The school year, 1966-67, was marked by the June closing of two archdiocesan schools, and the announced closing, two years from this June, of D’Youville Academy, a private Catholic school. The general uneasiness caused by the closings helped increase a feeling of pessimism among some of the faithful that was characteristic of the national mood. Changes, sudden and undeniable, have caused severe tensions and grave doubts about the future of Catholic education.

Closer examination of the situation in the archdiocese shows that such pessimism is not completely warranted. The closing of Immaculate Conception School was not the decision of the archdiocese, but an action forced by the City of Atlanta’s desire to use the land for a renewal project.

The closing of Drexel High School, although regrettable, will actually strengthen the overall high school program. The move was a consolidation effort. It will have the effect of closing one school, Drexel, that had always operated far below its capacity enrollment, and strengthening the program of another, St. Joseph High School, by allowing it to operate at its student capacity for the first time. The move will also have the effect of integrating the student population of St. Pius X High School. The faculty of St. Pius has been integrated for four years now. D’Youville’s closing, however, was caused by the inability of the Grey Nuns to continue to staff the academy with the same number of qualified sisters, and is, therefore, indicative of the grave problems facing Catholic education.

A decrease in the number of teaching sisters caused by death, retirement, and defection, augmented by fewer girls entering the novitiate, has made it impossible for most religious orders to fill all of the positions they have contracted for. The result is an increasing use of lay teachers at ever-increasing salaries, a combination of factors that is producing severe financial strain on our own school system, as all others.

Each year sees fewer sisters in teaching and administrative positions; each year the ratio of lay teachers to sisters grows. When we consider that the teaching sister is, what has made the American parochial system the amazing achievement it is, we realize the seriousness of the problem caused by the decline in their numbers. This is the heart of the crisis, and it is indeed a cause for concern.

Bad news, however, always gets more attention than good news. The past year actually saw much happen that is reason for optimism. The Synod, including the Lay and Sister Congress, that led up to it, enabled the archdiocese to reexamine its whole educational program closely, and to chart a broad outline that will serve as a foundation for further growth.

The Department of Catholic Education was reorganized into six areas-elementary, secondary, religious education, Newman Apostolate, adult education, and special education. Each area will eventually have its own director. This will assure us that all phases of the Church’s educational responsibility will be adequately staffed and financed.

Certainly the Synod’s recommendation for a much greater diocesan effort in the field of catechetics will meet a great need. As a smaller percentage of the children of the archdiocese receive parochial school education each year, our responsibility for the religious instruction of children attending public school becomes increasingly urgent. For too long a time we have tried to provide catechetical instruction without adequate financing or professional administration. In the future every effort will have to be made to see that not only our children, but especially adults are given sound religious instruction. The new Office of Religious Education, with its full-time director, is the beginning of this new thrust.

The proposal to accredit schools by the year 1972 was approved not only by the Synod but by both the education committees of the Sisters’ Congress and by the Lay Congress. What the organization of the Office of Religious Education will do for catechetical instruction in the archdiocese, the move to accredit our schools by the Southern Association will do for our parochial schools. Overcrowded classrooms, un-degreed teachers, and the lack of library and other instructional facilities and equipment, can no longer be an accepted as part of Catholic education. Whatever the future of our parochial schools, they cannot be poor schools, or even mediocre schools. They musty be excellent schools, and we must be willing to meet the rigorous standards of a professional and independent accrediting agency.

Perhaps the most significant of all of the Synod’s proposals was that insisting on the formation of an archdiocese and parish boards of education. The laity must be involved in policymaking for our educational programs. The decisions we will make in all the areas of education in these difficult days must not be made by just part of the church. They must be made by the whole Church. Boards of Education will enable clergy, religious and laity together to study the problems that confront us, and to chart the courses that our parochial schools, schools of religion, and other education institutions will take in the immediate and distant future.

There were other sources of encouragement and signs of growth. This past year saw our parochial schools and high schools register their highest attendance ever, reaching to 8,395, 108 over last year’s total of 8,287. This was contrary to the national trend, which saw a fall-off of almost 5.6% in Catholic elementary school attendance. The appointment of a director of secondary education, Father Jack Cotter, will give a strong boost to our secondary program, and insure better coordination between it and our elementary section.

In the field of the Newman Apostolate, the completion of the beautiful and modern center at Athens, the purchase of a building for Emory’s center, and the purchase of property adjoining the house at Georgia Tech for future growth are all indicative of the impetus being given to this vital educational area.

Over $15,000 was received for library books and materials under Title II programs. Part of this material will go to our central film strip library, which was begun last year when over $19,000 was received. Several of our schools also participated in the cultural programs made available under Title III in the City of Atlanta schools.

If the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 can stand up in the Supreme Court, when its opponents finally test it, this trend of increased federal aid can be expected to continue in the years ahead. It will be a major factor in the future of private schools, especially our parochial schools.

In conclusion, I feel that although our financial problems are severe, they are not desperate. The fact that all of our elementary schools are filled to capacity reminds us that a majority of our lay people want Catholic schools. All reports to the contrary, the demand for our schools is greater than ever. The reaction of parents to the closing of Immaculate Conception Schools and Drexel High School demonstrated that. Again the fact that pre-registration was greater than ever for September 1967, despite substantial increases in tuition rates throughout the Archdiocese, indicates that enough of our parents are able and willing to meet the increased financial burden required for complete religious education.

Yet, we must have the course to look at the situation of Catholic education realistically. The great surge of building that characterized the 1950s has ceased. The four newest parishes of the archdiocese have not opened parish schools and have no plans to do so. Two of the parishes have started out with sisters heading their religious education programs in schools of religion, on a full-time basis. This may be an indication of the future, it is too early to tell.

One thing is certain, it is a time for retrenching, of consolidating. We must make every effort to keep open the schools now operating, and to shore them up financially by employing every means of economy. At the same time we must improve their educational programs, so they will be institutions worthy of them.

To keep and make better what schools we now have; to move into the new areas when and where we can-that must be our program for the years immediately ahead.

Rev. Daniel J. O’Connor

Secretary for Education

Archdiocese of Atlanta

June 30, 1967