Denver Catholic Schools Welcome New Leaders This Fall
- André Escaleira, Jr.
- 5 minutes ago
- 8 min read
New school leaders across the Archdiocese of Denver see their vocations as opportunities to share the Gospel, build up communities and inspire children and families.
Students across Northern Colorado are heading back to the classroom, and alongside them are several new Catholic school leaders!
As they begin their new leadership roles across the Archdiocese of Denver, these leaders will be on the front lines of evangelization and education — a mission that matters now more than ever, Dr. Scott Elmer, superintendent of Catholic schools, said.
“Our Catholic schools have a unique mission in this apostolic age: to educate and form each student in a way that helps to discover God’s great calling for their lives,” he told the Denver Catholic. “Working in union with parents, teachers and staff, these new principals will foster communities where young people encounter Christ and grow with him throughout the year. I look forward to seeing the many ways God will work through them in the year ahead!"
Get to know the Archdiocese’s newest school leaders, who have stepped up to educate, form and inspire our children!
David Cichos — Principal, St. Therese Catholic Classical School, Aurora
It was a winding road that led David Cichos to St. Therese Catholic Classical School in Aurora. After working in criminal justice and business, as well as spending time as a postulant at a monastery, he “found true happiness when I began teaching at a Catholic school,” he told the Denver Catholic.
He served as a teacher and assistant principal at this private Catholic school for 15 years before moving to Assumption Catholic School in Welby to teach theology. Though he enjoyed the extra free time he could spend with his wife and nine children, he felt called back to administration, which led him to St. Therese.
“I am firmly convinced that very few leadership positions in the Church offer so many opportunities to intimately cooperate with Christ’s commission to his Church to ‘go forth and teach all nations,’” Cichos shared.
As he looks forward to the beginning of the new school year, Cichos is most excited to build up a “Catholic familial spirit among the staff, parents and students, centered on Christ and focused on mutual cooperation and respect,” he said.
Cichos said he’s also eager to share his knowledge of the Catholic philosophy of education with St. Therese to advance the school’s mission of forming future saints.
“A true Catholic education does not merely seek academic excellence, but holiness,” Cichos said. “I want to share this vision not only with the staff and students of St. Therese Catholic Classical School but also with the wider Denver community. I want to do my part to form students to be living reflections of Christ so that Christ’s goodness will be ever more visible in the archdiocese, and others, seeing his goodness, will be drawn to a closer and more intimate union with him and his Church.”
Shirelle Edghill — Principal, Frassati Catholic Academy, Thornton
With experience in Catholic, Montessori and homeschooling education, Shirelle Edghill comes to Frassati Catholic Academy in Thornton eager to serve and support the community.
Edghill holds a Bachelor of Arts in government from Texas Woman’s University, teacher certifications from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, and a graduate certificate in Catholic school leadership from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. As she takes the helm at Frassati, she is also concluding her Master of Arts in classical leadership from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.
Most recently, Edghill taught middle school math at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Denver. Before that, she taught second- and third-grade and middle-school math at various Catholic and Montessori schools. She also homeschooled her children for six years.
Looking ahead to her first year at Frassati, Edghill says she’s excited to continue building up the bourgeoning Catholic school.
“I hope to cultivate a faculty of friends who can learn from and challenge one another to grow in our love for Jesus, our love for the children and our commitment to excellence in our craft,” she told the Denver Catholic.
For Edghill, the new role presents a powerful opportunity to share the Gospel.
“It is an exciting time to be part of Catholic education, as we seek to understand how to return to, and apply, the Church's 2,000-year intellectual tradition to the modern world,” she shared. “I seek to understand what Christ, in his Church, is calling us to as educators and strive to bring this understanding to my new role as a school leader.”
Sr. Mary Noel Pereira, RSM — Principal, St. Clare of Assisi Catholic School, Edwards
A Religious Sister of Alma, Michigan, Sr. Mary Noel Pereira, RSM, is not new to the St. Clare community. After teaching in elementary and middle school roles and serving as a mentor teacher at the school for the past five years, she now takes on a larger leadership role.
Sr. Pereira holds a Master of Education in Catholic school leadership, administration and supervision from Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, and a Master of Arts in Theology from the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana. She has also graduated from the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education’s Catholic Teacher Credentialing and Formation program.
At the start of her first year as principal of St. Clare, Sr. Pereira said she was excited to work with parents and faculty to educate, form and inspire future saints.
