Mrs. Therese Legas
Distinguished Lasallian Educator
Baltimore District
2005–06
In his Fifth Meditation for the Time of Retreat, focused on the role of the teacher as being similar to that of the Guardian Angel, St. John Baptist de La Salle reflects, “How much easier is it for children to fall over some precipice, because they are weak in mind as well as body, and have little understanding of what is for their own good. Therefore they need the light of watchful guides to lead them on the path of salvation, guides who have an adequate understanding of things concerning piety, and a knowledge of the ordinary faults of young people.”
One can only imagine that thirty consecutive years spent in the discipline office of a large all-boys Catholic high school would open a person’s eyes to the ordinary faults of young people quite widely! In acknowledging the work of Central Catholic High School’s Mrs. Therese Legas, though, the Mission Council of the Baltimore District has chosen to highlight her fidelity to being a “watchful guide” for the many generations of young Vikings who had occasion to visit “Office D,” whether in good times or in bad.
When Mrs. Legas first became involved at Central, she chose the more typical route for mothers in the 1960. She signed on as a parent volunteer when her elder son enrolled in 1969. Four years later she became a Board of Education employee assigned to work at Central Catholic. The obviously superior and meticulous quality of her work led to her becoming an employee of Central Catholic itself when a secretarial position became open in 1975.
Since Mrs. Legas came to Central in 1969, seven Brothers have served as principal. Nine men have sat behind the academic affairs desk in Office B. Though she now works closely with Brother Robert Schaefer, FSC and Mr. Richard Capretta, most of Mrs. Legas’ time in Office D was spent with another Central legend, the late Mr. James Wheeler. If St. La Salle instructed his teachers to show the “firmness of a father” towards the students “in withdrawing them from evil,” he also invited them to manifest “the tenderness of a mother in gathering them together, and in doing them all the good in your power.” Central Catholic surely had that balancing act down to a science in the years of the Wheeler-Legas duo. Yet that approach continues today, even in quieter times, as Mary Ann Lynch, Central’s English Department Chair, observes: “Therese ‘educates’ our young men in many and varied ways-she is kind and loving to the frightened freshman, tough and strict to the experienced senior and always genuinely caring to all the young men who come before her.”
“A model of stability and fidelity to the mission,” as Brother Robert Schaefer, FSC calls her, Mrs. Legas is also a woman of precision and exactitude. It is not unknown to those with some school experience that the occasional teacher will make the odd mistake in recording attendance now and again. Therese, however, is all over that eventuality, detecting, correcting, and highlighting the oversight with the hope that all involved will find the error unrepeatable.
As her early years volunteering at Central Catholic suggest, Mrs. Legas is generous and committed; she has a long résumé of involvement with people and groups within and beyond Central Catholic. In early years she served as an officer with the Music Parents’ Association and the Mothers’ Guild. She volunteered as a seamstress for the color guard and a chaperone for the band bus. In her parish, now called Prince of Peace, she served as vice president of the Christian Mothers, a member of the Parish Council and chairperson/treasurer for the parish centenary celebrations. In her private life, Mrs. Legas is the mother of five and has numerous grandchildren.
If Lasallian schools and agencies function “together and by association,” the group called to be responsible for the young people entrusted to our care must by definition be inclusive. Teachers, administrators, staff, parents, coaches and alumni all have roles to play. The choice of Mrs. Therese Legas as Distinguished Lasallian Educator for the Baltimore District during this coming year is a tribute by extension to all that administrative assistants and support staff do to fulfill our educational mission. In the words of Brother Robert Schafer, “Many times the secretaries are the ‘unsung heroes,’ the oil that makes the machine work.”
In summary, Brother Principal Richard Grzeskiewicz, FSC observes, “Therese Legas is a competent, dedicated and moral person who is a fine person and is an outstanding role model for our students. She truly exemplifies the qualities of a Lasallian educator.” Though she is the age of most students’ grandmothers, she bridges that gap through simple, timeless techniques: vigilance, personal attention, dedication, good example, and a gentle firmness. Brother Robert remarks, “She has had the opportunity to reach out in very simple yet meaningful ways to the students-an admonition here or encouraging words there-always at the right moment.”
Perhaps the words of another woman with the same name capture most succinctly the achievement for which we honor Mrs. Legas this year. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta once advised her followers, “It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.”
Congratulations, Mrs. Legas, and thank you for the love you have put into 36 years of giving at Central Catholic!
Brother Joseph Juliano celebrates with his family after the profession of his first vows.
Dr. Michael Carotta calls on the group to see the Faith of the Community within our Lasallian Agencies. 
