St. Rita of Cascia High School Announces New President

CHICAGO, IL, June 1, 2022—St. Rita of Cascia High School, a Catholic college preparatory school for young men, today announced that Deacon John Donahue, J.D., Ed.D. has been named as the school’s new President. Deacon John, as he is called, had been Interim President since mid-April.

“It is an honor to serve as the President of a school that is so rich in history and traditions and where I have a personal connection,” stated Donahue. Donahue previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for St. Rita from 2006 to 2011. His son, Jack, is a 2007 graduate and currently teaches Social Sciences at St. Rita.

Donahue has more than 30 years of professional leadership experience in education and strong civic and religious ties in the community. He began his career as an apprentice electrician and worked through the ranks to become the Director at IBEW-NECA Technical Institute in Alsip. He later served as Executive Director of Powering Chicago and most recently as a principal of his consulting firm, Donahue Consulting Group. His firm specialized in fostering collaborative labor-management relations, solving human resource issues, developing, and implementing effective organizational change models, and advancing ethical leadership styles for executives.

Donahue has earned multiple degrees including a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Xavier University, a Juris Doctor degree from UIC/The John Marshall School, and his Doctor of Education from Roosevelt University.

Most recently, Donahue completed his Diaconal Studies from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary and was ordained a Deacon at Holy Name Cathedral in May 2015. He also served as a Chaplain at Palos Health/Northwestern Medicine where he attended to the spiritual needs of ill and suffering patients while providing comfort to their family members. Donahue has been married to his wife of 40 years Eileen, and they have four adult children and three granddaughters.

The appointment of Deacon John was made by the Very Rev. Anthony Pizzo, O.S.A. Prior Provincial of the Province of Our Mother of Good Council. Fr. Pizzo said, “In the appointment of Deacon John, we have found a person with proven leadership abilities, excellent academic credentials, demonstrated educational experience, all combined with a pastoral perspective to serve as our new President.”

Donahue’s focus is to provide a safe and secure teaching and learning environment grounded in a strong academic program that is infused with the core Augustinian values of Truth, Unity, and Love. “Students and parents chose our school because of our reputation for being a welcoming and friendly family,” explained Donahue. “Our student/teacher ratio, class size, and college prep programs make St. Rita an excellent choice among schools in Chicago. I am committed to continuing the traditions and Augustinian values that embody St. Rita.”

About St. Rita High School - St. Rita of Cascia High School is a Catholic college preparatory school for young men, rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ and the tradition of St. Augustine, following the Augustinian philosophy of education. St. Rita aims to form each student as a whole person: spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially, and to provide its young men with the necessary skills to succeed in college and in life, leading to life-long learning and personal awareness. Through the Augustinian core values of Veritas (Truth), Unitas (Unity), and Caritas (Love), St. Rita strives to develop a bond between the members of the entire family: Augustinians, faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni. In the spirit of our Father, St. Augustine, we will be of one mind and one heart on our way to God.

Media Contact - LaVonne Czech, Director of Marketing, 773-925-6600, Ext. 6638, email at lczech@stritahs.com.