St. John Paul II Catholic High School names Sister Tonette Sperando, O.S.B., president

HUNTSVILLE – St. John Paul II Catholic High Schoolannounced last week the appointment of Sister Tonette Sperando, O.S.B., as the school’s president.

St. John Paul II Catholic High School is a college preparatory school for grades 9-12, is located on Old Madison Pike in Huntsville near the Madison city limits.

According to statement from the school, Sister Tonette, an experienced professional educator and leader, will focus on community outreach and development, while Headmaster Dr. Jeremiah Russell continues to steer academics and operations.

Rodney Kreps, Board Co-Chair, cites the appointment as a timely milestone in the school’s 25th Anniversary year. He foresees “an extraordinary team to continue the school’s 25-year reputation for faith-centered academic excellence, while also focusing on the future development of the institution in our growing community.”

Sister Tonette will take office July 1, 2022, with participation in various school events throughout this academic year, including the State-of-the-School Address, Baccalaureate Mass, and Commencement.

Sister Tonette, a Birmingham native, has been a professed member of the Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama, at Sacred Heart Monastery for 31 years.

Professionally, she served as teacher and Principal at Sacred Heart School in Cullman and Principal and President at Holy Spirit School in Tuscaloosa. She has also held key leadership roles in her Benedictine community as Treasurer, Development Director, and, most recently, Prioress.

Co-Chair Kreps notes that these experiences “bring her significant resources and gifts to implementing the growth of the school and strengthening its role in the Catholic community in North Alabama and the community at-large.”

Dr. Russell said he looks forward to “this exciting opportunity to work alongside Sister Tonette in carrying out our school’s mission.” He notes especially her “years of Catholic school administrative experience and her deep faith, rooted in Benedictine spirituality, that will anchor us and invigorate our broader faith community.”

“Catholic education has been both a profession and a passion of mine throughout the years,” Sister Tonette said, “and it is humbling, exciting and an absolute joy to be returning to this ministry in North Alabama.”

Reflecting on her leadership philosophy, she notes that “we are a relational people, called to promote unity among ourselves, the larger church, and the world at-large.”

She continues, “Together, as we listen with the ‘ear of our hearts’ as instructed by St. Benedict, we will hear God’s voice calling the St. John Paul II Catholic High School community into its future, and I am delighted to be a part of that future.”

Founded in 1996 as Catholic High School, St. John Paul II Catholic High School is sponsored by the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama. The school has met the requirements established by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission, is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the National Catholic Educational Association.

The Class of 2021 posted an ACT average of 26.6 and more than $11.8 million in merit-based scholarships and five athletic scholarships. Reflecting its mission as “a welcoming community of faith,” St. John Paul II Catholic High School does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, and/or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, student aid programs, and athletic programs.