School will be out for Visitation Academy, 8902 Ridge Blvd., as the all-girls Catholic school announced its closure at the end of the school year.
In addition, the monastery will be closing.
Visitation Academy board members Mother Susan Marie Kasprzak and Jean Bernieri made the announcement in a letter to parents Feb. 5.
“We Visitation Sisters of Brooklyn have been engaged in a time of prayerful discernment for several years about the future of our community and ministry, along with our Federation and the Brooklyn Diocese,” the letter read. “Now, we have only two Sisters remaining in the Monastery. We have come to the sad decision that we must leave our home here and end our ministry and sponsorship of Visitation Academy.”
It also said Visitation Academy will close at the end of this academic year in June 2024.
According to its website, the school was founded in 1855 as part of the Visitation Monastery, with a mission to educate young women. The campus is 7.5 acres, with the building within a 30-foot stone wall.
“We know that this decision is heart-wrenching for our families and students,” the letter stated.
It hasn’t been determined what the space will become.
The Diocese of Brooklyn (DOB) told this paper in a statement that they are saddened by the loss of the presence of the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary in Brooklyn.
“There is a significant history to reflect on with great appreciation for their nearly 170-year commitment to the Catholic faith, the students, and the surrounding community,” it said. “They leave a great and powerful legacy in the many young women who have been educated on their grounds and by their many prayerful acts.”
DOB also said it is committed to assisting all current students with a transition to a new school.
Councilman Justin Brannan said on Facebook that he will be forming a task force of local stakeholders who will help chart the course for the future of the property so that it is put to community use.
“While I have no official power to stop the nuns from making this ill-advised decision, I do have the power to ensure that no matter how much money the nuns think they can get for this property, this land will not be used for luxury condos that nobody can afford,” he said.
A parent meeting regarding the closure is scheduled for Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at the school, with deacon and superintendent of Catholic Schools Kevin McCormack, Bernieri and Kasprzak in attendance.
