Sister John Ann Mulhern, principal at Butler Catholic School since 2003, will retire at the end of the month. Submitted Photo

Sister John Ann Mulhern began her teaching career in 1961, when many of her current students’ grandparents were students themselves.

Now, after educating or serving as principal for thousands of students in the region since then, Mulhern is retiring as principal at Butler Catholic School.

She was assigned to Butler Catholic on July 1, 2003, and said she feels blessed to have served as the school’s leader for 20 years.

“The people here are warm and welcoming,” she said of the school. “The kids are really exciting, loving and cooperative.”

Mulhern said even during rough patches at Butler Catholic over the decades, there was never any doubt that staff, students and parents are a tightly knit family.

“I always find there is that deep, family- and faith-filled atmosphere that is the undercurrent of everything here,” she said.