The Institute for the Transformation of Catholic Education was honored to be joined by Dr. Peter Kilpatrick, President of The Catholic University of America; Dr. Thomas Smith, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences; and Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to celebrate the official accredited status of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and its ninety Catholic schools in Minnesota.

The celebration took place on October 3, 2024, and included a visit to two schools within the Archdiocese, Ave Maria Academy and St. John Paul II Catholic School, as well as a luncheon with the presidents of the archdiocesan high schools.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis joined Lumen Accreditation during the pilot year of the program as a member of the St. Augustine cohort. After a year of extensive preparation, followed by an on-site review by Lumen, and ratified by the Accreditation Commission, we are pleased to announce that the first Lumen member diocese is accredited.

At both Ave Maria Academy and St. John Paul II Catholic School, Archbishop Hebda and President Kilpatrick gave brief remarks to the students, and an official, framed Lumen Accreditation certificate was presented to Principal Walz and Principal Menzhuber by President Kilpatrick. The group of ITCE, CUA, and OMCE staff, in addition to Archbishop Hebda and President Kilpatrick, were also able to meet with adult community members of each school for coffee or breakfast. 

Before leaving, the group spent time with the archdiocesan high school presidents. President Kilpatrick gave a brief speech on some of the exciting initiatives happening on campus, including the new branding motto, “Lead with Light.”

ITCE was delighted to join the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and we look forward to many more years of serving the Archdiocese on their journey towards continuous growth.