Principal's Message

Dear St. Ignatius of Antioch Faculty, Students, and Parishioners,

It is with great excitement that I greet you as the new Principal of St. Ignatius of Antioch School.  I am truly honored to serve in this role and to join the outstanding pastor, faculty, parish staff, parishioners, and school community.  St. Ignatius has a long history of academic success, faith, and a family atmosphere, not to mention its presence in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the birthplace of parish schools.  The legacy of the Sisters of St. Francis, the generosity of the parish community in supporting the school’s expansion and improvement, and the Blue Ribbon status of the school are wonderful testaments to the strength of the school.  I look forward to building on these strong foundations and to working with each of you as a partner in the education of the students in the school.

My wife Tina, our son Gabriel, and I are recent transplants to the Philadelphia area.  Each member of our family is a California native.  We have three adult sons – Michael, Gabriel, and Zachary – and a major part of our move to this area is due to the fact that Michael has lived in Newark, New Jersey, for the last several years, and Zachary lives in Boston, Massachusetts.  We feel blessed to join this Philadelphia faith community, to experience all the East Coast has to offer, and to begin this new chapter in our lives.

After graduating from St. John’s Seminary College (and discerning that God was not calling me to the priesthood), I served for six years as a parish youth minister.  For the last 32 years, I served at St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, California, where I was a Theology Teacher, Campus Ministry Director, Department Chair, Summer School Principal, Dean of Students, and Assistant Principal.  In 2008, I completed a Master’s Degree in Catholic School Administration at Loyola Marymount University. My educational background and my jobs have provided me with a rich variety of skills and educational experiences, uniquely qualifying me to step into my new role.  I also participated actively in my local parish Music Ministry as a cantor and choir member, which I plan to continue in our new parish.

My faith in God has always been first and foremost in my life, and I am devoted to my family and to my students.  I believe in modeling my faith by my words and actions, and this core belief will guide me as I begin the exciting challenge of leading St. Ignatius of Antioch School.
As principal, I will be a visible presence as I meet parents, teachers, students, and parishioners.  I am eager to gain a better understanding of the St. Ignatius community and the unique needs and opportunities of our great school.  I believe that children deserve a relevant, rigorous education, as well as experiences that stretch the boundaries of their learning.  I look forward to building strong relationships with our parents, our teachers and staff, and the broader parish community, to bring these experiences to our students.

St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote seven letters to seven churches on his way to his eventual martyrdom.  One of those letters was to the Philadelphians, and I would like to borrow the words from that letter of St. Ignatius in closing.  St. Ignatius wrote, “I am greatly enlarged in loving you and rejoicing exceedingly over you … Yet it is not I, but Jesus Christ,  … inasmuch as I am not yet perfect. But your prayer to God shall make me perfect, that I may attain to that portion which through mercy has been allotted to me.”  Please pray for me and for each other, that together we may attain the portion to which God has called us as a community.

May God bless us all!
George Meade