Date of Graduation

Summer 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education Policy, Planning, and Administration

Committee Chairperson

Kathleen Riley, Ph.D

Committee Member

Claire Dente, Ph.D

Committee Member

Meg Panichelli, Ph.D

Abstract

Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has a long history of integrating faith and education. While research often focuses on school efficacy and Catholic identity, less attention has been given to the educators who sustain these institutions. This qualitative narrative inquiry explored how Catholic faith shapes the professional identities and vocational commitments of four women educators in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Guided by Catholic Social Teaching and feminist theology, the study examined how participants understood their vocation, or “fiat,” through personal and professional narratives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with both vowed religious and lay educators.

Three themes emerged. First, reflection and discernment were sustained through daily acts of service, with participants viewing Catholic education as an extension of their faith. Second, community served as the relational foundation of Catholic education, fostering belonging, shared mission, and relationships. Third, Catholic identity was formed through a hidden curriculum of lived faith, where modeling values and service communicated faith through everyday practice.

The findings suggest that the enduring strength of Catholic education lies not only in institutional structures or academic outcomes, but in the people who embody its mission. By centering the voices of Catholic women educators, this study suggests that sustaining Catholic education depends on communities where faith is lived through everyday practice.

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