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" TODAY IS OUR LAST DAY"
A True Story
Do you remember the excitement you felt as the dismissal bell marked the
last day of school and the start of summer vacation? It was often
bittersweet - saying goodbye to your favorite teacher, making plans for
summer fun, promising to stay in touch with friends over the summer,
and looking forward to the next school year.
But sometimes, that last bell marks the end of an era. On June 17, 2006,
the students, parents, and faculty of Our Lady of the Pillar and
Immaculate Heart of Mary Schools were ending the school year - but there was
no looking forward to the next year. It was the last day for Our Lady
of the Pillar School, Santa Ana. The campus was being closed forever.
Immaculate Heart of Mary School would remain open as School of Our Lady when the two schools consolidated.
Budget deficits, declining enrollment, a worsening economy, and
increasing salaries and benefits led to this decision. Families in the area
could no longer support two Catholic schools. And worse was the
knowledge that more schools in the Diocese of Orange were facing the
same fate.
In 2007, another Diocesan school, St. Boniface School in Anaheim,
closed after 75 years of serving their families. Bro. Joel Lechner,
principal, said that closing a school is the hardest thing to do - facing
broken-hearted parents, students, and faculty, packing up years of
student records, taking down photos, throwing away trophies, and walking
down empty halls that would no longer be filled with the sound of children.
We ask you, our Alumni, to support your favorite Catholic Elementary
School in Santa Ana. Your financial support or in-kind donations
through Project SUCCESS will help to ensure that we can continue to serve
the Catholic families of Santa Ana.
FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP
YOUR ALMA MATER!
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