There is only one reason for the closure of St. Stephens-St. Edward School. It is not due to finances, lack of fund-raising efforts or academic failures. The one and only reason is pedophilia.
The long history of deviance within the Catholic Church has driven millions from the religion. Atrocities upon our children and cover-ups by the archdioceses have cost the Church billions in lawsuits and settlements.
The leadership of the Church would rather support deviance rather than invest in the youth, the Church’s future.
Donations to your local Church are not put into your parish or Catholic educational systems. They are used to fund the lawyers that represent the men who have raped and molested the children of the Catholic Church.
I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s when the Church leadership had full control over silencing their flock and parents feared the Church. Orange County saw this behavior first hand as the archdiocese transferred a known pedophile from my hometown parish of Sacred Heart in Monroe to St John’s in Goshen. Father Edward Pipala raped, molested and took the souls of many boys within our community.
Pipala ruined families, and destroyed parishes. Donations stopped, congregations diminished and as a result Catholic schools have taken the brunt of this disgraceful behavior by both the pedophiles and the leaders in the Church who hid them.
Last Thursday, Sacred Heart of Monroe and St Stephen-St Edward of Warwick students and parents were notified of their schools being closed by a text message.
The younger generation of priests at Scared Heart addressed the families directly from the pulpit at Sunday mass with a heartfelt and compassionate message.
The aged leadership of St. Stephen’s has remained silent. Their old school mentality of silencing the flock continues.
On Saturday, July 11 a young student from St Stephen-St. Edward organized a night of prayer outside the church. Students and alumni ranging from the ages of 5 to 18 prayed to St. Michael for protection in hopes that the parish priest would come and tend to his flock.
Instead we witnessed (on video) church workers calling the children an angry mob. Video then shows the staff of the church locking its doors on our children.
Once again the youth have been silenced. As days past, social media posts called these children “animals” and protesters with “pitchforks and torches.” The only thing the video will show you is children with their parents standing as one and waiting for answers. Waiting to be led.
The people of the Catholic Faith are tired of this behavior by older priests. We’re tired of being ignored, silenced and forbidden from having a voice.
The ramifications of Catholic school closures will have dramatic effects on the future of the Catholic Church. The frustration, confusion and anger will result in more turning of backs on the archdioceses.
It’s time that parishioners are allowed to run our churches and take back our faith. Allow us to protect our flock. And most of all, allow us to to protect our children from continually being victims of the Catholic Church.
Brian P. Currid
Warwick