Archdiocese of Philadelphia to move forward with fall sports

PHILADELPHIA » The Office of Catholic Education and Faith in the Future Foundation are pleased to announce that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s 17 high schools, which includes Lansdale Catholic, may resume interscholastic athletic competition while continuing to strictly follow health and safety guidelines.

On August 24th, it was announced that Archdiocesan high schools throughout the five-county region would opt out of inter-scholastic athletic competition for the fall season. That decision was made after review of local and State guidelines; recommendations from county health departments in effect at that time; and pandemic related statistics in the region. It was also reflective of the primary focus to open the school year in a safe and timely fashion for all students by utilizing a hybrid instructional model to support academic excellence.

“Since the late August announcement, our school administrators have worked closely with senior leadership from the Office of Catholic Education and Faith in the Future to meticulously study pandemic metrics, guidelines, and school COVID profiles as part of our continuous assessment process.

After carefully reviewing all possible factors, including the successful opening of our schools, we believe the environment has changed for the better over the past month,” says Sister Maureen L. McDermott,

I.H.M., Ph.D., Superintendent of Secondary Schools.

She continued, “We understand and value the importance of athletics as part of the program of formation within our high schools. We express our gratitude to our school communities for their trust and support while we appropriately deliberated how to bring back athletic programs with a commitment to safety in these unprecedented times.”

Note: Fifteen of the Archdiocesan high schools are members of the Philadelphia Catholic League, while Bishop Shanahan competes in the Ches-Mont League and Pope John Paul II in the Pioneer Athletic Conference.