Kids from all over southern Queens have been playing ball at St. Thomas for years before the controversial move to disband the program came earlier this year. Photo courtesy Jimmy Cooke.
The Woodhaven pastor who chose to nix the coveted Catholic Youth Organization basketball program at Saint Thomas the Apostle said financial concerns and accountability issues were ultimately what spurred him to make the controversial call.
Saint Thomas’s CYO program at 87-19 88th Ave. used to be home to more than 300 kids – many of them from low- and middle-income families – but that number has dwindled to about 70. Rev. Frank C. Tumino moved to end the program as of this season despite parents’ and athletic coordinators’ pleas to let the kids play on.
In a response to the uproar, Tumino said it was his responsibility as pastor to ensure that programs associated with the church are in line with various requirements for the safety of children and adults as well as fiscal responsibility and participation figures.
“Unfortunately, accountability issues that were consistently raised over the last five years with the recreation program and CYO basketball were never adequately addressed,” Tumino said. “It should be noted that out of concern for participants, the program was allowed to continue even though they were never properly resolved.
Tumino said issues plagued the program at the end of 2013 and that the decision to end the program was actually made to protect all those involved.
Jimmy Cooke, an athletic director at Saint Thomas, first took to Facebook to shed light on the more than 50-year-old program’s removal. He said Tumino failed to consider the hard of work of all those involved with the program, who he said never wanted to see the basketball games come to an end.
“A number of parish people who have sacrificed many decades of safe, fiscally responsible, dedicated volunteer service to Saint Thomas and not only the sports program but the school, youth council, finance committee, faith formation, the past Parish Council and many other Parish programs, have been working together independently of Father Tumino since the beginning of the year with Diocesan officials to restore these many programs and committees,” Cooke argued. “CYO does not support the elimination of our sports program and is working with this committee and the Diocese to help us help our children embrace their Catholic identity in all the best ways.”
Tumino did, however, commend Jim Frenzel, another member of the Saint Thomas parish and community, for his efforts to try and keep the program afloat over recent years.
“Most noteworthy in his attempts was Mr. Jim Frenzel, who worked tirelessly toward complying with the fiscal requirements,” Tumino said. “While I am most grateful for his attempts, unfortunately, the vast majority continued to act as if they were autonomous.”
Tumino said several other local Catholic parishes offered CYO basketball programs and could act as new opportunities for athletes looking to branch out and play ball.
A Forum story back in March zeroed in on Tumino after he blocked an annual basketball tournament from utilizing the Woodhaven church’s gymnasium. At that time, he said the church was “no longer able to fund” the Frankie Caropolo Memorial Basketball Tournament honoring a community member who died in 2003 of cancer.
“If those calling The Forum are supporting members of this parish community, they have had more than five years to be keenly and appropriately informed of the spiritual, as well as the financial, issues that concern our faith community,” Tumino said in an email back in March.
By Phil Corso
