LYNN — Despite instructions from the Archdiocese of Boston that local Catholic schools not require universal masks this year, St. Mary’s announced Monday that all students and staff would need to mask up regardless of vaccination status.
In an email to families Monday, Head of School Dr. John Dolan said that the school would be enacting a “Care for All 2.0” reopening plan, based on the “Care for All” plan that was put in place when it reopened for in-person learning in August 2020.
The school also conducts batch COVID-19 testing and has rapid tests available when needed, Dolan told The Item.
“When we had commencement in the last week of May, I thought this was all in the rear-view mirror,” Dolan said. “We want to open up St. Mary’s and have our students be together … and do it in the safest way possible.”
In the 2020-21 school year, St. Mary’s opened for in-person learning right from the start, and Dolan said they remained free of COVID cases until October. Throughout the year, they were able to remain open, and he said that this success is part of why he feels confident going into the 2021-22 year.
“Last year was by no measure easy. It was one of the hardest years in my 30 years of education that I’ve had to deal with. You just pray like mad that everyone’s protected,” he said. “To get into October with no episodes, that proved to us that we made the right decision.”
Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese Thomas Carroll said last month that masks should not be required in schools, and the Catholic Schools Office website says that vaccinated people should not be mandated to wear masks.
Dolan said that he has spoken with Carroll and other members of the diocese and explained the decision to require masks. He added that if the school’s positive cases remain low, he hopes that they will eventually be able to drop the requirement.
“We’re trying to fulfill that mandate as soon as we have the numbers on the ground to make it safe to take masks off,” Dolan said.
