Thoughts on Lourdes High School Relocation

I was shocked by the article in the Monday, November 19 issue of the Post Bulletin that Lourdes High School would be relocating to Rochester’s outer fringes. As a Lourdes alumnus and a parent of a child attending Lourdes High School, I have been paying particularly close attention to future plans for Lourdes High School. I was under the impression that the issue of whether to renovate at the present site versus rebuilding at a new location was still being studied. To my knowledge the new site development was not a favored option. I was also under the impression that once a report was prepared that it would be presented to the board and eventually brought before the Catholic community for input, discussion and eventual approval. I was not prepared for a slam-dunk approval of an off site development and a picture of the Bishop on the front page of the Rochester Post Bulletin sealing the deal with a blessing from the Diocese of Winona.

Maybe I missed something but it is my impression that no one seemed to know that the Bishop was going to be in Rochester to visit the new site and give his blessing, it wasn’t in any of the Catholic church bulletins that I know of nor was it announced on the news or in the papers. I received a letter, as I imagine other Catholic parents did, after the fact. I am also somewhat intrigued at the timing of the announcement over the holiday season, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Was it because the decision-makers wanted the Rochester Catholic community to be especially thankful and joyous for this decision? Or was it because they knew that this is the time of year that everybody is too busy with family to mount any meaningful opposition to the sale. Given the suddenness of the decision and the secrecy surrounding the blessing ceremony, I suspect the latter.

I would have welcomed, as I am sure other parents would have too, the opportunity to have an input on the decision-making process. I would have liked to have heard the most recent facts regarding the findings of the feasibility study done regarding present site development versus off site development. I would have liked to have had a chance to question the architects and developers hired to examine the feasibility of onsite development versus offsite development. I would have liked to have had a chance to comment. Given the recent series of events I can’t help but feel as if the decision had been pre-ordained and that no matter what was said, the decision was there to move.

As it stands now I do not believe an offsite development is the best option for Lourdes High School or downtown Rochester. I strongly believe that the best opportunity for education and for increased enrollment lies downtown in collaborative educational and business initiatives with the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic. I also believe that one of the most cherished possessions our Catholic community has is our history. The area around St John’s Church & Grade School and Lourdes High School is rich in Catholic history. We have a strong history of excellence in education and an undeniable connectedness to the history of Rochester and to the Mayo family. It gives us a sense of place. It ties us to where we came from and where we are going. We should not sever our tangible ties to the past, by exiting downtown. I think it behooves us to preserve the Lourdes campus, keep it downtown and develop it at its present site. I found a quotation, by David McCullough that says it best: “ In the loud, tawdry, throwaway culture of modern television, we need stories of a quieter kind, a longer lasting kind, a kind with character. And communities have stories. Without a story, who are we? Destroy the past , abuse the past, turn your backs on the past and you’re turning your backs on and destroying all we have.”

I believe in keeping the campus downtown, developing the present site and preserving the Lourdes High School buildings. I believe that buildings are preserved the same way they are built: someone believes in the idea, consults with experts, and marshals the resources and interests needed to make it happen. The way you discover whether a project is possible is by actually trying.