Hudson Catholic's facility is no longer a part of the community of Hudson Catholic. We can thank the Archdiocese of Newark and the Board of St. Anthony's for that.

A little education about the players:

Bob Hurley is the head basketball coach at nationally ranked championship high school team, St. Anthony's Catholic school downtown Jersey City whose reputation is more for basketball than an academic institution - contrary to what it's website might portray. In line with his great basketball team, he has also gathered financial backing from the New Jersey Nets - enough backing to buy the lease for Hudson Catholic so the Archdiocese can focus on the covering up of child molestation allegations rather than the education of it's children.

Fr. Kevin Hanbury was the Director of the Catholic Schools Leadership Program at Seton Hall University. It was the program where I attained my Masters. Ironically, he oversaw the closing of dozens of Catholic schools in our area. He is ALSO a good friend of Bob Hurley.

John O'Neill is former de La Salle Christan Brother and principal of Hudson Catholic who now sits in the Archdiocesan office in Newark. Oh - he also sits on the board of directors at St. Anthony's.

It does not take a genius to see where this was all headed when poor Bob Hurley looked at his winning team and his horrible facility. Just knock on the Archdiocesan door and call in a favor.

We must move forward, but expose the players.

I dedicated 9 years of my life as student and teacher at Hudson Catholic. It is a very special place, especially to the boys it educates. The teachers there are dedicated to the children entrusted to their care - that is why they have all remained with Hudson and it's mission. After reading all the comments against the closing of Hudson, I am disheartened by the dialogue and wonder why many of you do not see that the Archdiocese, who is supposedly in favor of the education of it's Catholic children have, once again, closed yet another Catholic school?

I was a big proponent of Dr. Ward. Intelligent man; worked for the Archdiocese of New York; taught me school law at Seton Hall. I even argued for him when he was up for the Presidency. How wrong I was. Dr. Ward: Why did you not let the alumni know? You knew about this for two years and said nothing. No capital plan. No solicitation to the association. You let me down.

There is also the element of union-busting that cannot escape us. I am a teacher and realize the power of the union. So does the Archdiocese. To eliminate Hudson Catholic would mean eliminating collective bargaining. St. Anthony's does not have a union: tuition is low, teacher salaries even lower.

Hudson was a place I called home for nine years and visited often. Sure the demographic evolved, administration changed, teachers moved on, but I was always welcomed to comeback to the Hawks' Nest. Now I can't say that for myself or the 4000+ alumni who have walked the hallowed halls of the glorious and bold. Where is the Catholicity in this?"

Written by a former teacher at Hudson Catholic,
Mr. Miguel

Rally on this friday in Journal Square at 3:30PM, for those supporters of private school eduction in Jersey City. Hudson Catholic is not the only school this is happening to also Caritas and Holy Family are due to close at the end of this year.

Hudson Catholic Regional High School in Jersey City will close at the end of this school year, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark confirmed last night.

The all-boys school on Bergen Avenue had just 65 incoming freshmen and was operating at a deficit of $650,000, said the spokesman, Jim Goodness.

"The unfortunate reality is that enrollment has continued to drop even beyond what we anticipated," said Goodness. "It's an extremely sad situation. This is not something we wanted to happen."

Goodness said the school, which will officially shut its doors on June 30, currently has "a little over 400" students but would have had a student body of 312 in September. It will graduate 130 this year, he said. It was founded in 1964.

Goodness said faculty members will be given severance packages and allowed to apply to other Archdiocese schools as "priority" applicants. Other area Catholic schools will be asked to absorb some of Hudson Catholic's former students, he said.

The school's president, Paul Ward, said yesterday that he had met with faculty members and students were sent home with letters announcing a special assembly to be held Monday. He also said letters were mailed last night informing parents of the closure.

"I'd rather not go into more details," Ward said.

News of the closing comes on the heels of other Catholic school mergers and closings in Hudson County in recent years.

"It's a dark day for Catholic education in the city," said Bob Hurley, the Jersey City recreation director and the basketball coach at St. Anthony High School. "My feelings about this are terrible. It's another tragic sign of the decline of Catholic education."

The four current Catholic elementary schools in Bayonne will merge into one next year.

Journal staff write Ned Winner contributed to this report.

Im a student and resident at St Peter's College from south jersey. I think this area is really safe, not much goes on sometimes when i just hang out with my friends we walk back from the squareat 3 in the morning and so far this year havent had one incident. Just be smart like in any other area.

companies like Dahon have been producing folding bikes for years now and their possibly some of the best bikes around for getting around the city.