Ode to a School — Center for Women, the Earth, the Divine

On Wednesday this week, June 3, 2026, I attended the last graduation of a 120-year old all-girls Catholic High School, founded in 1905 by the Sisters of Charity.

The graduation was of the senior class of Cathedral High School in New York City. It took place in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

The school, which gets its unofficial name from St. Patrick’s Cathedral, has been holding its graduations the magnificent Cathedral since its first graduation in 1909.

Cathedral High School is now closing its doors in just three weeks—at the end of June.

The announcement of the school’s closing came in late September as a schocking surprise to everyone.

This school is one of the latest in a line of casualties that seem to form a stream of decline in Catholic education in the U.S.

I taught religion at Cathedral High School for 12 years before retiring in 2023. This 2026 graduating class of seniors were in my last religion class, as I taught as ninth graders. They were “babies” then, 13- or 14-year olds just out of eighth grade. Now they have all become lovely young women, ready to enter college and to change the world for the better! I love them!

There is something to be said for an all-girls high school, as well as for an all-girls Catholic high school.

In this type of school, girls’ voices can be heard without any competition from the male sector. Their voices matter, their dreams are valid!

These last two characteristics about voices and dreams were stated so clearly by their commencement speaker, Cynthia Garcia.

Cynthia spoke with the passion that comes from experience as she is not only a graduate of the school, but has been on the faculty for 22 years, as a religion teacher, campus minister, and now guidance counselor.

As I mentioned, there is something to be said.

And Cynthia accomplished this so well in an inspiring commencement speech on Wednesday.

Here are a few excerpts:

One of the most powerful lessons I learned here was that my thoughts, ideas, and perspective mattered. In a world where women are sometimes expected to be seen but not heard, Cathedral taught me that speaking up is not about being loud—it is about being courageous.

That lesson has stayed with me throughout my career as an educator. Every day, I encourage my students to think critically, ask questions, and believe that their voices deserve space in every room they enter.

Cathedral also taught me to dream big.

It was here that I first began to imagine a future beyond what I could immediately see around me. I learned that my circumstances [as a Latina girl from Washington Heights] did not determine my potential.

That belief—that we can rise above our environment and become part of something greater—has shaped the way I teach and mentor others. I want every student to know that where you begin does not limit where you can go.

As a student and as a faculty member of twenty-two years, I have witnessed the many changes Cathedral High School has gone through. Parents, students, and teachers have walked in and out of these doors, but the one thing that has always remained a constant is our sisterhood. A gift I carry with me is the strength of that sisterhood.

The friendships, encouragement, and shared experiences I had with other young women taught me the importance of lifting one another up. I learned that we are stronger together, that collaboration matters, and that supporting one another creates lasting impact.

In life, none of us succeed alone.

I want to share something else that has been essential in my life: the importance of nourishing your spiritual life.

Life loses its meaning when we forget to place God at the center of it. We speak often about love, but we sometimes forget that God is love.

For me, faith has always been an anchor. Yes, we all struggle. There will be days when you may not feel God's presence. But He is there. We simply have to trust Him, listen for His guidance, and rely on His strength during difficult times.

As you prepare to begin this new chapter of your lives, I want you to remember a few things:

Your voice matters.

Your dreams are valid.

Your environment does not define you.

But most importantly,

you never walk alone when you place God at the center of your life.

Even though our beloved high school is closing at the end of this academic year, its legacy will live on in each of us.

Buildings may close, but the spirit of Cathedral cannot be erased. The lessons learned here, the values instilled within these walls, the friendships formed, and the faith nurtured here will continue through every life gathered in this room today.

My dear Cathedral sisters, when I graduated from Cathedral High School in 1984, my principal, Sr. Mary Kilmartin, wrote these words in our yearbook—words that I have carried with me throughout my life.

"Be women of wisdom - never too old to learn.

Be women of compassion - never too busy to be concerned for others.

Be truthful with yourself and you will fear no man's judgment."

Class of 2026, I am so proud of each and every one of you, and I am excited for all that lies ahead.

This is not an ending.

It is the beginning of a powerful new chapter.

~~~

And now, I (Anne) must also comment on the faculty and staff of this school.

For this final graduation day, there was an energy and a sense of camaraderie—filled with love—when present and former faculty and staff gathered in the center aisle of St. Patrick’s after the graduates had processed out. We hugged each other as we recognized colleagues whom we hadn’t seen in years,

That warm feeling carried over to an after-graduation farewell party that one of the current, and long-time, teachers organized at a restaurant a few blocks from St. Patrick’s.

He invited past teachers and staff members to join present faculty and staff for a farewell to our beloved school. Close to 50 people came, including Danny who was a handyman for the New York Archdiocese headquarters in Manhattan, the building within which Cathedral High School had been physically located for 50 years (until three years ago).

Cathedral High School is a community. Not only are the girls who have just graduated now become part of the Cathedral sisterhood going forward, but so have the faculty, administration, and staff (females and males) become part of it as well. I have made lifelong friends in this Cathedral community! We have already begun talking about starting an annual get-together.

As Cathedral High School closes its doors for the last time on June 30, its Catholic values, built-in at its founding by the Sisters of Charity in 1905, will not be left behind.

As their sister Cathedralite, commencement speaker Cynthia Garcia, stated so eloquently to the graduating class, the values will continue within the sisterhood of the school’s alumnae and in their collective voice. The values will continue to arise in the courage that they will bring, along with their talents, to the betterment of all Earth’s living beings.

The Cathedral values will also continue on in the love, concern, and prayers that its former teachers, administrators, and staff will share with each other going forward—and with their former students.

As mostly anyone who has been a teacher knows:

our former students always remain with us in our hearts!!