Catholic Transcript Online

Marly Fritch, a prekindergartner at St. Anthony School, with Patricia Devanney

WINSTED – More than 350 people gathered to congratulate and honor Patricia Devanney, principal of St. Anthony School, who was named Distinguished Principal by both the Archdiocese of Hartford and the National Catholic Educational Association.

Dale R. Hoyt, superintendent of schools in the archdiocese, and Maria Maynard, assistant superintendant, presented the 2011-12 Distinguished Catholic School Administrator Award to Mrs. Devanney during a Mass celebrated Jan. 22 at St. Joseph Church in Winsted.

Franciscan Father Bruce Czapla, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Derry, N.H., was the principal celebrant. He was pastor at St. Joseph Parish, which includes St. Anthony School, in 2002, when he asked Mrs. Devanny to serve as principal. Franciscan Father Dennis Arambasick, the current pastor, concelebrated, and Deacon William Wilcox assisted.

The familiar saying from Scripture, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" was imprinted on the plaque that recognized Mrs. Devanny for her exemplary leadership, extraordinary commitment and exceptional service as a Catholic school educator.

Mr. Hoyt said of Mrs. Devanney, "First and foremost, she is a woman of faith."

"She is a woman of deep faith whose joy is to share that faith with every student who passes through St. Anthony School," he said. She also is deeply "committed to best practices in education," he added.

Mrs. Devanney’s philosophy of Catholic education reflects her commitment.

"I honestly feel that as Catholic educators, we are called to prepare our young people not just for the world, but for a place in our Church. I think that everything that we do in the course of our school day has to reflect that," said Mrs. Devanney. "It has to reflect when [students] go to recess, when they are at lunch, when they are in the classroom, and not just when we go to Mass."

The Distinguished Principal Award for the Archdiocese is announced at the Administrators Convocation in August, prior to the start of the school year. As Principal of the Year, recipients speak at events throughout the year and are recognized during Catholic Schools Month in January, said Mr. Hoyt. He also submits the winner to the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) for award consideration.

Early in January, the Office of Catholic Schools learned that Mrs. Devanney was selected as the Distinguished Elementary Catholic School Principal for the New England Region. This award, named for Robert J. Healey, a former executive director of the NCEA, will be presented to her at the National NCEA convention held in Boston during April.

The NCEA selects 12 principals for the award each year.

Founded in 1865 by the Franciscan Order, St. Anthony School is the longest continuously operating school in the Archdiocese of Hartford. The school’s rich tradition was also in the people who attended the Mass and reception that followed.

Among the family, friends, students and colleagues who were at the reception to honor Mrs. Devanney were her parents, John and Marion Vaccari. Like Mrs. Devanney, both are graduates of St. Anthony School.

Mrs. Devanney’s four children are also graduates, and her granddaughter is currently a prekindergartner at the school.

"We are blessed," said Mrs. Devanney. "We have been blessed for all of our years, by the Franciscan Sisters, our Franciscan friars, and for faculty and staff who have served throughout the years and continue to believe in our mission."

For six of the past seven years, administrators from the schools in the Hartford Archdiocese have received the NCEA’s Distinguished Principal Awards.

Those administrators and their schools are Margaret Williamson, Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford; Mary Macunas, St. Rose School in East Hartford; Mark Monnerat, St. Joseph School in Bristol; Kathleen Molner, Assumption School in Ansonia; and Eileen Sampiere, Corpus Christi School in Wethersfield.