All in attendance at our breakfast meeting last Thursday were treated to a fun and inspiring morning as we welcomed Sister Mary Rachel Capets, OP, Superior of the St. Cecilia Motherhouse and Dean of Education at Aquinas College and Sister Anne Catherine Burleigh, OP, Vicaress General of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation and Director of Advancement at Overbrook School and St. Cecilia Academy.

The Sisters are leaders of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, an Order that has practiced in Nashville since 1860. They and their fellow Sisters are devout advocates and teachers of Catholic education, and in Nashville they serve at Aquinas College, St. Cecilia Academy, Overbrook School and St. Henry School.

Sister Mary Rachel and Sister Anne Catherine are natives of western Pennsylvania and Cincinnati, Ohio, respectively, and both bring a down-to-Earth quality to their speaking which is unsurprising given their relatable roots. The pair spoke about not only their Order’s work, but also of the state of Catholic education in our country. While the number of Catholic school’s has been roughly halved since the zenith in 1960, the amount of students and families attending has remained consistent, relatively, Sister Anne Catherine noted.

After listening to the Sisters, it was more evident than ever to anyone in the room that Catholic education, while changing with the times, is going nowhere soon. “The work of the school is irreplaceable,” they said, “and the investment of human and material resources in the school is a prophetic choice.”

It is by this principle that the Sisters have devoted their life, and we are thankful for their sacrifice, dedication and humility.