Archdiocese Grants St. John Appeal; Nativity Building to Close

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Friday that it accepted the majority of the elementary school appeals of their Blue Ribbon Commission recommendations.

Archbishop Charles Chaput reviewed and accepted the recommendations regarding elementary schools from the Review Committees, the Archdiocese announced in a press release.

All decisions are final.

St. John Chrysostom won its Blue Ribbon Commission appeal to host a regional elementary school after it and Nativity BVM School merge next school year. The Nativity school building will close, according to the Archdiocese.

The Blue Ribbon Commission had recommended that St. John and Nativity merge into a regional school at the Media facility, however, St. John appealed that recommendation in January saying their facility was better equipped to house the regional school.

The Nativity BVM community supported the Blue Ribbon Commisssion's recommendation to locate the regional school at its facility and did not support the St. John appeal.

Nativity BVM School Principal Mary Anne Johnston and Parish Business Manager Deacon Frank Burke were unavailable for comment.

Nativity will hold a candlelight vigil at 6:30 p.m. Friday in front of the church/rectory and all members of the Media community are welcome.

"The Review Committee listened with open minds and hearts, but knew it would take hard facts to change the recommendations made by the Blue Ribbon Commission," Chaput said in a press release. "After all, the intent of the Blue Ribbon Commission was to create a strategic plan for stabilizing and reinvigorating Catholic education in our diocese, so any decision to alter the Commission's recommendations was given a great deal of consideration as to its short- and long-term impact."

The Review Committee consisted of Blue Ribbon Commission members and Archdiocesan administrators. The committee examined facts presented by the appealing school and determined whether those facts addressed the long-term sustainability and enrollment challenges that the school faced, according to the Archdiocese.

Final decisions on high schools, including Prendergast and Monsignor Bonner Catholic High Schools, that appealed their recommendations were delayed for another week.

See the attached PDF file for a full list of final elementary school decisions.