Parents Ask Where Funds Raised For Mercy, Now Closing, Will Go

RIVERHEAD, NY — Parents who have spent years selflessly fundraising for scholarships, programs and facilities at McGann-Mercy High School are now demanding answers about where those monies will go, now that news has broken that the high school will be closing.

And at least one mom, Joann Waski, wants to know if funds will be diverted to the "Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program for Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse," established by the Diocese of Rockville Centre in Oct. 2017. The program allows the survivors of sexual abuse by priests or deacons to seek financial compensation.

In an email to Patch, Waski wrote: "I am not sure how the DRVC can justify allowing hardworking families to continue to fundraise and donate their hard-earned money while being aware that the intention was to close these schools. This was not a decision that was made overnight. It takes time."

Waski said she understands that the school needs some of the fundraisers to offset the cost of tuition.

"But what about the fundraising that is done by the families for the enrichment of the students and the school?" she asked. "Something as simple as the concession stand at a Friday night football game. Parents 'donate' food and items to be purchased to raise money to put back into the sports program. If we knew that there would no longer be a sports program we would not have been charging people $2 for a 50-cent hot dog. So the question is, 'Where does that money now go? Do it belong to the DRVC?' It was not being used to support the school, it’s sitting waiting to purchase new equipment or to pay for a special instructor to help out with the sport. It is no longer being used for the purpose originally stated. Do you know how many people will give you a $20 for a $6 purchase and say, 'Keep the change, it’s for a good cause.'"

Waski said she read about the defense fund established by the DRVC. "This was implemented by our very own Bishop Barres; survivors have been encouraged to come forward and seek compensation through this program. Does this mean that the funds that were being allocated for Catholic education are no longer available to us because of this victims' fund?" Waski asked.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Patch regarding the reconciliation fund and where the monies raised for school pursuits would now go.

When asked for comment via phone, director of communications for the DRVC, Sean P. Dolan, said only that parents should be contacting the Diocese directly with their questions rather than reaching out to the media.

A release from the Diocese announcing the fund in October said, "The Diocese of Rockville Centre is fortunate to be able to participate in the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program by using funds from investment returns over time and insurance programs."

Waski's parents both graduated from Mercy; her father was a member of the first class to attend Mercy in 1962, followed by her mother in 1964. In 2016 her father was honored, posthumously, as he passed in 2008 at the Mercy Principal's Dinner.

"It’s represented that 50 years after my father’s graduation from the institution his twin grandchildren graduated following in his footsteps," she said. "And now after my father being the first class to attend the school, his youngest granddaughter untimely will be the last."

Waski said her family has "great history" within the walls of Mercy.

"This school is part of our family," she said.

Waski also asked what will happen to "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in scholarship funds sitting in an escrow account through Mercy/DRVC.

"At no time were we ever a financial 'burden' on the DRVC. This entire thing stinks and it is at the cost of our children," she said.

According to a release from the Diocese of Rockville Center in Oct., 2017, the Diocese announced the establishment of the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program, or IRCP, for survivors of sexual abuse by clergy of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

The IRCP allows survivors of sexual abuse by priests or deacons of the diocese to seek financial compensation, the Diocese said, adding, "This program is a major commitment in ongoing efforts by the diocese to respond to the tragedy of sexual abuse of minors by clergy."

Most Reverend John O. Barres, Bishop, Diocese of Rockville Centre implemented the voluntary program to promote healing and continue its ongoing commitment for the protection of children, the release said.

“As your Shepherd, I am asking all of us together to take a new and important step in the Church’s Eucharistic Mission of Mercy,” said Bishop Barres. “With this program we are making a major commitment to the ongoing healing of survivors of acts of child sexual abuse committed by clergy.”

The IRCP will be administered by Mr. Kenneth R. Feinberg, a mediator in the country who has administered numerous high-profile compensation programs, including the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and the Compensation Fund for the victims of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the release said.

Feinberg and his colleague Camille Biros have been administering the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Programs in the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn and have extensive recent experience in the area, the release said.

The diocese has also established an independent oversight committee to oversee the implementation and administration of the program, the release added.

