I write in response to the article, “St. Bernard School to be sold to fund Norwich Diocese bankruptcy,” (Jan. 18).

I was disheartened, although not surprised, to learn that Bishop Cote had shown blatant disregard for the youth of his diocese.

As a proud graduate of the class of 2013, I was lucky to have received a foundational education which extended far beyond the confines of pedagogical academia.

It takes little more than a short conversation with any student who received their lessons in life from the likes of Arthur Lamoureux, John Ayres, Roger Williams, etc. to understand why SBS is a generational tradition for families in southeastern Connecticut.

These were the examples I had as a student that make me a proud Catholic to this day. Sacrificing the security of the school for future generations of students to pay for the sins inflicted on students of your diocese by sexual predators highlights the cyclical nature of the problem. The students of the Norwich diocese will not forget your negligent leadership or blatant disregard for their place in the Church. I know they will not because I have not.

It would serve your bottom line well to remember this when you are making your annual appeal and wondering where your constituents have gone.

Julia Whewell

Waterford