08.02.07
Kateri Education Project

Mission statement
Inroduction
Who was Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha?
FAQ's

The leadership of our deanery parishes have agreed to provide periodic communications to our deanery parishes.  Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) that  will provide additional background on this project.

What is the Kateri Education Project?
The Kateri Education Project was established to evaluate the long-term viability of Pre-K thru 12th grade Catholic Education within our deanery.  The collective leadership of our deanery parishes, the Board of Directors at Cardinal Stritch High School, and the Toledo Diocese have agreed this process must be undertaken to ensure the future success of our deanery.

How is the  project structured and who is involved?
This is a deanery wide initiative sponsored by the pastoral leadership from each deanery parish.  The Project has several levels of decision making including The Board of Directors, a Steering Committee, and other contributors and parishioners as required by the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors consists of the pastors and the pastoral leader of our deanery parishes.  A Steering Committee was formed and is made up of members of the Cardinal Stritch High School Board of Directors and other business and community leadership whom have agreed to assist with the project.

What schools may be impacted by the project?
Although there are a total of four grade schools and one high school currently operating within the deanery, the scope of this project includes only Sacred Heart, St. Jerome, St. Thomas and Cardinal Stritch High School.  St. John the Baptist’s elementary school is not included within the scope of this project.

Is the  Toledo Diocese aware of  this project?
The Kateri Project leadership is actively updating the Diocese of Toledo leadership on the status of the project.  We have their full support and will continue to seek input and direction as required.

Have any decisions or recommendations been made yet?
No.  As such, this project will not impact the 2007-2008 school year for any school within the deanery.

What is the timeline for this project to be completed?
This project officially started in May of 2007 when the pastoral leadership agreed to sponsor the project.  It is anticipated this project will last between 18-24 months and will include an Evaluation Phase, a Design Phase, and an Implementation Phase.  The project team is still gathering information to complete the Evaluation and Design phases and  are expected to continue this process through the end of the 2007 calendar year.  Once completed, it is the intent of the Steering Committee to begin the Implementation Phase for  the 2008-09 school year.

Who are the members of the Board of Directors and the Steering Committee?
The current members of the Board of Directors include:

1. Sr. Jane Schimmoeller, Pastoral Leader, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Bono
2. Fr. Mark Herzog, Pastor, St. Ignatius, Oregon
3. Fr. John Blaser, Pastor, St. Thomas Aquinas, Good Shepherd
4. Fr. Frank Eckart, Pastor, St. Stephen, Sacred Heart
5. Fr. Gerald Chimiel, Pastor, St. John the Baptist, St.Michael
6. Fr. William Parker, Pastor, St. Jerome, Walbridge
7. Fr. David Reinhart, President, CSHS

1. Fr. David Reinhart, President, CSHS
2. Joe Herman, CSHS Board Member and alum
3. Ellen Bergman, School Teacher, CSHS parent
4. John Staler, Attorney, CSHS and St. Thomas Aquinas parishioner and parent
5. Ron Zak, Retired Teacher and School Administrator, St. Jerome parishioner

Why is the Project called the Kateri Education Project?
Every important project requires a name, so when developing a name for this project we felt a connection with the deanery history made sense.  Every deanery has a name given to it by the Church which is connected with an important Catholic figure.  Our deanery name is Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.  Therefore, based on this information we officially named this the Kateri Education Project.

The Board of Directors and the Steering Committee intend to send out regular updates to each parish regarding the progress of the project as new information becomes available. 

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