Today news came that the Benedictine's St. Scholastica Academy in Chicago will close in June at the end of this school year. A wonderful education, intellectual and spiritual, was had by so many (myself included). A sad day for a church so much in need of the school's enlivening and enlightening presence and the Benedictine's sense and sensibility.Below the fold, St. Scholastica's letter to alumnae from the prioress, Sr. Patricia Crowley, OSB, daughter of two heroic Catholics, Pat and Patti Crowley:

Over the past 150 years, the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago and St. Scholastica Academy (SSA) have educated thousands of women who have served our world well in many areas of life: business, religious, education, civic, social service and more. Our graduates are solid leaders, family members, friends, and genuinely fine women. We are proud of the 106 years SSA has provided superb education on Ridge Boulevard. We are proud of all of you.Today, WITH A HEAVY HEART, I write to tell you that SSA is no longer financially viable. It has struggled for some 15 years to retain an enrollment that would adequately support the operation of this excellent educational institution. During that time and throughout its long history, your incredible support has made it possible to continue this fine tradition. During those years, you have given very generously and your funds have supported students who could not otherwise have had access to the good education they received at SSA. In spite of heroic efforts at fundraising on the part of your alumnae board, of Loretta Namovic, President, and Sister Suzanne Zuercher, O.S.B., former President, SSA is no longer financially viable.Of course, we would love to have been able to provide additional support that might have made it possible for the school to continue, but our own financial situation prevents us from doing so. We are proud to have been able to operate the school, by serving as teachers and administrators, and in recent decades, by our sponsorship. We have become painfully aware that this is no longer possible.Now, in 2012, we are a small community of 44 women ages 41 to 100, with a median age of 77. As you probably are aware, Sisters teaching in elementary and secondary schools seldom received any retirement compensation until the last few decades of the twentieth century. In addition, for many years, they were paid minimal stipends for their services. Thanks to the wisdom of those in our communitys administration, we began, after the law allowed it, to pay into Social Security which now gives us a little income and access to Medicare. This past year we were also able to enroll some of our older Sisters in Medicaid and this too has been helpful. Nonetheless our financial situation is not at all secure. We are blessed with land, but not with cash for the care of our elders. We are currently working with the National Religious Retirement Office to determine a good plan for our future.You have been and continue to be a very important part of the St. Scholastica Academy community since you were a student here. We continue to value your loyalty and friendship, and wish for you and those dear to you, good health and happiness. We are grateful for your support of SSA. Many of you have spoken of the positive influence and solid academic formation you experienced as a student at St. Scholastica Academy (or for some of you earlier graduates, at St. Scholastica High School). We always appreciate hearing about positive impact the school has had on your life.We appreciate the fact that many of you have made significant sacrifices to financially support the Academy. The Sisters also, over many years, have made and continue to make financial sacrifices to keep costs down, hoping the school could continue to serve young women from all economic backgrounds. This year the financial viability of SSA has changed dramatically due to the fact that the school no longer has reserve funds from which to draw.For some of you, this letter may come as a surprise, for others not so. Please understand how difficult it is to bring you this sad news. While doing so, I must still ask your help.The school continues to need your financial support in order to finish out this academic year and to assist current students at this critical time in their lives. An option to enroll in a small senior academy is being offered to incoming senior class members who may choose to finish their high school education here. We would very much like to offer some assistance to those students seeking to enroll in other Catholic high schools. To accomplish these things for current Scholasticans, St. Scholastica Academy continues to need your financial support. Please help with whatever donation you can make.The class reunions and the 2012 Springfest event will continue as planned this year in April. We look forward to seeing many of you then.I will be happy to speak with any of you about this. I can be reached at (773) 764-2413, extension 230 or by e-mail at [email protected].