Dear Cardinal Mooney Family:
In our Lenten Note to you less than three weeks ago, we wrote about change and resilience, spirit and faith. Little did we realize how sharply each of those elements were about to come into focus here at Mooney and around the world!
Even as our amazing faculty, staff and volunteers were busy helping us navigate the inherent challenges of transition, a pandemic was about to test our best efforts to remain steadily on course. We know, of course, that we are not alone in this struggle. Here in the Diocese of Youngstown, we have the guidance and support of Bishop Murry and the Office of Education. While some initiatives are unique to our school community, we also are working collaboratively with our other diocesan schools so that policies and procedures will be as consistent and unified as possible.
We ask for your continued prayers in these efforts. Among the updates and messages that follow, you will find a prayer published in America Magazine, written for healing in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. We encourage you to read it and refer to it often as this crisis continues to unfold. We also refer you to the statement from our Ohio Bishops regarding dispensation from attendance at Mass through Easter Sunday.
As you know, Gov. Mike DeWine has directed that all Ohio schools will be closed through April 3.
This is an ongoing situation, constantly subject to change and we will keep you updated if the period of closure is extended.
For the current status of Ohio schools, refer to the Ohio Department of Education website.
Other useful information follows, including information on registration, tuition and scholarship updates during the closure period.
Finally, it is important to note that schools in the 21st century provide more than education; they are an important thread of the community’s social fabric. While teaching is our primary role, we know that for many families we are a safe shelter from the storm of everyday issues and problems.
Aware of this — and aware of the particular mission of a Catholic school in today’s society — some of our parents and volunteers have come together to provide food and other assistance for Mooney families in need. Please refer to this section, “Healthy and Wise,” in the information that follows for a program that will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18. If indicated, similar initiatives will follow in the coming weeks.
God bless you for your patience, prayers and support. It is in stressful times such as these that the term “Mooney Family” is especially meaningful.
Sincerely,
Richard Osborne President/CEO
Mary Anne Beiting, Ed.D. Principal