SALEM — St. Mary’s presented the Cardinal Cushing Award to former principal and teacher Carl DiMaiti at a reception Wednesday at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. The Cushing Award is presented by the school to a vigorous champion of Catholic education whose personal and professional life mirrors St. Mary’s mission.
St. Mary’s also honored Rev. William Leahy, S.J., president of Boston College, with the William F. Connell ’55 Service Award, given to an individual who provides consistent and exemplary service.
Also at the Cushing Society reception, St. Mary’s announced a $1 million gift from the estate of Robert Devereaux, a member of the Class of 1952. The funding will be used for scholarships. Overall, the event raised $1.4 million.
Devereaux, who died in July, was a longtime benefactor of St. Mary’s. He was a past recipient of the Cushing Award and a member of the school’s Hall of Fame. In 1969 he established Robert J. Devereaux Corp., an independent utility contractor that is now run by his nephew Michael. He also established M&X Utility Company, a union contractor.
“We are eternally grateful for the long-standing support of Bob Devereaux and the connection he has with St. Mary’s students through scholarship support,” said Head of School Dr. John F. Dolan. “This gift is a testament to the impact St. Mary’s had on Bob and will continue to have on generations of students to come.”
DiMaiti taught history at St. Mary’s from 1990-2000 and served as principal from 2000-13. He also ran the Carol DiMaiti Stuart Foundation for 25 years, a nonprofit named for his sister, who was killed in Boston in 1989. The foundation awarded $3 million in college scholarships to 350 residents of Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood.
The foundation was recognized in 1991 as part of President George H.W. Bush’s 1000 Points of Light volunteer initiative.
Coming to St. Mary’s the year after his sister died, DiMaiti credits the school with providing him with much-needed stability.
“St. Mary’s was a lifesaver for me,” he said. “It gave me purpose. The work the school does is incredibly important and personally fulfilling. This award is emblematic of people who have worked hard for St. Mary’s as well as in the community. I’m honored to receive it.”
A lifelong Medford resident, DiMaiti is a graduate of Boston College High School and Northeastern University. In 1991, BC High presented him the St. Ignatius Award, the highest honor bestowed on alumni for dedication to the school’s mission and the Jesuit call to be “men and women others.”
DiMaiti and his wife, Mary, have twin adult children, Andrew and Carol, who graduated from St. Mary’s in 2014. Andrew, a lawyer at Goodwin in Boston, is member of the St. Mary’s Board of Trustees. Carol is a CPA working for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston.
In 1996, Father Leahy became the 25th president of Boston College, the alma mater of Bill Connell, who was a staunch supporter of the school. Father Leahy holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and two master’s degrees from the Jesuit School of Theology in California. He is a trustee of Boston College, Santa Clara and Creighton universities.
Connell’s three tenets for life were prominently mentioned during the event: Be Good, Do Your Best, Go to Mass. The Connell name is on two buildings at BC, the William F. Connell School of Nursing and the Margot Connell Recreation Center, named for Bill’s wife, who is also a longtime benefactor of the university.
Deirdre Foley was the faculty recipient of the Connell Service Award, while Dillon Barrett, Evan Lowe, Gabriella Encarnacion and Janelle Villanueva were the student recipients. Villanueva was the student speaker and delivered an impactful address focusing on the school’s pillars: Catholic, Excellence, Integrity and Respect. A Garrity Scholar, she is an accomplished pianist who has performed at Carnegie Hall six times.
