Save Verbum Dei Legacy

The doors of Verbum Dei High school were opened in 1962. In the heart of Watts, California, this small Catholic school became well-renown for producing great young men from various racial and socio-economic communities. Though faced with challenges, the administration and staff created a supportive and loving Christian environment that helped young men truly understand the value of education, brotherhood and a love for the Christian Faith. For nearly five decades, there have been countless success stories of young men who have beaten the odds and proven to the world that through our faith and dedication, we can accomplish our dreams and impact the world.

The current admissions policy at Verbum Dei threatens the richness and legacy of the Verbum Dei experience. Verbum Dei is a diverse experience where racial, ethnic and economic differences are relinquished for the betterment each young man as we learned that brotherhood has no boundaries. The Verbum Dei experience is vast, comprising of many neighboring community including: Watts, Los Angeles, Compton, South Gate, Huntington Park, Lynwood, Carson, Inglewood, San Pedro, Gardena, Hawthorne, Weschester, Lennox and others.

The current policy denies students admission into Verbum Dei based on income limits. The average income of many residents listed in the paragraph above exceed income limits set in the admission’s policy, thus turning away students, including sons of alumni who want their own sons to experience the same rich experience, and threatens to destroy a key ingredient that has made the Verbum Dei experience special and unique: Diversity.

To preserve the Verbum Dei that the world has grown to know, the current admissions policy should be eliminated. We propose that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles changes this policy.