Bishop Michael Fitzgerald chats with a teacher and children at the dedication Precious Friends of St. Gianna Childcare Center, March 30.
Nativity of Our Lord Parish and School in Warminster has opened a new early childcare program in collaboration with a local Catholic high school.
Auxiliary Bishop Michael Fitzgerald blessed and dedicated the Precious Friends of St. Gianna Childcare Center on Thursday, March 30.
The center opened in September 2016 as a joint venture of Archbishop Wood High School and Nativity of Our Lord Parish and School. The Foundation for Catholic Education also provided a grant for opening costs.
Located in a former convent of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the center consists of two floors of classrooms plus child-friendly bathrooms, a music and library room, and a teachers’ lounge.
Precious Friends is fully licensed by the state, with qualified staff members who are certified in CPR and first aid. The center accepts children from 6 weeks to 4 years old, and provides a full 12 months of care in a safe, faith-filled environment.
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After only six months of operation, the center now has more than half of its maximum enrollment of 67 students.
During the dedication, Bishop Fitzgerald blessed each room, visiting infants and children. Joining Bishop Fitzgerald along with parents, students and staff were Father Joseph Watson, pastor of Nativity of Our Lord Parish; Judy Neeld of the Foundation for Catholic Education; Gary Zimmaro, president of Archbishop Wood High School and Roselee Maddaloni, principal of Nativity of Our Lord School.
The center’s patron saint is a natural choice, since the first known shrine to St. Gianna Beretta Molla in the archdiocese is located at Nativity of Our Lord Parish. A pediatric specialist, St. Gianna heroically opted to sustain the life of her unborn child despite a uterine fibroma, and died shortly after the delivery.
For more information about the Precious Friends of St. Gianna Childcare Center, call 215-773-8399 or email preciousfriends@noolp.org.
Bishop Michael Fitzgerald, right, and Father Joseph Watson, pastor of Nativity of Our Lord, lead prayers at the dedication of the Precious Friends of St. Gianna Childcare Center, March 30.
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I was sorry to see that the Director of the Childcare Center was never mentioned in your article. Donna Ludovico has worked since the inception of the center to make Precious Friends the awesome facility it is! As an employee at Precious Friends, I assure you that this center wouldn’t be half as awesome as it is without the hard work and dedication of Miss Donna.