New Superintendent for Catholic Schools Announced

Marcelo Eureste will join the Diocese of Brownsville as Superintendent of Catholic Schools on April 17.  The diocese encompasses the four counties of the Rio Grande Valley and has 11 schools with a total enrollment of 2,008.

A native of the Rio Grande Valley, Eureste was born and raised in Edinburg.  He has more than 20 years of educational experience where he has served as a teacher, counselor, assistant principal and principal. He served Catholic schools for 10 years in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, and most recently five years in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, where he led St. Anthony High School as principal.

Eureste, a first-generation college graduate who was raised by migrant working parents who understood the value of faith and education, earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio and a master’s degree in counseling from Webster University. He also holds a master’s degree Catholic School Leadership from St. Mary’s University, where he earned a spot on the Education Department’s Wall of Fame in 2015.

Eureste’s passion is making Catholic education affordable and accessible to all families. He strongly believes that Catholic schools should prepare all students for college, career and most importantly, heaven. He, along with his wife Roxanne and daughter Isabel, are excited to return to the Rio Grande Valley. 

Our current Superintendent of Schools, Sister Cynthia Mello of the Sisters of St. Dorothy, will be leaving her role as superintendent after nine years of service, and will take up new responsibilities assigned by her religious community. Sister Mello has served 20 years in the Diocese of Brownsville. She started in 2003 as principal of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School in Mission and was named superintendent in 2014. Bishop Daniel E. Flores noted that “Sister Cindy has guided our Catholic Schools faithfully, with steady courage and imagination, especially through the challenges posed during the COVID crisis, and we are all very grateful to her and her religious sisters.” 

The bishop also expressed his gratitude to the incoming superintendent of Catholic Schools. “I am deeply grateful that Mr. Marcelo Eureste is returning to the Rio Grande Valley to become our next superintendent of Catholic Schools. He is uniquely prepared to help us not only strengthen our Catholic Schools, but also to help us expand the availability of a Catholic School education for our families and young people. His background, education and experience will be a great blessing for the educational mission of the Church in the Diocese of Brownsville.”