"Are Catholic schools worth it? Or should we throw in the towel?"

Read all about it @ http://www.patheos.com/blogs/janetheactuary/2015/03/are-catholic-schools-worth-it-or-should-we-throw-in-the-towel.html

"No, this is not just a rhetorical question.

At church, I listened to the pastor, in lieu of a regular homily, talk about the new “To Teach Who Christ Is” campaign.  As seems to be usual with these sorts of major fundraisers, this comes from a directive from the Archdiocese, and proceeds are split 65% to the parish, 35% to the Archdiocese for an endowment fund for schools at poor parishes.

And I thought:  is it really worth it?

Yes, I send my kids to a Catholic school (well, the younger two; the oldest is at the local public high school).  And I believe there’s a lot of good in Catholic education, and the idea that religious education, and an emphasis on “character education” is not limited to Sunday School (or whatever is experienced after school, at home); also, my oldest son, who in another school would have been a prime candidate for bullying, was instead well-treated by the other students."

"Catholic school to skip St. Pat’s parade in protest"

http://www.districtchronicles.com/news/view.php/862766/Catholic-school-to-skip-St-Pats-parade-i

"BOSTON (Reuters) – A Roman Catholic grammar school located near Boston has pulled out of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in protest over organizers’ decision to allow a gay veterans’ group to march in next month’s event.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary School, which traditionally sends its marching band to the South Boston route, said on Friday it would withdraw following a decision by the Allied War Veteran’s Council, the parade’s organizers, to admit a group of gay and lesbian veterans called OutVets to participate."

"Could There Be New Life for Former Catholic School"

http://www.pahomepage.com/story/d/story/could-there-be-new-life-for-former-catholic-school/29502/VuZmfL5JTEK_B5q4ndPjXg

"West Hazleton, Luzerne County-  It doesn't look like much now but the former home of the Transfiguration Catholic School Spartans in West Hazleton may soon be a place for people to come together. It was a Catholic school for some 80 years and was closed in 2006.  Parishioners got together and are now trying to transform this three story building into a center of activity. It is part of the Holy Name of Jesus Parish at Transfiguration Church.

 

"We're going to make the hall a community and parish hall. So we can have fund raisers and meetings and get togethers and bring the community together in one place.." said committee member Robert Nause.

It is a three phase project, the first floor which includes the old basketball court and kitchen area will be renovated."

"New Jersey Catholic School Teacher's Anti-Gay Rant Slammed By Susan Sarandon, 'Real Housewives' Star"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/16/patricia-jannuzzi-gay-facebook-rant-_n_6878202.html

"Susan Sarandon is among the bold-faced names who are blasting a New Jersey Catholic school's anti-gay Facebook comments.

Patricia Jannuzzi, a religion teacher at Somerville's Immaculata High School, made headlines last week after she argued that gays "want to reengineer western civ (sic) into a slow extinction" as part of their "agenda" in a post on her now-deleted Facebook profile, MyCentralJersey reported.

"We need healthy families with a mother and a father for the sake of the children and humanity!!!!!" she wrote alongside a Young Conservatives article about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocate Dan Savage urging Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson to prove that homosexuality is a choice."

"Saint Ireneus Catholic elementary school to close"

http://www.wtae.com/news/Saint-Ireneus-Catholic-elementary-school-to-close/31682282

"Saint Irenaeus Catholic Elementary School in Oakmont will be closing the doors on the kindergarten through eighth grade program in June 2015.

The announcement was made this weekend at Masses to school families and teachers.

Father George Dalton, Administrator of St. Irenaeus Parish, received permission from Bishop David Zubik to make the change, citing low enrollment as his primary reason for the decision."

"Our View: New Catholic school would have impact in Midland Read more: Our View: New Catholic school would have impact in Midland"

http://www.mrt.com/news/opinion/article_0737f53e-c5cd-11e4-9661-c376e3c17806.html

"We are not sure how to react to the news that the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo is eyeing the Midland-Odessa area for a new high school.

On the one hand, we are excited. Some of the top preparatory schools in the state are Catholic schools. We also know that St. Ann’s School — the oldest private school in Midland — has been churning out quality students since it opened its doors in 1950.

On the other hand, we are concerned about the proposed school’s impact  on Midland ISD.

We have no doubt the high school would be a success and provide another alternative for parents seeking a quality education for their children."

"A Fight to Keep Catholic Schools Catholic"

Read all about it @ http://www.wsj.com/articles/ryan-t-anderson-and-leslie-ford-fighting-to-keep-catholic-schools-catholic-1425600547

"San Franciscans are currently debating a simple question: Should the government respect the right of Catholic schools to be authentically Catholic?

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone thinks so. But eight California senators and assemblymen sent the archbishop a letter last month, saying that his actions in issuing new faculty guidelines “foment a discriminatory environment in the communities we serve.” On Feb. 23, two of the signers even asked the California Assembly Labor and Employment Committee and the Assembly Judiciary Committee to investigate the archdiocese’s actions.

Here’s the back story. During contract renegotiations with nearly 500 staff members last month, the archdiocese issued an updated faculty guide for its Catholic high schools. The addendum introduced three new clauses—which staff members are required to “affirm and believe”—denouncing masturbation, pornography, same-sex marriage, contraception and other issues that, in line with Catholic teaching, are described as “gravely evil.”

These beliefs shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with the Catholic Church—the 2,000-year-old institution has clearly defined its moral teachings throughout the years. Yet lawmakers objected, contending in a Feb. 17 letter to the archdiocese that the new guide is “divisive.” They asserted that by spelling out the teachings of the Catholic Church and requiring high-school staff to not publicly undermine those teachings, teachers could be dismissed for private decisions not in accord with Catholic teaching."