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Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic School - Tustin

"If only I had a thousand lives" - Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac

Governance

Students write in notebooks at their desks in a brightly lit classroom.

Safeguarding Catholic Identity and Mission

Safeguarding the Catholic identity and mission of a school is not a single initiative—it is an ongoing, intentional way of leading, teaching, and forming community life so that everything remains centered on Christ and faithful to the Church’s vision of education.

Our Mission

Ensuring Alignment with Unitas and Church Teachings

Ensuring alignment with Unitas-The Evangelization Model of the Company of Mary and Church teachings is an ongoing act of fidelity and collaboration. It is less about compliance alone and more about sustaining unity with the wider Church while faithfully living the school’s Catholic mission in a sturdy, day-to-day way.

Our Vision

Engaging in Ongoing Formation and Self-evaluation

Engaging in ongoing formation and self-evaluation is how school leadership and governing members remain faithful, reflective, and responsive in their service to Catholic education. It ensures that leadership is not static, but continually growing in wisdom, clarity, and alignment with the Church’s mission and the school’s charism.

Core Values

Supporting Financial and Operational Sustainability

Supporting financial and operational sustainability is a key responsibility of governance that ensures the school can faithfully carry out its Catholic mission today and well into the future. In a Company of Mary inspired context, this work is always understood as stewardship, care for the resources entrusted to the community for the formation of students.

Governance

 

Stewardship of Mission and Accountability

The governing body serves as a shared expression of responsibility for the educational mission entrusted to the school in the spirit of the Company of Mary. Rooted in the vision of Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac, it ensures that all dimensions of school life remain faithful to the formation of the whole person—mind, heart, and spirit—while responding with wisdom and flexibility to the needs of today’s learners.

Grounded in the Company of Mary Educational Model, the governing body exercises its role as a collaborative and discerning presence that safeguards the school’s Catholic identity and charism. It holds responsibility for mission fidelity, long-term sustainability, and policy oversight, while intentionally fostering a culture where faith, reason, and compassion are integrated into all aspects of decision-making.

In partnership with the principal and leadership team, the governing body supports a shared leadership approach that reflects the Company of Mary’s emphasis on accompaniment, discernment, and formation. Its work is oriented toward ensuring that leadership decisions are consistent with Gospel values, attentive to the dignity of each person, and responsive to the evolving needs of students, families, and the broader Church.

Members of the governing body are united by a commitment to the educational mission of the Company of Mary and participate in ongoing formation that deepens their understanding of Catholic education, the charism of Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac, and the signs of the times. This formation strengthens their capacity to serve with prudence, humility, and clarity of purpose.

 

In communion with the local parishes and diocesan guidance, the governing body fosters relationships built on trust, dialogue, and shared mission. It collaborates with faculty, staff, families, and parish partners to ensure that the school remains a place of encounter with Christ—where students are formed as thoughtful, compassionate, and purposeful individuals prepared to serve the world.

Ultimately, the governing body exists to preserve and advance the educational vision of the Company of Mary: a faith-filled learning community where love of God, love of neighbor, and love of learning are lived daily, and where each student is accompanied in becoming the person God is calling them to be.

Catholic Identity at the Center

At the heart of governance and leadership is a commitment to Jesus Christ and the mission of the Church. Every policy, practice, and initiative is guided by this foundation, ensuring that our school remains a place where faith is lived, learned, and celebrated each day.

Organizational Chart

Under a unified international governance centered in Rome, the Company of Mary continues to serve through provinces, delegations, and apostolic ministries around the world. Each community carries forward the educational mission in ways that are attentive to local needs while remaining faithfully connected to the broader charism and identity of the Order.

  • The General Government

    The General Government consists of the Superior General and four sisters who together form a community of discernment at the service of the mission. The General Government is the bond of union between the different Provinces and Delegations. It is based in Rome.

    The Superior General Sister Mª Rita Calvo Sanz, O.D.N. (Center)

    Sister Mª Cristina Sanz García, O.D.N.; Sister Gabriela Betancur Gómez, O.D.N.; Sister Patience Masika, O.D.N. and Sister Yoshie Arai, O.D.N.

    Sisters of the Company of Mary Governance Team Photo

  • Superior of the Province of the Pacific

    Sister Maria Helana Peña, O.D.N.

  • Provincial Administator

    Sister Gloria Cecilia Londono, O.D.N.

    Chief Financial Officer

    Marcos Ramirez

    Business Manager

    Irma Contreras

    Human Resource Director

    Maria Martinez

  • Principal

    Sister Cecilia Durán, O.D.N.

    Vice–Principal

    Allison Spillman

    Director of Mission & Faith Formation

    Sister Cecilia Durán, O.D.N.

     

  • Commitment to Mission

    The governing body, with the administration and leadership teams, ensures policies support mission fidelity, justice, equity, and leadership continuity.

  • Sisters of the Company of Mary, Our Lady

    As a ministry of the Company of Mary Our Lady, our school shares in a rich and enduring tradition of Catholic education that extends across four continents. This global presence reflects a living commitment to the mission of the universal Church—responding with creativity, faith, and purpose to help build the Kingdom of God through education.

  • Fidelity to guiding principles and mission

    The governing body operates in fidelity to its approved constitution and bylaws, guided by the principles of Unitas, the Evangelical Model (Signa), and the Pedagogical Model of the Company of Mary.