speaking on behalf of the Seraphs group, showed his emotion in thanking the Bishop for the confidence he placed in the plan. He later reported, “My thoughts when the Bishop offered his approval were elation at having reached a goal important to our community. We saved a school where our students can learn in an academically challenging, familial, nurturing, Catholic environment. I was thankful that our prayers were heard.”
Shaw commended the vast number of volunteers who helped the group chart a viable way forward. The effort was built by “parents, students, faculty, alumni, friends, accountants, lawyers, business leaders, small business owners. Basically, anyone who had a skill stepped in to fill a need. No job was too big for the team and no job was too small for any one person.”
According to Shaw, “Everyone remained focused on our goal–a private, Catholic preparatory high school that retained its feel as a family, was managed like a business and supported to ensure its sustainability. The work has just begun.”
Plans will now move forward to register students, reach out to the alumni community of 6,000, plan fundraisers and deal with the many details of the transition. Students interested in attending Mater Dei Prep are asked to contact Dennis Tobin at 732-671-9100, ext. 12, to begin the registration process.
For information on the Seraph Fund, including upcoming fundraising events and how to make a donation, see seraphfund.org.
The Monitor will have an in-depth report on the Seraph’s plans for Mater Dei’s future in the next issue, including advice for other schools who want to build a strong foundation for the future.
Some content for this story came from a press release issued by the Save the Seraphs group for Mater Dei Prep. Click here to read press release in its entirety.
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