Kevin Burke has an idea of what lies ahead in the next step of his educational journey. Burke, currently the principal at Holy Ghost Preparatory School in Bensalem, Pa., will assume the same position at Salesianum School in Wilmington come July, and he appreciates the task that awaits.
Burke will become the first lay principal at the school founded by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales in 1903. He will succeed Oblate Father Christian Beretta, who is in his 16th year as principal. Burke knows something about Catholic all-boys education.
He is in his seventh year at Holy Ghost, an all-boys school founded by the Spiritan priests. Before that, he spent 13 years at St. Augustine Preparatory School in southern New Jersey, mostly in administration. That is also an all-boys school and happens to be Burke’s alma mater.
That’s the type of school he’s most comfortable leading, he said by phone recently. And Salesianum is well-known and highly regarded.
“I don’t want to be too corny, but it spoke to my heart. It’s what I believe the educational approach to young men should be,” he said.
He also admires the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and the “practicality” of their charism.
“It’s very clear,” he said. “It’s very easy to understand. ’Live Jesus.’ ‘Take hold and don’t let go.’ Those types of things for young men are easy for them to understand and try to live.
“As the first lay principal, one of the most important things for me is partnering with the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales to advance that charism. It’s a charism that speaks to my heart.”
He is not unfamiliar with the congregation. “All of my uncles went to North Catholic,” he said, referring to the Oblate high school in Philadelphia that closed in 2010.
Burke will be on the Wilmington campus on Jan. 29 to meet with members of the school community. Any nerves he has heading into this event, he said, are from a sense of how important the job is.
“If someone wasn’t nervous to join a community and lead a community like Sallies, I think there would be something wrong. I think you have to embrace the nerves,” he said.
The excitement comes from a chance to join a Catholic, independent, all-boys school the caliber of Salesianum.
“Sallies is second to none in that identity,” he said.
He is looking forward to meeting Father Beretta, whose tenure as principal is the second-longest in Salesianum history. Burke said the sense of culture and community at Salesianum is a testament to the priest’s care and stewardship. He wants to build upon what Father Beretta has done.
He said his leadership style is one of collaboration. Salesianum can expect him to bring positive energy to the building.
Burke earned a bachelor’s degree from Moravian University and a master’s from Villanova University. He had started work on a doctorate at Stockton University before the covid pandemic, but he put that on hold for a variety of reasons. He is going to get that work restarted.
He and his wife, Carla, live in New Jersey but will relocate to Delaware, he said. They have three children: 12-year-old Jack, 10-year-old Charlotte and 5-year-old Joey.
When he is not occupied with work, Burke coaches his daughter’s basketball team, and his children are also involved in cross country and track. They also like to ski and spend most summer weekends in Sea Isle City, N.J., where it is not unusual to see the occasional Salesianum flag perched on a balcony.
