Washington D.C., Feb 10, 2021 / 05:00 pm (CNA).- Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Boston “followed the science” and have kept its students safe amid the pandemic, the archdiocesan superintendent told CNA on Wednesday.
“I think the Catholic schools, overall, have been vindicated,” said Thomas Carroll, superintendent for the Archdiocese of Boston schools. “A lot of uncharitable things were said when we opened our schools across the country, but it turns out we were right and science was on our side.”
Unlike public schools in the rest of the state, Catholic schools in the archdiocese – the largest district by geographic area and the second-largest school district by population in Massachusetts – opened in the fall for in-person learning.
“When we reopened, I said, my position was not that we’re going to be reopened ‘hell or high water,’” Carroll told CNA. “My position is we’ll be open as long as it’s safe to be open. And we’re literally watching the health data every single day.”
Carroll said that if COVID case numbers were to “spin out of control” once again, he would have no problem closing the schools. “But it didn’t spin out of control,” he said.
At the outset of the pandemic, the archdiocese had actually closed its schools to in-person learning before the public schools had shut their doors.
By the end of the 2020 school year, the archdiocese announced in June that 10% of its schools would close. The closures were due in part to the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, with families unable to make tuition payments, according to WBUR.
Projections were grim for the 2020-21 school year. Initially, the archdiocese was looking at a nearly 17% drop in student enrollment.
That all changed on July 15, when state public school teachers’ unions announced a delayed start to the year followed by remote learning. Parents began moving their children into the area Catholic schools.
“So at that moment from July 15th forward to like the third week in October, we gained more than 4,000 students,” Carroll said – a figure that almost entirely made up for the projected drop in enrollment. About 80% of those new students had been previously enrolled at public schools that were no longer meeting in-person.
When Carroll first announced that archdiocesan schools would be opening in-person for the school year, he received a barrage of criticism. Carroll said he was repeatedly asked if he would be attending the funerals of the students who would die of COVID-19.
In fact, he said that out of coronavirus cases in his schools, the vast majority of them have come from the “outside in”—meaning the student was first infected in the community and then brought the illness into the school. The schools themselves were not significant sources of community transmission.
“We have, at the moment, zero active cases of spread,” he said. “We’ve had very few over since inception. We’ve had hundreds of cases since the beginning, but they all cycle out. To my knowledge, nobody’s been hospitalized.”
Unlike in other dioceses, archdiocesan schools have not had to cap student populations due to social distancing measures. In Massachusetts, students are only required to distance about three feet apart from each other – which was essentially the pre-pandemic standard distance between desks.
Carroll credits the strict discipline inherent to Catholic schools for why his district has experienced relatively few cases of COVID.
“The one thing Catholic schools do really well,” he said, “is we get kids to follow instructions.”
“So this whole exercise from a public health perspective is having a reasonable set of rules and getting everybody to follow them religiously. Well, that’s what we do,” he said.
Students wear masks, wash their hands frequently, and stay in cohorts, he explained.
Some of the aging school buildings have large windows that can be opened to improve ventilation. “The fact that we don’t have enough money for nice new buildings has turned out to be a huge asset,” he said.
Despite the district’s large size and student population, Carroll told CNA there have not been differences of spread with regard to the location or demographics of schools. The archdiocese has schools located in both rural and urban communities, as well as in both affluent and disadvantaged areas.
The archdiocese was recently recognized by Gov. Charlie Baker (R) in his State of the Commonwealth address, for safely resuming in-person classes. Carroll said that the low level of infections in his schools helped to sway governmental policy on future school closings.
Initially, when the state designated geographic areas as “red zones” of community spread, Baker wanted the local schools to shut down automatically.
The archdiocese did not close its schools in the “red zones,” arguing “that the only safe place for the children in a red zone is a school – a school that’s following the (safety) protocols,” Carroll recalled.
Carroll said that children in other schools who have had to attend school remotely for months are suffering from it.
