Letter from Diocese of Scranton/Bishop Martino
To Parents: St. John Baptist and St. Mary's Avoca to Close
The following letter was given, by Bishop Martino and Bishop Dougherty of the Diocese of Scranton, to the 18 pastors of the Pittston deanery at a special meeting called by Bishop Martino on the evening of March 25, 2004, and held at the Chancery building on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton.
According to what parents were told by one of the pastors at a general meeting of Concerned Parents at St. John the Baptist Gym on Sunday, April 18, 2004 - a meeting attended by THREE pastors or of EIGHTEEN pastors invited - the 18 pastors from the Pittston area were told to take this letter back to their rectories, copy it, and to send it immediately to all parents of students from the two schools targeted by Bishop Joseph F. Martino for closure.
The letter, announcing the closing of St. John the Baptist Catholic Grade School and Saint Mary's School in Avoca, bore the Diocese of Scranton letterhead, but was not signed by Bishop Martino- although it was obvious that he had either composed it or supervised and approved it's composition. Instead, the names of the 18 pastors had been pre-placed on the letter in alphabetical (by location) order.
The controversy that has arisen over this letter is not just its contents and message - and AUTHOR, which is unknown - but the fact that many pastors have denied having prior knowledge of the school closings, as clearly stated in the letter, and also deny having been "in consultation" or having voted AT ALL on the matter of closing the schools. It was, many confided to parishoners, a "done deal" with a pre-printed complete with press-release, and Diocesan spokesperson in attendance, before the meeting even commenced.
WHO Composed This Letter?
Did the 18 Pastors "Approve"
Here is "thee letter".
In adopting this far-reaching reorganization plan, we pastors have set three important objectives:
1)Closure of two elementary schools – St. Mary’s, Avoca, and St. John the Baptist, Pittston, effective June, 2004;
Teachers and administrators in these two closed schools will have to find other positions in which to serve. Every effort will be made to assist these dedicated men and women when they seek other teaching opportunities. A severance plan has also been developed to aid our teachers and principals during this time of transition.
Parents will also be impacted by the plan, particularly with regard to tuition. There is no question that tuition can be reduced if we are able to attract more students to our schools. Because pastors are paying according to income and not according to the number of students attending a particular school, there will be a real incentive to encourage our parents to send their children for a Catholic education.
We hope that the people in the pews who support our parishes will see that the reorganization plan will mean better use of parish resources. The closure of two schools will result in a more efficient use of human and financial resources.
Change is always difficult. We pastors have studied and prayed over the future of Catholic education in Region 7. This reorganization plan must be implemented if we are going to be able to offer meaningful educational opportunities for the young people in our parishes. If we do not implement the changes that have been set forth in the reorganization plan, we will have no choice but to close more schools and parishes.
In the final analysis, we have all concluded that the current system of funding Catholic education cannot continue. Bishop Martino has heard of our need to change; he has approved a plan which we believe is both prudent and necessary. Let us hope and pray that we will continue to work together to preserve and strengthen Catholic education in our Diocese.
Reverend Mark J. Bochinski
Reverend Joseph D. Verespy
Reverend Charles W. Rokosz
Reverend Daniel L. Schwebs, O.S.J.
Reverend Daniel D. Hitchko
Reverend Thomas P. Shoback
Reverend Thomas J. Maloney
Reverend Edward M. Masakowski
Very Rev. Paul A. McDonnell, O.S.J.
Reverend Andrew F. Strish
Monsignor John J. Bendik
Reverend Richard J. Polmounter
Reverend Joseph D. Sibilano, O.S.J.
Very Reverend Michael J. Piccola, V.F.
Reverend Michael J. Rafferty
Reverend Walter F. Skiba
St. John the Baptist Elementary School in Pittston (1917- June 4,2004) and Saint Mary's Grade School in Avoca, PA (1919 - June 4,2004), closed on June 4, 2004 despite a long battle, which included a lawsuit filed by parents of SJB, to keep them opened.
March 25, 2004
Dear Students, Parents, Teachers, Administrators, and Parishioners:
On Thursday, March 25, 2004, eighteen pastors of the Greater Pittston area, in consultation with Bishop Joseph F. Martino, approved a comprehensive reorganization plan for Catholic education. The plan affects seven schools in Region 7. They are: Avoca, St. Mary’s; Dupont, Sacred Heart; Duryea, Holy Rosary; Exeter, Wyoming Area Catholic; Pittston, St. John the Baptist; Pittston, St. Mary Assumption; and Pittston, Seton Catholic High School.
1)To preserve and strengthen Catholic education in Region 7;
2)To provide affordable Catholic education for families and parishes;
3)To implement the principles of stewardship in the utilization of parish resources.
In order to achieve these essential objectives, important steps must be taken now. These steps have been carefully weighed and considered during a period of study over the last two years. The following actions will occur in Region 7:
2)Establishment of a uniform tuition based on enrollment for all remaining
elementary schools in inRegion 7;
3)Subsidies to Catholic education will be based on parish income;
4)Establishment of a central administrative office to handle all financial matters for all schools;
5)Impaneling of an Administrative Board with direct oversight and management authority.
The implementation of this reorganization plan will have a real impact on the lives of many people. The students who are currently enrolled in St. Mary’s School in Avoca and St. John the Baptist School in Pittston will no longer be able to learn in the familiar and comfortable environments which they know. We hope and pray that they will choose to attend one of the other four schools that will be available to them. They will be assured of a quality, Catholic education in these fine schools.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Very Reverend Joseph G. Elston, V.F.
Saint Mary, Avoca
Saints Peter & Paul Church, Avoca
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Dupont
Holy Rosary, Duryea
Sacred Heart and St. Joseph, Duryea
Saint Anthony of Padua, Exeter
Saint Cecilia, Exeter
Saint John the Baptist, Exeter
Holy Redeemer
Harding-Falls, Pittston
Blessed Sacrament, Hughestown
Saint Mark – Inkerman, Pittston
Reverend James J. Paisley
Saint Maria Goretti, Laflin
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pittston
Saint John the Baptist, Pittston
Saint Casimir, Pittston
Saint John the Evangelist, Pittston
Saint Joseph, Pittston
Saint Mary, Help of Christians, Pittston
Saint Mary of the Assumption, Pittston
Saint Rocco, Pittston
Immaculate Conception, West Pittston
Our Lady of Sorrows, West Wyoming
Church of Saint Joseph, Wyoming
FINAL NOTE
Many of the students' parents have, as a result of their disillusionment with Bishop Joseph F. Martino, the Diocese of Scranton,and the Catholic Schools office, enrolled the children in public school.
Copyright 2004 by Committee to Save (Pittston Area) Region 7 Catholic Schools (of the Diocese of Scranton)
All Rights Reserved