Archdiocesan leaders recommend the campuses of the 91 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis remain closed to students for the remainder of the academic year.

Bishop Andrew Cozzens, the archdiocese’s vicar for Catholic education, and Jason Slattery, archdiocesan director of Catholic Education, announced the recommendation in a letter to school leaders April 23, hours after Gov. Tim Walz announced Minnesota’s public and charter school buildings would remain closed for the rest of the school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This new executive order brings with it new challenges for the entire community, especially for our Catholic schools. Following the recommendation of Public Health officials, we are recommending that Catholic school buildings remain closed for students,” Bishop Cozzens and Slattery said in the letter.

Walz closed Minnesota public school campuses March 18. The same week, with the recommendation of archdiocesan leaders, Catholic schools in the archdiocese closed their school buildings and transitioned to distance learning for their students.

“COVID-19 remains a threat that has substantially impacted K-12 education,” the letter from Bishop Cozzens and Slattery stated. “As we learn more about this threat every day, the Archdiocese continues to carefully assess and provide guidance to our Catholic schools. Along with our commitment to the mission of Catholic education, the guidance of Public Health officials has been essential to inform how our Catholic schools might best serve our students during these uncertain times. Admittedly, for all of us, the learning curve is high. The challenges are many, and time has not always been on our side, but your trust in the help of God and the remarkable leadership you show in Catholic schools shines through all these obstacles.”

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