Once there were 7 schools in Region 7: 6 Catholic elementary and one Catholic high school. Now there are three, with only 1 in Pittston. Names of the remaining Catholc schools are in green, and the blue are the closed schools'. The links of the closed schools lead to pages we've created for them. News of the last days, with photos of the students who last attended those wonderful Catholic grade schools, are available. Otherwise links lead to the official sites of the remaining Catholic schools.
An explanation of what happened to each Pittston Area Catholic School is offered.

Seton Catholic High School Pittston, Pa (high school) Pittston Area's ONLY Catholic High School A HISTORY of 140+ YEARS CLOSED by Bishop Martino - June 2007 2004: BM closed the two main feeder schools. We begged for him to reconsider. He would "NOT CONCEDE." Rumors of Seton's demise began and were allowed to run rampant until enrollment dwindled. Shortly after the last day of school, Seton Catholic's official web site was quickly REMOVED from the internet - like the school, one of the oldest in the Wyoming Valley, never existed. The above link is to a page we created. Holy Rosary School Duryea PA A WONDERFUL elemantary school... CLOSED REGISTRATION - June 2007 (Registration reopened for 2008-2009 school year) Students from the nearby Sacred Heart of Jesus School, Dupont, and St. Mary's Old Forge, both CLOSED by Bishop Martino's decision in JUNE 2007, were NOT allowed - by edict of the Diocese - to register at this school. Run by Kathleen Gilmartin, a MUCH loved principal, and spiritually guided by the dedicated Rev. Charles Rokosz, the school has a tremendous academic reputation. Support from the community is outstanding. Thank God this school was spared. St. Mary's Assumption School Pittston, PA (elementary) Only remaining Catholic school in Pittston City This school has a near-full enrollment. St. Mary's Assumption was allowed to remain opened in 2004 when SJB and SMA closed, but that didn't help Seton: by tradition, most St. Mary's Assumption students either went to Scranton Prep or to Bishop Hoban after graduation. Meitler Study: recommends "relocation" in future...meaning, CLOSE IT EVENTUALLY Wyoming Area Catholic School Exeter, PA (elementary) West Side Catholic Grade School Meitler: ALLOWED TO REMAIN OPEN A nice Catholic elementary school. WAC's enrollment was boosted by the closing of SJB in Pittston in 2004 when nearly 100 students from SJB flocked there. WAC was allowed to take students from Sacred Heart of Jesus in Dupont when it was closed by Bishop Martino in 2007 even tho it is several miles away and Holy Rosary Duryea, about 1.5 miles away, was not allowed to accept SHOJS Dupont students. Many wondered if Bishop Martino's strategy may have been to, once again, funnel students from yet another CLOSED Scranton Diocese - Pittston Area Catholic grade school to WAC to help with the alleged huge mortgage?

"Dear God, Please don't let my school close..." Pittston Area Catholic Schools Diocese of Scranton Pictured above are selected students from the 7 FORMER Region 7 elementary and high schools And then there were 3.... The Pittston Area Catholic Schools were dismantled, school by school,by Bishop Joseph F. Martino of the Diocese of Scranton between the years 2003 - 2007

Sacred Heart of Jesus School Dupont PA (elementary) DUPONT PA: Small community, BIG hearts CLOSED by Scranton's Bishop Martino - June 2007 The loss of SHOJS Dupont leaves such a hole in Dupont's Catholic community. The parishoners of Sacred Heart, along with the big-hearted of Dupont and nearby communities, came out in DROVES to support this school in its fundraising efforts. Money was NOT an issue with this school. SHOJS in Dupont was run by a loving principal, Ms. Paddock-Kaminski, dedicated teachers, a great priest (Father Verespy). In the last year Sacred Heart opened a preschool program, and AFTER school program, began a girls' basketball team, and started a hot lunch program in supreme efforts to stave off any attempt to close the school. They were successful, but the ax fell anyway. When this Catholic grade school closed, students were NOT ALLOWED to register at nearby Holy Rosary Duryea. St. John the Baptist Elementary School Pittston PA Beloved Principal: Robert Kaluzavich, coined the name LeaveNoCatholicStudentBehind.com CLOSED by Bishop Martino - June 2004 This school, on William St. in Pittston, was not only directly across the street from Seton Catholic but was THE MAJOR feeder school for Seton Catholic High School. The old building was used as an excuse for closing. WHY weren't the students allowed to move to Seton? WHY was the government loan to turn Gabriel House - right across the street - into a recovery house and shelter for, among other things, former crack addicts secured 4 months before the "decision" to close SJB? Yes, we have compassion for those in need. But the children must come first. The former SJB kindergarten/first grade bldg. is now a pizza parlor...the desks and other items sold off in a GARAGE SALE, the gym has been leased to Pittston's YMCA (like the Seton Catholic Gymnasium) and the CHURCH will close in 2008. St. Mary's School AVOCA PA Avoca's Pride and Joy CLOSED by Bishop Joseph F. Martino June 2004 This school was the 2nd MAJOR feeder school for Seton Catholic Pittston. The Catholic grade school, through tremendous work, community support and fundraising efforts, had solved financial and enrollment problems and was growing stronger every year when the decision came down to shutter this beloved school in June 2004. St. Mary's School in Avoca was the other main FEEDER school for Seton Catholic High School in Pittston, a fact known by Bishop Martino. He closed it despite pleas to allow it to merge with SJB in Pittston, the other Seton feeder school. The diocese recently tried to turn the St. Mary's Avoca building into a drug rehab by leasing it out.

