Diocese Announces Final Decisions
Regarding Draft Reconfiguration Proposals

Beginning in January, 2009, the diocesan committee overseeing the school strategic planning process in Brooklyn and Queens entitled “Preserving the Vision” held more than 35 consultation meetings in every region of the Diocese of Brooklyn, to review the 29 draft proposals that were submitted for comment. An unprecedented amount of feedback and suggested revisions were received by the diocesan committee in the weeks that followed.

The committee subsequently reviewed all the feedback, adopted a number of revisions to its initial draft proposals and submitted its revised proposals to the Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, for final approval.

After careful study and reflection, the Bishop made his final decisions and has authorized their publication.

• Eight elementary schools will close at the end of the current school year, in June, 2009. They are: Flatbush Catholic Academy (Bk), St. Vincent Ferrer School (Bk), Most Precious Blood School (Bk), St. Benedict Joseph Labre School (Qns), St. Catherine of Sienna School (Qns), St. Aloysius School (Qns), St. Ann School (Qns) and Blessed Sacrament School (Jackson Heights, Qns).


• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School (Bk) will be permitted to reopen in September, 2009, and is invited to seek designation as a diocesan mission school.


• Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (Bk) will be permitted to remain open as a parochial school.


• In the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, Saint Jerome School, St. Therese of Lisieux School and St. Catherine of Genoa School will remain open as parochial schools while beginning a planning process to create a single, regional academy in September, 2010, that will utilize all three of their current sites.


• The Bishop has also accepted the alternative proposals offered by the leadership of Our Lady of Angels School (Bk) and St. Anthony of Padua School (Qns), seeking the conversion of these schools into independent Catholic academies. It is expected that these two new academies will open in September, 2009.


• In the Windsor Terrace section of Brooklyn, the proposed merger of Immaculate Heart of Mary School (Bk) and Holy Name School (Bk) will not occur in the upcoming school year. Instead, each school will remain as a parochial school while lay leaders from each parish will form a Task Force to bring these two school communities closer together.


• In Flushing, St. Michael School will remain open as a parochial school while Mary’s Nativity School will be the site for a new Catholic academy to open in September, 2009.


• Three parochial schools accepted the invitation to become Catholic academies. They are Our Lady of Grace School (Qns) which will reopen in September, 2009 as Ave Maria Catholic Academy, St. Anastasia School (Qns) which will reopen in September, 2009 as Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy, and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal School (Qns) which will reopen in September, 2009 as Notre Dame Catholic Academy of Ridgewood.

On Thursday evening, February 12, 2009, Bishop DiMarzio made an Internet-based presentation, addressing the faithful of Brooklyn and Queens regarding “Preserving the Vision”. His remarks are available at three Internet sites: (1) the diocesan website (www.dioceseofbrooklyn.org); (2) the website dedicated to Preserving the Vision (www.csptv.org); and (3) YouTube (title: Preserving the Vision).

“Change is never easy. Sometimes, it is even painful. My thoughts and prayers are with the students, parents, and teachers whose schools will be consolidated in June. I want to assure you that we will do everything we can to assure that your child finds a seat in the school of your choice,” said Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

The Bishop concluded his Internet presentation to the people of the Diocese of Brooklyn with the following words: “My friends, we have begun a new chapter in the life of our schools. The next few years will bring exciting innovations, additional programs and the birth of new, quality academies that will pass on the vision of Catholic education for generations to come! Together, let us resolve to begin this new chapter in Catholic school education together.”