November 20, 2009
 
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| Catholic Schools Are Saving New Orleans' Children |
| by Deal W. Hudson |
| 7/23/09 |
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Catholics Teach the Children of New Orleans
Since the Katrina disaster, the schools of the Archdiocese of New Orleans have swelled to double the enrollment of the local public schools -- 40,000 to 20,000. Rev. Neal McDermott, O.P., superintendent of the Catholic schools, told me yesterday that the archdiocese is facing a financial crunch when the $10 million in Catholic Charities money, allocated in 2006 to help the schools following the hurricane, runs out.
"Beginning in June 2010, we will have to find $700,000 a year to replace those funds," he said. (Gov. Bobby Jindal eased some of the financial burden by getting a voucher bill passed for kindergarten through fourth grade.)
Since all the public schools in New Orleans have been officially pronounced "failing," parents have been moving their children to charter schools and private schools, but above all to Catholic schools, where 60 percent of the 40,000 students are non-Catholic.
This past spring the Catholic high schools graduated 2,785 seniors, with an amazing 96 percent being admitted into college and another 2 percent into the military. That compares with a 40 percent graduation rate in the public schools. "We teach students from the same neighborhood as the public schools, but we act in loco parentis, because many of these children get little supervision or food at home," Father McDermott explains. The Catholic schools provide their students breakfast, lunch, a snack, and afternoon supervision so that homework is completed before the students go home.
Father McDermott had to consolidate a number of "central schools" in the inner city to accommodate the demand for Catholic education. One of the archdiocesan schools is the Cathedral Academy in the French Quarter, where five Nashville Dominicans are teaching. These five sisters walked through the streets of the Quarter recruiting students, including some from a cruise ship docked in the harbor, where the families of firemen and other service personnel were living after the floods.
"The sisters are applauded wherever they go," Father McDermott told me.
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Speaking of the Nashville Dominicans . . .
The sisters praised by Father McDermott are the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville. These Sisters of St. Dominic are among a relative handful of women religious who are revitalizing Catholic schools with teaching sisters. The Nashville order is almost 150 years old but has undergone a remarkable burst of growth in the past 20 years. As reported by the Catholic News Agency, there are 230 Nashville Dominicans serving in 34 schools around the country, as well as some in Australia, at the invitation of George Cardinal Pell. Their remarkable growth continues, with 45 sisters in their initial formation program and even more expected in the fall. On Friday, a Mass will be celebrated to "witness the Religious Profession of Perpetual Vows" of sisters at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville. Last year, in 2008, eleven sisters made final vows.
Talking about the young women entering the community, Sr. Mary Emily, vocations director, told CNA, "They could have successful careers, and if called, would make beautiful wives and mothers. These women are healthy, wholesome, bright, and idealistic. Yet they have heard the call to follow Christ, and they are answering it. . . . These young women are women in-love."
This description of the sisters from their vocations director rings true to anyone who has had the chance to experience the vitality of their community, or anyone who has encountered their work in places like New Orleans; Dumfries, Virginia; or Columbia, South Carolina.
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The Catholic Leadership Conference Celebrates Vitality in the Church
Promoting and celebrating "vitality" in the Church in the face of "cultural hostility" will be the theme of the 12th-annual Catholic Leadership Conference over September 10-11 in Orlando, Florida. "CLC has invited speakers who epitomize the kind of vitality needed throughout our Church," says Bud Hansen, a founding member of the steering committee. Bishop Thomas Wenski will welcome the meeting of Church leaders from around the country by celebrating Mass at the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, with Rev. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, concelebrating.
At the dinner that evening, popular Fox news commentator Rev. Jonathan Morris will talk about his experience as a priest in the mainstream media. Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society, who played a leading role in protesting the award given by Notre Dame to President Barack Obama, will offer an overview of the controversy and its impact. And popular Catholic blogger Thomas Peters, of the American Papist, will brief the conference on the importance of Catholic media online.
The direct impact of the Obama presidency on the parish will be the subject of the talk by Rev. Jerry Pokorsky, a priest of the diocese of Arlington, Virginia, and a well-known commentator on EWTN. Maggie Gallagher, president of the Institute for Marriage and Family, will describe how she helped lead the fight to pass Proposition 8 in California. Father Pavone will celebrate the closing Mass, and former Sen. Rick Santorum will discuss his view of "Five Ways to Revitalize our Church."
(Contact Liz Kenny at
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for conference information.)
