New President Named at Bishop Hendricken

New President Named at Bishop Hendricken

Bishop Thomas Tobin, Bishop of the Diocese of Providence, has announced the appointment of Rev. Robert L. Marciano ’75 as president of Bishop Hendricken High School.

Marciano assumes his new position on January 1, 2019. He is taking over for John Jackson who retired this month after 46 years at Bishop Hendricken High School, the last 8 of which he served as president. Rev. Marciano will continue his role as pastor of St. Kevin Church and School, Warwick and as Administrator of St. Benedict Parish, Warwick.

In a letter to Fr. Marciano, Bishop Tobin said, “You have already established a well-deserved reputation for your devotion to and commitment to Bishop Hendricken High School, and there is no doubt that you possess the personal passion and talents required to fulfill the office successfully. I am most grateful for your willingness to assume this new position in addition to your other serious pastoral responsibilities.”

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“We conducted a national search and found the strongest candidate less than a mile away,” said Superintendent of Schools Daniel Ferris.  “Standing on the shoulders of the [Edmund Rice Christian] Brothers and the solid, mission-centered leadership of John Jackson, we are confident Marciano will swiftly advance the overall excellence of the school and secure an exceptional future built on his countless relationships with alumni and friends. Hendricken is a school to watch.  In the coming years, under Marciano’s vision and direction, we’re going to see great things with expanded programs, new facilities and unprecedented enrollment growth.”

In his role as president of Bishop Hendricken High School, Marciano will lead the entire school community in promoting and advancing its mission, ministry, vision, philosophy, Roman Catholic faith and spirituality of Blessed Edmund Rice. He will also be responsible for strategic planning, institutional advancement, financial stewardship, and preparations for the largest capital campaign in the school’s history.

“As a 1975 graduate of Bishop Hendricken High School, I am honored and humbled by the appointment of Bishop Tobin to the position of president,” said Marciano. “I follow in the footsteps of Mr. John Jackson, class of 1971, who has served with distinction and solid faith these last 8 years. This great institution, soon to celebrate its 60th year, has been a place of Catholic faith and academic excellence that has ranked among the very best in the nation. Young men come to us to be shaped by the Roman Catholic traditions and values of integrity, virtue, goodness and faith and grow to be leaders in our Church and our society. I am honored and pleased to do my part now as a member of the Hendricken team to lead us forward and to continue to make Bishop Hendricken High School a proud part of the Diocese and the Church that we love and call home.”

Ordained a Roman Catholic priest on December 10, 1983, Father Marciano has over 30 years of experience in various pastoral settings including parish administration, parochial school administration, military and public service chaplaincies, community boards and civic involvement. Marciano has a gospel focused approach to education and parish life and an often quoted insistence that no child should be denied an education in a Catholic school because of a family’s finances.

Marciano, a 1975 graduate of Bishop Hendricken High School, has been pastor of St. Kevin Church and School in Warwick since 2012 and Administrator of Saint Benedict Parish, Warwick since 2017. Among his many accolades, Marciano serves as Chaplain and a team member of the Campus Ministry at Bryant University, Chaplain of the Warwick Fire Department and served as a Chaplain in the Rhode Island Air National Guard from 1994-2016.