JUNE 2007 We were driving up William Street in Pittston this past Friday (June 8th) and saw some teens in the parking lot of our beloved Seton Catholic High School. Excitedly, we went home to get our daughter to see what might be going outside the school. When we got back, no one was there, but this sign was placed on the side of the Seton Catholic Gym... (Photos by Therese, Seton Almost Class of 2014 Others stopped their cars and took photos, as well.) UPDATE - WHAT HAPPENED IS DISGRACEFUL AND SAD! The Class of 2008 went to the parking lot to have a tailgate party on the last day - EVER - of school at Seton Catholic. The sign was made by a girl in that class. The kids, who had already set up tables, were CHASED from the lot by two school officials. On the last day of a school with a history of nearly 150 years...why not let the kids have FUN and lots of it? This is UNBELIEVABLE. These kids need to choose how they want to seek CLOSURE. Don't look for the official Seton Catholic High School web site to offer any comfort or explanations...it appears to be CLOSED DOWN already. Scroll down and look under "Official" sites. This is what it looks like on GOOGLE's last cache, June 3rd...Seton Catholic on Google June 3, 2007

WHY are we still here if most of the Catholic schools in Pittston Area are gone...

• First the schools and the children
• then the Churches
• now the teachers...

This web site even created a special STOMP THE RUMORS section!

So many of us rightfully predicted Bishop Martino would close churches ONLY AFTER the Catholic schools were safely gone. Otherwise how could he justify not using the money saved from the dozens and dozens of closed churches to SAVE the schools?
Yes, the schools HAD to go first.

We know some churches had to close. The priest shortage and the work overload on our aging priest population has necessitated this desperate measure. But all the money which will now be saved - and generated - by closed Catholic churches could have sustained our parochial schools. The combined parishes would have breathed new life into our schools, as well.

The schools HAD to go first if they were to go at all...

NOW the TEACHERS are under attack by the Diocese of Scranton.

Perhaps it is because our Catholic education taught us to believe in MIRACLES that we stay here.

We refuse to believe that Seton Catholic High School and the Pittston area Catholic school system will remain gone. The schools are gone, but the NEED IS STILL THERE and will remain there as long as there are Catholic school children in public schools not because they want to be, or because their parents want them to be, but because it is the only viable option available for them.

We know many may think we are foolish for keeping this site here. Perhaps we are. But we are encouraged because many have thanked us for keeping this site going for the past 4 years. Thank you for believing. We also know we have many silent supporters.

Thousands of Catholic School Students Lose Their Schools since 2004

"Dear God, Please don't let my school close..."

Money before Children???
Dear God, what is Diocese of Scranton Bishop Joseph F. Martino thinking?

The Diocese of Scranton Enters Real Estate Business...
Many of the schools closed by Bishop Martino will probably be turned into very profitable government-funded low-income apartments, half-way houses, etc. This appears to be the very profitable trend.

E-Mail Pope Benedict - BenedictXVI@vatican.va

Camp St. Andrew Tunkhannock PA Official Link
Girls' & Boys Basketball and Residential Camp Information 2007
From the Diocese of Scranton


The HISTORY of our STRUGGLE to Preserve our Schools
LeaveNoCatholicStudentBehind.com

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