Parish Schools

While acknowledging that bishops sometimes are compelled to close schools, Archbishop Anthony J. Bevilacqua yesterday told Catholic teachers and administrators that he hopes to do otherwise. "I don't want to close any. I want to open them," said Archbishop Bevilacqua, who was installed in February. Archbishop Bevilacqua took advantage of his first appearance before a special joint gathering of the archdiocese's elementary and high school teachers to underscore his unwavering support for Catholic schools.

When they trooped into their Manayunk school in September, the 452 children enrolled at Holy Child Catholic School encountered a slew of new things: New school. New name. New uniforms. New teachers. New classmates. And new traditions. "Some children . . . said, 'These are not the prayers we said,' so we even tried to come up with new ways of praying," said principal Roselee Maddaloni. Holy Child is a new, regional Catholic school created through the consolidation of three parish schools at the site of the former Holy Family School on Hermitage Street.

A decade ago, Roman Catholic parishes in Chester County began planning for growth as young families started moving to the area in droves. "We saw the growth coming, and we recognized that people see the parochial school as an integral part of parish life and mission," said the vicar for Chester County, Msgr. James T. McDonough. Fund-raising campaigns and construction of facilities, he said, have become the norm. And Catholic churches are seeing the results of their planning efforts with new classrooms and expanded schools this fall.

Catholic parishioners reacted with hope and concern Sunday to Archbishop Charles J. Chaput's candid pastoral letter warning that 2012 could bring school and parish closings and harsh media coverage of the sex-abuse scandal. "It was very pastoral and very caring and not a whitewash," said Anne Visco, who heard the letter read at the 8 a.m. Mass at Christ the King in the Northeast. "He was not glossing over or dancing on one foot and then the other. " Francis Scallatino, a trumpet player who heard the letter at the 10 a.m. Mass at Christ the King, said, "The history of the church is to sweep these priests under the rug, but it doesn't sound like this guy is going do that.

At the same time Archdiocese of Philadelphia officials consider a proposal to close eight high schools, they're also talking about shutting down several churches and parish elementary schools, all in poor and minority neighborhoods in the city. On Saturday, the first draft of a reorganization plan will be presented to pastors and lay leaders of 15 North Philadelphia parishes. Just how many churches or parish schools will be closed or merged has yet to be decided. But archdiocese officials say they can no longer afford to subsidize the churches and schools in question at a combined cost of more than $1.2 million a year.

IN  12-STEP meetings, there's a "no cross-talk" policy. After a member says his peace, the group responds, "Thanks for sharing. " No one comments any further. After listening to families at St. Bridget's School describe their meeting with the Philadelphia Archdiocese to ask that their school remain open, I'm wondering if they stumbled into a 12-Step gathering instead of an appeals hearing. Because the response they've gotten to their respectfully expressed concerns is, basically, "Thanks for sharing.

The city came to the country yesterday afternoon as Archbishop Anthony J. Bevilacqua presided over the dedication of the new religious education and social center for Our Lady of Consolation Parish. Nestled amid rolling farm fields and tree-covered hills in West Sadsbury Township, Chester County, the pale-gray stucco building was erected where the parish's first church was built in 1838. Canted walls allow many views of the landscape surrounding the new edifice, which will be used for worship, learning and family gathering.

Parish teachers in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will meet today to discuss a proposed set of guidelines for a human sexuality course for students during an in-service day at Cardinal Dougherty High School in Olney. Called Guidelines for Catechesis in Human Sexuality, the document targets first through eighth graders and tries to respond to an increasingly permissive society, said the Rev. Stephen P. McHenry, secretary for Catholic education. An original version was released last year, he said.

A local business group announced plans to help boost the endowment of Chester's only Catholic school by $5 million over the next 15 months. Michael O'Neill, chairman of Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools, said yesterday that his group would help the school raise the funds. The proposal to help Drexel Neumann Academy came as O'Neill was set to join representatives of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at a White House summit today to discuss the saving of faith-based schools in inner cities.

Antoinette Metzger is a fixture at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Berlin. For 86 years, she has been a member of the sprawling church on the White Horse Pike. The church, now celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1902, started the yearlong celebration with a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and a catered luncheon that was attended by 500 parishioners. During Mass, the bishop invited Metzger to the altar, where she was honored for being the oldest active member of the congregation and was presented with a bouquet of roses.