Non-Catholic students find welcoming environment at Catholic schools

Published: 2007-08-16

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (CNS) -- Brooke Smith fell in love with Irondequoit's Bishop Kearney High School even before she enrolled. She looked into the school at the recommendation of her pastor at St. Luke Tabernacle Community Church in Rochester and knew it was the right place for her. This fall, she will be a senior at the school -- officially called Bishop Kearney High School: A Golisano Education Partner because of its recent partnership with business entrepreneur, B. Thomas Golisano. Religion classes, liturgies and prayer are a regular part of life for Bishop Kearney students, but Brooke said she doesn't feel awkward about being a non-Catholic in a Catholic school. "Not at all, because not everyone there is Catholic," she told the Catholic Courier, Rochester's diocesan newspaper. Nineteen percent of Bishop Kearney's student population is Christian but not Catholic, and another 3 percent come from non-Christian faith backgrounds, according to Paul Cypher, the school's vice president for operations.

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .