In the "News Features" section there are
reports about the plans to relocated St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and
the decisions to close St. Cyril and Immaculate Conception
churches. Frank Metzler provides a refresher on the status of our
former parishes. Finally, there is a report of an
anonymous gift of $1M to St. Francis de Sales School.
During the first week of January
we learned of the passing in October 2020 of Charlie Johnson who came to West Catholic from Our Lady of Victory Parish. As best we can
determine, 196 of our classmates have gone to their eternal reward.
Rich Buzza closes this edition with his "Final Thought".
EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH WEST
CATHOLIC PREP
January
11th, 2020
Dear
Member of the West Catholic Prep Community,
We are
writing to share some exciting news with you. A year and a half ago, school
leadership began the exploration of a potential sale of the parking lot on the
West Catholic Prep property. This has been a thoughtful, and thorough process
led by the schools Board of Directors. We are now working with a commercial
real estate firm that will be seeking bids to develop the site. This is great
news for the West Catholic Prep community and will further strengthen our
institution.
Through
an agreement with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Faith in the Future
Foundation, all of the net proceeds of any potential sale will benefit our
student body and the mission of West Catholic Prep by allowing us to make
substantial enhancements to our facility and also significantly increase the size
of our endowment. This growth in our endowment will greatly enhance available
financial aid and scholarships for students, ensuring we are able to continue
to recruit the best and brightest young men and women that will build upon the
schools strong legacy.
Were
grateful to the leadership of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Faith in
the Future Foundation for being very supportive throughout this process and
making a commitment to ensure that proceeds of any potential sale will be of
direct benefit to the school and its mission.
Were
also grateful to the Spruce Hill Community Association and Philadelphia City
Council with whom our Board worked closely to receive a zoning variance,
significantly increasing the value of prospective development of the parking
lot. We plan to work with the firm that will eventually develop the site to
secure parking for staff and guests as part of any potential agreement.
Please
know that we are appreciative of your support as we get this process underway
and we will continue to keep our alumni community updated as we have news to
share. We are committed to the long-term success and sustainability of West
Catholic Preparatory High School, just like you. If you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to be in touch with us directly.
Sincerely,
Andrew
Brady 02
Jessica
Wolf Dasher
Interim President
Board Chairwoman
West Catholic Preparatory High
School West
Catholic Preparatory High School
File
photo by Sarah Webb
By Matthew Gambino Posted December 10, 2020
Gwynedd Mercy University and St. Charles Borromeo
Seminary have agreed to take the first steps toward relocating the seminarys
programs on the universitys Lower Gwynedd Township, Montgomery County campus, according to a
letter by the
institutions leadership sent to clergy of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Wednesday, Dec. 9.
The letter of intent was signed Dec. 4 by Deanne DEmilio,
university president, and Bishop Timothy Senior, seminary rector.
The letter calls for relocating the seminary 20 miles
north from its longtime home in Wynnewood, which was sold last year to Main
Line Health, to a 15-acre tract on the north side of the Gwynedd Mercy campus.
The plot now houses two university buildings,
Alexandria Hall and Visitation House, used for residential housing and campus
ministry functions. Those functions would be transitioned to others buildings
on Gwynedd Mercys campus, according to the letter.
While the letter noted many contingencies
will need to be satisfied before any plans could move forward, it estimated
the sale will be concluded in approximately two to three years if all of the
conditions are met.
When the sale of the
seminarys Wynnewood property closed in
May 2019 for a reported $43.5 million, according to financial statements, the
seminary had a window of up to five years to relocate its programs. A possible
conclusion of the transaction in 2023 could be accomplished within that time
frame.
No terms of the agreement with Gwynedd Mercy
including an estimated price of the transaction or total anticipated costs for
moving the seminarys programs were divulged in the letter.
Following a period of due diligence, the next step in
the process is to execute a final agreement of sale, the letter read. We will
share more specifics on the seminarys plans for the property at that time.
