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Image provided by: Rochester Regional Library Council
Country counselor Sister Anne Alderman^ SSJ t has returned to her rural roots, offering counseling to residents of smaH towns throughout Livingston County* See page ?* Making a rim \• Former Mc&ttaid standout Tom Srteehey is hoping his scrappy and a spot <m the Boston Celtics* See page 16* JAB*O£££££!L ATII&QAY S'WH. \\ CONFESSIONS' SMURDAY. m^M Celebrating Sunday Along with fellow worship- pers at St. Ambrose Church, Joseph, Suzanne and five- month-old Jamie Giangreco are adjusting to a new Mass schedule the parish adopted just two weeks ago. ompted by a diocesan m- Frr\ itiative known as \Celebrating Sunday? other parishes have also taken a new look at how they keep the Sabbath. For story, see page 3. i Jeff Goulding/Courier-Joumal Losing two grades leads Wayland school into leap of faith By Teresa A. Parsons When St. Joseph's School in Wayland re- opens this fall, students and teachers won't re- turn to quite the same institution they left in June. Those who remain will certainly feel the ab- sence of the seventh and eighth grades. They will enjoy new music and art programs. But above all, they'll come to depend on faith in a way different from ever before. On Thursday, June 18, Father Paul R. Schnacky, pastor at St. Joseph's, received a let- ter from Bishop Matthew H. Clark, approv- ing the parish's request to discontinue seventh and eighth grades because of low enrollment. In another letter sent to parents last week, Father Schnacky tempered the parish's sense of loss with a plan to change the way the school is funded. Instead of paying tuition, families will be asked to attend Mass together at St. Joseph's and to support the parish. No one will receive a tuition bill; instead, money for the school budget will be drawn from overall parish support. The families .of students who are non- Catholics, or who attend parishes other than . St. Joseph's, will also be aisked to worship to- gether at their own churches, but will be charged tuition as well. Father Schnacky admits to being idealistic, but he believes the new plan will strengthen the faith of families through greater involvement in the school and in the parish. \Their faith is the real reason people send their children here^'Jiiedsaid. \In ft^pjgstthiee or four years, it's become clear frj-tetfift, un- less the parents are* Involved, we|d|frfi£touch the; kids at all. \ '. ?This brings the school right into the church and makes it an integral part\ he added. \We fteel|^integ%e:fafflU&intQ th^ansfiif we are -IbW^'^p^^'Ii^lifshTp^ih^ridr— kids who are not just instructed in the faith, but excited about the faith!' Junior-high enrollment at. St, Joseph's has been low for at least the past two years. This spring, however, only three of the six students currently enrolled in St. Joseph's seventh-grade re-registered. All but one of nine sixth-graders planned to return next year. In April, the consensus at a meeting of parishioners and parents was to \hang on,\ since enrollment in the lower grades is higher. But in May, Father Schnacky presented par- ish council and school board members with his tuition plan, as well as a proposal to discon- tinue the seventh and eighth grades. \I had the sense that it could be a tremen- dous, traumatic experience for the parish if we just said we were closing the two grades;' he said. \What I tried to do is to turn the thing around in a positive way, to generate life and enthusiasm, to make our school what it really should be.\ Father Schnacky first conceived of doing away with tuition while lying awake early on Palm Sunday morning, wondering and Wor- rying about the school's future. \It seemed to me that we'd been doing things backwards!' lie addeU \We spent all our time raising the means to do the Lord's work, and then we never got around to doing the Lord's work:' - As Home/School Association president and the parent of two St. Joseph's students, Jay Van Ingen did indeed spend most of the past year immersed in school.fund-raisers. \There was-no time forme to stop and ask ''What are we doing l»ere?iVhat are our goals and where are we going?f'fie said. \The whole idea-behind the plan is to'get people more be- hind the Christian aspect of the school than the fund-raisingaspect of the school!'* , .»School. Board piresident.Bob0wnie was \airlorllg' 'the first \ i p^6^it ^^whom'-Eathef It seemed to me that we'd been doing things backwards. We spent all our time raising the means to do the Lord's work, and then we never got around to doing the Lord's work.' Father Paul R. Schnacky Schnacky confided his idea. After a day of contemplation, Cownie said there was no doubt in his mind that \we were going in the right direction. ' \My biggest fear now is of conservative peo- ple not being able to accept change,\ he said. Parish Council President William Biggee recalled that plenty of people were skeptical of the idea at first. 'This was not a fait ac- compli;' he said. \There was extensive discus- sion, and certainly not complete agreement — at least not at first. \But you have to know Father Schnacky — he is the most faith-filled individual;' Biggee added. \And thisis wliere your faith comes in. this school is very, very important to the old- er parishioners as-well as the younger-parents. I think they are going to be very responsive.\ After extensive deliberations, the parish fi- nance committee, parish council and school board all chose to support Father Schnacky's plan. Cownie cites Father Schnacky as the main reason all three groups agreed to take the risk. \People here believe in Father!' he said. \He's\ done so much for the parish!' Teachers .-^.whose. salaries will depend on '•* parents' \and'pTarisrilOners'' wtiSngnesYttr votary tarily support the school — are also enthusias- tic about'the financial plan, according to Mary Biggee, who has taught fourth grade for the past eight years. \I really believe that if parents have*their children in the school for the same reasons that 1 ... and others are teaching there, they will give in faith and as a sacrifice, and the money will cornel' she said. \It should work. This is what-we're all about!' . Third-grade teacher Ann SchuBmehl is also confident about the school's fiscal future. \I'm not worried about salary^ she said. \The par- ents are just so caring about the school. The whole parish is!' Although the loss of seventh and eighth grades came as no surprise, it was a blow to Schubmehl and many other parishioners, teachers and students. Schubmehl has taught at St. Joseph's for 22 years, during which time her children gradu- ated from the school. Despite the low enroll- ment, she doesn't believe St. Joseph's ever left its students at a disadvantage. \We produce children who care about study- ing and doing tfieirwork, but weiaiso have the ability, tp teach them how to get tHong with one --';'•'.: '.••-;-- ConBh6eS'«H*aiSC**
