I am sad. I am angry. I am disappointed.
I am anxious. I am doubtful. I have no hope.
Which is why you are receiving this letter. With less than five weeks less in the school year, I have to write this letter to you. I didn't want this to be the letter I had to write.
I really, really wanted to write a very dfferent one. Maybe, I will write that letter instead, but remember, this is not real, but
this is what I had hoped I could have written to you.
Dear Bishop Barnes,
If you will recall, I wrote you when our daughter began attending in the 5th grade at St. Theresa's School in Palm Springs. I wrote to you again before starting this school year and I am grateful for your sending to St. Theresa's the message of reconcilliation. Our daughter will be graduating this May. I am excited to be able to attend.
I didn't think that I would be able to attend and my daughter said it would be ok, she understood if I could not attend. That is how strong my daughter is. She understands the critical condition of the world and her mother's abilities to handle many things, but she also understands how hurtful it is to me to know the truth I see and play a role too superficial for my spirit to not take deliberate corrective actions and still call myself in good conscience, "Siobahn's mom."
But this is how it all got fixed, Mr. D'Arco returned. After I read the letter I wrote and shared last month with Mr. Keno, a copy of which is enclosed, and then he listened to my recording of my draft letter to the attorney for the Diocese, and then I shared with him the draft of this letter to you, he called a meeting of the 8th grade parents.
At that meeting, Mr. Keno had to admit he dropped the ball big time. In perhaps the biggest way any Christian school could have dropped the most important ball of all: the one Jesus gave us to carry. Even more profound was the Father's admission of complete incompetence on the things relating to the school that are important to be aware of in the position he MUST hold if he is going to be the Father of St. Theresa's Parish and School. Then we began to do the most miraculous thing, we began to listen to one another the way any reconcilliation must have to even begin. A few of us worked hard and designed a school-wide program for the Student Council to use to address the bullying and issues of injustice this school year presented to us in the Class of 2014. The Father has requested that Student Council for the School be available to help teach reconcillation in the Parish at large.
Next, after that initial parent meeting we decided to invite you to a Reconcilliation Listening Evening with the Bishop hosted by St. Theresa's School's Student Council. Then you took it upon yourself to bring your ears to every school in the Diocese in a similar manner so that you could become even more aware of all that you need to be concerned about in your position as the Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino for the protection, benefit and empowerment of all of the students that God in His infinite wisdom has, by random or by design, brought to the Catholic Schools of San Bernardino, and under your care.
Thank you for your time and your service.
Elaine Clermont
