An Interesting Perspective
 

Population/Religion

In the territory covered by the parish, in the heart of North Central Philadelphia, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, live almost 71,000 people, 97% of whom are African American, and 1% of whom are White. 2% of the African Americans are Catholic, and likewise 2% of the Whites are Catholic.

Income

Forty percent of all the people live below the official poverty level. Specifically:

The average household income is $26,524: but
45% of the households earn under $15,000;
17% of the households earn between $15,000 and $24,999;
13% of the households earn between $25,000 and $34,999;
 
Jobs

Those eligible for the workforce total 50,734, because they are 16 years of age and older. But, 54% are homemakers, retirees or students, and 20% of those in the workforce are unemployed. So, 63% of those 16 years and up do not work.

Of the people who have jobs, 76% are sales/office, service jobs, or production work.

Education

Of the people 25 years old and older, 79% have at the most a high school education; 44% have not completed high school.

Households

There are 25,928 households, of which 4,404 have married couples or 17%. There are 22,172 children under 18, and they live with:

Married couple family: 15%
Male householder, no wife present: 5%
Female householder, no husband present: 47%
Grandparent householder: 23%
Other related householder: 6%
Non-relatives: 2%


Parish

This area is served by one catholic parish, served by one priest. The mission of every parish, "to preach the Gospel to every creature," and to nourish the faith of its people in Word and sacrament, requires careful adaptation to the region.

Likewise, the region is served by one catholic school, with an enrollment of 407 children, involving 307 families. There are 113, 561 children ages 5-14 (grade school age) in the area, and, as noted above, 25,928 households.

The parish and its school, are clearly in a mission territory. The region is vast, the people are poor, unemployed, underemployed, at the lower end of the educational scale, and very few are Catholics. The people of the re3gion are overwhelmingly African American, having experienced the ravages of racism, violence, addiction, degradation of family values, and debasement of human dignity.

What is the parish to do?

Provide Worship in Word and Sacrament? Yes, indeed, in a church that is extraordinarily beautiful, and well-maintained.
Look after the sick? Yes, indeed.
Evangelize? Yes, indeed. So, the parish has conducted door-to-door evangelization: Disciples in mission, Bible Study, R.C.I.A.
Social Ministry? Yes, indeed. Help with food, clothing, referrals for housing, and other social services, are provided through our Social Minister and other volunteers. In fact, the parish has the largest food cupboard in North Philadelphia.
Be involved in the neighborhood? Yes, indeed, through a neighborhood planning and organizing initiative, of which the parish is a member.
And a School? Yes, indeed.

School

The mission of the parish determines the catholic identity of the school. The Catholic identity of our school is manifest and strong. It is a Catholic school: it teaches the catholic faith, in classes of catholic doctrine, in the example of the staff, in the mandatory practices of prayer and regular liturgy. Classrooms are replete with sacramentals to keep focus on the faith.

The Catholic identity addresses both Catholic and non-Catholic children. The Catholic identity of the school is actualized in both catechesis for the Catholic children, and in evangelization for non-Catholic children.

Catholic children receive the substance and nourishment of their faith. They are catechized. Particularly here, in North Central Philadelphia, the words of the catholic Bishops of the United States, are pertinent:

"It is the responsibility of the entire Catholic community - bishops, priest, deacons, religious and laity - to continue to strive towards the goal of making our catholic elementary schools available , accessible and affordable to all Catholic parents and their children, including those who are poor and middle class"

"We are convinced that Catholic schools continue to be 'the most effective means available to the Church for the education of children and young people' who are the future of the Church."

"Catholic schools are often the Church’s most effective contribution to those families who are poor and disadvantaged, especially in poor inner city neighborhoods and rural areas. Catholic schools cultivate healthy interaction among the increasingly diverse populations of our society.
In cities and rural areas, Catholic schools are often the only opportunity for economically disadvantaged young people to receive an education of quality that speaks to the development of the whole person."

Non-Catholic children are exposed to the Catholic faith by way of evangelization. They must study the tenets and morals of the Catholic faith; they must pray in a Catholic atmosphere; attending Catholic prayer experiences and liturgy; they must study other subjects in an atmosphere where the Catholic faith holds sway. Of course, we respect whatever religion their families profess; alongside that, we provide an awareness of what the Catholic faith is, and we do it lovingly. They may never choose the Catholic faith in the future, but they will know it, regard it with fond memories, and know that serving others is an essential teaching of this faith.

Parents and guardians of our non-Catholic students are required to attend four sessions of introduction to catholicism, and attend Sunday Mass so that they will know what their children are being taught. That is also an opportunity to invite those who are un churched or wavering in their present faith, to examine the catholic faith in greater depth.

As the Catholic Bishops of the United States have said:

"They are the privileged environment in which Christian education is carried out . . . Catholic schools are at once places of evangelization, of complete formation, of inculturation, of apprenticeship in a lively dialogue between young people of different religions and social backgrounds."

Perhaps Catholic Bishops of the United States have said it best in addressing several of these issues:

Serving the Poor-


"Research conducted by the United States Department of Education, the National Catholic Educational Association, and other independent agencies shows that Catholic schools make a major impact in closing the achievement gap for poor and minority students in inner-city environments."

"It is essential that every possible effort be made to ensure that Catholic schools, despite financial difficulties, continue to provide a Catholic education to the poor and marginalized in society. It will never be possible to free the needy from their poverty unless they are first freed from the impoverishment arising from lack of adequate education."

Schools as Instruments of Evangelization -


"In areas where there currently are no Catholic schools, we should open schools that have a mission to evangelize."

"Wherever possible, Catholic schools should remain available and accessible in all areas of a diocese for children who are from poor and middle-class families who face major economic challenges. In addition, Catholic schools should be available to students who are not Catholic and who wish to attend them. This has been a proud part of the history of Catholic schools in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We must continue this outreach in the new millennium."

Importance of Schools to the Mission of the Church -

“Thus it follows that the work of the school is irreplaceable and the investment of human and material resources in the school becomes a prophetic choice . . . it is still of vital importance even in our time.”

"Our vision is clear: our Catholic schools are a vital part of the teaching mission of the Church. The challenges ahead are many, but our spirit and will to succeed are strong. We, the Catholic
bishops of the United States, in cooperation with the total Catholic community, are committed to overcoming these challenges. Adversity often brings out the best in men and women. We must respond to challenging times with faith, vision, and the will to succeed because the Catholic school’s mission is vital to the future of our young people, our nation, and most especially our Church."
While catholic schools manifestly serve the causes of catechesis and evangelization, their service to the poor is noteworthy on several levels. To catechize and evangelize the poor are indeed at the heart of the Church's mission, but even were we to provide solely a secular education, this effort would still merit the attention of the Church.

To provide the gist of education in an affordable and accessible way is all by itself worthy of the Church's efforts. If we are present to the poor, it is incumbent upon us to do all in our power to be a leverage against the ravages and effects of poverty; the vestiges of racism; violence; addiction; degradation of family values; debasement of human dignity. The leading, most powerful force out of poverty and all its attendant ills is education. Along with food cupboards and social services, education of the young is the single most beacon hope and enhancement of human dignity. Even on a secular level, this activity is inherent in the mission of the Church.

So, to be able to provide education superior to all else that is offered to the people in poverty-stricken areas of the city, and to imbue that education with catechesis and evangelization, - no wonder the Bishops in statement after statement have emphasized the centrality of Catholic schools, especially for the poor.