Founder’s Day
April 13, 2010

Saint John’s Catholic Prep celebrated their Founder, Fr. John McElroy on Tuesday, April 13 with a school assembly. The Saint John’s community gathered in the McSherry Gymnasium to celebrate and reflect the importance of Fr. McElroy’s vision for Saint John’s. Fr. McElroy established St. John’s Literary Institution in 1829 and at the age of 81, in 1863, founded Boston College and became its first president. The Father John McElroy Founder’s Medal is intended to recognize a prominent person(s) on the state or national level who has dedicated his/her life to Catholic Education.

This year, the McElroy medals were presented to Sr. Marietta Culhunce and Sr. Eleanor Hornman who are members of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. In addition to a distinguished career in Catholic education, Sr. Eleanor has been the director of ongoing formation of the Baltimore Province, Provincial Minister of the Baltimore Province, Coordinator of Western Region Planning Project of Baltimore Archdiocese and the Archdiocesan Chairperson of Renew the Vision.  Sr. Marietta has an equally impressive lifetime commitment to Catholic education. She has served as the Archdiocesan Supervisor of Mathematics, Pastoral Associate at St. Mary’s in Cumberland, Regional Pastoral Associate of the Western Region, Pastoral Life Director at St. Mary of the Annunciation Church in Lonaconing and at St. Anthony Shrine Parish/Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Thurmont.

Both St. Marietta and Sr. Eleanor have served on many boards including the Catholic High School of Baltimore, St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Loyola/Notre Dame Colleges Library, Biomedical Ethics Committee of the Archdiocese, Sacred Heart Hospital Ethics Committee, and Franciscan Health System. Sr. Marietta and Sr. Eleanor have booth received the Papal Medal “Pro Ecclesice Poutiface” for service to the church from Pope John Paul II.

Dr. Jack Campbell, President of Saint John’s Catholic Prep stated, “We are extremely proud of our Catholic heritage and the values of our school that was founded by Fr. McElroy. We are pleased and humbled to honor both Sister Marietta and Sister Eleanor’s exemplary service to the Church and to the Catholic schools.”