When St. Michael School closes its Frostburg doors at the end of the school year, it will leave behind more than a century of memories and imprints on the Western Maryland community.
Bishop Walsh School principal Sam Torres and his staff are keenly aware of that. Since parents at St. Michael were told of the closing Nov. 18, they have been encouraged to send their children 20 minutes away to Bishop Walsh in Cumberland.
Every year, St. Michael and Bishop Walsh have gathered at Bishop Walsh during Catholic Schools Week for a Mass. This year, Bishop Walsh will pay tribute to current St. Michael students with images and song.
“We wanted to honor the proud history of the school,” Mr. Torres said of St. Michael, which opened in 1891.
“We’re going to have images in the background as we celebrate St. Michael’s with Bishop Walsh,” St. Michael principal Kathryn Black said.
The Jan. 27 Mass will be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski. Images from St. Michael have been gathered in recent weeks for the tribute, Mr. Torres and Ms. Black said.
Ms. Black said as the transition to Bishop Walsh nears, “we are trying to do that in a celebratory way.”
Mr. Torres said he has met with St. Michael families since the closing was announced to tell them about his school. Bishop Walsh, he said, must hold up a standard, as it will be the lone Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Baltimore west of Hagerstown.
Mr. Torres said, “I tell my staff, your work has never been more important than right now.