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Facing “insurmountable financial difficulties,” St. Mary of the Assumption School in the Govans neighborhood of Baltimore City will not re-open in the fall after 135 years of operation.

Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden will meet with parish leaders and youths May 27 in hopes of charting a peaceful course for Baltimore City.

For the third time this school year we have had the frustrating and sad task of announcing that the doors of a Catholic school will not reopen next fall. St. Mary of the Assumption School in Govans is the latest such casualty and joins Catholic Community School (Federal Hill) and St. Michael School (Frostburg) in succumbing to the economic and demographic forces that threaten the livelihood of our entire Catholic educational system. The closings of these venerable Catholic educational institutions – each a stabilizing presence in its respective community – should serve as an “S.O.S.,” a wake-up call to anyone and everyone who recognizes the importance of Catholic schools – most especially our legislators and our own Catholic people. The message: Save Our Schools.

In his book, “Jesus before Christianity,” Father Albert Nolan, currently provincial for the South African Province of the Dominicans, says that “there is no mistaking the two quite different ways in which power and authority are understood and exercised. It is the difference between domination and service.”

I felt compelled to respond to a letter-writer’s claim (CR, May 14) that “it seems like for Catholics, the only lives that matter are the ones of the unborn babies.” The writer cited President Bush’s support for capital punishment and for “starting the war in Iraq.”

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican newspaper said U.S. President Barack Obama sought common ground on the divisive issue of abortion in his commencement address at the University of Notre Dame.

About 50 young adult ministers from across the archdiocese came together May 17 for a meal, prayer and conversation – in two languages. The bilingual Young Adult Contact Meeting was a first for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which last year hosted English and Spanish versions of the same meeting.