Quincy Schools Face Financial Trouble in Midst of Nationwide Foreclosure Trend

The recession is hard for everyone but two pastors in Quincy stand in the face of financial adversity and refuse to let their church buildings be sold. Rev. John Ronaghan of St. Ann and Rev. David Callahan of St. Mary believe their church buildings are just too important to the community. The buildings are used for a number of community events including religious classes and athletic meetings.

The statement by the pastors comes after they both announced that they will close their schools this year. St. Mary School, one of the schools to be closed, provides a comprehensive Catholic education to students pre-kindergarten through grade eight.

They emphasize maximizing student academic achievement in an environment characterized by a strong sense of community and parental involvement. The school serves Quincy and surrounding communities welcoming students with diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

The Archdiocese of Boston has outlined a plan that will merge the closing schools with Sacred Heart School. According to Sacred Heart school administrators, “Endowed with the gift of life from God, each child has the right to an education which adequately prepares the child for life in this world and the next. Sacred Heart School endeavors to achieve this goal by concentrating in four major areas: intellectual, cultural, moral, and spiritual.

Our specific goal is to provide the climate, the spirit of cooperation, the curriculum, and the flexibility that will impart a solid foundation for our young people, regardless of race, creed, or national origin. Christian education aims at the formation of the whole person with respect to the good of society of which each person will be a responsible member.

At Sacred Heart School this will be accomplished through programs that allow the students to interact with one another, as well as their families, faculty, and the greater community.”

The merging comes after a steep decline in student attendance over the past decade. According to Jack Encarnacao a reporter with the Patriot Ledger, “The archdiocese estimates it would cost a minimum $3 million to upgrade the St. Ann building to the level of Sacred Heart. “There’s no way we could have done that,” Ronaghan told the crowd. “This is the only way that we have to go. And we can’t do this without you.”

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