There’s a frame behind Sister Lillian Sharrock’s desk that reads: “God doesn’t give us what we can handle. God helps us handle what we are given.”

Sharrock isn’t worried about God’s help, but she’s worried if the Archdiocese of Newark will support urban Catholic schools.

“We have different needs,” said Sharrock, who is in her 41 st year at St. Augustine’s School in Union City. First she taught; then she was vice principal for 30 years. Now, she’s is in her ninth year as principal. She has led a successful school that has mostly Hispanic students, reflecting the area demographics.

The school -- with 160 students, down 21 from last year -- has STEM programs, various afterschool activities and a school that adapts Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences.

Decline has been the trend for the last several decades for all Catholic schools and more since Lighting the Way -- the archdiocesan takeover of all elementary schools -- was implemented four years ago. A recent evaluation, the Catapult Report, chronicled the failures of this program, but no replacement has been announced. It worries Sharrock that the report did not specifically address the needs of urban schools.

“Many parents live from paycheck to paycheck,” Sharrock said.

And even though St. Augustine’s tuition is modest at $4,650 annually, it’s a struggle for most families to pay it. The school awards many scholarships from individual donors, the Sisters of Charity -- to which the three sisters at the school belong -- fund-raising, and the Scholarship Fund for Inner City Students.

Lighting the Way has also added many high-paying staff members at the archdiocese’s Superintendent of Schools office who issue many reports about all sorts of goals.

"But they but don’t help the schools do it,'' Sharrock said.

A spokeswoman for the archdiocese said more time is needed.

“The Catapult Report is fairly new and the archdiocese requires more time to fully review, analyze and act in response to the opportunities outlined in the report,'' acting Director of Communications and Public Relations Maria Margiotta said in a statement. "We are committed to the growth of all Catholic schools in the archdiocese and we look forward to working together with our pastors and school administrators to continuously improve Catholic school education for our children.”

Sharrock also faces problems meeting the needs of immigrant families, who can be transient, work several jobs and cannot always cover all expenses. But she feels strongly that “immigrants believe in us (the church).”

Ninety-eight percent of the students are Catholic; the rest, Christian. St. Augustine prepares the children for sacraments, celebrates special Masses and imparts religious values.

“We pray every morning with the children and teachers,” said Sharrock, a graduate of St. Bridget’s and St. Mary’s High School, both now closed, in Jersey City who grew up on Wayne Street.

My cousin, Marlene Cunningham, was a classmate of Sharrock at both schools, when their classes were filled to the brim and there were multiples of each grade. Most of the teachers were Sisters of Charity, known to be excellent and tough educators. Sharrock became a sister because she found these nuns “were interested in and dedicated to the students.”

The same can be said for her today. In her day, there were 25 Catholic grammar schools in Jersey City; today, there are five and, with one exception, all struggle. In all of Hudson County, there were 48; now there are 11. Twelve high schools are reduced to four.

Part of the problem is that a 19th century model of Catholic education still permeates today. And while the smallest number of students ever is enrolled in Catholic schools, the cost for educating them has increased astronomically. The Jesuits, for example, have experimented with a middle school concept and the Cristo Rey model -- through which students earn tuition by working part of the school week in a business -- like the one in Newark. But these are far and few between.

The 19th annual Catholic Schools Week begins a week from today with the theme “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.” And they do all that well; Sharrock even superbly. Someone in the chancery described Sharrock as “passionate” about Catholic education. She knows God has her back. She wonders if the archdiocese will.

The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, FAX: 201-659-5833; Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken.

Details ...

St. Augustine School for pre-K-3 through eighth grade is located at 3920 New York Ave., Union City, NJ 07087. For information, call 201-865-5319 or email info@staugustinesunioncity.com. The sixth annual Sister Roberta O’Hea Scholarship Dinner, honoring Joseph Cardinal Tobin, is set for 6:30 p.m. May 1 at the Fiesta in Wood-Ridge.