Letter to the Editor: Catholic Education Deserved Better Than This

The closure of Saint Francis de Sales School isn’t just another sad story in Catholic education — it’s a glaring symptom of a diocese that has lost its way. As someone who served 21 years in the Diocese of San Bernardino — including a decade as principal of Notre Dame High School — I’ve seen firsthand what happens when a Church no longer supports its schools, its educators or its students.

Saint Francis didn’t close because of changing demographics or unavoidable challenges. Like so many closures before it, this one was the direct result of systemic dysfunction, administrative silence and a diocese that has abandoned its commitment to Catholic education.

Under my leadership, and in partnership with our school president, Notre Dame was thriving. We were on track to become an Apple Distinguished School. Our classrooms were modernized. Our faculty was engaged and talented. Our students were succeeding in faith, academics, athletics and service. Our motto, Cor Unum et Anima Una — one heart, one soul — wasn’t just words on a wall; it was a lived reality.

But then came the change.

After the retirement of Superintendent Patricia Vesely — a respected leader who believed in the mission of Catholic schools — the Office of Catholic Schools in San Bernardino began to drift into a leadership vacuum. What followed was not collaboration or growth, but a quiet purge of experienced leaders and a culture of fear and control. School leaders were removed without due process. Decisions were made behind closed doors. Principals were left unsupported and scapegoated.

I was one of them.

Notre Dame didn’t collapse — it was dismantled. And no one has ever been held accountable for that. Not once has the diocese publicly acknowledged what happened to us. And now, years later, they’ve repeated the same cowardly playbook: Saint Francis’s staff reportedly found out about the school’s closure the same day parents were told. No warning. No support. No plan. Just a scripted message, a broken promise and silence.

This is not what Catholic leadership looks like.

Catholic schools can thrive. Just look to the Diocese of Orange or San Diego, where visionary leadership, strategic planning and genuine pastoral care have created vibrant, sustainable Catholic education systems. But here in San Bernardino? We get secrecy, misdirection and closures — followed by carefully worded statements no one believes.

I’m no longer a diocesan employee, but I will never stop telling the truth. I will speak up — not for me, but for the students, families, teachers and principals who deserve better.

I know the principal of Saint Francis. She is a devoted leader who has given everything to her school. If the diocese dares to blame her for this closure — just as they once tried to pin their failures on me — it will be another grave injustice.

To the Diocese of San Bernardino: Your silence speaks volumes. Your refusal to face the consequences of your actions has not gone unnoticed. And your Office of Catholic Schools has become unrecognizable from the mission it was built to serve.

To the community — parents, alumni, students and educators: Now is the time to speak.

Ask the hard questions. Demand transparency. Refuse to let another school disappear without a fight. Catholic education in this diocese has been under siege for far too long, and it won’t survive unless the people who believe in it stand up and say: Enough.

Write to the diocese. Call your parish office. Share your story. Demand accountability.

Because if we don’t fight for our Catholic schools, no one else will.

About the Author: Matthew M. Luttringer, M.Ed., is the retired principal of Notre Dame High School in Riverside, California, where he served as a Catholic school educator and administrator for 21 years within the Diocese of San Bernardino. He is a proud resident of Palm Springs and Newport Beach, and a lifelong Catholic who remains a steadfast advocate for the mission and future of Catholic education. While no longer employed by the Diocese, he continues to speak out in support of transparency, justice and accountability in Catholic school leadership. Matthew’s unwavering belief in Catholic education as a transformative force for young people, families and communities drives his continued work as an advocate and writer. He believes deeply that Catholic education has a vital place in the United States and must remain accessible, inclusive and rooted in truth.