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.
| The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia | |
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Fides et Scientia
(Faith and Knowledge)
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| Address | |
| 301 North Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107 United States |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private, All-Male |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1890 |
| Founder | Thomas E. Cahill |
| Rector | Rev. John B. Flanagan |
| Principal | Robert O'Neill |
| Asst. Principal | Terry Kane Brian Conroy Domenic DiMartino |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 950+ (2010) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 20.1:1 |
| Color(s) | Purple and Gold |
| Mascot | The Cahillite |
| Accreditation(s) | Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1] |
| Publication | Roamings (literary magazine) |
| Newspaper | 'The Cahillite' |
| Yearbook | 'Purple and Gold' |
| Tuition | $5,100 |
| Athletic Director | Dennis DiGiovanni |
| Alma Mater | The Purple and Gold |
| Website | romancatholichs.com |
Contents |
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 1960s.
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 Archbishop of Philadelphia Cardinal John 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.
Before 1996, 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 enrolls 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 was built to hold about 750 to 800 students. However, because of high demand, it is above capacity and holds closer to 1100. To select its students, Roman holds an entrance test every October, November, and December. 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.
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 tall and topped in copper, was destroyed by fire in 1959.
In 1953, the three-story original building received an additional two-story wing that housed physics and biology labs, as well as a new cafeteria.
In June 1997, ground was broken for yet another addition. This new structure housed additional class rooms, offices and a state-of-the-art Information Center, TV studio, and multi-media computer lab. The addition also nearly doubled the size of the existing cafeteria.
In the fall of 2006, the 13th St. Annex was opened, dedicated to alumnus James McSherry. This annex holds a weight room, the alumni offices, an all-purpose room for wrestling, and classrooms for Senior and Junior Theology and English, in addition to Sports Medicine class.
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!
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 and ended in 2007.
Roman Catholic is home to one of the most successful crews in North America, practicing for over 10 months a year. Roman's crew team sculls (using two oars per man while rowing) rather than sweeps (using 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 and 2010, the crew team won the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship. Many coaches currently run the program including coach cris bratton, Roger, and the amazing Tom Gilroy. Matt Weaver and Joe Horn are the team captains.
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 Championships.
The lacrosse team, relatively new 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.
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. In 2010 the hockey team won the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship.