Committee to Save Black Catholic Schools Asks Pope Benedict XVI to Prevent Closure...

Committee to Save Black Catholic Schools Asks Pope Benedict XVI to Prevent
Closure of DC Catholic Schools

Parents, Community Leaders Ask Papal Nuncio to Enlist Pope Benedict XVI's
Support for Schools

WASHINGTON, April 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An organization fighting to
keep Catholic schools open in the District of Columbia has asked Pope Benedict
XVI to intervene in the Washington Archdiocese's decision to close seven
schools and take specific steps to keep the schools open in the District, and
help Catholic schools across the country continue to educate minority students
in urban areas.

In a letter to Apostolic Nuncio, who is the Pope's highest representative in
the United States, the Committee to Save Black Catholic Schools encouraged the
Holy Father to support an annual national collection for urban Catholic
education. The letter also requested that Papal Nuncio ask Pope Benedict XVI
to require Archbishop Wuerl to take steps to keep the schools open.

"Out of respect for the Holy Father and because of your demonstrated
willingness to work with us, we did not organize a formal demonstration about
Catholic education in the black community to coincide with the Holy Father's
visit," said the letter to Papal Nuncio. "Instead we request...that you inform
the Holy Father about the situation in the Archdiocese of Washington Catholic
schools in the black community."

The organization wrote that Archbishop Wuerl is setting "an unfortunate
precedent" for the American Church by closing the schools, noting that the
Archdiocese of Washington led the integration of Catholic schools even before
desegregation of public schools was the law of the land. Further, it noted
that in 1948 Archbishop O'Boyle's integration efforts were studied by the U.S.
Supreme Court and helped to shape the landmark Brown vs. The Board of
Education decision in 1954 that integrated public schools in the U.S.

"Sadly, we believe Archbishop Wuerl is setting a new precedent in reducing the
presence of Catholic education in the Nation's Capital," the letter said.
"Rather than pioneering methods to keep Catholic schools open, Catholic and
affordable -- as is being done in the Dioceses of Wichita, Kansas and Memphis,
Tennessee -- Archbishop Wuerl is closing high performing, 80% capacity filled,
inner-city Catholic schools."

In September, Archbishop Wuerl proposed that eight Catholic Schools with
predominantly black enrollments be closed or turned into public charter
schools, contending that the Archdiocese of Washington had run out of money to
sustain them. Even though, parents, alumni and parishioners across the
region joined together to find ways to help the institutions continue as
Catholic Schools, the Archdiocese decided to convert or close seven of the
schools.

In the letter to Papal Nuncio, the organization asked that he outline the
problem to Pope Benedict XVI and request that the Holy Father instruct
Archbishop Wuerl to:

-- Pull together a group of black and white leaders to raise funds to close
the annual gap for these schools.

-- Replicate models of success such as the methods used by the Bishop of
Wichita and the Bishop of Memphis -- both of these Dioceses turned a situation
of school closings into a situation where new schools are opening in the inner
cities.

-- Encourage the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops to build on an emerging
university model. The University of Notre Dame took to heart the U.S.
Catholic Conference of Bishops 2005 pastoral letter advocating support for
Catholic schools. The University put its School of Education to work in the
inner cities. Members of the Committee to Save Black Catholic Schools are
working with the University of Notre Dame and Holy Redeemer School, here in
D.C. We would like to see Catholic universities in Washington -- Georgetown
University, Catholic University and Trinity College -- providing teaching
assistance.

-- Work with lay Catholics to develop partnerships with labor unions and
enlightened corporations that understand the value of a trained and trainable
labor force. The Services Employees International Union (SEIU) may be a
natural starting point.

(For a copy of the letter please email Mike@FrisbyAssociates.com)

Contact:
Joe McKenzie
301-455-6631

Michael K. Frisby
202-625-4328

SOURCE Committee to Save Black Catholic Schools

Joe McKenzie of the Committee to Save Black Catholic Schools, +1-301-455-6631;
or Michael K. Frisby, +1-202-625-4328, for the Committee to Save Black
Catholic Schools