New Developments in St. Monica School Closing

The Pastor and Principal of St. Monica Church and School in Berwyn have spent most of January helping parishoners, families, and students come to terms with the news that the St. Monica School will close at the end of June.

The Blue Ribbon Commission of the Philadelphia Catholic Archdiocese announced in early January that St. Monica and St. Patrick's school in Malvern would be closed and consolidated on the Malvern campus of St. Patrick's.

Thursday afternoon St. Monica Pastor Father Bill Trader sent an email to the St.Monica community announcing that St.Patrick has decided to appeal the Blue Ribbon Commission's recommendation.

Here is the text of the letter sent to St.Monica families on Thursday afternoon.

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Monica's,

At 2:30 this afternoon Lisa Hoban and I were called and asked to meet Father Redcay and Ms. O'Donnell of Saint Patrick's School for unknown reasons. We  were informed at that meeting that Saint Patrick's has decided to appeal the Blue Ribbon Commission's decision that leads to the consolidation of our schools into a new school. On Monday at 11:00 a.m. Lisa Hoban and I will join the Saint Patrick's administration at a meeting in town to hear their case.

For now, the Office of Catholic Education has instructed Saint Patrick's leadership that they must proceed as if the decision will remain the same. As soon as we learn anything else, you will certainly be notified.

Please know that we are as dumbfounded as you are and look forward to having the decision as soon as possible. Please continue to keep everyone in your prayers as you will be in ours.

What St.Patrick's decision to appeal will actually mean remains unclear. At a parish meeting Thursday,  Trader and St. Monica School Principal Lisa Hoban told a crowd of about 100 that they question whether St. Patrick's will have any grounds to appeal, based on numbers used by the Archdiocese to calculate which schools are viable and which are not.

Trader told his congregation members Thursday that the pastor of St. Patrick's had said the Blue Ribbon Commission's decision 'just didn't feel right.'

Trader and Hoban told the meeting at St. Monica they are moving forward with plans to close St. Monica School in June, which is the advice they were given by officials of the Archdiocese.