Saint Patrick Catholic School Groundbreaking
The Barry-Robinson Trustees, along with The Most Reverend Francis X. DiLorenzo, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond, and school children representing Blessed Sacrament and Sacred Heart Catholic Churches, broke ground today on what will become Saint Patrick Catholic School—the first Catholic elementary and middle school to reside on the west side of Norfolk in 20 years.
Saint Patrick will provide a challenging academic program, rooted in the Catholic faith, for children of all socioeconomic backgrounds from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
The groundbreaking ceremony, held on the future 16.5 acre campus of the school in the Larchmont section of Norfolk, where 90,000-square-feet of handsome school buildings will reside, consisted of remarks from Charles V. McPhillips, partner, Kaufman & Canoles, P.C. and chairman of the James-Barry Robinson Home for Boys Trust; Bishop DiLorenzo; and The Honorable Paul D. Fraim, Mayor, City of Norfolk. Other participants included the Barry-Robinson Trustees: William C. Hagan, II; Donald F. Price; Edward V. Power; William A. Prince; The Reverend Daniel N. Klem, Pastor, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Norfolk, Va.; The Reverend Joseph H. Metzger, III, Pastor, St. Bridget’s Catholic Church, Richmond, Va. (formerly Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Norfolk); The Reverend Monsignor Thomas J. Caroluzza, Administrator, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Norfolk, Va.; Diane Bialakowski, Diocesan Superintendent of Education; and Juanita W. Dillard, parishioner, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.
Approximately a dozen school-aged children from the Tidewater area parishes also shared in the launch of the new school. The big news made during the ceremony was the announcement that Saint Patrick's has appointed its founding principal, Stephen J. Hammond. Hammond is currently headmaster of Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tenn., a prestigious independent school near Nashville built in 1889 that educates students in grades K-12. He previously served for 17 years as the Superintendent of Schools for the Catholic Diocese of Nashville.
DiLorenzo shared his first public remarks in Hampton Roads since being installed in May 2004 as Richmond Diocese’s first new bishop in 30 years. “Saint Patrick Catholic School is an important addition to the Richmond diocese,” said DiLorenzo. “I am so delighted that this new institution will lay a faith-based foundation of academic excellence for hundreds of Norfolk families.”
Slated to open in Fall 2005, Saint Patrick Catholic School is expected to be one of the most technologically advanced Catholic schools in the country. The project includes:
- A primary instructional facility, consisting of two stories of 24 elementary and middle school classrooms, full-service computer and science labs, a suite of music rooms, a large art room and facilities to accommodate pre-school children
- State-of-the-art library and media center, with capacity for over 14,000 hard volume books, a computer lab for electronic research, a parent resource center, and a distance learning room for videoconferencing, teleconferencing and various interactive disciplines
- 8,000-square foot, 350-seat performing arts auditorium
- 4,000-square foot, 215-seat dining hall
- 15,000-square-foot, 400-seat gymnasium
- Junior and regular lacrosse/soccer fields
- Two baseball/softball fields
Tuition at Saint Patrick's will be affordable. Need-based scholarships will also be available. The goal of the Barry-Robinson Trustees is to make Saint Patrick's accessible to families from all walks of life.
Founded in 1933, the mission of the James Barry-Robinson Home for Boys Trust is to help children and to support excellence in Catholic education in Norfolk. In recent years, the non-profit organization has awarded grants for renovations, technology and other capital improvements at Holy Trinity School, Saint Pius X School, Christ the King School and Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School. The Trust also furnishes tuition assistance for low-income students at the three existing Catholic elementary schools in Norfolk.
Enrollment applications for Saint Patrick Catholic School are being accepted for the Fall 2005 semester and can be completed electronically from www.stpcs.org. Applications can also be obtained by calling (757) 440-5500.