Since the announcement of the Catholic Talent Project in July 2024, the response from parents, school leaders, bishops, and others has been overwhelmingly positive.
The Catholic Church faces a monumental crisis: by age 13, 50 percent of children raised in Catholic families lose their faith, and a staggering 86 percent do so by age 18. This alarming trend puts us at risk of following the path of secularized Europe—a direction we cannot afford to take. Losing a generation of young Catholics would leave our pews largely empty, and the future of our Church uncertain.
I firmly believe that Catholic schools — when properly ordered — are the key leverage point to stem this exodus from the Church. The cornerstone of renewing our Catholic schools and, in turn, our faith is to place a witness to Jesus Christ in every classroom, school leader's office and superintendent position. I began this work in Boston as Superintendent of Schools and now we are taking this idea nationally.
I am excited to share this update with you.
A feature article in EWTN's National Catholic Register highlighted our successful efforts during my tenure as Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Boston to recruit, cultivate, and place faithful Catholics in teaching and school leadership positions in Boston, describing it as a "renaissance in Catholic education."
Over five years, I had the privilege to replace 75 percent of the parochial school leaders, the largest intentional turnover of Catholic school leadership — with a laser-like focus on ensuring the placement of new school leaders fully committed to the Catholic Church and the evangelizing role of our schools. At the same time, for the first time since the mid-1960s, Catholic school enrollment was stabilized, stopping an almost 60-year decline. When I started as Superintendent, roughly two-dozen schools were at-risk. When I left, the number was down to a few schools with isolated challenges.
My time as Boston Catholic Superintendent underscored the crucial importance of attracting faithful and talented Catholics at all levels of our schools. That's the change that will lead to a renewal in our schools and Church.
But the success in Boston was just the beginning. The need for witnesses to Jesus Christ in every Catholic classroom is universal across the nation. That's where the nonprofit lay apostolate Catholic Talent Project, announced in July 2024, comes in.
We are building a pyramid of talent for Catholic schools by recruiting and cultivating individuals for classroom-teaching and school-leadership positions. Our plan begins with establishing "hubs" in 10 major dioceses over five years.
The first two hubs will be in: Boston, where I served as Superintendent and where Archbishop Richard Henning recently was appointed by the Holy Father; and San Francisco, where the dynamic combination of new Superintendent Chris Fisher and Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone promises to drive meaningful change. Chris Fisher, who previously taught theology at Portsmouth Abbey and ran the Portsmouth Institute in Rhode Island, formerly ran retreats for the St. Thomas More Fellows as part of our summer academy.
In addition to creating these 10 talent hubs, we also are committed to identifying talent for Catholic classical and liberal-arts schools across the nation. With more than 100 Catholic classical schools in the United States, including Chesterton Academy high schools, these institutions are becoming a vital source of renewal for the Church.
In Boston, I have been a strong supporter of St. Benedict Classical Academy, where I have witnessed first-hand the transformative impact of the classical approach. I recently joined their board.
The launching of the Catholic Talent Project has been very well received. Many people have reasonably come to the conclusion that the status quo is unsustainable. That's one reason the Catholic Talent Project and our flagship initiative, the St. Thomas More Teaching Fellowship, have garnered widespread media attention.
I've had the opportunity to participate in dozens of interviews across the country. Two standout articles appeared in the National Catholic Register and First Things.
A key part of the St. Thomas More Teaching Fellowship from the beginning has been building a lasting and growing community of young adult Catholics. St. Thomas More Fellows participate in biweekly spiritual readings, come together for two weekend spiritual retreats each year, and celebrate Mass, Adoration and a communal dinner each month during the school year. The dinners feature Catholic speakers.
Putting faithful Catholics together on a regular basis has borne many fruits.
Among those fruits are many engagements, weddings and babies since we started. To date, 16 of our more than 50 fellows have gotten engaged. Of these, 10 are already married, with 2 children born and several others on the way. These numbers contrast with the collapse of the marriage rate and birth rate in the broader secular culture. Deo gratias!
Our Fellows, trained and mentored through our program, have become outstanding teachers. Yet, the most vital part of their mission is serving as witnesses to the Catholic faith, inspiring students to stay connected to their faith, return to it, or embrace it for the first time.
For example, St. Thomas More Fellow Vince Valentine teaches theology and coaches baseball at Bishop Fenwick High School. Vince is the confirmation sponsor of two of his students and the godfather of another. One of his sponsees chose St. Valentine as his Confirmation saint. Vince earned an M.A. in Theology from Franciscan University and a B.A. in Business Communications from York University in Nebraska.
Looking ahead, we are excited to launch a new initiative focused on equipping teachers to reach students spiritually, and helping them develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. A key aspect of this program will be increasing student participation in the sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Reconciliation (Penance).