“It’s going to be catastrophic for these kids, particularly kids from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, homeless kids, kids with special needs,” he said.
Despite the low infection level in the current school year, he still acknowledges that new variants of the virus could force schools to close again.
“I think people should reflect on that and they should reflect on the much larger number of people that are being stranded now and how all of their leaders have completely ignored science and health data,” he said.
Despite the challenges and new protocols, Carroll said that he was “glad we all got back together,” and that he was “astonished” that things are still going well with in-person learning.
“And we’re grateful because our kids are doing great,” he said.
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Tony Evers must enjoy Communism and forcing the residents of his state to live under totalitarian rule. He does not allow the freedoms that the U.S. Constitution Affords and he is anti-God for allowing the shuttering of churches again. He abandons God and His people–maybe God will abandon Tony one day
The Dems. response to Covid has made so plainly evident the expression “Scratch a Liberal find a Fascists” applies to the Dems. across the country. Where Dems are in charge of the government, freedom of religion along with other freedoms in the Bill of Rights are under attack. Moreover they are supported by the educational institutions, and mainstream and many local media where the expression also applies. We Americans need to get on our knees and pray.
In an effort to prove he’s true blue and in charge Pres Biden was the only masked participant in a telecom Climate Change Summit with approx 40 world leaders. Reported by several news agencies Leader UK, The Sun, Yahoo Finance, creating a mini firestorm Divya Kishore’s Meaww media post summing up the overall response, “Biden only world leader to wear mask during virtual climate change summit, Internet says how embarrassing” [others, expectedly CNN were quick to deny the media photos]. Biden’s “”The cost of inaction is mounting. This is a moral imperative, an economic imperative. Time is short, but I believe we can do this” parallel’s Pope Francis’ Earth Day message. Mask wearing however has purchase for this Administration. It is now a badge of acceptance, and an instrument of domination within an ideological sphere of power. Wisconsin Gov Tony Evers, among a host of replica dummies of the President understands that pretense for public safety well. Hypocritical pretense manifest in border policy and countless Covid infected illegals given free pass into our communities. Pretense evident in governors, and powerful congressmen who refuse to follow their own commandments. Whatever value conspiracy theory may have it should be certain to us that Christianity in particular Catholicism with its intellectual compendium is an obstacle to the exertion of despotic power. Hanneman, congressman Thiesfeldt’s outcry has solid justification. What good may come out of this Administration’s excesses is the true waking up of those Catholics who voted to elect a charlatan.
With all due respect, Father Morello, I must disagree with your statements ” Mask wearing however has purchase for this Administration. It is now a badge of acceptance, and an instrument of domination within an ideological sphere of power.” I wear a mask for the protection of others. I care little what happens to myself but simply refuse to even potentially, put others as risk. I have read many of your articles and comments to articles and have even quoted you and will continue to do so. However, I believe you response here to be unreasonable. May God bless your ministry.
Jeffrey, your intentions are noble. However, IMO, the “science” justifying continual mask wearing by those who are asymptomatic, is very weak. And there is some medical science confirming that continued mask wearing presents risks in and of itself. Only a robust debate amongst those learned in the field would be able to resolve the issue. Such dialogue and encounter are seldom permitted in these “cancel culture” days.
As to the continual wearing of masks, if there was sound science there would be clear standards as to the type of masks to wear, and the circumstances under which they should be worn; something that the C.D.C and W.H.O disagreed on for the longest time. And by what scientific standards are mask wearing and social distancing imperative, unless one is taking to the streets for prolonged demonstrations as was the case last summer when the CDC pretty much gave the OK for such demonstrations to continue, never labelling them as potential spreaders?
As it is, many wear paper masks which on the packaging itself make clear that they do not prevent disease. Further, initially all were told NOT to wear masks, then told to wear them; then told to wear not just one, but 2 or 3. Science isn’t that inconsistent or confusing. Unless it’s being used for ideological purposes. Further, think of the implications of everyone being assumed to present a mortal risk to others even when totally asymptomatic. With a virtually endless array of infectious diseases to choose from, you’ll be wearing a mask pretty much forever.
