JIM MEREDITH.
Archbishop Ryan High School principal Jim Meredith has been appointed principal of Pope John Paul II High School in Royersford, Montgomery County, effective July 1.
Meredith joins Pope John Paul II after serving at Ryan as a teacher and administrator for the last 14 years, including his current position as principal since 2013.
Meredith’s appointment follows the retirement of the current principal, Sister Janet Purcell, IHM. Sister Janet worked for 54 years in Catholic education.
Pope John Paul II President Louis Giuliano said, “Mr. Meredith brings to our community an extensive background as an administrator of Catholic secondary education. He has served the Archbishop Ryan High School community honorably as a teacher and administrator for the last 14 years. Both his background and his experience make him a solid choice to help lead our school into a new era of innovation and growth. Pope John Paul II is a vibrant example of Catholic education in Montgomery County and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and we look forward to Mr. Meredith joining our community.”
Meredith holds his Bachelor of Arts degree in politics from DeSales University as well as a master’s in Educational Leadership from Cabrini College.
Prior to his time serving Ryan, he was a teacher at Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast as well as a fifth-grade teacher at Saint Katherine of Siena in Torresdale.
Meredith and his wife, Kate, have five daughters and reside in Fox Chase.
In other local Catholic high school news, both Father Judge and St. Hubert will have new presidents.
Frank Farrell is leaving as president of St. Hubert for another job in the archdiocese. A search is on for his successor.
The Rev. Joseph Campellone has left Father Judge, to be replaced by Patrick McGonigal, a 1981 graduate of Judge who last year donated $2.5 million to his alma mater during a Mass to celebrate Judge’s 60th anniversary.
McGonigal is a retired businessman who worked in the healthcare industry, establishing start-up firms and executing corporate mergers.
The new president grew up on Knorr Street in West Mayfair and attended St. Timothy Grammar School. Judge has named its base-ball scoreboard and Center for Fitness and Wellness in McGonigal’s honor. He has served on Judge’s Board of Advisors, as treasurer of Friends of Father Judge High School Inc. and as the school’s volunteer chief financial officer, in charge of strategic planning.
Campellone spent five years as campus minister and the last 15 years as president. In a letter on the school website, he said he is proud of the new buildings, playing fields and innovative programs added in his tenure. He also noted efforts to make tuition more affordable and keep the alumni base strong.
Campellone will be on a one-year sabbatical authorized by the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales and supported by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to explore, research and propose a new model of Catholic education.
“I will always bleed Columbian Blue and Sheridan Red,” he said. ••
