Opportunity * Community * Tradition
Office of the Board of Trustees
March 18, 2010
Dear Members of the Camden Catholic Community,
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I wish to express our deep gratitude to Msgr. Andrew E. Martin, as he announces his decision to retire as President at the conclusion of this academic year. In recognition of his distinguished service since 1984 as Principal and as our first President, the Most Reverend Joseph A. Galante, D.D., J.C.D., Bishop of Camden, has named him President Emeritus.
Catholic education in our region has no greater champion than Msgr. Martin. As he announces his intention to retire, it is fitting that we reflect on his remarkable work on behalf of our students over the past 25 years. He presided over substantial transitions for Camden Catholic. We have emerged as a strong institution that is unmatched in its success at preparing young people for college, a legacy that dates back to our founding in 1887. At the same time, we evolved into an educational community that is sustained through the commitment and service of lay faculty, staff and administrators.
Under his leadership, we have accomplished much, including the following:
•pioneered the first president/principal model of high school governance in the Diocese of Camden;
•oversaw the introduction of computer technology into the management of the school and into its curriculum, including the development of two state-of-the art science laboratories;
•renovated the auditorium to include new stage lighting, sound equipment, and comfortable seating and the school gymnasium to include new bleachers;
•implemented the first internal, student-run television network and studio at a Diocesan high school; and
•opened the first home football field in our history, Shamrock Field, in 1998, installed field lights in 2002, making us the first Diocesan high school to host evening sporting events, and later installed new artificial turf.
Msgr. Martin has helped to ensure that our students receive a quality Catholic education that develops character and leads to lives of distinction. Perhaps this is why our alumni reach out to him so often for weddings and baptisms and why alumni, parents and friends support Camden Catholic at unprecedented levels. He established the first Development Council at Camden Catholic High School, which began the first annual fund appeal in 1988-1989 and established the first Development Office. Just since 2000, he was integral to our success in raising more than $2.5 million in annual gifts and an additional $1.2 million in commitments for vital capital projects.
In the broader community, Msgr. Martin has always been a voice for the vibrant aspect of diversity in education. He reached out to traditional and new communities, working to ensure that Catholic education would remain accessible for hundreds of people during fiscally difficult times. He also provided leadership and insight as a member of statewide educational boards and Catholic institutions.
Above all else, Msgr. Martin has given freely of himself out of a deep and palpable passion for Camden Catholic High School and our students and their families. His love for our School is rooted in his personal history and family, having attended St. Mary’s School, which was then attached to the original Camden Catholic High School at 7th and Federal Streets in Camden. It is also rooted in his avid belief that the strength of Camden Catholic is, as it always has been, our students.
Again, I want to thank Msgr. Martin for all that he has done to secure the future of Camden Catholic High School. We are all grateful that he will continue to share his wisdom and pastoral presence through his work as President Emeritus. The Trustees will cooperate fully with the Diocese of Camden in the search for Camden Catholic’s second President.
May God continue to bless Msgr. Martin in the years ahead.
Sincerely,
Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.
Chair, Board of Trustees