The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced last week that the Franciscan friars, save one, will not be returning to the hallowed halls of Archbishop Ryan High School come fall.
The Franciscan Friars of the Assumption Province has served at Ryan since the school’s inception 41 years ago. The seven friars who were on the academic faculty and staff of Ryan last year have received other assignments, with the exception of the Rev. Rene Barczak, who remains as director of alumni relations at Ryan.
According to the Franciscans’ provincial minister, the Rev. Leslie Hoppe, the order’s Provincial Definitorium decided last fall to end a commitment to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to help staff Archbishop Ryan High School.
That word had been conveyed to Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of the Philadelphia archdiocese, Bishop Joseph P. McFadden and the administration of the high school.
"I personally informed Cardinal Rigali, Bishop McFadden, Mr. Michael McArdle, the president of Ryan High School, and the Franciscans who were serving at Ryan when the decision was made," Hoppe said.
"The decision to end our commitment to Ryan was a personnel decision," he added. "We simply did not have the personnel to maintain our commitment to Ryan in any meaningful way."
McFadden, auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia, said the decision was entirely the Franciscans’ and was not an attempt by the archdiocese to have more control over the school following allegations of sexual abuse against four Franciscans, which were disclosed to the Ryan alumni last year. The abuse occurred between the late 1970s and the mid-’90s. The Franciscans never released their names; however, in an e-mailed statement to the Times last fall, Hoppe stated that two of the priests are deceased and two are living lives of prayer and penance with no ministry outside the friaries where they live.
At that time, Charles Gallagher, the deputy district attorney involved with the city’s grand jury investigation six years ago, said all allegations of child sexual abuse his office was aware of against Franciscans who worked at Ryan were beyond the statute of limitations and could not be prosecuted.
The Rev. Charles Newman, a former principal and president of Archbishop Ryan, awaits trial on charges related to his alleged theft of more than $900,000 in funds belonging to the school and his religious order between July 2002 and November 2003, while he was president of Ryan.
The Franciscan order’s decision to end its affiliation with Archbishop Ryan is not the first time that a religious order has stepped away from a Philadelphia high school for reasons of staffing. The Norbertine priests left St. John Neumann when the school merged with St. Maria Goretti High School in 2004.
The declining number of vocations is having an impact on all orders. The Oblates of St. Francis DeSales, which serves both Father Judge and Northeast Catholic high schools, is experiencing its own shortages.
According to the bishop, the Oblates weren’t able to provide a school minister at Northeast Catholic last year.
"We are cognizant they are struggling," he said.
Two archdiocesan priests will join Ryan’s staff. The Rev. Joseph Shenosky will serve as the school’s minister and the Rev. Richard McFadden will teach at Ryan, according to the bishop. The archdiocese hopes to add another priest to the school staff in 2009.
According to Hoppe, the Franciscans will vacate the faculty house adjacent to the high school. The Assumption Province will find other housing for any friars whose ministry is in the Philadelphia area. ••
Reporter Diane Prokop can be reached at 215-354-3036 or dprokop@phillynews.com