Putting Faith Into Action

Some students at St. Augustine School willingly gave up their early dismissal time on Tuesday to put their faith into action. Fifth grade Girl Scouts were joined by other students in unpacking bags of donated uniforms, separating and folding them for eventual delivery to Haitian schoolchildren. The St. Augustine students no longer need their uniforms, the Archdiocese of New York decided to close the school and the final day of classes is today.

As she moved bags of clothing from the hallway to the multipurpose room, fifth grader Amanda Molloy said, “I’m really sad about it." 

Gabriella DePinho said, “I’m upset that we have to give it away because the school is closing.”

The 13-year-old, who graduated Saturday as a member of St. Augustine’s last eighth grade class, said she had planned to come back to the school and visit when she went onto high school and is sad that she will not be able to.  

Even though St. Augustine’s enrollment was 219, Bethann Rooney, president of the Home School Association, estimated families contributed 2,000 to 3,000 pieces of clothing. She explained the students wore summer and winter dress uniforms and summer and winter gym outfits. Rooney said she had kept all her fifth grade daughter’s uniforms from kindergarten on and believed many other families did the same.

Rooney said a parent came up with the idea of donating the white shirts, dark green jumpers, pants and shorts to Haitian children who are required to wear uniforms in order to be able to attend school. Another parent connected with a Haitian organization in Spring Valley, which will ship the clothing. Between 25 and 30 of the school’s students are Haitian.

“We’ve been collecting for about a week and a half, two weeks,” said Rooney.

The students stopped wearing their uniforms on June 10 so they could be donated.

“They got the privilege of dressing down in return for taking care of their neighbors and the underprivileged,” she said. 

Girl Scout Troop Leader Gina Crossetta said the seven girls in the troop were helping out as part of a service project. 

“I think they’re happy that their uniforms are going to be used by someone else,” Crossetta said. 

She said it was a way to teach them that there was a silver lining in the sadness about the closing.

Emily Rooney felt that way.

“I feel disappointed, sad,” she said, adding, “It makes me happy to help other people who need help.”

Katharine Murphy served as principal of the New City school for 13 years and with the Archdiocese of New York for 29 years. She has accepted a job as principal of Christ The Teacher School in Fort Lee and will join the Archdiocese of Newark.

She said the past six months at St. Augustine have been very tough and similar to mourning the loss of a family member.

“Our motto is faith, family, future and we are family,” Murphy said.