Niagara Catholic High School

Niagara Catholic High School
Address
520 66th Street Niagara Falls, New York, (Niagara County), 14304  United States
Coordinates	43°4′59″N 78°59′21″W / 43.08306°N 78.98917°W / 43.08306; -78.98917Coordinates: 43°4′59″N 78°59′21″W / 43.08306°N 78.98917°W / 43.08306; -78.98917
Information
Type	Private, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic
Established	1975
Principal	Robert DiFrancesco
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	137  (2008)
Color(s)	red, white and blue
Athletics	Football, Soccer, Baseball, Volleyball, Hockey, Tennis, Softball, Golf, Wrestling, Basketball
Athletics conference	Monsignor Martin Athletic Association
Team name	Patriots
Accreditation(s)	Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1]
Admissions Director	Maura Cattarin
Athletic Director	Larry Puzan
Website	www.niagaracatholic.org
Niagara Catholic

Niagara Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Niagara Falls, New York. It is the only Catholic high school in Niagara County.

Background

Niagara Catholic was established in 1975 in the traditions of the former St. Mary's, Bishop Duffy and Madonna High Schools. It is located at 520 66th Street in the city of Niagara Falls, New York. It is currently the first school in New York State to run on a four day school week.

St. Mary's High School

In 1927 St. Mary's, a co-educational high school, was established by the Rev. Cornelius F. Killeen, Paster of St. Mary's Church, and staffed by the Sisters of Mercy, an international community of Roman Catholic women vowed to serve people who suffer from poverty, sickness and lack of education with a special concern for women and children. By the start of the school year in 1933, St. Mary's enjoyed it largest freshman enrollment to date. Its combination of a strict code of conduct, a well rounded curriculum and competitive athletic programs the school realized strong student enrollemtn throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. In 1959 the young women of St. Mary's moved to the newly constructed Madonna Catholic High School.

The Bishop Duffy Years

Named in honor of the most reverend John A. Duffy,D.D. the Bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo from 1937 until his death in 1944, the school officially opened its doors for young men in the fall of 1946. Under the direction of the Catholic order of priests known as the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales, the school slowly grew into one of the city's most poular High Schools. In 1954 construction of a new school began to rise adjacent to the old structure and dedicated two years later on January 29, 1956, the feast day of Saint Francis de Sales. As with Saint Mary's, Bishop Duffy flourished in both academics and sports with many of its teams winning several coveted regional titles in Football, Basketball and Baseball. One of the school's most popular extra curricular activities was the weekly Saturday night dance^[2]. The last school year for Bishop Duffy High School ended with the graduating class of 1974^[3].

don't walk on it

Madonna High Schiool

Located at the corner of Girard Avenue and 66th Street, Madonna was an all girls Catholic High School, grades 9-12 staffed by both the Sisters of Mercy and lay teachers. But the declining population of Niagara Falls, New York forced the school to merge with the boys of Bishop Duffy High School located just one block away. In the fall of 1975 Bishop Duffy and Madonna High Schools combined under one entity to become Niagara Catholic High School.^[4]

Madonna-Duffy Athletic display

External links

• School Website

Notes and references

1. ^ MSA-CSS. "MSA-Commission on Secondary Schools". http://www.css-msa.org/search.php/. Retrieved 2009-05-27. 
2. ^ Johnathan DeVoy (April 30, 2010). "Put your Bishop Duffy Dancing Shoes On". The Niagara Falls Reporter (Niagara Falls, NY). 
3. ^ Bill Gallagher (August 26, 2008). "Bishop Duffy gone but not forgotten, as Niagara Catholic carries the torch". The Niagara Falls Reporter (Niagara Falls, NY). 
4. ^ "Madonna/Bishop Duffy Senior Class Officers of 1975". The Niagara Falls Reporter (Niagara Falls, NY). June 18, 1975.