Two area Catholic schools choose new principals

VENICE — Two area Catholic schools will begin the academic year with a new principal at the helm.

Diocese of Venice Bishop Frank J. Dewane named principals at Epiphany Catholic School in Venice and at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Port Charlotte.

He also named new principal at St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral; St. Ann Catholic School in Naples, and St. Catherine Catholic School in Sebring.

“The Diocese of Venice is blessed to have new principals with not only extensive Catholic school leadership experience but also such great enthusiasm for the faith,” Dewane stated in a news release. “I believe these are the leaders who will help our Catholic school students learn to cultivate every dimension of their lives for the glory of God.”

Epiphany Catholic School’s new principal, Michael Pipitone, comes to Venice from Wisconsin, where he was principal at St. Peter’s Catholic School in Middleton. Pipitone has 23 years of Catholic school experience, as both a teacher and principal, and is a deacon, ordained to the Diaconate in the Rockford diocese in 2018.

He is also a fourth degree Knight of Columbus.

Amy Barron joins St. Charles Borromeo in Port Charlotte from New York City, where she served as both a Catholic school teacher and principal for the past 23 years, most recently as principal at St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Flushing, New York.

“I believe that children are our greatest gifts from God,” Barron said. “They are tomorrow’s big thinkers, problem solvers and leaders. It is my goal to enable the children to stay grounded in their faith, yet reach for the stars.”

Four of the five schools with new leadership serve children in grades pre-K through 8th; St. Ann’s teaches kindergarten through eighth grade. The five schools represent a third of the Catholic schools within the Diocese of Venice, which serves about 6,000 students in 15 schools, pre-K through 12th grade.

Diocese of Venice Catholic schools have the largest enrollment growth of any Diocese in Florida. All 15 Catholic schools are at capacity, many with waiting pools.

In choosing principals, Diocese of Venice leaders looked at two key areas.

“We look for educational leaders who themselves are exemplary Catholic role models, bearing witness to the Gospel every day,” Diocese of Venice Catholic Education Superintendent Rev. John Belmonte stated in the news release. “In addition to providing an excellent academic experience, these new principals will help our students to be formed as disciples of Christ, in an unapologetically Catholic environment.”