The Archdiocese of Detroit comprises six counties of Southeast Michigan: Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Wayne.[1] There currently are no Catholic high schools in Lapeer County.
A directory of Roman Catholic institutions from the 1960s listed 108 Catholic grade schools in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park.[2] By 2005 suburban flight contributed to the decline of Catholic schools in the Detroit area. There were no Catholic schools left in Hamtramck by that year, and in the Detroit city limits there were 12.[3] By 2017 there were four Catholic elementary schools in the city of Detroit.[2] There are 103 Detroit-area high schools which have closed as of 2015.[citation needed]
Department of Catholic Schools in Detroit
Under Archbishop Allen Vigneron, the Department of Catholic Schools oversees Catholic schools, guiding their mission to promote faith, academic excellence, and discipleship. The department leads the Unleashing Our Catholic Schools initiative, aimed at strengthening Catholic identity, academic quality, accessibility, and long-term sustainability. Its guidance aligns with Synod 16, Unleash the Gospel, and Unleashing Our Catholic Schools, emphasizing shared responsibility for Catholic schools among clergy, educators, parents, and the laity.
St. Patrick School (Carleton) - The first parish school was established in 1848, with a joint school and convent in 1867, and a dedicated school building in 1909 that was ruined by a May 30, 1926 fire. A replacement building was put there, with a second building established in 1955. The 1955 building houses kindergarten and grades 5–6, while the post-1926 building has grades 1–4.[26]
Holy Family Regional School (HFRS) - Consists of a grade PK-3 North Campus in Rochester and a 4-8 South Campus in Rochester Hills. As of 2020[update] it has about 110 employees and more than 850 students, giving it the highest enrollment of any grade school in the archdiocese. It opened on September 3, 1980 with an initial enrollment of 128, and unified into a single administration on August 30, 2001. The churches which designate HFRS as the parish school include: St. Andrew (Rochester), St. Irenaeus (Rochester Hills), St. John Fisher Chapel (Auburn Hills), St. Mary of the Hills (Rochester Hills), and Sacred Heart of the Hills (Auburn Hills). The first two sponsored the school from the beginning and the other three joined later, with Sacred Heart being the final one.[28]
Our Lady of Refuge School (Orchard Lake) - established in 1953[30]
Our Lady of Sorrows School (Farmington) - established in 1935[31]
Our Lady of Victory School (Northville) - The church established the school in 1950.[32] The first facility, which opened in 1952, had four rooms. An addition with four classrooms and an office was installed for $85,000 in 1961. An additional two classrooms and a connecting structure to the worship facility were added in 1985.[33] The current 19 classroom facility opened in 2006. As of 2020[update] the school has over 450 students.[32]
Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School (Beverly Hills) - Its campus has 9 acres (3.6ha) of area.[34]
Immaculate Conception Elementary School (Fair Haven,[47]Ira Township) - A fire destroyed the school and the rest of the church complex on August 26, 1917; these building were rebuilt, with the school having a four room building. Its current building opened in May 1959. A reduction in funding from the state of Michigan caused the school to close in 1971 but it opened again in fall 1976.[48]
St. Mary/McCormick Catholic Academy (Port Huron) - established in October 2007 by the merger of St. Mary Academy and McCormick Catholic Academy[50]
St. Mary's School (St. Clair) - scheduled to close in spring 2020[51]
Wayne County
In Detroit
Christ the King Elementary School (Northwest Detroit) - Established in 1938[52]
Gesu Catholic School - "Gesu" is the Italian name for Jesus.[2] Established in 1925,[53] it was initially headed by clergy of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.[54] it had 1,600 students in the 1960s.[2] By 2001 it began using non-clergy as principals.[54] By 2017 had only 240 students. Patricia Montemurri, an employee of the Detroit Free Press, wrote the book Detroit Gesu Catholic Church and School.[2]
