By Rosalie Tirella

This is why the College of the Holy Cross has so many problems with underage drinking/partying: Father McFarland, president of Holy Cross, is an enabler extraordinaire. When it comes to his young charges on College Hill, there is no limit to the bull he will throw at HC critics, no end to the denial of a reality that Worcesterites and even most Holy Cross students have acknowledged for years: HOLY CROSS COLLEGE IS A PARTY SCHOOL.

During a TV newscast last night, which pretty much recapped the point we made about the rowdy/booze-fueled parties HC students hold on Caro Street, the TV reporter tried to get a quote from a Holy Cross official – most likely the school’s president, Father McFarland. On our tv screens we saw pictures of trash on Caro Street, a huge banner hanging from a three decker front porch on Caro Street advertising a party. You would think the school president would do the mature thing … .

But how did Father McFarland react to these TV shots – Worcesterites’ reality?

Neither McFarland nor any HC p.r. flak, for that matter, would show his/her face on TV. How sad when you compared McFarland’s silence and the TV shots featuring Worcester City Manager Mike O’Brien looking exasperated and telling the camera that for the past three weeks Holy Crss students have been out of control on Caro Street – doing things like “urinating in bushes.”

Holy Cross release a “statement,” a blurb thrown up on the TV screen with no name attached. The statement pretty much sounded like a spoiled kid. It said Holy Cross college was pissed that City (Worcester) officials would talk so critically of their students! And if they continued to do so, HC’s and Worceter’s relationship would not move “forward.” Meaning they would pull the plug on whatever good they are doing in town.

No apologies. No, reaching out to the community. No promise of educating HC students. Nothing. Just blasting the city – and then threatening the city.

Jesus would be ashamed of these Jesuits.

Holy Cross does not pay PILOT! WPI, MCPHS and now Clark University pay PILOT!

Holy Cross has the largest endowment of any Worcester College – millions, upon millions, upon millions of dollars! Yet Holy Cross does not offer full scholarships to poor South Worcester kids who ace their reportcards and are good enough (all A’s) to attend Holy Cross but cannot afford to pay the steep tuition. Clark University has a great program that does just this – gives full scholarships to high achieving Main South kids – ultimately lifting poor Main South families out of poverty and creating a lot of good will in the ‘hood (and city). Truth be told, Holy Cross is the biggest cheap skate college in town! HC has even closed all worker holiday parties (like cafeteria workers) to Worcester kids. They used to invite our inner-city young ones!

Who does Father McFarland think he is? When his puss is plastered on the cover of the Telegram and Gazette and the paper’s website, when his school is featured on the TV news and other websites (like ours) and more – with EVERYONE TELLING HIM TO GET HIS STUDENTS UNDER CONTROL AND STOP THEIR PUKING, PISSING AND PRANKS – he shuts down. Just like the wizzened, dried up, loveless, arrogant man he is. What was the name of the priest in The Scarlet Letter?

Father McFarland needs to listen to the community and react appropriately.