I have heard through the grapevine a few minutes ago that a meeting took place at St. Jude's in Montgomery County. It seems that at this meeting a representative of the Archdiocese has told the school that they will merge with St. Catherine Laboure and be called Trinity.
Has anyone heard this? Was anyone at the meeting? Can anyone verify that this took place?
7 comments:
Find a new grapevine along with your quest for a new reliable source.
1st anonymous is wrong. You have a very reliable source. The meetings are being held simultaneously at St. Judes and St. Catherines next week. A series of meetings are being held by the pastors and the Archdiocese at the schools -- first the teachers are being told their future; second parish leadership, and third parishioners/parents. Also, a third school will merge making it "Trinity".
Parishes are being presented with the ultimatum that they have to get their financial houses in order by the end of December. Basically, being given 6 weeks to solve problems that were years in the making and only recently being disclosed. And during these years of trouble, parish schools were hit with a double whammy -- mandated to raise salaries while the percentage of support that a parish can give through its offertory collections was diminished. Costs increased and a revenue stream for the school declined.
I would expect the Archdiocese to begin selling assets (including real estate around the affected parishes) to raise funds at that is one of the reasons the schools are being closed.
Funny, that the Archdiocese thinks its okay to open schools in the nicer areas of Rockville (like St. Raphael's and St. Patrick's) but abandon those in the poorer areas.
And, funny, that the Archdiocese did nothing while these schools faced enrollment issues. I guess the concept of parish school and identity is lost on this Archbishop. It is a shame because these schools have been offering an excellent Catholic education for 50+ years. The schools themselves have not only had to teach children they have been expected to market themselves and solve any fund raising problems on their own. These principals and teachers didn't receive degress in marketing or business management yet have been the ones expected to solve the problems.
I am not certain they will sell the assets. I believe that they will lease them out.
In fact, I have heard that one of the independent Catholic schools is in discussion w/ the Archdiocese re leasing on of the schools to close.
To Anon (8:35am):
If you are correct, they have pushed up the timeline I discussed earlier this year.
I expected them to do this in Feb. 2010.
Just another few comments..the timeline is the end of December because the schools have to be ready for how enrollment is going to be handled for the upcoming school year. Enrollment officially begins during Catholic Schools Week -- the last week in January.
Personally, I think they will sell assets -- the Archdiocese had an inventory taken of all its real property in the last two years to determine what the Archdiocese's assets are.
These schools will be closed at the end of this school year. This is how the Archdiocese works. Once again, "They talk, you listen". The schools that will be closed and the ones that will be closed next year are already known by the Archdiocese. The "consultation" is a scam. I would advise "Tea Party" type response. No one paid attention when the 12 consortium Catholic schools were closed. These schools were closed in a 6 month time period. This is exactly what is happening in Montgomery County.
The land and buildings will be rented, some will be sold. Sadly, the Churches connected to these schools will also be closed quietly, too. Wuerl closed one-third of Pittsburgh's Catholic Schools and Churches. He has already closed 18 here. That's since June "06.
Now that a very left leaning group runs our Archdiocese,catholic schools are not valued. How annoying that these are centers of that teach Pro-life and Marriage between a man and woman values. These values are so awkward for the "Progressive" Catholics running our Archdiocese. Remember,last July, the Archdiocese closed our ONLY Pro-life Center that was outside the watchful eye of the Archdiocese Headquarter building. "Closing" is becoming synonymous with "Catholic".
If schools are leased out,you better make sure to follow the money. People in Montgomery County should beware. The Archdiocese has reconfigured schools in the District of Columbia in a way that makes no sense to speak of. How is it that the interest of Catholic families is well served by having two schools in southeast Washington. Southeast is the area with the fewest Catholic children, but two schools were located there. You may see the Archdiocese do something equally as foolish in other areas. Oh by the way Susan, if the Archdiocese has received "about one million dollars" for the lease of our buildings to charter schools, what was done with the money? Did the Archbishop hide the money under his bed? Susan, it's time to tell the truth for a change.
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