Holy Child Academy Names Two New Board Members

Drexel Hill, PA, September 08, 2017 --(PR.com)-- Holy Child Academy’s board of trustees elected two new members at its recent meeting. “It is with great excitement that we welcome Rev. John W. Swope, S.J., and Vincent Bellwoar to the Holy Child Academy Board,” said Michael Bradley, chair of the Holy Child Academy Board of Trustees. “Their skills, experience and insights will allow us to continue building a first-rate educational foundation for our students and to help Holy Child Academy move forward into a bright future."

Rev. John W. Swope, S.J., is the president of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia. From 2006 to 2015, Fr. Swope served as founding president of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Baltimore. He was executive director of the Secretariat for the Church in Latin America of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C., from 2000 to 2002. Previously, he held several faculty and administrative positions in the United States and Chile.

A native of Drexel Hill, Pa., Fr. Swope is a graduate of Holy Child Academy and St. Joseph’s Preparatory School. He earned a doctorate in sociology from the University of London, a master’s in divinity from the Weston School of Theology, and a bachelor’s in sociology from King’s College.

In 2013, he was awarded the Ignatian Volunteer Corps Baltimore Region’s 2013 Della Strada Award, in recognition of his commitment to the Ignatian values of service to the poor, and of working and educating for a just society.

Fr. Swope has authored several books and articles. He currently serves on the President’s Council of the Cristo Rey Network, which he chaired from 2011 to 2014, and St. Joseph’s University. He has served on a number of boards, including those of the St. Joseph’s University, Loyola Blakefield and the Woodstock Theological Center.

Vincent Bellwoar, Ph.D., is the owner and CEO of Springfield Psychological, P.C., a multidisciplinary outpatient practice with six locations throughout the Delaware Valley. In this role, Bellwoar served as the school psychologist for Springfield School District from 1997 to 2000 and chief psychologist at Life Guidance Services from 1995 to 1997.

Prior to founding Springfield Psychological, P.C., in 1992, Bellwoar worked for many years as a psychotherapist for families, individuals and couples.

Since 2007 Bellwoar has been an active board member of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association. He served as president in 2014 and currently is chair of the Insurance and Managed Care Committee. He also is a member of the American Psychological Association.

A licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist, Bellwoar earned a doctorate in school psychology and a master’s in counseling psychology from Temple University. He completed his undergraduate degree at the College of the Holy Cross.

Celebrating 90 years in the 2017-18 school year, Holy Child Academy is an independent, Catholic school for boys and girls of all faiths. Serving two year olds through eighth graders, HCA lays the foundation for a lifetime of excellence, achievement, and service. Located in Drexel Hill, Pa., and part of the Holy Child Network of Schools, HCA prepares students to thrive in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.