By Bonnie Washuk,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – Catholic schools in Lewiston-Auburn could disappear without consolidation, Maine’s bishop said Monday.

“That must not happen,” said Bishop Richard Malone. “I pledge to do everything I can to keep it from happening. We need to move to one, strong, quality elementary school.”

To keep Catholic education alive and strong, one regional K-8 school will replace three either this fall or next, Malone said.

As proposed, the new school would be supported by a cluster of regional parishes in Lewiston, Auburn, Lisbon, Sabattus and Greene. “We want to strengthen the base of the new school,” Malone said during a news conference at Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

On the first day of Catholic Schools Week, Malone said numbers illustrate the need for change.

In 1995 there were 935 K-8 students enrolled in Lewiston Catholic schools. That number has fallen to 656.

Smaller enrollment numbers combined with rising health insurance and heating costs means that Lewiston-Auburn parishes “cannot continue to carry the burden,” Malone said. “Nor can we continue to raise tuition.” Tuition is about $2,000 a year.

The change could mean teacher and administrative layoffs, since current small class sizes are not affordable, officials said.

The new school will have one school board. Beyond that, many details are not yet known, including the name.

St. Dominic, the name of the Catholic high school in Auburn, is on the table, along with other names, said the Rev. Frank Murray of Sacred Heart Church, who is chairing a local task force formed by the bishop. The new school will not be named Holy Cross, St. Peter and Sacred Heart or St. Joseph’s. “Usually, they create a new name as we do when we merge parishes,” Malone said.

There could be two campuses – one housing elementary students, the other for middle-schoolers. Or all 656 students could be housed at the same building.

It could be a new building if the diocese receives significant donations. Or, it could be existing buildings.

It will be up to the task force to recommend to the bishop how, when and where the new school will open. The task force’s deadline is March 15.

Registration for fall enrollment typically happens in March or April. It may be later this year, Malone said.

“My message to parents is: Be patient. You’re going to have to trust us. We’re going to have something strong and good. That’s the key.”

Peter Bolduc of Poland, one of the new task force members, has four children attending Holy Cross. He does not know where his children will go to school this fall.

The consolidation is “a sign of the times,” he said. “We have to embrace it. There’s going to be a lot of emotional attachment to names like Holy Cross.”

Sister Patricia Williams has 16 students in her second-grade class at St. Peter’s and Sacred Heart School. Years ago she taught classes of 30.

She said she was initially stunned to hear about the consolidation.

“We’ll have to go through a grieving process,” she said. “The change will be for the good.”

Consolidations are happening across the country and are making schools and parishes stronger, Malone said. “We had two parishes half full on Sunday. All of a sudden they have one church and the place is packed to the rafters. That feels good to people.”

Before the news conference students from the three schools attended Mass in the basilica together for the first time. “You saw them today in church,” Malone said. “When we bring them together in a new kind of way, there’s a strength there.”

Task force to merge Catholic schools will:

• Study merger of St. Joseph’s, St. Peter’s and Sacred Heart and Holy Cross into one K-8 school.

• Work out an implementation plan and timeline.

• Take a hard look at personnel and student-teacher ratios, which could lead to layoffs.

Task force recommendation deadline is March 15. Change is to be apparent by September 2006.

Task force members so far appointed Bishop Richard Malone are Colleen McKracken, Norm McKeone, Maurice Theriault, Peter Bolduc and Mike Hebert. The Rev. Frank Murray of Sacred Heart in Auburn is chairman. Others are to be named.

The task force will likely hold a meeting allowing parents and interested persons to offer suggestions and ask questions. The date and location is not yet known.

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