Study Elementary School Problems , Diocesan, Authorities Consider Finances and Personnel The ~artial or complete closing of some parish elementary schools and/or ,the merger of several into reglional schools is 'a distinct possibility in the Diocese of Fall River within the next two years. , T<he strongest suggesUon that the Fall River, Diocese may 'have to follow the nationwide pattern ds contained in a letter sent to the pastors and direcoors of all diocesan schools by Rev. Dr. Patrick' J. O'Neill, superintendent of diocesan' schools. The 'pa'stors 'and direetors will meet this after~ noon with -F'ather O'Neill 'at St. Joseph's School路 in Fall River to di,scuss and consider the situation oonfronting parochial elementary 'schools in all areas of the diocese, from the Attleboros to Provincetown. Father O'Neill's letter to the pastors and school direetors fulll()w.s: "Some provindals have already notified pastors of a curtailment of Sisters for next year, and
dJ The' ANCHOR
A" A,,(hor ofthe Soul, Sure a"d Firm-St. Paul
Fall River,: Mass., Feb. 20, 1969 Vol. 13, No.8
漏 1969
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others will probably be dOling so within the next few months. We think the problems posed by these curtailments are sufificient to justify a meeting with you to discuss their implications. Therefore, we invite p'aRtors and directors to meet with us Thursday, Feb. 20 at 3 :00 p.m. at St. Joseph's School, Fall River. "Meanwhile, we would like to offer the following comments on this situation. "1. We have not encouraged provincials to do this. We think that for the next year or two religious communities should try to fulfill their commitment to Oatholic schools 路and should take on only limited new apostolates until -the entire' situation is further 'stabilized. However, we do sympathize with the two-fold pressure on provincials: the large nu mber of Sisters leaving on one ,hand, and the desire of many Sisters to enter new apostolates on the other. We think that we Turn to Pa-ge Seven
Parochial Schools See Government Aid Crucial WASHINGTON (NC) A cQnsensus has developed among Catholic officials that school closings, consolidations, grade cutbacks and a host of other measures now 'in use represent a "band-aid" approach to the critical fin:anical problems of the parochial school system. Many believe that state aid is ,the only ,tourniquet which will stop the massive leakage of Catholic school students into the nation's crowded and overburdened public schools. The leakage has been dramatized with increasing frequency in recent vveeks as diocese after diocese announced what is generally termed a "reorganization" of its school system. The "reorg,anization" usually means that a dozen or so of the schools in the diocese will close this year, and that perhaps half that number, or in some cases more, will be merged into. single units. Diocesan officials try hard to find places in other Catholic schools for students affected by closings and consolidations, but frequently their success is not spectacular. "Our experience indicates that at least half will probably end up in already
Fall River Parish Puts The Anchor ~n Every Home The wisdom and advisability of placing The Anchor in every parish home is gaining momentum throughout the diocese. Rt. Rev. Anthony M. Gomes, pastor of Our Lady of Angels" Church in Fall River today advised the circulation department of this newspaper that a copy of The Anchor will be sent into the home of every family in his parish. Rev. George E. Amaral, pastor of St. Anthony's Church in East Falmouth started the movement last week when he announced complete family coverage in his parish. In many parishes, the Parish Council has taken on the assignment of pressing for complete family coverage as part of an alert Adult Education plan to keep all "up and informed" of the goings-on in the church today.
