Catholic Schools: Dominican Help, Notre Dame Jazz . . . St. Edmund in Oak Park has a boost toward staying open from Dominican U., which would take it on as a sort of lab school, as in
Wed Journal of OP&RF. Meanwhile, student recruitment goes hot and heavy.
Meanwhile, from the South Side comes this from Reader Bob:
At St. Felicitas [1501 E 83rd Pl] . . . we are so close to the criteria, [but] they decided to close us anyway. [It] hit us like a brick in the head. Day and nite for the last few months we've been strategizing and working to meet the 4 criteria.
We are losing now, so far, but as Yogi says: "It ain't over til its over." So we battle on. . . . I grew up here and came back last year to start a band at the school and to help with development. . . . I didn't get the seriousness of the situation until Oct 28, when [Cath schools supt] Nick Wolsonovich met with our principal and told her,"You must raise $150,000 and give me a plan for 2005-06 or we close you."
Well, we are up to $141,000. The Notre Dame Jazz Band gives a concert here Friday evening, 7:30, April 8 to bring in enough money to close the gap and hopefully go a little over the $150,000.
FRIDAY APRIL 8, 7:30, JAZZ FOR ST. FELICITAS!
RETURN OF THE PASTOR . . . Father Dan is becoming a sermon in himself, having returned from Guest House, a recovery center for priests, a new man, living one day at a time and telling us about it in measured phrases in the bulletin. I knew something was up a week ago when after mass he stood praying, head bowed and arms around the shoulders of a man and a woman. A memorable picture.
Today he tells in the bulletin of the visit of his counsellor from Guest House, who came to see how he is doing and to meet with various people and groups, as announced a week ago. Dan briefly describes his "program" of attending A.A. meetings, "getting out for walks, and setting aside time for reading and meditation" -- in addition to his regular duties.
In a telling commentary about life as a pastor with application to life as anything else, he says, "I've had to learn how to carve time out of the day to take care of my self," adding poignantly, "So far, so good." He quotes the "one day at a time" motto, thanking for the support he is getting and thanking God for us parishioners.
The lady of our house, like me a lifelong Catholic, can't recall anything like this from a priest. Nor I.
