Remove New Church Attendance Policy at St John the Beloved

People shouldn’t be forced to go to mass on their own personal time.

Forcing parishioners to attend mass is a crime called blackmail. This is similar to the govt. forcing the Covid shot. Get the shot or your fired, get the shot or you can not attend the college that accepted you this school year, and because of their tireless work the nurses were praised for their tireless work but then get the shot or your fired. Blackmail is a crime and you are doing it SJB.

I have lost count of how many letters home this year have explicitly stated “…this isn’t the school for you…” and the message is being received loud and clear. The constant scolding and shaming of people who may already be struggling pushes folks further away, rather than welcoming anyone back to the fold or to the faith. It’s been a painful and disappointing message to receive from a Church that is supposed to stand for grace, love, and forgiveness.

You should maybe go to the CYM website. Look at the mission of CYM and who they accept i to the programs. It’s all inclusive.

We regularly attend church but each persons walk with God is their own business.

It's good that Father Vannicola wrote that letter. If people do not to attend Mass, participate in parish life, and meet the precepts of the Catholic Church, then they should find non-parochial athletic programs in which their children can participate. Why do people feel entitled to participate in a religious athletic league without being an active church member?

Weekends are our time as a family.

1 year ago Featured

I totally agree with exactly what was laid out in this letter from Mr. Boulden. Religion and attending services has to come from the heart not by a mandate. And also as he laid out many families have so many other things that keep them from being able to do services. Another plan needs to be devised.

This is a disgrace. Shame on you SJB !! I have been going to SJB for over 40 years.. I now go to another church further away bc of the woken ess. I strongly urge parents to send their children to other schools. Money hungry so called catholic. And you wonder why people are losing their faith bc of bad decisions. AGAIN, SHAME ON YOU SJB!!!!

These type of woke policies are the reason I switched churches.

While I understand the importance of bringing SJB families back to church, this is not the way to accomplish it.

Why is SJB not addressing the basic issues that our children deal with everyday? Accountability of their teachers, bullying, or support for our children with their academic needs? Why are issues that they face and brought to the attention of teachers and the school principal NOT addressed? So to understand what is being asked is that the school puts more pressure on the children and parents moving forward with "threats"? Truly not the way to handle these issues..

You have to use SJB as the password.

You have to use SJB as the password.

(I also am unable to sign the petition due to a website error, posting here what I had wrote) Richard Hart destroyed my first school - Saint Thomas the Apostle - nearly twenty years ago when I was in 4th grade, and it looks like he's back at it again. To push away parents and students (and make no mistake, the students will, in fact, be upset) when parochial schools are closing left and right is an action devoid of any rational thinking. He and this priest are conflating rigid order with faith and spirituality. They can both be added to the ever-growing list of men on a power-trip, blinded to what truly matters by the power they can wield. Not being able to go to mass is a sin, but instituting a manipulative and coercive policy is not? And they wonder why folks are not coming to mass, are leaving the parish, are leaving the Catholic church. Instead of forcing people to go to mass, making them resentful of the Church, maybe do some research and soul-searching into why there has been a decrease in attendance in the first place. Mr. Hart's and the priest's letters to the families are thinly-veiled windows into their priorities; the statement that "the spiritual welfare of your children remains our primary concern" does not hide the fact that more parishioners at mass each week means more money in the collection baskets. Maybe, likely, this is coming more from the priest than Mr. Hart, I'll give him that benefit of the doubt, but Mr. Hart's broken principles show in his complicity. Maybe they once had values, maybe they once were able to extend empathy to others, but sadly it seems that they have sold their soul to another God, the one with dollar signs in his eyes. It is shameful, and disrespectful. Pope Francis would have been shaking his head so sadly if he had seen this. My heart hurts for this parish and this school that I loved very much. I hope that this policy is rescinded for all of the students and their families - Cat

Deacon Haley would not approve.

This mandate does not bring people closer to Jesus. It drives a wedge between them and the religious organization, and in turn harm the children who don’t have a say in the matter.

My wife and I choose to send our daughter to SJB. We are parishioners of Holy Angels. I attended Holy Angels from kindergarten through 8th grade and then attended Sallies. My wife and I were married at Holy Angels and got our two children baptized there. After a hard decision, we felt the academics were exceptionally better at sjb than at Holy Angels. This ultimatum gives the perception that attendance of church every Sunday is directly tied to eligibility for financial assistance. It has also been observed that not all school or parish staff attend mass regularly, and some may not be catholic. Holding families to a standard that is not consistently reflected within the institution itself raises concerns about fairness and equitable treatment.

No one should have to prove their faith. That is between everyone and God. Not man! Our children should have their own journey with God.I was forced to go to mass every Sunday by my parents until I was 18. Even after a nun told me in 5th grade that only Catholics go to heaven and that my favorite cousin who was  a protestant was going to hell. This broke my heart and made me not like God. It took a long time for me to come back to my personal relationship with God! I will not let anyone do that to my child. I love St. John’s, and my daughter has made many friends that are very important to her. It’s very important to me that she learns about Jesus and has a foundation so that if she ever strays, she comes back to God. I pray that this is overturned because it is so devastating to all of us and in my personal opinion not what The Gospels are about.

This will only make children resent the church.