Justice Amy Coney Barrett to St. Catherine kids: Follow your dreams

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who graduated from St. Catherine of Siena Elementary School in 1986, told students at her Metairie alma mater Jan. 24 that her Catholic education helped her develop a passion for reading that served as a launching pad for her future endeavors as a law student, attorney, law professor and judge.

“You don’t know where your life is going to lead you,” Barrett told 650 students in the school gym, which she jokingly remarked was far better than the one she once played in. “I never expected in a million years that I would become a U.S. Supreme Court justice. So my advice to you is to study very hard, work hard and dream.”

Justice Barrett said Incarnate Word Sister Marceline O’Connell, a St. Catherine of Siena teacher, had books for her to read that were a little above her class grade level, and her father, Deacon Michael Coney, who has served since 1981 as a permanent deacon at St. Catherine of Siena Church, bought several Nancy Drew “chapter books” at a parish fair to fuel her love for reading in first grade.

Justice Barrett answered nearly 40 questions that students had prepared in advance for her appearance. Her 11-year-old daughter Juliet served as the emcee and pitched the questions to her mother at a lower-level microphone next to the main podium.

The students’ questions ranged from Justice Barrett’s interests as an elementary school student to broader questions about her new role on the nine-member court. She was confirmed as an associate justice following a rigorous Senate confirmation hearing and took the bench as the fifth woman Supreme Court justice on Oct. 27, 2020.

Asked if she had any “hesitation” about accepting the nomination to the Supreme Court, Justice Barrett said she and her husband Jesse, the parents of seven children, did have concerns about how the workload, the confirmation process and the loss of privacy would impact them and their children.

“We talked and prayed about that,” she said.

Justice Barrett and Justice Brett Kavanaugh are the only two justices who have children still living with them at home.

Justice Barrett told the students she rarely reads positive or negative comments about her that are published in print or on social media.

“My mother (Linda) told me a long time ago that what people say doesn’t define who you are a person,” Barrett said.

One of the things that most people may not know about the Supreme Court justices is that despite having to rule on complex and divisive issues, they maintain friendly interpersonal relationships. She noted that on the days the Supreme Court hears oral arguments – she said the court accepts about 60 to 65 cases a year – the nine justices gather for lunch that same day.

“The only rule is we can talk only about our family or sports or other things that are not work-related – and not about the cases that are before us,” Barrett said.

She mentioned that a few days after she began work at the Supreme Court in October 2020, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor walked into her office with bags of Halloween candy for her children. Justice Sotomayor also gave one of her daughters a birthday present. 

Justice Barrett said the most challenging aspect of her job is the “loss of privacy,” necessitated by her position. 

She said she realized how much of a public figure she had become when she went to Home Depot one day “to buy some brooms,” with her hair in a ponytail and dressed in nondescript, workout clothes, and she still was recognized by a customer.

Justice Barrett said her deep Catholic faith is important to her, and she does not shy away from the public knowing about it. But, as she told the Senate under oath, her job as Supreme Court justice is to review and follow the U.S. Constitution and case law in order to make proper decisions.

Justice Barrett encouraged students to understand that even they may be criticized for their Christian beliefs, though perhaps not on such a national scale.

At the end of the gathering, a St. Catherine student came to the podium to ask  Juliet a question.

“What is it like to have a mom as a Supreme Court justice?” she asked.

“It’s really nice, but it’s also kind of weird,” Juliet replied, smiling. “Some people look at my mom as one of the most important people in the country, but to me she is still just my mom.”

At the end of the hourlong assembly, students surprised Justice Barrett by singing happy birthday to her – she will turn 50 on Jan. 28 – and bringing her a king cake with 50 candles for her to blow out. She also was named the 2022 St. Catherine of Siena Distinguished Graduate.

pfinney@clarionherald.org