“As I start this new position, I am excited to partner with our school families to foster a faithful Catholic formation, rooted in a strong intellectual tradition and grounded in virtue,” she told the Denver Catholic. “It is a great joy to see our students grow closer to the Lord in learning and exploration of all that is true, good and beautiful.”
That, in fact, is the mission of Catholic education, Sr. Pereira said.
“Each lesson and each truth taught points to the beauty of these created things and reveals something about their Maker,” she explained. “In this role, I seek to lead and guide our school in faithful service to this mission of Catholic education, given to us by the Church, so that each of our students may flourish spiritually, intellectually and physically.”
Susan Chapla — Principal, Shrine of St. Anne Catholic School, Arvada
Originally from Iowa, Susan Chapla came to the Denver Metro area after graduating from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and elementary education. She taught in Aurora Public Schools for 10 years, until the commute became too much for her growing family. Chapla moved to Jeffco Public Schools, where she served as a principal at several schools for over 25 years.
Though she officially retired in 2023, Chapla says she’s “excited to come out of retirement to work at Shrine of St. Anne” after perceiving a calling from God.
As a convert to Catholicism, Chapla sees her faith as a profound blessing. Baptized Methodist, she began learning “about the beauty of Christ’s Church” by attending Mass at Spirit of Christ Parish in Arvada, she recalled. After “developing a passion for becoming Catholic,” she attended classes through the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) with her son and entered the Church in 2022.
“What a blessing my journey has been, and my Catholic faith grows deeper every day,” she told the Denver Catholic.
As she begins her first school year at Shrine of St. Anne, Chapla looks forward to bringing her faith into her work and serving the Arvada community.
“I am most excited to be working for the Archdiocese of Denver and the Shrine of St. Anne because I will be working in a school that shares the Catholic faith and beliefs I hold dear,” she shared. “I am looking forward to supporting teachers and students in their mission to get to Heaven.”
Christine Godfread — Assistant Principal, St. Stephen Catholic School, Glenwood Springs
Christine Godfread is no stranger to St. Stephen Catholic School in Glenwood Springs, having served there for eight years, five of which have been spent in administration. A 25-year veteran educator, she brings a wealth of experience to her new role as assistant principal and dean of students.
Godfread holds a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education with a kindergarten endorsement from Minnesota State University Moorhead. She also earned a Montessori certification for ages six through nine.
As she starts the new school year, Godfread said she’s excited to continue serving students, parents and teachers directly.
“I’m looking forward to how I can support our students in a larger capacity, besides just in the classroom,” she told the Denver Catholic. “I’m looking forward to helping our greater school community to help students get the support that they need and to help teachers with that support as well.”
At St. Stephen, that support is rooted in faith and helps all encounter God in a new way, Godfread explained.
“In every lesson that we give, we can find God and tie it back to our faith. Whether it’s science, math, reading, PE or art, we have the beautiful opportunity to tie everything we learn back to our faith,” she shared. “We are learning everything to grow in knowledge and truth, so that our relationship with God can strengthen and we can become closer with him.”
Sydney Corbiserio — Assistant Principal, St. Stephen Catholic School, Glenwood Springs
A Denver native, Sydney Corbiserio grew up Catholic. Ironically, she attended Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora with a young Matt Magee, who would later be ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Denver and become her parish’s pastor when she and her family moved to Glenwood Springs! Father Magee will now oversee Corbiserio and Godfread as the acting principal of St. Stephen Catholic School in Glenwood Springs.
From Regis Jesuit, Corbiserio went on to Regis University in Denver and later earned a Master of Arts in early childhood education from Metro State University in Denver. After 10 years in education, three of which were spent at St. Stephen, she is excited to serve the school community as the assistant principal and dean of curriculum.
“I'm really excited to collaborate as a team,” she shared. “I'm really excited to support our teachers, support our staff, and help our parents, from pre-k and kindergarten all the way up to eighth grade. So I’m just excited to help our students.”
As she begins her first year in leadership at St. Stephen, Corbiserio can’t help but reflect on her journey, feeling overwhelmed by God’s goodness. As assistant principal, she said she has a chance to live her faith and inspire future saints in a new way.
“It kind of makes me emotional in some ways because I grew up Catholic, and now I, as a leader, want to be that role model for those families and students,” she said. “Now, as the assistant principal, I want to shine that and keep expressing it through those kids. I want to show what Jesus taught us and express it by being the best leader I can be.”
Sr. Mary John, O.C.D. — Principal, Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic STEM School, Wheat Ridge
