Passion for Catholic education drove Bishop Cozzens in vicar role

One of Bishop Andrew Cozzens’ earliest roles in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was serving as vicar for Catholic education, a post he took right after becoming an auxiliary bishop in December 2013. His passion for building up Catholic schools and their enrollments is evident to those who have worked closely with him.

Early on, Bishop Cozzens went to work creating a new office in the archdiocese: the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education. He hired Jason Slattery in 2015 to be its director, and together the two hired other staff members and began forging a vision for Catholic education in the archdiocese. From the beginning, Slattery was impressed by what Bishop Cozzens brought to the table, which involved closing the previous Office of Catholic Schools and charting a new course.

“Right out of the gate,” Slattery said, Bishop Cozzens was “seeing the importance of Catholic education. Being the first vicar of education the (arch)diocese has had was a great gift. In that work, from his first days in office, he exhibited real vision and courage. He is a bishop who knows what Catholic education is, what it’s for, how important it is in the life of the Church (and) has a clear view of what makes a Catholic school excellent, what makes it a quality experience for a student.”

And, perhaps most important, “he knows the details of what that means,” Slattery said. “And, that’s a rare thing for a leader to really understand — the details of how the thing really works, what makes it succeed.”

Over the last six years, Bishop Cozzens has worked closely with Archbishop Bernard Hebda to develop a long-term vision. Their collaboration resulted in the Roadmap for Excellence in Catholic Education, which was released in 2019 and will guide school and archdiocesan leaders for years to come.

“This archdiocese is really blessed with two bishops who are really once-in-a-generation leadership figures,” Slattery said. “It was just such a blessing to witness how harmonious and united they were. The importance of Catholic education is a priority in the local Church.”

The Roadmap, developed after 18 months of work, consists of five areas of strategic importance for Catholic schools: Talent management, particularly leadership development; curriculum and assessments; access and sustainability; mission schools; and governance.
The education office and other leaders and stakeholders are taking steps to address these areas. One outcome is the Institute for Catholic School Leadership, which offers a 14-month, graduate-level certificate in Catholic School Leadership to principals and aspiring principals. It Launched in January 2019, the same month the Roadmap was announced, it is a joint venture of the education office and The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity in St. Paul.

“He was instrumental” in helping formulate the Roadmap,” Slattery said. “When you think about the Roadmap, the initial committee, he was right there at the foundation.”

Bishop Cozzens also helped guide local Catholic schools through the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, after more than two months of distance learning, he and Slattery wrote a letter to all Catholic school families articulating the archdiocese’s plans to move forward in solidarity with Catholic school leaders for in-person learning in fall 2020, something public school were more reluctant and slower to do. Catholic schools successfully opened their doors, with some experiencing increased enrollment. Overall, leaders including Slattery called the move to in-person learning a success, despite COVID-19 outbreaks at some schools.

Bishop Cozzens’ role as vicar for Catholic education also involved visiting schools across the archdiocese, going into classrooms, celebrating Masses and talking with teachers and staff members. The time he took to build meaningful relationships with many local schools is reflected in a tribute booklet compiled by the education office and presented to him Dec. 1. It contains prayers, well wishes and expressions of gratitude for the ways he has supported local Catholic schools. All 89 Catholic elementary and high schools offered words and photos published in the booklet.

Julie Shelby, principal at St. Timothy’s School in Maple Lake, wrote: “I appreciate all your inspiring words to lead us through a pandemic and allow us to continue to help our students grow in their faith. Your dedication to our schools has given me the ability to strengthen my role as a leader at St. Timothy’s School. I am blessed to have been guided by your wisdom.”