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.ATHOLIC
News & Herald
Western North Carolina
Your
Volume
in the Diocese of Charlotte
Heart...
Number 26 • March
1
6,
1992
Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools
Announce Plans For High School KEANE
By JOANN
Associate Editor
—
CHARLOTTE The Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools Board announced a two-phase plan Feb. 26 that will catapult the community's educational needs into the 21st Century.
Phase
ability to
A
be implemented
current high school facility, increasing en-
ground breaking
Road campus of
A
$2.1
on the Park High
"The
1996. If the
new
1,200-student high
new
high school
is built,
the
fully,
students in grades
Existing
grades K-5.
campus
6-8.
K-8 schools would convert to Utilizing the existing
CCHS
for a middle school alleviates the el-
believe
all
of
whom
four years to properly
and construct a new
member Joseph
facility,"
Treacy,
who
lic
Schools board to study
all
the possibili-
ties."
"More and more people want
their
more than we could have taken care of in the Bishop Donoghue. "Current
past," said
construction and renovations to existing
schools will only carry us for a few years.
why we have to be serious about the
space for more children. So, we're stepping out in faith and planning these schools." "It's going to require sacrifice," said Bishop Donoghue. "But, it is encouraging at the same time. People are indicating that
by turning
to Catholic schools for the edu-
cation of their children, they realize the
Long-term funding for this project will
value outweighs the financial obligation."
come from
family capital contributions,
Treacy said the plans for the future
increased enrollment revenues, and from a
"will give our parents the confidence that if
county-wide capital campaign.
Prelimi-
they enroll (their children) in kindergarten
and layout
or grade school level, they will have the
nary planning for
site selection
opportunity to matriculate on to middle and
begin immediately. Plans for both phases, however, are
subject to contingencies.
Six Capuchin
be
also chairs the board's facilities committee.
CAROL HAZARD
—
we need
design, plan,
will
HICKORY
will
high school and middle school, to provide
said board
Associate Editor
it
approximately $3 million.
engineering and architecture,
By
the road,
That's
"The board's plan is based upon imput
Capuchin Friars Move Novitiate To atholic Conference Center
"Hope-
Donoghue.
ementary school, representing a saving of
of a number of experts in facilities planning;
— Author
F.
down
children enrolled in the Catholic schools;
need for construction of an additional
JOANN KEANE
John
not too far
worked into the regionalization plan. I have encouraged the Mecklenburg Area Catho-
middle school, serving approximately 850
to know new life."
regionalization plan calls for a
said Bishop
plan's second phase calls for the
current high school will be converted into a
Photo by
summer of
1995.
School would be operational for the 1994-
Charlotte Catholic
school, opening for students in August,
— and you —
of 1994, with
95 school year. construction of a
your heart, allowing it
in the fall
in the spring or
new high school. However, we need to meet certain conditions before we can proceed,"
The
invites you to let spring into
If the
study finds the availibility of
feasibility
expansion of the
calls for
million structure to be built
mown.
study for a capital cam-
paign will begin in the spring of 1 993.
necessary funding, a capital fund drive will
One
rollment by 200 to 250 students.
;nt
run a successful capital campaign.
feasibility
Phase
One
re-
high school and there will be seats available for them."
friars
Vincent Fortunato, 40, superior of the friary
quires meeting city regulatory requirements
coimmunity and novie at the Catholic Conference Center in i:kory. Four are working at the center and I other two are novices. The two young men pitch in and work und the center. However, their main )rity is to take time out from the pressures jveryday life and spend time with God. it way they can determine if religious life
and formations director. "By bringing our formations program here, we are making a
and surrounding neighborhood needs, meeting current debt obligations, which includes
current regionalization plans are imple-
commitment to this area." The Capuchins hope to draw men
the
two new Charlotte area elementary
serve as a guide for other areas of the
established a
'e
sally for
them.
into
the order from the steadily growing Catholic
The peaceful
hillside in
ideal for formations,
he
says.
Hickory
Not only
is
is it
love of nature. Moreover, the center gives
They are the second Capui community to move into the Diocese Charlotte. Three of their brothers came summer to staff Immaculate Concep-
the novices "an opportunity to be involved
Franciscans.
Parish in Hendersonville.
followers of
St.
Francis, the
Capu-
bring with them a contemplative spirit
»rayer.
But with this new group, they also
)g the novitiate
holic
program, moving it to the
Conference
Center
from
imington, Del.
"For us to i
little
experience a or no
mented
is
upon demonstrating the ability meet current debt obligations, meeting or exceeding enrollment projections, and the
same
ideas will
diocese.
For information on other action taken
attrition.
Like Phase One, the second phase
in Charlotte, these
that as
by the area board, see a related story on
Page
2.
to
conducive to reflective thought required by novices, it is also in keeping with St. Francis'
ts
ability to
conditional
Fortunato.
Capuchins of the First Order of
As
and the
stable enrollment with
population in the Southeast, says Father
The six friars, arriving in Hickory since uary, are
schools,
Bishop Donoghue points out
move
with people without over burdening them."
The
ability to relate
well to people
is
Capuchin lifestyle, says Father Fortunato. The Capuchins follow in the spirit of St. Francis, a joyful messenger
essential to the
of God
who
lived a simple life in brother-
hood and prayer eight centuries ago. The religious order seeks flexiblepeople
who love people and the world, says Father It looks for people who can accept human weaknesses and be sensitive
Fortunato. into
North Carolina
our formations program
is
to
expand See Friars, Page 2
ministry into the South," says Father
DIOCESAN SUPPORT APPEAL
The second group of Capuchin
friars in the
Catholic Conference Center in Hickory.
February
1 -
April 5, 1992
Diocese of Charlotte has established a novitiate
Members of
center, are (1-r) Brother Eric Hall (a novice), Father
the
community,
who
at the
also will operate the
Vincent Fortunato, Father John Aurilia, Brother
Robert Yurrgel (a novice), Brother Isidore Corwin and brother Joseph Jacovini.
Photo by
CAROL HAZARD