I've always found this weird about Catholic schools

[Anonymous]

Why do schools like Georgetown Prep, Visi, Gonzaga, DeMatha etc cater to the wealthy (upper middle class) etc and not not solely educate the poor. The wealthy can afford to send their kids to school so let them go to non religious schools and focus on providing an education to people whose parents can not afford it. A school like St Cyprian on Capitol Hill was turned over to the govt, but St Peter's that caters to the wealthy is still up and running. I find this to be the ultimate form of hypocrisy.

[Anonymous]

You have it wrong. People send their children to Catholic school because they want a religious education. There are many, many Catholic schools, like Nativity Miguels (http://www.nativitymiguelschools.org/), that cater to the poor. Do your research. Secondly, there are many other religious schools like Jewish and Presbyterian schools, for example. Why single out Catholics?

[Anonymous]

Catholic schools are famous for providing scholarship to poor families. It's what they do.

Now, as a practical matter, it's not so easy for poor student X to get to GPrep from Suitland every day. So GP might be inhabited by higher income families that live closer to GP, and the Suitland student may need, for logistical reasons, to attend school closer to his home.

[Anonymous]

The DC Catholic elementaries that went charter/secular did so because their clientele was predominantly non-Catholic. Basically, their main constituency had become parents fleeing from DCPS (rather than parents looking for a Catholic education).

I'm an atheist, but (or is it thus?) I don't think that under these circumstances a church rather than the government should be picking up the tab.

[Anonymous]

The Catholics Schools in DC did take many of the kids on DC scholarships (the $7500 grants) and the Archdiocese lobbied hard to have the program continued. Visi took some of these kids and provided the rest of the monies from their own scholarhship funds.

So get your facts straight OP before defaming an entire church.

[Anonymous]

OP, I find your post to be the ultimate form of hypocrisy. Once again, a critic who wants to complain that someone else is not doing their job. Why don't you get busy working on social justice issues yourself instead of posting anti-Catholic statements on this board? And I'm not even religious. I just think Jews, Catholics, or whoever should be able to practice their religion, because guess what, OP? The First Amendment affords them this right.

[Anonymous]

What data are you basing your comments on???? I think there's a good mix of incomes @ DeMatha...heck, a lot of there sports alumi's who go on to play professionally come from low to middle-class backgrounds.

[Anonymous]

And don't forget that many of the schools you mentioned are INDEPENDENT and take no money from the local diocese. Some Catholic schools, such as the Heights, are founded and run by lay people. Others, such as Gonzaga and Prep, are run by the Jesuits, a religious order. So if you perceive those schools as lacking in generosity, it is not the Church's doing. Also remember that many Catholic schools (unlike Prep) charge significantly lower tuition and go without fancy buildings, etc., precisely so that a wider segment of the population can attend, with or without aid.

[Anonymous]

I basing this on the fact that almost all the people who I see that send their kids to Gonzaga or GV are wealthy families who could have their pick of schools, and this happens in other cities as well. I went to a non-religious private school which at the time gave no help or need based aid. However this is a doctrine that preaches helping the poor yet is populated by the haves with a few spattering of poor kids (most whom are athletes to be part of their sports machine).

[Anonymous]

15:17 again. Check out www.wjacademy.org, which I recently read about. A Jesuit middle school for underprivileged boys in DC that is tuition free. Many of their graduates apparently go on to receive scholarships at prestigious area schools. It is a 12 hour a day program. I was so impressed to read about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I basing this on the fact that almost all the people who I see that send their kids to Gonzaga or GV are wealthy families who could have their pick of schools, and this happens in other cities as well. I went to a non-religious private school which at the time gave no help or need based aid. However this is a doctrine that preaches helping the poor yet is populated by the haves with a few spattering of poor kids (most whom are athletes to be part of their sports machine).

The original post is almost breathtakingly illogical and bigoted, and this just digs the hole deeper.

[Anonymous]

OP, please respond to all the PPs. I am dying to hear your thoughts now.

[Anonymous]

I believe GP is a Catholic independent school and receives no money from the Archdiocese of Washington. I know GP is a Jesuit school but I'm not sure what governing body GP listens to. Anyone know the details.

To the original poster, get your facts straight before you make a bold accusations about catholic schools. I graduated from Gonzaga back in the day and my daughters go to Visi. There is a wide array of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds found at most Catholic schools in the area and I suspect the same can be found at other private schools in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do schools like Georgetown Prep, Visi, Gonzaga, DeMatha etc cater to the wealthy (upper middle class) etc and not not solely educate the poor. The wealthy can afford to send their kids to school so let them go to non religious schools and focus on providing an education to people whose parents can not afford it. A school like St Cyprian on Capitol Hill was turned over to the govt, but St Peter's that caters to the wealthy is still up and running. I find this to be the ultimate form of hypocrisy.

First of all, you're confused by the difference between diocesan schools (like DeMatha, Good Counsel, Bishop Ireton, etc) and independent Catholics run by religious orders (like Prep, Visi, Gonzaga, SR, etc.). Fact is, the latter often offer significant amounts of scholarship and grant money to students to attend if they can get in. Typically, who is a scholarship student is a closely held secret. Diocesan schools typically have much lower tuition and typically charge based on whether you're in bounds/out of bounds and Catholic or not.

Additionally, the PP who indicated that wanting your child to have a values based religious education (or a Jesuit education, or a Sacred Heart education or whatever) is a reason to send your child to a Catholic school of any flavor.

And finally, why bash the Catholics specifically? Last I checked, St. Albans, NCS, EHS, and St Stephens/St Agnes all had a religious affiliation and educated the children of the wealthy as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe GP is a Catholic independent school and receives no money from the Archdiocese of Washington. I know GP is a Jesuit school but I'm not sure what governing body GP listens to. Anyone know the details.

This is true of all of the Catholic independents.