Verbum Dei High School
Encyclopedia
Verbum Dei High School, colloquially referred to as "the Verb", is an all-male Catholic
high school
combining college-preparatory academic courses and immersion in corporate work environments. It is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
with the sponsorship of the California Province of the Society of Jesus
. Students can graduate in four years with a high school diploma.
Verbum Dei offers a variety of sports and extracurricular activities. The sports program includes football
, basketball
, cross country
, track and field
, soccer, baseball
, golf
, and volleyball
. Extracurricular activities include Christian community service
, cultural awareness, campus ministry groups, an honor society
, and musical bands. Although the school is based on Catholic values, it is entirely interdenominational. Students of any faith or religious persuasion may attend.
The school is located in the Watts
residential district of the city of Los Angeles, California
, a few blocks north of Interstate 105 (I-105)
and a few miles east of Interstate 110 (I-110)
.
with the permission and recommendation of Cardinal James McIntyre to serve the educational needs of the black community of South Los Angeles
. The school was named after one of Jesus
' epithets, Verbum Dei ("the Word of God"). Bishop
Joseph Francis, S.V.D.
led the founding team and served as the school's first principal. The Society maintained a presence at the school until December 2006, when long-time Verbum Dei faculty/staff member Br. Richard "Rich" Morrill, S.V.D. departed due to terminal illness; it remains to be seen if the Society will provide another of its members to Verbum Dei.
At some point, the school expanded its mission in order to also serve the educational needs of the "Latino
" community of South Los Angeles.
Verbum Dei's performance began to decline in the 1980s—probably due to the urban decay of South Los Angeles
that began in the 1970s—and suffered further during the neighborhood gang war
s of the 1990s, experiencing declining enrollment and instability within the administration. However, it received significant financial help in the mid-1990s and improvements were made in various buildings on campus as well as the creation of new ones.
In 2000, Cardinal Roger Mahony asked the California Province of the Society of Jesus to assist in the administration of the school, asserting that the school had to improve significantly by 2006 to avoid permanent shutdown. Verbum Dei became recognized as a Jesuit school at that point. Leading the Jesuit team was Reverend Bill Wood, S.J.
. The school became a member of the Cristo Rey Network
and adopted its current scholastic model (see Corporate Work Study Program below) in 2002. The school has joint accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
(WASC) and the Western Catholic Education Association
(WCEA). Verbum Dei also has accreditation by the California Province (CalProv) of the Society of Jesus.
The Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary
have been providing a nun
to the Verbum Dei staff for several years at least.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
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....
combining college-preparatory academic courses and immersion in corporate work environments. It is operated by 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...
with the sponsorship of the California Province of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. Students can graduate in four years with a high school diploma.
Verbum Dei offers a variety of sports and extracurricular activities. The sports program includes football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, 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...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, soccer, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, and 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...
. Extracurricular activities include Christian community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
, cultural awareness, campus ministry groups, an honor society
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
, and musical bands. Although the school is based on Catholic values, it is entirely interdenominational. Students of any faith or religious persuasion may attend.
The school is located in the Watts
Watts, Los Angeles, California
Watts is a mostly residential neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California.-History:The area now known as Watts is located on the Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant...
residential district of the city of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, a few blocks north of Interstate 105 (I-105)
Interstate 105 (California)
Interstate 105 is an Interstate Highway in southern Los Angeles County, California that runs east–west from near the Los Angeles International Airport to Norwalk...
and a few miles east of Interstate 110 (I-110)
Interstate 110 (California)
Route 110, consisting of two segments of State Route 110 joined by Interstate 110 , is a state highway in the Los Angeles area of the U.S. state of California, mostly built to freeway standards...
.
History
Verbum Dei was founded in 1962 by the Society of the Divine WordDivine Word Missionaries
The Society of the Divine Word , popularly called the Divine Word Missionaries, and sometimes the Steyler Missionaries, is a missionary religious congregation in the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the Catholic Church. As of 2006 it consisted of 6,102 members composed...
with the permission and recommendation of Cardinal James McIntyre to serve the educational needs of the black community of South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
. The school was named after one of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' epithets, Verbum Dei ("the Word of God"). Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Joseph Francis, S.V.D.
Divine Word Missionaries
The Society of the Divine Word , popularly called the Divine Word Missionaries, and sometimes the Steyler Missionaries, is a missionary religious congregation in the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the Catholic Church. As of 2006 it consisted of 6,102 members composed...
led the founding team and served as the school's first principal. The Society maintained a presence at the school until December 2006, when long-time Verbum Dei faculty/staff member Br. Richard "Rich" Morrill, S.V.D. departed due to terminal illness; it remains to be seen if the Society will provide another of its members to Verbum Dei.
