Long-time Educators Retire From Most Holy Redeemer

EVERGREEN PARK, IL -- Faculty, staff and students said goodbye to two long-time Most Holy Redeemer teachers, who retired on the last day of school May 30. Beth Doyle and Mary Beth MacKinnon hung up their red pens after long careers at the Evergreen Park Catholic grammar school. The teachers were given a going away soiree by their colleagues last month.

Doyle was a 35-year educator for the Archdiocese of Chicago. She was a sixth grade homeroom teacher and taught religion to the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. MacKinnon taught second grade teacher and racked up 33 years with Chicago archdiocese. Both teachers spent a majority of careers teaching at Most Holy Redeemer.

“As young teachers they did a little hopping around, but the spent 20 years at Most Holy Redeemer,” said MHR principal Nancy Harmening. “Beth and Mary Beth are very modest and it almost killed them to attend their reception.”

The teachers’ retirement reception was held in the school gymnasium and open to parishioners and the community.

“What’s unique about Catholic schools is that teachers have an opportunity to truly educate the whole child including all of their spiritual and academic needs,” Harmening said. “Most Holy Redeemer is a very close knit group of people.”

MacKinnon wrote a heartfelt note of thanks to colleagues, students and parishioners.

“The decision to ‘hang up my red pens’ after so many years was very bittersweet. It is difficult to leave a place and a job that you really love. I think God opened the door however when it was evident that there will more than likely be only one second grade in fall. So, though I am very excited about starting this new chapter in my life, I am nervous and sad all at the same time. I will truly miss MHR and all of the children who sat in the desks in Room 12. I had the best and together we made a great team.”