The Church in Philadelphia has the benefit of two excellent monthly publications in The Catholic Standard and Times and Phaith magazine. But life happens on a daily basis. A bishop needs to speak with his people much more frequently than once a month. So beginning today, I’ll be writing this weekly web column as a means of talking about the life we share as a Church in a more direct, immediate way.
We have a great many challenges ahead of us in 2012 – legal, financial, and above all, pastoral. The real problems in a Christian community are never finally material. The resource and organizational issues always come from some deeper spiritual problem: a lack of zeal, a lukewarm faith, an eagerness to fit in, a hunger for influence and a comfortable life.
These shadows live in all of us to one degree or another, including those of us in ministry. The more we let them draw us away from loving Jesus Christ and doing the work of discipleship, the weaker and more dishonest our common life as believers becomes. The “habit” of being Catholic is not enough. It’s not even close to enough. There needs to be a fire for being Catholic in our hearts.
One of my favorite stories about my early predecessor in Philadelphia, Bishop John Neumann, is that he owned a single worn out pair of boots that he used for his entire adult life as a priest. He was famously frugal with himself, and famously generous in his love for others. That’s the spirit we need to recover.
Nothing great is ever accomplished without suffering. Building or rebuilding anything of value always takes effort. This beautiful Church of Philadelphia – her thousands of faithful laypeople; her hundreds of good priests, deacons and religious; her extraordinary legacy of Christian witness – now needs all of our energy and all of our devotion to make her whole again. She is worth every sacrifice we make to renew her.
Today, January 5, is St. John Neumann’s feast day. We rightly remember him as one of the founders of Catholic education in the United States. He built scores of schools for thousands of students during his years as Philadelphia’s bishop. He set an example for the entire country. But his dedication to Catholic schools was a subset of his real and greater vocation: He was a missionary first.
For Neumann, schools were not an end in themselves. They were a means to an end. And that end was the building up of the Church, the salvation of souls, the ennobling of young minds and the conversion of American culture. More than 150 years later, the conditions we face in Philadelphia are very different. In some ways our situation is much more difficult. Nonetheless, the goal of Catholic education remains the same.
Tomorrow, January 6, I will receive the final report of an impressive Blue Ribbon Commission that has spent the past year reviewing and re-imagining Catholic education in the Archdiocese. News media have already suggested that dozens of poorly attended, financially troubled Catholic schools will be asked to combine or close; but a careful pruning of our educational system for the health of the larger mission is clearly necessary. Public school systems, both locally and nationally, have had to face the same tough decisions. But the substance of the Commission report will be much more comprehensive and much more positive than the closing of specific schools. It will create the foundation for a new and stronger future for Catholic education in the Archdiocese.
I’m therefore grateful to Cardinal Justin Rigali who began this important process; to Bishop Michael Fitzgerald and the Office of Catholic Education; and especially to Chairman Jack Quindlen and members of the Blue Ribbon Commission for having the courage to see this demanding project through to its conclusion.
John Neumann was a missionary first. Everything else was second. You and I are called to exactly the same vocation. Let’s begin that work today. Difficulties can be overcome. Problems can be solved. We can renew our Church and make Catholic education grow and thrive again. But we need two things to do it – the grace of God, and hearts truly on fire for Jesus Christ. The rest will follow.
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I sent the following letter to my pastor and would encourage others who feel this report was inaccurate to do something similar. puyt pressire on your pastor to pressure the OCE for transparency and answers.
