The Diocese of Rockville Centre has announced the closure of three of its schools due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a release, the diocese announced three elementary schools -- Holy Family Regional in Commack, Our Lady of Wisdom Regional in Port Jefferson and St. Peter of Alcantara in Port Washington -- will close at the end of the current school year and not reopen for the next academic year.

The diocese cited a decline in Catholic school enrollment nationwide due to changing demographics and increased competition from other schools. It adds that these issues existed before the pandemic, but were worsened by it.

The diocese says students from any of the shuttered schools will be welcomed into any other of its schools.

"We are deeply saddened by the closings of these three elementary schools," says Sean P. Dolan, director of communications with the Diocese of Rockville Centre. "COVID-19 has had a significant financial impact on all of the parishes and schools within the diocese, resulting in the difficult decision to close these three Catholic elementary schools in order to eliminate the unsustainable financial stress on their parishes,"