Schools
Parents, Students and Alumni of White Plains Catholic School to Appeal to Cardinal Timothy Dolan Sunday, Feb. 1
The Good Counsel Academy will once again peacefully protest outside the residence of Cardinal Dolan regarding the proposed sale of GCA.
A large group of students, parents and alumni of Our Lady of Good Counsel Academy in White Plains are planning to peacefully protest outside the residence of Cardinal Timothy Dolan Sunday, Feb. 1.
The group, who appealed to the cardinal last November, is calling on Dolan to reverse a decision by the school’s leadership to relocate the school, which has been run by the Sisters of the Divine Compassion since the 1890s.
There have been unnecessary delays in making this decision, which could now result in the possible lack of an incoming freshmen class. Parents are outraged by the way the situation has been handled, including the lack of action on the part of the cardinal.
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The financially thriving all-girls Catholic school, which currently serves over 375 students, sits on 16 acres of property and is located on the outskirts of downtown White Plains.
The campus includes school/administrative buildings as well as a number of historic structures, including the Chapel of the Divine Compassion, the Mapleton House and the convent and Mother House of the religious order.
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The property is currently up for sale and possible redevelopment.
Soon after the announcement was made last June, the GCA community objected to the plans of the order, spearheaded by Carol Wagner, the president of the congregation. According to Save Good Counsel Academy, a buyer has been identified, but efforts to proceed with a sale have been put on hold.
In a recent email urging the GCA community to turn out for this Sunday’s protest, a source close to the school said, “The only time Carol Wagner does anything is when the cardinal puts pressure on her, so we need to continue to put pressure on him. We are now at a crossroads and only you can help shift the outcome in our children’s favor. Time is of the essence. We must act now.”
The march to the Cardinal’s residence on 452 Madison Avenue (corner of 50th Street) will take place after the 10:15 mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Students of GCA are being asked to wear their school uniforms, and organizers of the march are asking everyone involved to protest peacefully and respectfully.
