Incarnation School principal retires

After 20 years at the Sarasota school, Sister Monica Paul retires from a 45 year career as teacher, superintendent and principal.

BOB REDDY | FLORIDA CATHOLIC VENICE BUREAU EDITOR

Posted: 06.19.09

Dominican Sister Monica Paul Fraser receives a bouquet of flowers June 5, the last day of the school year at Incarnation School in Sarasota. She is retiring after being principal for 20 years.

BOB REDDY | FC
Dominican Sister Monica Paul Fraser receives a bouquet of flowers June 5, the last day of the school year at Incarnation School in Sarasota. She is retiring after being principal for 20 years.

SARASOTA | For 20 years, Sister Monica Paul Fraser roamed the hallways of Incarnation School with a loving smile and a pride that comes from educating young minds.

On June 5, Sister Monica Paul, a Sister of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, N.Y., for 48 years, roamed those hallways for the last time as principal of the school before she started the next phase of her life.

But her heart will remain with the students of her school.

“If I knew that I would never see those children again, I don’t know if I could have held up so well,” said Sister Monica Paul, valiantly resisting the urge to cry as she bid farewell to the students for the last time. “It is very difficult to let go of something you have committed your soul to for so long. Each one of these students holds a special place in my heart. And they always will.”

After 20 years, Sister Monica Paul said she can remember the first students she met on her first day, and every single one of them who passed through those hallways in the 20 years that followed.

A strong testament to her influence is the five teachers who are former students from the time when Sister Monica Paul was principal.

During the final Mass of the school year, she was recognized for being an example to the students and teachers on how to grow in faith, knowledge and love.

Father Gregg Caggianelli, parochial vicar at Incarnation and diocesan Director of Vocations, celebrated the final Mass and reflected on Sister Monica Paul’s work.

The Gospel reading was the story of the mustard seed and how it grew.

“Her many years of faithfulness are like that mustard seed, where the teachers plant the seeds and work that soil to see it grow to the fullest and mature, exalting God’s kingdom,” Father Caggianelli said. “The seeds of faith, love and knowledge have been sown within all of us.”

Part of the end-of-the-year tradition at the school is to pray for the students, teachers and parents to have a safe summer filled with the love of God.

The teachers and students added a twist to pray for Sister Monica Paul, in her “retirement” and for her to always know that the students and teachers at Incarnation School will always hold her in their own hearts.

As the last day concluded, Sister Monica Paul stood on the front steps of the school and said goodbye to students as they filed out and met their parents in the parking lot.

Many students gave her a big hug, some hanging on longer than usual, grateful for the grace they received in their lives. Some students offered her flowers, other asked to have their picture taken with her, while still others asked her to sign their yearbooks.

At times she shed a few tears, remembering fondly something about a particular student from the year, a performance in a play, a song they sang or something they said.

As the 200 students left the school for the final time, Sister Monica Paul was there, keeping an eye on them and beaming with pride.

One of the crowning achievements of her career at the school came earlier in her final year when Incarnation was designated a No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

Incarnation was one of 320 schools across the country that earned the Blue Ribbon designation for garnering test scores in the top 10 percent of schools in the nation. Incarnation was one of only 50 nonpublic schools to earn the honor, and one of two Catholic schools in the state of Florida.

While she retired from being principal at Incarnation, she also ended a long career in education. Sister Monica Paul spent 45 years in education, 40 of them in administration.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in education from Dominican College, N.Y.; a Master of Arts in educational administration and supervision from Stetson University in DeLand; and a Master of Arts in theology from Barry University in Miami. In addition, she has taken post-graduate studies at Providence College, Georgetown University and the University of Notre Dame.

Sister Monica Paul was a classroom teacher in New York before moving to Florida and becoming a principal at St. Brendan School in Ormond Beach. She was later named director of schools for the Diocese of Orlando. She then became director of teacher education at Dominican College for five years before coming to Incarnation.

When not working, Sister Monica Paul enjoys being with friends and family, reading, classical music and classic movies.

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