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Archbishop Dolan Delivers Mass for Notre Dame School Centennial

By Andrea Swalec | September 21, 2011 3:40pm
Near the end of the mass, Dolan praised the students for their poise and decreed Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011  a
Near the end of the mass, Dolan praised the students for their poise and decreed Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011 a "dress-down day" when students would not have to wear their uniforms.
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DNAinfo/Andrea Swalec

WEST VILLAGE — Notre Dame School, whose cornerstone was laid 100 years ago this year, celebrated its anniversary Wednesday morning with a Mass led by New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

The private Catholic prep school for girls, which has a class of 300 this year, was founded in 1912 by the Sisters of St. Ursula. In a homily delivered in the 327 W. 13th St. school's recently renovated gym, Dolan thanked the sisters for helping keep the school open.

"Every year we wonder if we're going to make it, and things are looking good here at Notre Dame," he said.

The Archdiocese of New York runs 57 schools in Manhattan, and is currently restructuring its districts so that multiple parishes support each school, rather than having each school be linked to a single parish. This is being done so the Archdiocese can close some schools to save money.

During the Mass, Dolan dedicated the school's gym as the Dolan Arts and Athletic Center, after Sister Mary Dolan, a former Notre Dame principal, vice principal and teacher who is now a member of the school's board of directors.

"It's such an honor," said Mary Dolan, who is of no relation to the archbishop. "This is a place where the students of Notre Dame will be able to thrive."

Near the end of the Mass, Dolan praised the students for their poise and decreed Thursday a "dress-down day" when students will not have to wear their pale blue skirts, white shirts and navy blue sweaters.

Dolan gestured to his vestments and said he has casual days, too.

"Lord knows I don't wear this outfit every day myself," he said.