God created us to breathe normally and unimpeded by facial coverings during the ordinary course of our lives. One does not present a mortal threat to others by inhaling and exhaling, save for the rarest of circumstances. We have an inherent right to exist as God created us and to use our bodies in accordance with natural law. It is most unnatural to impede one’s natural functions of inhalation and exhalation. It is wrong to assume a priori, that one presents a mortal danger to others simply be breathing normally.
Jeffrey I agree if vulnerable and when in enclosed places with others masks are apparently a safety factor. However, if we’ve been vaccinated and immune the risks are negligible [although I wear it where required]. I basically agree with senator Rand Paul MD who has publicly questioned Dr Fauci’s insistence on virtual perennial wearing of masks regardless of immunity. Government federal and state are imposing masks in all circumstances even requiring children. That exaggerated policy is psychologically unhealthy and appears to be used as a means of control and submission more for political than medical safety.
The current vaccines do not make recipients immune from the virus. In particular, Dr Anthony Fauci has cautioned that early COVID-19 vaccines, which are now in use, will be focused on preventing symptoms of the virus, not blocking it altogether. This observation was made in October of last year when the vaccines were under development. Thus, those who have received the vaccines can still spread the virus. This is very likely the reasoning behind recommendations that vaccinated individuals still wear a mask under certain conditions.
It is also important to remember that these vaccines are experimental in nature. There have been no animal studies and long term clinical studies will not be completed until 2023. These are the reasons for the Experimental Use Athorizations (EUA’s).
Democrats seem to always opt for tyranny. Besides, I thought we had “separation of church and state” when it suits the Democrats but now the government can dictate to churches?
Real science proves masks cannot stop this virus, vitamin D3 and zinc give you immunity, Ivermectin helps your body fight it, asymptotic people cannot spread it, abortion does kill humans, the deep dems are antichrists and care nothing about human life, your county sheriff can make null and void any laws that are unconstitutional, and your county health department is not a law enforcement agency. Any questions, look at the science, not the political lies.
That should read asymptomatic.
Its absolutely right people must wake up God is the Supreme Being not any human organizations
God is in charge not politics the Last Judgment is coming sooner or later and there won’t be criminal atterney for anybody Come Lord Jesus come our Good Shepherd
Here in the great state of Michigan, our governor recently was found out that she traveled to FL to visit her aged father.
This was either right before or after she extolled her constituents to not vacation in FL. Tens of thousands of weddings, funerals, Christenings and other family get togethers were cancelled in the last year but she can do whatever.
What’s ultimately sad is that the various churches will not stand up and thumb nose the governor. They all scurried to close down before, then subsequently got “permission” to reopen, and comply with regulations as to how to worship.
The Catholic Church is powerful. If the bishops would stand up it would do so much good, not only for Catholics, but for all denominations, as defenders our God-given freedoms.
Vote Evers out!
Need pastors like Bishop Sheen, who was then stuck ‘back in a corner office’ because he was too successful at saving souls – or so appeared.
Very good comment. You are right when you say the Catholic Church is powerful. The problem is getting the USCCB to DO something rather than just TALK about how terrible it is our Churches are forced to close. The USCCB should be in the news almost constantly defending the Church’s beliefs and fighting for the rights of the oppressed with actions not just words. But I believe we both know the USCCB is worthless when it comes to defending the rights of the Church and realizing that THEY do have power and CAN make a difference! I have written numerous letters to the USCCB on a number of subjects and have NEVER, NEVER received a reply. The USCCB will remain useless to the American catholic until it gets a leader who realizes his responsibility to God and to His Sheep, and teaches against the sinfulness the American culture, itself, has created. And to you, Catriona, my God bless you and keep you and grant you his peace.