With Friday’s release of the Blue Ribbon Commission Report, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that all of South Philly’s elementary schools with the exception of St. Monica, 16th and Porter streets, will consolidate with at least one other facility to form three regional Catholic institutions.
“The content of the report is challenging — especially, and in a very personal way, for many of our families and students,” Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said in a press release. “But we can no longer avoid dealing with enrollment and financial realities that have been building in our schools for many years. The restructuring proposed in the commission’s report is a critical first step in renewing the health of our Catholic education ministry.”
Annunciation B.V.M., 1148 Wharton St., will merge with St. Nicholas of Tolentine at its 913 Pierce St. site that will hold about 500 students. The locations are .7 miles apart.
St. Gabriel, 2917 Dickinson St., will send its students 1.4 miles to St. Thomas Aquinas, 1719 Morris St., a site expecting approximately 400 pupils.
The former Stella Maris School’s site, 814 Bigler St., will house five area schools including Epiphany of Our Lord, 1248 Jackson St.; Holy Spirit, 1845 Hartranft St.; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 2329 S. Third St.; Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1329 E. Moyamensing Ave.; and St. Richard, 1826 Pollock St. The schools range from 0.9 to 1.9 miles away from their future regional Catholic site that will have about 700 learners.
The schools will determine their new names at a later date.
Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St., is not affected.
For more on the changes, see upcoming editions of the South Philly Review for a three-part series entitled Consolidating Catholic Education, or visit faithinthefuture.com.
Jan. 12: Regional Catholic School at St. Nicholas
Jan. 19: Regional Catholic School at St. Thomas
Jan. 26: Regional Catholic School at the former Stella Maris site
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
To the Editor: All of the turmoil, heartache and disruption caused by the Blue Ribbon Commission, implemented by retired Archbishop Justin Rigali, in my opinion, was a diversion from the devastating sex crimes committed by these pedophile priests. Did we faithful followers have to be subjected to all the pain and suffering of not knowing the future of our children? Schools closing, regional schools opening — what a disgrace and now everything is back to square one. The upheaval of emotions is horrific.
“As emotional as everything is, you need to avoid coming at it from an emotional stance,” Patricia Cody said after Friday’s dismissal of 293 pupils from Epiphany of Our Lord, 1248 Jackson St.
The name Gabriel derives from Hebrew and translates as “God is my strength.”
Friday marked the Feast of the Epiphany, the celebration through which Christians honor the visitation of the Magi to baby Jesus, an event through which the infant gained new companions. Nearly 24,000 students at 45 elementary and four high schools learned that day they soon will join the lauded child in adding friends, as the Blue Ribbon Commission, an Archdiocese of Philadelphia-appointed entity, released its report on parochial institutions’ future that announced closings and mergers of nine of South Philly’s 10 elementary sites.
Madison Grubb, a fourth-grade student at St. Richard, joined about 100 of her fellow supporters Monday night on the church steps, 3010 S. 18th St. The group held a candlelight vigil in response to last week’s announcement that its school will become part of a yet-to-be named regional site at 814 Bigler St.
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