Nov. 08--Weeks after returning from the Rome synod where he emerged as a vocal supporter of Pope Francis, Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich announced Saturday he would name a regional Catholic school after the pontiff.
Pope Francis Global Academy, which will open on two campuses next fall, will consolidate the parish schools at St. Cornelius, Our Lady of Victory, St. Pascal and St. Tarcissus on the Northwest Side, according to a news release from the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.
"It is vital that we, as responsible Catholics, provide the opportunity for future generations to have access to a Catholic education," said Cupich in the statement. "This new beginning on the Northwest Side of Chicago is but one of the first steps we are taking to build a sustainable system that ensures a transformative Catholic education in Chicago, Cook and Lake Counties."
The two campuses will have preschool through eighth-grade students and will be located in Portage Park at St. Pascal, 6143 W. Irving Park Road, and in Gladstone Park at St. Tarcissus, 6040 W. Ardmore Ave. St. Cornelius on Foster Avenue and Our Lady of Victory on Laramie Avenue will also sponsor the new school.
Mother Teresa, St. Francis of Asissi and Blessed Frederic Ozanamn were the other top contenders for the school's namesake.
