By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press
The possibility of starting a new Catholic school in Milford is the focus of a survey just posted online.
Father Peter J. Joyce, pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Milford, told The Catholic Free Press this week about his dream for a school closely tied to the parish in teaching the faith and incorporating diversity.
Father Joyce said that when Bishop McManus spoke with him in February 2017 about transferring from St. John Paul II Parish in Southbridge, he told the bishop he would like a multi-lingual community and a Catholic school. That’s what he had in Southbridge with a parish of different ethnic groups and Trinity Catholic Academy.
“When the bishop asked me to come to Milford … Milford had both,” he said. The parish has communities that speak English, Portuguese and Spanish. But just before Father Joyce arrived in July 2017, Milford Catholic Elementary School, a regional school adjoining Sacred Heart of Jesus Church there, closed.
That ended 137 years of Catholic schools in Milford, according to a Catholic Free Press story. The chairman of the school board, Michael Walsh, said then that the enrollment (67 students) and fundraising (short of the $300,000 projected needs) were too low to keep the school open.
“I do miss the presence and the energy that a Catholic school brings to a parish,” Father Joyce said. “I miss hearing the children outside my office,” and the opportunity “to be supportive and appreciative of what Catholic school teachers do.”
St. Mary’s parishioners “feel the absence of a Catholic school,” and have fond memories of their high school, which closed years ago, he said.
David Perda, diocesan superintendent of schools, who arrived shortly after Milford Catholic closed last year, said he saw Father Joyce’s sadness about not having a school. He said the two of them and associate superintendent Sister Marguerite Timothy Young, a Sister of Notre Dame who has since died, brainstormed last February about opening a new school.
St. Mary’s Parish is thriving, the superintendent said, recalling a visit he made there. He had to park far from the church, where Mass was being celebrated, and saw many children and families in the parish center.
“This is what Father Joyce is talking about when he says having a school increases the vitality of a parish,” he decided.
Superintendent Perda said his “number one responsibility” is to help Catholic schools grow and prosper.
Father Joyce said he submitted a proposal for a new school, with a working title of Regina Caeli Academy, to the school department.
He said he recommended the Latin name for the Queen of Heaven because none of the ethnic communities would have to translate it into their own language. After the Blessed Mother was assumed into heaven, she was crowned queen of heaven, he said. So this title would be associated with St. Mary’s, the parish name, but not exclusive to it, because people from other parishes would be welcome to be part of the school.
Father Joyce said he formed a task force, which is working with the school department to get the proposal ready to present to Bishop McManus. To do that, they need data. So they developed a survey to assess people’s interest in a school.
Father Joyce said he distributed a paper survey in English, Spanish and Portuguese at Masses at St. Mary’s Sept. 8 and 9.
The survey asks about respondents’ parish affiliation, school-aged children and areas of interest in having a school, including Catholic traditions, accreditation, discipline and location. It also asks what would discourage parents from enrolling their children, such as affordability and uncertainty about a new school.
Father Joyce said 17 surveys were returned, three from people without school-aged children, and 14 from parents favoring having a school.
“It’s tough to gather data by paper surveys,” Superintendent Perda said. “So we agreed to develop some electronic surveys … in the three languages.” He said the electronic surveys mimic the paper ones.
Father Joyce said he will put information in his parish bulletin about how to access the electronic surveys, and will invite other pastors to do the same.
“This is just the exploratory phase,” Superintendent Perda said. If enough people express interest, Phase 2 would flesh out more details.
The idea is to start with preschool through grade 4, at a place yet to be determined, and add a grade each year through eighth grade, Father Joyce said. He proposes 20 students per grade, for a total of 120, the first year, and a total of 215 the sixth year.
One advantage is Milford’s proximity to Interstate 495, which is near many people’s jobs, “so it’s an easy drop off (for parents transporting children) even if you’re not from Milford,” Superintendent Perda said.
Father Joyce said one of his primary goals is to have the school be part of the parish identity, worshipping in ways the parish does. He wants students to learn to read, write, speak and pray in English, Portuguese and Spanish. The different cultures and languages are not a competition, but a sign of the diversity of God, he said.
He said this effort is driven by God’s desire that children be taught the faith, not just in religion class, but in the way science is studied, the way art is created, the way competitive sports are played.
Many parents who send their children to public school teach them values at home, but in a Catholic school those values can be reinforced, he said. He said that in the United States the lack of values has created a void. Political correctness says, “Nobody has the right to impose their values on anybody else.”
Father Joyce counters: “Some things are just right and other things are wrong.”
So he’s trying to start a school that can teach that.
“With God all things are possible,” he said.