In a sparsely attended convocation Mass because of the coronavirus pandemic, Baltimore Archbishop William Lori officially opened a new school year amid “extraordinary circumstances” at the Church of the Nativity in Timonium Aug. 27.
“Last year when we gathered for this event, little did we imagine how the academic year would unfold. None of us foresaw the pandemic that would overtake our communities and every dimension of our lives so profoundly,” Archbishop Lori said during the liturgy, where masked administrators sat spaced out in the large church while teachers and students watched from home via livestream. “Suddenly, we began to do almost everything differently, including the delivery of Catholic education.”
Archbishop Lori praised the efforts of archdiocesan teachers who quickly shifted to remote instruction as the country shut down in early March.
“Our schools stood as a model for others to imitate and many parents and others expressed their gratitude to you and to your colleagues,” Archbishop Lori told teachers, noting that their agility and innovative spirit will again be needed in this school year.
Next week, Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore will start the academic year with a combination of in-person instruction and remote learning. The decision to conduct five-day-a-week, in-person classes is a departure from most local public-school systems, which will hold classes only remotely.
“So, once again you are being asked to rise to new challenges,” Archbishop Lori told teachers.
Some have criticized the decision to resume in-person instruction, saying it jeopardizes the health of teachers and could result in new outbreaks of the virus. However, many families – struggling to balance the demands of childcare while working from home — welcomed the move and some local Catholic schools have seen increases in enrollment.
Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Superintendent Donna Hargens said resuming in-person classes with robust precautions is the best decision for students.
The primary drive to re-open “is because we know that in-person learning is impactful and that it supports the social and emotional development of students as well as their academics,” she said.
Hargens said the Archdiocese of Baltimore schools department consulted personally with Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on how to safely conduct in-person instruction. Redfield, who lives in Baltimore, is a longtime parishioner of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.
Among the precautions: Classrooms will be set up to encourage social distancing; students will be screened for coronavirus symptoms; everyone will be required to wear facial coverings; and facilities, especially high-touch surfaces, will be routinely sanitized.
“We’re confident that we can do those layers of risk-mitigation strategies to enable our students to learn in person,” Hargens said.
Calling teachers’ work a ministry, Archbishop Lori said the archdiocese’s teachers are much like first responders – such as doctors, nurses and police officers – who have been on the frontlines of the pandemic.
“You are sometimes the first to detect both need and opportunity,” Archdiocese Lori told teachers.
Also at the convocation, the archdiocese honored its staff members and presented its highest education honor, the Doris Musil Award, to the late Dr. Kirk Gaddy, who served in various leadership roles at St. Frances Academy and Catholic schools in East Baltimore.
Gaddy’s daughter, Courtney Gaddy, accepted the award on his behalf. Kirk Gaddy died suddenly after suffering a stroke and a heart attack in June. He was 55.
“Kirk embodied the heart and soul of the mission of Catholic education,” Archbishop Lori said. “Dr. Gaddy recognized the power of education: The power of education to give hope, to change lives and to make the impossible possible. … He never gave up on his commitment to children who would otherwise have few chances of achieving success.”
This school year, Kirk Gaddy was set to become principal of St. Frances Academy, his alma mater.
“Today, we celebrate and honor a man who lived, loved and made his life about serving his community,” Courtney Gaddy said. “My father answered the call, being an ambassador and proponent of freedom, a breaker of generation curses and a bridge over inequality. … He was a model for us all.”
Other honorees included: Karin Abbott from Monsignor Slade Catholic School in Glen Burnie, who was named Archdiocesan Elementary School Teacher of the Year, and Catherine Hellie from Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn who was named Archdiocesan High School Teacher of the Year.
Chris Taddiken from Calvert Hall College High School in Towson was named Independent Catholic High School Teacher of the Year.
Email Tim Swift at tswift@CatholicReview.org
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Kirk Gaddy, black Catholic educator and father figure to many, dies suddenly at 55
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