By Dennis Coday

Three weeks after being fired as principal of Nativity Grade School in Cincinnati, Ohio, Robert C. Herring was reinstated Monday, Dec. 15. He returned to the post he has held for nearly 20 years on Dec. 17.

His reinstatement followed a five-hour meeting between Herring and Father R. Marc Sherlock, the pastor of Nativity of our Lord Parish who had fired Herring Nov. 24. The meeting was led by Joseph Crowe, a professional mediator formerly with the U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Herring and Sherlock addressed parishioners and school parents at a 15-minute meeting in church Dec. 16.

For background on this story, see the NCR story School families rally behind fired principal.

Read more about this story in the print issue of NCR dated Dec. 26.

Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk, issued the following statement addressed to Nativity parishioners and school families:

I wish to express my satisfaction that Fr. Sherlock and Mr. Herring together were able to come to an agreement that allows Mr. Herring to return as principal of Nativity School. This resolution was made possible by the willingness of both men to compromise with the assistance of an archdiocesan mediator.

Successful mediation is a process in which both sides give up something in order to gain something greater. In this case, both parties were willing to compromise for the sake of the faith life of the parish. There was not a "winner" or a "loser." The agreement provides a framework for improved communications with the assistance of archdiocesan administrators.

I pray that all members of Nativity will recognize the behavior of Fr. Marc and Bob Herring as a model for going forward in charity to make the parish even stronger.

Dennis Coday is an NCR staff writer. His e-mail is dcoday@ncronline.org

National Catholic Reporter, December 17, 2003