Catholic high schools adapting to new ban on Sunday events
Mount Carmel Academy students and faculty rededicate the Catholic school's grotto in 2007. The cancelation of the school's annual fall fair illustrates the complexities of a new archdiocese policy prohibiting most, but not all, Sunday events. (Chuck Cook, The Times-Picayune)
When Mount Carmel Academy's president, Sr. Camille Anne Campbell, sent a letter to alumnae this month canceling the Lakeview school's annual fall fair, she was disappointed - and puzzled. The cause, she wrote, was a new policy from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans against high schools scheduling social and athletic events on Sundays.
Archbishop Gregory Aymond himself had turned down her request for an exemption, Campbell said, resulting in a possible $10,000 hit to the school's bottom line. This "has presented problems to me since we are learning that other high schools are having their usual fair," she wrote.
In a Tuesday interview, Campbell would not identify which other schools she meant. However, in eastern New Orleans, St. Mary's Academy is holding its annual Family-Fun-A-Fair this Friday through Sunday, offering midway rides and games.
But Catholic schools Superintendent Jan Lancaster said Campbell simply misunderstood the policy. And the St. Mary's event, Lancaster said, is fine.
The exchange illustrates the complications that the New Orleans area's 22 Catholic high schools are facing as they adapt to a policy aimed at keeping Sundays clear for what Lancaster described as "faith and family." The rule was announced in the archdiocese's May 2013 strategic plan for schools but was overshadowed by a far-reaching mandate in the document that schools adopt a uniform grade-level structure. The Sunday event change took up only two sentences in the overall religious tune-up, which included reminding administrators and faculty that they must be Catholic role models.
Lancaster said the transition is going well. "All of our schools are in compliance," she said Tuesday. "People are sticking with the guidelines."
Making it easier are three exceptions that significantly ease the policy's effect. They were circulated to schools in a brief letter in March and announced again in the fall.
And falling under the first exemption: Sunday Carnival parades. Lancaster said these are events scheduled outside the archdiocese. Presumably, any band marching in Bacchus must meet early to attend Mass.
In drafting and applying the policy, Lancaster said, church officials wanted to be "realistic." When one school's Saturday festival was rained out, the archdiocese allowed it to be held the next afternoon, she said.
Thus, the varsity wrestlers at St. Paul's School in Covington may compete at the Jan. 4 Prep Slam in Atlanta. St. Katharine Drexel Prep in Uptown New Orleans had no problems holding its "Jazzin' for the Drexel Dream" fundraiser Oct. 20.
But Drexel Principal Cheryllyn Branche said the school is moving its traditional mother-daughter luncheon to another day of the week.
Several school leaders said they had never scheduled many events for Sundays anyway. At Mount Carmel, in fact, Campbell said a previous archbishop many years ago requested schools curtail them.
But Lancaster indicated there were enough to warrant the written policy. "It is a change from what people have done before," she said. "Schedules were getting so full."
There is no such policy for elementary schools because almost all are run by a church parish. With the few that aren't, Lancaster said, "we have not had the same concerns."
Facing packed extracurricular and family schedules, "I think all the schools over time just started allowing things to bleed over into Sunday," said John Devlin, president of Brother Martin High School in Gentilly. "I think it's just a question of getting out of that habit." He was pleasantly surprised his school had been able to work around the new strictures without much trouble.
Devlin acknowledged that alumni events such as the Crusader Cook-Off might disrupt Sunday family time, because they often include parents of current students. However, "in that case, the adult makes the decision" about how to spend the day, he said.
He said Lancaster denied his school's request that the football team be allowed to practice on a Sunday during a short week between games. She seemed to be holding the line, he said: "I think she really did not want to break that mold."
At Mount Carmel, Campbell clarified Tuesday she was disappointed, not angry, with the new policy. "I think it's important for us to support the idea of Sunday as family time," she said. But she repeated what she wrote to alumni: "Who knows, though, what the future will bring?"
Archbishop Gregory Aymond himself had turned down her request for an exemption, Campbell said, resulting in a possible $10,000 hit to the school's bottom line. This "has presented problems to me since we are learning that other high schools are having their usual fair," she wrote.
In a Tuesday interview, Campbell would not identify which other schools she meant. However, in eastern New Orleans, St. Mary's Academy is holding its annual Family-Fun-A-Fair this Friday through Sunday, offering midway rides and games.
But Catholic schools Superintendent Jan Lancaster said Campbell simply misunderstood the policy. And the St. Mary's event, Lancaster said, is fine.
The exchange illustrates the complications that the New Orleans area's 22 Catholic high schools are facing as they adapt to a policy aimed at keeping Sundays clear for what Lancaster described as "faith and family." The rule was announced in the archdiocese's May 2013 strategic plan for schools but was overshadowed by a far-reaching mandate in the document that schools adopt a uniform grade-level structure. The Sunday event change took up only two sentences in the overall religious tune-up, which included reminding administrators and faculty that they must be Catholic role models.
Lancaster said the transition is going well. "All of our schools are in compliance," she said Tuesday. "People are sticking with the guidelines."
Making it easier are three exceptions that significantly ease the policy's effect. They were circulated to schools in a brief letter in March and announced again in the fall.
- Students may attend school-related events that were not scheduled by Catholic schools, such as athletic playoffs, because school administrators can't control the timing. In that case, schools are supposed to ensure students attend Mass.
- Weekend-long events are allowed.
- Events primarily for alumni, donors or other adults are OK.
And falling under the first exemption: Sunday Carnival parades. Lancaster said these are events scheduled outside the archdiocese. Presumably, any band marching in Bacchus must meet early to attend Mass.
In drafting and applying the policy, Lancaster said, church officials wanted to be "realistic." When one school's Saturday festival was rained out, the archdiocese allowed it to be held the next afternoon, she said.
Thus, the varsity wrestlers at St. Paul's School in Covington may compete at the Jan. 4 Prep Slam in Atlanta. St. Katharine Drexel Prep in Uptown New Orleans had no problems holding its "Jazzin' for the Drexel Dream" fundraiser Oct. 20.
But Drexel Principal Cheryllyn Branche said the school is moving its traditional mother-daughter luncheon to another day of the week.
Several school leaders said they had never scheduled many events for Sundays anyway. At Mount Carmel, in fact, Campbell said a previous archbishop many years ago requested schools curtail them.
But Lancaster indicated there were enough to warrant the written policy. "It is a change from what people have done before," she said. "Schedules were getting so full."
There is no such policy for elementary schools because almost all are run by a church parish. With the few that aren't, Lancaster said, "we have not had the same concerns."
Facing packed extracurricular and family schedules, "I think all the schools over time just started allowing things to bleed over into Sunday," said John Devlin, president of Brother Martin High School in Gentilly. "I think it's just a question of getting out of that habit." He was pleasantly surprised his school had been able to work around the new strictures without much trouble.
Devlin acknowledged that alumni events such as the Crusader Cook-Off might disrupt Sunday family time, because they often include parents of current students. However, "in that case, the adult makes the decision" about how to spend the day, he said.
He said Lancaster denied his school's request that the football team be allowed to practice on a Sunday during a short week between games. She seemed to be holding the line, he said: "I think she really did not want to break that mold."
At Mount Carmel, Campbell clarified Tuesday she was disappointed, not angry, with the new policy. "I think it's important for us to support the idea of Sunday as family time," she said. But she repeated what she wrote to alumni: "Who knows, though, what the future will bring?"
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