News Releases

Chicago – (Feb. 16, 2021) – Leaders of local religious organizations have come together to form the Alliance of Faith Based Schools and work with Chicago and Cook County departments of public health to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to more than 6,300 full-time employees in their schools starting late this week. The alliance includes leaders from the Catholic, Jewish and Lutheran communities, along with city and county officials and the support of Loyola University Medical Center.

Chicago, (Feb. 1, 2021) – The Archdiocese of Chicago will celebrate the 43rd Annual African American Heritage Prayer Service virtually throughout February in a series of prayer service videos every Friday at 10 a.m. Due to the pandemic, Catholic schools around the archdiocese will gather online to pray and celebrate African American heritage, culture, community and contributions to the Church. The theme for this year’s prayer services is We Are Called: Umoja for Black Lives, Justice, and Peace. A link to each prayer service can be found on the archdiocese’s YouTube channel.

Chicago – (Feb. 1, 2021) – New data from Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools reveals that students have defied the national trend reflecting pandemic-related stagnation and decline in academics. Not only did archdiocese students meet academic expectations by staying on track with their learning, but an overwhelming number of them exceeded learning goals set out by the system’s annual i-Ready assessment exam.

Chicago – (Jan. 31, 2021) – The Archdiocese of Chicago is pleased to announce that it will reward its educators and school staff for their resolve, ingenuity, dedication and hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic with Gratitude Fund monetary awards during National Catholic Schools Week. The Fund, launched in December 2020, attracted a wide-array of donors, including individuals and corporations, and raised nearly $1.4 million, enough to provide monetary awards to all full- and most part-time educators and staff in the Catholic school system.

Chicago – (Jan. 21, 2021) – The Archdiocese of Chicago announced today that four Catholic schools will close and two will consolidate operations at the end of this school year, effective June 30, 2021. The schools being closed are Christ Our Savior School in South Holland, Sacred Heart School in Melrose Park, St. Ann School in Lansing and St. Joseph School in Summit. The archdiocese will help families transition to nearby Catholic schools and work to place teachers and staff in open positions across the archdiocese.

Chicago – (Sept. 25, 2020) – The Archdiocese of Chicago announced today that seven schools in the archdiocese Catholic school system – St. Andrew School (Chicago), St. Clement School (Chicago), St. Francis Xavier School (La Grange), St. James School (Arlington Heights), St. John of the Cross School (Western Springs), St. Paul of the Cross School (Park Ridge), and School of St. Mary (Lake Forest) – 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. In addition, Woodlands Academy (Lake Forest), an independent Catholic school was recognized with a 2020 National Blue Ribbon. Catholic schools in the archdiocese have received 117 Blue Ribbon Awards.

Chicago - (Aug. 19, 2020) – The Archdiocese of Chicago will host its 11th annual Fore the Kids golf outing at 11:30 a.m., on Monday, Aug. 24, at Chicago Highlands Golf Club in Westchester, Ill. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Office of Catholic Schools and the archdiocese’s Emergency Tuition Assistance Program, which provides aid to economically challenged students, and innovative academic programs. Fore the Kids has raised more than $550,000 over the last five years for emergency tuition assistance and academic innovations.

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.