Vincentian Academy to close after school year

Vincentian Academy, a Catholic high school in McCandless, will close at the end of the school year because of financial struggles.

The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, the religious order that runs the school, announced the decision to close Tuesday morning.

“I was heartbroken to receive the news that our school is closing,” Rita Canton, Vincentian principal and head of school, said in a statement. “Vincentian Academy is a close-knit family. You have students, parents, teachers who care about each other. We will now work to finish the academic year strong and assist our students and their parents with enrollment into a new school.”

Vincentian High School, founded in 1932 by the Vincentian Sisters of Charity, began as a school for young women aspiring to the religious life. The first lay student enrolled in 1939, and the school became co-ed in 1973.

The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth said in a news release that “Vincentian Academy, like many other Catholic schools, has experienced multiple challenges including declining enrollment and increasing financial losses. The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, in consideration of these challenges, decided to close the school.”

“This was a difficult decision for us, especially because of the excellence of the education and faith formation our students are receiving,” Sister Mary Elizabeth Miller, provincial of the Western Province of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, said in a statement. “We are proud of all that has been accomplished and of the many successes and contributions of our students, faculty, administration, staff and alumni since the school was founded in 1932.”

Vincentian Academy, located on a 67-acre campus off McKnight Road, has an enrollment of more than 275 students, according to its website.