Alumni
Once a Saint, Always a Saint!
Since opening our doors in 1955, St. Ann Catholic School has been forming hearts and minds in faith, friendship, and excellence. Our alumni are an essential part of that story — the living legacy that began here and continues to flourish beyond our walls. Your connection to St. Ann is a lifelong bond, and your support helps ensure that future generations can experience the same nurturing community and Christ-centered education that shaped you.
Join us in giving back to the school that helped build your foundation. Together, we can continue Raising Saints for years to come.
Alumni Spotlight: Brian Kennelly '93
Mr. Brian Kennelly is a proud St. Ann alumnus from the Class of 1993 whose journey has led him into Catholic education and publishing. He currently teaches Theology at Charlotte Catholic High School and remains closely connected to the MACS community. We are pleased to feature Brian in this alumni spotlight as he reflects on his time at St. Ann and the lasting impact it has had on his life.
Tell us about your career - Where do you work, how long have you been there, what is your current role?
In 2022 I began teaching Theology at Charlotte Catholic High School. Before that I worked for TAN Books, one of the largest Catholic publishers in the country, serving for the last five years as an editor. My experience working there and reading dozens of Catholic texts and spiritual classics formed me well to come teach high school religion. It’s wonderful to be a part of the MACS community and teach many students from St. Ann’s!
Have you had an opportunity to return and visit St. Ann?
I am at St. Ann’s on a weekly basis as we attend Mass there each Sunday. It has the best liturgy in town! Our entire family has had many connections to St. Ann’s. My brother and I were second generation students there, as my father went there before us.
How did your time at St. Ann shape who you are today?
I owe a great deal to St. Ann’s. It was the womb that formed my Catholic identity. I don’t think I would have gone on to work at a Catholic book publisher and teach religion at a Catholic school without the foundation and catechesis I received at there. I would also say that St. Ann’s nurtured my relationship with the Blessed Mother, whom I am very close to. This no doubt came through the intercession of St. Ann, but I also vividly remember the statue of Mary in the sanctuary (which is still there) and how much I just loved looking at her face. When I picture Mary to this day in my mind, I always picture the statue of her at St. Ann’s. When my wife became pregnant with our third child, we went to St. Ann’s with our other two children and, in the empty church, opened the envelope that told us it was a girl, our little Lucy. Ever since then Lucy has had a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin and I can’t help but think that has something to do with it.
Do you have a favorite memory or tradition from your time at St. Ann?
As a student, I think my best memory was being asked to do a reading at the First Communion Mass for my grade. I was very nervous, but it was an honor. Other great memories include playing IFBL basketball for St. Ann’s, and field trips where we walked down to Freedom Park and the Nature Museum. If I remember correctly, we had field day at Freedom Park, which was always a lot of fun.
If you could describe St. Ann in one word, what would it be?
Tradition
What advice would you give to other alumni or companies considering supporting St. Ann?
I would say that there may be no better place to put your charitable donation than St. Ann’s. With the world and culture we live in today, we have to give children a safe womb to grow in until they are ready to enter the world. St. Ann’s forms students, but more importantly they form princes and princesses of Christ’s Kingdom.
New Release: The Savios by Brian Kennelly '93
In December, Brian returned to St. Ann to visit our St. Jerome Book Battle Club, speaking with students, answering their questions, and signing his book Island of Two Trees. His visit gave students a meaningful opportunity to connect with an alumnus who has turned his love of storytelling into a successful writing career, while reflecting on how his time at St. Ann continues to inspire his work.
Brian has since released a new novel, The Savios. He shared, “The novel is about a group of altar boys in 1960s Boston who go to war with the Irish mob after one of their father’s is murdered. Believe it or not, I had the idea for the story while sitting in the pews at St. Ann’s. I saw the long line of altar boys marching up the aisle, and I thought they looked like knights or soldiers going to war… something clicked.”
He added that while the book includes some action, it is appropriate for readers ages 14 and up and expressed hope that older St. Ann students, especially altar servers, will enjoy it. His novel is available through Amazon - Click here for more information.
