April 17, 2020

Dear Catholic School Parents and Guardians,

Earlier today, Gov. Pritzker announced the extension of the statewide closure of all schools in Illinois through the remainder of the academic year. As this announcement impacts Catholic schools, our Catholic school buildings will remain closed for the rest of the 2019/20 school year.

I know that this has been a challenging time for our Catholic school families and educators. Nevertheless, I have been sincerely impressed by the hard work of our students, parents/guardians, and educators. Our Catholic school teachers and principals have demonstrated extreme dedication as they have implemented high-quality e-learning and alternative learning programs. They have distinguished themselves in reaching out to individual families to ensure that students are learning, are safe, and happy. I am extremely grateful to our educators for their continued efforts in these unprecedented circumstances.

I am also thankful for the work of our parents and guardians. I know it has not been easy to support the education of your child at home. Know that our schools are committed to continuing high-quality e-learning and alternative learning in the weeks ahead. If you are in need of specific support, know that you are welcome to reach out to your school or the Office of Catholic Schools. As always, we value your partnership as we support the education and faith formation of your child.

I am aware that the continued closure of our school buildings will impact many end-of-year events in our schools, such as graduations, awards ceremonies, and other important events. As these vary school by school, your principal will communicate your school’s plan for such events. I encourage you to be flexible and understanding as plans are made for the future.

We fully anticipate the resumption of classes in the fall and anticipate that there will be opportunities for families to collect any personal belongings left in school buildings once it is deemed safe to do so.

Finally, I encourage you to view the growing set of resources for parents on the Office of Catholic Schools website. To access these resources, please visit the Family Resources page.

Know that you and your family continue to be in my prayers. May God bless and protect our Catholic school families and educators and return us safely to school in the fall.

Yours in Christ,

Jim Rigg, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Catholic Schools
Archdiocese of Chicago

May 18 - Joshua in Pre-K

May 19 - Quinley in grade 4

May 19 - Anthony in Kindergarten

May 22 - Leander in Preschool

May 24 - Nick in grade 6

(your child should know this!)-

Harder than steel

Hotter than the sun

Crusaders are here

to get the job done!