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PUBLISHED ON EDITION NO.
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359L
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4/22/2011 |
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Don’t close our school! |
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By
Alberto Surís
albertosuris@rumbonews.com
Hundreds of children, parents, teachers and former students,
carrying signs, held a demonstration in front of St. Mary of
the Assumption School to protest the closing of the only
Elementary Catholic School in the North of Lawrence.
The demonstration, held on Saturday, April 16, was in
response of the communication received by teachers and staff
on April 11 from Father Jorge Reyes, OSA, pastor of the St.
Mary of the Assumption Parish in Lawrence informing them
about the closing of the school. Parents were informed by
Father Reyes via a letter April 12.
According to Father Reyes, despite a strong enrollment, the
school did not receive support from the Catholic Schools
Foundation this year and he does not anticipate the school
would receive CSF funding for the 2011-12 school year,
besides the fact that the parish was not able to continue
supporting the school either.
The Catholic Schools Foundation provides scholarships for
students with financial needs.
Last year, Father Reyes said, when local Catholic school
officials were planning The Lawrence Catholic Academy (LCA),
St. Mary’s officials were invited to join, but we opted to
remain open as an independent parish school. "We could not
afford to join the academy; it would have cost our parish
$80,000 per year plus half of the proceeds from the rental
or sale of the existing school building," Father Reyes said.
In September 2010, Lawrence Catholic Academy (LCA) opened
from the merger of St. Patrick School in Lawrence and Our
Lady of Good Counsel School in bordering Methuen. LCA is
located at the 101 Parker Street between Salem and Bailey
Streets.
On April 26 at 6 pm, the school will be hosting an open
house so its students will be able to explore other options
to further their Catholic education. Representatives from
area Catholic schools, including Lawrence Catholic Academy
will be available at the meeting.
Father Paul O'Brien, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in
Lawrence, said to the Boston Pilot that the academy would
like to enroll St. Mary's students. "We have really wide
open arms and are ready to get down to work, processing
applications for students from St. Mary's," Father O'Brien
told The Pilot.
At the demonstration, children and parents were passing
out the attached flyer:
THE TRUTH BE TOLD
Lawrence Massachusetts residents are outraged about the fact
that the only Elementary Catholic School, St Mary of the
Assumption, in the north of the city has announced that it
will be closing its doors June, 2011.
The news has come just 2 months before the end of the school
year. This will impact 270 families who are registered at
St. Mary of the Assumption School and plan to continue for
the 2011-2012 school year.
The community of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish is
demanding answers from the Boston Archdioceses in particular
Cardinal Sean O'Malley. "We want to know why if the
"Catholic School 2010 Plan" took in to account the ethnic,
economic and social differences called for the initiative of
two catholic schools in Lawrence, one in the South and the
other in the North, and we are now blind sided with the news
of the closing of the school in the North." That would leave
the Lawrence Catholic Academy in the South to which the
majority of the students from the north cannot financially
afford nor do they have the physical space to accommodate
them.
No decision would have been made without the approval or
influence of Cardinal O'Malley. The Lawrence community,
while a very poor community, will not continue to be ignored
and allow decisions to be made on our behalf without the
opportunity to have a seat at the table so that we can
provide input and help plan our future. We deserve to hear
the truth regarding why we are not entitled to have a
Catholic school in our area where our children will get a
faith based education. We will not add this incident to the
list of times that we have been marginalized and disregarded
as citizens and human beings with rights.
There will be a community vigil on Saturday April 16, 2011
starting at 5:30 p.m. on the corner of Hampshire and
Haverhill Street in Lawrence. We expect the support of 500+
community member as well as Lawrence community leaders.
Cardinal O'Malley and the Archdiocese of Boston need to
stand up and tell the truth. April 13, 2011.
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Well known
community activist Hector Cid was holding signs too in
support of the school. |
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Howie Moran,
class of 1938, a second generation of students joined the
demonstration with a complete list of family members
graduates of St. Mary’s through the years. |
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ADVERTISEMENT |
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