Area Awaits Fate of Catholic Schools

The Blue Ribbon Commission announced via press release that it will present its recommendations for the future course of Catholic education in the Archdiocese today at 4 p.m. at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center in Philadelphia. 

Our Lady of Fatima in Secane will close and those students will attend Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) in Morton, according to the Delaware County Daily Times. The Times also reports that Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast will close.

The Springfield and Morton community is currently served by five Parochial schools: , , , Saint Dorothy in Drexel Hill and OLPH. 

at the end of the 2010-11 academic year despite the rally efforts of parents, teachers, students and alums. .

The commission will present findings on which Catholic schools in the region may or may not close.

These recommendations come after a yearlong in-depth analysis of all programs related to Catholic education throughout the Archdiocese - elementary, high school, special education and parish religious education programs (for Catholic children who attend public schools), the release states.

Members of the Blue Ribbon Commission will discuss their plan for the future of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese and Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M., Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia, will offer comments on the findings. 

The 16-member Blue Ribbon Commission was appointed in December 2010.  The Commission engaged in a comprehensive and critical review of the key elements of model Catholic schools and religious education programs to make them sustainable for the future. For background on the Blue Ribbon Commission please visit  www.catholicschools-phl.org/curriculum/home.

The news conference will be streamed live on the Archdiocesan website at www.archphila.org. At the start of the news conference a new web site www.faithinthefuture.com will go live.  This site will have the Blue Ribbon Commission report and updates from the Office of Catholic Education. 

Springfield Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.