A plan to bring 200 migrant children to the St. Ann’s Church on Midland Avenue weekdays is under serious consideration, with a final decision to be made next month by St. Ann’s Pastor Stephen Norton. The school has been closed since 2019, due to budget cuts in the Archdiocese of NY.
The plan would be operated by Rising Ground, formerly Leake & Watts, https://www.risingground.org/supporting-immigrant-children/
The plan calls for a staff of more than 100 workers for the 200 mostly male migrant children. The children will be kept at the school only during weekdays and not overnight. The expectation is that the children will be kept with Rising Ground for 90 days and then reunited with their families in the United States.
St. Ann’s has held two information meetings with its parishioners, who are not happy that the school will be used for this purposed. Some mentioned that the school is located in a residential area with little or no parking.
Contrary to the belief of many, a final decision has not been reached on this proposal. The final decision rests in the hands of Pastor Norton, and not the Archdiocese or Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
A video of one of the meetings was posted on Facebook by Freddy Vazquez on his Basement politics show. At that meeting in March, Councilman Anthony Merante attended and tried to answer questions and complaints from those who attended. Merante explained that 250 members of St. Ann’s had signed a petition opposing the idea of leasing the school to Rising Ground, as an example that some of the public was aware of the plan.
Merante also wrote to the Archdiocese of NY to ask about the plan, which has not received any media coverage or explanation.
Father Norton responded to Merante, writing “we have made a concerted effort to find an appropriate non-profit use for the building, which included approaching other educational institutions, so that the school would not sit vacant. We believe that we found a more than appropriate use for the school, allowing children to once again enjoy learning in this building while furthering the broader mission of our faith. Rising Ground’s program supports children who have undergone extreme trauma by providing a warm and nurturing educational setting. A parish must do more than simply meet the religious worship needs of parishioners; it has an obligation to utilize its resources to meet the charitable, educational needs of its people whenever possible, and the surrounding communities. Our service to those in need is an important tenant of what makes our faith so strong,” writes Father Norton, who went on to explain the program.
“Rising Ground has operated its Passage of Hope program adminstered by the Office of Refuge Management since 2014. The children served are up to 17 years old and are under the care of Rising Ground while the safety and suitability of their United States sponsor is verified. Most of the children are from Central America and most are Catholic. They arrive traumatized by the circumstances of crime, poverty and child trafficking in their home country. The children are prescreened by the Office of Refugee Resettlement to ensure they do not have criminal, drug or other factors in their background.
“All of the children under the age of 12 are placed with foster care families within 5 miles of the school. Rising Ground transports the children at 8am-5pm for pickup. They are never unattended by staff.
“The children receive academic lesson plans, instruction and physical education. The children often have an interest in religious service and participate in volunteer and community service activities with partner parishes and organizations that benefit the community.
“The church takes seriously our responsibility to manage our patrimony in a way that is consistent with our values and faith. We feel confident about this return of the St. Ann School building to use,” writes Father Norton, who adds that no final decision has been reached.
In his April 24 handout, Father Norton writes, “I have not forgotten about the possible rental of our school building but tried to take a break from the controversy during Holy Week. I assure you that a decision will be made by the beginning of May, and I will keep all the parishioners informed and the larger community. Please continue to pray for this situation. I am concerned for the people who live in the neighborhood, the immigrant children who may be coming to be educated at our school, and the future of St. Ann’s parish. We have a lot of debt built up over the years, and the school, as it is now, is adding to our financial problems, so something must be done. If not this program, then what? This question plagues my thoughts, so please continue to pray for a positive outcoming regarding the school property.
Until next week, Happy Easter! Fr. Stephen P. Norton
While no dollar amounts of the revenue St. Ann’s would see from the program have been publicly discussed, $500,000 per year is a number that has been suggested by reliable sources.
