ALBANY (NY)
Times Union [Albany NY]
August 24, 2022
By Bruce Breton
Several months ago the Times Union reported that Catholic High in Troy would be closing its doors and that its students would be moving to St. Ambrose in Latham in the Fall. Shortly thereafter it was announced that the Catholic High building in Troy had been sold for $5 million, so clearly those students were going to have to move somewhere.
It is not surprising that the diocese is closing an inner city school to move to a more affluent community as their business model for years has been to pack up and get out of the cities and move to the suburbs where the money is. The diocese’s business model seems to be to generate as much revenue as it can while reducing its services to those most in need.
At one time the saying “WWJD” (what would Jesus do) was in vogue with the diocese, but the diocese has strayed far from that motto as it is not in line with their current business model. Would Jesus close his inner city school to move to a more affluent neighborhood? Would Jesus move his school into another neighborhood without meeting or engaging with the new neighbors who will be impacted by the move?
The diocese as it is being run today is a farce. Its sole mission seems to be to avoid bankruptcy in light of the ridiculous amounts of money that it has already paid out to clergy abuse victims and the huge payout awaiting it in resolving outstanding cases. What is most galling is that the diocese is abandoning services to those most in need while spending past and current parishoners’ money to try and atone for not only the sins of every abusive priest but also for every priest who was aware of the ongoing abuse but who never spoke up. WWJD!
Bruce Breton
Latham