Divine Redeemer School to close in May after nearly 70 years of service

By Sheila Whalen

COLORADO SPRINGS. For almost 70 years, Divine Redeemer Catholic School has been a beacon of faith, hope and charity for its neighborhood, its parish and the greater Colorado Springs community. When the school opened in 1956, the parish was answering the call to minister to the many young families who lived in the Divine Redeemer community. The parish sacrificed to provide a faithfully Catholic and academically challenging education to their children. 

Along with the acknowledgement of decades of extraordinary service that Divine Redeemer Catholic School has provided is a need to acknowledge the changing demographic and geographic realities of the broader community.  Two decades ago, Divine Redeemer had an enrollment of over 300 students. For the current year, the kindergarten through eighth grade enrollment is just over 100 students and is forecast to decrease in the coming years.

Father Jason Keas, the pastor of Divine Redeemer Parish, has met the genuine challenge of supporting the school while at the same time prayerfully discerning God’s plan for the parish. In the end, in consultation with members of his finance council, they discerned that it was time for the parish to find a new mission that meets the needs of current parish demographics.  There is great sadness that accompanies the news of the planned closure of the school in May of 2025. However, the parish goes forward believing, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Prv 3:5-6)

And while sorrow is a natural and reasonable response to the news of this type, there is also cause for gratitude and joy. It is worth reflecting on the impact on the Church and community that thousands of Divine Redeemer students have had and continue to have.

The drop in enrollment is not due to a loss in educational quality or a failure in faith-filled effort. The realities confronting Divine Redeemer School are being in observed in cities and dioceses across the country. As many families leave traditional inner-city neighborhoods and move to the suburbs, what was left behind in these mass exoduses is a daunting enrollment challenge for the associated inner-city Catholic schools.

As Divine Redeemer School wraps up its seven-decade mission, it is worth noting that the Colorado Springs metropolitan area will continue to be served by four excellent K-8 Catholic schools as well as two superb Catholic high schools.

Families who seek a values-based Catholic education understand that no school is value-neutral. The subtle, and sometimes overt, difficulties placed on people of faith by traditional public schools and public charter schools can lead to that temptation to lose hope.

However, that is not the case in the Diocese of Colorado Springs, where there is great hope in the future of Catholic education.  In addition to the recent addition of a new K-8 school in the northeast metro area, the diocese continues to make available hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition assistance to all the K-8 schools. Families of students in Catholic schools know that an unapologetically Catholic education is an investment, not an expense. That said, the investment is often more than some families can bear, and the diocese remains committed to providing financial support to those who need it the most.

The closure of any Catholic school, even when necessary, is a difficult thing. However, even with the closure of Divine Redeemer, there remains great joy and hope — joy for the incredible blessing Divine Redeemer students have been, and continue to be, for the Church and community; and great hope in the future rooted in the excellent Catholic schools in the Diocese of Colorado Springs.
(Sheila Whalen is the Superintendent of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Colorado Springs. If you would like to learn more about the value of a Catholic school education, she may be reached at swhalen@diocs.org.)