The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
A SUCCESSFUL CAREER
As Devanney retires, St. Anthony School welcomes new principal Lou Howe
WINSTED » Patricia Devanney set her heart on being a teacher when she was in the third grade.
She was raised with a strong Catholic faith, passed down from her grandparents, father and mother, and was attending classes at the old St. Anthony School in Winsted.
“I had a teacher in third grade, who was, in my mind — in a third grader’s mind — she was the most patient, the kindest, person, and I decided I wanted to be just like she was,” said Devanney. “I wanted to be an educator, and all through high school and grammar school, I knew that.”
Lou Howe, on the other hand, came to the idea of teaching young people with the pressure of necessity in mind, forgoing plans to be a philosophy professor after a year out of work to teach at Holy Cross High School in Waterbury.
Born in Texas, he grew up Catholic in Norwalk and Newtown, but he was not steeped in the religion as a child — instead, his interest burgeoned as a young man, as his father studied to become a deacon.
“When I was young, we did our twice-a-year, Christmas and Easter masses — that was about it, sometimes on Sundays,” said Howe. “It wasn’t really until I was a teenager that I began to appreciate my faith and my Dad becoming a deacon really spurred me into learning more about the faith, into really loving the faith, and loving Jesus Christ.”
Their differing paths have intertwined, if only for a moment.
After 15 years, Devanney is
planning to retire from her position as principal of the St. Anthony School in Winsted on July 1, while Howe has been named as her successor.
The profession has been a calling for each of them, they said Friday, allowing them to learn about the joys and difficulties of the world from students, and serve as guiding lights and sounding boards for young people.
“Our kids need to know, one, that there’s someone who loves them — leader, leader,” said Devanney, motioning briefly to the heavens. “But our families also need to see that there is someone who cares for their children, who believes that kids deserve a life with faith, a life with morals, a life with knowing that good choices are available to them every day.”
The importance of listening to students — of taking their perspective seriously — had become apparent, Devanney said, during her career in education.
It was of value, Howe said. Just that morning, a 4-year-old had asked him to play, reminding him of the core value of the profession — giving students the knowledge that someone is paying attention to them and caring for them.
“Education is not a oneway street. It’s not just me and them — it’s us,” said Howe. “If we listen to the students well enough, boy, can we learn a lot — about what’s going on in their lives, what’s going on in society, what’s going on in the classroom, what’s going on in education.”
Devanney said she hopes St. Anthony students walk away from the institution with confidence both in the love of God and themselves.
“When I was young, graduating from eighth-grade, my parents were wonderful... they were wonderful people, they were very strong in my life, but I did not have confidence in myself,” said Devanney. “I don’t want a child to leave here that does not have confidence in themselves.”
“Not only do we want the kids here at St. Anthony’s to leave here obviously knowing their three R’s — reading, writing and arithmetic, that type of thing, all their studies, we also want them to be those worthy citizens of heaven,” said Howe, alluding to the writings of St. Augustine. “Morals, what do you do in certain difficult situations, making the right choice; loving each other; continuing to know that God is your friend, and that faith element. We have that responsibility at the school to educate both their faith and their academics.”
“I think what sets Catholic schools apart from many other school is ‘faith, structure, discipline,’” said Devanney. “And I think those things help kids, especially when they’re young, to be stronger in academics, be stronger in faith, be stronger all they way around.”
“Educate the whole person,” said Howe.
The future at St. Anthony is bright, Devanney and Howe said, even as attendance at Catholic schools has fallen in recent years.
Since 2006, according to the National Catholic Educational Association, the total number of Catholic school students has decreased by 409,384, or 17.6 percent.
“I know we will be successful,” said Devanney, noting support from the community and the parish. “I know that we will continue to be strong, and it’s because of young people like Lou who are coming up through, and who feel that same commitment.”
“Catholic education, obviously, has taken a hit — I mean, it has,” said Howe. “But I’m very confident and very at ease about coming into this building, because it’s been here so long, and it’s had great leadership for the last 15 years and beyond. I can’t speak nationally — we just put that in the hands of God, that’s all we can do... but here, there’s not going to be anything but success here. We’re going to weather our storms — we’re going to do that as a community, we’re going to do that as a town, and we’re going to go for another 150 (years) and beyond.”
Devanney has been the principal at St. Anthony for the past 15 years, after previous stints as a first and sixth-grade teacher.
This will be Howe’s first stint as an administrator. Devanney was in the same position when she began, she said.
“(Lou’s) going to be wonderful. He has what it takes,” said Devanney.
Devanney is excited at the chance to spend more time with her family, including her grandchildren, but will miss St. Anthony.
“I can’t wait to spend more time with my family,” said Devanney. “But it’s bittersweet — I love this school.”
She said she was grateful to the St. Anthony community — “for the gifts that they share without our school,” and with her — and asked that they support Lou Howe as he takes on this responsibility.
“The people of Winsted have been very kind. They’ve been very good to St. Anthony School,” said Devanney.
Howe is excited at the new position, he said. He’s nervous to step into the footsteps of Devanney, but not afraid, with energy tempered by the pleasure of the possibility and a sense of calling.
He thanked the school and community for a warm welcome.
“I’m looking forward to September,” said Howe. “It’s one of those things where I just cannot wait to get going, and that tells me that this is where the Lord wants me to be at this moment in time. So, I just can’t wait — I’m very excited. I have a lot of emotions, and they’re all positive.”
Those interested in meeting Howe are invited to attend a meet-and-greet at the school on Tuesday, Devanney and Howe said.