2025 St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Education Celebration

Celebrating Excellence:

Congratulations to the Catholic Foundation’s 2025 Amazing Catholic Educator Award recipients!

On March 4, 2025, in honor of St. Katharine Drexel’s feast day, the Catholic Foundation of Michigan held a virtual gathering with Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of Detroit, surprising 10 outstanding educators with the Amazing Catholic Educator Awards.

Kathleen McCann, an original member of the Catholic Foundation of Michigan Board and past chair of the AOD Catholic Schools Council, served as the emcee for the event. She shared her appreciation, love and gratitude for the hope that Catholic educators provide as they are unleashing the Gospel in our schools.

“It is all about YOU today, Catholic Educators,” shared Mark Webberly, a member of the Catholic Foundation’s Grant and Impact Committee, as he presented the awards.

The celebration also included remarks about the vital role of educators from Kevin Doyle of the Pulte Family Foundation, a special blessing from His Excellency, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, and a keynote address by Patty Willoughby, a past ACE award recipient. Patty reflected on the calling of Catholic teachers to embody the hands and feet of Jesus, highlighting the importance of following God’s path and drawing inspiration from the life of St. Katharine Drexel.

The Amazing Catholic Educator fund was established in 2019 thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor. In the last six years, the Catholic Foundation has honored 55 educators for their remarkable 728 combined years of dedicated service to Catholic education. Recipients receive a $1,000 award along with a personalized engraved plaque to commemorate their achievement. Each recipient receives a $1,000 award and a personalized engraved plaque, along with a one-night stay and dinner package at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth, thanks to a partnership with the Pulte Family Foundation.

In 2025, a generous supporter of Catholic education has pledged to match every dollar contributed to the Amazing Catholic Educator fund, up to $10,000! This means your gift can go twice as far in honoring and supporting future educators!