Saying goodbye

Friday was a bittersweet day for me as it was essentially my final day at Trinity High School.  You may know that I live in Dracut, MA and while I don't mind the commute (about 30 miles one-way), with four young children and many night and weekend events, it was getting harder and harder.  I was  not looking forward to leaving Trinity but an opportunity opened up to teach religion at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA and I accepted the offer last month.  Central is about 11 miles one-way from my house and is just two towns away.  In addition to be being closer to home, I will finally have the same February and April vacations as my children!  Mr. Mailloux '72 and Mr. Gadecki could not have been more supportive with my decision and made this transition incredibly easy.

We agreed that I would work this week as Central doesn't start for a couple of more weeks.  I offered to open up the year and all the opening year events and will close out my Trinity career this Monday at our freshman retreat.

I am happy to say that we've hired a wonderful new Director of Campus Ministry - Ms. Julia Kepler.  Ms. Kepler comes to us from the New England Classical Academy in Claremont.  She is a graduate of Mount Royal Academy in Sunapee and Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, a Benedictine college.  I met Ms. Kepler this past Wednesday and we had a few hours to chat and go over the campus ministry program.  I am confident that she will bring fresh energy and ideas to Trinity High School while maintaining our great customs and traditions.  She doesn't start until Sept. 6 but she will be at the freshman retreat on Monday.  I will hand over the keys to the kingdom - and the password to this blog - on Monday.

Mr. Maurier '72 and Mrs. Trachim P'08, '10 invited me to attend yesterday's choir practice given my long association with the choir, both as a former member and in campus ministry.  Afterwards I went up to thank them and Mr. Maurier said he wasn't good at goodbyes.  I said I wasn't either and our eyes both welled up, it was pretty emotional.

Thank you.  Thank you for all of your support of our efforts and for your commitment and dedication to our Catholic mission and identity.  I am sorry that I won't see our Lasallian affiliation all the way through but I know that it will transform our school.  I am proud of many things but the Lasallian affiliation is perhaps my proudest.

I will miss all of you terribly but know that I will forever be a Pioneer.