Mary Ann Murphy 

Mary Ann Murphy, a native of Oakland, is a product of a lifetime of Catholic education, having attended elementary and secondary Catholic schools. She graduated from Holy Names University and received her master’s from Mt. St. Mary’s. Mary Ann arrived in Southern California in 1976 when, as a Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, she was missioned to All Souls School as 6th grade teacher. (She wanted to serve in a Spanish-speaking community.) While a member of the congregation, she also taught at St. Gerard Majella, St. Anne (Santa Monica) and St. Stephen Martyr, for a total of 11 years’ teaching experience.  By the time she left religious life in 1987, she was at home in Los Angeles, so she took a position as principal at Immaculate Conception School (ICS) in downtown L.A., where she has been ever since! She has been actively involved in the Catholic education community of the Archdiocese, and is especially passionate about the accreditation process. She has served as chairperson for countless visiting committees and has been a member of the training team for schools undergoing WCEA/WASC accreditation for approximately the last twenty years.