The following annual report was given to Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan by Father Daniel J. O’Connor, school superintendent, and the archdiocesan board of education:

In a year that again re-elected the change and uncertainty afflicting all of Catholic education, perhaps the most significant educational development was a Conference of Religious Superiors held in Atlanta in January, 1969. The meeting was called by Archbishop Donnellan to bring together the superiors or their representatives of all religious orders teaching in the archdiocese, and members of the archdiocesan and parish boards of education.

The idea behind the conference was to give board members a larger picture of the problems facing Catholic education from the unique standpoint of the religious orders themselves. Much of what the sisters had to tell the board members was familiar, but their backgrounds and experience allowed them to present the problems in much greater depth, and reveal the true implications of the changes more thoroughly. They were also able to indicate the directions that the teaching orders themselves are taking through their chapters to adjust to the changes. The board members could then see how these changes would influence the course of Catholic education in the archdiocese.

Briefly, the Superiors had this to report: 1.) Sisters were still leaving the religious life, and the trend seems to be accelerating, if anything. 2.) At the same time fewer girls than ever before are entering the religious life. 3.) The opportunity for religious to change to other apostolates than teaching is now much greater. Fewer sisters will be available to fill teaching positions. 4.) Rising costs of education, medicine and health care, and other expenses will necessitate religious receiving higher salaries, and such fringe benefits as pension plans, and hospitalization insurance. 5) The possibility of the archdiocese contracting with individual sisters to fill specific assignments is much more likely in the future. This would enable a diocese to place religious where they are needed most, and thus establish some equity in the assignment of religious. 6.) The modern-day religious wishes to be treated as an individual with the right to make decisions of her own. She wishes to develop her personality and her spiritual life. Whether or not a sister is happy with her assignment or with her living conditions are going to play a more important role in assignments in the future than they have in the past.

Considering these facts and estimates, the archdiocesan board of education voted unanimously to institute a survey of all educational needs of the archdiocese, with the eventual design of a master plan for all education in the archdiocese for the period of the 1970’s. Every facet of education will be studied, but with the greatest emphasis on the distribution of religious personnel, and the religious education of all Catholics, both children and adults. A survey of the cost of education, as best it can be projected for the next ten years, will be a major part of the study.

The problems of Catholic education that were talked about in the Conference of Religious Superiors were seen in the concrete by another decline in enrollment during the past year, and by the closing of two more schools, one a parish elementary school, the other a private girls, high school. The official census figure for elementary schools for the year 1967-68 was 5864. The 1968-69 figure was 5333, or a decline of 531 students. This decline of 9% was caused to a great extent by a conscientious effort to cut class size in preparation for accreditation, but sharp increases in tuition, and a loss of confidence in the future of Catholic education are undoubtedly significant factors. Interestingly, enrollment in parish schools of religion increased by 18% during the same time, from 7902 to 9311.

The two schools that closed in June 1969 were St. Gerard’s, a parish school at Fort Oglethorpe, that was opened in 1948, and D’Youville Academy, a private school girls, operated by the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart since 1960. St. Gerard’s was forced to close because of continuously declining enrollment, cause by a variety of reasons. The School Sisters of Notre Dame felt they could no longer staff the school because the enrollment had dropped to less than 80, and because only 17 of these students were Catholic. The Grey Nuns felt forced to close D’Youville, because they could not maintain the quality of religious personnel required to operate a private academy. The loss of these two schools brings the number of schools operating in the archdiocese to 16 elementary schools, and 3 high schools.

Despite this disappointing note, the educational program actually saw many significant advances in almost every area during the past year. Although only the high points can be listed in a report as short as this, I believe that they will be sufficient to illustrate that Catholic education is not only surviving, but is actually healthier than it has ever been before.

ARCHDIOCESAN BOARD OF EDUCATION: In its third full year of operation the archdiocesan board found itself free of those crises that had demanded so much of its time in previous years, and free of those crises that had demanded so much of its time in previous years, and free to do some careful study of the educational program of the archdiocese. Besides helping set up the Conference of Religious Superiors, the board also formed many policies that will set the direction for education for many years to come. Perhaps the most important of these was the policy which set the racial stance of the schools of the archdiocese. In this area the board said that the official policy of the archdiocese resources to help the nation solve its racial dilemma. It said that racial understanding was possible only in an integrated education environment. It pledged that the schools and parishes of the archdiocese would seek to achieve integrated schools, to use the school curriculum to foster greater understanding of the contributions of the nation’s minority groups to its culture, to use religious education programs to teach both children and adults social justice and Christian social principles, and to sponsor both in schools and parishes cultural and social activities that would provide opportunities for members of all races to meet and come to know each other on an informal basis.

