Appeal to Vatican on school closings fails

An appeal by parents to the Vatican to reverse a decision closing six Catholic grammar schools on Long Island has failed, an advocate for the parents said Friday.

Peter Borre, a Boston-based canon law specialist who returned from Rome Thursday night, said the parents missed a 10-day window to file the appeal after Diocese of Rockville Centre Bishop William Murphy announced the closings Dec. 6.

"We have raised the issue" with a high-level official at the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education, said Borre, who is working with the parents. "I would say it would be extremely imprudent for parents to count on these schools being reopened this fall," he said. "That's just not going to happen."

Borre said two canon lawyers who are part of an elite group accredited to present cases to the Vatican met with the high-level official at the congregation.

"There was no opportunity to bring forward in a timely manner allegations of canonical violations" because of the missed deadline, said Borre, who persuaded the Vatican in March to reopen 13 parishes in Cleveland. "It's just an unfortunate fact."

The Diocese of Rockville Centre criticized Borre for pursuing the case.

"It's unfortunate this individual who obviously has his own interests in mind gets the hopes of these parents up," diocesan spokesman Sean Dolan said. "At the end of the day, these schools just are not viable."

Dolan said studies by education experts determined the schools could not survive because of declining enrollment.

One concerned parent, Juliana Dompkowski of St. John Baptist De LaSalle Regional School in Farmingdale, complained about the rejected appeal.

"We don't understand how a strict filing deadline can be applied when we were affirmatively told by the diocese that there was no appeal process," she said.

But she said parents are pleased Borre and the canon lawyers succeeded in raising the issue of Catholic school closings in the eastern United States, including Long Island, with the congregation, which agreed to review a policy paper the lawyers submitted.

Borre said he knew of the 10-day window beforehand, but pursued the case because it was unclear if the Vatican would strictly enforce it or -- if it did -- consider reaching out to Bishop Murphy to suggest he reconsider the school closings.

The other schools pursuing the appeal are St. Catherine of Sienna in Franklin Square, Sacred Heart School in Merrick, St. Ignatius Loyola in Hicksville and Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Lindenhurst. Parents at Prince of Peace Regional School in Sayville, also slated for closure next month, have not decided whether to join the effort.