“We as a Church recognize that no amount of monetary compensation could ever erase or undo the grave harm suffered by survivors of child abuse. Still, we embrace Christ’s healing power and the Mission of Mercy of the Catholic Church as we begin our Independent Reconciliation and Compensation program. We stand in solidarity with our survivors and their families and we continue our commitment and vigilance to the protection of children in our Church and in society,” said Bishop Barres.

Waski, like scores of other parents, is bereft at the loss of the school, and concerned about the distance East End residents will have to travel to continue Catholic education, with the closest options being St. John the Baptist in West Islip, or St. Anthony’s in south Huntington.

A commute that was just 20 minutes in the past will now be an hour and a half by bus, Waski said, not including the later hours on the days when student athletes have games.

Waski agreed with many other parents who feel betrayed by the Diocese who, she said, should have "warned us. Allowed us to phase the kids out. Not uproot them like a puppy in a store. . . We always had the opportunity to send our children to any school we wanted to, but we chose Bishop McGann Mercy. How can such a devoted man of God take away the spirit and security of a child? That in itself is a form a abuse."

She added that she was appalled to receive the news with a robocall. "There was a fundraiser the night before we were informed to purchase a school bus," Waski said. "Had any of us known what was to come we would have been fundraising for the school, not a bus."

Waski added, "The Bishop sent out his people to deliver this dreadful news to our administration and all retreated back to Rockville Centre before his YouTube message hit social media and we were left with no answers, no one to speak with and no guidance. All that I did know was that this was skillfully orchestrated and that the Diocese is a very powerful and wealthy entity that yet again has taken aim on the East End Catholic schools," Waski said, referring to the closing of St. John the Evangelist in Riverhead 14 years ago. "We pray this is not how our story will end."

Parents are fiercelyl rallying to try and save Bishop McGann Mercy High School, after news devastated the community that the longtime institution would be closing.

A petition on change.org, "Save McGann Mercy High School," was created by Caryn Nabrizny. To sign, click here.

Parents have also launched a GoFundMe, "Save Bishop McGann Mercy HS." To donate, click here.

"The shocking announcement of the closing of Bishop McGann Mercy by the Diocese of Rockville Centre has devastated the Catholic school community on the East End of Long Island," the page said. "We, as parents of the school, have started this fund to assist us in taking measures to Save Our School. The funds will be used for marketing, and obtaining the proper consultants necessary to help formulate a plan that will sustain Bishop McGann-Mercy. The funds will also be used to fill the deficit that we were told it takes to run Bishop McGann Mercy H.S.. We are hopeful to raise way above our goal to show the Diocese that we have many supporters that are willing to keep the school open."

The page added, "The Diocese of Rockville Centre does not know us. We are family. We live Mercy."

Parents and students were equally livid and heartbroken after they were rocked by the news that Bishop McGann-Mercy High School in Riverhead will be shutting its doors — closing a chapter on a legacy that has shaped generations of lives.

The Diocese of Rockville Center made the announcement and stated that as part of a long-term effort to revitalize and strengthen Catholic education on Long Island, it would consolidate two elementary schools and close the diocesan high school, stating that the schools are "no longer viable" due to decreased enrollment.

Moving forward, the diocese will combine Our Lady of Mercy Regional School in Cutchogue and St. Isidore School in Riverhead into a new nursery through Grade 8 school on the St. Isidore site.

The new school will be named St. John Paul II Regional School.

Parents and students alike have expressed dismay about what they said was shocking news.

"Our family is devastated right now," said Rosanne Hendrickson, who has two sons that attended Mercy; her oldest graduated in 2015. "Sean said he loved going to Mercy as he did for all four years of Catholic high school. Our other son Evan is presently in ninth grade. Evan is so confused and upset right now," she said.

Mercy, she said, is a wonderful school, where her children were taught good morals, and given support and self esteem during their teenage years.

"They had amazing school spirit and Mercy pride," she said.

And, Hendrickson said, parents are outraged over how the news was broken. "The way we were told, from a Connect Ed message, is an absolute disgrace. We have no idea of what the future holds and my son feels very confused right now. We are all upset as we had not seen this one coming."

She added that she and her family are praying for all of the teachers, staff and all of the children.

Maddie Hansen, currently a ninth grader at McGann Mercy High School, told Patch, "This school means the world to me. When I first made the switch I knew that it was a great community. I made so many friends on the first day and I have two friends that will stick with me for life, maybe even more."

