Parish School Affects Community
Diocesan Press Service. August 9, 1965 [XXXIV-17]
What happens when a church starts a parish day school? How does it effect the parish and the surrounding community?
The Rev. F. William Orrick of the Church of the Ascension in Chicago, whose parish has a fully-integrated day school states that the school "has given new life to the parish. It has helped the parish to see its role in the community particularly as many of our parochial school children come from the area immediately surrounding the parish church, It is too early to say what impact the school has made upon the community, except to say that it has brought the church to the attention of the community in a very real way. We are only two years old. We believe that this impact will grow with the years. "
Father Orrick's evaluation is seconded by the Rev. Samuel J. Wylie of the Church of the Advent, Boston. "Because of the Advent School the church has a relationship with the local civic association, the local precinct of police, the real estate men and state representatives that it could not have otherwise attained. Our congregation comes from all over the eastern part of the state, but the school is a local operation. Community tragedies are recognized in the School in chapel because the children are usually relatives or neighbors of those involved. Much counseling in times of crisis has come our way because the unchurched parents of the school children look upon us as their parish. Perhaps the most obvious result, summing up-all that has-been said, is that we are now as a church everybody's neighbor, instead of a chaplaincy to our own members alone."