ALBUQUERQUE (NM)
Albuquerque Journal
October 20, 2019
By Dave Menicucci
Angst is coursing through our Catholic community following the closure of Queen of Heaven’s K-8 school a few months ago. While some are dishearteningly musing whether this hearkens the demise of our Catholic parish schools, many of the remaining Catholic schools are gleefully welcoming the displaced students to bolster steadily declining enrollment.
Catholic schools have been under pressure for decades. Enrollment has fallen about 25% since 2005. Public charter schools, which focus on educational quality, have been a factor in luring families away from Catholic schools.
The Catholic clergy sexual-abuse scandal and the many diocesan bankruptcies across the country have staggered the faithful everywhere, especially in New Mexico with its large Catholic population. A recent Wall Street Journal article states that 37% of U.S. Catholics said the abuse crisis had led them to question their membership. What’s more, there is a nationwide movement to deemphasize or eliminate religion in American life, especially among young, politically liberal folks. All of these factors are contributing to the diminishing enrollment in Catholic schools.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.