“You may be teaching the next pope”

By Emily Chaffins -

and Cristina Cabrera

Photography: Cristina Cabrera Jarro | FC

MIAMI GARDENS | Before Catherine Pearson became a theology teacher, she was a middle-schooler who flunked her high school entrance exam on purpose.

While preparing for high school, she had been horrified by her parents’ wish for her to attend Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami — it was an all-girls school, and she had only ever attended a co-ed school.

“I purposely failed the entrance exam,” she recalled humorously.

Although she grew up in a practicing Catholic family, Pearson wasn’t always excited about faith when she was younger. Even so, despite never attending Catholic school as a kid, “it was kind of destined that I would become a devout Catholic,” given her parents’ strong faith.

Now, Pearson is excited to be joining the Archdiocese of Miami Catholic school system as a theology teacher at Immaculata-La Salle High School in Miami.

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Pearson was one of 150 Miami-Dade County educators and nearly 95 Broward County educators who attended the archdiocese’s New Teacher Orientation Aug. 4, hosted by Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens. The majority of the attendees were teachers, with some holding other school positions.

Educators entering the Archdiocese of Miami Catholic school system for the 2026-2027 school year listened to presentations on the mission of Catholic education, navigating communication with students and parents, and more.

The event gave the educators a chance to reflect on what Catholic education means to them before the start of school Aug. 11.

A flourishing Catholic education system

In his presentation, Dr. Jim Rigg highlighted the Archdiocese of Miami school system’s impressive expansion. Enrollment is projected to increase by approximately 600 students for 2026-2027.

And this isn’t just a one-off increase: Archdiocese of Miami enrollment has been growing each year since the 2021-2022 academic year.

The Archdiocese of Miami is one of the largest Catholic school systems in the southeastern United States, with 65 schools and three stand-alone preschools in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties. More than 3,000 Catholic educators and staff members serve over 30,000 students, combining academic excellence with faith formation.

Unfortunately, many Catholic school systems in U.S. dioceses “are shrinking and closing,” explained Dr. Rigg, the Archdiocese of Miami’s secretary of education and superintendent of schools. However, “here, we’re growing.”

One reason for the strong enrollment, he noted, could be the influx of Catholic families from South American and Caribbean nations. He also credited Florida’s school choice scholarships, which help many parents who otherwise would not have the resources to enroll their children in Catholic schools.

Another huge draw, he highlighted, is the quality of education in Catholic schools – and the archdiocese is no exception.

“Catholic school graduates are more likely to vote and participate in community service,” said Dr. Rigg, referencing data from the Alliance for Catholic Education. Other research indicates that “Catholic school closures have been linked to higher poverty and crime rates in neighborhoods.”

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For parents who make faith a priority, he also noted that, according to CARA, Millennial and Gen Z Catholic school alumni have been shown to be eight times more likely to go to Mass every week and three times more likely to discern the priesthood or religious life.

He also referenced Pope Leo XIV, who studied in a Catholic school classroom in Chicago. “We’re in quite a moment in Catholic education in the U.S., where one of our own, an alum and a teacher, is head of the universal Church,” he said. “You may be teaching the next pope.”

Alex DiGiacomo, an incoming teacher at St. John the Apostle School, shared how happy he was to learn that he would be teaching at the Hialeah school this year.

“I wanted to join a vibrant, tight-knit community,” said the math and science teacher for grades 6-8. The school has already been fulfilling those expectations: “This week, during professional development, the families are bringing in meals for us.”

“I’m really looking forward to growing with this community,” he said.

What happens when teaching is a vocation, not a chore

Dr. LaTonya White, associate superintendent of teaching and learning, encouraged the educators: “Teach with purpose. Think, ‘I am preparing students for the future God has created for them.’”

As Dr. Donald Edwards, associate superintendent for Catholic schools, put it, “Mediocre teachers tell. Good teachers demonstrate. Great teachers inspire.”

Incoming teacher Josie Ziernicki credits her Catholic education with being the main reason she is Catholic today.

“My parents put me in Catholic schools because of the education part, not really the faith part,” she shared. “I wasn’t really getting the Catholic formation at home. The reason I love the faith today is because of my teachers, the example they set. They taught me how to love the faith, and (I got) to experience the sacraments. The whole reason I’m a Catholic today is because of that.”

She will be teaching fifth grade homeroom and fourth grade ELA (English Language Arts) at St. Lawrence School in North Miami Beach.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she said of her brand-new teaching career. “Catholic schools are my vocation, and that’s where I want to be the rest of my life.”

At 74 years old, Carmen Spangenberg has similarly discovered her vocation. The veteran early childhood and art educator shared that she retired from the public school system after 30 years of experience, including 14 years in schools in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami.

An active member of Blessed Trinity Parish in Virginia Gardens, where she serves as a Eucharistic minister and is a member of Emmaus, an experience last year compelled her to come out of retirement to help lead the parish school’s pre-kindergarten class.

“At my age, the safer you get, the smaller your world becomes,” she said. “It wasn’t intentional, but I think God called me back.”

Spangenberg said she felt scared, and she worried about not being able to keep up.

“But I remember the saying that Jesus never looks for the strongest, the best, the most suitable for the job. He always got the weaker, and gave them strength. Look at David. David was the weakest and the youngest. So, age is only important if I make it important. And it is a privilege to be called.”

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With the assistance of administrators and educators at Blessed Trinity School, she navigated the challenges of the academic year and finished it successfully.

Faced again with the question of whether to return to retirement or to continue teaching, she was encouraged this time by her family.

“At home they would tell me, ‘Why are you going to stay here doing nothing when you love to teach, when you have the experience, and you always wanted to share your love of art?’ So, I said yes. I’m excited and this is going to be awesome,” Spangenberg said.

This year at Blessed Trinity, she looks forward to teaching art with a religious and sacred dimension that she previously could not express while working in public schools. Whether through art lessons or other teaching moments, she believes the joy of the faith should always be conveyed to children.

As she prepares her classroom for the incoming school year, she cannot help but feel grateful for this new chapter in her life.

“When you put yourself out to help, God blesses you. And it made me better because I had to reflect, ‘What is getting old?’ You think that when you’re retired, that’s it. And then suddenly, you have an opportunity,” said Spangenberg.

As for Catherine Pearson, now teaching theology at Immaculata-La Salle High, she has come far from the middle-school student who flunked her exam. Once aspiring to earn a doctorate in English, her greatest aspiration now is to inspire students to practice the Catholic faith.

“It feels a lot more imperative to find nuanced ways to bring the Gospel to people, and what better way to do it through theology,” said Pearson, who is earning a master’s degree in theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

“The ability to evangelize through teaching is beautiful,” she added.

Interested in a Catholic education for your child? Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Miami provide academic excellence rooted in faith for students from infancy through 12th grade. Find a school near you and learn more about admissions at the Archdiocese of Miami School Finder