Archdiocese of Santa Fe closes Albuquerque Catholic school amid enrollment decline
Holy Ghost Catholic School in Albuquerque will close, and Holy Cross near Española will also shut down, as falling enrollment squeezes Catholic families.
The Archdiocese of Santa Fe is closing Holy Ghost Catholic School in Albuquerque and Holy Cross Catholic School in Santa Cruz, a move that will send families from two small campuses into a Catholic-school network already under strain from declining enrollment and financial pressure. Both closures were decided at the parish level after careful discernment.
Holy Ghost has been one of the larger Catholic elementary programs in Albuquerque, with U.S. News Education listing 158 students in PK-8 and other recent third-party school listings putting enrollment as high as 189. Holy Cross is much smaller, with recent third-party listings showing about 65 to 69 students in PK-8.
Archbishop John C. Wester said the future of Catholic education in the archdiocese depends on the choices made now. Donna Illerbrun, the outgoing superintendent, called the closures a painful decision and said the schools had been places of faith, formation and community for generations. Randall Peters, the incoming superintendent, said Catholic education cannot exist on tradition alone and needs committed families, strong parish partnerships and generous supporters.
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School closed in 2024 after 74 years, and declining enrollment over the previous 10 years was a major factor.
The archdiocese’s Catholic schools office serves 12 Catholic elementary and middle schools and two Catholic high schools across Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Sandoval and Valencia counties. It employs 425 full- and part-time staff and educates a student body that is 91% Catholic. The archdiocese will now focus on strengthening the schools that remain through enrollment growth, academic excellence, faith formation, educator support and long-term sustainability planning.
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