In a recent post entitled "The Real Reasons Why Catholic Parochial Schools Are Dying", I stated the fact which many Bishops, Pastors and professional educators are loathe to admit, namely. that Catholic parochial education is not affordable and never really has been.
I further stated the fact that, in decades past, the perception Catholic parochial schools were flourishing was largely due to the fact that Women Religious served as teachers and administrators and were never justly compensated for their services to children, their parents, and to Pastors and their parishes.
I must say my article sparked a number of responses, overwhelmingly positive among lay people.
There were, however and as I expected, a number of negative reactions, mostly from Pastors and Priests who disagree with my premise completely.
To them and to those who take exception to my comments, I simply ask this question.
Why did the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops authorize the implementation of a never-ending Special Collection for Retired Religious that is conducted in every parish throughout the country?
Is this Special Collection not a tacit admission that every community of Women Religious was treated unjustly in the financial compensation they received for their dedication to their respective apostolates in teaching and other ministries of service?
As long as Bishops and Pastors could continue to compensate Women Religious at such extraordinarily meager rates, parochial schools could flourish without breaking the parish or diocesan budget.
However, when these dedicated women, for whatever reason, stopped offering their services as teachers and principals in parochial schools, the reality that Catholic parochial education is financially impossible to support was finally revealed once and for all.
No amount of objections or complaints about the harshness of this truth can serve to deny its reality and accuracy.
It is a sad fact that Bishops and most Pastors continue to be willing to fall on the sword of Catholic parochial schools which are beyond both parents and parishes abilities to fund.
Their reluctance to erect new models for the religious and spiritual formation of youngsters is quite confusing to me.
Nevertheless, in the face of this resistance to a new structure for Catholic education, parochial schools as they are now modeled and operate will continue to fall at an alarming rate and, as I suggest, soon be an extinct part of Catholic history in America.
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