Peninsula Catholic High School is a college preparatory regional school of the

Diocese of Richmond The Diocese of Richmond ( la, Diœcesis Richmondiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. Its current territory encompasses all of central and southern Virginia, Hampton Roads ...

located in Newport News, Virginia, which offers grades 8 through 12. It is a member of the

National Catholic Educational Association The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) is a private, professional educational membership association of over 150,000 educators in Catholic schools, universities, and religious education programs. It is the largest such organization ...

(NCEA) and is accredited byAdvancED.

History

Peninsula Catholic High School was founded in 1903 as St. Vincent de Paul School for girls by the

Sisters of Charity of Nazareth The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (SCN) is a Roman Catholic order of nuns. It was founded in 1812 near Bardstown, Kentucky, when three young women responded to Bishop John Baptist Mary David's call for assistance in ministe ...

with the help of Mr. and Mrs.

Thomas Fortune Ryan Thomas Fortune Ryan (October 17, 1851 – November 23, 1928) was an American tobacco, insurance and transportation magnate. Although he lived in New York City for much of his adult career, Ryan was perhaps the greatest benefactor of the Roman Ca ...

, who donated significant funds and the original school building in downtown Newport News; it became co-educational in 1929 when the

Xaverian Brothers The Xaverian Brothers or Congregation of St. Francis Xavier are a Roman Catholic religious institute founded by Theodore James Ryken in Bruges, Belgium, in 1839 and named after Saint Francis Xavier. The institute is dedicated to education. Hist ...

closed their school for boys. It was renamed Peninsula Catholic High school in 1966 by Bishop Russell, in the belief that the name should reflect all supporting parishes. The school opened a new facility in the fall of 1995 on Harpersville Road. In 2015 a $2.1 million athletic complex was completed. Since the 1984–85 school year, Peninsula Catholic has been under lay administration.

Demographics

65% of Peninsula Catholic students are Catholic. There is a 30% minority enrollment.

Alma mater

The Peninsula Catholic Alma Mater is set to the tune "

Annie Lisle "Annie Lisle" is an 1857 ballad by Boston, Massachusetts songwriter H. S. Thompson, first published by Moulton & Clark of Newburyport, Massachusetts, and later by Oliver Ditson & Co. It is about the death of a young maiden, by what some have s ...

" (sometimes called Amici) a popular 1857 Ballad by H. S. Thompson. The tune is one of the most popular "alma mater tunes" and has been adopted by many Schools, Colleges and Universities as settings for their alma maters, including The

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

, and

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

. The Lyrics of the Alma Mater:
Hail to thee our Alma Mater,
Praise for blue and white,
Ever loyal to Peninsula Catholic,
Onward in the Fight.

Faith and Courage is our motto,
Ever it shall be,
We, the Students of Peninsula Catholic,
Strive for Victory.

Faith in Jesus, spread by spirit,
Bringing light through deed.
Strength through valor, truth and honor,
Serving those in need.

Weekend programs

The Newport News Japanese School (NNJS; ニューポートニュース補習授業校 ''Nyūpōto Nyūsu Hoshū Jugyō Kō''), a weekend Japanese school, holds its classes at Peninsula Catholic.Japanese Schools

. Japan-Virginia Society (JVS; 日本バージニア協会). Retrieved on April 5, 2015. Newport News school address: "Peninsula Catholic High School 600 Harpersville Rd. Newport News, VA 23601

.
"

MEXT The , also known as MEXT or Monka-shō, is one of the eleven Ministries of Japan that composes part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Its goal is to improve the development of Japan in relation with the international community ...

. Retrieved on May 5, 2014. "ニューポートニュース Newport News Japanese School 600 Harpersville Road Newport News, Virginia 23601 U.S.A."

Notable alumni

John Patrick "Pat" Giguere
(Date of birth: May 3, 1950 – October 25, 1983, Class of 1968), namesake of the John P. Giguere Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron of the Year and posthumously awarded the silver star for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action" while serving as an Attack Helicopter Commander of the AH-1T (TOW) Cobra Attack Helicopter in Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE (HMM-261), Twenty-Second Marine Amphibious Unit during combat operations on the Island of Grenada in support of Operation URGENT FURY, on 25 October 1983. * Robert Banks (born December 10, 1963, attended during 1980s) is a former NFL defensive end. First player in Virginia state history to earn Associated Press All-State honors on both sides of the ball for two consecutive seasons. * Jack Morrissey (Class of 1985), Hollywood producer and host of th
Smodcast
podcast with movie-maker Kevin Smith. * Vince Sherman (Class of 1986), Vice President, Regulatory Affairs Moody's Shared Services, Inc. * Billy Fallon (Class of 1990), owner of Billy Bread, Richmond, VA, and co-establisher of Richmond's 2013 Restaurant of the Year, Aziza's. * David E. Yancey (born April 6, 1972, Class of 1990) elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2011. He currently represents the 94th district in Newport News. * Bobby McKenna (Class of 2006), designer and illustrator of the

Vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themsel ...

app for

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

External links

Peninsula Catholic High School - Official website.- Faculty- Contact Information

Notes and references

{{authority control Catholic secondary schools in Virginia Educational institutions established in 1903 High schools in Newport News, Virginia Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond 1903 establishments in Virginia