9703 Bantry Rd.

Easton MD 21601
November 1, 2009

Father Robert E. Coine

Pastor, Saints Peter and Paul Parish
7906 Ocean Gateway
Easton MD 21601

Dear Father Coine,

I am a very proud student at Saints Peter and Paul High School, and I hope you take my words in
this letter to heart. Since you are a priest, I know that you are fulfilled by spreading your love in
the lives of children. I am Lynn Hatcher, and I am devoted to my God and my school.

I have gone to Saints Peter and Paul since I was a very young girl. My eyes were shining stars of
love and light since the first moment I took a step into Saints Peter and Paul. I have always
looked up to my teachers and I have always centered myself on faith. One thing that has been
taught to me again and again is that if I have faith, hope, and love in God, the most powerful
wonderful things can happen in my own life.

I am a person that always looks to see the positive in life. As I am writing to you now, I am
weeping and mourning over my life right now. Today, I have constant fear, anxiety, and sadness
in my heart. I am devastated by the turn that my life has taken. To be honest, my home and my
life right now are at Saints Peter and Paul High School. I feel that all that I hoped for in life is
lost. When I received your news, I was shocked. It was the worst night of my life. What I have
said is true for everyone I know at the high school. If the high school were to close, the
relationships I have built would crumble, my dreams destroyed, and my life changed forever.
What would I do if the high school were to close? The better question is this: Who would I be if
Saints Peter and Paul High School closed? Everything I have lived for would be just a memory.

God has definitely taught me something about life through this situation. As a school
community, we have grown so strong. The force of the eternal love and faith that God has given
us has clearly shown through. I have grown closer to God, and he has spoken to me through this
great community. Even though this is a very difficult time, I have no need to feel lonely. All
those that I love have joined together; we are all in pursuit of something that we love so dearly. I
am proud to be a Sabre.

God has also spoken to me through my family. Just as you know me, I have no doubt that you
also know my family. I thank God everyday for my parent’s gift of light and knowledge. There
will never come a time when I do not thank God for how much I love my family.

Father Coine, was there ever a day when you were a young boy that you just wanted to tell God
how much you loved your parents? Was there a moment that you saw your father as an image of
our father in heaven? If you were angry, did they tell you to walk in your enemy’s shoes just to
know how that would feel? When you were sad, did you want to tell your family how much they
did for you?

I am not a parishioner of Saints Peter and Paul Church, but I want a Catholic education. I find it
hard to believe that this is a parish problem like you have said. I believe that the parish and the
entire community are willing to reach out and give as much money or resources to the high
school as they can. This will enable the school to fulfill the lives of children on the Eastern
Shore today and always. God has even given his gifts to Saints Peter and Paul High School. He
has given all of us faith, hope, love, and determination to continue the atmosphere of a Catholic
education at Saints Peter and Paul High School.

God has also given you this light to do good. When I look into the eyes of those who love Saints
Peter and Paul High School, I see God’s miraculous gifts. I hope that you see this light and love
in the eyes of all those that you know. I am sure that all of the people that you have come to
know love the life that is Saints Peter and Paul High School. We all have and will always have a
devotion to Saints Peter and Paul in our hearts that will never leave us.

I just want to know, coming from a priest, what does it feel like to know that every person that
knows you sees you as a powerful image of God? It is a wondrous thing that God has allowed us
to be Christians. As a priest, you have the power, I believe, to give light to our community and
light to the future of Saints Peter and Paul High School. I know that you have the power to make
a positive difference to me and all of us that believe in the Catholic faith. Please save our school.

Sincerely,

Lynn Hatcher

Cc:

The Most Reverend W. Francis Malooly, Bishop of Wilmington

Mr. Dan Tanner, Chairman, Pastoral Council, Saints Peter and Paul Parish

Mrs. Catherine Weaver, Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Wilmington