St. Catherine’s Academy is a Catholic

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...

 military school located in Anaheim, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. It was founded in 1889 by The Dominican Sisters of Mission San José. The school offers a challenging academic program for boys in kindergarten through eighth grade, as well as military structure and leadership training. The school is open to both resident and day students.

Mission statement

“St. Catherine’s Academy provides a safe, Catholic, formative, educational environment which is enhanced by the charism of the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose and a military tradition for boys in kindergarten through eighth grade, both resident and day.”

History

St. Catherine’s Academy was founded by Mother Pia Backes, the foundress of the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose. The school was dedicated on March 19, 1889 as an academy for girls and a parochial school

Parochial school

A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...

 for local families. St. Catherine’s also spent time as an orphanage

Orphanage

An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...

 and a school for boys before becoming a military school in the 1920s. The name was changed to St. Catherine's Military School and later St. Catherine's Military Academy. In August 2010, the academy began using its original name, St. Catherine's Academy. The tagline "A Catholic School with a Military Tradition" is used to reflect the school's continued military tradition. The Dominican Sisters continue to be a presence on campus. Today, Sisters hold positions in administration, resident care, and teaching.

Campus

St. Catherine’s Academy has an 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) campus in Anaheim, California, just two miles (3 km) from Disneyland. Facilities include a classroom building, administrative office, dining hall, social hall, infirmary, indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, and large playing field. Resident cadets stay in one of four dorms staffed with a resident care provider and enjoy a recreation room and theatre.

The school’s chapel is the St. Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...

 Chapel. Decorated by artist Jan Henryk De Rosen

Jan Henryk de Rosen

Jan Henryk de Rosen was a Polish painter and patriot, who became well known for his mural and mosaic works, in exile and active in the United States after 1939.-Overview:...

, it is dedicated to the memory of Captain William Maguire, the cadets' chaplain in the 1950s. Captain Maguire was a United States Navy Chaplain

United States Navy Chaplain Corps

The Chaplain Corps of the United States Navy consists of ordained clergy who are commissioned naval officers. Their principal purpose is to "promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of the members of the Department of the Navy," which includes the Navy and the United States...

 to the Pacific Fleet

United States Pacific Fleet

The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He was at Pearl Harbor

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...

, preparing to celebrate 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...

 when the Japanese attacked.

Accreditations and memberships

• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
• National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
• Catholic Boarding Schools Associations (CBSA)
• Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS)
• International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC)

Academics

St. Catherine’s academics adhere to the standards of both the State of California and the Diocese of Orange. The school is proud of its commitment to computer technology, advanced math and science, and music programs.

Military Tradition

The military program begins for students in third grade. Its primary objectives are to develop within each cadet a keen sense of honor, commitment, cooperation, initiative, self-discipline, leadership, and respect. Cadets participate in drill training each afternoon. The military department also takes cadets to a one-week leadership camp held at Camp San Luis Obispo each summer.

Extracurricular activities

St. Catherine’s is accomplished in both athletics and music. St. Catherine’s competes in the Parochial Athletic League (PAL) in three sports: flag football

Flag football

Flag football is a version of Canadian football or American football that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end...

, volleyball

Volleyball

Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

, and basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

. In recent years, the school has won championships in all three sports (Basketball- 2006-2007; Flag Football- 2003-2004; Volleyball- 2001-2002). The music program is among the oldest ongoing programs in Orange County

Orange County, California

Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

 with over 70 years in existence. In addition to weekly music classes, students can take individual guitar and piano lessons. The school’s band, The Marching Knights, participates in various local parades and concerts.

Popular culture

St Catherine's Academy was used for exterior shots in the movie The Private War of Major Benson

The Private War of Major Benson

The Private War of Major Benson is 1955 comedy film starring Charlton Heston, Julie Adams, Sal Mineo and Tim Hovey, about a tough-talking U.S. Army Officer who must shape up the ROTC program at Sheridan Academy, a Catholic boys' military school, or be forced out of the Army.The movie was filmed on St...