NEWTON (CBS) – A Newton religious school said in a lighthearted announcement that it has decided to postpone Lent due to the massive amounts of snow that have hit New England this winter.

Andover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre said in the tongue-in-cheek press release that snow has caused students to miss so much time in the classroom that it is only fair to push back Lent by one week.

“Part of our mission as a school is to be ‘radically open to what God is doing now.’ Well, we have no idea what God is doing now, except this: Snow. Lots of snow,” President Martin Copenhaver joked.

“We have had to cancel classes on six days already — that’s already a whole week (minus Sunday, of course). In other words, we are already a full week behind. Therefore, we feel obliged to respond. Moving Lent seemed the least we could do. Might it be controversial? Yes, but we are not only the oldest, we are also the boldest seminary in the country. Here we stand. We can do no other.”

In the press release, Dean of the Faculty Sarah Drummond said that after meeting with staff on campus “I have determined we have suffered enough.”

Lent, which began on Wednesday, is a Christian observance that begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts until April 2.

Andover Newton Theological School was founded in 1807.