OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Bishop John M. Smith of the Diocese of Trenton celebrated the official opening Mass for the new community of Pope John XXIII Regional School on Sept. 13.

One of two regional Catholic schools to open in Monmouth County this year, Pope John XXIII is a reconstitution of St. Mary School, which was closed last year due to rising costs and insufficient enrollment.

The pre-K through 8 school had been formerly supported only by St. Mary Parish, Deal. Under its new regional format, the school is now connected with four area parishes: St. Mary; St. Michael, West End; St. Anselm, Wayside; and St. Dorothea, Eatontown.

Among the primary objectives for the school's first year is to build awareness in the general community about its program and facilities, and to foster a sense of connectedness among the four supporting parishes.

The regionalization of struggling schools into stronger and more vital entities was the result of an extensive strategic planning process, which provided for study, analysis and input from each local community. Restructuring took place among the schools in Monmouth and Burlington counties, resulting in the closing of eight schools in June and the opening of three new regional schools for the current school year.