Fr. Murphy,
I am not certain if you received the message I put in my weekly envelope regarding the Blue Ribbon Committee’s recommendation to close Monsignor Bonner High School and Archbishop Prendergast High School. I am a graduate of Bonner and my wife is a graduate of Prendie. Archbishop’s Chaput’s decision to accept the recommendation of the Commmission without probing the facts or the analysis of the data is disturbing. An incomplete analysis was performed, and it is coming to light that this happened with the decisions around several schools. Specifically to Bonner and Prendie, a Villanova University Economics Professor who is published in the field of church economics sent an analysis to the Archbishop showing why their closure does not make economic sense. Further, the Archdiocese has not been forthcoming with the data around the schools staying open, only those which are closing. I have asked for this information from the commission twice since the report was published last week and have not received it. While the schools are allowed to appeal the decision to the Office of Catholic Education, without fair access to all the data and the decision-making criteria it will be difficult to do a thorough appeal. Finally, no members of the Blue Ribbon Committee nor Archbishop Chaput visited Bonner and Prendie during this process. Archbishop Chaput was invited in the fall but was “too busy” to visit, despite having his residence less than 5 miles from their campus.
As Archbishop Chaput entered his assignment, I was hopeful that the lack of transparency and secrecy that has led to many scandals in our Archdiocese over the years, including the documented personnel scandals at the Office of Catholic Education, molestation incidents, and financial misappropriations would be cast aside. There has been little information provided as to where past donations have gone and how downtown has spent the monies received, and yet the Archbishop has blindly accepted the Blue Ribbon Committee’s recommendations without probing, without asking for options, and without validating the data used in their analysis.
I apologize that this affects my donation to your parish, but I cannot contribute financially to an institution that exhibits such gross negligence with their funds, and arrogance with their attitude towards their flock. Accepting the Committee’s recommendations that were based on faulty data and shrouded in secrecy is neither right nor just. My normal weekly donation to our parish has been earmarked for Bonner and Prendie until the appeal has been heard. Should the Office of Catholic Education reverse the Blue Ribbon decision, or should a complete and independent analysis show that it makes both religious and economic sense to close the schools, I will once again contribute financially to our parish. Should the Office of Catholic Education and the Archdiocesan leadership continue their current course of incomplete analysis, secrecy, and arrogance, my weekly financial support will go to the Bonner and Prendie Alumni Associations so they can utilize the funds in a more appropriate manner than the Archdiocese. I will continue to offer my prayers to our parish and to the Archdiocesan leadership.
I am asking my fellow alumni/ae whose support of this effort will not negatively affect their parish subsidies for their children’s education to do the same in their parishes, and I am asking you, as my pastor, to make this known to the Office of Catholic Education and the Archdiocesan offices. The pastors have a voice within the Archdiocese, and I would ask that you use that voice to do what is right and just for the people of the Archdiocese, and to push for transparency in the distribution and analysis of the data.
– Daniel DeStefano
Those of us who have benefited from generous Catholic Education will hopefully continue to find ways to provide for the education of children in a true Christian environment.
While this is a very difficult time and one charged with many emotions, I admire the decisiveness, clarity and open communication with which the issues have been handled. That in itself is refreshing.
We have new challenges and just as those before us found ways to address theirs, may we develop new approaches, responsible use of property, and
recognition of talent available.
This is a time to pay respects, listen, engage, and channel energies into new approaches.
