 This prompted several schools to close and caused critical situations for a number of the 47 reservation schools.In response, Catholic Bureau director Monsignor Paul Lenz founded an "Association of Catholic Indian Schools", which in June 1983, coordinated plans to maintain the schools through direct mail campaigns, personal appeals and wills of request.After Pope Paul VI restored the permanent deaconate in 1967, the ranks of deacons began to include Native Americans.