Archives Antics February 2021 Magnificat Monthly These Are Our Sisters, Part III: H.M. Sisters who Served as Principals/Presidents at Magnificat Sister Carol Anne Smith by Mary Cay Doherty Please click here for the digital poster This month we return to our exploration of Sisters of the Humility of Mary who served as Principal / President of Magnificat High School. Of the eight Sisters, we have peered into the lives of Sister Mary of Lourdes (Bernadette) Vetter, Sister Honora McAndrew, Sister Claire (Mary Pius) Young, Sister Ann (Mary Patrick) McManamon, and Sister Rose (Mary Aquinas) Schaffer. Our discussion today features Sister Carol Anne Smith. In the coming months, we will look at the lives of Sister Carolyn Marshall and Sister Mary Pat Cook. Sister Carol Anne was called to lead Magnificat as principal from 1981-1988 and again as president from 2007-2013. As we consider her life and service to Magnificat in this article, we will see that, under her leadership, Magnificat flourished. Sister Carol Anne requested specifically that whatever is described as accomplishments during her terms in leadership at Magnificat be credited was well to those who made the accomplishments possible. These include the faculty and staff, colleagues in administration, Fathers’ and Mother’s Club leaders and members, Advisory Board members and Board of Trustees members, benefactors, alumnae, Sisters of the Humility of Mary and, with love, our school’s always and beautiful students. Early Life and Entering the Sisters of the Humility of Mary Carol Anne Smith was born in Cleveland, Ohio on July 18, 1948 to parents William J. and Anne Marie (Scharf) Smith.1 She is the oldest girl of seven children. In a 2007 Magnificat Magazine article celebrating her installation as Magnificat’s second president, Sister Carol Anne expressed that faith and prayer 1 _____, “Carol Anne Smith, H.M.,” Sisters of the Humility of Mary Ministry Record (Villa Maria, PA: Villa Maria Community Center, 2020). 2 underpinned the family’s daily life and sustained them through the tragic deaths of brother Johnny who drowned at age 3 and brother Willy who was killed by a truck at age 15.2 Sister Carol Anne noted in that article, “Those kinds of tragedies can either break families apart or their faith can keep them going, which is what happened in my family’s case.”3 Carol Anne graduated from Lourdes Academy in 1966. When Willy died, she had already decided to enter the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, but she noted in 2007 that leaving her family for the motherhouse on September 12, 1966 –just two months after Willy’s death—was “the hardest thing she ever did.”4 At the time she entered the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, her home parish was St. Mark Roman Catholic Church which had been established in 1945, just three years before Carol Anne’s birth. She professed first vows on August 3, 1969, and she made her final profession on July 14, 1974.5 Sister Carol Anne joined the Sisters of the Humility in the wake of Vatican II and the sweeping changes it ushered in. As a result, she kept her baptismal name rather than selecting a religious name, and she wore a habit for less than a year.6 Sister Carol Anne earned a B.A. degree in English from Ursuline College in 1971 and a Master of Education degree in Administration and Education from John Carroll University in 1979.7 At Magnificat 1971-1988: Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal Sister Carol Anne began her ministry as an English and Theology teacher at Magnificat from 1971-1975. She assumed the role of assistant principal in 1975 and remained in the position until 1980. During the 1980-1981 academic year, she taught at Canton Central Catholic and while there, established an Alumni Office at the school.8 In 1981, at the age of 33, Sister Carol Anne returned to Magnificat to serve as principal. Magnificat’s 25th anniversary was celebrated in 1980, so Sister Carol Anne’s appointment marked the beginning of Magnificat’s journey toward the 50th anniversary. Under her leadership from 1981-1988, Magnificat continued to evolve to meet students’ needs, and was in turn recognized for excellence in private education. In reviewing her time as principal, let’s examine just four of the many significant accomplishments of her administration: Magnificat’s first capital campaign, the Magnifathon, the 2 Wendy Hoke, “Sister Carol Anne Smith Comes Home to Magnificat,” Magnificat Magazine Vol 27, No 1. (Rocky River: Magnificat High School, 2007), 0. 3 Hoke, “Sister Carol Anne Smith Comes Home to Magnificat,” 0. 4 Hoke, “Sister Carol Anne Smith Comes Home to Magnificat,” 0. 5 _____, “Carol Anne Smith, H.M.,” Sisters of the Humility of Mary Ministry Record (Villa Maria, PA: Villa Maria Community Center, 2020). 6 Hoke, “Sister Carol Anne Smith Comes Home to Magnificat,” 1. 7 Sister Carol Anne Smith, HM, “Biography,” 2019, 2. 