strained pllblic schools," said Fa,ther John B. Zwers, Detroit archdiocesan superintendent of schools.. . "The only ultimate answer is school aid legislation," Father Zwers maintained. "We have come to the end of
our financial rope," said J. Alan Davitt, executive secretary, New
. York State Council of Catholic School Superintendents. "There are three possibilities," he stated. "Perhaps we can improve our own financing to make better use of the dollars we
Fiscal Need Concerns New Orleans Detroit Avers Ohi'o Deficits D E T R 0 I -T (NC) The office of the Detroit, See Must archdiocesan superintendent Soar of schools says 49 schools Get Help NEW ORLEANS (NC)-
CINCINNATI (NC) Archbishop Karl J. Alter has reaffirmed nis conviction that Catholic schools of the Cincinnati archdiocese will be unable to continue very long Turn to Page Fifteen
iIlcluding more than 20 in the "core city" 'of Detroit-must eLther close completely or drastically curtail enrollment in the near future, unless additional sources of funds can ,be found to alleviate their budget' deficits. The' 49 schools, plus some 90 Turn to F'age Six
The school board of the New Orleans Archdiocese has been advised that operation of the See's 104 parochial schools has resulted'in an estimated deficit of $737, 743 for the first half of fiscal 1969. Turn to Page Fifteen
Demonstrations Are Out at Notre Dame NOTRE DAME (NC) The president of the University of Notre Dame has warned 'students, faculty members or others who persist in protest activities which disrupt the normal operations of the university or infringe upon the rights of others, that they face on-the-spot suspension. expulsion and action -by civil authorities. . Father Theodore M. Hesburgh. _C.S.C., has spelled out for faculty members, students and their parents, the steps which the university will take against "anyone or any group that substitutes force for rational persuasion, be it violent or non-violent." Such persons, Father Hesburgh said, "will be given 15 minutes of meditation to cease and desist. They will be told that they are, by their actions, going counter to the overwhelming conviction of this community as to what is propel" here. If they do not within that time period cease and desist, they will be asked for their identity cards. "Those who produce these (identity cards) will be suspended from this community as not understanding what this community is. Those who do not have or will not produ'ce identity cards. will be assumed not to be members of the community and will be charged with tres-
passing and disturbing the peace on private property and treated accordingly by the law." "After notification of suspension, or trespass in the case of non-community members, if there is not then within five minutes a movement to cease and desist, students will be notified of expulsion from this communty, and the law will deal with them as .non-students."
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Father Hesburgh specified that the'dean of students will make the judgment as to whether norTurn to Page Four,
now have, throug'h such measures as centralized accounting, any type of centralized purchasing, and centralized financing; then too, the laity, in general, may sacrifice a little more-but how far can we ask them to go? State aid ,is the only possibility' which has not been thoroughly explored. "This is the economically wise thing for the legislators to do," Davitt asserted. 路"What do they Turn to Page Fifteen
r
Costs Force Cut-Backs In Kansas SALINA (NC) - Bishop Cyril J. Vogel of Salina has announced that five elementary schools and one high school in the Kansas diocese will close at the end of the current school year. .The Bishop said he made the Turn to Page Eighteen
Fr. Leo Sullivan Comments On Personnel, B~ard Story In a meeting surprisingly amicable and, at times, touched with humor, the Senate of Priests of the Diocese met last Friday with the main topic under consideration the Personnel Board. The week before, five members of the nine-man board had resigned, saying in a letter, took the posLtion that the other "It is evidently impossible resigned members were apby the Bishop and that for the Personnel Board. pointed acceptance of these was in his
to function effectively 'i' ,~ ,~ at hands. this time." Father Leo Sullivan took exThose resigning are director . ception to The Anchor article Rev. Leo T. Sullivan, assistant on the resignations of the five directors Rev. Donald Belanger, members and was assured by Rev. Bento Fraga and Rev. EdRt. Rev. Daniel F. Shal'loo, Genward J. Mitchell, and board eral Manager of The Anchor, member Rev. George Coleman. ,that this newspaper would pubThose declining to sign the lish Father Sullivan's statement letter and choosing to, remain 'on 011 the matter. The full text folthe board are :Rev. Bertrand lows: Chabot. Rev. Manuel Ferreira, Rev. James F. Lyons and Rt. In The Anchor of February 13, Rev. Robert L. Stanton. 1969 the fact of the resignation Last Friday's Senate meeting was attended by all 26 members of five members of the Personof the Senate and by about 50 nel Board was' carried on page one. Following a ,two-sentence priests of the Diocese of all quote from the letter of resigareas and age groups. nation, the story went on to The Senate accepted the resignation of Father Coleman and Turn to Page Four '