|
By Kathi Stearns
ROSWELL—Sister Patricia Clune, CSJ, founding principal of
Queen of Angels School, Roswell, has withdrawn her March 24 letter of
resignation and will continue to serve as principal for the 2000-2001 school
year.
Sister Clune had resigned citing differences with the Office of
Education in vision and management style for Queen of Angels School. Sister
Clune said she had “absolutely no confidence in the Office of Education or
its leadership,” during a March 28 interview with The Georgia Bulletin.
This statement was made after the Office of Education had asked
both Queen of Angels and Holy Redeemer School, Alpharetta, to reduce their
expenses by approximately $300,000 for the upcoming year and to make
significant reductions in their expenditures through the 2004-2005 school year.
Archbishop John F. Donoghue asked Sister Clune to reconsider her
decision in light of his appointments of Donald T. Sasso as Secretary for
Education and Father Paul Reynolds and Msgr. R. Donald Kiernan as vicars
general.
“I never wanted to leave Queen of Angels,” said Sister
Clune. “My ministry at Queen of Angels has always been life-giving and it
would have been a very difficult thing to walk away from, but I felt if I
didn’t resign some of these issues would have never been brought to
light.”
Sister Clune says that now her focus will be on working with
archdiocesan officials to find a solution to the financial realities that face
the three new archdiocesan schools.
“The financial problems at these schools didn’t happen
overnight, so none of us can expect these issues to be solved overnight,”
she said. “We need to pull together and move forward realizing that there
will be some bumps in the road. It is important now for me to work with the
archdiocese and be part of the solution.”
Catherine Anderson, co-president of the Queen of Angels Home and
School Association, applauded the decision that Archbishop Donoghue made in
changing the leadership of the archdiocese.
“We are greatly encouraged by the appointments he has
made,” Anderson said. “All of these men have tremendous reputations
and are dedicated to Catholic education. We understand what a phenomenal
undertaking it is to build new schools. We also realize that the process will
need frequent evaluations and even occasional changes in direction. Mistakes
are bound to be made, but that is part of the growth experience. The only harm
that comes from making a mistake is failure to recognize it or failure to
readjust and move on. We will continue to pray for the archbishop, that God
grants him the wisdom to lead our archdiocese in all aspects, including
education.”
Parents and archdiocesan officials were happy to hear that Sister
Clune had withdrawn her letter of resignation.
“I am very happy about that,” said Sasso. “I think
it’s a good faith gesture on the part of Sister Patricia; (it shows) that
she is committed to working together toward a common goal.”
“Sister Clune has always been a woman of justice,” said
Tana Riddell, co-president of the Queen of Angels Home and School Association.
“Her presence is paramount as we work through this endeavor as a
faith-filled community.”
Queen of Angels was asked to cut over $302,300 in existing
expenditures from their 2000-2001 budget, $375,400 from their 2001-2002 budget,
$450,800 from their 2002-2003 budget, $452,700 from their 2003-2004 budget and
$448,800 from their 2004-2005 budget.
Holy Redeemer was asked to cut over $302,400 in existing
expenditures from their 2000-2001 budget, $324,423 from their 2001-2002 budget,
$410,894 from their 2002-2003 budget, $407,817 from their 2003-2004 budget and
$398,767 from their 2004-2005 budget.
Both school principals believed that they could not make these
reductions in expenditures without significantly cutting valued personnel.
At an April 18 meeting at Queen of Angels, Michael McNamara, chief
financial officer of the archdiocese, and Sasso, told Sister Clune, Mary
Reiling, principal of Holy Redeemer, and members of an Ad Hoc Finance Committee
created by Archbishop Donoghue that there would be no mandated personnel cuts
for the 2000-2001 school year at either of the schools, although each principal
could choose to make reductions in staffing.
During the meeting, which lasted approximately two and a half
hours, McNamara and Sasso presented members of the committee with an overview
of the financing of Queen of Angels, Holy Redeemer and Our Lady of Victory
School in Tyrone, the third new school. They also reviewed the objectives of
the archdiocesan Capital Campaign and the allocation of those funds.
Members of the Ad Hoc Finance Committee include Catherine
Anderson; George L. Aulbach of the Archdiocesan Finance Council; Richard
Ballard, representing Holy Redeemer School; Richard P. Cleys of the
Archdiocesan Board of Education; Sister Clune; Bill Hungeling, CPA, a member of
the Archdiocesan Finance Council; Mary Reiling; Michael McNamara; Joseph W.
Reinkemeyer, representing Holy Redeemer School; Donald Sasso; Mark J. Shrum,
president-elect of the Queen of Angels Home and School Association; Kathi
Stearns, Secretary for Communications; and Marcia Taylor, director of
administrative services for the Department of Education.
Cleys, who is serving as chair of the committee, asked members to
keep all information that was discussed in the meeting confidential until a
recommendation could be made to the archbishop and the Archdiocesan Finance
Council.
The Ad Hoc Committee has been charged with formulating a 2001
“budget solution for Queen of Angels and Holy Redeemer to the archbishop
and the Archdiocesan Finance Council by May 31, 2000.” In addition, they
have been asked “to recommend a five-year plan for Queen of Angels, Holy
Redeemer and Our Lady of Victory to the archbishop and the Archdiocesan Finance
Council by June 30, 2000.”
The committee will hold its next meeting Wednesday, May 10 at Holy
Redeemer School. Our Lady of Victory will be asked to join the committee for
the work relating to all three schools.
Sasso believed this committee was important because it established
lines of communication between the archdiocese and the school communities so
that everyone could work together to solve the fiscal realities that these
schools face.
“I did appeal to the group that we end the acrimony that has
surrounded some of these issues,” said Sasso. “I wanted to reorient
people and begin creating a dynamic where we can work together cooperatively
toward resolving some of these issues. I felt a strong consensus that (we had)
a commitment to each other. There was a good spirit in the room.”
Parents, archdiocesan officials and principals seemed satisfied
with the results of the first meeting.
“When information is shared it gives everyone confidence and
power to become a part of the solution,” Sister Clune said. “Until
you have this information you can’t effectively become part of the
solution. This meeting gave us the information we needed to roll up our sleeves
and start working together.”
“It was everything we could have hoped for and more,”
said Anderson. “The spirit of concern, commitment and cooperation there
was overwhelming. I feel confident that, together, we will find solutions to
the challenges we face and that Catholic education in our archdiocese will be
stronger than we ever imagined.”
Sister Clune has been a teacher and administrator in Catholic
schools in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and in Delaware for 30 years. A member of
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Sister Clune served at St.
Anthony’s School, Atlanta, and St. Joseph’s School, Marietta. Sister
Clune was the assistant superintendent of schools for the Diocese of
Wilmington, Del., when she was named principal of Queen of Angels in January
1999. The school opened last September. |
