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The end of a school year, and an era
St. Mary's School to close Friday
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One school will close the book on its graduating class, and one school will close this weekend.

Platteville High School will hold its annual commencement in the school gymnasium Sunday at 1 p.m. Classes in the school district will end for the school year Thursday, June 7.

St. Mary’s School will hold its final day of classes Friday. The Madison Catholic Diocese announced the closing of the school in late April after school enrollment and finances began declining with the replacement of Rev. Charles Schluter by priests from the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest.

“It has been said that the only solution for saving the parish school would be for me to remove Fr. Faustino Ruiz and Fr. John Del Priore,” wrote Bishop Robert Morlino in a letter to parishioners. “This would, I have been told by many people, ransom the school from those who are protesting and return giving to its previous level. ...

“I think, however, that at the end of the day, the Catholic faith is being taught according to the proper understanding of the Second Vatican Council, and that what remains are personal likes and dislikes, along with inflated rumors and gossip, some of which may even rise to the level of calumnious inciting of hatred of your priests, the faith, and myself. For these likes and dislikes, gossip, and hurt feelings, the Catholic faith is rejected and a school is closed.”

The school’s first class day in its 33,000-square-foot building was Oct. 21, 1935. The school moved to the former O.E. Gray Early Learning Center building after the Platteville school district closed the school in 2008.

A party for St. Mary’s school families, alumni, St. Mary’s parish families and “all who have supported St. Mary’s families spiritually, emotionally and/or financially” will be held at the Platteville Aquatic Center (or the Legion Field art building in case of inclement weather) Friday from 7 to 10 p.m.