Bishop appoints new head of 
St. Paul Diocesan Jr./Sr. High School

Head of school for St. Paul Diocesan Jr./Sr. High School, Michael Clark, announced Monday that he will be leaving the position at the end of June. On Wednesday, superintendent of Catholic schools, David Perda, announced that Bishop McManus is appointing Father José F. Carvajal as the new head of school effective July 1.

Mr. Clark wrote in a letter to St. Paul’s school community, “My plans beyond Saint Paul will find me in education. In the meantime, I look forward to assisting with a school leadership transition and remaining focused on Saint Paul and its future. To do so comes with a sense of both accomplishment and gratitude. My six years with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester have been wonderfully rewarding.”

Superintendent Perda introduced Father Carvajal and shared the news of his appointment at a meeting with faculty and staff at St. Paul and in a letter to the community.

Father Carvajal currently serves as associate pastor at St. Mary Parish in Shrewsbury. Originally from Colombia, Father Carvajal served for three years as principal of Colegio Jesús María, a Catholic secondary school with an enrollment of 1,200 students. He also served as a high school teacher for five years, teaching English as a second language and religion. Fr. Carvajal holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and English as a second language from Pontifical Bolivarian University. He earned a master’s degree in theology and Master of Divinity degree from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore.

He was ordained in 2021 by Bishop McManus at St. Paul Cathedral. He is also pursuing an additional master’s degree from Boston College in educational leadership and policy.

“Having attended Catholic schools from elementary through the university levels, Father Carvajal is a strong champion of Catholic education and knows first-hand what impact such an education can have on the formation of the whole person,” Superintendent Perda wrote.

“As a priest and educator, Father Carvajal understands the opportunities as well as the challenges that come with teaching in a high school setting and he strives to create a joyful atmosphere for learning. In his capacity as associate pastor and principal, he has demonstrated strong leadership and managerial skills, cognizant that organizational change requires community building and collaboration.”

In his letter on Monday, Mr. Clark cited some of the challenges which the school overcame under his tenure as head of school. He wrote, “When in the initial stages of a school merger while founding Saint Paul, the unforeseen emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic closed all Massachusetts schools in March of 2020. It was within these unparalleled circumstances that Saint Paul opened just five months later for its inaugural year.”

Mr. Clark also led the school successfully through its first accreditation process with the Commission on Independent Schools of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Mr. Clark said, “I am grateful to have served our diocese during unprecedented times in Catholic education. I thank both his excellency, Bishop McManus, and Superintendent Perda for this extraordinary opportunity.”

Superintendent Perda additionally noted his gratitude for the contributions Mr. Clark has made and will continue to make to the school until his departure.

“In particular, I am grateful for Mr. Clark’s leadership in successfully guiding Saint Paul through accreditation last year. The process highlighted school strengths, challenge areas and served as an important catalyst for strategic planning. We will continue to rely on Mr. Clark for his assistance in assuring a smooth leadership transition to Father Carvajal in the coming months,” he wrote.