Benedictine High School begins celebration of centennial year with Mass

This month, Benedictine High School began its 100th  year of educating young men in Cleveland.

Abbot Gary Hoover, OSB, celebrated an all-school Mass on Sept. 8 in St. Andrew Abbey Church. It was the first time members of the class of 2030 attended Mass with the rest of the student body. The abbot himself is a 1974 graduate of Benedictine.

Student Council members processed into the church with images, items and documents representing some of the school’s history. From the beginning, Benedictine has been “building and making,” said Abbot Hoover. He showcased a metal-worked cross from the earliest days of shop class at BHS, the first student publications and the first schedule followed by members of the class of 1931.

In the same way that current students are tasked with excelling at academics, athletics and extracurriculars, the abbot said these early students also were challenged. They had to pave the way, he said, adding they “did an excellent job” and noted that “We are tasked with the same mission.”

The abbot said that 99 years ago, the Benedictine monks of the newly formed priory of St. Andrew began Benedictine High School.

It started in two classrooms on the second floor of St. Andrew’s Church on East 52nd Street and Superior Avenue in Cleveland. The priory became an abbey and the monks of St. Andrew Abbey moved the quickly growing school to more spacious grounds on what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The current BHS main building was built in 1940. A major renovation was recently concluded.

After Mass, the current Men of Benedictine moved to Bossu Field where they formed the number 100 and posed for a centennial photo.

Students, faculty and staff enjoyed cake and cupcakes during lunch as part of the celebration.

Members of the Benedictine leadership team include Abbot Hoover, chancellor; Dave Schroeder, president; Chris Lorber, ’04, chief operating officer; Dominic Fanelli, principal; and Bill Gray, ’84, director of finance.

Click here to learn more about Benedictine High School. More information on St. Andrew Abbey and the Benedictine Order of Cleveland is available here.