In Southeast Queens Cluster

Praying for Catholic Schools

By Stefanie Gutierrez

“This is a vision that we must go forward and let people know – Catholic schools are a necessity,” said Robin Johnson, a member of the Queens South Cluster #6 advisory board.

On Saturday, Dec. 1, a Community Prayer Day was held for preserving and enhancing Catholic education in the cluster, where 12 parishes and three schools operate.

Principals, teachers, parents and students from St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Albans; St. Clare, Rosedale; and Sacred Heart, Cambria Heights, met at Christ the King Church, Springfield Gardens, for a 1 p.m. ceremony that included prayer, song, liturgical dance and testimonies.

Stephanie Gutierrez Photos 

COMMUNITY PRAYER DAY: Teacher Allison Murphy, below, shared how prayer is part of every day at Sacred Heart School, Cambria Heights, as part of a day of prayer to preserve Catholic education in the Queens South Cluster. St. Mary Magdalene's Liturgical Dancers, above, and the Christ the King Youth Choir performed.

The ceremony was “a kick-off for our campaign for enhancing and preserving Catholic education,” Johnson said. “The idea is to maintain and sustain the students that are already in our three remaining schools and to bring in more students so that they don’t close down. We want to let the community know the importance of Catholic education.”

She discussed the cluster’s demographics. “The schools have become more expensive, and more children aren’t able to attend. There have been grants but there needs to be more full scholarships. The desire to go to our schools is there… It’s just financial reasons that many can’t attend,” Johnson related.

Johnson and the 15 other members of the board plan on involving council members in their campaign to enhance and preserve Catholic education in the area. They are rallying together support from others in the community and throughout the year they will visit all 12 parishes in the cluster to garner more support.

At the community day of prayer, Father Jeffry Dillon, pastor of Christ the King and administrator at St. Clement Pope, S. Ozone Park, and St. Mary Magdalene, Springfield Gardens, was there to “pray for the success of the efforts of the advisory board,” he said. “It is also necessary to pray for the spiritual, educational and financial support of the schools.”

Many parents who had sent their children to Catholic schools spoke about the importance of their education. Mr. and Mrs. Previl are two parents who send their four children to Sacred Heart.

“We sent our children to Sacred Heart because we didn’t want to have to re-teach our children when they came home from public school,” said Mrs. Previl. “The Catholic education they are receiving goes hand-in-hand with what they learn at home.”

Mr. Previl added, “We need to advertise this to the world and share it everywhere we go.”

Felicia Kernizant, an alumnus of Sacred Heart and St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, is now enrolled in a Catholic college. She talked about turning to God in moments of hardship, something she learned from her early formation years at Sacred Heart. She ended her testimony by saying, “I will forever promote Catholic education.”

“Perhaps the best advertisement our Catholic schools have is listening to our young people,” said Father Bryan Patterson, pastor of Sacred Heart.