8 _____, “Carol Anne Smith, H.M.,” Sisters of the Humility of Mary Ministry Record (Villa Maria, PA: Villa Maria Community Center, 2020). 3 Exemplary Private School award, and the school’s incorporation appointment of its first lay board of directors. First Capital Campaign: Sister Carol Anne led Magnificat’s first capital campaign in 1985. This $2 million campaign funded construction of a new wing for science and theology classrooms and included renovations for existing offices and classrooms. The campaign also included creating an athletic field. Two years later in 1987, Magnificat added an “activities center” (the gym) and outdoor tennis courts.9 This massive undertaking didn’t simply transform Magnificat’s physical spaces. The success of this campaign undoubtedly instilled fundraising confidence that would, in turn, inspire later capital campaigns that sought to turn visionary dreams into educational reality for Magnificat’s students. Magnifathon: As part of the capital campaign, Mr. Jess Bell, then-President of Bonne Bell, wanted to involve Magnificat’s students in fundraising efforts. And so, he, Sister Carol Anne, and then-track coach Shirley Doyle created the student-faculty Magnifathon in 1985. The proceeds of the first Magnifathon helped to fund construction of Magnificat’s first outdoor track.10 Students pledged to walk, jog, or run 18 laps around the school (a distance of 10K). Sponsor pledges raised $20,000 for the track which was then matched by Jess Bell for a total of $40,000 raised for the track’s construction.11 The Magnifathon was an annual fundraising event at Magnificat for several years, and like Night-in-Blue, it encouraged Magnificat’s students to be financially invested in their own educations and to ensure the same educational opportunities exist for later students. “Exemplary Private School” award (The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program): Under Sister Carol Anne’s leadership, Magnificat was one of the first 65 private schools to be designated as an “Exemplary Private School” by the U.S. Department of Education in 1985.12 The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program began in 1982, and the first awards were given in 1983. In 1984-1985, 257 private schools completed the 20-page application. From this pool, 120 were selected to move forward in the process with on-site evaluations. Ultimately, only 65 of those 120 private schools earned the “Exemplary Private School” designation. In an article announcing the 1984-1985 recipients of the Exemplary Private School Recognition project, CAPE (the Council of American Private Education) explained, that the project’s goal 9 _____, “About: A Brief Glimpse Into Our History,” Magnificat.org (Rocky River, Ohio: Magnificat High School), Accessed 1-21-2021, https://www.magnificaths.org/about. 10 _____, “Bonne Bell 10-K Magnifathon Nets $40,000 for New Student Track,” Magnificat High School Newsletter Vol. 5 No. 3 (Rocky River: Magnificat High School, June 1985), 1. 11 _____, “Bonne Bell 10-K Magnifathon Nets $40,000 for New Student Track,” Magnificat High School Newsletter Vol. 5 No. 3 (Rocky River: Magnificat High School, June 1985), 1. 12 _____. “1984-1985 Exemplary Private School Recognition Project Honors 65 Schools.” Cape Outlook No. 112. Washington, D.C.: The Council for American Private Education. June 1985. http://www.capenet.org/pdf/Outlook112.pdf. 4 was “to recognize schools which exemplify characteristics that are worthy of wide emulation.” 13 This award confirmed what the Magnificat community knew then as well as today: We live our Mission daily in classrooms and administrative offices and on fields of competition and in our community interactions. Magnificat’s Governance: A Finance Advisory Board and Advisory Board were in place when Sister Carol Anne became principal. However, in accord with the practice of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary relative to their sponsored ministries, in 1986, Magnificat was incorporated as an entity distinct and separate from the Sisters of the Humility of Mary. At this time, the Advisory Board was replaced with a board of directors. Then, as now, the board of directors, responsible for the vibrancy and strategic direction of the school, insured that Magnificat remained faithful to her Mission and firmly rooted in the H.M. heritage and history even though the Sisters no longer directly owned the school. As part of the incorporation, Magnificat continued to be sponsored by the Sisters, meaning that certain powers were reserved to the Sisters including ultimate responsibility for ensuring the ongoing Catholicity of the school as well as its relationship with the Catholic Church. Sponsorship is a formal relationship between an authoritative Catholic organization (here The Sisters of the Humility of Mary) and a legally formed entity to continue and sustain a ministry. During these busy years of change and growth at Magnificat, Sister Carol Anne was also serving the H.M.