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“This Thing is Larger than St. Aug”
Father John Raphael speaks out in an exclusive interview with The New Orleans Tribune
In an exclusive interview with The New Orleans Tribune, Father John Raphael, president of St. Augustine High School, shares his insight on the situation at the historic Seventh Ward school. The issues of self-governance and corporal punishment, the use of which has ended at the campus, became part of a public discourse earlier this year, with the New Orleans Archdiocese and the Josephite Order pitted against St. Augustine supporters, parents, alumni and leaders, who argue that the school should be allowed to operate without undue interference.
Father Raphael says the issues are much deeper and broader than paddling. In fact, the school leader says the issue is bigger than St. Augustine and provides an opening for the larger African-American community to come together and use this as “an opportunity for all us to have a greater sense of what we need to do as a community.”
During the interview, Father Raphael offers the history and background of the issue that unfolded at St. Augustine High School earlier this year, explaining that communication between the church hierarchy and the school regarding its use of corporal punishment began more than two years ago with a letter from the Archdiocese regarding the school policy. He thought it culminated when the Josephites, the local Archdiocese and the school came together in 2009 to “evaluate discipline as a whole at the school.” Ultimately, a consensus document was produced that declared that, with changes in the policy, the school would continue to use corporal punishment—a tradition started by the Josephites priests that founded St. Augustine and embraced by the African-American parents that sent their young sons to the school for education, discipline and direction.
That agreement was “reneged” upon with a Josephite decision, which he learned was supported by the Archdiocese, to ban corporal punishment in April 2010, Father Raphael says. And it was that move that catapulted St. Augustine High School to the forefront of a battle over self-governance and tradition when he and the school’s board of directors told Josephite and Archdiocese officials that if they were going to change the policy and “not abide by the good faith agreement that we had” then it is necessary for them to face the St. Augustine community and explain their decision.
Much has happened since then. A town hall meeting. Public demonstrations. Lawsuits. Alumni and school officials are suing the author of a report that alleged students were injured after being paddled. The Josephites are suing the school’s board of directors. And of course, there was the sudden attempt to fire father Raphael and transfer him to Baltimore. Today, Father John Raphael remains president of St. Augustine High School, having made use of the official process to appeal his termination from the venerable 60-year-old institution. In an hour-long interview, New Orleans Tribune Publisher Dr. Dwight McKenna sits down with Father Raphael. Both men are also alumni of the school. Below are excerpts from their conversation.