Holy Redeemer Grade School (Mexicantown) - Established in 1882[55]
All Saints Catholic School (Canton) - It is the parish school of these churches: Resurrection, St. John Neumann, Saint Kenneth, and St. Thomas à Becket. The school opened in 1997 and was named after a previous Catholic school in Detroit. It was the archdiocese's first new Catholic school in the post-1964 period.[57]
Divine Child Elementary School (Dearborn) - The school was established in 1953. Its initial enrollment count was 280.[58]
Our Lady Star of the Sea School (Grosse Pointe Woods) - It first opened in 1958. When Our Lady Star of the Sea High School closed, the middle school began using the building.[60]
St. Paul Catholic School (Grosse Pointe Farms) - The St. Paul Church opened the school on September 6, 1927 after deciding to open the school one year earlier. The kindergarten and preschool opened in 1975 and 1993, respectively.[69]
St. Michael the Archangel School (Livonia) - The school began on September 21, 1942, and the building used for the school had a second story installed after the archdiocese granted permission for this on November 9, 1943. The addition was installed from January to May 1944. There were 345 students for the 1944-1945 school year. On September 24, 1997 construction began for a new addition with a cost of $3.4 million. Construction finished before September 8, 1998, with dedication on October 11 of that year. The addition included a cafeteria, a library, a gymnasium, a computer lab, and six classrooms.[70]
St. Pius X Catholic School (Southgate) - The groundbreaking for the school building, then with eight rooms, occurred on August 13, 1953. The school itself opened in September 1950. The new building was dedicated on September 15, 1954 and officially opened that year. The school was originally known as St. Pius V Catholic School, a name which differed from that of its parish, but the two names were harmonized in 1974 as some people were unaware the two were connected.[71]
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Macomb County
St. Clement Catholic School (Center Line) - It was established in 1857. It had 110 students in the 2009-2010 year, and then 12 teachers and 89 students in its final year, 2010-2011. The parish decided to close the school as a parish takes a greater share of the costs if the number of students is under 100.[74]
Lady of La Salette School (Berkley) - established in 1943.[78] Initially 100 students attended. Beginning in 1947, the school building opened in three phases, with completion in 1953.[79] In the 1960s it had over 1,000 students, its highest number ever. From the 2008-2009 school year until the 2012-2013 school year the student body numbers declined by 47%, with the final student count at 73. It closed in 2013.[78] There was a proposal to convert the building into apartments, but the Berkley city council rejected it in 2018.[80]
McCormick Catholic Academy (Port Huron) Established in 1992, it was merged into St. Mary/McCormick Catholic Academy in October 2007.[50]
St. Mary School (Port Huron) - Started as a grade 1-8 school in 1963, with grades 6-8 moved to McCormick in 1992. Merged into St. Mary/McCormick Catholic Academy in October 2007. Four classrooms were built into the St. Mary campus in preparation for the merger.[50]
Our Lady of Guadalupe Middle School (girls' school)[75] - It was established in August 2001. The idea was first proposed in 1996.[85] The costs increased and the number of pupils lowered, so the school closed in 2009.[86]
St. Alphonsus Elementary School (Dearborn) - It closed in 2005.[93]
St. Benedict Elementary School (Highland Park) - It closed in 2005.[84] Northpointe Academy, a charter school, opened in the former St. Benedict after parents attempted to keep the former St. Benedict open.[94]
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Taylor). Merged with St. Paschal School to become Taylor Catholic School but closed in 2006.
