After 20 years serving as principal of Butler Catholic School, Sister John Ann Mulhern is stepping down at the end of this academic year.
“After much prayer, discernment and discussion with Father Kevin (Fazio, pastor of All Saints Parish), I am resigning as Principal of Butler Catholic School effective June 30, 2023,” Sister John Ann wrote in a March 3 letter to teachers, parents, staff, and students.
“I have been abundantly blessed (by) the 20 years that I have been principal. It is time for me to move on.”
When asked about future plans, Sister John Ann said: "Our Provident God writes very straight with extremely crooked lines – how often I have expressed that statement. It is only by trying to be open to those lines that we find our way.
“As of right now, I have no specific plans. I'll be residing at our (Sisters of Divine Providence) Motherhouse in Allison Park – between North Hills Passavant Hospital and La Roche University, awaiting my next journey. For right now, I'm totally here at BCS.”
Butler Catholic School, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in October 2019, started as three separate parish schools: St. Michael the Archangel, St. Paul, and St. Peter. The priests in charge of those parishes worked together to create one consolidated Butler Catholic School in 1969.
Butler Catholic is a parish school under the purview of All Saints Parish, which was created by the merger of St. Michael, St. Paul, St. Peter, St. Andrew, and St. Fidelis parishes in Butler in 2021.
“Sister John Ann has faithfully served in various capacities in Catholic education for the past 60+ years, the last 20 years as BCS principal,” Father Kevin said. “We are so grateful to her for her dedication to our faculty, staff, students, and parents, in doing her very best to lead an elementary school as a follower of Jesus the Christ.
“Sister John Ann Mulhern (has) led with professionalism, class, and holiness,” Father Kevin noted. “She is truly a woman of the Spirit.”
Father Kevin noted the school and parish will provide opportunities for current and past students, parents, teachers, parishioners and members of the community at large to thank Sister John Ann and wish her well over the next few months.
A search for the next principal has begun. Click here for information.
The Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday is an ancient tradition that reflects the significance of the gesture Jesus performed on the night before his crucifixion.
Want to be part of this beautiful tradition? Sign up by April 2 at tinyurl.com/FootWashing2023 to have your feet washed. (Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off.)
After the homily, 12 people will be seated in chairs on the altar. The priest will go to each, pour water over each person’s foot and then dry them.
The Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper on April 6 will be:
4pm at St. Conrad with Father Kevin presiding.
7pm at St. Paul with Father John presiding.
This ritual is not a required part of the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper liturgy; we will not have the rite if we do not get enough volunteers.
Jn 13:1-15 (abbreviated version)
... he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Master, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered him,
“Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”
Simon Peter said to him,
“Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.”
Jesus said to him,
“Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all.”
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”
All Saints Parish is participating in a Disciple Maker Index survey that is being conducted in parishes throughout the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
We encourage you to participate in this 10- to 15-minute survey online, which is available by clicking here from Feb. 22 to March 31. The survey about discipleship was developed by the Catholic Leadership Institute.
We are trying to get the highest response rate possible. This information will be invaluable to our parish as we plan for the future and strive to be the best disciples we can be. We will receive the results this spring or summer at which time we will share what we have learned with the entire parish.
The survey asks you to reflect on your own spiritual growth and enables you to provide feedback on our parish’s efforts to help you grow. All responses will be confidential and the parish will only receive information about the community as a whole.
Although we prefer that you fill out the survey online, where results are automatically tabulated, we also have paper copies available in the vestibules / narthexes of all five of our churches.
Please return the paper survey to our St. Paul or St. Conrad office via mail or by dropping it off.
To make special arrangements for getting a paper copy, please call the St. Paul office at 724-287-1759 or Gail at the St. Conrad office at 724-482-2690.
Thank you for helping with this important project.