The board urged all parish boards, but especially all those where DE FACTO segregation still exists, to see that the parish school is an active element in changing racial attitudes and achieving understanding between blacks and whites.

In the same area the board urged the archdiocese to increase its subsidy of Our Lady of Lourdes school, the only all-black, inner-city school in the archdiocese. It felt that this school, which receives no parish support, could not be permitted to languish and die, while other schools, located in white suburbs, upgraded themselves, and became accredited. Consequently, the archdiocesan financial committee voted to increase the archdiocesan subsidy from $4,000 last year, to over $11,000 this year. In addition the archdiocese financed the renovation of the school and convent to the extent of $17,000.

At the close of the year, Mr. Samuel McQwaid stepped down as chairman of the board, a position he has held since the board’s beginning. Dr. Norman Berry was elected to fill the chairman’s role for the coming year.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION: Sr. Mary Madeline, R.S.M., became the director of elementary education in September of 1968. The Department of Catholic Education had been without the services of full-time director or supervisor for the past four years. Through the efforts of Sr. Madeline the elementary program was evaluated, and many innovations begun. Perhaps the most important move was the affiliation of all schools with the Southern Association. This is the first step of a program that will lead to the accreditation of all elementary schools by fall of 1972. Affiliation enables each school to begin a step-by-step program of improvement that culminates in accreditation. The resources and supervision of the Southern Association staff are available to each school to help it reach the necessary stage of preparedness.

Other areas of improvement on the elementary level were the continued revisal of the social studies curriculum, a broadly-expanded program of in-service training for teachers, the organization curriculum committees to up-date every area of the curriculum on a continuous basis, and the inauguration of a Fine Arts Festival that will encourage creativity and performance in the fields of art and music. Continued progress was also made in the various areas of ungraded reading programs, and several of the schools initiated programs of ungraded mathematics.

SECONDARY EDUCATION: The most significant improvement in the area of secondary education was an entirely new curriculum for religion in the archdiocesan high schools. The program called for a much more serious academic approach to the study of religion than had been popular in the last few years, and used an extensive bibliography, audio-visual aids, and a program of guest lecturer’s rather than the single, text-book series approach that has been the custom. A cyclical approach, and an entirely new class schedule allowed for a more economical use of religion teachers in the program.

Extensive innovation in the area of individual study was also introduced, concentrating especially on advanced reading development and the study of science. St. Joseph High School inaugurated a course in computer training with the installation of a computer terminal during the summer. St. Pius X began an advanced placement course in the area of English, that made it possible for several graduating seniors to skip freshman courses in college. Both schools initiated changes in the traditional methods of scheduling classes, and plans were laid for a much more complete use of modular scheduling during the coming year.

OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION: Father Anthony Morris, Director of Religious Education, listed many advances in the area of religious education in his report to the people of the archdiocese. The census report is perhaps the most interesting because its expanding figures clearly indicate the necessity for greatly increased efforts in the area of religious education. Children in grades K-12 in all parish religious education programs numbered 9,311 this year, or 55% of the total school-aged population of the archdiocese. This is the first year that more than half of the school-aged children were enrolled in parish schools of religion. The number of students in Catholic school (K-12) last year was 7,124, or 42% of the total school population.

The number of full-time personnel working in religious education in the archdiocese increased from one last year to eight this year. With the help of enthusiastic recruitment the number of full-time personnel is expected to increase to more than twenty next year.

During the course of the academic year, the Office of Religious Education has conducted eight textbook workshops, and 19 different courses in catechist training, formation, and a adult education. Certificates for successfully completing the courses were issued to 204 catechists.

In addition, a textbook review program was established and texts have been approved and recommended for all levels. An advisory board consisting of pastors, assistant-pastors, lay volunteers was established to help the office draw up policies, procedures and programs.

A completely new procedure for the evaluation of parish religious education programs was organized by the advisory board. This system of the self-evaluation will supplement the office’s own regular schedule of supervisory visits.

NEWMAN APOSTOLATE: The coordination of Newnan efforts that was begun last year was slowed by the transfer of Fr. Alvin Matthews, O.F.M., from his assignment in October. Fr. Christian Malone, O.F.M., replaced Fr. Alvin at Georgia Tech, and served as acting director for the remainder of the year. Three meetings of all of the men involved in Newman work, either full- or part-time, were held, and ideas for various programs were exchanged.

Among other developments, Fr. Aidan worked with ministers of other denominations to secure an office to begin counseling and other functions at Oglethorpe College in Atlanta.