Tiempo: Spotlight on Mary Louis Academy in Queens and a new cultural hub in East Harlem

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Catholic schools in New York City have long served working- and middle-class families, including Black and Latino families. This week on Tiempo, we highlight The Mary Louis Academy, a Catholic school in Jamaica, Queens, that focuses on empowering young Latina women.

The Mary Louis Academy is described on the program as a premier, all-girls Catholic college-preparatory school. The school dates back to 1936 and serves a diverse student body drawn from a wide range of socioeconomic, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

"LATINAS" make up 23-percent of the student population.

The spotlight comes amid broader challenges facing Catholic education in the city. This year, the Diocese of Brooklyn announced that seven Catholic schools in Brooklyn and Queens would close because of declining enrollment and fiscal challenges.

Joe Torres talks to Livia Angiolillo, president of The Mary Louis Academy, along with Jaylin Reyes, a senior at the school, to discuss the academy and its mission.

Also this week, Tiempo previews Casa Belongó, a new performance space and music education community center planned for East Harlem. The cultural hub aims to celebrate and preserve Afro-Latino music traditions and will also serve as the home of the Afro-Latin Jazz Academy of Music. The founder, Arturo O'Farrill, a multi-Grammy-winning jazz musician, joins the show to discuss it further.

Tiempo airs Sunday mornings at 11:30 on Channel 7, WABC-TV in New York City.

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Tiempo airs Sunday mornings at 11:30 a.m. on Channel 7.