The Philadelphia Catholic League is a high school sports league composed (as of the 2012-13 year) of 18 Catholic High Schools in Philadelphia and the surrounding Pennsylvania suburbs. The league itself was founded in the summer of 1920 on the steps of Villanova academy (now Alumni Hall on Villanova University's campus) by Monsignor Bonner. The league originally consisted of three sports, one per season: Football in the fall, Basketball in the winter and Baseball in the spring. This was expanded in 1944 to include Cross-country in the fall, Wrestling in the winter, and Track in the spring.
Currently, the schools are divided by size (Red/Large, Blue/Small). In football, the blue and red divisions award separate league championships each year, while all other sports have a unified champion. Starting with the 2008–09 school year, the Catholic League joined the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association in District XII, competing with Philadelphia Public League teams for a restored City Championship in all sports, which was abandoned following the 1979–80 school year due to a dispute of Title IX as girls from both Public and Catholic high schools were prohibited from competing for City Championships. The football divisions were realigned into Blue AA, Blue AAA, and Red (AAAA) [1] [2] Following the closures of Northeast Catholic High School and Cardinal Dougherty High School, along with the merger of Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School into Pope John Paul II High School, along with their decision to join the Pioneer Athletic Conference in Montgomery County, the divisions underwent a realignment in 2010.
• Bonner & Prendergast Catholic High School (Delaware County)*
* Was previously two separate schools until the 2012–13 school year
Montgomery County, colloquially referred to as Montco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population of the county was 856,553, making it the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia and Allegheny counties, also the most populous county in Pennsylvania without a major city. The county is part of the Southeast Pennsylvania region of the state.
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States.
Patrick John Ryan was an Irish-born Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1884 until his death in 1911.
Dennis Joseph Dougherty was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1918 until his death in 1951. He was made a cardinal in 1921. He was Philadelphia's longest-serving archbishop and its first cardinal.
Villanova Preparatory School is an Augustinian Catholic co-ed day and boarding school in Ojai, California, United States. Sitting on more than 130 acres (53 ha), the campus contains two dormitories, a chapel, trails, and assorted academic and athletic facilities. Villanova Prep is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and is a member of the Augustinian Secondary Education Association. The school offers both day and resident programs and is the only co-ed Augustinian boarding school in the United States.
The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia is a Catholic high school for boys in Philadelphia. It was founded by Thomas E. Cahill in 1890 as the first free Catholic high school in the nation. The school is located at the intersection of Broad and Vine streets in Center City Philadelphia, and is managed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Archbishop Ryan High School is a Roman Catholic high school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its namesake is Patrick John Ryan, who served as the second Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1884 to 1911.
Archbishop Prendergast High School was an all-girl Catholic high school in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It has been merged with Monsignor Bonner High School and renamed.
West Catholic Preparatory High School is a co-educational Catholic high school in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 45th and Chestnut Streets, the University City neighborhood of West Philadelphia.
Cardinal Dougherty High School (CDHS) was a private, Roman Catholic high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia and established in the East Oak Lane section of Philadelphia at 6301 North Second Street. The school was named for Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1918 to 1951. Although CDHS was founded as a co-educational school, a wall separated the boys and girls side of the building. It was not until 1983 that boys and girls were educated together in the same classrooms.
Kennedy–Kenrick Catholic High School was a private Roman Catholic high school in Norristown, Pennsylvania, United States, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Archbishop Stepinac High School is an American all-boys' Roman Catholic high school in White Plains, New York.
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary is a Roman Catholic seminary at 1400 Evans Road in Ambler, Pennsylvania, that is under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The oldest Catholic institution of higher learning in the Philadelphia region, the school is named after Charles Borromeo, an Italian saint from the Counter-Reformation.
Monsignor Bonner High School was an all-male Augustinian Catholic High School in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It was located in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania. Bonner was created in 1953 as Archbishop Prendergast High School for Boys. In 1955, the current building was constructed, and in 1957 entitled Monsignor Bonner High School. The previously occupied building became the all-female Archbishop Prendergast High School. In 2012, Bonner merged with the all-girls Archbishop Prendergast High School to form Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School. The Order of St. Augustine is no longer associated with the combined institution.
Pope John Paul II High School is a Catholic high school in Upper Providence Township, Pennsylvania, near Royersford in Montgomery County within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The school teaches Catholicism as well as other academic subjects. The schools named in honor of Pope Saint John Paul II.
Suburban One League, often abbreviated "SOL" is an athletic conference in Southeastern Pennsylvania, serving high schools in Montgomery County and Bucks County. The league was established in 1922 as the "Suburban League." Since its inception, SOL has produced many district, state, and even some national championships. It has also produced some great athletes, including Baseball Hall of Fame member Reggie Jackson.
The 2012 Archdiocese of Philadelphia school closings was the solution to the reducing enrollment problem of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, caused mainly by demographic shifts and an increasing number of students enrolling in unaffiliated schools. Because of this, tuition rates had to be raised, causing fewer families to be able to afford the cost. Being in the decision process for years, the list was finalized by the Blue Ribbon Commission on January 6, 2012 at around 11:00 AM. The schools were informed soon afterward, and they were all officially announced during the press conference at 4:00 PM.
Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School is located in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania. The school, which is part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was originally two schools on one campus. In February 2012, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that the two schools, Monsignor Bonner, the all boys school and Archbishop Prendergast, the all girls school, would be merged into one building.
