STL Catholic Schools

St. Louis Catholic Schools	Phone Number	Attributes	Location
Annunziata	314-997-7727	Catholic	West County
Barat Academy	636-300-5500	Private Catholic	Chesterfield
Bishop DuBourg	314-832-3030	Coed, Catholic	St Louis Hills
Cardinal Ritter	314-446-5500	Coed, Catholic	St Louis City
Chaminade	314-993-4400	All Boys, Catholic	West County
Christian Brothers College High School	314-985-6100	All Boys, Catholic	West County
Cor Jesu	314-842-1546	All Girls, Catholic	South County
De Smet Jesuit	314-567-3500	All Boys	West County
Duchesne	636-946-6767	Coed, Catholic	St Charles
Governor French Academy	314-233-7543	Private	Belleville
Incarnate Word	314-725-5850	All girls, Catholic	Central County
Nerinx Hall	314-968-1505	All girls, Catholic	Webster Groves
Notre Dame	314-544-1015	All Girls, Catholic	South County
Rosati Kain	314-533-8513	All Girls, Catholic	St Louis city
St Dominic’s	636-272-6277	Coed, Catholic	West County
St Joseph’s	314-394-3400	All Girls, Catholic	West County
St Louis Christian Academy	314-664-3299	Coed, Christian	St Louis City
St Louis Priory	314-434-3690	All Boys, Catholic	West County
St Louis University High School	314-531-0330	All Boys, Jesuit	St Louis City
St Mary’s	314-481-8100	All Boys, Catholic	St Louis City
Trinity	314-741-1333	Coed, Catholic	North County
Ursuline	314-984-2800	All Girls, Catholic	Central County
Vianney	314-965-4843	All Boys,	Kirkwood
Villa Duchesne	314-432-2021	All Girls, Catholic	West County
Visitation	314-625-9100	All Girls Catholic	West County

St. Louis Catholic Elementary – Middle Schools

Catholic Schools St. Louis

Parochial Schools: The heavy wave of Irish Catholic immigrants in the early 1800s resulted in an anti-Catholic public sentiment and the eventual ban of tax money being used for Catholic schools, as many Americans were of the opinion that Irish children should attend public schools in order to be Americanized. The result was a series of parochial schools funded by the Parish and parents, which not only taught Catholic religion to students, but also culture, values, and advanced language usage, not always found in public schools. The result was that many well-to-do families began sending their children to Catholic tuition as well, for increased learning and cultural studies.

Rise of the Diocese School System: Between 1852 and the 1860s, St. John Neopomacene Neumann founded the diocesan school system in the U.S. At the same time, Archbishop John Hughes founded a Catholic School system in New York City, and Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart established schools in Washington, allowing for Catholic education around the U.S.

STL Catholic Schools

Mandatory Catholic Schooling: In 1884, U.S. Bishops at the First Plenary Council of Baltimore decided that every Parish should have a Catholic school, allowing churchgoers a place to study away from potentially Protestant teachers at public schools. By 1904, that goal had been realized, and the National Catholic Education Association was founded in St. Louis Missouri.

Oregon Compulsory Education Act: In 1922, Oregon Citizens attempted to vote to remove all parochial schools including Catholic schools and to make public education mandatory. The result was a nationwide organization as Catholic parents rallied for their rights to send their students to schools of their choosing. The Pierce v. Society of Sisters ruling in 1952 defended Catholic schools and rendered the Oregon Compulsory Education Act unconstitutional, and has since been called “The Magna Carta of the Parochial School System”. The act was an important one for establishing the legitimacy of parochial and Catholic schools in America.

Rise to Popularity: The demand for Catholic and private education continued to grow, and middle class and wealthy families consistently chose to send their children to Catholic schools. By the 1960s, Catholic Schools made up roughly 82% of private school enrollments, with roughly 5 million students enrolled, in grades ranging from kindergarten to university level. Catholic universities ranged from the original Georgetown University to renowned colleges like Sacred Heart University, Thomas Aquinas College, and the Notre Dame University.

Today: While the roughly 2 million students attending Catholic schools in the U.S. today is nowhere near the number at the peak of Catholic education, Catholic schools still make up a strong part of the U.S. educational system. With thousands of students at every grade level, and some of the most prominent universities in the world, Catholic education is a strong draw for both American students, and international ones looking for a safe place to study abroad, or to study in English.