A future choice..

The school consolidation may bring about new questions for parents: Where to send their kids..

If and when Cardinal Brennan is closed, parents who have their children enrolled there will have to choose between Nativity BVM, Marion, North Schuylkill, Shenendoah Valley, and whatever other district they may be from..

A tough choice for parents that have juniors ready to be seniors.. Perhaps the toughest for the juniors that won't have that same upperclassman feel..

vs
The rumor lately has been that Nativity BVM, pictured on the left, would be the school that the diocese says will be future school for Cardinal Brennan students.. Brennan, pictured on the right..

Comparisons:

Map of Cardinal Brennan..

Nativity BVM map..


The facts: Cardinal Brennan was built in 1926.. Interior is plaster, exterior is brick..

The sales history.. hold your breath
Sisters of IHM sold CB to Bishop Cullen for $1 on February 9, 1998..
95.5 acres.. at stake..

Read more..

The day after..

The Pottsville REPUBLICAN reporting that over 400 were at the meeting (http://www.republicanherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18038492&BRD=2626&PAG=461&dept_id=532624&rfi=6) .. not sure if anyone got a real total or head count, but judging from reports and photographs, it's easy to assume that the number was possibly well above 400..

The theme of the day: Family. The students and alumni fearing the feeling that a loss in the family was about to occur if CB closed.. the theme of the day from the council of priests (a group that some are labeling the Jedi Council, a reference to STAR WARS): MONEY $ $ $

Mark E. Smith, secretary of temporal affairs, said that if the current states of affairs continues and CB is kept open, tuition would have to exceed $7,000 per student next year!
I spoke to one parent after the meeting, who was highly involved with organizing the Sunday meeting. He said that while he believes the numbers show that CB could be financially stable and the feasibility exists that it would stay open and succeed, he also believes the decision may have already been reached months ago. "Going through the motions," he told me as he walked away under the cloudy sky..
Perhaps so. Either way, the students yesterday have reasons to be very proud of the motions they went through...

The song that will stuck in a lot of ears for a long time to come, even if the school goes..

We sing our praise to alma mater the school we all love.
We raise heart and voice in joyous acclaim.
We cherish you and all you teach us.
Blue and gold your colors our fame.
We will be true to the ideals that are strong heritage.
From on high you reign our true beacon light;
Now let's sing out in happy chorus.
Praise to our dear school,
Cardinal Brennan High!


I'm from the graduating class of '99, around the same year we saw a brand new version of the song written for the school by a priest that was just transferred this year to a new parish, himself.

It was a great show of spirit and unity at the meeting tonight.. A proud and peaceful protest that demanded the time and attention of the men and woman up on the stage.

WNEP was there..

The story from their site..

Their newscast tonight showed video of the Alma Mater being sung before the event..

Initial dispatches..

There was a light snow falling down on Cardinal Brennan when parents, students, priests, nuns, parents, media, and other interested parties arrived for the scheduled 2pm meeting about the future of Cardinal Brennan Jr/Sr High..

Several hundred people lined the field house of the school, jammed in to hear the words of the decision makers that will soon announce what they say the fate of CB should be..

The pastoral council was just about to begin their presentation when students erupted in the Alma Mater. Parents and alumni joined in, ending with a stomping, loud applause..

The initial report: Just as some expected. The door has been left open, at least it appears, that CB could possibly stay open.. The next meeting will be mid-month, the council announced.. They'd submit their recommendation on the school to the Bishop, who then would make his decision..

Even though the process sounds official, it also sounded that way before. Other dioceses faced the same types of meetings.. other schools faced the same types of words..

And schools still ended up closing..

Perhaps the same fate for CB awaits. Maybe not. Time will tell.

But at least this day, telephone poles and yards were lined with signs in support of Cardinal Brennan, past and present, and future..

More coming..

Editorial on D Day

A great editorial in today's Pottsville REPUBLICAN