Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia, will preside at a “missioning” Mass for 171 teachers in the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program at 9:30 a.m. July 23 (Friday) in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.p. Rev. Edward A. Malloy, C.S.C., president of Notre Dame; and Rev. Timothy R. Scully, C.S.C., and Rev. Sean McGraw, C.S.C., co-founders of the ACE program, will be concelebrants at the Mass, after which the ACE members will embark on their service assignments as full-time teachers in more than 100 Catholic schools nationwide.p. The ceremony also will recognize 34 members of the ACE Leadership Program, who are studying to receive certification to serve as principals in Catholic schools. The program, directed by Rev. Ronald Nuzzi, is completing its third summer of courses at Notre Dame.p. Founded in 1994, the ACE program provides college graduates an opportunity to earn master of education degrees while serving as teachers in understaffed Catholic schools. In exchange for a modest stipend and a tuition-free graduate program, ACE participants make a two-year commitment to teach in these schools.p. More than 80 recent college graduates from a wide variety of educational disciplines enter ACE each year. They take courses and participate in teacher training projects at Notre Dame during their two summers in the program before being assigned to full-time teaching positions at schools in some 30 cities in 14 states during the academic year. After two years, the students graduate with a master of education degree and 75 percent elect to stay in the teaching profession.p. _Contact: John Schoenig, associate director of ACE, at 574-631-3431 or Schoenig.1@nd.edu _ p.
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