For 26 Years, Flanagan Led
St. Saviour Elementary School
By Mary Frost
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
PARK SLOPE -- A beloved Brooklyn principal is being fired by a parish pastor and families and teachers are devastated, say parents at St. Saviour Elementary School on Eighth Avenue in Park Slope.
St. Saviour school is 100 years old; Principal James Flanagan has led the school for 26 of those years.
On Monday, May 11, a memo from Pastor Daniel S. Murphy was distributed to the teachers at St. Saviour informing them that Principal Flanagan’s contract was not being renewed, said parent Cindy Brolsma, who has three children attending St. Saviour.
“There was complete shock. Teachers went out to the hallways, crying. Parents all started calling each other.”
“He’s been here 26 years – and this is the only flourishing Catholic school in the diocese. St. Saviour is fully enrolled. In fact, there’s a waiting list; we’re academically successful and we don’t take money from the church. We don’t drain the church’s resources.”
Father Murphy never informed the parents of his decision, Ms. Brolsma said, nor did he consult with the Parish Council. On Tuesday, May 12, a group of parents tried to appeal to him. “He said he wouldn’t see us as a group, only as individuals.” He also declined to visit a group of more than 100 parents who met in the school basement last week.
But Father Murphy told the Brooklyn Eagle Wednesday that he was carrying out Bishop DiMarzio’s long-term vision for the Diocese, called Preserving the Vision.
“We need a principal with the leadership skills that look towards the future,” he said. “Principal Flanagan has done a superb job, but things are changing. We need a principal with the vision for that change, so we can implement Bishop DiMarzio’s plan well. This doesn’t just apply to St. Saviour, this applies to all the schools in the Diocese.”
Father Murphy said he wanted to relieve parents’ fears. “St. Saviour is a strong school now, and it’s going to remain strong. The principal is changing, but nothing else is changing. It’s a significant change, but the only change.”
Parent Complaints
Parent Justine Ventrelli told the Brooklyn Eagle, “This came out after registration is done and it’s too late to look at other schools. The deposits are nonrefundable.”
Father Murphy arrived at St. Saviour in June 2004, but some parents have never even seen him. “The pastor is so withdrawn, he hasn’t visited the school in two years,” Ms. Ventrelli said.
“He said that kids ‘drain him,’” said Ms. Brolsma. “He should just leave us alone.”
Parents have been picketing the school every day, and have written letters to Bishop DiMarzio, Auxiliary Bishop Caggiano and Thomas Chadzutko, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn. Wednesday they received a reply from Bishop Caggiano, which was published on the Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn blog. It reads in part:
“Please understand that both the Diocese Office of the Superintendent – Catholic Schools Support Services and my Office -- can only provide guidance to Mr. Flanagan, since Mr. Flanagan’s employer is the Parish of St. Saviour. In light of this fact, I have asked Dr. Chadzutko to share your concerns directly with Rev. Daniel Murphy, the pastor of St. Saviour Church. Please be assured of my continued prayers for the children, families, parishioners, staff and leadership of Saint Saviour Parish and School.”
Father Kieran Harrington, spokesperson for the Brooklyn Diocese, told the Eagle yesterday that each parish is an autonomous corporation. “We try to facilitate the process but every decision is made at the local level. The person who makes the decisions is Father Murphy ... He hires, he fires. He signs all the contracts for the parish. We don’t even set salaries.”
A candlelight vigil outside the school is scheduled for Wednesday night, and a protest for Thursday afternoon, June 4, at the office of the Superintendent Thomas Chadzutko. Families and friends have also formed the St. Saviour Preservation Society, with its own web site (http://stsaviours.wordpress.com/).
New vs. Old?
According to the St. Saviour Preservation Society web site, Father Murphy’s Pentecost Sunday sermon concerned “how the Holy Spirit demands change, and discussed the Beatles replacing Elvis and Citi Field replacing Shea Stadium.”
“Mr. Flanagan is old school,” said Ms. Brolsma. “He keeps order and he’s pretty strict. It’s a strong position and maybe some people don’t like it, but that’s a part of the reason we’re here. He runs a tight ship; everybody’s safe and they do the right thing.
“In a weird way, we feel like he’s our dad. He keeps everything classy and right. There’s no messing around, no mystery; he’s just solid. This has got to be confusing to the kids. Some classes pray for Mr. Flanagan every morning.
“It’s so crazy,” she added. “We were going to make an offer on a house, now we’re so confused. Do we want to move to Bay Ridge? We can’t make any decisions.”
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