St. Mary Principal Awarded Outstanding Principal Award

Beth A. Cunningham, Principal of St. Mary Catholic School in Mokena, will receive the 2018 Bishop Kaffer Outstanding Principal Award.

This award, sponsored by Lewis University Institute for the Advancement of Catholic and Lasallian Education, will be formally presented to Mrs. Cunningham on April 26. Mrs. Cunningham was surprised with the news by Rev. John Belmonte, S.J., Ph.D, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Joliet, and Lawrence Wiers, Director of School Partnership, and Director of Institute for the Advancement of Cathlica and Lasallian Education, Lewis University, during an all school assembly on March 19.

Mrs. Cunningham received the award for her leadership at St. Mary School. Much like Bishop Roger L. Kaffer, Mrs. Cunningham continues to focus on improving the already wonderful school’s academic offerings and services to the community. She continuously works towards school improvement and implementation of those improvements alongside faculty and parents. As a result of her understanding of community needs and passion for education, St. Mary Catholic School has grown to accommodate two classes per grade from kindergarten through grade eight, as well as the most recent addition of one 3-year old in 2017 and a 4-year old preschool classroom in 2015.

Prior to being named Auxiliary Bishop to Bishop Joseph L. Imesch, Bishop Kaffer was the principal at Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox where his leadership and talents helped Providence Catholic thrive.

Bishop Kaffer is most remembered by the Providence alumni families for his commitment to visit every family who had a child enrolled in the school. His love of education and life-long devotion to Catholic schools is memorialized through the Bishop Roger L. Kaffer Outstanding Principal Award.

Photo: Lawrence Wiers, Director of School Partnership, and Director of Institute for the Advancement of Cathlica and Lasallian Education, Lewis University, (left), Elizabeth (Beth) Cunningham, principal of St. Mary Catholic School, and Rev. John Belmonte, S.J., Ph.D, superintendent of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Joliet, and.

To learn more about the school, visit www.stmaryschoolmokena.org. St. Mary’s School is located at 11409 West 195th Street Mokena.