Father Mark Peacock, pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, was honored by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) with a Lead. Learn. Proclaim. Award. at their national convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 6. The award recognizes an individual’s visionary leadership, commitment to academic excellence and deep commitment to the mission of Catholic school education. He is known for greeting students daily in the car line and being present both in classrooms and at extracurricular events. Under his leadership, Holy Spirit Catholic School has grown to become the largest parish elementary school in the diocese.
The ceremony was made even more meaningful by the incredible group of parishioners, staff, and supporters who traveled to cheer him on. Seeing such a large “home team” in the crowd was a true testament to the impact he has made on our community.
Prior to his assignment at Holy Spirit, Father Mark served for almost a decade as a Catholic school pastor at St. Patrick in Parnell. We are grateful for his dedication and his contributions to the growth of our parish schools. Congratulations, Father Mark!
Father Mark had a large show of support at the award dinner. l-r front: His daughter, Meggin; her husband; Fr. Mark; Bishop Walkowiak; Msgr. William Duncan, pastor of St. Sebastian Catholic Church; Superintendent Sarah Grey; Kate Muir, office manager; David and Michelle Brady, parishioners. Back: Fr. Nick Baker, parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, parishioner Chelsea Morrison and evangelization coordinator Michael Morrison.