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Holy Rosary to refund donations

By Christine Haines 2 min read

REPUBLIC – Alumni of Holy Rosary Elementary School who responded to a request for support will be getting new letters along with a refund of their donations now that the school is closed. “A few weeks ago, we got a letter to the alumni. I sent $25 and I’m on a fixed income. If I knew they were closing, I wouldn’t have sent anything,” said Lucretia Tassone Cowger of Clarksville. “It said nothing about the school closing or to keep the school from closing.”

Letters were sent out to about 900 graduates of Holy Rosary Elementary School over the past month. Parents and teachers at the school put together the fund-raising effort at their own expense, not knowing that there were plans to close the school.

“We were hoping to raise money to resolve the deficit of the school. The school is like my family. A lot of kids depend on that school, my own children as well,” said Marie Hanabeck, one of the teachers.

The Rev. Stephen Bugay, pastor of Holy Rosary Parish, said there weren’t very many responses to the solicitation letter.

“I am in the process of preparing a letter to return those contributions to them,” said Bugay.

According to parents and teachers, the fund drive was approved by the school’s principal, Sr. Corrine Giel. Contacted at the school Friday, Sr. Giel declined comment on the issue. Angela Burrows, the executive director of Infomedia Services for the Diocese of Greensburg, said she didn’t know whether the fund drive had been approved or not, since it was all handled at the parish level.

Bugay declined to say whether anything could be done to reverse the decision to close Holy Rosary School. Parents attempting to get the decision reversed are meeting Monday night at 7 p.m. at the Republic Volunteer Fire Department Social Hall.

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