Parents at St. Hubert Catholic School in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, have appealed to the Vatican to overturn the Archdiocese of Chicago's decision to close the 65-year-old school at the end of this school year.
The archdiocese announced Jan. 26 that it would close five Catholic grade schools at the end of the school year, citing low enrollment and ongoing financial strain. Greg Richmond, the archdiocesan superintendent of schools, said the archdiocese made the decisions "with heavy hearts after months of discussions with each school."
“Many people have worked hard at each school to raise money and try to boost enrollment,” Richmond said. “We recognize and value those efforts but, in the end, the schools were not able to close the gaps and they are no longer sustainable.”
St. Hubert, which serves about 200 students, — was one of them.
According to the Tribune, two days after the announcement, parents Jillian Bernas Garcia and her husband, Angel, discovered a lesser-known canon law process called remonstratio, which allows those affected by a church decision to formally request that their archbishop — and, if necessary, the Vatican — review and reverse it.
The couple paid $11,000 to hire a canon lawyer and commission an independent financial audit before filing the remonstration Jan. 31.
The independent audit found St. Hubert could remain open for at least five more years at its current deficit and could become cash-flow positive within two years if staff accepted a 10% pay cut, according to the Tribune.
The archdiocese denied the appeal Feb. 24, saying the "case lacks merit and does not entail a properly placed remonstratio of a decree of a diocesan bishop."
The Office of Catholic Schools has said it has "no intention to reopen the debate."
Parents then submitted their appeal March 9 directly to the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education, the body responsible for Catholic education policy.
"The evidence is clear: St. Hubert is viable. The decision to close is a choice," Bernas Garcia told the Tribune March 23.
A Vatican decision typically takes up to six months, with a backlog potentially extending that timeline — meaning the school could close before Rome weighs in.