Kingston, ON – The Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board (ALCDSB) is excited to formally announce the renaming of Mother Teresa Catholic School to St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School.
St. Teresa was canonized by Pope Francis on September 4, 2016. In June 2022, Trustees of the ALCDSB approved the renaming of Mother Teresa Catholic School to St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School, to mark the canonization.
“When a school is named after a person who has since been canonized a saint, it is common practice to update the name of the school to match the formal title” said Terry Shea, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “The School Board Trustees held a vote and agreed to the renaming, and the decision was made to make it official” he said.
ALCDSB Trustees, school administrator and members of the Senior team stand with a group of Grade 3 students with the new school sign at St. Teresa of Calcutta School following an official renaming ceremony Wednesday morning.
Front Row (L-R): Group of Grade 3 students from the St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School Choir. Back Row (L-R): Kathy Turkington, School Board Trustee, Terry Shea, Chair of the Board of Trustees, David DeSantis, Director of Education, Stacey Porter, Principal, St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School, Shawn Murphy, School Board Trustee, Joanne Belanger, School Board Trustee, Carey Smith-Dewey, Superintendent of Education.
The renaming ceremony took place at the K-8 school, on Lancaster Drive in Kingston Wednesday morning. Members of the ALCDSB Senior team, school board Trustees, parents, staff and students gathered in the gymnasium where the school choir opened the ceremony by leading the school in song.
"St. Teresa is a wonderful role model for all members of the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board community. By honouring the patron saint, we shall continue to live by her example and aspire to be the living expression of God’s kindness" said David DeSantis, Director of Education for the Board.
“St. Teresa of Calcutta represents a symbol of love and compassion and as is best known for her life of loving service to the helping the poor. We are honoured to have our school named after her.” Said Stacey Porter, Principal of St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School
St. Teresa of Calcutta is the patron saint of World Youth Day, Missionaries of Charity and a co-patron of the Archdiocese of Calcutta, alongside St. Francis Xavier. Her feast day is celebrated annually on September 5.
Canonization: When a person is canonized as a saint, the title of sainthood and the formal name connected to this title becomes their proper name. As such, Mother Teresa now bears the formal name of St. Teresa of Calcutta, as the name Mother Teresa is now considered informal.
