NEW JERSEY
New Jersey Newsroom
BY BOB HOLT
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Last month Roman Catholic Archbishop John Myers announced the closing of elementary school Blessed Pope John XXIII Academy in West Orange.
A number of Newark Archdiocesan schools have closed in the past few years because the archdiocese couldn’t afford to keep them open. Yet at this point, renovations on Myers’ retirement home are within the church’s budget.
NorthJersey.com reported that the expansion of Myers’ home in two years includes fireplaces, an indoor pool, and a fifth bedroom, with costs adding up to more than $500,000. Protesters delivered petitions signed by 22,000 at Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Sunday.
The latest school closing will take place June 30, because its enrollment has not gone up in the past seven years. “Our school has been deeply rooted in West Orange for years. Although our students come from diverse backgrounds, we are all dedicated to cultivating an environment that promotes equality and respect as well as spiritual and intellectual growth in our students,” said Principal Lynda Wright, according to The Alternative Press. “When I heard this news, I was brokenhearted for all of us.”
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