Everyone at Mercy, she said, is nice, kind, and caring. "Mercy is like one big family. Everyone is there for each other. Its not like there are distant cousins that you never talk to."

"When I found out the news I was devastated," she said. "I knew that neither of those two friends live in my district. We are going to try to see each other but it is going to be tough."

Maddie feels that other options might be weighed, such as not allowing grades lower than the current ninth grade to enroll and sending middle school students to another high school.

After Bishop McGann-Mercy Diocesan High School in Riverhead closes, the Diocese will offer students the opportunity to enroll at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip, a release said.

Many parents have expressed outrage over the long distances they will have to travel.
The diocese will provide transportation, guidance counseling and tuition grants to students who continue at a Diocesan school.

Aquebogue resident Debbie Kneidl, who once worked at Mercy, said, "Rockville Center has just cut off the East End."

Children who attend Catholic school, she said, are rooted in their faith and are taught daily to serve and minister to others.

"These children are often the ones who keep Catholicism moving forward in a community," Kneidl said. "Bishop Barres, under the direction and suggestion of the Chief Financial Officer for Rockville Centre Tom Doodian, have done nothing other than to suggest to our East End community that we are not as important, and as worthy, as those in western Suffolk or Nassau. They are saying we as a community do not deserve the same opportunities. They are saying money is more important than doing God's work. Shame on them!"

Enrollment issues cited

These three schools will close at the end of the current school year in June, and St. John Paul II Regional School will open in September, 2018.

Enrollment at the three schools, all on the East End has fallen 37 percent since 2011, the Diocese said.

The high school alone was subsidized $16.3 million from 2007 through the last school year and is expected to require an additional $2.3 million in support for the school year, a release said. The enrollment decline partially reflects a 6.2 percent drop in the school-age population in Suffolk County between 2011 and 2016, a loss of 19,000 children, according to data from the 2016 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, the Diocese said.

The "graying of Long Island's population has caused significant challenges for all schools — public, Catholic and private — reducing the available number of school-age children," the release said, adding that effects of the decline have been even more dramatic on the East End where the population is already more sparse.

"We recognize the pain and disruption that this decision causes for our beloved school families," said Most Reverend John O. Barres, Bishop, Diocese of Rockville Centre. "It is a decision that is heartbreaking to our students, their parents and families, our dedicated faculty, administrators and staff, and of course our parishes that are impacted."

He added that the Diocese will support students, families, and employees throughout the transition with spiritual and pastoral care, as well as with information through communication.

"Our goal is that these measures will strengthen Catholic schools on Long Island. The sad truth is that it has become increasingly unfeasible to maintain these schools financially," he said. "As is often the case in these situations, the only real course of action is to combine our resources in new and creative ways so that we can provide a more robust and compelling educational experience across the entire system, in keeping with our mission to serve the people of Long Island."

Bishop McGann-Mercy, with a total enrollment of 365 in Grade 7 to 12 and 312 students in Grades 9 to 12, expects to graduate 91 students in June and has registered only 55 students for the incoming freshman class of September 2018, the release said.
St. Isidore School, with 104 enrolled students in kindergarten through eighth grade, is expected to require a subsidy from the parish and diocese of approximately $475,000 for the current school year, the diocese said. And at Our Lady of Mercy Regional, enrollment has declined to 53 students in kindergarten through sixth grade with just three students in the first grade; the school is anticipated to require a subsidy from the supporting parishes and diocese of approximately $600,000 for the current school year, the diocese said.

The diocese has developed staffing and logistical plans and will be sharing details at informational meetings and open houses. In addition, the diocese has set up a hotline at 516-280-4124 and website to provide information.

Plans for St. John Paul II Regional School in Riverhead include an enhanced Early Childhood Education Center, a strengthened elementary education program and middle-school academy featuring a STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art and Math) curriculum.

"While we sincerely regret having to take these actions, we remain dedicated to the mission of Catholic education," said Bishop Barres.

Patch courtesy photo of Mercy graduates Andrew and Alexandra, Waski, Class of 2016. Their sister, Ryan-Elizabeth was due to follow in her siblings and gradate with the Class of 2019.