Archbishop Chaput has accepted the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel. I must say you have a lot of blind faith in this commission. Before you accept these findings maybe you should invistigate both this commission and their findings. Unfortunately, much of the fings of the BRC are incorrect. If the BRC had actually visited any of the schools they recommend be closed or merged they would know that. They continually say that the kids will adapt to change. How do they know? Have they ever spoke to even one student who has had to go through a school closing or merger? Have you? Some of these students have gone through multiple mergers. And let’s be honest here. Yes birth rates have dropped and demographics have changed. Please note that some of the demographic changes occur after a school has closed. Look at what the school closing did in the Harrowgate and Frankford areas. The school that was created in that merge does not have the expected enrollment nine (9) years later. They survived this round of closing but will they survive the next one. Let’s add to your report what part the multiple lawsuits for the Archdiocese coverup on abuse have done both financially and spiritually. I can only speak for my school in saying that their report on what we offer and what we lack is completely off base. Most of the programs they have stated we lack are actually taking place daily in our school. They report we have a defecit. Our pastor has spoken loud and clear that we do not. We have always paid our bills. Believe me when I say, our pastor has never hid the truth from his congregation. We know when times are good and we know when things are bad. And somehow, as a community and a family, we have stepped up to the plate and survived. Nine years ago my son’s school was closed and merged with another that I refused to send him to. When I voiced my displeasure in an email I was called and told by a Monsignor that “you will do as you are told”. You need to understand that today’s parents are not going to pray, pay and obey they way their parents did. With the options in education available today parents take serious consideration in where their children are educated and by who is doing the educating. These decisions are not made lightly. The arcdiocese continues to try to limit our choices. We pay increasing tuition every year withour protest and yet you continue to ask for more and more. We are making the sacrifices for our children. And you continue to take it. The archdiocese receives “revenue” from every parish yearly. Why? Where does it go? What is it used for? These are questions every Catholic in Philadelphia should be asking. I know these questions will never be answered. But seriously where is the archdiocese making any sacrifices. Our schools are being closed and merged constantly and our children are confused and angry. You are not dealing on a daily,personal level with the fallout of the decisions of a Commission you put your trust in. Who shoule we put our trust in? Yes, times are tough and we must all tighten our belts. Some of their findings might be correct but that is assuming that they did visit some school somewhere. But to put your trust in a group of people who took 13 months to write up a report based on their so called visits to these learning institutions is truly “blind faith”. We cannot all live by blind faith especially where our children are concerned. Our school children are the future of tomorrow and part of the future of the Catholic faith. Are you really willing to risk both the children and the Catholic Church on these 13 people’s recommendations? May you put as much thought into these recommendations as we, the parents, put into the decision to make the sacrifice to send our children to a Catholic school for their education. Decisions such as these need to be based on truthfullness and fact. And then as you say, the rest will follow.
How come the Diocese could not of come to these schools and offer options to remain open? If things were so bad, which we know they are for all of us they could have said we need to raise tuition. For example raise tuition at the school in question by a 1000.00 per year and take a vote. Now its on us the parents. A school with 500 to 600 hundred kids probably has 500 that are paying so that would be 500,000.00 in revenue.More than enough to keep that school going. Then if parents would not vote for it then at least there would have been no one to blame. I think the truth will come out that some of these places are already sold or being sold.And another thing for any posters use your full name don’t be shy. If you believe it sign it. Do not hide like the Catholic Church hierarchy. Matthew J. Palmer
You have taken the only sensible option of a Catholic High School out of Lower Bucks County. You are hiding behind a Blue Ribbon Committee,but we see you and we are ashamed. This is a farce. There is no way the Diocese of Philadelphia would allow an outside panel to decide how to use it’s money. This is just another reason why it’s hardier and hardier to be a Catholic. Our spiritual leaders are destroying our once proud religion and making it a laughing stock. How about you come to my house one rainy morning and lets make the drive to Archbishop Wood. Then you tell me what you did was right. Like our Lord’s last words ” Forgive them Father for they know not what they do” Look at the people you have hurt,look them in the eye if you can. I hope God has pity on your soul. I for one cannot.
The closing and consolidation of schools is a direct result of the archdiocese not being able to contribute and/or lower the tutitions for the families that want their children to attend. Due to the many many many lawsuits brought on by the clergymen (priests) of the Catholic Church it is time that responiblility be put on the CORE of problem and not pushed onto the future students. I really feel it is time that ROME start selling off the gold, paintings and buildings (the resident for the Pope) and live the life of simple men as they should have been all along. Even the local parishes should have humble living rectories. Money will always be a factor in re-establishing the Catholic CHruch and the faith of it’s people after all the hardships that were brought on NOT by the parishoners …… not by the students…… not by the baptized babies…….etc but by the PRIESTS themselves. It is time that Rectories be consoldiated not Churches and Schools…….The Catholic Faith is not a very appealing faith these days with all the sexual abuse being brought out in the open (which it should have been done years ago and nipped in the bud)……STOP the closings of the schools, regroup and have ROME contibute to the rebuilding of the FAITH…..