St. Damian Catholic School (Westland) - Closed in 2016[95]
St. Elizabeth School (Wyandotte) - Merged into Wyandotte Consolidated in 1970.[96]
St. Florian Elementary School (Hamtramck) - In 1925 2,217 students attended St. Florian, making it the largest Catholic elementary school in Hamtramck.[90] One wing of its building also housed St. Florian High School.[97] One of its buildings was later used by Hanley Charter school.[98] In 2005 the archdiocese announced that St. Florian Elementary would close. After St. Florian Elementary's closing, no Catholic schools are located within the city limits of Hamtramck.[93]
St. Genevieve Catholic School (Livonia) - closed in 2016[95]
St. Joseph School (Wyandotte) - merged into Wyandotte Consolidated in 1970[96]
St. Ladislaus Elementary School (Hamtramck)[99] - In 1925 St. Ladislaus had 1,540 students.[100] In 1992 Dickinson West Elementary School opened in the former St. Ladislaus building.[99]
St. Mary Magdalen Elementary School (Melvindale) - closed in 2005[84]
St. Mel Elementary School (Dearborn Heights) - closed in 2005[84]
St. Patrick School (Wyandotte) - merged into Wyandotte Consolidated in 1970[96]
St. Raphael Catholic School (Garden City) - closed in 2016[95]
St. Sebastian Catholic School (Dearborn Heights) - established in the 1950s and closed in 2019[101]
Wyandotte Consolidated Catholic School (Wyandotte) - Formed in 1970 from the merger of St. Elizabeth, St. Joseph, and St. Patrick Schools. Closed in 2011 after a downturn in the economy.[96]
Diocese of Lansing schools in the Catholic High School League
Genesee County, Lenawee County and Washtenaw County are part of the Diocese of Lansing. Some Catholic high schools located in those counties are listed below because they participate, or have participated, in the Detroit Catholic High School League in athletics, which is part of the Archdiocese of Detroit.
↑ "Our History". Our Lady of Victory Church. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
↑ "Quick Facts". Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
↑ "Home". St. Fabian School. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
↑ "Home". St. Hugo of the Hills Parish School. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
↑ "Info". St. Hugo of the Hills Parish School. July 17, 1997. Archived from the original on June 17, 1997. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
↑ "History". St. Joseph Catholic School. Retrieved May 1, 2020. 703 N. Lapeer Road, Lake Orion, Michigan 48362 - Confirm the location in Orion Township with a zoning map (despite any statements it is in Lake Orion proper the school is not).
↑ "FAQs". St. Mary Catholic School. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
↑ "Home". St. Patrick Catholic School. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
↑ "Home". St. Regis Catholic School. March 15, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2020. School 3691 Lincoln Road Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301-4055 - Compare with the zoning map to confirm the location in Bloomfield Hills.
↑ "Home". St. William Catholic School. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
↑ "Home". St. William Catholic Church. Retrieved May 4, 2020. Our parish boundaries incorporate approximately 45 square miles, including all of Walled Lake and Wixom-and parts of West Bloomfield, Commerce, and Novi.
↑ "Home". Holy Cross Catholic School. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
1 2 Pratt, Chastity, Patricia Montemurri, and Lori Higgins. "PARENTS, KIDS SCRAMBLE AS EDUCATION OPTIONS NARROWArchived 2013-07-21 at the Wayback Machine ." Detroit Free Press. March 17, 2005. A1 News. Retrieved on April 30, 2011. "School closings announced Wednesday by the Archdiocese of Detroit doomed eight high schools in Detroit and neighboring suburbs and will shutter 10 elementary schools, including historic landmarks such as St. Alphonsus Elementary in Dearborn and St. Florian Elementary in Hamtramck." and "[...]said Jean Irvin-Stanley, who has children at Trinity High and Notre Dame High, both scheduled to shut their doors." "And with the closing of St. Florian Elementary, there will be no Catholic school in once heavily Polish Catholic Hamtramck."
↑ "HomeArchived March 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine ." Northpointe Academy. Retrieved on November 1, 2013. "NORTHPOINTE ACADEMY 53 Candler Street Highland Park, MI 48203"
↑ Montemurri, Patricia. "NEW CATHOLIC HIGH PROPOSED." Detroit Free Press. January 30, 2006.News E2. Retrieved on April 17, 2011. "St Florian Elementary in Hamtramck now Hanley International Academy[...]"
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