O'Connell College Preparatory School
Encyclopedia
O'Connell College Preparatory School (formerly O'Connell Consolidated High School) is a 4-year coeducational parochial/private high school in Galveston, Texas
, United States
that offers university-preparatory programs
. It was founded in 1968 as a consolidation of Galveston Island
's three existing Catholic high schools: Kirwin High School (Boys, founded in 1927) and Dominican High School
(Girls, founded in 1882) and Ursuline Academy (Girls, founded in 1847) and is the only Roman Catholic high school in Galveston County.
in Galveston from 1933 until his death in 1966, and a long time supporter of Catholic education.
In 2003, after incurring many years of financial debt, Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza
announced O’Connell High School would close at the end of the 2003-2004 school year.
Archbishop Fiorenza offered to allow the school to remain open, if funding could be secured that would enable the school to operate without any subsidy from the Archdiocese.
In the spring of 2004 a plan was presented to the Archbishop in which a private foundation, the O’Connell Foundation, would be established with funds from alumni and others in the community. The foundation would offset any expenses previously covered by the Archdiocese, as well as provide for the lease of the campus, which the Archbishop wanted to sell.
Archbishop Fiorenza approved the plan and on July 1, 2004 the school was reopened as O’Connell Consolidated High School. In the spring of 2007, the school's board of trustees decided to rename the school O'Connell College Preparatory School, to help distinguish it from other local public and private schools of secondary education.
In 2008 the Houston Press
reported that O'Connell may close due to damage from Hurricane Ike.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that offers university-preparatory programs
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
. It was founded in 1968 as a consolidation of Galveston Island
Galveston Island
Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States, about 50 miles southeast of Houston. The entire island, with the exception of Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City of Galveston....
's three existing Catholic high schools: Kirwin High School (Boys, founded in 1927) and Dominican High School
Dominican High School (Galveston, Texas)
Dominican High School was a Catholic high school that existed in Galveston, Texas, USA from 1882 to 1968.-Consolidation and Closure:In the autumn of 1967, the religious orders operating Dominican High School and the two other Galveston Catholic high schools agreed on consolidation as a means of...
(Girls, founded in 1882) and Ursuline Academy (Girls, founded in 1847) and is the only Roman Catholic high school in Galveston County.
History
In the fall of 1968, the religious orders operating the three schools agreed on consolidation as a means of continuing Catholic secondary education in Galveston, offering a broader curriculum than was possible in any of the three smaller high schools. Bishop John Morkovsky, S.T.D., approved the plan and appointed a Board of Trustees composed of laymen and priests representing all the parishes in Galveston County. The Board named the newly consolidated school after the Right Rev. Monsignor Daniel P. O’Connell, P.A., pastor of St. Mary’s CathedralSt. Mary's Cathedral Basilica
St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica is a Roman Catholic place of worship situated in Galveston, Texas. It is the primary cathedral of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and the mother church of the Catholic Church in Texas, as well as a basilica church. Along with the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart...
in Galveston from 1933 until his death in 1966, and a long time supporter of Catholic education.
In 2003, after incurring many years of financial debt, Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza
Joseph Fiorenza
Joseph Anthony Fiorenza is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the seventh Bishop and the first Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, serving from 1985 to 2006...
announced O’Connell High School would close at the end of the 2003-2004 school year.
Archbishop Fiorenza offered to allow the school to remain open, if funding could be secured that would enable the school to operate without any subsidy from the Archdiocese.
In the spring of 2004 a plan was presented to the Archbishop in which a private foundation, the O’Connell Foundation, would be established with funds from alumni and others in the community. The foundation would offset any expenses previously covered by the Archdiocese, as well as provide for the lease of the campus, which the Archbishop wanted to sell.
Archbishop Fiorenza approved the plan and on July 1, 2004 the school was reopened as O’Connell Consolidated High School. In the spring of 2007, the school's board of trustees decided to rename the school O'Connell College Preparatory School, to help distinguish it from other local public and private schools of secondary education.
In 2008 the Houston Press
Houston Press
The Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
reported that O'Connell may close due to damage from Hurricane Ike.
See also
- Education in Galveston, TexasEducation in Galveston, TexasAs one of the oldest and more historically significant cities in Texas, Galveston has had a long history of advancements and offerings in education, including: the first parochial school , the first medical college , and the first school for nurses .-Healthcare and research:Established in 1891...
- List of schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston