Meet Queen of Martyrs' New Principal Stephen Davidson

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Stephen Davidson has spent his entire life in Catholic schools. In fact, you could call him a product of Catholic education, from his grammar school days at St. Catherine of Alexandria in Oak Lawn, to Marist High School and the University of Notre Dame.

“It was taken for granted that we would go to Catholic schools,” he laughed.

Now he’s returned to the parish of his grandparents, father, and aunts and uncles to lead Queen of Martyrs School at St. Gianna Parish, 3550 W. 103rd. St., Evergreen Park. Appointed principal in June, Davidson has been overseeing renovations to the school’s primary wing, getting ready for the new school year next month.

“I’ve been getting to know some of the kids already,” Davidson said, who lives in Evergreen Park. “I’ve already met the teachers and some of the parents. We’ve set the bar high.”

His grandparents, Virginia and Phil Davidson, were long time Queen of Martyrs parishioners, prior to the church’s merger with St. Bernadette in Evergreen Park, taking on the new name of St. Gianna Molla. The Davidsons sent six children through the QM school halls in the 1970s and 1980s. Davidson was baptized at Queen of Martyrs Church

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 2003, Davidson returned to his alma mater, Marist High School, teaching theology and Spanish for 14 years. He coached cross country, track and boxing, and served as the director of student activities and was the National Honor Society moderator and student council moderator.

In 2017, Davidson joined IC Catholic Prep in Elmhurst as the assistant principal of academics/curriculum working to align curriculum with national and state standards. In 2020, he became the principal. During Davidson’s years at IC Catholic Prep, enrollment grew by 25 percent.
Davidson never expected to become an elementary school principal.

“The personal connection my dad and uncles and aunts have to Queen of Martyrs, just living in this neighborhood,” he said. “I was leaving IC at the end of the year and this opened up and someone gave me a phone call. God lined it up for me.”

He has an ambitious agenda to build enrollment beyond the Mt. Greenwood and Evergreen Park borders.

“With Catholic grammar schools, the idea of boundaries has gone away,” Davidson said. “We compete with Southwest [Evergreen Park] and Mt Greenwood Elementary. Oak Lawn is less than a mile away.”

Davidson also understands that some families may be foregoing sending their children to Catholic elementary schools, choosing to save the money for one of South Side’s Catholic high schools. The school has established two new scholarships available to assist incoming families to make Catholic education possible for their children. The scholarships will be available this fall.

The Davidson family has established the Virginia and Philip Davidson Memorial Scholarship to assist incoming families at Queen of Martyrs School to make Catholic education possible for their children. Three $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to three incoming students.

A memorial scholarship has also been established in memory of Queen of Martyrs teacher Carla Kirkland. Kirkland was a longtime Evergreen Park resident and parishioner at the former St. Bernadette Church, that merged with Queen of Martyrs to from St. Gianna. The Carla Kirkland Memorial Scholarship will award a $1,000 scholarship annually for families who reside in the former St. Bernadette parish in Evergreen Park.

Davidson credits St. Gianna pastor Fr. Benedykt Pazdan for being a great boss.

“When you have a pastor who’s all in with the principal, that's really powerful seeing the importance of Catholic education,” Davidson said. “That’s what allowed us to do the scholarships and renovations.”

Davidson has been telling current and prospective families that Queen of Martyrs is shifting into growth mode.

“It’s a great school and a great community,” he said. ““I am excited to step into this new leadership role and I look forward to working with our teachers and parents to provide an amazing academic experience and Catholic education for our students.”

Registration is currently open for the 2023-2024 school year. New families considering enrolling their children in Queen of Martyrs School can fill out an inquiry form to set up a tour of the school or by emailing Davidson at sdavidson@qmschool.com.