Superintendent of Catholic Schools to Depart at End of Semester

The decision is the fruit of a period of deep prayer and discernment, during which Dr. Kemmery Hill discerned a call to return to the St. John the Baptist Catholic School community. 

(Photo provided)

After much prayer and discernment, Dr. Kemmery Hill, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Denver, announced her resignation last week, effective at the end of the semester. 

“Serving as superintendent of Catholic schools has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” Dr. Hill wrote in a letter to school leaders and pastors. “I have witnessed firsthand the extraordinary faith, dedication and love poured into our schools by pastors, principals, teachers and families. It has been humbling to accompany you in this mission and see how powerfully Christ works in our classrooms.” 

Through her personal and familial discernment, Dr. Hill wrote, she realized “that my most profound passion and strongest gifts are most alive when I am rooted in the daily life of a school community — working directly with students, mentoring teachers and partnering with families.” 

Though profoundly grateful to have been entrusted with the vital work of leading Catholic education throughout the Archdiocese of Denver, Dr. Hill has heard a call to “return to the grassroots level of school leadership, where I can live out my vocation more directly and relationally.” 

While a return to a principal role had been on Dr. Hill's heart, the unforeseen recent departure of the principal of St. John the Baptist Catholic School — her previous position — allows her to return to lead the school and ensure that it continues to thrive. 

“While the role of superintendent has been a tremendous opportunity, my heart has always belonged to SJB, and I feel called to serve them in this moment of need,” she wrote.  

“Kemmery’s gifts as a leader within our schools were and remain apparent, and the Archdiocese is grateful for her commitment to Catholic education, our students, school families and school personnel,” wrote Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila and Dr. Scott Elmer, archdiocesan chief mission officer, in a joint letter. “We are happy for her to be able to return to her roots as an educator, in direct contact with the students, families and staff and at the front lines of our mission in the community.” 

When Dr. Hill steps down from the position at the end of the year, Dr. Elmer will be named interim superintendent, unless a permanent successor has been chosen by that time. The move to have our chief mission officer take a more active role with our schools reflects “the central role schools play in the mission of the Archdiocese,” the archbishop wrote. 

“Scott is already well-known within the schools community, having worked closely with Kemmery and our Office of Catholic Schools to refine mission and vision, while coordinating the efforts of three committees announced earlier this year,” he explained. 

In the meantime, the search for a new leader in Catholic education in Northern Colorado has begun. 

“With this strong foundation in place, we are looking for someone with a deep commitment to the mission of our Catholic schools and significant expertise in organizational leadership and operations,” Archbishop Aquila and Dr. Elmer wrote. “The ideal candidate can integrate systems, people and mission to ensure our schools flourish as true sanctuaries of Catholic education.” 

As Dr. Hill transitions back to the St. John the Baptist Catholic School community, she looks forward to continuing to work collaboratively for the benefit of students, teachers and the larger Catholic community. 

“This is not a farewell to our shared mission but a recommitment from a different vantage point. I am deeply grateful for your trust in me, the collaboration we have shared and the many ways I have grown in this role. The honor of serving our Catholic schools at the archdiocesan level will always remain a treasured chapter in my life,” she wrote. “Thank you for your prayers, friendship and partnership in this sacred work. I am excited about how we will continue to walk together to serve Catholic education and the children entrusted to our care.”