School Mergers, Closings Urged
By Daniel Kelley
bnd.com
January 20, 2008
http://www.bnd.com/news/education/story/233075.html
PINCKNEYVILLE — Bishop Edward Braxton said Saturday he is preparing to act on recommendations from the Catholic Education Initiative to merge or close Catholic schools in the Belleville Diocese.
At a town hall meeting in the Knights of Columbus Hall in Pinckneyville, Braxton told a group of 30 fellow Catholics that he does not decide to close the schools on his own, but must act on recommendations from school officials.
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| Belleville Bishop Edward Braxton. |
"I am not likely to accept any proposal to close a school unless the parents, teachers and faculty tell me this is all we can do," Braxton said.
The Belleville Diocese has been considering a plan, called the Catholic Education Initiative, to streamline and strengthen the six Catholic schools in Belleville; including Blessed Sacrament, Cathedral, Our Lady Queen of Peace, St. Augustine of Canterbury, Academy at St. Mary's and St. Teresa.
Braxton said it may also make sense to merge some schools with a small student population, such as Sacred Heart Grade School in Du Quoin. The Southern Illinois school has about 20 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and is part of the diocese.
Besides mentioning Sacred Heart, Braxton said he had no further information at this time about school closings because it is an ongoing process.
Braxton also said he would not speak publicly about a complaint from the Diocesan Finance Council that alleged the bishop misused donations intended for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith to purchase $8,000 in vestments or on a complaint from the board administering the "Future Full of Hope" fundraiser over the $10,100 purchase of office furniture.
"I don't make statements to the public media because it does not help," Braxton said. "It only muddies the water."
Braxton said he will occasionally make announcements when a formal decision has been made.
Braxton has refused to answer questions from the Presbyteral Council, which met Monday, concerning the complaints.
One finance council member, the Rev. Dennis Voss, has said the finance council complained Dec. 14 to Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the papal nuncio and the pope's U.S. representative in Washington, D.C., about Braxton's use of money from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
The board of the Future Full of Hope fund, whose money was raised locally, passed a motion in December criticizing Braxton for approving the expenditure of $10,100 last year to buy a wooden conference table and chairs for the chancery.
The diocesan fund is intended to help programs for children and adults.
The town hall meetings are a way for parish members to meet with the bishop and ask questions in an informal setting. Another meeting was previously held in Breese and the next one will be held on Feb. 6 in Carbondale.
Contact Daniel Kelley at dkelley@bnd.com or 239-2526.
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