Combining Catholic identity and academic excellence

Not many Catholic schools in our diocese can look back on 75 years, but St. Patrick School celebrates this milestone on Monday, March 17 - St. Patrick’s Day.
 
St. Patrick School officially opened in 1950. Five years earlier, in May 1945, St. Patrick Church was built, and a convent and a school were next on the list. The school opened its doors to the first students in March 1950 and was staffed by the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. At that time, there were seven classrooms in the school. The church and school were surrounded by farmland.
 
Later, there was a group of ten sisters in the convent. Those days are long gone, but the school maintains close ties to the parish: “The support is just incredible,” says Principal Evelyn Burton. Donations, school supplies, and many fundraising activities, like the Shamrock Shuffle scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, March 15, reflect the parish's pride and love for their school. “They try to do everything they can to keep the tuition affordable.”
 
Evelyn Burton began her journey at St. Patrick’s as a young teacher before returning to take on the principal role. She notes that many alumni enroll their children, even if they have moved to other parts of Corpus Christi: “They want their children to have the same positive experience they had – a strong Catholic identity and academic excellence.” The school strives to educate the whole child – both mind and heart. Each student created a collage piece for the jubilee, showcasing how he or she contributed to the community. St. Patrick’s serves students from K3 to 6^th grade and has an enrollment of 250 students. In 1986, St. Patrick’s School received a National Award for Excellence in Education.
 
Msgr. Roger Smith, the current pastor, has deep ties to the parish and the school. From the time he was one year old until he turned 13, his family was a member of St. Patrick's Parish. He attended grades 1st- 8th in the parochial school and was part of the first class to receive their First Eucharist in the current church building. He served as an altar server, and it was at St. Patrick’s that he began contemplating a possible vocation to the priesthood in 7th grade.
 
When he was asked to accept the parish, Msgr. Smith recalls that the words that immediately came to his mind were those of Jesus: “The gift that you have received, give as a gift.” Having received the gift of faith, formation, and vocation at St. Patrick's through the example and prayers of many, he felt that as a priest, God was calling him to share that faith and love for the Church with a new generation of parishioners. He just celebrated his 75^th birthday in January.
 
On Monday, the school combines the 75^th anniversary with the annual St. Patrick’s parade. Evelyn Burton looks forward to the celebration and many more years to come: “I’m biased – but it is a wonderful school.”