Ford faithful won’t go down without a fight

Bishop Ford pride is still alive.

Despite the recent news of Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School’s impending closing in June still fresh in the minds of students, faculty and alumni, a large and hopeful group gathered outside the school and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn on April 28 for a rally to keep Ford open.

“What we did today was unbelievable,” said local musician and alum Frankie Marra, who graduated in 1973. “This was my first rally as an alumnus. If this is the future of what Ford is, or can become, I’m very proud and this is worth the fight. And we’re going to fight on.”

The group of hundreds lined up behind barricades and nearly took up an entire block. Creative signs dominated the scene, with many attendees donning red and black, the school’s signature colors. “Save Bishop Ford. Get rid of the Board,” “Thank the Lord for Bishop Ford” and ‘Falcon Spirit” were just a small sample of the pleas written by the Ford faithful.

Many parents showed up and weren’t shy of letting their feelings be known. “They have to start putting the kids first. It’s not fair to them. They suffer the most, always,” said Veronica Sahlani, who has a daughter attending the school. “They have to leave and start again somewhere else. People who have worked here for years are just being tossed aside. It affects everyone. The building itself affects our community too. So many events are held here.”

Lauri Smith, another parent, echoed the sentiment. “So many kids love this school. My daughter is a junior. She had one more year. She’s upset that all her friends were here. Everybody here they know us. That’s why we’re here to support our school, to keep us open,” said Smith.

Alumni, old and new, were equally passionate. “It’s a staple of the neighborhood. Everyone knows Bishop Ford. It’s been around for 52 years. And no one wants to see it go. All my friends and family went there,” said Christina Diaczuk, who graduated in 2012. Diaczuk also shared how helpful the Ford faculty has been. “There is a security guard there that helped me with a lot of stuff because I became an EMT. She used to be an EMT and she pushed me to become what I wanted to and I needed somebody to help me.”

Carlos Torres, who graduated in 1974, discussed the tight-knit family feeling he experienced during his tenure. “We almost lived in this school. We were here six, seven days a week,” he said. “It’s not just the academic part. It’s the memories, and the teachers. They’re part of your life. I had some come to my wedding. It’s a shame that students won’t be able to experience this.”

Bishop Ford students weren’t the only ones making their feelings known during the at-times raucous gathering. A bus full of Nazareth Regional High School students arrived at the beginning of the rally. The students wore yellow shirts that read “Nazareth RHS supports Bishop Ford” on the back and “Help save our Catholic Schools” on the front.

“Nazareth showed some brotherhood and sisterhood by coming out today,” said Marra. “And that’s what Catholic education teaches us, to support one another.”

The excitable crowd encouraged passing drivers to honk their horns in a sign of solidarity, with many of them obliging. It all made for a noisy day for employees of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, whose office is directly across the street.

“We quieted a diocese that got no work done on their first day back,” said Marra, who donned Ford baseball attire. “You screamed, you became vocal, you let them know how you felt.” He also briefly touched on a plan to help save the school once they meet with the board. “It includes fundraising and getting money to pay off some of the debt.”

Towards the end of the rally, Marra gathered the remaining supporters to assure them that the day was only the beginning. “This is not a one-time rally,” said Marra. “If we don’t get the board to see us, we will do this again. You guys made me even prouder to be a Falcon. Once a Falcon, always a Falcon.”

Contacted for comment, the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens provided a written statement from Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. “The Diocese of Brooklyn is committed to assisting the board of directors in placing students in the schools of their choice,” he said. ““Despite the best efforts and diligent work of the board of directors and faculty of Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School, the school was faced with what became insurmountable challenges.”

The principal of Bishop Ford had not responded to a request for comment by press time.