St. Maria Goretti (Maryland) announces it will close at the end of the school year
HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND – St. Maria Goretti High School, whose basketball team has been a member of the Baltimore Catholic League (BCL) for the past 40 years, announced last week that it will be closing its doors for good at the end of the current school year.
Goretti, part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, has been exploring the possibility of operating as an independent Catholic high school since September when the archdiocese announced it could no longer "bridge the gap" between the school's annual operating expenses and its revenue. Last week, however, the school announced that an Independent Exploratory Committee (IEC), which had been seeking ways to transition the school to an independent status, determined that such a transition was not possible.
"Regrettably, after extensive research and thoughtful deliberations, the IEC has concluded that SMGRCHS will not be able to operate as an independent Catholic high school in the fall of 2024," wrote school Principal Dr. Amy Summers in a letter to the school community. "Consequently, the IEC will be disbanded, and no further meetings or discussions will be held."
The Archdiocese of Baltimore filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, in response to a new Maryland law that allows survivors of child sex abuse to sue their perpetrators or responsible parties, no matter how long ago the abuse took place, removing any protections provided by the statute of limitations. It's decision with regard to Goretti is certainly a ripple effect from those procedings.
The BCL recently embarked on its 53rd season and Goretti began its 40th, and last, year as member of the conference, last week with an 81-73 overtime victory over Calvert Hall. It was a historic contest in that it was the 2,400th game in BCL history.
Jarvis Wright scored 28 points, including seven in overtime, and Caleb Embeya added 23 to lead the Gaels. The Cardinals were led by a spectacular 47-point performance by Brendan Johnson, with his final 26 points coming in the second half.
"We are saddened to hear of the planned closure of St. Maria Goretti High School at the end of the 2023-24 school year. Our prayers go out to the current students, staff, administration and alumni during this difficult time for the Goretti community," said BCL Commissioner Jack Degele. "Goretti is in its 40th season as a valued member of the Baltimore Catholic League, and the Gaels have provided many great teams and moments over the decades with five regular season championships and four BCL Tournament titles to their credit. Our league will continue to honor the Goretti boys' basketball legacy as part of the BCL Hall of Fame, and we will recognize the Gaels' BCL history at our 2024 tournament."
This is not the first time the BCL has faced the loss of teams due to school closures. After the 2009-2010 season, two historic programs Towson Catholic and Cardinal Gibbons were both lost as each school closed its doors as due to financial difficulties. Prior to the following season, however, John Carroll and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, both emerging basketball powers at the time, joined the BCL's ranks to return the number of teams in the circuit to eight.
In addition to Goretti, John Carroll and Mount Carmel, the league has also included charter members Calvert Hall, Loyola Blakefield, Mount St. Joseph, along with Archbishop Spalding and St. Frances, since 2010. Calvert Hall.
