Summary of Major Findings

It is difficult to read the responses of Catholic school principals in this study and not sense both their commitment to this ministry and the overwhelming responsibilities that are associated with it. On the whole, principals appear to be a dedicated, enthusiastic lot. They evince passion for the Gospel, the Church, and the children, and work long hours juggling disparate tasks and communicating with multiple constituencies. It is not the salary that keeps them going; they are universally underpaid. On the contrary, it is their sense of leadership as ministry, of schools as centers of evangelization, which keeps them rooted in the Catholic faith and energized to return to the ministry of Catholic school leadership day after day, year after year. The Church seems to have hired well, attracting mission-driven and loyal individuals to the overarching goals of Catholic education. The Church has placed the leadership of schools in the hands of faith-filled Catholic adult professionals who see schools as an indispensable ministry of the Church.