Bishop O'Brien to Preside over Five Catholic School Graduations

Press Room for the Diocese of Phoenix

Diocesan Offices to Sponsor an Interfaith Gathering in Rememberance of
Oklahoma City Bombing Victims

(May 9 Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix) - On Tuesday, May 15, 2001 at 12:00 noon, the Diocesan Office of Life Issues and the Office Peace and Justice will be co-sponsoring an interfaith gathering to remember the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing and renew their commitment to non-violence. The gathering will be held at the State Capitol Mall.

This is an opportunity for people to remember how valuable human life is and that every life is precious. “One fundamental way to promote non-violence is to promote the dignity of life. Whenever human life is treated cheaply, or we look upon one person as less deserving of life than another, we foster a value system that can justify violence, whether it is committed as a crime, or in the name of the state,” stated Most Reverend Thomas J. O’Brien, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix.

"It is important for us to remember that retribution does not resolve our problems, instead we need to reconsider how we stand up for life, support and stand with the victims, and work for a society that does not resort to the violence to solve its problems of violence.”The gathering is one of many projects sponsored by tjhe Office of Life Issues and Office of Peace and Justice in support of non-violence and death penalty reformation.

Bishop O'Brien to Preside Over Five Catholic School Graduations in May

(May 4 Catholic Diocese of Phoenix) - The Most Reverend Thomas J. O’Brien, Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix, will preside over five Catholic High School graduations during the month of May.828 high school students will graduate from the high schools. The dates and times of the graduations are as follows:

Bourgade Catholic High School
4602 North 31st Avenue, Phoenix
Graduation Day is May 17 at 7:30 p.m.
55 Graduates
Brophy College Preparatory
4701 North Central Avenue, Phoenix
(Jesuit-Owned School)
Graduation Day is May 26 at 9:00 a.m.
263 Graduates
St. Mary’s Catholic High School
2525 North Third Street, Phoenix
Graduation Day is May 18 at 7:30 p.m.
159 Graduates
Seton Catholic High School
1150 North Dobson Road, Chandler
Graduation Day is May 24 at 7:30 p.m.
105 Graduates
Xavier College Preparatory
4710 North 5th Street, Phoenix
Graduation Day is May 19 at 9:00 a.m.
242 Graduates

Locally the Diocese includes 15 preschools, 25 elementary schools, and 5 high schools with a total enrollment of 13,613 students. Four of the high schools are under the Diocese of Phoenix and the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) administers one.

Local Catholic high school students graduate 99 percent, and 96 percent go on to college. Most of the Catholic schools within the Diocese are operating with waiting lists of those interested in having their children receive a Catholic education. A new elementary school, St. John Bosco, is scheduled to open at 48th Street and Chandler Blvd. in the fall of 2001; a new high school, Notre Dame Preparatory, is scheduled to open at 98th Street and Bell Road for grades 9 and 10 in the fall of 2002.

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