By Lisa Nelson, Coordinator for Mission and Ministry for Catholic Education
Last year, the Diocese of Portland, Maine, under the leadership of His Excellency Bishop James Ruggieri, received an extraordinary gift to strengthen and renew Catholic education across the state. From this gift, the diocese created the Mother Cabrini Maine Catholic Education Initiative to serve the mission of the Church by proclaiming the Gospel, bringing souls to Christ, and building the Kingdom of God through Catholic education.
To advance this initiative, the Diocese established a new role, the Coordinator for Mission and Ministry for Catholic Education, to work closely with Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Shelly Wheeler, to bring about the initiative’s three key priorities: recruiting graduates from authentic Catholic colleges to teach in the Diocese’s schools; renewing curriculum for greater fidelity to the faith and providing ongoing spiritual and professional development for current teachers; and supporting Catholic homeschooling families through building community and offering resources.
Attracting Committed Catholic Educators
Like many dioceses across the country, Portland faces the challenge of finding teachers deeply committed to the Church’s mission; educators who understand their role as not simply as educators but as Christian witnesses. This challenge is especially acute in Maine, which has one of the oldest populations in the nation and one of the highest numbers of unchurched residents. The Mother Cabrini Initiative allows us to cast a wider net beyond our local workforce.
To help in this endeavor, the diocese partnered with the St. Thomas More Fellows, a division of the Catholic Talent Project founded by Tom Carroll, former Superintendent of the Archdiocese of Boston. The young candidates who qualify for their program join the New Teacher Academy, a six-week intensive training for professional formation in the Catholic Liberal Arts tradition of teaching.
Once placed, Mother Cabrini Initiative provides them with ongoing support and development through mentoring, a shared sacramental life, and fellowship that fosters both professional excellence and spiritual growth in these young teachers.
Strengthening Catholic Education in Our Established Schools
Catholic education is as authentic as the witness of the teachers in our schools. By investing in the ongoing formation of all our faculties and updating curricula in fidelity to the Church, we seek after true Catholic education transmitted through witness and in its fullness.
Our teachers are becoming true “faculties of learners,” educators who continue their own enrichment which spills over as they model their love of learning for their students. Through video workshops and discussion, reading and discussing spiritual classics, participating in annual retreats led by clergy, and attending collaboration meetings by grade and subject, we offer a wealth of in-house opportunities for strengthening Catholic education through supporting our teachers.
This past year all schools adopted the same religion curriculum, Spirit of Truth published by Sophia Institute Press. This rigorous curriculum delivers sound content and traditional pedagogy ensuring our students are receiving a consistent formation in the faith while fostering unity across the schools.
Recognizing and Supporting Homeschooling Families
A distinctive aspect of the Mother Cabrini Initiative is our intentional outreach to Catholic homeschooling families. All our Catholic schools are in the southern third of the state, and many families in more rural regions, particularly in the northern counties, do not have access to Catholic schools. So, for many, homeschooling is a natural and faithful choice.
To support these families and all Catholic homeschooling families in the diocese, the Mother Cabrini Homeschooling Collaborative, offers a vibrant and growing network that puts homeschooling families in contact with one another and sponsors educational and liturgical gatherings for the community. The Coordinator for Mission and Ministry serves as the official diocesan homeschool liaison, helping families to spread pertinent news, form educational co-ops to share teaching and build community, and access creative educational opportunities.
The Mother Cabrini Initiative also concretely supports homeschoolers with a substantial grant program. Families or co-ops may apply annually for a sum to offset educational costs, including curriculum, art and music supplies or lessons, and pilgrimages.
Mother Cabrini Classical Catholic Schools
Last November, Bishop Ruggieri announced the expansion of Catholic education in Maine through the founding of two new classical high schools: Seton Classical Catholic High School in Brunswick and Frassati Classical Catholic High School in Brewer. Both schools will open in fall 2026 with grades nine and ten.
These schools respond to a critical need for Catholic secondary education and build upon the growing renewal already underway in our K–8 schools, several of which are transitioning to classical education. Together, they form part of the broader Cabrini Model of Education, based on Bishop Ruggieri’s Ten Pillars and shaped by his vision:
“A Cabrini education begins from the conviction that truth is one because its source is God. Therefore, the curriculum, culture, and community of a Cabrini school are fully integrated, with each discipline and each relationship ordered toward unity in Christ. It is both intellectual and incarnational. It forms the mind through rigorous study and the heart through prayer, service, and community. The school is not merely a place of instruction, but a communion of persons seeking holiness together.” – Bishop James Ruggieri
These new schools mark a significant step forward in the renewal of Catholic education in Maine. As Seton and Frassati open their doors, they exist not only as new institutions, but as living expressions of the Church’s mission: to educate in truth, to form in virtue, and to draw young people into a life of communion with God and one another.
In Conclusion
The Mother Cabrini Initiative is already transforming Catholic education in Maine in far-reaching ways: recruiting and forming teachers, strengthening current schools and launching new schools, and assisting homeschooling families. Animated by mission and with firm resolve, the Diocese of Portland is building a vibrant future for the Church across our state.
For more information about the Mother Cabrini Education Model and the Ten Pillars see our website at Maine Catholic Education.
Questions may be directed to Lisa Nelson, Coordinator for Mission and Ministry for Catholic Education, at lisa.nelson@portlanddiocese.org.