Back to school with Pope Francis
By Brian Prowse-Gany
The excitement is palpable at the East Harlem parochial school Our Lady Queen Of Angels. Principal Joanne Walsh has her hands full, not only with the new school year but with preparing students and staff for a surprise visit from the holiest of guests.
On Friday, Sept. 25, Pope Francis will visit the school on Manhattan’s East 112th Street, where he will personally meet 24 lottery-winning third and fourth graders from Our Lady Queen of Angels and three other nearby schools that are also among the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York.
Superintendent Timothy McNiff acknowledges the challenges Catholic schools have faced in recent years, especially in New York City. Moving to a predominantly layperson staff has resulted in higher operating costs. And enrollment has declined as many families struggle to pay tuition. But with a new breed of energetic neighborhood-based principals and an incredible 97 percent graduation rate for students — the majority of whom are on scholarship and come from families that live below the poverty line — the Catholic schools’ mission is still alive and strong.
Populated with primarily Latino residents, many of whom are new immigrants, the neighborhood itself reflects the pope’s focus on returning the church to its core mission of service, particularly to the disadvantaged and the poor.
As Friday nears, students and staff seem to share increasing feelings of excitement, anxiety and overwhelming joy to take part in this honor together.
As LaSalle Duke-Sample, one of the lucky students selected to meet Pope Francis, told Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric, meeting the pope is “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
