Dear Friends,
The shock and sadness which last Friday brought to all of us is beyond words. I was so grateful that we have a seasoned administrator to guide us through these extraordinarily difficult times. Her decision to go on with the concert and expand the security at the doors, and then search and lock down our school during the concert, were all exactly the right things to do. Anything out of the ordinary would have frightened our children and forced us to deal with the tragedy in school. Mrs. Molloy was convinced that the best place to process this tragedy was with your loving families, and she was exactly right.
I want you to know that on Sunday I walked through our school building with the Parish Building Committee. It is made up of some extraordinary people with years of experience. At the Masses I celebrated, I informed the people that we would be making a security review of our school, and everyone I spoke with coming out the door after Mass was relieved and pleased that we were being proactive. As the Building Committee walked through our school they noted anything that they felt might enhance the safety and security of the 239 children who attend Saint Paul School during the day and the almost 900 Religious Education students who attend Saint Paul School in the evenings and on the weekends.
Later on Sunday, I walked through our school again with a police officer and youth liaison from Hartford. He offered some suggestions to consider but he also complimented us for some of the safety measures we already have in place, like the cameras, access control and buzzer system. Today, I met with Mrs. Molloy and our faculty for a brief prayer and to continue our dialogue concerning the safety of our children.
I assure you the safety of our children is our very top priority here at St. Paul Church. Let's continue to pray for everyone involved with this unspeakable tragedy.
Fr. Robert
Peace and Prayers
Since we won’t have a Christmas Bulletin, I just want to let you know that all of us here at St. Paul Church and School wish you and your family a most blessed Christmas. These past few days have given us all occasion to reflect on our lives, our families and our world. May the love of the Christ Child take away our fear and apprehension and inspire us to grow closer to God and closer to each other. God Bless You all.