Where is the courage in blindly accepting the report of a group of people with no vested interest in our school system? Courage? Hardly. Courage involves meeting with the parents and working out creative solutions. Courage means looking at the administration that has contributed to the decline of the system and replacing them with people committed to ALL of our schools and families. Closing a school because of the size of its “physical plant” without regard to the service that it provides to the community is not courageous. The Archdiocese and the Office of Catholic Education have continuously rejected the creative suggestions and solutions that have come out of the several schools simply because they didn’t come from the administration. If His Excellency wants to show true moral courage, he will immediately call for the resignations of the senior administrative officials of the OCE. But that’s not likely to happen, is it?
“I accept the recommendations of this Commission because I trust them.” This isn’t a courageous statement. It is perhaps one of the most “gutless” statements a leader could make. Courageous would be a statement saying “I will examine the evidence and consult with those affected – the parents, students and clergy of the Archdiocese before taking drastic action.”
Now is the opportunity to demonstrate the courage that is required to lead an Archdiocese like Philadelphia, your Excellency, the courage I believe is still there, by holding off on closing and consolidation until you can meet with your flock and see first hand the damage that these actions will do to the future of not only the school system, but to the Archdiocese as a whole.
These changes were long overdue; streamlining, consolidation, and restructuring will result in better and stronger schools. You can’t have successful 21st century schools with a 1950 educational model.
I applaud Archbishop Chaput and the Blue Ribbon Commission for having the courage and fortitude to make these difficult but necessary changes. Philadelphians need to stop living in the past and embrace the future; adapt gracefully to necessary change for the greater good of all.
Dear NS, What school that your kid attends closed? How about you sign your name don’t hide,embrace your comments ! I applaud your your callus regard for others. And I would love to gracefully embrace you in the future. Matthew J. Palmer
now i see your trying to dictate where the kids go for catholic school with the merge as i talked to a high ranking lawyer the aop has no power over the people to do that unless the parents signature is on that they say if you want to go to another catholic school other than the one merged with they won’t allow it
Your Excellency,
Thanks for starting a weekly message. Things came in 3s: your e-message, your Phaith magazine, and opening a Christmas gift book; I think the Spirit sparked their arrival the same day. J. Guthrie’s The Grace of Everyday Saints (2011) may give hope to everyone, from you to the school janitor, in the tough closings you’ve had to initiate. Its subtitle is “How a band of believers lost their church and found their faith,” about a suppressed parish in San Francisco. (Possible conflict of interest: My son owns a bookstore in that city.)
Your message was calm and insightful and I thought your tumultuous Saint André’s Day went as well as possible, except your website crashed as the press conference began, depriving your flock from direct access. I’m so glad you did not wear cuff-links, a nice touch of poverty, reminding me of Neumann’s boots. And, your early allusion to Denver was a welcomed human hiccup, in a tense time.
The first comment came from Bill Donaghy, who lauded your transparency. Phaith came with his column, together with an ad from one of his employers on the same page. It’s probably all co-incidental, but he really has a double conflict of interest that should have been disclosed: One of his employers is the Archdiocese and he directly or indirectly benefits from your largesse; another is a private high school that stands to benefit from your closing Archdiocesan schools. So he could have been more transparent himself.
I look forward to your weekly message. When you go to Right-to-Life events in DC, please keep advocacy up for a neglected aspect of that holy cause, namely the need to end capital punishment. Thanks for writing.
Presbyter you say almost a billion dollars into schools in the last decade. That money came from the parishes. I sent two children to Catholic School for 12 years and paid tuition and also gave in my envelopes. I think a good portion of envelope money went to the archdiocese. Now it payback time, after being supported for all these years. Why do you have to equate gratitude(money)to God and Church as parents being ingratitude. When the archbishop and the council of priest goes out to his mansion tonight for a nice meal, paid for by the parishioners. Maybe some of those parents can have a bowl of soup at home. My little quote is if your really represent Jesus don’t be afraid to share the wealth of the Catholic Church. Was Jesus rich?