While the two institutions will maintain separate
identities, programs and governance on the one campus, in the future it might
make sense to explore potential synergies, the letter read.
An illustration shows the Gwynedd Mercy
University campus with a proposed location for St. Charles Borromeo Seminary,
according to a letter of intent between the two institutions to explore a
relocation plan for the seminary from its current Wynnewood location. (via
Google Maps)
ST. CYRIL AND IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCHES TO CLOSE
By Matthew Gambino Posted December 6, 2020
Two Catholic churches that have not been used for about
two years will be formally closed and may be sold, the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia announced Sunday, Dec. 6.
Immaculate
Conception Church, on Front Street in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of
Philadelphia, and St. Cyril of Alexandria Church in East Lansdowne, Delaware
County, will be relegated to the status under canon law of a "profane
but not sordid use,"meaning they "will no longer serve as worship
sites of their respective parishes and will close as Roman Catholic
churches," according to a release by the archdiocese.
Both had
been merged with nearby parishes in recent years, and the news was communicated
to parishioners at this weekend's Masses.
St.
Cyril, founded in 1928, merged in 2013 with St. Philomena Parish in Lansdowne,
located less than a mile away. While a worship site of St. Philomena, regular
Masses had not been celebrated at St. Cyril's since Christmas 2018. Occasional
Masses had been celebrated there for the students of St. Cyril School, an
Independence Mission School on the campus.
The
merger of the parishes meant that St. Philomena assumed "significant
debt" of St. Cyril Parish, according to the archdiocese, which did not
specify the amount of debt.
At the
same time, the slate roof of St. Cyril Church needed to be replaced at a cost
of approximately $1 million, a cost that St. Philomena Parish was unable to afford.
"Selling
the property would relieve St. Philomena Parish of financial strain in
attempting to correct the roofing and significantly help remove the parish debt
and stabilize its finances," the archdiocesan statement read.
The last
St. Philomena's saw average attendance at weekend Masses of 776 faithful, among
the 1,192 households of the parish, according to 2018 data.
Leadership
of St. Philomena, including the pastor, Father Paul Castellani, will decide the
future usage or sale of St. Cyril as they aim "for continued parish
viability and sustainability," the statement read.
Conditions
of Immaculate Conception Church, dating to 1869, are even more dire. While it
was still a parish, Immaculate Conception began 20 years ago to share a pastor
and staff in a "twinning" arrangement with St. Michael Parish.
In 2011
it merged with St. Michael's and became a worship site of that parish.
But by
the winter of 2017, Masses at Immaculate Conception "were suspended due to
a complete failure of the heating system," and a year later chips of paint
suspected of containing lead began falling from the ceiling, according the
archdiocesan statement.
Even
while temporary heaters had been used at a high cost, the paint problem
"led to the total suspension of the building's use as a worship site out
of an abundance of caution."
With a
new heating system projected to cost up to $80,000 and the cost of a needed
roof replacement approaching $280,000, the deferred maintenance could not be
accomplished by St. Michael Parish, whose collections amount to less than
$1,000 a week.
According
to the most recent data in 2018, St. Michael's saw an average of 108 attendees
to weekly Mass from a registered population of 193 households.
The
leadership councils and parochial administrator of St. Michael Parish, Father
Arturo Chagala, will decide the future usage or sale of Immaculate Conception
Church.
As in
all parish mergers in the archdiocese, both St. Michael's and St. Philomena's
assumed the assets and, in this case, the debts of the parishes with which they
merged.
Since
the plan to relegate the former worship sites to non-Catholic or even secular
usage was approved by Archbishop Nelson Perez, the parishes may seek some usage
including sale of the buildings to reduce the debt burden to the archdiocese
and strengthen the parishes toward sustainability.
UPDATE ON OUR FORMER PARISHES
submitted by FRANK METZLER
In past editions of the 1958 Golden Burrs Events Committee
Newsletters, the Committee presented the histories of the home Parishes of the
1958 classmates who attended West Catholic Boys' High School.
