Maeve Mahon (pictured with Bishop Denis Nulty) has been appointed as the new CEO of CEIST (Catholic Education An Irish Schools’ Trust), the trustee body for 107 voluntary Catholic secondary schools in Ireland, and will start in her new role in January.
In response to the appointment Bishop Denis of Kildare & Leighlin, said, “I wish to congratulate Maeve Mahon on her appointment today as CEO of CEIST. Maeve joined the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin as Diocesan Advisor to Primary Schools in 1994. On behalf of my predecessors, our priests and primary school communities of the diocese, I want to express my sincere thanks for her contribution in so many ways over these past thirty years.
“Maeve has had a vital role in the introduction and implementation of the new Religious Education Curriculum in the Diocese, providing on-site support and peer support to principals, staff and school communities. The pupils of our schools – past and present – have benefitted greatly from Maeve’s catechetical work and resources; of special mention her publication Prayers for Children. An important part of Maeve’s work in the Diocese was linking home, school and parish. She, along with Father Martin Delaney, developed Do this in Memory for those preparing for First Holy Communion. Maeve built upon the Faith Friends Programme, developing both, You Shall be my Witnesses and Together we welcome the Spirit.
“Maeve worked as part of the Faith Development Services team and was fully immersed in all of the projects that FDS engaged with over the years. She co-authored with her colleague, Julie Kavanagh, Baptism – a welcome for your child. Maeve also represented the Diocese on numerous national bodies and served on the Diocesan Education Council since its inception.
“Maeve and Bryan O’Reilly provided Trojan support to boards of management, principals, and staff through the Covid pandemic. She managed the Primary Redeployment Panel for several years. With the Diocesan Education Council, Maeve prepared and facilitated the induction and training of new boards of management. In recent months I appointed Maeve as Diocesan Secretary for primary education.”
Bishop Nulty concluded, “Maeve brings her deep personal faith, her desire to serve others and a wealth of experience to her new leadership role. On behalf of all of us here in the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin, I wish Maeve every blessing as she prepares to take up her position as CEO of CEIST, knowing that we will very much miss her presence, professionalism and personable approach.”
In 2007, five Catholic religious congregations engaged in post-primary education for over three and a half centuries – Daughters of Charity, Presentation Sisters, Sisters of the Christian Retreat, Sisters of Mercy, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart – in the spirit of their Founders, together established CEIST (Catholic Education, an Irish Schools Trust), thus providing a new moral and legal trustee framework enabling their schools to continue to offer post-primary Catholic education into the future as a viable option and as an integral part of the Irish school system. The mission of CEIST is to provide a holistic education in the Catholic tradition, while its vision statement is, ‘A compassionate and just society inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.’
ENDS
