Holy Family High School (Glendale, California)
Encyclopedia
Holy Family High School is a private
, Roman Catholic, all-girls high school
in Glendale, California
. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
.
In 1940, because of the growing enrollment, Msgr. Galvin purchased the old Knights of Columbus Hall on Lomita Avenue and converted it into a four-year high school. There were seventeen members in the charter graduating class of 1941, and, as enrollment continued to grow, so did the very special spirit that has characterized Holy Family High from its earliest years.
In 1951 Msgr. Galvin purchased two more lots adjacent to the high school on the east for the construction of the present building. Under the principalship of S. Mary George Francis, B.V.M., the Class of 1952 was the first class to graduate from the new building. Msgr. Galvin continued as chief administrator until 1972. In 1974, during the administration of Sister Ann Eileen Clancy, B.V.M., Msgr. Arthur J. Lirette became pastor. He showed a constant personal interest in all the activities of the school, academic, religious, and social. During the ensuing fifteen years, the chief building project was the retrofitting of the parish church and the parish elementary school, both of which had suffered damage in the earthquakes of 1971 and 1987, whereas the high school building had stood firm.
Msgr. Lirette retired in 1996 during the principalship of Ms Jacqueline Kresal, who had assumed duties as the first lay principal in 1987. Holy Family High School has been served by seven B.V.M. principals since its founding in 1937, and is now led by its fourth laywoman, Dr. Michelle Purghart (2005–Present). The new pastor-administrator, Father Joseph Shea, immediately inaugurated plans for building and enrollment expansion for the school. One of the most important aspects was the establishment of an endowment for tuition assistance of $1 million through the annual summer fundraiser, “A Midsummer Night’s Cuisine,” which was discontinued after 2008.
Even though times and faces have changed through the years, particularly with an approximately fifty percent faculty turnover rate per year since Purghart became principal, there still exists a very special spirit on the Holy Family campus. Many of the old traditions endure: the Mass of the Holy Spirit, Candle Lighting, and May Crowning, while many of the traditions, such as Father-Daughter Night, Mission Day, and others have been discontinued.
Demanding academic challenges, keen sports competition, and an outstanding fine arts program, all contributed to helping Holy Family graduates take their proper places as Catholic leaders in an ever-changing world.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, Roman Catholic, all-girls high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the archdiocese comprises the California counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the...
.
Background
Holy Family Girls High School, a college-preparatory school, opened its doors to 21 freshmen in September 1937. For three years classes were held on the top floor of the grade school and were conducted by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with Sister Mary St. Bertha, B.V.M., as principal until 1943. Members of the charter class recall that the chemistry lab was a former piano lesson room, that the first issue of the school paper was published under the most adverse conditions, and that only high school girls could use the front stairs.In 1940, because of the growing enrollment, Msgr. Galvin purchased the old Knights of Columbus Hall on Lomita Avenue and converted it into a four-year high school. There were seventeen members in the charter graduating class of 1941, and, as enrollment continued to grow, so did the very special spirit that has characterized Holy Family High from its earliest years.
In 1951 Msgr. Galvin purchased two more lots adjacent to the high school on the east for the construction of the present building. Under the principalship of S. Mary George Francis, B.V.M., the Class of 1952 was the first class to graduate from the new building. Msgr. Galvin continued as chief administrator until 1972. In 1974, during the administration of Sister Ann Eileen Clancy, B.V.M., Msgr. Arthur J. Lirette became pastor. He showed a constant personal interest in all the activities of the school, academic, religious, and social. During the ensuing fifteen years, the chief building project was the retrofitting of the parish church and the parish elementary school, both of which had suffered damage in the earthquakes of 1971 and 1987, whereas the high school building had stood firm.
Msgr. Lirette retired in 1996 during the principalship of Ms Jacqueline Kresal, who had assumed duties as the first lay principal in 1987. Holy Family High School has been served by seven B.V.M. principals since its founding in 1937, and is now led by its fourth laywoman, Dr. Michelle Purghart (2005–Present). The new pastor-administrator, Father Joseph Shea, immediately inaugurated plans for building and enrollment expansion for the school. One of the most important aspects was the establishment of an endowment for tuition assistance of $1 million through the annual summer fundraiser, “A Midsummer Night’s Cuisine,” which was discontinued after 2008.
Even though times and faces have changed through the years, particularly with an approximately fifty percent faculty turnover rate per year since Purghart became principal, there still exists a very special spirit on the Holy Family campus. Many of the old traditions endure: the Mass of the Holy Spirit, Candle Lighting, and May Crowning, while many of the traditions, such as Father-Daughter Night, Mission Day, and others have been discontinued.
Demanding academic challenges, keen sports competition, and an outstanding fine arts program, all contributed to helping Holy Family graduates take their proper places as Catholic leaders in an ever-changing world.
Today
Holy Family High School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), earning a full-term (6-year) accreditation at the last self-study (March 2001). The high school has also been voted “Best Private School” in Glendale from 1999 - 2010. ON January 27, 2010, it was recognized as one of the top 50 schools in the United States, and one of the top three in the state of California, by the Catholic High School Honor Roll for “contributing in extraordinary ways to the moral and intellectual formation of young people.”See also
- Holy Family Catholic Church (Glendale, California)Holy Family Catholic Church (Glendale, California)Holy Family Catholic Church is a Catholic parish located on Elk Avenue in Glendale, California that consists of a Catholic church, an elementary school and an all girls high school...