News Releases

CHICAGO - July 10, 2020 - The Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Catholic Schools today released its plans to safely reopen school buildings in the fall. The COVID-19 pandemic has left its mark on education in Illinois, but our Catholic schools were praised by families for our ingenuity and creativity in responded to the challenge of providing virtual instruction to our more than 70,000 students.

Chicago, Ill. (May 13, 2020) – The Archdiocese of Chicago today announced that St. Matthias School has received the prestigious distinction as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School for the Primary Years Programme (PYP). This adds to the school’s designation as an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) for grades six through eight. With both classifications, St. Matthias School is the first Catholic school in the state of Illinois to earn an IB designation for pre-K through eighth grades.

Chicago, Ill. (April 7, 2020) -- The Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Catholic Schools today launched a first edition of 20 e-learning videos for preschool and kindergarten students designed to assist families during COVID-19 school closures. Video is an effective learning format, especially for children who have not yet mastered reading. Parents and students can access the videos starting today on the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools’ YouTube Channel.

Chicago, Ill. (Jan. 29, 2020) – The Archdiocese of Chicago and Big Shoulders Fund today announced a significant step in protecting the future of Catholic education, particularly on Chicago’s south and west sides. The organizations have entered into an agreement that will enable 30 schools serving 5,600 children, their families, and communities to continue to their mission.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is proud to announce that Renee Bartley-Bogard, a teacher and assistant principal at St. Patricia School in Hickory Hills, Ill., is a finalist for the 2020 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Bartley-Bogard is one of 30 educators selected as finalists for the prestigious award -- just four percent of a record-setting 732 nominations received from 64 counties in Illinois. Award finalists will be honored on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Golden Apple Celebration of Excellence in Teaching & Leadership celebration at the Q Center in St. Charles, Ill.

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced today that five Catholic schools will close at the end of this school year (2019/20). The schools – St. Colette School (Rolling Meadows), St. Jane de Chantal School (Chicago), St. Joseph School (Round Lake), St. Louise de Marillac School (La Grange Park) and St. Maria Goretti School (Schiller Park) – will close due to low enrollment and financial difficulties.

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 is proud to announce that 18 teachers, administrators and staff members from across its 209 Catholic schools were selected as the 2019 Heart of the School Award winners. The winners, who represent Catholic elementary and high schools across the two-county archdiocese, were selected from 500 nominees based on their outstanding contributions to the schools and the students they serve. Additionally, the Archdiocese of Chicago is honoring three pastors this year with Heart of the Shepherd awards for their commitment to Catholic education.

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.