News Releases

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced today that seven of its Catholic schools – Alphonsus Academy and Center for the Arts (Chicago), St. Athanasius School (Evanston), St. Benedict Preparatory School Elementary (Chicago), Ss. Cyril & Methodius School (Lemont), Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy (Chicago), Old St. Mary's School (Chicago), St. Raymond School (Mount Prospect) – have been recognized this year by the U.S. Department of Education with Blue Ribbon Awards. The National Blue Ribbon Award is presented to schools based on a school’s overall academic excellence or the school’s progress in closing student achievement gaps. The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools have received 109 Blue Ribbon Awards, more than any other school system – public and private – in the country.

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced today that seven of its Catholic schools – Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Elementary School (Orland Hills), Queen of All Saints School (Chicago), Sacred Heart School (Winnetka), St. Bede School (Ingleside), St. Francis de Sales School (Lake Zurich), St. Francis Xavier School (Wilmette) and St. Therese School (Chicago) – have been recognized this year by the U.S. Department of Education with Blue Ribbon Awards. The National Blue Ribbon Award is presented to schools based on a school’s overall academic excellence or the school’s progress in closing student achievement gaps. The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools have received 102 Blue Ribbon Awards, more than any other school system – public and private – in the country.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is proud to announce that 18 teachers, administrators and staff members from across its 214 Catholic schools were selected as the 2018 Heart of the School Award winners. For many years the Archdiocese has honored its outstanding Catholic school employees through the Heart of the School Awards, and 500 nominations were received this year. The winners, who represent Catholic elementary and high schools across the two-county Archdiocese, were selected based on their outstanding contributions to the schools and the students they serve.

Today, the Archdiocese of Chicago released a video message featuring Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, and Sr. Jean Dolores Schmidt speaking in support of tax credit scholarships. Cardinal Cupich and Sister Jean, as she is affectionately known on the campuses of Loyola University Chicago where she serves as chaplain of the men’s basketball team, have teamed up to encourage more donations to the tax credit scholarship program.

Catholic Schools Week, an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States, takes place Sunday, January 28 through Saturday, February 3. The theme for this year’s celebration is Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed. Throughout Catholic Schools Week, the 214 archdiocesan Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of Chicago will celebrate with special activities including, Masses, open houses, talent shows, service projects, community appreciation efforts and guest speakers.

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced today that five Catholic schools will close at the end of this school year (2017/18). The schools – St. Cyprian School (River Grove), Holy Cross School (Deerfield), Incarnation School (Palos Heights), St. Michael School (Chicago) and Our Lady of the Ridge School (Chicago Ridge) will close due to low enrollment, financial difficulties, among other factors.

The Archdiocese of Chicago and Catholic Charities today announced they exceeded their goal of filling Soldier Field twice by collecting more than 125,000 food items as part of the Soup-er Stadium Challenge, an initiative to help eliminate hunger in Cook and Lake Counties. Former Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, the Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation and Soldier Field also lent support to the Challenge, which will provide more than 100,000 meals to Chicagoans in need.

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced today that six of its Catholic schools – Holy Family Catholic Academy (Inverness), St. Edward School (Chicago), St. Gilbert Catholic School (Grayslake), St. Josaphat School (Chicago), St. Joseph Catholic School (Libertyville) and St. Joseph School (Wilmette) – have been recognized this year by the U.S. Department of Education with Blue Ribbon Awards. The National Blue Ribbon Award is presented to schools based on a school’s overall academic excellence or the school’s progress in closing student achievement gaps. The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools have received more than 90 Blue Ribbon Awards, more than any other school system – public and private – in the country. St. Josaphat School is the only elementary school in the city of Chicago to win this prestigious honor twice, having first earned this distinction in 2012.

The Archdiocese of Chicago’s 214 Catholic schools are ready to welcome more than 78,000 new and returning students for the start of the 2017/18 school year after a very active summer break. The theme for this school year is “We Are One Body.” As St. Paul indicates in his first letter to the Corinthians, we all represent many “parts,” but ultimately form a single “body.” The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese serve different neighborhoods, geographies, races and religions throughout Cook and Lake Counties. While we celebrate this diversity, our schools are unified in the single educational mission of Catholic education.

