YOUNGSTOWN — The Diocese of Youngstown on Thursday announced that two top officials at Cardinal Mooney High School, President Mark Oles and Principal Mark Vollmer, are leaving their respective positions effective immediately.

No specific reason was given for the two school leaders’ abrupt exit.

The announcement was made by Bishop George Murry and Superintendent of Schools Mary Fiala, who both thanked Oles and Vollmer for their service and contributions to Cardinal Mooney.

Officials said for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, Cardinal Mooney CEO Richard Osborne also will assume the president’s duties, and Mary Anne Beiting, director of accreditation and government programs for the Diocesan Office of Catholic Schools, will assume the role of interim principal.

Osborne was appointed Nov. 14, 2019, and along with Beiting, hired as part of “an enhanced leadership initiative at Cardinal Mooney.” Both have been working at the school on a daily basis since then.

“We realize that sudden change like this will most likely prompt questions and, perhaps, speculation and rumor. We want to emphasize that this change is the result of much discussion, review and reflection about what is best for Cardinal Mooney’s students, parents, teachers, staff and many other supporters,” Murry said in a statement released Thursday.

Murry said what’s not changing is the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown’s commitment to Cardinal Mooney, which he said is only “growing stronger.”

“Cardinal Mooney has a proud, rich tradition of sanctity, scholarship and discipline. We will build on that as we move forward. Our focus now is on finding the next great Cardinal Mooney leaders,” Murry said.

Murry said an extensive search for the next Cardinal Mooney president and principal will begin soon.

Osborne served as president at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School in Cleveland, overseeing a period of substantial growth in enrollment and fundraising. Those issues have been his focus since joining Mooney. Osborne also served as a high school consultant in several capacities in the Diocese of Cleveland.

Beiting, who served for 26 years as principal at Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, will continue her work at Mooney on strategic programs and policies to strengthen the school’s academics.

bcoupland@tribtoday.com