Alliance for Catholic Education
Baltimore, MD — The Archdiocese of Baltimore (AoB) and the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) at the University of Notre Dame have announced a new partnership that will bring four ACE Teaching Fellows to Catholic schools across Baltimore. This collaboration strengthens the Archdiocese’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence and faith-based education, while advancing ACE’s mission to form the next generation of transformative Catholic school educators.
The ACE Teaching Fellows program, a nationally recognized initiative based in Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI), places recent graduates from colleges and universities across the country into under-resourced Catholic schools. Participants serve as full-time teachers while pursuing a tuition-free Master of Education degree from the University of Notre Dame. With the addition of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, ACE Teaching Fellows now serves 158 schools in 36 archdioceses across the country.
“Our Archdiocesan Catholic schools continue to lead the way in closing the achievement gap for children in Baltimore,” said Gregory Farno, Chancellor of the Department of Catholic Schools. “We are blessed to welcome these talented ACE Teaching Fellows, whose dedication to mission and excellence will make a real difference in the lives of our students and communities.”
The four ACE teachers joining the Archdiocese this fall include:
- Nate Cannizzo (St. Joseph’s University), teaching Math at Mother Mary Lange Catholic School
- Anna Merriam (University of Notre Dame), teaching 4th grade at St. Francis of Assisi School
- Farrell Moorehead (University of Dayton), teaching 4th grade at Cardinal Shehan School
- Bryce Pattison (Saint Louis University), teaching English at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
ACE Teaching Fellows are formed in a rigorous two-year program that integrates graduate-level coursework, spiritual development, and community living. The program is grounded in the belief that outstanding teachers help create learning environments in which students flourish—academically, spiritually, and socially.
“We know that outstanding educators establish invigorating environments in which young people want to learn and grow. They make a lifelong impact not just on their students, but on the entire communities they serve,” said John Staud, Executive Director of the Alliance for Catholic Education. “We’re honored to partner with the Archdiocese of Baltimore and support the inspiring work being done in these Catholic schools.”
Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore have a proud legacy of academic achievement and student formation. In 2024, half of all Maryland schools recognized with the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon designation were Catholic schools within the Archdiocese—representing 12% of all nationwide nonpublic school recipients.
This partnership reflects a shared vision for Catholic education—one rooted in academic excellence, equity, and the holistic formation of students in mind, body, and spirit.
About the Archdiocese of Baltimore Department of Catholic Schools
Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore provide a Christ-centered education that is academically excellent and empowers students to reach their full potential—spiritually, intellectually, physically, socially, and morally. Enrolling more than 24,000 students across 40 elementary/middle schools (34 archdiocesan and 6 independent) and 18 high schools (6 archdiocesan and 12 independent), AoB schools serve communities in Baltimore City and nine surrounding counties.
About the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE)
Founded in 1993 at the University of Notre Dame, the Alliance for Catholic Education sustains, strengthens, and transforms Catholic schools through leadership formation, research, and service. Since its founding, ACE has served more than 250,000 students in Catholic schools across the country. ACE Teaching Fellows is the program’s flagship initiative, placing passionate, mission-driven educators in Catholic schools where they are needed most, while supporting their professional and spiritual formation.
For more information about ACE and its initiatives, visit ace.nd.edu.
Media Contact:
Christian Kendzierski
Executive Director of Communication
Archdiocese of Baltimore
410-547-5378
Media Contact:
Carrie Gates
Associate Director of Media Relations
University of Notre Dame
c.gates@nd.edu