Put a note like this in your weekly envelope instead of a check:
I am a graduate of Bonner and my wife is a graduate of Prendie. I do not agree with the Blue Ribbon Committee’s decision to close Bonner and Prendie – particularly in light of the fact that no members of the committee nor Archbishop Chaput have visited Bonner or Prendie to see firsthand the work being done by the excellent faculty and administrators and the spirit of the students that permeates those schools as it did when I walked the halls. Archbishop Chaput was invited to the schools in the fall and his response was that he was “too busy” to visit. Making a decision to close those schools where some have spent their entire adult professional lives in service to the schools and the archdiocese without spending even an hour in the buildings is callous. In a show of solidarity and support with my fellow alumni, I am withholding monetary donations to any Archdiocesan entities at this time. I apologize that this affects the parish for which you are responsible, but when our leaders are “too busy” to meet with their flock whose lives they are impacting, they are not exhibiting the Christian leadership that allows me to condone the financial support of those leaders. I will continue to offer my prayers to the archdiocesan leadership, but my normal weekly donation will go to non-diocesan Catholic charities.
Hard to believe you werent made a Cardinal…but you’re a Cardinal in my book….I pray for you every day after I say my Morning Offering….fight the good fight, Archbishop Chaput…I wish there were more like you!!! bob,cincinnati
65,000 students and their parents cannot possibly support the same number of schools as 250,000 students whose schools were supported by mostly free or nearly free labor. Many parents choose not to send their children to our Catholic schools because they fear closings. They have seen the bitter fights that have gone on before and refuse to have their children become involved.
Having taught in Catholic schools for over 25 years my heart is heavy for all of our families and teachers whose lives will be affected by these decisions. But as someone who believes strongly in catholic education, I believe that to become smaller and more efficient is the only way for the system to survive. I believe that God is watching over us and we must pray to accept His will and for His strength to carry on.
I do not envy you your difficult job (with only more upsetment on the near horizon) but my grandmother always used to tell me that God never gives us more than we can bear. You must be very strong in your faith and wise in your decisions. I pray for you and the leaders of Catholic Education in Philadelphia. But mostly I pray for the 65,000 children who will be most affected. Change is difficult and uncertainty breads fear.
Dear Archbishop Chaput: Welcome to Philadelphia. A challenging future was unveiled for you immediately. I can easily express my disappointment in the closing of my childhood. (Our Lady of Ransom, class of 1972 ~ St. Hubert’s High School for Girls, class of 1976). It would be easy to say, my childhood was closed, however, I’d be only one out of the thousands affected. Here’s the difficult part. At Our Lady of Ransom, I received my First Communion, was Confirmed, “Filomena” (paternal grandmother), married my best friend and buried my father. Currently, as president of the Senior Citizens group, my mom, via OLOR hosts 100 seniors twice monthly for community gathering and prayer. I entered St Hubert’s as a young girl of 13 and graduated a more mature, more faithful young woman. Down the street from my beloved high school, at Our Lady of Consolation, my future husband experienced all the same sacraments and funerals of his parents. Our first daughter was baptized at Consolation. In reading the last three paragraphs of Pope Benedict’s homily on January 1st, the education and peace of our people is so important. Yes, these buildings and real estate grounds are an expense and are valuable. However, the individuals affected have only that community and neighborhood ‘expensive for the church’ building and real estate to lean on during these difficult times. Consider the Blue Ribbon Commission as a wake up call ~ and please contact the Vatican for additional help to reverse it’s findings and build again while in business ~ and not by turning people away with boarded up windows & doors. The commission says it will save $10 million a year. The upheaval and sadness caused is not worth $10 million.
God Bless You and the Philadelphia Diocese
Maybe it’s time for the flock to fight back. The archdiocese been telling the parishes what to do for years, do they forget that it is the parishes that support them. The men and women of these parishes have broken their backs working and sacrificing for years. While the archdiocese just sits back and dictates what we should do and spends our money as they wish. Maybe we should close them down and we would have enough money to keep all the schools open. I guess your goal is to drive the catholic church out of Philadelphia.
