A historic Catholic high school in Montreal has chosen its religious mission over government funding, announcing that it will become fully independent rather than make changes required to continue receiving provincial subsidies under Quebec’s new secularism law.
Loyola High School, a Jesuit Catholic school founded in 1896, announced Sept. 4 that its Board of Governors and Jesuit Board of Directors unanimously decided to give up provincial subsidies as the school prepares for new requirements under Quebec’s Bill 9.
“Quebec’s Bill 9 requires schools like Loyola to choose between government subsidy and our Jesuit, Catholic mission,” the school said in its announcement. “After a year of careful study, our Board of Governors and our Jesuit Board of Directors unanimously elected to protect our mission: Loyola will forgo provincial subsidies and become a fully independent school, on the timeline the law allows.”
Bill 9, formally known as An Act respecting the reinforcement of laicity in Québec, was adopted and assented to on April 2, 2026. According to Loyola, provisions affecting subsidized private schools are scheduled to take effect April 2, 2029.
For Catholic schools that continue receiving government subsidies, the law places significant restrictions on how religion can be incorporated into education. According to Loyola’s explanation of the legislation, mandatory religious instruction could no longer be used to transmit Catholic beliefs, while religious practices including Mass, prayer and retreats would have to be optional and take place outside the hours devoted to educational services.
The restrictions would also extend Quebec’s prohibition on religious symbols to personnel at subsidized private schools, with certain grandfathering provisions. Loyola said the restrictions could affect Jesuits joining the school in positions covered by the law, preventing them from wearing clerical attire.
For Loyola, school leaders determined that accepting those conditions would fundamentally alter what it means to provide a Jesuit Catholic education.
“The answer has not changed since 1896: to form young people who are intellectually competent, open to growth, religious, loving, and committed to doing justice, in an education where faith is not only a classroom subject but also woven through the entire school day,” the school said.
“Under the new law, keeping the subsidy would require Loyola to change important aspects of how we live our Jesuit, Catholic mission,” the statement continued. “After careful discernment, we concluded that we cannot make those changes and remain faithful to who we are.”
According to LifeSiteNews, Bill 9 passed earlier this year following a 76-28 vote. The outlet reported that the legislation was supported by Quebec Premier François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec and the Parti Québécois, while the Liberals and Québec solidaire opposed it.
Loyola had been preparing for the possibility of independence before making its final decision. According to the school, nearly 1,500 members of its community responded to a survey as leaders examined the effects of the law. The school also conducted consultations, commissioned an independent financial feasibility study and considered the potential consequences for faculty and staff.
Becoming independent will come at a significant financial cost.
Loyola estimates that losing provincial subsidies will create a funding gap of roughly $7,500 per student annually. In today’s dollars, total tuition and fees could rise from approximately $12,530 to between $20,000 and $21,000.
School leaders have pledged to substantially expand financial aid during and after the transition. Loyola currently reports that roughly 15 percent of its families receive financial assistance, and the school plans to expand its existing $12.3 million endowment as it prepares for independence.
The school has also authorized a major capital campaign intended to increase its endowment and help preserve access for families who otherwise might struggle with higher tuition.
Despite the financial challenge ahead, Loyola characterized the decision not as a retreat but as a deliberate choice about what kind of school it intends to remain.
“For 130 years, Loyola has formed young people in mind, heart, and spirit as lived daily in our classrooms, our chapel, our fields, and our service to others,” the school said. “That is what this decision protects.”
As the 2029 deadline approaches, Loyola intends to transition away from provincial subsidies while maintaining the Catholic identity that has shaped the school for generations.
“Who we are will not change,” school leaders declared. “Loyola will remain Loyola, a Jesuit, Catholic school, tomorrow morning and every morning after.”
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