Those histories reported on the closures of several
parishes and their incorporation with a neighboring parish, and
where parishes had their names changed by the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia. With all these changes the boundaries of each Parish
also changed, each covering a larger geographic territory.
Here is a reminders of the events that impacted our
former parishes.
In 1976 St. James the Greater Parish was consolidated with
St. Agatha Parish and the Parish name was changed to St. Agatha-St.
James. Students attend St. Francis de Sales School and St. Ignatius
School.
Our Lady of Victory closed in 2005 and was incorporated into
Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, which was renamed Our Lady of the Blessed
Sacrament. It operated from 2005 t0 2013, when it too was
incorporated into St. Cyprian Parish, formerly St. Carthage, which ceased
to function in 2000. Transfiguration Parish also closed in 2000 and was
incorporated into St. Cyprian Parish. St. Cyprian Parish now covers the
largest territory in West Philadelphia.
St. Raphael Parish in the Meadows near the Airport closed in
1989, and was incorporated into St. Irenaeus Parish which was
established in 1966.
In 2004, St. Clement, St. Irenaeus and Good Shepherd were
consolidated into a single parish at the site of Good Shepherd. The new
parish was named Divine Mercy.
Our Lady of Loreto Parish closed in 2000 and
was incorporated into St. Barnabas Parish.
Most Blessed Sacrament closed in 2008 and was incorporated
into St. Francis de Sales Parish and their school is still staffed by the
I.H.M. Sisters.
St. Mary of Czestochowa Parish closed in 2012 and was
incorporated with St. Barnabas Parish, which remains open today and the school
in still staffed by the I.H.M. Sisters.
Holy Name of Jesus Parish is open, but the students attend
St. Laurentius Catholic School.
Visitation B.V.M. Parish is still open and the school is
staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph.
As you see, all the open Parishes cover larger territories,
but fewer Catholics live within these boundaries. These Parishes have
also reduced their scheduled Sunday Masses, according to the Archdiocese
Catholic Directory.
CATHOLIC SCHOOL RECEIVES $ 1M FROM ANONYMOUS DONOR
By Gina Christian Posted December 16, 2020
A secret
Santa dropped off an early Christmas present at a West Philadelphia Catholic
school, providing $1 million in tuition assistance for the next two years.
An
anonymous individual recently named St. Francis de Sales School as the
beneficiary of the donation, which was made through Pennsylvanias Educational
Improvement and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (EITC and OSTC) programs.
Immaculate
Heart of Mary Sister Mary McNulty, the schools principal, said she was both very
shocked and happy when notified of the gift.
Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Mary McNulty, principal of St. Francis de
Sales School in Philadelphia, addresses local
media at a Dec. 15 presentation of a $1 million gift made to the school by
an anonymous donor. (Photo by Gina Christian)
I felt
like Gods blessings were just falling on us, she said. I knew how many
children and families would be so overjoyed at the news.
A small
number of students joined Sister Mary in the school auditorium Dec. 15, where
Jim Downey, development manager of Business Leadership Organized for Catholic
Schools (BLOCS), presented the check to the school during a brief, socially
distanced ceremony.
Financial
assistance is essential for 93% of St. Francis de Sales 462 students, said Sister
Mary, adding that tuition is now more than $5,000 per student per year.
We have
children who desperately need this support, she said. Their parents do not
want them take them out of this school; they want them here.
And with
good reason: St. Francis de Sales has to date produced eight graduates who were
named Gates Millennium Scholars and received full scholarships to the colleges
of their choice. The school partners with the nearby University of the Sciences
for its STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curriculum, and
with Villanova University for NovaCANE sessions, which bring university faculty
and staff to the classroom to introduce students to structural, environmental,
chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering.
St. Francis
de Sales also participates in Play on Philly, an intensive music education
program consisting of 15 hours of weekly instruction.
With
COVID, half of the students are in person, and half are learning virtually,
said Sister Mary.
