Six Bronx Catholic schools close
Archdiocese of New York cites fi nancial struggles due to COVID-19
Williamsbridge Center celebrates zero COVID-19 patients
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR JULY 17-23, 2020 3
BY ALEX MITCHELL
The Archdiocese of New
York announced that fi nancial
struggles brought on by
coronavirus has pressed the
closure of 20 Catholic schools
downstate, with six of the
schools located in the Bronx.
The Bronx’s Saints Philip
& James School in Williamsbridge,
St. Thomas Aquinas
School in Crotona, St. Luke
School in Mott Haven, St.
John’s School in Kingsbridge,
Nativity of Our Blessed Lady
School in Edenwald, and
Our Lady of the Assumption
School in Pelham Bay will be
shutting down its operations
in the near future.
In addition, three schools
on Staten Island, two in Manhattan,
and others in surrounding
suburbs, will also
be part of the closures.
Manhattan’s Corpus
Christi School in Morningside
Heights and Our Lady of
Pompeii School on Bleecker
Street will be closed in addition
to Staten Island’s St.
Joseph-St. Thomas School in
Prince’s Bay, Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel-St. Benedicta School
in Port Richmond, and Saints
Peter & Paul School in Randall
Manor.
It is expected that 2,500
students and 350 staff will be
impacted by the closures, according
to the archdiocese.
The report cited that
many families were unable
to pay current tuition due to
COVID-19 related unemployment,
leading to “a signifi -
cantly low rate of reregistration
for the fall.”
Some cast the blame on
months of canceled masses
and fundraising, which went
toward scholarships, as being
a critical blow to the schools’
permanent closures.
“Too many have lost parents
and grandparents to
this insidious virus, and now
thousands will not see their
beloved school again,” said
Cardinal Timothy Dolan,
Archbishop of New York.
“Given the devastation of
this pandemic, I’m grateful
more schools didn’t meet this
fate and that Catholic schools
nearby are ready to welcome
all the kids,” Dolan added.
Meanwhile, Superintendent
of Schools for the Archdiocese,
Michael J. Deegan,
is fearful that this is only the
beginning of larger school
closures to come.
“If more assistance is not
forthcoming in the longed
for HEROES Act now before
Congress, I am afraid even
more might close. This is a
very sad day for everyone in
the extended Catholic school
community,” he said.
Other Catholic schools
closing in the Hudson valley
include: Holy Family School
in New Rochelle, Our Lady
of Perpetual Help School in
Pelham Manor, both St. Ann
School and St. Paul School
in Yonkers, Sacred Heart
School in Suffern, Divine
Mercy School in New Windsor,
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
School in Shrub Oak, St. Patrick
School in Bedford, St.
Peter School in Poughkeepsie.
The archdiocese also announced
that both Sacred
Heart School in Monroe
and St. Stephen-St. Edward
School in Warwick will combined
with St. John School
in Goshen.
Saints Philip & James School in Williamsbridge. Photo via Google Maps
BY JASON COHEN
On July 3, the Williamsbridge
Center on Tomlinson
Avenue treated their residents
and staff to Mister Softee Ice
Cream after the latest round of
testing revealed that the facility
had become COVID-19 free.
“The time has come to exhale
a bit but we cannot get
ahead ourselves,” said Daniel
Prero, administrator at Williamsbridge
Center. “My staff
worked so hard for this to happen,
but there’s no letting up
on the front door screening,
testing and wearing of PPE.
This is a very tricky virus so
all hands are still on deck. Not
a day goes by that we don’t
thinking of the three individuals
who have passed away.
Our hearts and prayers go out
to the families of those loved
ones.”
The facility has also recorded
62 residents and 24 staff
members who have recovered
from COVID-19.
Williamsbridge Center on Tomlinson Avenue treated their residents and staff to Mister Softee ice cream. Courtesy of Williamsbridge Center