Getting at the Heart of Things: Annunciation School Bellmawr Another Victim of Bishop Galante

This past year my family and I witnessed Bishop Joseph Galante\’s move to revitalize Catholic schools in the Camden Diocese. My children attended Annunciation Regional School in Bellmawr NJ until it was closed this past June. Our closure was part of the bishop\’s movement to create more vibrant Catholic schools within the Camden Diocese. Strangely enough, Bishop Galante seemed to never pay much attention to Annunciation school in the past. In retrospect, Bishop Galante seemed to have turned his back on Annunciation school long ago. Bishop Galante missed confirmations, our 50th anniversary (even though he managed to attend a mummer\’s mass the week before), and he missed the memorial service for a former teacher, IHM sister Paul Mercedes, who was tragically killed by a hit and run driver on her way to church one morning in Philadelphia. The Bishop couldn\’t or wouldn\’t clear his schedule to attend the memorial mass at Annunciation that honored the life of Sister Paul Mercedes. I ask, what could possibly be more important then paying your respects to a woman who dedicated her entire life to teaching our faith? One has to wonder if Bishop Galante had turned his back on more than just Annunciation school. I wonder how many youth decided against vocations in the Catholic Church based upon their bishop not paying his respects to Sister Paul in front of 800 Annunciation parishioners and 50 or so IHM Sisters.

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