Moments after the surprise announcement on Oct. 21 that Dr. Harold Thomas Jr. is the 2026-27 school year’s Distinguished Principal of the Year for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, he shared the spotlight with students from St. Francis Xavier Catholic Academy and St. Thomas More Catholic Academy in Washington, who stood on either side of him holding banners as they posed for photos.
For the past two school years, he has served as the principal of both Catholic schools. Since 2013, he has led St. Francis Xavier Catholic Academy, after earlier serving as the principal there from 2006-2010, following in the footsteps of his late father, Harold Thomas Sr., who served as principal there after a career in government service. And beginning in the 2025-26 school year, Dr. Thomas has also been the principal at St. Thomas More Catholic Academy. Both schools are part of the Consortium of Catholic Academies, which also includes Sacred Heart School and St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington.
“This award is ours. I thank from the bottom of my heart both of our schools, our parents, and all these beautiful students I’m so happy to see again,” said Dr. Thomas, who was back at work walking with a crutch after several weeks of recuperation following surgery on his knee tendon.
The principal joked, “If I could come back like this every time, I’ll do it to the other leg.” Then after also thanking the school’s administrative staff members and teachers for their dedicated work, he added, “I couldn’t do this without all of you… I accept this for all of us.”
In his remarks, Dr. Thomas said that St. Francis Xavier and St. Thomas More “are beautiful schools… I could not be happier to serve both of these school communities.”
The announcement of his honor came during a prayer service at St. Thomas More Church that brought together all the students from both St. Francis Xavier and St. Thomas More for the first time. The prayer service began with a choir from St. Thomas More Catholic Academy leading students and the adults present in singing, “How Great is Our God.”
“As children of God, we are called to love one another in peace and harmony. We come together to unite as one in God’s love,” said St. Francis Xavier student Xylah Sellman, one of the prayer leaders.
Presiding at the prayer service were Father Raymond Moore, who has served as the pastor of St. Thomas More since 2007, and Father Cezary Kozubek, the new administrator of St. Francis Xavier Parish.
Father Moore, who had earlier served as an associate pastor at St. Francis Xavier Parish, praised the two schools, saying, “As I look back over the years, I’m so glad we’re still here, still professing the same faith in Jesus Christ and sharing that with other people, and making this world a better place.”
Speaking at the prayer service, Kelly Branaman, the Secretary for Catholic Schools and Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Washington, said, “What a wonderful tribute to the students, teachers and communities to come together. You might be different schools, in different classrooms, but you are one in one mission.” She noted that the schools are also part of the mission of the consortium and of the archdiocese, “to bring light to the world and faith to those we encounter.”
Branaman added that she was there for a surprise. “Every year in the Archdiocese of Washington, we honor an outstanding principal. That principal exemplifies extraordinary leadership in a Catholic school… Our principals exemplify what it means to walk in the light of Christ and to share their light with others.”
Those principals, she said, build strong school communities and set high expectations for students in their academics and faith formation.
Then she announced that Dr. Harold Thomas Jr. is this school year’s Distinguished Principal of the Year for the Archdiocese of Washington, and the students, teachers, staff and guests in the church erupted in applause and cheers, and gave their principal a standing ovation. Moments later, students from St. Thomas More and St. Francis Xavier came forward holding posters with drawings and messages congratulating and thanking their principal, who was handed a gift basket and balloons.
After his honor was announced, Dr. Camille Brown Privette, the president of the Consortium of Catholic Academies, praised the principal, saying, “This is a wonderful, wonderful Catholic educator, and a wonderful Catholic gentleman. He exemplifies the discipleship that Jesus calls us to.”
In a statement, Kelly Branaman said, “Dr. Harold Thomas Jr. exemplifies steadfast, faith-filled leadership and the power of community building in Catholic education. Through his more than two decades of service, he has strengthened Catholic identity, built relationships rooted in trust, and fostered school communities where students, families, and educators can thrive. We are proud to recognize his outstanding leadership as the Archdiocese of Washington’s 2026–2027 Distinguished Principal of the Year.”
