Staff reporter
MAGNOLIA – During a Mass Monday to mark the dedication of the gymnasium at St. Thomas More Preparatory, Father James Lentini took a minute to tell the students, teachers and others in attendance a short story.
In New York City, where he grew up, officials officially changed the name of Sixth Avenue to Avenue of the Americas in the 1940s, but New Yorkers never called it that. To them, it was always Sixth Avenue and remains so to this day.
The same situation existed at St. Thomas More, he said. It opened as St. Thomas More Academy, but was changed a few years ago. No longer, he said.
“That is the name of our school once again. It is St. Thomas More Academy,” he said to thunderous applause from the students.
After Mass, Father Lentini explained that he wanted to bring the school back to its roots and eliminate confusion caused by some people calling it “Prep” and others using “Academy.”
“The other name (Prep), they (students) never called it that way,” he said.
By Tuesday morning, the school website, www.saintmore.org, had been changed.
Some things will take a bit more time. Monday after school, members of the field hockey team milled about the lobby in practice uniforms that said “Ravens” across the front, but with “Prep” in block letters above the number on the back.
