Catholic school opening in W. MI a first in 50 years

ADA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — For the first time in decades, the Diocese of Grand Rapids is getting ready to open a new school where one didn’t previously exist in West Michigan.

St. Robert Catholic School is slated to open in Ada Township in the fall of 2018. The elementary school will be located at the St. Robert of Newminster Parish at 6477 Ada Drive.

“This is an opportunity for us to bring a Catholic school to an area that has not had one before,” said David Faber, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

The Ada Township location is the first Catholic school the diocese has opened at a new site since Our Lady of Consolation welcomed students in Rockford.

“This is pretty rare. Yes, first time in 50 years,” Faber told 24 Hour News 8 Tuesday morning.

According to Faber, only 16 new Catholic schools opened nationwide in 2016. He credits the new school to an uptick in student numbers in West Michigan.

“In the last three years, through the bishop’s Catholic schools initiative, we’ve actually had three years of enrollment growth in a row in the Diocese of Grand Rapids.”

Over the last 13 years, the Diocese of Grand Rapids has gone from 41 schools across its 11-county span to 30. St. Robert’s will be the 31st.

“It’s exciting to see this growth following years of decline in Catholic schools around the country,” said Diocese of Grand Rapids Bishop David Walkowiak. “But locally, we have experienced a resurgence of interest surrounding Catholic education.”

St. Robert Catholic School pastor Fr. Leonard Sudlik said he doesn’t see this rare move by the diocese as unusual. He says as the largest parish in the diocese, with between 2,600 and 2,700 households, it was only a matter of time before a new school opened.

“We’re ready for the fall. Even though the press conference is [Tuesday] and the initial announcement has come out because we’ve been trying to tie things up,” Sudlik said. “I’ve been in meetings for months and we’ve been looking at what we need to do, and there is a good plan in place to make it happen in the fall.”

Full Story on WOODTV8


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