Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2009 / Our Lady of Guadalupe Middle School for Girls to close
Our Lady of Guadalupe Middle School for Girls to close
by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published April 17, 2009
Detroit — Our Lady of Guadalupe Middle School for Girls in southwest Detroit will close at the end of the current school year.
Financial reasons were cited in the April 7 announcement by the four congregations of women religious that have sponsored the school – the Congregation of St. Joseph; the Monroe-based Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; the U.S. Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart; and the West Midwest Community of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.
The sponsors created the school as a ministry to girls from families with limited economic advantages in the southwest Detroit community, and who were thought could benefit from a single-gender and individualized educational environment. “We’re proud to have helped young women believe that they can achieve success, prepare for high school and dream about their future,” said Sr. Gilmary Bauer, RSM, of the Sisters of Mercy.
“It’s vital to reach young girls in the core city early and show them how education can help them succeed. We deeply regret that economic conditions have caused an end to this wonderful educational experience for our girls,” she continued.
The school opened in 2001 in the former school of St. Stephen/Mary, Mother of the Church Parish in southwest Detroit, then moved to its current site, in the former school of Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish, 4100 Martin, also in the southwest area of the city.
Forty-three girls are enrolled currently, in classes averaging 15 students each.
In its brief history the school has graduated 48 eighth-grade girls, all of whom went on to high school. Of those, seven have now graduated from high school, and all but one of those has enrolled in college.
“We have enriched the lives of dozens of southwest Detroit young women, and even more, we have been enriched by them,” Sr. Bauer said.
“And we truly believe in the mission of OLG Middle School. In the years to come, we know that the stark financial realities that caused this will not keep us from continuing to serve in some way this important community,” she added. Administrators held a meeting to explain the situation to parents, and will make further efforts to reach those parents who could not attend, Sr. Bauer said. In addition, she said efforts were under way to work with the Archdiocese of Detroit to assist students with options to continue their Catholic education.
In response to an e-mailed question, Sr. Bauer wrote that it was too soon to say just what those options might be.
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