Below are some of the recent appointments in our provinces:
Boston College High School Welcomes Grace Regan
On May 3, Fr. John Cecero, SJ, provincial of the USA Northeast Province of the Society of Jesus, officially missioned Grace Regan as president of Boston College High School. More than 40 Jesuits attended the Missioning Mass, which celebrated Regan as the 28th president of BC High and the first woman to hold the school’s presidency.
Historically, Missioning Masses were used only to send Jesuits forth to their new endeavors, but recently, such ceremonies have also offered meaningful and public recognition for Ignatian lay leaders beginning service as heads of Ignatian works. With Regan’s appointment, the USA Northeast Province became the first Jesuit province in the U.S. and Canada with female presidents at all three levels of education: at middle schools and a secondary school and within higher education.
“Grace’s love for the Society of Jesus and our mission in education is unequivocal, and I am confident that her collaborative and inspirational leadership will ensure the Jesuit and Catholic identity of our cherished school for years to come,” Fr. Cecero said.
Regan is no stranger to BC High. As the daughter of the legendary football coach, teacher and guidance counselor Jim Cotter ’55, she has been a presence at the school much of her life. Her son, Bartley, is also a graduate of the Class of 2012, and her deep experience as a leader in Catholic educational institutions cemented her place as school president.
She previously served as head of school at St. Mary’s in Lynn, Mass., and prior to that was provincial assistant and executive director of advancement for the New England Province of Jesuits. She has served in leadership roles in advancement and alumni at Boston College and the College of the Holy Cross. She holds master’s degrees in pastoral ministry, student affairs and higher education administration from Boston College and the University of Vermont and has completed Catholic leadership development programs at Boston College’s Lynch School and the University of Notre Dame.