VATICAN CITY — Dr. Greg Monroe, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Charlotte, and Kevin O’Herron, principal of St. Matthew Catholic School in Charlotte, were invited to be part of a group of 10 Catholic education leaders to represent American Catholic education at the Vatican’s October Jubilee of the World of Education in Rome. The delegation, spanning the spectrum of Catholic education from pre-K through university, engaged with global Church leaders on the future of Catholic schooling.
Monroe, who also serves as an advisor to the president of the National Catholic Educational Association, described the experience as humbling and inspiring.
“It was an honor to represent American Catholic education as part of the U.S. delegation to the Jubilee of the World of Education in Rome,” he shared. “We were also fortunate to share with Vatican leadership the issues affecting Catholic education in the United States, as well as offer advice on global topics shaping the future of our schools. These included the role of AI and technology in the classroom, the safeguarding of Catholic identity, the impact of immigration, and demographic trends affecting enrollment and access.”
The U.S. delegates met with Vatican leaders from the Pontifical Association, Scholas Occurrentes, and the Dicastery for Culture and Education to discuss challenges and opportunities facing Catholic schools across the globe. They visited institutions such as the Teutonico College and the Pontifical Biblical Institute (Biblicum), and spent time at the Pontifical Gregorian University examining foundational texts of Catholic education.
One of the most significant moments of the pilgrimage was attending the papal Mass on the Solemnity of All Saints, where the Holy Father declared St. John Henry Newman the 38th Doctor of the Church and named him a co-patron of Catholic education.
Monroe said the pilgrimage was a deep affirmation of the Church’s enduring investment in Catholic education and a powerful reminder of the global mission shared by educators. “To pray at the tomb of St. Peter, walk through the Holy Doors, and stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow educators from around the world was a true gift, and a commissioning. Our ministry is essential to the future of the Church,” he said.
— Diocese of Charlotte Catholic Schools
Carter Scores!
Holy Trinity Middle School football player Carter Russell scored a touchdown during the team’s game against Weddington Middle. Coaches, teammates and referees worked together to make the player’s dream come true. (Photos submitted)CHARLOTTE — The Bulldogs from Holy Trinity Middle School were playing football against the Weddington Middle Wildcats Sept. 27, and things weren’t going well for the Bulldogs. As halftime approached, they hadn’t scored.
But moments before the whistle blew, the team ran one more play. The quarterback handed Carter Russell, number 58, the ball and he ran it five yards into the end zone. His team cheered, chanted his name and lifted him on their shoulders.
That wasn’t an ordinary touchdown. It was a dream come true for the Holy Trinity sixth-grader – made possible by his coaches and fellow players.
Carter, 11, is a student in Holy Trinity’s Options Program for children with special needs. He was born with a rare medical condition that impacts nearly every part of his body and causes continual health issues. He also is physically smaller than most of his peers.
Carter is also a huge football fan. He cheers for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Cincinnati Bengals.
But Carter wanted to do more than just watch football. He wanted to play.
Both his parents and doctors were hesitant. But Carter persisted.
“We spent months trying to convince him not to join the team, talked through all the dangers and risks, but he had his own opinion,” says his mother, Michelle Russell. “When he found that anybody who wanted to be on the sixth-grade team could be on it, he assumed that meant him.”
Despite his challenges, Holy Trinity’s coaches said they wanted him on the team. Carter’s fellow players supported him from the moment he put on a uniform and stepped on the practice field.
“Carter makes you realize the true meaning of why you’re out there to coach,” says Ed Doughty, Holy Trinity’s head football coach. “In his case, with the magnitude of the medical battles he faces on a regular basis, it’s just so inspiring to see his level of dedication to the sport of football. He lifts up the entire team.”
One of Carter’s biggest supporters is Assistant Coach Ryan Arends, who appreciates his determination to play.
“We do our best in practice to make sure we give him a real experience, but we also make sure other kids don’t hit him at full speed,” Arends says. “It’s incredible to see the support the other players give him. He’s got 55 brothers that protect him like you would not believe. He’s just an incredible spirit. He always listens and has a smile on his face. God was showing off when He made Carter.”
It was Arends who came up with the idea to give Carter a touchdown opportunity.
When the coaches arrived at the Weddington game, Arends told Doughty and then coordinated with the Weddington team’s coaches and referees. Carter’s teammates and the Weddington players were excited. Everyone was on board.
Right before halftime, the referees threw a flag and said there would be one more play. The teams lined up, and Carter was handed the ball. He cradled the ball to his chest like a pro, ran it into the end zone and did a quick victory dance. The players chanted his name and lifted him on their shoulders. Weddington ultimately won the game, 32-0, since Carter’s touchdown wasn’t scored, but the final result didn’t matter. It was Carter’s play that everyone remembers.
“It was perfect the way it unfolded,” Arends says.
Michelle Russell happened to be the only person from her family in the stands because her husband, Michael, was with the couple’s two daughters, who also had games that day. She was overwhelmed by the reaction.
“Other parents who have known Carter since he was little were cheering for him,” she says. “One of the moms was sprinting down the field to get pictures and videos, sprinting full force to not miss the moment. I called my husband, and he was in tears when he heard what happened.”
She can’t thank the Holy Trinity coaches enough for what they’ve given her son.
“This whole season they’ve gone above and beyond to make the team such a supportive, inclusive environment, and then they go out of their way to coordinate a moment like the touchdown,” she says. “It’s so special that they gave him an experience like that. A lot of people don’t realize how much that lifts someone up, to give them a memory like that.”
After the hugs and the cheers, Carter described the experience with simply, “It was all I ever wanted.”
— Christina Lee Knauss
