Longtime supporters of Immaculata High School, Jim and Marybeth Hannan will be recognized by the school for their commitment to advancing its mission through service and stewardship in the community.
Immaculata is set to confer the honor at its annual Mackie Award Brunch and Golf Classic to be held this year on November 5th at the Raritan Valley Country Club, 747 West Route 28, Bridgewater, just off the Somerville Circle. More information and sponsorship and registration options can be found at: immaculatahighschool.org/golfclassic.
“When we first moved into the parish as newlyweds, we were truly amazed at the mission and ministries of the Church of the Immaculate Conception and that we had a unique and remarkable, comprehensive educational system,” said Jim Hannan., a member of Immaculata High School’s Board of Limited Jurisdiction.
The couple first joined the Church of Immaculate Conception in 1988 and subsequently sent their children - Sean ’09, Kerry ’11, and Colleen ’14 - through both of its schools, Immaculate Conception School, serving students from grades pre-k through 8, and Immaculata High School.
“We were easily pulled into the energy and camaraderie of the community. Our family has been blessed with so many lasting friendships forged along the way,” said Marybeth.
With a 35-year history as parishioners, the Hannans hold a lengthy list of volunteerism to the church and school community, with Jim having served as co-chairman of the 2015 Capital Campaign, the inaugural “Field of Dreams” committee, as a founding trustee of the Spartan Educational Foundation, and a member of the parish’s Finance Council and, as mentioned, the high school’s Board of Limited Jurisdiction. Marybeth has served as the treasurer of the Spartan Parent Club, was a regular volunteer at Immaculate Conception School and Immaculata High School, and was a longstanding member of the school’s fashion show committee.
“In our service, we have received much more than what we have given,” said Hannan. “Our two schools are really jewels in our parish.”
Jim is a graduate of Bayley-Ellard High School, Madison, and Villanova University and is a partner and practice leader at the accounting and advisory firm of Withum Smith + Brown. Marybeth is a graduate of St. Aloysius High School, Jersey City, and Seton Hall University and is the business manager of Holy Savior Academy in South Plainfield.
For both Jim and Marybeth, Catholic school education has been fundamental in their own lives and also the lives of their children and continues to be a focal point for them in the hopes they might help others experience that same gift they once received.
The Hannans conveyed that “Certainly, a big part of who we are is the faith that our parents instilled in each of us and the values of Catholic school education. In reading the list of prior Mackie Award recipients, we are indeed humbled to receive the award and join the roster of great people who have done so much in supporting Immaculata over the years.”