No shutdown for school building projects

At a time when so much in society is closing down, the start of construction on an extension to St. John Brebeuf Secondary is particularly welcome, Archbishop J. Michael Miller said at a ceremony in Abbotsford to bless the project.

About 20 teachers, building and education committee members, priests, and construction workers attended the brief event, which ended with the archbishop praying “that God will bring this construction to successful completion and that his protection will keep those who work on it safe from injury.”

Principal Gianni Bittante said the new wing is expected to be completed in time for the 2021 school year.

The community of St. John Paul II Academy also celebrated a milestone as the empty lot in South Surrey where their new school will be built was blessed Sept. 15. Principal Mich DesLauriers sees a new school as a sign of hope in an uncertain time.

“There have been many challenges surrounding the building of a new high school in the midst of a pandemic, but recognizing that the task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us, we have been able to consistently find a way to overcome every obstacle,” said DesLauriers. “St. John Paul II Academy is alive, well, and kicking.”

Since St. John Paul II Academy opened two years ago, students and teachers have been gathering for classes in rented space from Star of the Sea Parish. Despite the pandemic, the opening date for their own dedicated school is still on target for 2022.

Vancouver College, an independent all-boys school established in Vancouver in 1922, is wrapping up the final inspections on its latest development project including new elementary classrooms, a gymnasium, and a chapel.

President Johnny Bevacqua said the team has been “quite blessed” that COVID-19 only delayed construction efforts (which have spanned about four years) by about two weeks. “It was very helpful that we started long before COVID, so there was some momentum,” he said. 

Overall enrolment hasn’t dropped either. Though the interest in at-home learning on a temporary basis has increased, said Bevacqua, “the vast majority of families want their sons to be in community.”

Schools in other jurisdictions haven’t been so fortunate. According to one estimate, about two per cent (150 out of 6,183) Catholic schools in the U.S. have closed permanently as a result of the pandemic and its devastating financial impact. The Archdiocese of New York, for example, announced in July that 20 of its schools would be closed for this school year and another three would merge.

“Children are always the most innocent victims of any crisis, and this COVID-19 pandemic is no exception,” said Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York. “Too many have lost parents and grandparents to this insidious virus, and now thousands will not see their beloved school again.”

Even the Vatican has acknowledged the dramatic effects the pandemic has had on Catholic education. In a Sept. 10 letter, the Congregation for Catholic Education said it has learned an estimated 10 million children “will not be able to access education in the coming years, increasing the educational gap that has already existed.”

The letter said many Catholic schools “risk closure or radical downsizing.”

So far, it seems schools in the Archdiocese of Vancouver are not suffering the same fate. In July, the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdiocese said preliminary enrolment numbers did not show a dramatic drop in registrations. More up-to-date CISVA enrolment numbers are expected in about a week.

Meanwhile, construction projects and capital campaigns march ahead.