Deal W. Hudson is the director of InsideCatholic.com and the author of Onward, Christian Soldiers: The Growing Political Power of Catholics and Evangelicals in the United States (Simon and Schuster). Readers have left 10 comments. Excellent article! We need to be informed of the good, practical, Christian work being done by these sisters. Thank you! Written by Dan Deeny Great news. And kudos to Jindall for getting voucher program at least for those grades. Written by Ann This is good news indeed and good for the children. However Catholic schools nationwide are still lacking in resources to help special needs children and often pawn them off on the public schools. That is sad. Written by Otis In addition to the excellent work being done by the Catholic schools in the area, I would also like to applaud the work of Paul Vallas, current Superintendent of Public schools. He did an excellent job when he was here in Chicago and his work down in NO is also to be applauded. And kudos to Gov. Jindal for working hard to make sure that both the Catholic and public schools are ready for the task of rebuilding! Written by Andy K. Nice story. Tends to show that the solution to our country's public education failure lies in competition. Voucher programs will weed out failed schools (public and private) and with the encouragement of parents in participating in their childrens education via involvement... will see that students will succeed even if they are from any economic background. Thank you to the Dominican Sisters and the lay teachers for caring and for the Catholic Diocese for opening their schools. Their graduation sucesss is comendable. Nice to see public officials like the LA governor and legislators approve the voucher system. Let's hope that it can be expanded to the other grades. Written by RJ This is the most heartening bit of news I’ve read in months. Thank you Deal Hudson. Years ago right after being married with my wife pregnant and suddenly unemployed I was “moved” somehow to accept the job of school custodian at the local parish. The Sisters of Notre Dame out of Cincinnati ran the school and had their convent on the church property. I took the job “temporarily” to pay the bills until I found a “better” position. Surprise! Those angels in their habits with so much love for the children they were teaching along with their devotion to living a life of service to their Lord and Lover gave me a whole new lookout on life. I felt “honored” to serve their needs and those of their charges. They taught me so much of the true meaning of life. I fell in love with all of them and their work. This was at a time when finances were strapping the Archbishop and he was considering dropping the grade schools in favor of the high schools (where the priests taught) and had all those sports fans supporting them. My advice to the superior then is the same as I would have today (and this is what happened there in New Orleans) and that was to throw open the doors of your schools to the entire neighborhood, Catholic and non-Catholic, add on to the elementary school and if need be ask for donations to carry on the wonderful work they were doing. Of course, it didn’t turn out like that. I think we made a big mistake. That temporary job which I sadly left lasted for over six of the best year of my life secured the foundation of our faith within our family. God will have a special place for the wonderful women who chose to be Christ’s bride and the spiritual “mothers” of so many of the Fathers children. God Bless the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia. We love you. Written by Bill Sr. I am a product of New Orleans Catholic schools. They were excellent, for the most part. The problem is that public schools are failing, yet the government still confiscates my wealth through taxation to throw down the rabbit hole of public education. Time to get rid of compulsory education laws and make all education private. Catholics have long proven that their voluntary system of education is superior. Written by Rick As a retired Orleans parish teacher I recall many of my co-workers sent their children to private schools. Thank you Jindall for the voucher plan. Public school teachers do not have very high salaries. Now even more of their kids can opt for a quality Catholic education.  Written by New Orleans Personal Trainer I am a product of New Orleans Catholic schools. They were excellent, for the most part. — RickThe problem is that public schools are failing, yet the government still confiscates my wealth through taxation to throw down the rabbit hole of public education. Time to get rid of compulsory education laws and make all education private. Catholics have long proven that their voluntary system of education is superior. I too am a product of New Orleans Catholic schools, and also vouch for their excellence. I don't think, however, that the answer is to get rid of public schools. In some areas of the country public schools are excellent -- even in New Orleans, Ben Franklin HS has maintained consistent excellence despite being public. Moreover, I want Catholic schools to be primarily for the education of Catholics. It's not that I oppose people of other faiths attending Catholic schools, but when a majority of kids in a school are non-Catholic, things like weekly Mass and religious instruction become something of a sham. What good is first grade religion class if 80% of the students aren't going to receive First Communion? It becomes a waste of breath. Vouchers are the answer. Let kids go to the best school for them, public or private. Let Catholic schools be Catholic. I work in medicine, and I have seen religious hospitals co-opted by secular administration, and the result is rather sad. The hospitals are fine medically, but the Christian mission seems hollow. Better for the Archdiocese of New Orleans to help out for a while, but eventually for non-Catholics to migrate to other schools, leaving Catholic schools to fulfill their real mission, which is Catholic education. Written by Michael Hebert Can you imagine Gov. Jindal discussing with Pres. Hopey? Run, Bobby, Run! Written by Otto Tobit |
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