Summer 2023 Newsletter for Families, Donors, and Staff of the 14 Catholic Schools in the Independence Mission Schools Network
Welcome to Our New CEO

Gianna D’Angelo has been named the new President & CEO of IMS! Gianna joined IMS in January 2021 as Chief Financial and Operations Officer and has made a tremendous impact on the network. Gianna is committed to the belief that every child should have the same opportunity for a quality education that did. She is a proud alumna of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, an IMS school in South Philadelphia, as well as Philadelphia High School for Girls (Girls High).
St. Frances Cabrini Teacher is a Local Hero

We are so proud of and thankful for Meeka Outlaw, an IMS teacher at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic School! Meeka was honored by the Philadelphia City Council for helping to save a 3-year-old child who was shot in Grays Ferry.

Holy Cross Makes High School Selection Fun!

Holy Cross Catholic School hosted a High School Spirit Day for their middle school students and families in an effort to bring joy to the typically stressful high school selection process. Attendees had the opportunity to meet high school admissions directors while completing a high-school bingo game and other fun activities that encouraged them to ask questions and show what they’ve learned about the high schools at the fair.
St. Martin of Tours Celebrates 100 Years of Catholic Education

Alums and past teachers of St. Martin of Tours Catholic School gathered to celebrate 100 years of Catholic education! During this Open House event, members of the student council provided school tours to guests and shared highlights of the school. The event was followed by Mass at St. Martin of Tours Parish. A special thank you to all who helped us celebrate!
 Congratulations to Our Phillies All-Star Teacher!

Susan Kinee, a teacher at St. Barnabas Catholic School, was recently named one of ten Phillies All-Star teachers. She has devoted over 25 years of her career to education and currently teaches Pre-K at St. Barnabas. Susan is pictured alongside other All-Star recipients as well as Phillies player Brandon Marsh (she is directly to the right of him and wearing red). We are so proud of her!
OMSSI Class of '19 Grad Receives
"Heart of Mercy" Award

Autumn Drake, a 2019 graduate of Our Mother of Sorrows/St. Ignatius of Loyola (OMSSI) Catholic School has distinguished herself in a number of significant ways during her four years at Merion Mercy Academy. For this, she was awarded the Heart of Mercy Award at recent commencement ceremonies. We are so proud of Autumn and are pleased to share that she will be attending the University of Michigan in the fall!
Congratulations to our raffle winners at the St. Thomas Financial Aid Night
Congratulations to the Lovera Family from St. Martin of Tours!
Helping to Make a Private Education Affordable

In April, IMS hosted its first round of Financial Aid Nights for current and prospective families at three of our schools: St. Helena-Incarnation, St. Malachy and St. Thomas Aquinas. Our finance team shared information on scholarship opportunities, financial aid options and provided hands-on assistance with completing the financial aid application.

The evening also included some great raffle prizes thanks to some thoughtful sponsors. We look forward to offering this program again during the next school year so that we can work with all of our IMS families to help make a private, Catholic education affordable.
SS. Cyril & Philomena Students
Host Health & Wellness Fair

Saturday, May 13th, marked a special day for families in our community as we partnered with Coach Devon Buchanan and the FOCUS Youth Network to celebrate Family Health and Wellness Day. This fantastic event was organized by the SS. Cyril & Philomena Catholic School 8th grade class with the goal of promoting a healthy lifestyle and "Living a Lifetime of Wellness". It was an incredible success! 
Congratulations to our Class of 2023 Grads!
The graduation march begins at St. Raymond of Penafort.
Malachy grads and teachers can't resist a final selfie in the hallway!
St. Thomas Aquinas students with an average of 90 and above received a stole!
St. Barnabas Class of 2023
St. Rose of Lima Class of 2023
Congrats to DePaul's 2023 valedictorian and salutatorian(s) (a three-way tie)! 
St. Martin de Porres students said goodbye to the class of 2023 at their final walkout.
Proud St. Veronica 8th grade graduates strike a pose on the church steps!
Give The Gift of Catholic Education

We are so proud of our class of 2023 graduates who leave our 14 schools prepared to achieve their dreams and make the world a better place!

As we look ahead to the next school year, please consider making a gift to enable our current and future students to follow in their footsteps.

Enrollment is Open for 2023-24 School Year

All IMS schools are still actively enrolling for the 2023-24 school year. Current IMS families are eligible to receive a $500 tuition credit if they refer a new family! Seats are filling quickly, so please encourage friends and neighbors to apply today at imsphila.org/schools.
Our 14 Independence Mission Schools
  • St. Barnabas
  • SS. Cyril & Philomena
  • The DePaul Catholic School
  • St. Frances Cabrini
  • St. Helena-Incarnation
  • Holy Cross
  • St. Malachy
  • St. Martin de Porres
  • St. Martin of Tours
  • Our Mother of Sorrows/St. Ignatius of Loyola
  • St. Raymond of Penafort
  • St. Rose of Lima
  • St. Thomas Aquinas
  • St. Veronica