Faustin Weber

Mr. Faustin Weber joined Prince of Peace as school president in 2022.  The 2024-25 school year is his 40th in Catholic education and his 36th as principal or president. 

Weber grew up in Mobile, AL, a product of K-12 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Mobile. He attended K-6 at St. Ignatius, and 7-8 at Heart of Mary, and graduated from McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in 1980. He then went to the University of Notre Dame, where he earned both a B.A. in Liberal Arts  (1984) and an M.A. degree in Systematic Theology (1985), with the intent to get a Ph.D in theology. Before doing that, however, he decided to take a one year "sabbatical" from academia, and in 1985, was hired as an English and Theology teacher and asst. basketball coach at Catholic High in Montgomery, AL. That year, he fell in love twice: first, with teaching high school kids,  and second, with Diane, who was a Science and Math teacher in the same school. They married that June, and he's worked in the K-12 world ever since. 

After teaching Theology and English for four years, he became Principal of Catholic High, and twelve years later, became the school's President. All of those years, he continued to teach at least one theology class. While president, he led the Montgomery Catholic community in a strategic plan to convert two K-8 parish schools into K-6 schools, then built a 7-8 middle school on the high school campus, then combined all these schools into a single K-12 school under the banner "one school on three campuses," and then renamed the school "Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School." K-12 enrollment grew by 25% during his 7 years as president within this new paradigm. 

In 2008, Weber left Montgomery to become the second headmaster of Pope John Paul II High School Nashville, TN. which was just six years old. During his years as head, he led the school to pay down on its original debt, increased annual giving, secured multiple legacy gifts, developed a multi-year strategic plan, added a new track, soccer stadium, batting cages, and a concessions/restrooms pavilion. The school also upgraded its weight room and renovated its football stadium.  Particular strengths during his tenure included a strong Advanced Placement program, marked by 100+ A.P. Scholars each year, a Christian Service program, with students giving over 25,000 of service to the community each year,  and an exceptional Choral program. 

In 2015, Mr. Weber returned home to the Mobile area to serve as the founding Principal of St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope. The school opened a year later. Weber authored the mission statement, hired all teachers and staff, set the curriculum, recruited students and families, and launched a high-caliber academic, fine arts and athletic program (including a football team now coached by 17-year starting NFL quarterback and eight-time Pro Bowler, Philip Rivers). The A.P. program thrived, with 49 and 51 A.P. Scholars in 2021 and 2022, respectively--strong for a school of 350 students. Capital improvements included the purchase of 40 acres of adjacent land, doubling the size of the campus, and the building of a field house,  with a weight room, coaches' offices, and locker rooms. The life of faith was palpable,  anchored by weekly Mass and enriched by morning prayer, sound teaching and Christian service. Four young men in the school's first three graduating classes entered into the seminary. Enrollment maxed out and philanthropy soared. No student was turned away from the school because of an inability to pay during his tenure. 

In 2022,  wishing to be closer to their daughter and five grandchildren In Dallas, he and his wife moved to Texas,  where he was hired as president of Prince of Peace, sharing in the leadership of the school with the principal. Now in his third year,  he has focused on improvements to the school's facilities--including a new school media center and renovated gym--and has prioritized student safety, adding a security fence around the school's building and grounds, hiring an armed school marshal during school hours, and installing security cameras throughout.  Other improvements include a new mission statement, a re-activated Booster Club, new logo and branding, new hallway lighting, a newly turfed playground, new classroom HVAC units and cosmetic improvements to the interior hallways and school grounds.  Enrollments and giving are both trending markedly higher. 

Outside of school, Weber has authored a text on Catholic social teachings, served as an educational consultant and worked on numerous accreditation teams. He has presented at national conferences on a wide range of topics. He currently maintains two blogs pertaining to Catholic education: "The Catholic Educator" and "Ideas in Catholic Education," and frequently posts almost daily on "LinkedIn."

Asked to explain his life long commitment to Catholic education, Weber is direct: 

"The culture of faith in Catholic schools elevates students' expectations of themselves, calling them to become the persons God has designed them to be.  I am privileged to be part of that! "

Mr. Weber and  Diane have been married for 38 years. They have four adult children and ten grandchildren, all younger than nine years old. They are active members of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Plano. 

Mr. Weber's hobbies include reading, writing, watching sports, and playing games of strategy, especially Chess and Scrabble. But, he adds, "we spend much of our time with our daughter's family and our grandchildren, and we're good with that!"