DeMatha Welcomes New President

Fr. Albert Anuszewski, O.SS.T., became just the second president in DeMatha history on Jan. 1. On Tuesday morning, he will be officially installed in his new role during Mass in the Looney Convocation Center.

“I would like for people to know me as a servant leader, a transformative leader,” Father Albert said. “I’m here to serve, and in the process of serving, to help transform the lives of our students and school community into the best they can be.”

The Mass will begin around 10:15 and can be livestreamed here.

Father Albert is in his third stint and 15th year at DeMatha (and 26th in education overall). He returned to campus in January 2022 and worked as director of Trinitarian Mission, moderator for the Stags soccer team and DeMatha Parent Organization, as well as a freshman and sophomore theology teacher.

During his initial assignment (1987-91), he was a seminarian and lived in what is now St. John de Matha Hall. He had entered the Trinitarian order in 1981, took his solemn vows seven years later and was ordained a priest in 1991. He has also served the Trinitarians as director of vocations and minister provincial for the United States and the Philippines.

His DeMatha jobs have also entailed working in campus ministry and the dean’s office, among other things. When the school’s one Latin teacher departed, he stepped in and kept the program going at the request of students, administrators and parents.

Father Albert concluded his preparation to succeed Father James Day, O.SS.T., as DeMatha president by earning his M.Ed. in educational leadership from Loyola University Maryland in May 2024. He said he admired Father James for his patience, understanding and sharing of spiritual guidance, particularly with students and loved ones.

“I believe that I share similar qualities,” Father Albert said. “During those three years of observing Father James, I learned a lot about the various responsibilities the president has in terms of ensuring that the Trinitarian mission and Catholic identity of our school are maintained.

“I also gained and overall awareness of how I could help our students and families navigate the high school years, and to assist them, especially when they’re going through difficulties.”

DeMatha Principal Dr. Dan McMahon, a 1976 graduate, said, “Father Albert is uniquely positioned to be president” because having seen the school at three stages of its evolution, “he understands continuity and change.

“He has served in leadership with the Trinitarians, achieved a degree in school leadership, understands service, and has done jobs from campus ministry to teaching to moderating sports. So, he really gets everything that goes into a DeMatha education.”

Father Albert speaks and understands Italian well, having served in Rome for 12 years. His duties included general treasurer of the Trinitarian Order and campus minister of Loyola University Chicago’s John Felice Rome Center. He also taught introduction to Roman Catholicism.

He enjoys visiting the Italian capital whenever he can, loves showing friends around the Eternal City and is greeted warmly by workers in his favorite restaurants.

The Jan. 28 date of Father Albert’s installation Mass has special meaning to the Trinitarians, who are officially known as the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives. On that day in 1193, as tradition tells us, St. John de Matha celebrated his first Mass. During that Mass, he – and three bystanders – were struck with a vision of Jesus holding two chained captives by the hand.

The Christian captive carried a staff with a red and blue cross. That cross is featured prominently at DeMatha and is on the habit of every Trinitarian.

Looking Ahead

A Baltimore native, Father Albert still lives in Catonsville, Md., but will be moving to the community of Trinitarians in Adelphi, Md. The move will greatly cut down his commuting time and give him more opportunity to perform his new duties.

Challenges – some new, some old – await him around every corner.

“I think for most private schools, especially Catholic schools, the biggest challenges are enrollment and financial stability,” he said. “Thanks be to God that DeMatha is doing well enrollment-wise and doing well with respect to our financial situation.

“We want to help as many families as we can with tuition assistance, but it becomes harder as more and more people request that. There’s only so much financial aid that can go around. So, it becomes frustrating on our end when we’re not able to meet all the requests that come in.”

Father Albert is working closely with campus constituencies who would like to see DeMatha have its own off-campus athletic fields, including a venue for football, soccer and lacrosse. He also shares the school community’s enthusiasm over the spring opening of the Cross Center for Engineering, Arts & Robotics.

“It’s going to provide a wonderful opportunity for the young men who are studying those subjects to have a proper place for learning and the further development of the programs,” he said. “Having these new classrooms really will set the stage for increased learning and increased career opportunities for our students.

“Certainly these are things that are attractive to students and families today. I can’t wait to see how much the Cross Center will enhance our educational offerings and contribute to the continued development of the school as one of the premier high schools in the nation.

“I am blessed to be DeMatha’s president.”

Chris McManes (mick-maynz) is DeMatha Catholic High School’s communications manager.