As anticipated for some time now the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has closed several Catholic Schools throughout the city forcing parents to up-root from their niegborhoods and look for a more practical place for their families to live in order to be close to their childrens schools. Packer Park’s own Holy Spirit will merge with St. Richards, Mt. Carmel and Sacred Heart and will occupy the former Stella Maris school.

School closings and mergers are as follows:

Philadelphia (South)

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament merges with St. Donato at the 65th Street site.

St. Laurentius merges with St. Peter the Apostle at the 5th Street site.

Annunciation merges with St. Nicholas of Tolentine at the Pierce Street site.

St. Gabriel merges with St. Thomas Aquinas at the Morris Street site.

St. Malachy merges with Visitation BVM at the Lehigh Avenue site.

Epiphany of our Lord, Holy Spirit, St. Richard, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Sacred Heart merge at the former Stella Maris site.

Our Lady of Lourdes closed, students asked to select from Our Mother of Sorrows/St. Ignatius, St. Rose of Lima, Mary, Mother of Peace

West Catholic High closes outright.

Philadelphia (North)

Pope John Paul II Regional, Bridesburg, merges with St. Timothy at the Levick Street site.

St. George, Port Richmond, merges with Our Lady of Port Richmond at the Thompson Street site.

Holy Cross, Mt. Airy, merges with Our Mother of Consolation, Chestnut Hill, at the E. Chestnut Hill Ave. site.

St. Bridget, East Falls, merges with Holy Child, Manayunk, at the Hermitage Street site.

Incarnation of Our Lord, Olney, merges with St. Helena at the N. Fifth Street site.

Our Lady of Consolation, Tacony, merges with St. Matthew at the Cottman Avenue site.

Our Lady of Ransom merges with Resurrection of our Lord at the Shelmire Avenue site.

St. William merges with St. Cecilia at the Rhawn Street site.

St. Martin of Tours becomes a “mission school,” with no change to the current school configuration.

St. Hubert High closes outright.