St. Thomas Aquinas School in Cleveland celebrated its 125th anniversary on Aug. 12. Even though the new academic year hadn’t yet begun, students excitedly returned to campus early for an official birthday party marking the milestone.
“Just four years ago, the school had been slated to close. It remains open, though, after joining the Partnership Schools, an organization that brings academic and financial support to Catholic schools in working-class communities. Enrollment is up over 30% in the last four years,” said a release from the Partnership Schools.
“From its earliest days, when the Sisters of St. Joseph taught the mostly Irish and German immigrants who founded the parish and built the school, through today, when lay Catholic educators under the leadership of Partnership Schools provide formation for the mostly Black and largely non-Catholic families in the community, St. Thomas Aquinas School has continually provided an education foundation in faith and distinguished by academic excellence. With the help of its many supporters, it will keep helping children, families, and the neighborhood thrive for generations to come,” said Frank O’Linn, superintendent of schools for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland.
“We are so proud of our long history,” said Principal Rachael Dengler, “and excited about our future. We have families who have attended St. Thomas for generations. So, when students come to us, they aren’t just enrolling in a school; they become part of a community with deep roots.”
Fundamental to those deep roots is the belief that Catholic education has a transformative effect on students and their communities, regardless of race or creed. St. Thomas Aquinas, the school’s namesake and one of the most influential scholars of the Catholic Church, wrote, “To love is to will the good of the other.”
Click here to learn more about St. Thomas Aquinas School.