May 13, 2010 - Statement of Dr. Mary Grassa O'Neill

Secretary for Education  & Superintendent of Catholic Schools
May 13, 2010

“The Archdiocese of Boston is committed to providing quality Catholic education, grounded in academic excellence and the teachings of the Catholic Church, to the students at all of our schools. We believe that every parent who wishes to send their child to a Catholic school should have the opportunity to pursue that dream.  Our schools welcome children based on their parent’s understanding that the teachings of the Church are an important component of the curriculum and are part of the students’ educational experience.  The Archdiocese does not prohibit children of same sex parents from attending Catholic schools.  We will work in the coming weeks to develop a policy to eliminate any misunderstandings in the future.

Since the issue involving St. Paul School in Hingham was brought to our attention on Tuesday of  this week, we have met with the pastor and principal to learn more about their decision.   Earlier today I contacted the student’s parent and expressed my concern for the welfare of her child.  I offered to help enroll her child in another Catholic school in the Archdiocese.  She was gracious and appreciative of the suggestion and indicated that she would  look forward to considering some other Catholic schools that would welcome her child for the next academic year.
 
Academic rigor, faith formation, Gospel values, strong character development, respect, and support are hallmarks of our schools.”