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Michelle Peduto, former Western Pa. Catholic school superintendent, dies at 66

Michell Peduto Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh/Submitted photo

Catholic school students and faculty across Western Pennsylvania are mourning the loss of Michelle Peduto, the former Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Pittsburgh, who died of metastatic breast cancer on Tuesday, Aug. 13 at her home in Sewickley. She was 66.

Peduto left behind a legacy of serving Catholic schools in Western Pennsylvania for 21 years, which culminated in 2019 when Bishop David Zubik named her director — later superintendent — of Catholic schools.

Her tenure was defined by two challenges, one of which began less than a year into her tenure, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced all schools to close their doors. Under her leadership, schools in the diocese were able to navigate the pandemic relatively smoothly, and by 2023, students in the diocese were recording test scores far above the national average.

Also during her tenure, starting in 2020, the diocese underwent a massive regionalization and consolidation plan which saw schools move under the oversight of four regional school systems. While many schools closed and merged as a result of this plan, the diocese credits this regionalization for stabilizing enrollment.

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