Saint Francis Central Coast Catholic High School
Encyclopedia
Saint Francis Central Coast Catholic High School is a Catholic School
located in Watsonville, California
. The school was named after Saint Francis of Assisi
and Saint Francis de Sales
, and is operated by an independent corporation that is a partnership between the Salesian Society and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey.
. In 1871, a group of Franciscans (Order of Friars Minor) from Germany assumed responsibility for the orphanage.
Originally Saint Francis School and the Immaculate Conception Orphanage were set off on the northern side Hecker Pass Road and overlooked excellent farm land. As the program grew, the friars developed the agricultural program as a way to support the orphanage and the school. The presence of the school also attracted the support of local farmers, many of whom were Catholic immigrants from Ireland, Italy and Croatia. As farm families looked to St Francis as the local spiritual center (the parish church
was several miles away), the Franciscan friars opened the school chapel for Sunday Services and daily Mass
es. The school chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, became known simply as the 'Valley Church'.
The Franciscan friars remained at Saint Francis School through the remainder of the 19th century, enlarging the plant, developing the farm, and serving hundreds of needy boys. At the beginning of the 20th century, the friars launched a building program. It was time to move out of the wooden dwellings and build a modern plant. The friars planned to build a whole new style of residential program for the boys, with twelve group homes to be built on three sides of a central plaza, and a school building, dining facilities, and a new Valley Church on the fourth side. The building program was launched in 1913. Unfortunately, one year later World War I
broke out in Europe. The fact that the Franciscan Community in the Pajaro Valley was largely made up of Germans created difficulties in the minds of local businessmen. The contractor that the friars had hired, a German-American, was boycotted by those in building supplies. As a result, he could only procure inferior materials for the building of the new school and residences.
In 1995 a movement for a new Catholic high school in the Diocese of Monterey took off with the support of Bishop Sylvester Ryan and the Salesians of Don Bosco
. From 1998 to 2001, funds were raised, plans made, students recruited, teachers hired, and construction begun.
In 2001, the school opened with 35 freshmen and sophomores at a temporary location in Santa Cruz
. Students, teachers, staff members, and administrators commuted to Holy Cross Parish Hall for classes, while construction was underway on the new classrooms being built at the Watsonville site.
During the summer months the school moved from Santa Cruz into the present facilities. The dedication service was held on August 25, 2002, and classes started the next day.
band, Saint Francis Music Ministry (SFMM), which has cut two professional albums in the Pineforest Studios in Aptos
.
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
located in Watsonville, California
Watsonville, California
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 51,199 according to the 2010 census.Located on the central coast of California, the economy centers predominantly around the farming industry. It is known for growing strawberries, apples, lettuce and a host...
. The school was named after Saint Francis of Assisi
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
and Saint Francis de Sales
Francis de Sales
Francis de Sales was Bishop of Geneva and is a Roman Catholic saint. He worked to convert Protestants back to Catholicism, and was an accomplished preacher...
, and is operated by an independent corporation that is a partnership between the Salesian Society and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey.
History and Early Development
The origins of Saint Francis School go back to 1869. In that year the Catholic Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles opened a boys' orphanage in the Pajaro Valley, on the outskirts of the farming community of Watsonville. The orphanage was placed under the patronage of the Virgin Mary as the Immaculate ConceptionImmaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
. In 1871, a group of Franciscans (Order of Friars Minor) from Germany assumed responsibility for the orphanage.
Originally Saint Francis School and the Immaculate Conception Orphanage were set off on the northern side Hecker Pass Road and overlooked excellent farm land. As the program grew, the friars developed the agricultural program as a way to support the orphanage and the school. The presence of the school also attracted the support of local farmers, many of whom were Catholic immigrants from Ireland, Italy and Croatia. As farm families looked to St Francis as the local spiritual center (the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
was several miles away), the Franciscan friars opened the school chapel for Sunday Services and daily Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
es. The school chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, became known simply as the 'Valley Church'.
The Franciscan friars remained at Saint Francis School through the remainder of the 19th century, enlarging the plant, developing the farm, and serving hundreds of needy boys. At the beginning of the 20th century, the friars launched a building program. It was time to move out of the wooden dwellings and build a modern plant. The friars planned to build a whole new style of residential program for the boys, with twelve group homes to be built on three sides of a central plaza, and a school building, dining facilities, and a new Valley Church on the fourth side. The building program was launched in 1913. Unfortunately, one year later World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out in Europe. The fact that the Franciscan Community in the Pajaro Valley was largely made up of Germans created difficulties in the minds of local businessmen. The contractor that the friars had hired, a German-American, was boycotted by those in building supplies. As a result, he could only procure inferior materials for the building of the new school and residences.
In 1995 a movement for a new Catholic high school in the Diocese of Monterey took off with the support of Bishop Sylvester Ryan and the Salesians of Don Bosco
John Bosco
John Bosco , was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer of the 19th century, who put into practice the convictions of his religion, dedicating his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth and employing teaching methods...
. From 1998 to 2001, funds were raised, plans made, students recruited, teachers hired, and construction begun.
In 2001, the school opened with 35 freshmen and sophomores at a temporary location in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
. Students, teachers, staff members, and administrators commuted to Holy Cross Parish Hall for classes, while construction was underway on the new classrooms being built at the Watsonville site.
During the summer months the school moved from Santa Cruz into the present facilities. The dedication service was held on August 25, 2002, and classes started the next day.
Sports
Volleyball, Cross Country, Football, Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Track and Field, Golf, Baseball, Softball, Swimming.The arts, music and theater
St. Francis has a Christian rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band, Saint Francis Music Ministry (SFMM), which has cut two professional albums in the Pineforest Studios in Aptos
Aptos, California
Aptos is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 6,220 at the 2010 census.Aptos is an unincorporated area of Santa Cruz county, consisting of several small communities...
.
See also
- Santa Cruz County high schools
External links
- www.stfrancishigh.net
- www.go-sharks.net Athletic Department
External links
- http://www.calbears.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/brown_kat00.html
- http://www.csurams.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/sambrailo_ty00.html
- http://www.gobulldogs.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/gaspar_kaohu00.html
- http://www.guyfieri.com/