Archdiocese buys land, new Catholic high school a possibility for site

By John Shaughnessy

When the archdiocese recently purchased 87 acres of land in Johnson County, it did so with the possibility that the land may be used in the future for a new Catholic high school, according to Bishop Christopher J. Coyne, apostolic administrator.

“It’s one of the possibilities,” Bishop Coyne said. “It’s probably the strongest possibility. The reason we’re looking at the possibility of adding a high school down there is that there really isn’t a private high school from the southwest end of Indianapolis down to the state border, to Bloomington and elsewhere.

“It’s a real growth area in terms of population, especially Catholic population. We want to give people options to send their children to Catholic high schools. I see it as a great sign of hope that we’re even talking about the possibility of building a Catholic high school or even doing something more in that area as part of our Catholic institutions.”

The land is located near SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi Parish in Greenwood.

While a new Catholic high school is a possibility for the site, there are no immediate plans to build a school or even a commitment that a new high school would be built there.

“We bought the land, but we may decide later that we need to sell it and buy land farther southwest,” Bishop Coyne said.

The land was purchased on March 15 for $826,500.

“For the time being, the land will be held as an investment to protect against increases in property values in the general area,” said Jeffrey Stumpf, chief financial officer for the archdiocese. “Any study of the needs in the area would also include an evaluation of the best place to locate services. If a location different from this location is preferred, the property could be exchanged or sold and the proceeds used to acquire a more suitable property.”

Bishop Coyne noted that any future discussion of plans for the land’s use would include input from people in the area and representatives of the existing Catholic high schools.

“We wouldn’t do anything without consultation, not only with the people of that area, but also with the existing Catholic high schools, especially Roncalli High School, which is on the south side of the city,” Bishop Coyne said. “We wouldn’t want to do anything that would negatively affect its mission, which it does so well.”

The land purchase reflects how the demographics in the archdiocese continue to change, he said.

“In some places in the archdiocese, we’re closing parishes because the numbers aren’t there anymore,” Bishop Coyne said. “In other places in the archdiocese, we’re expanding our parishes and expanding our footprint because that’s where the Catholics are.” †