Paterson Diocese says it is closing four schools.

Byline: John Chadwick

Feb. 14--The Catholic Diocese of Paterson, declaring that the days when every parish could afford to run its own school are long gone, said Monday it is closing four K-8 schools in Paterson, Passaic and Clifton.

The closings, which mirror a national trend, reflect shrinking enrollments, higher costs for teachers and the migration of Catholics to the suburbs, church officials said.

And, they said, the changing times mean that the diocese must move to a system under which several parishes support one school.

"We must sometimes prune the tree to keep it strong," Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli said in a statement.

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