At some point, the school expanded its mission in order to also serve the educational needs of the "Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
" community of South Los Angeles.
Verbum Dei's performance began to decline in the 1980s—probably due to the urban decay of South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
that began in the 1970s—and suffered further during the neighborhood gang war
Gang War
Gang War is a 1928 gangster film, best known for being the main feature attached to Steamboat Willie, the debut of Mickey Mouse in sound. The film starred Jack Pickford in his last major role, as "Clyde", a saxophone player whose love for a dancer named Flowers traps him in the middle of a gang war...
s of the 1990s, experiencing declining enrollment and instability within the administration. However, it received significant financial help in the mid-1990s and improvements were made in various buildings on campus as well as the creation of new ones.
In 2000, Cardinal Roger Mahony asked the California Province of the Society of Jesus to assist in the administration of the school, asserting that the school had to improve significantly by 2006 to avoid permanent shutdown. Verbum Dei became recognized as a Jesuit school at that point. Leading the Jesuit team was Reverend Bill Wood, S.J.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. The school became a member of the Cristo Rey Network
Cristo Rey Network
The Cristo Rey Network comprises 25 high schools that provide a quality, Catholic, college preparatory education to urban young people who live in communities with limited educational options...
and adopted its current scholastic model (see Corporate Work Study Program below) in 2002. The school has joint accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
(WASC) and the Western Catholic Education Association
Western Catholic Education Association
Western Catholic Education Association is an educational accreditation agency for Roman Catholic schools in part of the United States. It is based in Fullerton, California.-See also:*History of Catholic education in the United States...
(WCEA). Verbum Dei also has accreditation by the California Province (CalProv) of the Society of Jesus.
The Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary
Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary
The Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary are a global Roman Catholic community of about 900 apostolic religious women, connected by personal contact, local, provincial and general meetings, telephone, e-mail and many websites to one another with a hope of promoting the integral development and...
have been providing a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
to the Verbum Dei staff for several years at least.
Corporate Work Study Program
As a member of the Cristo Rey Network, Verbum Dei assigns students to jobs that are "donated" by local white-collar companies and non-profit entities in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. This experience is intended to acclimate students to corporate culture, build their character and provide motive for seeking higher education and productive careers. The money earned by the students defrays the cost of the students' education.Notable alumni
- Donny DanielsDonny DanielsDonny Daniels is an assistant men's basketball coach at Gonzaga University. He previously served as head coach at Cal State Fullerton, and assistant men's basketball coach at UCLA.-External links:*...
, 1972: Basketball coach. - Ken AustinKen AustinKen Austin is a retired American basketball player.He played collegiately for the Rice University.He was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 5th round of the 1961 NBA Draft....
, 1977 http://www.famous-alumni.com/verbum_dei_los_angeles_ca.html - Hardy NickersonHardy NickersonHardy Otto Nickerson is a former American football linebacker who played 16 seasons for four teams from 1987 to 2002 in the National Football League and is currently the head football coach at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, Calif. He attended Verbum Dei High School, a Catholic school...
, 1983 - Andre MillerAndre MillerAndre Lloyd Miller is an American professional basketball player, currently with the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association.- College career :...
, 1994 http://www.nba.com/playerfile/andre_miller/index.html http://www.alumni.utah.edu/continuum/summer99/sidelines.html - Kenechi UdezeKenechi UdezeKenechi Nduka Udeze [] is an assistant coach of University of Washington Huskies football team and a former American football defensive end of the National Football League....
, 1999-2000 http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/493098 http://www.trojanfootballalumni.com/index.php?ct=alltime - Akeem AyersAkeem AyersAkeem Christopher Ayers is an American football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He played for the UCLA Bruins. He was a redshirt junior and the starting outside linebacker. At the end of the 2010 season, he declared for the NFL draft.-High school career:Ayers...
,2007) - Reggie Dunn. 2008, currently playing football at University of Utah)
- Martin Rincon,2011) Why is this notable? He hasn't done anything special.
- Gabriel Jimenez,2011) Why is this notable? He hasn't done anything special.
See also
- List of Roman Catholic high schools in Los Angeles County, California
External links
- Verbum Dei High School
- Los Angeles Business Journal article about Verbum Dei's Corporate Work Study Program
- Local School Directory - Verbum Dei High School
- Art Schobey Interactive - los-angeles-usa.net - Verbum Dei High School
- Charity Checks - video clip about Verbum Dei High School's participation in its Charitable Literacy program (from KCAL-TVKCAL-TVKCAL-TV, channel 9, is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, USA, owned by the CBS Corporation. KCAL-TV shares its studio facilities with KCBS-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson.-Digital...
) - National Jesuit Review newsletter, October 2001
- page 4 article: "What's love got to do with it? Love is everything"
- page 12 column: Province Briefs - California