St. Monica Families Grappling With Hard News

Parents waiting to pick their students up at Saint Monica's School Monday weren't ready to talk about. The news that their school will close at the end of June is a tough pill to swallow.

Monday was the first day of school following the announcement on Friday that Saint Monica will close and be merged with St. Patrick's parish school in Malvern for the 2012-2013 school year.

Word came Friday morning from the Philadelphia Catholic Archdiocese Blue Ribbon Commission and Archbishop Charles Chaput. Friday afternoon hundreds of school families and St. Monica parishioners held a prayer service to start the transition and to pray for comfort. Church members had planned the service weeks in advance, hoping that it would be a celebration of good news. Instead it was the beginning of a celebration of the church's history of overcoming challenges.

"I am struggling just like each and every one of you here tonight," Father William Trader told his congregation on Friday. Trader began the process of leading a church that, as he reminded worshippers, has weathered other storms over its "115 year history, even when our church burned to the ground."

During opening prayers on Friday, Fr. Trader set the stage for what will be a new reality at the school for the remainder of the academic year. "Today we begin another transition as a community and as an archdiocese. You know what is in our hearts as we pray. Help us to draw on Jesus' love and Jesus' strength as we process thus change."

It was clear from talking to some of the parents waiting to pick up their students at the end of the school day on Monday that many St. Monica School families are still working through the tough process of absorbing the news and what it will mean for their students next school year.

St. Monica families are not alone. The Archdiocese Blue Ribbon Commission has recommended closing 44 out of 156 elementary schools at the end of the current school year in June.

Fr. Trader told said he and St. Monica School Principal Lisa Hoban were scheduled to meet with archdiocese officials this week to discuss specifics of the recommended merger with St. Patrick's school in Malvern. Under the recommendations announced Friday,  the consolidated school would be created at St. Patrick's campus in Malvern.