Pope Francis Preparatory School officially dedicated

Sept. 13, 2018 | Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com

Bishop Mitchell Rozanski (center) is joined by (from left) Pope Francis Senior Rachel Shannon, Mayor Domenic Sarno, Congressman Richard Neal, Pope Francis Board of Directors Chair Michelle D’Amour, Head of School Dr. Paul Harrington and Pope Francis Senior Joshua Sears for the Sept. 9 official ribbon cutting and dedication of Pope Francis Preparatory School.
Reminder Publishing photo by Evan Gardner

SPRINGFIELD – “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.”

Quoting a familiar line from Psalm 118, Michelle D’Amour, longtime Catholic education supporter and chair of the Board of Directors of Pope Francis Preparatory School (PFPS) seemed to sum up the mood of the gathered dignitaries and invited guests who attended the official dedication of the new regional Catholic high school on Sept. 9.

The recently completed school, referred to as “a model of 21st century Catholic education” by several of the day’s speakers, truly seemed an example that, as Mayor Dominic Sarno noted, “God works in mysterious ways.”

Pope Francis and its recently completed athletic fields  – located at 99 Wendover Road– now stands on the site of the former Cathedral High School which, like the East Forest Park neighborhood surrounding it, was devastated by an EF4 tornado on June 1, 2011.

That tornado, which did so much damage to cities and towns in a 44-mile stretch across Western Massachusetts, struck, Sarno noted, “at 4:48 p.m. If it had hit at 2:38 p.m., all of our students, whether here or at my public schools, would have still been in class.”

Instead, the most devastating weather event to hit Western Massachusetts in 50 years left students and the majority of residents unharmed, but paved the way for a city renaissance, including the new school, Sarno said.

Pope Francis Senior Joshua Sears, who spoke to the student’s perspective of the events that led up to the construction of the new school, called the events of that fateful June day not so much a tragedy but  “a blessing in disguise.

“The numbers at Holyoke Catholic and Cathedral were declining, and the end of both Catholic schools could not have been too far down the road. The merger of these two schools with the promise of a new state-of-the-art building gave us all hope,” Sears said. Though his family had a rich tradition of attending the former Cathedral High School, Sears said he “could not be more grateful for the merger” in the fall of 2016 that brought about Pope Francis Preparatory School.

“I actually believe the merging of the two schools was the best decision the diocese could have made,” Sears continued, noting the challenges presented by the former Holyoke Catholic building and the temporary home of Cathedral, both of which lacked adequate learning facilities, parking and athletic fields. “It would have been really hard to get people excited about coming to Pope Francis if this new building had not been a part of it. This new building is leaps and bounds ahead of what any of us could have imagined  …  From the amazing equipment we now have to use in the science department and the engineering classes to the little things others take for granted, like having the parking lot right next to the school to having the fields right on campus.  Our academics and athletics will only continue to get better and better thanks to this great new building.”

In his portion of the remarks, Pope Francis Head of School Dr. Paul Harrington noted, “There may not be a better modern example that defines the phrase ‘it takes a village’ than the story behind the establishment of Pope Francis Preparatory School,” saying many among the ceremony’s invited guests – including Bishop Mitchell Rozanski, the school’s Board of Directors, Mayor Dominic Sarno, Congressman Richard Neal, members of the Sisters of St. Joseph, architects and construction workers, benefactors and alumni – had all played a part in making the school a reality.

“And the village today remains robust, as to date we have enrolled students from 30 cities and towns from Western Massachusetts and five cities and towns from Northern Connecticut,” Harrington added. “Today as Pope Francis Preparatory School, we are reimagining and redefining what a Catholic education looks like and feels like and we accomplish this through the intersection of faith, innovation, and opportunity.”

Neal – who was instrumental in securing close to $39 million in FEAM money toward the construction of Pope Francis – not only reminisced about his two years teaching in room 229 of the former Cathedral High School alongside the dedicated members of the Sisters of St. Joseph, he noted the rebirth of Pope Francis Preparatory School where there had been devastation was an example of “the National Principal” in practice.  Whether it’s an earthquake in California, a fire in Colorado or a hurricane in Puerto Rico, when disaster strikes Neal said “we don’t ask if they are Republicans or Democrats or what’s their agenda, we come to the aid of the American family,” and the government’s help with the school – as well as Springfield’s recovery from the June 1 tornado – was no exception.

Speaking broadly of America, Neal said, “It’s our faith that propels us to come to their assistance” when disaster strikes, echoing the importance of the strong commitment to the core values previous speakers had noted in Pope Francis’ school mission. “This [attitude] is a product of an education that no one wants to see diminished or abandoned,” he said, adding his congratulations from the United States of America on the completion of the new regional Catholic high school.

Thanking myriad individuals in his remarks, including former Springfield Diocese Bishop Timothy McDonnell, recently retired Diocese Superintendent of Schools Sr. Andrea Ciszewski and Executive Director of the Pope Francis High School Project Paul Gagliarducci for their commitment to returning the tradition of Catholic higher education to Forest Park, Sarno went on to note the “strong traditions” of the legacy schools of Holyoke Catholic and Cathedral that were successfully merged to create Pope Francis.

“I think that’s extremely important,” Sarno said, reflecting on the lingering doubt that had clouded not just the building of the school but also the reconstruction of Springfield following the tornado. “This is a 21st century, state-of-the-art building … seven years later the city is flourishing and Pope Francis is an example of that rebirth.”

Prior to blessing the school and cutting the ribbon for its official opening, Rozanski noted he was given pause when two years ago, the student committee asked to name the school after the current Holy Father, Pope Francis.

“But then I thought, Pope Francis embodies what the process is, and has been, to get to this day. Pope Francis realizes it is the collective wisdom of those who have a commitment or purpose, to come together in discussing it, and talking it though, and that is what happened in this process,” Rozanski said. “So many people who were interested in Catholic education came together in so many different forms in order to present their wisdom, their thoughts, and their commitment, and in doing so, really do model the way that Pope Francis governs.”

Though the path to the new school was “not always an easy one, but the correct one,” Rosznski said because of the many who were willing to share their commitment and thoughts “we have brought to fruition a dream that not only will last for this 21st century, but well beyond.”

He then read from a message from the Pope, sending his best wishes and that he would pray “for all its students and faculty members and they embark in this new educational venture as the light of the diocese, and that they may progress steadily in sound Christian learning throughout their studies,” bestowing upon the school and its inhabitants his apostolic blessing.

Noting that it was nearly two years to the day that the Board of Directors and the Bishop had stood on in an open field and put shovels in the ground to begin the new school, D’Amour, who served as master of ceremonies for the event, observed “this new beginning offers us all an opportunity to partner with our administration, our faculty and our staff as they form the minds and souls of our children and grandchildren.”

She said that beyond the opportunity for a high-tech education experience, students at Pope Francis would “learn to love wisdom and develop a passion for the church.

“They will become,” she continued, “strong moral leaders for the future, and that my dear friends, is what makes [Pope Francis] unique and will give us a competitive edge over those around us.”

Following the official blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony, attendees were invited inside for refreshments and given maps to assist them with self-directed tours of the new school.

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