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Doreen Cronin was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (“For Church and Pope” in Latin) last week. The award, which is a decoration of the Holy See, is conferred for distinguished service to the Catholic Church by lay people.

Doreen was presented the award by Bishop Richard at The St Philip Howard Centre in Crawley, with members of the diocesan Education Committee present to thank her for her outstanding service as Principal of St Richards College, Bexhill.

Doreen retired from St Richard’s Catholic College in December 2023, after nearly 40 years at the school. An article in the Sussex World newspaper at the time of her retirement reported:

“[Doreen] made it her mission throughout her career in education to go above and beyond the usual expectations of school staff. Her values shine through meaning that each child is enabled to nurture and challenge their own talents and aspirations within a supportive environment, creating one large family community. In her role as a Pastoral Lead, she reminded the school that each child is precious in the eyes of God and should be cherished and valued and, as a Catholic Leader, she has never failed to set the example of service high.”

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Writing in the college newsletter shortly before her retirement, Doreen said:

“It has been an absolute privilege to lead the school for the last 15 years, supported by strong leadership and management teams as well as dedicated and talented staff. These ingredients have made my job so much easier and so enjoyable, as have the most important people in the school: the pupils.”

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She continued:

“St Richard’s will always hold a special place in my heart. I shall miss the school community greatly, having received so much joy in my career which I believe is the best job in the world! I will pray for the school’s continued growth as a new era begins.”

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Source: The Diocesan Education Service and Sussex World