MANCHESTER – The Most Rev. Peter A. Libasci, Bishop of Manchester, and Mr. David Thibault, Superintendent of Schools, announced today that Tara Henley, of Saint John Regional School in Concord, is the 2021 recipient of the Saint John Baptist de la Salle Teacher of the Year Award.

Also announced was the recipient of the Saint John Vianney Cleric of the Year Award, Deacon Mitch Couture, for his support of Salve Regina Academy in Gorham, and four individual recipients of the Saint Joseph the Worker Award: Bev Broomhall of Saint John Regional School, Janine Christiana of Sacred Heart School in Hampton, Christina Garand of Saint Francis of Assisi School in Litchfield, and Teri Maxwell of Saint Benedict Academy and Saint Catherine of Siena School in Manchester. The Knights of Columbus Council 506 was also honored with a Saint Joseph the Worker Award in recognition of their support of Salve Regina Academy.

Thibault said of all those honored, “Our vision, in union with Bishop Libasci, is to make Catholic education affordable, accessible, and available to all families throughout our state. But our Catholic schools simply would not exist without the commitment of our educators, administrators, clergy, and lay partners in the community. Their selfless support is what allows our students to succeed, and we are proud to honor them with these awards.”

Henley was one of three finalists for the Teacher of the Year Award. The others were Mary Chamberlain of Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover, and Deb Gauvin of Saint Christopher Academy in Nashua.

The awards, now in their fifth year, celebrate the selfless acts of individuals who advance the mission of Catholic education in New Hampshire. The awards are typically given at the annual Recognizing Excellence Gala, which was not held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The awards were instead presented to the recipients at their schools.

For more information about Catholic schools in the Diocese of Manchester, please visit www.catholicschoolsnh.org.

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