A very high percentage of the teachers and principals we have recruited have remained in Boston's Catholic schools, but a few have moved on to other exciting opportunities. I am incredibly proud of each of them.
Additionally, one Fellow currently teaching for us is discerning a vocation to the priesthood in Boston. Please join us in keeping him in your prayers.
This fall, Hayden Cowart, a former teacher at St. John's School in Boston's North End (headed by school pastor and Franciscan priest Fr. Michael Della Penna OFM) and also at Lumen Verum Academy, will begin his journey as a seminarian with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Hayden's decision to answer God's call reflects years of prayer, discernment, and small acts of obedience to the Holy Spirit.
In a recent post, Hayden shared, "I am becoming a friar! I am entering the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, a community of Catholic brothers and sisters consecrated to Jesus Christ. In imitation of St. Francis of Assisi, [we] seek to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, as a prophetic witness that life is a pilgrimage to the Father."
Hayden credits his family, teachers, friends, and the Catholic community for sharing the gift of faith that led him to this vocation. He is also deeply grateful for the support of his Encounter mission partners and the Mater Ecclesiae Fund for Vocations, which have made his path possible.
Hayden's journey as a friar will focus on a life of prayer, service to the poor, evangelization, and fraternal community. Embracing "Lady Poverty," he seeks to live humbly, becoming a brother and student of the poor in imitation of Christ.
As Hayden embarks on this pilgrimage of faith, we join in prayer for him and give thanks for his powerful witness to the renewal of the Church.
Visiting the schools where our Fellows serve has been a great pleasure. I've had the opportunity to watch them teach and meet with the school leaders. It is deeply edifying to hear how much the school leaders value and love our Fellows. They are consistently impressed by their zeal and hard work and are encouraged by our ongoing efforts to recruit more teachers.
One story stands out in particular. During a visit to Elizabeth Wells' third-grade classroom at East Boston Central Catholic School, her principal shared a scene that perfectly embodies our mission. One day, he quietly slipped into the back of her classroom, unnoticed. What he saw, he described as one of the most beautiful moments he'd ever witnessed in a Catholic classroom. The students were intently working on an art project while Elizabeth moved among them, checking their work. As she walked, he noticed the rosary beads in her hand, softly praying for her students as they worked. He stood there for several minutes in silence, unwilling to disrupt the sacredness of the moment. The way he recounted this scene to me made it clear it had deeply touched his own faith.
This is just one glimpse of the profound impact our Fellows have on their students every day. Now imagine the even bigger impact as we recruit more and more Fellows for dioceses across the United States. Students' lives would be transformed. It excites me to think about the countless students receiving the Gospel through the work of our Fellows, and it fuels my passion for revitalizing Catholic education.
Thanks to the generosity of faithful donors across the nation, we are well-positioned to expand our work in the year ahead.
We are currently recruiting college seniors to join the next cohort of St. Thomas More Fellows beginning in Fall 2025. In an exciting development, we are doubling the size of our incoming cohort, increasing from 25 to 50 new Fellows.
In addition, we are identifying Fellows with leadership potential to enroll in a tailored leadership track, designed to prepare them for key school-leadership roles. This initiative is being developed in collaboration with partner organizations we deeply respect.
In Spring 2025, the board of the Catholic Talent Project and I will determine the locations for our next two hubs. With a surplus of strong options, choosing just two dioceses will undoubtedly be a challenging decision.
As we look to the future, the Catholic Talent Project remains committed to strengthening Catholic education by recruiting and equipping dedicated leaders and educators who are deeply committed to their faith.
If you're interested in becoming a fellow, please contact Austin Satrio at asatrio@saintthomasmorefellows.org.
With the growing support of our donors, partners, and Fellows, we are making tangible progress in building a pipeline of talented individuals who will lead and transform Catholic schools across the nation.
I am especially grateful to Peter Nguyen, a former FOCUS Missionary and Team Leader at Harvard, for leading the St. Thomas More Fellowship, and to the ever-cheerful Austin Satrio, who is our Director of Talent and leads our effort to recruit more and more teaching fellows every year. We have assembled an amazing board, led by Martha Reichert of Golden, CO.
We have been able to launch Catholic Talent Project only because of donors across the nation who are willing to invest their time and treasure in helping us save the souls of children they may never meet. We are blessed to have their backing.
Visit catholictalentproject.org to learn more about our work and how you can help us address the urgent need for faithful leadership in Catholic education.
Thank you for your friendship, prayers and support for this important work as we shape the future of the Church and ensure that Catholic schools remain a beacon of faith, knowledge, and virtue.
In Christ,
Tom
Thomas W. Carroll
Founder & President
Catholic Talent Project