Over the course of the past three weeks since Hurricane Sandy, the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Superintendent of Schools office has worked diligently with Local, State and Federal officials to facilitate the reopening of Catholic schools in Howard Beach and the Rockaways. This included securing generators for the sites, assessing the extent of the damage to electrical and heating systems, determining necessary repair time, and taking precautions that included air quality testing.

“We all owe a debt of gratitude to Senator Charles Schumer and Mayor Michael Bloomberg for working together to facilitate the generators that enabled our schools to function again,” said Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

“Our primary concern has been for the safety and security of the children in our care and the staff of our schools,” added Dr. Thomas Chadzutko, Superintendent of Schools.

Based on the assessment of damages each facility sustained, the Superintendent of Schools has made the following recommendations for the following sites:

St. Helenís, Howard Beach, reopened on Wednesday, Nov. 14th.

Ave Maria Catholic Academy, Howard Beach, will reopen on Thursday, Nov. 15th.

The school community ñ including students and all faculty ñ of St. Camillus, Howard Beach, will temporarily relocate to Ave Maria, where space has been made available to them while the building of St. Camillus continues to undergo repairs caused by damage from Hurricane Sandy.

St. Rose of Lima, Far Rockaway, will reopen on Thursday, Nov. 15th.

St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor, will temporarily relocate as a school community and be reconstituted at SS. Simon and Jude, Gravesend. The first day of school will be announced by Friday, Nov. 16th.

For any logistical questions, please contact your school principal.

Once again, we remain grateful for your patience as we work through the remaining outstanding issues. We continue to work around the clock to ensure that you and your families can return to the routines of your daily lives as soon as possible.