I understand the necessity of closing schools, but the Church has to realize how heartbroken this Catholic community is. As the Archbishop very well knows, we in Philadelphia have had to deal with 2 Grand Jury reports and now the closing of some of our beloved schools. There is going to be anger present because of this Blue Ribbon Commission; I think its sad but I understand. I just wish the Archdiocese could sympathize.
I hope we can request a meeting with the parents, school administration and a representative of the archdiocese. I think the parents and the students deserve a better explanation and clearer vision of the future. Explain how St.Huberts was picked to close over schools with lower enrollment and located in dangerous neighborhoods, maybe politics. I really think the Church dropped the ball on this one. I have relatives that attend St.Huberts and you can’t imagine how this hurts these girls. I’m realizing now that the Catholic Church is cold organization. I read on wwwphilly.com that you said that they can appeal to you on the decisions made by archdiocese officials.
Thanking You
Bill Muldoon
Yea, a cold organization after putting almost a billion dollars into schools in the last decade. The money is no longer there. You can’t get water from a rock unless you’re Moses. This has nothing to do with the closings – it is an economic necessity – but the Archdiocese for a long time has been subsidizing the education of students whose parents don’t even bother to show their gratitude to God or the Church by coming to Mass on Sundays. Ingratitude following on ingratitude.
“He (St. John Neumann) built scores of schools for thousands of students during his years as Philadelphia’s bishop. He set an example for the entire country.”
And yet The Blue Ribbon Commission and yourself are closing the doors to fine High Schools and changing the lives of many grade school students.
“Tomorrow, January 6, I will receive the final report of an impressive Blue Ribbon Commission that has spent the past year reviewing and re-imagining Catholic education in the Archdiocese.”
Saint Hubert Catholic High School for Girls is the BEST all girls Catholic High School in the Northeast Philadelphia Area. They are number one when it comes to both athletics and academics. What exactly was this Blue Ribbon Commission reviewing then?
“Difficulties can be overcome. Problems can be solved. We can renew our Church and make Catholic education grow and thrive again. But we need two things to do it – the grace of God, and hearts truly on fire for Jesus Christ. The rest will follow.”
How do you expect to renew the church and make Catholic education grow when you are closing one of the best schools? What are the 700 plus girls supposed to do now that their whole entire world is shattered? Let me inform you of something, the Catholic religion is decreasing because of the schools and parishes closing, and it’s only going to get worse. It’s funny, Archbishop Caput, Saint Hubert welcomed you with open arms at the beginning of this year, and how are they being repayed? By closing their beloved school.
I think one of the commandments should have been, Thou shall not judge.
Unfortunately, Jennifer, it is the opposite scenario that is causing the sad mergers and closings of schools (and soon, parishes). Declines in the numbers of baptized Catholics, smaller Catholic families who don’t want to sacrifice grandchildren to religious vocations, etc. Speaking as someone whose beloved parish will be affected very soon, it does hurt, but it IS necessary. There aren’t sufficient numbers of active priests to staff parishes, let alone teach in the archdiocesan schools. The declining number of consecrated sisters and brothers also adds to the high cost of tuitions.
Archbishop Chaput was sent into a very difficult crisis in Philadelphia, and being faithful to his Franciscan vow of poverty, is leading by example – putting the archbishop’s mansion up for sale so to live more humbly.
These coming years will bring difficult changes for the faithful of the archdiocese, but we must remember that the Church is not brick and stone (buildings), it is flesh and blood (people).
These changes were long overdue; streamlining and consolidation and restructuring will result in better and stronger schools. Stop living in the past and embrace the future.
Thank you Archbishop for your heartfelt concern for us all here in Philadelphia (your new home!), and for your transparency in the difficult decisions ahead. I pray that tomorrow’s news is received with understanding and patience. Our faith must be in Christ and each other more than any temporary space or place. The Church is living stones, men and women. May God guide us in His love.