ARTICLES

‘Raise the Roof’ concert to benefit Petersburg School

by Steve Neill
of The Catholic Virginian

The principal and faculty of St. Joseph’s School in Petersburg were pleasantly surprised when they received phone calls after Christmas from people who said they were happy to know the school was still open. Some mistakenly believed that it had been closed.

Callers referred to the photo of St. Joseph’s School students dressed for the Living Nativity which appeared on the front page of the Dec. 26 issue of The Catholic Virginian.

“We need to let people know that we’re open and thriving,” said Pam Hartnett, principal of St. Joseph’s, who added that enrollment has significantly increased during this school year. The school added 30 new students and its enrollment is 151 in grades pre-k through 8th.

One way of achieving this goal is through an upcoming concert billed as “Raise the Roof: An evening of musical entertainment” to be held on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church in Petersburg.

Father Michael Renninger, currently pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Richmond, will be featured in the concert, along with Tempy Barbru, who previously was principal soloist with the Southern California Youth Chorale and has acted in numerous stage productions. The Virginia State University Gospel Chorale will also perform.

Father Renninger previously had served as a seminarian at St. Joseph’s as he prepared for ordination to the priesthood. Ms. Hartnett, who recalls his time at the Petersburg parish, asked him to sing at the concert.

“He very graciously agreed to do it to help the school,” she said. Of the two main performers, Ms. Hartnett said both Father Renninger and Ms. Barbru “have strong voices and are very entertaining as they interact with the audience.”

The school has a partnership with Virginia State University whose Gospel Choir also is performing.

Although in her first year as principal at St. Joseph’s, Ms. Hartnett is a graduate of the school and spent her first 12 years of education at Petersburg Catholic Schools, including the now closed Gibbons High School.

The concert is a fundraiser with all proceeds going toward the renovation of Lavelle Hall, an old building adjacent to the school which will be used to house a new media center and updated library. Repairs will be made to the building’s roof, hence the name “Raise the Roof” theme.

With a 25 percent increase in enrollment this year, St. Joseph’s is mapping future plans to add a new grade to the school each successive year so it will eventually include grades 9 through 12.

A wine and hors d’oeuvre reception will be held in the church commons after the concert.

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