PoP hires new assistant principal

Joseph F. O’Toole Jr. joined the Prince of Peace Catholic School staff as assistant principal in July. He holds a doctoral degree in ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation, a master of arts in theology and ministry from LaSalle University, a certification in religious education from Saint Charles Seminary and a bachelor of arts in organizational management and ethics from Eastern University. O’Toole succeeds Andy Rothery who is now principal at Our Lady of the Valley School.

His career accomplishments include both leadership and classroom roles in Catholic education and parish life. Most recently, O’Toole was principal of John Carroll Catholic High School and, prior to that, he taught theology and was director of service there. He was principal of a Minnesota Catholic high school where he taught theology and chaired the crisis management team before moving to Birmingham.

In addition to his experience in Catholic school education, O’Toole has been a spiritual care director at a large senior living community in Minnesota; a parish administrator; and a director of religious education at a Pennsylvania parish.  Before his work in Catholic parish life and education, O’Toole was a police officer in Philadelphia and owned an investigative service and a general contracting company.

O’Toole and his wife Marie moved to Hoover in 2016 to be closer to his daughter’s family and join them as members of Prince of Peace.   

“When we attended Mass here, we were completely taken with the welcoming and engaging personal connectedness of the Prince of Peace parish and knew we wanted to become a part of it,” O’Toole said.

Submitted by Prince of Peace Catholic School.