PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There will be in-person graduation ceremonies this June for seniors attending the 17 Catholic high schools run by the Philadelphia Archdiocese.
"Each of the schools prepared a graduation plan for us," explained Sister Maureen McDermott, superintendent for archdiocesan secondary schools. "We reviewed them for COVID safety, and they will all have in-person graduations.
"Our principals and presidents did a really good job with their team of planning it out and looking at what’s the best facility for graduation; what’s the best facility for the baccalaureate Mass."
She said many are planning outdoor ceremonies or have booked large indoor spaces.
"Archbishop Carroll is going to have it in their stadium," McDermott said. "All of them are having them in rather large venues to accommodate that social separation. Archbishop Ryan has moved theirs to the Liacouras Center."
She continued, "Depending on the size of the graduation and where we are at the time, they may have two ceremonies or one ceremony, but largely they will have one ceremony. They may have a reduction in the number of guests that are permitted."
Since the high schools are scattered across Philadelphia and the four suburban counties — Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery — McDermott said each also had to tailor their COVID-19 safety plans to the county in which they’re located.
"So we have Department of Health, that we abide by their guidance in each of those counties," she said. "So, looking at the county, looking at the health guidance and then adjusting to that."
McDermott said there also will be senior proms this year for each of the high schools.
“So they had to look at indoor and outdoor,” she explained. “They had to look at number of people at a table because when you’re eating you’re also removing your mask.
“So they had to plan up from scratch again. And the outdoor components with tenting — very, very nice. Each of the schools have planned theirs very specific to where they are.”
McDermott said while COVID-19 continues to present challenges, a lot of creativity went into designing events in safe spaces while following all federal, state and county health guidelines.