May 04 2007 09:22 AM
Joe's sister the Nun got fired from her job as school principal...
| ] Pray it ain't so! Torre sis goes mum as she loses principal job at Queens school Sister Marguerite Torre, above, shows off The Daily News drawing of her brother, the Yankees manager, at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary School in Ozone Park, Queens, pictured below. Say it ain't so, Joe - a Torre is about to get a pink slip, but it's not who you think. Sister Marguerite Torre will soon be out of work after 26 years as the beloved principal of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary School in Ozone Park, Queens. Her elementary school is being merged with another school - and the sister of Yankees skipper Joe Torre was passed over for the top job overseeing the new school, according to the Diocese of Brooklyn. Marguerite Torre did not return phone calls seeking comment, and a school secretary said the 77-year-old nun was "not interested" in speaking to a reporter. But those who cherish her were more than happy to talk. "I'm really sorry because she's a great teacher," said Karen Davila, 30, the mother of two children at Nativity. "You can trust in her. She's kind. She's sweet. The children are very comfortable with her." Parents who attended a meeting in March were told by Catholic school officials that the consolidated school might have a different staff. But they were stunned to receive letters this week saying that Marguerite Torre was on the chopping block. "We feel that what the diocese has done is underhanded, sneaky," said the mother of a Nativity student. "It's horrible." Parents credited Marguerite Torre with bringing a family-like atmosphere - not to mention a healthy dose of pinstriped pride - to Nativity. The Yankees-friendly principal earned headlines by giving students the day off so they could watch the Bombers' ticker-tape parades down the Canyon of Heroes. Diocese officials made the decision to sideline Marguerite Torre after the Nativity school was consolidated with St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr School. The new combined school will be called Divine Mercy Catholic Academy and will be led by Sister Francis Marie, the principal of St. Stanislaus for 21 years, said Frank DeRosa, a spokesman for the Diocese of Brooklyn. The pastors of both parishes made the decision after five candidates, including Marguerite Torre and Francis Marie, interviewed for the job, sources said. But since Marguerite Torre, whose other brother, Frank Torre, underwent lifesaving kidney transplant surgery this week, is a nun, DeRosa - who admitted to being a Mets fan - said the church will find some other responsibilities for Marguerite Torre. "That's a vow you take for life," DeRosa said. |
