Roman Catholic High School for Boys

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The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia (Official)
Seal of Roman Catholic High School
Fides et Scientia
(Faith and Knowledge)
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Information
President Rev. Joseph W. Bongard
Principal Mr. Robert O'Neill
Type Parochial
Grades 9-12
Mascot The Cahillite
Established 1890
Alma Mater "The Purple and Gold"
Homepage http://www.romancatholichs.com/

The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia opened in 1890 as an all-male high school located at the intersection of Broad and Vine Streets in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

Contents

[edit] History

Roman Catholic, or simply Roman, as it is often called, was founded by Thomas E. Cahill, a nineteenth century Philadelphia merchant. Cahill saw the need to create a school that offered a free Catholic education for boys- past their grammar school years. He died before he saw his vision come to life; however, the wishes that he laid out in his will were followed. As such, Roman Catholic opened its doors in 1890 and offered a free education to boys. Roman is the oldest free Diocesan Catholic high school in North America. Despite Cahill's dream, due to increased costs of staff and facilities, free admission to the school ended in the 1960's.

As of 2006 the tuition for all Archdiocesan high schools in Philadelphia was approximately $4,200 per year.

[edit] Crisis of the 1980s

Roman was not always as successful as it is today. In 1985, the Archdiocese slated the school for closing due to lowering enrollment. However, Roman's alumni association, with the blessing of then Archbishop of Philadelphia John Cardinal Krol, embarked on a campaign to save the school.

Roman's Alumni Association, which had existed for over 70 years, came together to raise funds and increase enrollment. The rector of the school even applied to have the building itself kept as a historic landmark, which was accepted. The significance of the historic landmark designation means the building on the corner of Broad and Vine Streets can never legally be torn down. Also, its exterior must always stay the same - though it does not have to remain a school.

[edit] The 'New' Roman

Before 1986, students who attended Roman were from "feeder parishes"; Roman served as the school for the boys from the Center City, Chinatown, East Falls, Fairmount, Manayunk, North Philadelphia, and Roxborough regions of Philadelphia.

Today, however, Roman has boys from almost every Philadelphia neighborhood, including The Near and Far Northeast, West Philadelphia, Fishtown, Port Richmond, South Philly, New Jersey,Fox Chase, and the outlying suburbs.

Roman Catholic is built to hold around 750 to 800 students. However, because of high demand, it is above capacity and holds closer to 1000. To select its students, Roman holds an entrance test every October and November. Of the 600 or 700 students that apply, only about 300 to 350 will be accepted. Students who do well on these tests also may receive scholarships ranging from a few hundred dollars to as much as $4000 a year. Usually, about 40 students receive scholarships.

Roman, like other high schools, has a tracking system: that is, first track (also called honors track), second track, and third track. Roman, however, is unique in that it tracks its honors class into three classes. While students in the honors classes learn the same material at the same pace, it creates a better learning system to have students of the same level together. A downside to such a tracking is that students find themselves among the same 35 boys in every single class.

Today, Roman seeks to further expand its campus. In the fall of 2006, the 13th St. Annex was opened, dedicated to alumnus James McSherry. The annex holds a new weight room, the alumni office, an all purpose room for wrestling, and classrooms for Senior and Junior Theology and English, in addition to Sports Medicine class. Plans are still in the works for extending the main building down Vine Street to 13th Street.

[edit] The Building

The school, built on the northeast corner of Broad and Vine Streets, is an imposing figure of gothic architecture. The main superstructure is of white marble raised on a foundation of granite. Its white marble tower, 150 feet high, was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1959. In 1953, the three story building received an additional wing two stories high, which now houses the physics and biology labs, and the cafeteria.

[edit] Rectors of Catholic High

[edit] School Song

The Purple and Gold
(Short Version)

When Day mounts the East, What flag does he hold?
He flings out his banner of Purple and Gold!
And when at the eve, He sinks to his rest,
With Purple and Gold still aflame is the West!

Then stand by the flag, The young and the old!
Its colors are yours – The Purple and the Gold!
A smile on the lip, A tear in the eye,
Salute ye the colors of Catholic High!

Refrain:

Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!
Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!

    • Msgr. Hugh T. Henry

[edit] Athletics

Roman Catholic has been prominent in the Philadelphia Catholic League in basketball since the League's inception, winning 28 of 86 championship games since 1920. Almost a dozen future NBA players have played for the Roman squad during that time.

Roman has also had success in football. In the 2006 playoffs, Roman finished with a strong 9-3 record while losing to La Salle in the second round of Catholic League playoffs. In 2007, Roman defeated Northeast Catholic, and Father Judge en route to a win in the Catholic League Championship, 10-9 over St. Joseph's Prep. This was Roman's best record ever at 12-2. This marks the team's second Red Division championship since the inception of the new Catholic League format, which began in 1999.

Roman Catholic is home to one of the most successful crews in North America, practicing for over 10 months a year. Roman is the only Catholic high school in Philadelphia that sculls (uses two oars per man while rowing) rather than sweeps (uses one oar a man while rowing). Recently it contributed a Lightweight Four to the Philadelphia Catholic League Rowing championships, finishing second in 2005 to Monsignor Bonner High School by six-tenths of a second. Roman's major sculling rivals are The Haverford School, Conestoga High School, and Malvern Preparatory School. In 2003 and 2005, two Roman students represented the United States at the Junior World Championships in Athens, Greece & Brandenburg, Germany. In 2006, the crew won the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship for the first time in the school's history over St. Joe's Prep.[citation needed]

Roman's golf team has enjoyed many years of success as one of the top teams in the league. Led by Coach Daniel Hoban '92, a PGA professional, the team has been able to work well together and learn many aspects of the game from Coach Hoban which has propelled the team to immediate success. Although this past season was a rebuilding year, the team still finished with a 12-5 record for the regular season but finished with a disappointing 8th out of 9th place at the Catholic League Champs. Next year the team will turn to captain Andrew Jaskel, a 3-time All-Catholic, who will look to return the team to old form atop the Catholic League.

The lacrosse team, a relatively new team at Roman, has had great success in recent years. Although they have never made it to the championship game they have made it to the semi or quarter finals each of the last four seasons. Their biggest rivals are St. Joe's Prep and Monsignor Bonner. In their 2004 and 2005 seasons Roman Catholic's lacrosse team had three bench-clearing fights with Monsignor Bonner.

Ice Hockey, which is not a school-sponsored sport, but a club sport, has been the most successful sport at Roman since 2000. They captured their first championship in 2000. Then titles came in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, the Cahillites had a tough time, although it led to a little playoff run, which ended by losing in the semifinals, in overtime, versus Bishop Shanahan High School. The Philadelphia Catholic League does not sponsor a hockey league, and Roman participates in the Lower Bucks County Scholastic Hockey League.

[edit] Notable Alumni

[edit] External links

Philadelphia Portal