MAIL FROM CLASSMATES AND FRIENDS
Des Butler: Thanks
for keeping us informed on the well-being (or not] of our classmates and for
sharing news about FSC events. Kudos to all who maintain this wonderful
service.
Jim Clark: Thank
You Frank, A GREAT WINTER EDITION for sure. -
Clarkie
Joe Inemer: Hello Frank, Again a great job putting this newsletter
together especially for our class (1958). Do you have an address for
Brother Robert Sentman? We often played together as kids, but lost track of him
after high school. Bob lived on the 5300 block of Chester Ave. only a few
doors down from Bob Bell. I lived just around the corner on the 1300
block of 53rd Street between Chester and Springfield Avenue. Wishing you
and your family a blessed and Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe 2021
New year, Joe
Bob Sproul: Just wanted to Thank You
for a job well done and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year
sure missed the Burrs at the Beach God Bless.
Msgr. Gene Driscoll: It is always good to hear the news. Ed Gannon was a
classmate of mine from St. Clement's.
Brother Steve Casale: Thanks ever so much, Frank, for all that you do to bring the
Newsletter to us. It means a great deal to me particularly during this
time when our lives are so constricted. The three deceased I did not
know; in fact, none of the names or faces are familiar. We had such a
large class. However, my classmate and neighbor Larry Dempsey was another
case. His death really touched me. You and yours are in my prayers.
Joe Gavaghan: Hey
Frank, Thank you for making me the "star" of our newsletter. My
family is thrilled beyond words with the extraordinary notoriety you and your
crackerjack staff have bestowed on me. An event that started in suburban
Atlanta, GA on to Bensalem, PA, then Wildwood, NJ and then finally finished in
Philadelphia. Merry Christmas and a healthy, safe & happy 2021 to my
Burr classmates and their families. Joe Gav
Gerry Vernot: Thank
you, Frank, for your excellent work on the newsletter. May you and your
family have a safe and wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Jim Lynch: Another
great job! Lynchie
Robert Giampietro '68: Thank you for sharing, Frank!
Joe Gavaghan: An historic event
for the Newsletter: On Nov. 24, 1904, 2 teammates of Sam McAllester
threw him for a touchdown and the victory. He wore a wide leather belt
with sewn in handles on the side and was repeatedly thrown over the line of
scrimmage and finally scored. Tennessee 7, Alabama 0. This came
from the local Bucks County Courier Times and Today in Sports.
Joe Myers: Once again, nice job, Frank. I really appreciate
getting information about the West Class of '58. Sorry to hear that
two of my favorite teachers, Brother Gratian Joseph (home room teacher in my
Freshman year) his and my first year at the school, and Brother Gregory
(French and Religion) both are in nursing facilities. Had the chance
to speak to Bro Greg at our fiftieth reunion. He was such a gifted
teacher with a great sense of humor. Have fond memories of both of these
dedicated men.
Andy Jaskolka: Once
again I plead your mercy for the cheesy means of communication, but my wishes
and sentiments are no less sincere. May you have a happy Christmas and a
much happier (eventually...) New Year!
We all have had an unforeseeable year with more social
distancing than we ever imagined. For those who have suffered loss or
unusual illness, you have our sympathy and compassion. If like us you
have made it thus far alive and well (age notwithstanding) we share your own
gratitude and urge you to continue to live safely amid the health threats that
surround us.
With continued safeguarding and new vaccinations may we be
able once again to extend our hearty greetings at the next Christmas season.
All the best to you and yours,
Andy & Cindy Jaskolka
John Salvey: The guy
that donated the million dollars lived in the 6100 block of Walton Ave.
and I lived at 6158 Walton.
It's hard to believe I didn't know him after living
there for 20 years. He was only 6 years older than us.
John Staiber: Hi
Frank, Thank you for keeping us informed and connected with another great
newsletter. You and all your dedicated writers and contributors are the
best. Sorry to read of the passing of Gene Carroll. It was always
fun for me seeing him hanging out with his St. Clement gang at Burr's on the
beach.
