The entrance of St. John Neumann Roman Catholic Church, 9633 E. state Route 37, Sunbury.
Gary Budzak | The Gazette
SUNBURY — Catholic schools built in Berkshire Township could be serving children in eastern Delaware County in the coming years.
Saint John Neumann Church asked residents to take a survey from Jan. 6-16 to determine interest.
“What do you think about the possibility of a new Catholic elementary school and/or high school in the Sunbury area?” said a Facebook post. “Please complete our survey and share your feedback! The confidential survey is available on our website … Please share this post — everyone in the area with children ages 0-12 is invited to comment!”
“This survey took less than 10 minutes and I highly recommend completed it especially if u have a strong opinion either way,” said Timothy P. Gose, Sunbury City Council president, in a comment. “IMO (in my opinion) simply having a private school alternative that is located east of I-71 here in Sunbury would be of great benefit to this entire community and its neighbors and my guess is that the demand for this educational alternative is quite high now & will be in the near and distant future. Traffic, infrastructure, utilities and being able to provide adequate police, fire and safety services will need to be studied in great detail. As Prez of Sunbury City Council, I am very excited for our community about this potential development.”
“The Diocese of Columbus is studying the feasibility of opening a new Catholic elementary school (preschool through grade 8) and/or a new Catholic high school (grades 9 to 12) in the area of Sunbury, OH,” said the survey page. “The schools would provide a premier Catholic education that empowers every student to develop into the individual that God created him/her to be and would embrace and exemplify the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church.”
The survey asked participants if they were a registered member of the St. John Neumann parish, if they were the parent/guardian of a child in eighth grade or younger, and their opinions on Catholic schools and a Catholic education. It was asked if the participant would be willing to make a donation and volunteer their time towards building the new schools.
The church’s mission statement is, “St. John Neumann exists to lead people to a transformative encounter with Jesus Christ.”
St. John Neumann is at 9633 E. state Route 37, Sunbury. For more information, visit www.saintjohnsunbury.org.
Just down the road from the church, Berkshire Township is seeking to hire a meeting secretary.
“The Meeting Secretary attends all meetings of the Board of Trustees, Zoning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals to take roll call, document discussions, votes, and motions; facilitates and communicates with the Board Chairman, Fiscal Officer/Clerk or committee chairperson to confirm and clarify the actions and decisions of the related board,” said the berkshiretwp.org website.
