The Diocese of Pittsburgh has announced that the Miraculous Medal Academies Foundation will open a new K-8 school in September 2026 that emphasizes the intellectual and spiritual formation of each student.
“Catholic education remains one of our Church’s greatest treasures,” Bishop Mark Eckman of Pittsburgh said in the diocese’s announcement. “I am deeply grateful to the Miraculous Medal Academies Foundation for working with us to sustain and strengthen Catholic education on the North Side. This partnership allows students and families to continue experiencing faith, learning, and community in a thriving Catholic school environment.”
Saint Cyril of Alexandria Academy will be the foundation’s second school project. Its first was South Hills Catholic Academy, which provides education to kindergartners through eighth graders and opened in 2021.
The foundation began six years ago, John Hans, chair of St. Cyril and of the foundation, explained in a Nov. 13 phone interview with CatholicVote. At that time, a group of Catholics in the Pittsburgh area — both laypeople and priests — began meeting to discuss revitalizing Catholic education in the city.
The group, which settled on the name the Miraculous Medal Academies Foundation, approached Bishop David Zubik, then the bishop of Pittsburgh, about the possibility of using a former parochial school building owned by the diocese.
The bishop approved the plan, and South Hills was born. Featuring a classical curriculum and an emphasis on spiritual and sacramental formation, South Hills is now “a thriving Catholic community of 400 students,” Hans said.
In recent years, several parochial Catholic schools and public schools have closed due to economic challenges, according to Hans, who said he hopes that the Foundation’s work can help fill the gap.
Foundation members additionally “felt that schools with classical curricula and strong faith formation would create a unique educational offering in Pittsburgh.” The schools also seek to ensure students from families with little income can access an outstanding education.
Hans said that about 65% of students at South Hills are underserved students who receive financial assistance. He noted that Saint Cyril will be located in an impoverished area and that he anticipates the school will provide financial assistance for many students. St. Cyril aims to attract a total of 300 students.
St. Cyril’s curriculum will be the same as that used at South Hills, which emphasizes the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric), Latin, sports, theater, and music. Hans says that South Hills is particularly proud of its music program.
The school’s choir was one of several to provide music at Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God 2023 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
“Singing and music can touch hearts, give beauty and restore zest and hope in people’s lives,” Pope Francis said on the occasion. “This is what gives us joy!”
>> Wisconsin Catholic school names playground after St Carlo Acutis <<
The post Classical K-8 school with strong Catholic identity expects to open in Pittsburgh in fall 2026 appeared first on CatholicVote org.