MEMORIES FROM THE 1940's and 1950's
Bob Bell called to say that he had a number of Calling
Cards from the Class of 1958 and that he would mail them to me for
publication in the Newsletter. We had a great time reminiscing about
growing up in the 50's, the impact our parishes had on our
lives, and the time we spent at West Catholic.
The total number of cards, excluding 5 duplicates of
the ones that were featured in the Fall of 2020 Edition, total
56 classmates and a card each for our Principal Brother John and
Vice Principal Brother Thomas. Because of the large number of cards, they
will be featured in alpha order in both this edition and the
summer edition. Hope this brings back memories for all. Thanks
Bob for your assistance with this project.
Bob Bell sent this picture of "The Turkey Bowl"
participants which he believes was taken in 1965.
PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
Care for the Sick -Transfiguration Church
WE REMEMBER and ask for your prayers for those who are ill,
especially Dave Crines who is recovering from a stroke, Tom Henry who is battling Hodgkin Lymphoma, Brother Robert Sentman who is dealing with back problems, Father Richard McAndrews who has Parkinson's disease and now
resides at Little Flower Manor Nursing Home, and Barry Carey who suffered a
heart attack in May.
Our Webmaster Jim Prendergast is continuing his battle with cancer. His
current treatment includes Cyberknife Radiation and Chemo. Jim
has a very positive attitude considering all that he has gone
through. Please keep your prayers coming.
Two former teachers from West are in need of prayers; Brother Gregory Cavalier has moved to the nursing home
in Lincroft, NJ, and former Brother Gratian Joseph (John Gardiner) is in the beginning stage of Alzheimer's disease.
WE REMEMBER and pray for all of our deceased classmates who
have gone to their eternal reward specially Charlie Johnson.
CHARLES J. JOHNSON - OCTOBER 27, 2020
May Charlie Rest In Peace.
FINAL THOUGHT
submitted
by: RICH BUZZA
Not too much going on here, the virus is still very much
in all of our lives (February 2021). They have invented three new
antiviral vaccines and it seems that all of the people that I know are spending
most of their time on their computers trying to locate somewhere, anywhere
that they can get this valued covid vaccine. As most of you reading this
know, the wearing of a face mask in public places is still necessary for your
or your neighbors protection from the covid 19 virus. It seems that
this year no one gets the flu anymore, always the covid 19 virus, and one of
the very toughest things about this covid virus is not being allowed into
the hospitals to be with a loved one. My brother-in-law recently had a
serious heart attack and my sister and her son were not allowed to visit
him while he was recovering. Phone calls just don't fill the need to
see your husband and hold him and reassure him that everything is going to be
alright.
Another year has gone bye without our Golden Burrs annual
luncheon. I have not spoken to our Committee lately for a potential
reschedule date, but to our loyal luncheon attendees, rest assured as soon
as this covid thing is over and it is safe to have a get together, we will
again have a Blow Out celebration Luncheon.
I am so sick of looking at snow on the ground, I can't wait
to see some green grass. This year, at my house in Pocono Summit, I
have over 3 1/2 feet of snow on the ground in my back yard. This is the
most snow that I have seen in 6 years.
I leave you with my final thought that in 4 weeks it will be
trout season in Pennsylvania. I can't wait.
God Bless WEST CATHOLIC! Live Jesus in our
Hearts. Forever.
KEEP THE SPIRIT ALIVE!
THIS E-MAIL IS BEING SENT TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE WEST CATHOLIC
BOYS' CLASS OF 1958 AND FRIENDS OF THE CLASS. IF YOU NO LONGER WISH TO
RECEIVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS OR IF YOU ARE RECEIVING UNSOLICITED E-MAILS FROM
ANYONE PERTAINING TO THE CLASS OF 1958, PLEASE NOTIFY FRANK ADOLF
AT: FJAPFA1539@COMCAST.NET