Mrs. Beth Cunningham is a product of Catholic education graduating from a Catholic elementary school, Marian Catholic High School, and St. Xavier University. Mrs. Beth Cunningham earned a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from St. Xavier
University. She returned to St. Xavier University and earned a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership in May of 2010. Her career includes being both an educator and administrator at St. Mary School in Mokena for eighteen years. Her teaching career includes two years as a fifth grade teacher teaching all subject areas and seven years as a junior high teacher with an eighth grade homeroom. While serving as a junior high teacher, she taught Religion, History, and mathematics. Mrs. Beth Cunningham also served as the Assistant Principal for three years at St. Mary School. She became Principal of St. Mary School in 2011 and served the school community in this role for nine years. Her accomplishments during her role as principal include opening a preschool program, developing a 1:1 technology plan, creating a STEM Lab, and increasing student enrollment. Mrs. Beth Cunningham was the 2018 recipient of the Bishop R. Kaffer Outstanding Principal Award from Lewis University School of Education.
During the 2021‐2022 school year, she served as principal at Annunciation BVM Catholic
School in Aurora which is part of the Diocese of Rockford.
She and her husband reside in Lemont and enjoy traveling, hiking, and trying new restaurants. They are very proud parents of their three grown children, Allison, Emily, and Colin.
As you are aware, Mrs. Rita Stasi, the esteemed faith and instructional leader of St. Joseph Catholic School since July of 2007, will retire from her position as principal of our school on June 30, 2021. I sincerely thank Mrs. Stasi for the outstanding job that she has done of ensuring the academic and spiritual success of our students and staff for the past 13 years. I encourage you to include Rita and the entire St. Joseph Catholic School faculty and staff in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to work together to deliver Catholic education of the highest quality to all students of St. Joseph Catholic School throughout the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year.
Following Rita’s announcement, I assembled a Principal Search Committee that consisted of several parishioners, two local Catholic school principals, and a facilitator from the Diocese of Joliet Catholic Schools Office. These individuals met with me for more than 25 hours from January through March 2021. Together, we:
I then personally interviewed finalists and prayerfully discerned Mr. Erick Passarelli as the new Principal of St. Joseph Catholic School in Downers Grove. Mr. Passarelli will work closely with Mrs. Stasi to ensure a smooth leadership transition. Erick will officially begin his duties on July 1, 2021. I include a welcome letter from Mr. Passarelli below.
I sincerely thank the following members of the Principal Search Committee for their wise consultation, dedication, and prayers.
In Christ,
Father Al Heidecke