Diocese to close 2 parish schools in city

Both parish communities worked hard as they tried to save their schools.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Two parochial schools, St. Matthias School on the South Side, and Immaculate Conception School on the East Side, have announced their closings at the end of the school year.
Announcements were made at Masses on Saturday and Sunday.
Monsignor Peter Polando, pastor at St. Matthias, and Monsignor John Zuraw, administrator at Immaculate Conception, both attributed the reason to declining enrollment.
Monsignor Polando said St. Matthias, founded in 1917 and in its 89th year, has 61 pupils in prekindergarten through eighth grades -- down from 124 last year.
On staff is a principal, who also teaches part time, and six other lay teachers. In the past, the teaching staff was from the Vincentian Sisters of Charity; now a nun from that order is on the pastoral staff at the church.
Monsignor Polando said that when he became pastor in 1994, the school enjoyed an enrollment of more than 240. He estimated that the highest enrollment was about 400 pupils in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Changing population
"It's the demographics," said Monsignor Polando. "There aren't enough younger families with students going to parochial school. Some have moved out of the city, some out of the area."
Though St. Matthias, 2800 Shady Run Road, has a membership of some 850 families, Monsignor Polando described it as an "older parish."
"We had to be realistic," he said. "We faced financial difficulties last year because of declining enrollment. It was a difficult decision ... because the school is an integral part of the parish."
Immaculate Conception, 810 Oak St., has a history dating to 1882, when it was opened by the Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown.
"The long history of the school is a great tribute to the Ursuline Sisters," Monsignor Zuraw said. An Ursuline nun, Sister Charlotte Italiano, is principal at the school where there are seven lay teachers for pupils in kindergarten through eighth grade.
"Ursuline sisters opened the school, and it's fitting one is here at the closing," Monsignor Zuraw said.
Enrollment at Immaculate Conception is at 63. As recently as 1998, there were 164 pupils, he said. "In the 1960s, there were more than 700 students."
Ten of the current 63 pupils are Catholic, and only four are from Immaculate Conception parish -- the remaining number are from other faith communities, Monsignor Zuraw said. "Most students were on scholarships, but their parents still paid," he said. "Parents are affected by what is happening at GM and Forum."
Efforts to help
Monsignor Zuraw applauded the fund-raising efforts of the church community in trying to help the school. He noted that the Adopt-A-Student Program raised some $40,000, and the benefit dinner and auction in February raised other funds.
Monsignor Robert Siffrin, diocesan administrator, accepted the recommendations of Monsignors Polando and Zuraw and the parish councils to close the schools.
"It is evident that both the Immaculate Conception and St. Matthias parish communities have made extraordinary efforts to support and maintain their schools despite declining enrollment and the changing demographics in Youngstown," Monsignor Siffrin said.
Parents who are interested in a Catholic education for their children still have options including the schools at St. Christine in Youngstown, Holy Family in Poland, St. Nicholas in Struthers, St. Joseph in Campbell and St. Luke and St. Charles, both in Boardman.
For information contact Monsignor Polando at (330) 788-5082, Monsignor Zuraw at (330) 747-3533, or Dr. Michael Skube, superintendent, Office of Catholic Schools at (330) 744-8451.