The Sisters of St Francis of Assisi and Monsignor Mike McCorriston

The Sisters of St Francis of Assisi and Monsignor Mike
McCorriston.

Franciscan order honored for its love of education
(Trenton, NJ) - Monday, September 27, 1993


From left, Sister J. Marguerite O'Beirne, McCorristin High School
principal; Sister Madonna Marie Cunningham, congregational minister
with the Sisters of St. Francis; Richard Glenn, assistant to the
president, St. Francis Medical Center; and the Rev. Joseph L.
Ferrante, pastor of St. Anthony's, attend the third annual
Founder's Day celebration of McCorristin High at Roman Hall in
Trenton yesterday. PULLOUT: The late Monsignor Michael P.
McCorristin earned a reputation for tirelessly working for
parochial education, said Sister Marguerite O'Beirne, principal
of the high school that bears McCorristin's name.

Franciscan order honored for its love of education

The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi were honored yesterday
for a commitment to education spanning more than 70 years in
the Hamilton-Trenton area. McCorristin Catholic High School
of Hamilton had its third annual Founders Day Dinner yesterday
afternoon at Roman Hall in Chambersburg . The Philadelphia
based Franciscan order was awarded with the Monsignor Michael
P. McCorristin Award for its commitment to Catholic education.
The late Monsignor McCorristin earned a reputation for
tirelessly working for parochial education, said Sister
Marguerite O'Beirne, principal of the high school that bears
McCorristin's name. She said that all his life he strove to
keep Catholic education accessible, and the work of the
sisters was at the heart of his efforts. ''We are recognizing
the contributions of the Sisters of St. Francis in the legacy
of Monsignor McCorristin,'' said Sister Marguerite.
Richard Glenn, assistant to the president for leadership
and development at St. Francis Medical Center, was the guest
speaker. ''MONSIGNOR McCorristin had an incredible gift for
having a vision,'' Glenn told a crowd of nearly 400 people.
''He had the gift of setting goals and going after them. The
Sisters of St. Francis had a wonderful vision'' of education,
Glenn said, the ability to know how ''to offer yourself, to
sacrifice, to give,'' in order to accomplish an extraordinary
life. Glenn said that if God gets something done, he gets it
done through people like the Franciscan sisters or Monsignor
McCorristin. ''The Sisters of St. Francis have shown us the
living expression of Jesus Christ,'' Glenn said. ''It is
through human agents that God accomplishes his work.''
In closing his remarks, Glenn turned to the sisters of the
order who came to the early afternoon brunch: ''Please continue
to show us the way, please continue to teach us the things
that will give us an extraordinary life.'' The award was
presented by the Rev. Joseph Ferrante, pastor of St. Anthony's
Church on South Olden Avenue in Hamilton. St. Anthony's built
the high school under the direction of Monsignor McCorristin.
Sister Madonna Marie Cunningham, general minister of the order,
accepted the award on behalf of the sisters. Cunningham noted
that of his 72 years in the priesthood, Monsignor McCorristin
worked with the Sisters of St. Francis for 62 years.''HE BUILT
a grammar school and a convent. (Then) he came to us and said
he was building a high school and that he wanted the Sisters
of St. Francis,'' to be on the school staff. The request was
originally declined, citing a shortage of available religious,
said Sister Madonna Marie. In the end, the persistent
McCorristin enlisted eight sisters for the opening of St.
Anthony's High School in 1962. The school was renamed after
McCorristin in 1979, and is still staffed by some sisters,
including its principal Sister Marguerite. The award was
created to honor individuals or organizations which have
contributed to Catholic education. The late Gov. Richard
Hughes received the award in 1991, and the parish of St.
Anthony's was honored in 1992.