Our Leadership

Welcome to our newly designed website for the Catholic Schools of Memphis!  I am thrilled that you have chosen to take a look and learn more about our Catholic schools.  We are a small part of a much bigger Catholic history and tradition in education that dates back many centuries throughout the world and in the United States.  The first parish school to open in West Tennessee was St. Mary’s School in Jackson!  St. Mary’s opened in 1878 and is the oldest parish school in all of Tennessee.

We are grateful for the presence of the Christian Brothers (155), the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia (126), and the Dominican Sisters of Peace (175), who have all been serving our diocese for many years!  These religious orders have left and continue to leave an indelible mark on the young people entrusted to our care.  While our schools are rooted in great tradition and a storied past, we are not resting on what has worked for over 100 years.  

Pope Leo XIV recently addressed the history and renewal of Catholic education worldwide.  On October 28, 2025, Pope Leo XIV named St. John Henry Newman co-patron of Catholic education in his Apostolic Letter, New Maps of Hope.  In that same letter he reminds us of our mission as Catholic schools, “Catholic schools are environments where faith, culture and life intertwine. They are not simply institutions but living environments where the Christian vision permeates every discipline and every interaction” (5.2).  Pope Leo calls us to greater unity as he exclaims that in such a pluralistic system of parish schools, private schools, and universities – “unity is our most prophetic strength” (8.1).  

Our schools continue to strive for both academic excellence and Christ-Centered formation.  We have so much good news to share from our schools, we hope you will find our website and social media channels to be a source of information and inspiration!  I invite you to join us in this journey of teaching minds and touching hearts.  We aim to form the next generation of leaders in our great Catholic tradition.  

Dr. Chris Fay,

President - Catholic Schools of Memphis