A Message from Fr. Jon Seda, St. Pius X Pastor and Member of the Xavier Catholic Schools President Hiring Committee:
Dear Xavier Catholic Schools Community,
I hope this message finds you well and filled with blessings in the new year. On behalf of the President Hiring Committee, I share the following message with you.
It is with great pleasure and excitement that we announce the appointment of Chris McCarville as the new President of Xavier Catholic Schools. Chris brings with him a wealth of experience, a deep commitment to Catholic education, and a passion for fostering the growth and success of our students and future school system.
As President of Xavier Catholic Schools, Chris will lead the system's continued commitment to its Catholic mission and identity. He will be responsible for ushering in a shared vision and strategic planning that aligns with and advances system-wide goals as they relate to long-range planning, Catholicity, academic excellence, advancement, and facilities. Chris will directly oversee central office leadership personnel and will serve as the chief spokesperson for Xavier Catholic Schools. He will work directly with the Pastors Board, the new PK-12 School Board, and Xavier Foundation Board.
We are confident that Chris will lead Xavier Catholic Schools with wisdom, integrity, and a steadfast dedication to the key values of our schools. His leadership will undoubtedly inspire our community to reach new heights of spiritual growth, academic excellence, and service to others.
As we welcome Chris to his new role, serving Xavier Catholic Schools, let us offer our prayers, support, and warmest wishes for his success. Together, with faith as our guide, we look forward to a bright and promising future under Chris' leadership.
Please join me in extending a heartfelt congratulations and a warm welcome to Chris. We are truly blessed to have him as the first President of Xavier Catholic Schools; we are confident that his leadership will enrich the lives of all who are part of Xavier Catholic Schools.
May God continue to bless each of you and our entire Xavier Catholic Schools community.
Fr. Jon Seda
St. Pius X Pastor and Member of the President Hiring Committee
FULL MEDIA RELEASE:
Current Xavier High School President, Chris McCarville, has been named the President of the newly-formalized PK-12 Xavier Catholic School System starting with the 2024-2025 school year. McCarville will officially assume his new role on July 1, 2024.
It was announced in December 2023, following an extensive study by a 19-person task force, that it was in the long term best interest of parishes and Catholic education in the Cedar Rapids/Marion metro area for all the Catholic schools to become a formal system beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. Metro Catholic schools have been operating under the Xavier Catholic Schools brand since 2013, but each school has maintained its own individual structure of governance over the past 10 years – with each school having its own respective school board.
As president of Xavier Catholic Schools, McCarville will lead the system's continued commitment to its Catholic mission and identity. He will be responsible for ushering in a shared vision and strategic planning that aligns and advances system-wide goals as they relate to long-range planning, academic excellence, fundraising, and facilities. McCarville will directly oversee central office leadership personnel and will serve as the chief spokesperson for Xavier Catholic Schools. He will work directly with the Pastors Board, the new PK-12 School Board, and Xavier Foundation Board.
“From many perspectives, the opportunity has never been better for our schools and the future could not be brighter," states McCarville. "Formalizing our schools into one unified system allows us to operate much more efficiently, with a cohesive, big picture in mind. To say I’m humbled to serve in this role would be an understatement. I look forward to working with many to help make our schools be the absolute best they can be and, most importantly, help move young souls closer to Heaven.”
McCarville, a 1997 Regis High School alumnus and former Xavier High School administrator and teacher, has served as president of Xavier High School since 2019. Over the past five years, McCarville has established a highly successful track record as it relates to many of the same duties that await him in his new role. While the scope of his current position has focused primarily on Xavier High School, McCarville has been a leader in facilitating system-wide collaboration to achieve shared goals (such as fundraising to support the common purpose of increasing teacher salaries at all Xavier Catholic Schools).
"I am thrilled that Chris McCarville has been selected as the first president of the Xavier Catholic School System," says Rev. Jon Seda, Pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Cedar Rapids and member of the President Interview Committee. "He is a proven leader in our high school and he already knows our metro Catholic community. His strong vision and energy will lead us in making all of our schools thrive."
Prior to his return to Xavier, McCarville served as the Executive Director of the Catholic Foundation of Southwest Iowa in Des Moines. While there, McCarville led the organization through a comprehensive strategic planning process and helped grow the Foundation’s total assets under management. Before his time in Des Moines, McCarville served as the Director of Institutional Development at Holy Family Catholic Schools in Dubuque, Iowa. While there, McCarville was responsible for all aspects of a major capital campaign to renovate Wahlert Catholic High School and the significant increase in giving to Holy Family's annual fund. McCarville also previously served as the Director of Constituent Relations at Jesuit Preparatory School of Dallas in Dallas, Texas. He also served in various capacities at Xavier High School from 2002-2008, including serving as a theology teacher in all of those years and Associate Dean of Students during the 2007-2008 school year.
McCarville is a 2001 graduate of Mount Mercy College (now Mount Mercy University) where he earned his bachelor’s degree in History. In 2008, he earned his Master of Arts in Educational Leadership/Principalship from the University of Northern Iowa.