New Principal
We were blessed to have a strong field of very talented candidates. After interviewing and evaluating each candidate, the committee was unanimously aligned in the belief that Chris Smith was the right person for the job. We are delighted that he accepted and will officially join the Faithful Shepherd Community as principal on July 1st.
Chris is currently principal at Holy Spirit Catholic School in Rochester, MN, where he has been since 2017. Prior to his current role, Chris spent 13 years at St. Mary’s School in Owatonna, MN, where he taught religion and became assistant principal. He also served as Junior High Youth Minister and Faith Formation Coordinator for Catholic Youth of Owatonna.
Chris received his Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Notre Dame. He holds a Master of Arts in Education and a Certificate in Pastoral Studies from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. His Bachelor of Arts in History/Secondary Social Studies Education is from the University of St. Thomas.
“We are blessed to invite Chris Smith into the Faithful Shepherd Community,” said Fr. Tony O’Neill, the new Canonical Administrator at FSCS. “It has been a pleasure getting to know him. I have complete confidence that his background, experience and most importantly, his passion has equipped him to inspire our students, families, teachers and staff members to learn, to grow, and to actively live out the Gospel in our thoughts, words, and actions.”
Chris looks forward to joining our community and had these words to share with you all:
“I truly feel that much of my experience as an educator over the past twenty-six years has led me to be in a position to help Faithful Shepherd Catholic School continue to thrive. It is my mission to foster a joyful school community where students, families, teachers and staff are encouraged and supported to be the people God created them to be. In a Catholic school, the love of God and love of neighbor can be felt in the events and relationships of everyday life. I look forward to sharing in those with you all.”
Finally, I want to thank the members of the search committee, especially the FSCS teachers, who generously gave hours of their precious time to find an outstanding principal for FSCS. Thank you! Congratulations on a job well done.
May Jesus Christ, the Faithful Shepherd, continue to guide us.
Joe Keating, Search Committee Chair
Search Committee Members:
Faithful Shepherd Canonical Administrator: Fr. Tony O’Neill
Board Members: Fr. Tim Wozniak, Jennifer Neuman & Jason Skagen
Executive Director: Mike Randall
Faithful Shepherd Teachers: Broque Brew, Ashley Henning, Kate Larson & Andy Wolf