Auxiliary Bishop James Massa, vicar of education for the Brooklyn Diocese, blessed the new STEM Lab, playground and renovated auditorium at St. Brigid-St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
The diocese added new science infrastructure and other upgrades after it announced last year that St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Academy and St. Brigid Catholic Academy, two Catholic schools in Bushwick, would be merging as a result of declining enrollment at both sites.
This fall, the student population from St. Frances Cabrini moved to the St. Brigid building, bringing the K through eighth grade enrollment to 230 students, up from 150 students at St. Brigid alone last year.
The new STEM room’s lab equipment have been a hit with the students.
“The STEM lab is actually cool,” said 6th grade Ridgewood resident Javier Hernandez, who described an experiment his class performed in the room that allowed them to learn about the root systems of plants.
“I like to think Catholic education is where faith and science come together,” said Massa before blessing the new room with holy water. “In science and laboratories, we get to explore and investigate the wonders of God’s creation.”
The diocese also was able to repaint the auditorium and install new windows, in addition to purchasing a new brightly colored playground set outside. Funding for the new infrastructure came from the Seton Foundation.
