ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

May 2003

Cluster 18 Pastoral Plan

Goal #2: "To develop Cluster-wide processes and practices to insure the maintenance, development and viability of quality Catholic schools."

(Parish Release - May 3-4, 2003)

One of the five goals of Cluster 18's Pastoral Plan, which was accepted by His Eminence, Cardinal Bevilacqua on February 26, 1999, is "to develop Cluster-wide processes and practices to insure the maintenance, development and viability of quality Catholic schools." As part of the process of implementing this Cluster Goal, the Cluster Implementation Committee established a Subcommittee for Catholic Schools, composed of Pastors, Principals and lay representatives from Cluster 18.

During the past four years, this Subcommittee on Catholic Schools has worked very hard to raise seed money to start a Development Office. This office would be charged with raising funds for scholarships, an endowment fund, upgrading technology and maintaining the physical plants of the Cluster's six schools, which currently serve 1,120 pupils in Germantown, Mt. Airy and West Oak Lane. The Subcommittee for Catholic Schools continues its efforts, with the help of an Advisory Committee to raise the necessary seed money to open a Cluster Development Office.

The next phase in the implementation of this Cluster Goal is to assess the quality of Catholic education offered by each of the six schools: St. Athanasius - Immaculate Conception, St. Benedict, St. Martin de Porres Interparochial, Holy Cross, St. Raymond of Penafort and St. Therese of the Child Jesus Schools. To that end, each of the Cluster schools will begin a self-study, based on the guidelines established by the Office of Catholic Education of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The self-study will look at Catholic identity, educational programs, demographics, temporalities and school facilities.

The Catholic Parishes of Cluster 18 are committed to supporting quality Catholic education for every child in our Cluster who desires it. We are confident that the outcomes of this self-study will highlight the many strengths of these schools, as well as identify those areas that need to be improved. We are excited by the possibilities of how we might be able to improve and strengthen the quality of Catholic Education, which meets the changing Cluster needs.