NORTH LAWNDALE — Saint Agatha Catholic Academy in the West Side's North Lawndale neighborhood will close at the end of the current school year, the Archdiocese of Chicago announced Tuesday.
The archdiocese cited low enrollment for the closing, noting that only 12 students remain at the school at 3151 W. Douglas Blvd.
In 2014, Saint Agatha transitioned from a Pre-K through 8th grade elementary school to an early childhood program.
"The Archdiocese commends all of the dedicated leaders, faculty and staff of Saint Agatha
Catholic Academy...for their tireless work to instill a rich Catholic identity into an academically excellent community," the release said. "We will be celebrating the schools in the coming months and also keeping the schools’ memories and contributions alive even after the doors close.
The statement did not specify whether the students would be relocated to another Catholic school.
Saint Agatha's was where Archbishop Blase Cupich celebrated his first Sunday mass in November of 2014. The then-new archbishop chose the church because it was once pastored by the Rev. Daniel J. McCormack, who was convicted of abusing five boys in the 2000s. McCormack, who targeted children through basketball and after-school programs, was sentenced to a five-year prison term. Cupich apologized to parishioners.
"I wanted to come to a community where I saw some resiliency — not only because of the abuse that happened, but also because of the property and the struggles that people have," Cupich said at the time. "These folks know how to bounce back from whatever is thrown at them."
The archdiocese will also close Saint Peter School in suburban Antioch and Seton Academy in South Holland, according to the announcement.
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