By Amy White
The Texas Catholic

The fourth of seven children in a military family, Rebecca Rosa moved from school to school as a child, attending nine primary schools total—private, public, and military. But it wasn’t until she attended Memphis Catholic Middle and High School that her Catholic faith formation really blossomed.

“It was the first time in my life where I had something stable and solid, and where my faith was included as an everyday practice that only grew. It’s also the place where I was taught what it meant to be a good person and where I was taught to look outside of my world and go out and do more,” Rosa said.

Now, as the new principal of St. Patrick Catholic School in Dallas, Rosa wants to pass along those fruits of Catholic education to the students in Dallas.

“I’m coming to St. Patrick’s with an appreciation for what it means to be able to be in a Catholic school, to be able to worship as a Catholic, and to be able to move together with people who share the same faith and, even if they’re not Catholic, the same purpose,” she said.

After graduating from Memphis Catholic in 1999, Rosa earned her associate degree in pre-law and her bachelor’s and master’s in political science from Memphis University. She began teaching at Bishop Byrne Middle and High School in Memphis, before returning to her alma mater, Memphis Catholic, where she served as the theology department chair. The school eventually transitioned into a charter school, Compass Community School Midtown Campus; there, Rosa took on the roles of dean of students and dean of culture. This year, she made her way to St. Patrick in Dallas.

Rosa said she was attracted to St. Patrick by the school’s focus on service learning and restorative practices, two of her educational passions. Service learning includes identifying, studying, and addressing a community issue before reflecting on the experience and sharing about it with others. Restorative practices is a form of mediation focusing on repairing relationships after trust has been breached.

“It’s just a humbling feeling,” Rosa said, “to be a part of developing those things even further and partnering with my teachers and my parents to create a shared vision around it.”

Martha Trujillo, assistant principal at St. Patrick, said that Rosa is committed to creating a school culture where students feel supported and empowered to live their faith.

“In our Catholic tradition, education is not merely a process of intellectual development but also a means to foster holistic growth—spiritually, morally, and socially,” Trujillo shared. “By nurturing a culture rooted in compassion, respect, and justice, [Rosa] strives to create an environment where every student feels valued and empowered.”

“Though we’ve only had the pleasure of working with Rebecca Rosa for a short time we can already see that she is a perfect fit for St. Patrick,” Jason and Rachel Sangworn, presidents of the Parent Teacher Association at St. Patrick, said. “Her dedication to strengthening our community and incorporating our Catholic faith into our daily lives truly embodies the spirit of our school.”

Recalling the impact of Catholic school in her own early life, Rosa considered the impact she would like her new school home, St. Patrick, to have on its students.

“I always want our students to be able to know that when you come into St. Patrick’s, you’re coming into a family space where you are safe, where you are loved, where you’re supported, where you’re appreciated. Not just our students either—our parents and our faculty too,” Rosa said. “We are one community together in one faith with one purpose, and it’s our job to take care of each other.

“For me, the feeling of being at St. Patrick’s is one of gratitude. I am so grateful that the teachers and the parents in the parish have worked so hard to create the community that they’ve created at St. Patrick’s,” she reflected. “It’s a really strong community. It’s a beautiful community… It feels very much like home.”

Editor’s note: Find more stories about new administrators and coverage celebrating Catholic schools in the Diocese of Dallas in our Aug. 23 print edition.