The guests at the prayer service included the principal’s mother, Ann Thomas; his wife Monica Thomas and their son Trenton, who is a senior at Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda; and the principal’s sister, Staci McDuffie, and her daughter and his niece Tayhlor Payne.
His father, Harold Thomas Sr., died in 2020. He was a lawyer who previously served in the U.S. Army, and worked as a government official on the federal and local levels, and served as the executive secretary to the D.C. Board of Education. He worked as a special education teacher in D.C. public schools while obtaining his law degree from Howard University, and after retiring from public service, he worked for several years as the principal of St Francis Xavier Catholic Academy and served for a short time as the executive director of the Center City School Consortium, now known as the Consortium of Catholic Academies. When his son and namesake became the principal at St. Francis Xavier, Harold Thomas Sr. volunteered at the school.
Being an educational leader is a family legacy for the Thomases. Ann Thomas served as an administrator for 25 years and as a teacher for 17 years for D.C. Public Schools.
Asked about her reaction to her son being named as the archdiocese’s Principal of the Year, Ann Thomas said, “I am so proud of him, and I know his father is smiling down on him today.” She said her son’s work has been shaped by his father’s example.
“He was a role model for him all of his life. My husband was a wonderful person and a great leader also,” Ann Thomas said.
Staci McDuffie serves as the assistant principal of Charles Hart Middle School in Washington, which is located near St. Thomas More Catholic Academy. She said her brother reflects the educational leadership that their parents demonstrated. “He is incredibly honest and full of integrity,” she said, adding that he “maintains a standard and expectation of excellence at all times” for his students.
And the award-winning principal’s sister added, “I think he got his just due. He’s running two schools on one leg, and that’s impressive!”
In an interview after the prayer service, Dr. Harold Thomas Jr. said that when it was proposed to him that he also serve as the principal of St. Thomas More Catholic Academy in addition to continuing to lead St. Francis Xavier Catholic Academy, he conferred with his mother, and he also thought about his father’s dedication to supporting Catholic schools in Southeast Washington.
“Where we’re similar is in our pride in our community. He led with a lot of character. He was an advocate, especially for those who were marginalized… He viewed his position in education as a servant to the community,” said Dr. Harold Thomas Jr. of his father.
Reflecting on that legacy, he agreed to serve as the principal of St. Thomas More and St. Francis Xavier. “I said I’ll do what I can for both schools,” he said.
Deidre Shuler, who teaches the fifth grade at St. Thomas More Catholic Academy and is in her 23rd year teaching there, praised Dr. Thomas as a “kind, compassionate and caring” principal who “knows the needs of the schools, the teachers and the students.”
That point was echoed by Jimi Wills, the Spanish instructor at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Academy, who said in an email interview, “I have worked for and with Dr. Thomas for 17 years. He has been a principal who leads by example, a role model to students and staff, and a supervisor who truly cares about both. He exemplifies what it means to be a man of God in service of others and shows us all how to do the same. It has been an honor to work for him.”
Shuler praised Dr. Thomas for taking on the challenge of leading both schools. “It takes a courageous person to step up and say ‘yes’ and do the calling,” she said.
Dr. Thomas had once thought about becoming a lawyer, and he had not thought about a career in Catholic education, but in 2006, the opportunity arose to become the principal at St. Francis Xavier and follow in his father’s footsteps there. “The Catholic school chose me, and I fell in love,” he said.
In 2023, he earned an educational doctorate in innovative administration from Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.
He praised the community spirit of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Academy, which serves about 160 students, and the perseverance and teamwork at St. Thomas More Catholic Academy, which serves about 135 students.
“At both school communities, we take students where they are… and they thrive if they stay with us, spiritually and academically,” Dr. Thomas said. Speaking after the prayer service, he said, “It’s obvious to me today these kids love each other. They love their teachers.”
The Archdiocese of Washington’s new Principal of the Year wore a long-sleeved polo shirt, with the logos of both schools, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Academy and St. Thomas More Catholic Academy, across his chest. One of the school parents had made the specially designed shirts for him.
“I accept it (this honor) on behalf of both school communities, and it’s justification for the work we do,” Dr. Thomas said.
Link to Father’s Day story from 2021 by Richard Szczepanowski:
