Colleen Burzynski said she graduated in 2003 from St. Cyprian School. She said can’t imagine the area without St. Cyprian.
“St. Cyprian is a wonderful school,” she said. “It’s a small school, obviously, but there’s a place in our world for a small school.”
Part of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Renew My Church effort has included a review of schools and churches in the region and whether they would remain open, merge with others or close. The St. Cyprian school and parish have been in the River Grove community since 1926.
According to Principal Joe Quinlan in a statement on the school’s GiveCentral page, based on Mass attendance, income and school enrollment the archdiocese does “not see St. Cyprian as a viable, sustainable entity.”
According to Jose Martinez, who is the president of the school board and athletic director for the school, “the archdiocese is asking us to be self-sufficient and sustain the expenses and be profitable. They want to see that there’s a need for St. Cyprian in the community.”
St. Cyprian also needs to further its enrollment, according to Martinez. It currently has 138 students, but the goal is to have 150 students signed up for next school year.
St. Cyprian is aiming to raise $500,000. On Oct. 27, a launch party was held, with a DJ, food and performances by alumni. Parents and parishioners said they were in attendance to try to raise as much money as they can to save St. Cyprian.
Anne Maselli, the director of communications and marketing for the Archdiocese of Chicago, stated in an email that “no decision about the future of St. Cyprian School has been made.”
“St. Cyprian Parish and School, as well as several other parishes and schools in the area, are engaged in the grouping-level discernment process that is part of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Renew My Church effort,” Maselli wrote in the email. “The discernment process includes evaluation of church and school needs in the area.”
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T-shirts were sold at the fundraiser with a barcode on them. When scanned by a smart phone, the bar code will take attendees to the school’s GiveCentral page — givecentral.org/location/291/event/14170.
“St. Cyprian is a centerpiece for the community,” Martinez said. “There is no other Catholic school in River Grove.”
Martinez said that if the school closes, property values could go down as well as River Grove would be missing a place for Catholic beliefs to be expressed.
“St. Cyprian is inspiring and influential in the community,” he said. “We just can’t give it up.”
Burzynski’s mother is a kindergarten aide at the school. In an effort to keep St. Cyprian open, she has written letters to Cardinal Blase Cupich and different celebrities.
“The principal I had, Sister Kathleen, instilled a very strong sense of community at St. Cyprian,” she said. “I would say my faith is stronger because of St. Cyprian.”
Burzynski was a student at the school when 9/11 occurred. She explained that the principal would ring peace bells twice a day to pray for the victims. This tradition is still carried on today at the school.
“I can’t believe after 16 years that they still do that,” she said.
Susan Giannosa said St. Cyprian School and Parish are important to her since her husband graduated from the school. Her children also attended St. Cyprian and made their sacraments at the parish. Her granddaughter Gabriella Gomez is currently a seventh-grader.
“They get a premium education here,” she said. “It’s fabulous.”
Maryann Pisano is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.