How One Catholic Principal Is Shaping the Next Generation of Leaders

If you walk into Holy Redeemer Grade School, you’ll likely find its principal, Sister Kateri Marie Burbee, sharing a laugh with a student, warmly greeting a parent at the front door, or kindly answering a teacher’s question.

Burbee, who is a member of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), has been the principal at Holy Redeemer for the past five years. Her enthusiastic approach to leadership stems from her strong faith and extensive background in education.

After graduating from Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH with a degree in education in 2003, she dedicated two years to missionary service on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota, an experience that helped confirm her calling to teach. “I think I always knew I was meant to be a teacher,” she reflected. “Now, as a principal, it all comes together—grade school is such a key time in a child’s life.” She finds special joy in watching students grow in academics and in their excitement to explore their faith.

Burbee’s more than 15 years of experience as a religious sister and 12 years of classroom experience have ensured that the more-than-140-year-old school continues to flourish in both faith and academics. Her work is mission-driven and shaped by a holistic view of Catholic education.

This mission is especially important at Holy Redeemer. With 95% of its student body identifying as Hispanic, Burbee has helped make the school into a cultural and spiritual haven for local families. This sense of community is one of the many reasons why Burbee continues the school’s mission. “Southwest Detroit is really a remarkable neighborhood,” Burbee said. “I am inspired daily by the parents and the students. They just have such love, reverence, and devotion to our Lord.”

Through her connection with parents and the local community, Burbee has seen the importance of limiting financial barriers in attending the school. “We try to have the tuition at a cost that parents can actually afford,” Burbee said. “The cost of educating a student in a Michigan private school is $9,150. We ask parents to pay $4,200, and 95% of our students receive some form of scholarship.”

It’s a mission that not only inspires students and families but also her colleagues. Lisa Swanson has worked alongside Burbee for five years now as a grant writer. She explains that working with Burbee is a pleasure in itself. “She’s very much dedicated to her mission and her values, and she really helps with the success of the kids in the school. She goes above and beyond anything that’s asked of her,” Swanson said. She further adds that she loves her job because of the school’s guiding mission. “I think it’s very valuable to the community to be able to maintain an independent private school with Christian values in Southwest Detroit,” Swanson says.

Burbee has also made sure that Holy Redeemer offers more than affordable tuition. She says that a central part of their mission is to offer students “a school experience that excels in faith, academics, and service.” The school is fully accredited by the Michigan Non-Public School Accrediting Association and offers a rigorous academic curriculum along with a variety of enriching programs such as a coding and robotics program, a Kithara Guitar Project, and a new study room and play space for students.

The school also holds weekly mass, incorporates Catholic teachings into its curriculum, and frequently organizes service projects. One such service project saw students collecting socks for a local warming shelter. Another, during Catholic Schools Week, raised over $900, surpassing their goal of $150, to support a Catholic school in California affected by wildfires. “The kids were so generous,” she said. “They understand that being Catholic means serving others.”

That commitment to service also extends to addressing larger social issues. In response to recent concerns around immigration, Burbee made an effort to create a safe space for students and their families. “We met with each classroom just to talk about the issues and how they were feeling,” Burbee said. “We want to dispel all fear and (instill) trust that God is taking care of us.”

School efforts like these strengthen students and prepare them for what’s ahead, extending Burbee’s impact beyond the walls of Holy Redeemer. Ines Leal, director of admissions at Detroit Cristo Rey High School, sees it firsthand in the students who apply from Holy Redeemer each year. “Our applicants from Holy Redeemer come with a strong background in academic excellence and service to the community,” she said. “They arrive already involved, many serve during mass or are involved in robotics and continue those passions here.”

Leal notes that students from Holy Redeemer often even enroll in algebra classes as 8th graders, a class often taken in high school. “They’re eager to learn and eager to help one another, traits that clearly reflect Sister Kateri’s compassionate leadership and love for education.” Leal believes that strong Catholic schools like Holy Redeemer play a vital role in shaping not just scholars, but young people who live out gospel values through service, qualities that make them stand out in any high school setting.

One such example is Miranda Alonso, a Holy Redeemer alum and intern who earned a full, four-year scholarship worth $350,000 to the University of Notre Dame through the prestigious QuestBridge National College Match program. Now studying Finance and Chinese, Miranda reflects on how her time at Holy Redeemer, and especially her relationship with Sister Kateri, shaped her.

Miranda credits her formation at Holy Redeemer with teaching her essential life values. “Alongside critical soft skills such as adaptability and collaboration, I was also able to learn to better display humility and kindness through Sr. Kateri, among other faculty members at the school.” Even now, the relationship continues. “During my freshman year at Notre Dame, I was even visited by both Sr. Kateri and Ms. Ilov, who were incredibly supportive and proud of my accomplishments.”

Looking to the future, Burbee is optimistic. She hopes to increase enrollment and to continue strengthening the school’s spiritual and academic foundation. “Every year, our goal is to improve,” she said. “We want to grow spiritually, academically, and even improve our campus.”

Stemming from that goal, Holy Redeemer is now hoping to reach more families and encourage them to consider a Catholic education. “We want to find the best fit for each child,” Burbee said. “Not every school is the right fit for every student, but if parents come and tour our school, talk to our families, they’ll see the difference.” That difference, according to Burbee, is the school’s mission to form students who are “proudly Catholic” and ready to share their faith in the world.

As students graduate from Redeemer, they do just that: They carry knowledge from service projects, a strong commitment to faith, skills in science, math, and the arts, and the guiding example of a principal who leads with care and purpose, helping them thrive as they navigate the next steps of their lives.