Who will be among the first to greet you when you arrive in heaven? While the answer is a mystery, it is not difficult to imagine that Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton would have been there to welcome two recent arrivals who were giants in Catholic education.
As the founder of the U.S. Catholic schools network, Saint Elizabeth would know well the work of Dr. Robert Kealey and Sister Lourdes Sheehan, RSM, Ed.D. Of special note was their service at NCEA: Dr. Kealey as executive director of the former Elementary Schools Department from 1987-2002 and Sister Sheehan as executive director of the National Association of Catholic Boards of Education and the Chief Administrators of Catholic Education Department (CACE) from 1985-1991.
According to Michael Guerra, former NCEA president, Bob Kealey’s leadership came at a pivotal time when Catholic schools needed to confirm their Catholic identity and build a stronger financial base, while remaining accessible to and affordable for families.
“Reflecting his Lasallian roots (Bob was a Christian Brother for 25 years and Dean at Manhattan College), Bob was committed to helping keep Catholic schools open to the children of poor and working class families,” said Mr. Guerra. He joined with other NCEA leaders to plan the National Congress on Catholic Schools for the 21st Century that culminated in a national gathering that brought together civic, church and corporate leaders to chart a brighter and more secure future for Catholic schools. The Washington event held in November 1991 gained widespread visibility and was the foundation for expanding lay-religious partnership for Catholic education.
Added Mr. Guerra, “It was Bob who first suggested the Congress and travelled across the country to regional and diocesan meetings to build momentum for this event.”
Dr. Kealey also recognized the importance of promoting National Catholic Schools Week. Working with the NCEA Communications Office, he urged superintendents and principals to use the initiative to market their schools as a “gift to the church and a gift to the country.” The national marketing campaign was launched with the slogan “Discover Catholic Schools.” It received widespread national media coverage and was instrumental in increasing enrollment and encouraging arch/dioceses to initiate marketing campaigns.
A prolific writer on Catholic education, Dr. Kealey authored The Prayer of Catholic Educators, still in publication today and often prayed in classrooms and at workshops nationwide. Many of the thousands of principals and teachers who met Dr. Kealey at the NCEA Convention and other meetings will recall his passion for Catholic schools, his inspirational speeches and his great sense of humor. Maxine Rivers, former executive assistant to the president, noted, “What I remember first and foremost about Bob is his sincere kindness, his humility, deep faith, love of family and his perennial upbeat spirit. When he was amused, he had this warm and hearty laugh that was full of joy—I can still hear it.”
Another colleague, Dr. Stephen O’Brien, added, “For 50 years, Bob Kealey was the consummate professional Catholic educator. A man of faith, he constantly reminded principals and teachers that the schools are Catholic schools and that faith should be an integral part of learning.”
Dr. O’Brien, who served at NCEA as executive director of CACE, also reflected on the life of Sister Sheehan, “Besides being a kind and loving person, Lourdes Sheehan was an iconic example of what a professional woman could accomplish in a male dominated institution. Her work for the church over 50 years shows the kind of dedication she had to proclaiming the gospel. She loved the church and had a special interest in helping lay people become involved in its life through her work with boards throughout the country.”
Sister Sheehan was a member of the Sisters of Mercy for 69 years and served the order as its Provincial. She was a teacher and superintendent of Catholic schools and director of religious education in Richmond, VA, before arriving at NCEA in 1985. During her years at the association, Sister Sheehan headed both the boards department as well as CACE. She was the author of Building Better Boards, a seminal book that outlined the eight reasons for establishing and fostering Catholic boards for elementary and secondary schools.
Dr. Regina Haney, who followed Sister Sheehan as executive director of the NCEA Boards Department, said, “Lourdes was a bold pioneer and a visionary. Msgr. O’Neill D’Amour is the father of the Catholic school board movement. Sister Lourdes substantially enhanced and advanced the movement. While some Catholic leaders were wary of boards and their impact, she knew that they would strengthen Catholic schools. Her unwavering support paved the way for the foundation of the boards movement. I am thankful that Sister passed on to me her firm belief that boards are vital to the vitality of Catholic education.”
When Sister Lourdes departed NCEA she became the first woman to serve as the secretary for Catholic education at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Following that she became the first director of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE). Sister Sheehan later returned to the conference to serve as its associate general secretary.
Monsignor William Fay, former general secretary at USCCB who worked with Sister Sheehan for 11 years, commented, “Sister Lourdes is one of the finest women religious I have ever met. Two things always struck me about Sister Lourdes. First was her faith in and love of God and the Church, lived out beautifully as a religious Sister of Mercy. I am not aware of anything that the Lord or the Church ever asked Sister Lourdes to do that she did not fulfill completely with a loving heart and generous enthusiasm.”
Msgr. Fay also noted that the second thing he saw was her humility, “Sister Lourdes was always looking to draw out the gifts that God had given people to enhance the good of all. She did that with a warmth and humor that drew people to her immediately and made all of us who knew her better men and women.”
In her own words, Sister Sheehan once observed that Catholic education is a gift to society and “Participating in Catholic education has allowed me to participate in the mission of the church.”
Looking back on the lives of Dr. Kealey and Sister Sheehan, these words of Mother Seton come to mind: “I long and wish to serve our Lord with every breath I draw.”
Both of these giants in the annals of NCEA and beyond gave their full measure of devotion to Catholic education. It would not be a surprise to learn one day that heaven’s door was indeed opened for them by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
Barbara Keebler is the president of Keebler Communications and is the former director of communications for NCEA.
Barbara Keeblerbakeebler@gmail.com