The Archdiocese of Chicago has announced changes to the Catholic High School Entrance Exam date and recruitment policies, effective this school year (2017/2018 school year). The entrance exam, historically held in January, will now be held the first Saturday in December (Saturday, December 2, 2017) at 8 a.m.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is proud to announce that Mrs. Phyllis Cavallone-Jurek, principal of St. Therese Chinese Catholic School in Chicago, has been named a 2017 National Distinguished Principal (NDP), one of three Catholic elementary school principals recognized with this award. The National Association of Elementary School Principals established the NDP program in 1984 to recognize and celebrate elementary and middle-level principals who set high standards for instruction, student achievement, character and environment for the students, families and staffs in their learning communities.

The Archdiocese of Chicago will host its eighth annual Fore the Kids golf outing on Monday, June 26 at the Chicago Highlands Golf Club in Westchester, Illinois. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Office of Catholic Schools and the Archdiocese’s Emergency Tuition Assistance Program, which provides assistance to economically challenged students enabling them to continue their pursuit of academic excellence through Catholic education. Fore the Kids has raised more than $120,000 annually for emergency scholarships.

On Tuesday, May 23 at 1:30 p.m., students, faculty and staff across the 217 Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools will unite to pray the “Prayer of St. Francis” for a peaceful summer. This is the second year the Archdiocese has led a unified prayer for peace across its Catholic schools. Archdiocese employees at Quigley and Meyer Pastoral Centers will also join in prayer in support of the effort.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is proud to announce 18 teachers, administrators and staff members from across its 217 Catholic schools were selected as the 2017 Heart of the School Award winners. For many years the Archdiocese has honored its outstanding Catholic school employees through the Heart of the School Awards, and more than 545 nominations were received this year. The winners, who represent Catholic elementary and high schools across the two-county Archdiocese, were selected based on their outstanding contributions to the schools and the students they serve.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is proud to announce that Mrs. Phyllis Cavallone- Jurek, principal of St. Therese Catholic School in Chicago, was today named the Golden Apple Stanley C. Golder Leadership Award winner. The Golder Award honors the exemplary performance and excellence in school leadership of a principal or head of school from the Chicagoland area. This is the fourth year for the Golder Leadership Award, and Mrs. Cavallone-Jurek is the first leader from a Catholic school to receive the Award. Mrs. Cavallone-Jurek has been principal of St. Therese Catholic School since 2004, and has 20 years of education experience.

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced today the appointment of Timothy Cawley as its Chief of Parish & School Operations. Prior to his appointment, Cawley served as the Chief Administrative Officer for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). He joined the Archdiocesan School Board in 2016, making significant contributions on schools strategy and operational issues. In his new role, Tim will work in partnership with parishes and schools to improve the operating effectiveness of their ministry and education missions.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is proud to announce that three Catholic school personnel – a principal and two teachers – are finalists for the 2017 Golden Apple Awards. Ms. Phyllis Cavallone-Jurek, principal of St. Therese Catholic School in Chicago, is one of 10 Chicagoland finalists for the Golden Apple Stanley C. Golder Leadership Award, which honors the exemplary performance and excellence in school leadership of a principal or head of school from the Chicagoland area. Ms. Kelli Kielusiak, a teacher at St. Therese Catholic School in Chicago, and Ms. Tyra Stall, a teacher at Prince of Peace Catholic School in Lake Villa, are both finalists for the 2017 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching. This year’s 33 finalists for the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching were selected from a pool of more than 600 nominations, and represent 4th-8th grade teachers throughout the Chicagoland area.

The Archdiocese of Chicago will host its 39th Annual African American Heritage Prayer Service on Friday, February 24 at 9:30 a.m. at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State St. (between State and Superior) in Chicago. Rev. David Jones, Cardinal Cupich’s Liaison to the Black Catholic Initiative, and Dr. Jim Rigg, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, will join hundreds of students from across the Archdiocese for this Black History Month celebration. Additionally, Fr. Michael Trail, the fourteenth and newest African American priest ordained in Chicago, and Fr. George Clements, the second African American priest ordained in Chicago and diamond jubilarian, will participate in the prayer service.

In December 2016, the Archdiocese of Chicago presented St. Alphonsus/St. Patrick School, located in Lemont, and Our Lady of the Ridge School, located in Chicago Ridge, with fundraising and student enrollment targets that needed to be met for the schools to open next school year (2017/18).

Catholic Schools Week, an annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States, begins Sunday, January 29 and runs through Saturday, February 4. The theme for this year’s observance is Catholic Schools: Communities of Faith, Knowledge and Service. New this year, the Archdiocese is hosting a unified open house day for Catholic schools across Cook and Lake Counties. Sunday, January 29 is Catholic School Open House Day, an opportunity for prospective students and families, as well as current Catholic school families, to visit and learn more about Catholic education.