This website seeks to celebrate the history of the Catholic high schools in the United States. We welcome you to read the following introduction, then click on the link below to view various pages on the topic of Catholic high schools

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The Roman Catholic Schools in the United States comprise one of the most successful school systems ever developed. millions of children, both Catholic and non-Catholic, have been effectively educated in the Catholic schools of the United States. Elementary schools are attached to most all Catholic parishes and Catholic high schools serve the needs of Catholic youth throughout the country.

It was during the post World War II years, commonly called the Baby Boomer years, that the Catholic schools in the United States swelled in both number and enrollment. New schools were built throughout the country. At its peak in 1965, the number of Catholic high schools in the United Stated reached over 5,000 with 1.1 million secondary students enrolled. These schools were staffed by various congregations of Women and Men Religious who made up 95% of the faculties with the remaining 5% being comprised of dedicated lay women and men. Today's Catholic School statistics demonstrate a reversal of percentages regarding school staff, with 96% of Catholic school staff being laymen and laywomen and less than 5% being Religious. The number of Catholic high schools in the United States has decreased by more than 60%, although some areas are actually building or opening new Catholic high schools.

This website recognizes and celebrates the unique experience that was shared by those who attended a Catholic high school in the United States. Those four years of Catholic education were, for the vast majority of such students, a joyful, welcoming, life-affirming experience. Most consider their Catholic high school a home, a haven, a retreat, a refuge. For the most part, the Catholic schools were conducted by various congregations of Women Religious, who took a personal, direct, and deliberate interest in each student. While the media repeatedly provides us with a cartoon caricature of Catholic high school life, the reality is that the Catholic high schools of the United States have been responsible for the development of millions of men and women of character, integrity, intellect, and respect who have contributed greatly and in a positive way to the world in which we live today. As you read through this website, we invite each Catholic high school graduate to consider what life without that experience would have been like, and how much it impacted who they became as adult men and women.

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