Dr. Mary C. McDonald

It isn't a prerequisite that you believe in miracles in order to work as a Catholic school educator, but it sure helps. And when those miracles occur, they provide a 'perk' no other job can match.

When Bishop J. Terry Steib appointed me the Superintendent of Catholic Schools here in 1998, he shared with me his vision of Catholic education in Memphis. His prayer was to open schools in the areas of the city where the need was greatest – in the inner-city areas where schools had been forced to close. He wanted to see Catholic schools flourish in the parts of Memphis where the need was the greatest, not just in neighborhoods where parishes could afford to support them.

But, like many dioceses, Memphis had closed schools in the inner city over the last several decades as the Catholic population shifted to the suburbs. Those schools that had remained open faced declining enrollments. Many were in parishes with aging populations, and the schools buildings increasingly were used for community services and programs. Often the buildings were rented out to provide much-needed income for the parish. The buildings decayed as maintenance costs climbed.

The lack of inner-city resources was by no means the only challenge to the Memphis school system. Like many other dioceses around the country, Memphis Catholic schools were enjoying a "boom" in other parts of the city. Some schools’ waiting lists climbed to over 100 students. Yet in the Catholic schools’ migration out of the city, we had left behind students and families who were essentially frozen out of the Catholic school system. What to do about these families? They needed access to the richness of Catholic education as much as any group in Memphis. Leaving the inner-city areas "unschooled" was a terrible choice that the diocese was forced to make. These were the parishes and neighborhoods with the greatest need for educational resources, and there was a sense among many of us that they had been abandoned.

Some argued that the number of non-Catholic students in the inner-city Catholic schools justified putting scarce resources into our other schools; but in fact, over one-quarter of all students in Memphis Catholic schools are not Catholic. Memphis is considered a "mission" diocese; the total number of Catholics in the area is relatively small. Nonetheless, the Church has a long tradition of providing Catholic education to all, especially those in need, regardless of faith. To do so is our duty as Catholics and as educators.

It is written in Proverbs, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" (22:6). I believe this passage captures the essence of our mission as Catholic educators. Not only do children in Catholic schools benefit from an outstanding academic foundation, but they are "trained up" – educated in truth that is rooted in the Gospel message of Christ. For Bishop Steib, myself, and the dedicated people we work with in Memphis, reaching that 25 percent of non-Catholic students is a great evangelical mission. Evangelism is an important goal for the Catholic schools and for the Church generally.

Without any obvious way to remedy the inner-city situation, we worked and prayed for the means to expand our existing schools. Our first victory came with the needed addition of several grade levels at three schools that, until recently, had experienced steady declines in enrollment. The upward trend continued as we finished an addition to a suburban school, where enrollment shot up from 625 to nearly 1,000 in the last three years. Another blessing came in the form of grant money to train our principals and teachers further. I used every opportunity to get the message out about Catholic education’s fabulous success in educating the whole person. My motto was (and remains), "Education is the most important gift you can give your child. Choose wisely. Choose a Catholic school." We were gratified that by the 1998-99 school year, the diocese had 18 schools operating at nearly full capacity.

Bishop Steib had never let go of his dream for the reopening of schools in the inner city, and neither had I. Yet it was hard to imagine how this need could ever be met given the needs of our schools elsewhere. I knew what we wanted to accomplish with these inner-city parishes, but not how to accomplish it. So we left it up to God as we faced the daily trials of running our already established schools.

Our prayers and faith were answered; God decided it was time to perform a miracle in Memphis. Our "Good Samaritan" appeared in the form of several generous benefactors who believed deeply in the excellence of Catholic education and its impact on families and neighborhoods. This group’s vision for a better city demanded quality schools. Following a presentation I made to them, they became convinced that reopening urban Catholic schools would not only lead to better-educated young people, but to a more involved, cohesive community. The generous donations of these benefactors, who have asked to remain anonymous, made it possible for the diocese to plan the renovation and reopening of the six schools without taking resources away from other schools in the diocese.

The donation also was the seed money that established the Jubilee Schools Foundation. The Foundation provides tuition assistance for students who would not otherwise be able to attend Catholic schools. The Foundation will also cover any operational deficits so that the Jubilee schools will not burden the parishes to which they are attached. We continue to seek additional funding to ensure that we will never again close a Memphis Catholic school.

Our deep respect and gratitude for this enormous gift was best expressed by Bishop Steib when he announced the plan to reopen the six inner-city schools. "These schools have been part of our heritage for many years, and they were the foundation upon which the present schools now rest. Today, they can once again serve the needs of children who are seeking a superior education in the Catholic tradition. These schools are needed today more than ever. My vision is for these ‘Jubilee Schools’ to be beacons of light for those who need them most. The Jubilee Year 2000 calls the Church to renew its commitment to peace and justice. Catholic education is one of the avenues through which we have helped others to become good Catholics, good Christians, and good citizens." Thus the reclaimed schools became the "Jubilee Schools."

Our plan for the Jubilee Schools is to stagger their openings, giving us time to renovate and refurbish the old buildings, as well as hire and train staff and administration. This task is an enormous undertaking, and we were fortunate to hire Sally Hermsdorfer, a long-time Catholic educator and administrator, as the assistant superintendent for educational expansion. Her primary role will be to oversee the reopening of the Jubilee Schools over the next several years.

This fall we celebrated with the reopening of the first Jubilee School. Saint Augustine’s, established in 1937, closed due to financial shortages in 1995. Today the school once again serves students and their families. We started small: Saint Augustine’s opened in September with just a kindergarten, and we will add one grade per year until the school reaches at least K-6 status, and possibly K-8. The other five schools will open in a similar way, with additional grades added each year. We expect to open the last of the six schools in the fall of 2001.

Enrollment, it seems, will not be a problem. We originally hoped to see 12 to 15 students enroll for the Saint Augustine kindergarten program. But the numbers swelled quickly, with 20 students registered in three days. On the first day of school, Saint Augustine’s opened with over 30 students, in two kindergartens rather than one, serving children and families from all over the neighborhood. The school has become a symbol of the renewed hope of the community, the city of Memphis, and our diocese.