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About St. Catherine-St. Lucy

Proudly serving the Austin/Oak Park community since 1889.

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It is our privilege and pleasure to share St. Catherine-St. Lucy School's story with you. There are few things more important than selecting an academic institution for your child and St. Catherine-St. Lucy has remained a constant in the Oak Park and Austin neighborhoods since 1889.  Generations of families continue to choose SCSL -
 
Parents often talk about the impact that SCSL School has had on their children and say "preparing our students to be ready for the world spiritually, mentally, and academically are primary to the foundation of a St. Catherine's education." We couldn't agree more!
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"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire"
St. Catherine of Siena
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Our Mission

The mission of St. Catherine-St. Lucy School is to provide quality education within a Catholic context for parish students and those from the surrounding area. We, as a community of faculty, students, parents, guardians (the primary caretakers and educators of their children), and parish staff, work together to build a strong educational and Christian community environment.
 

SCSL bases its educational program on Jesus' central message in the Gospel: love for God, self, and one another. By doing so, we equip our students with the understanding needed to thrive in a multicultural world where peace, justice, and equality are hopes for the future.​
 

Our educational program reflects our commitment to addressing the spiritual, intellectual, social, and psychological needs of our students. We strive to provide a strong education in essential skills while instilling values crucial for students to navigate the future. As students face a landscape of constant change, we must ensure that our educational program evolves with contemporary life and offers the resources necessary for our students to grow and thrive in an environment where the global community is grappling with the true meaning of Christianity.​

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Success in these endeavors will be measured by the care and concern our students show towards others and by their capability to meet the challenges of the future.

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Our History

The roots of St. Catherine-St. Lucy School go back to the summer of 1885, six years after the founding of St. Catherine of Siena Parish when the Sisters of Mercy from St. Patrick's Academy purchased the "Woodbury Home" on the northwest corner of Central Avenue near Washington Boulevard; and, that following summer opened St. Catherine's Academy, the first Catholic grammar school in Austin, to serve families of a growing parish. Mother Joseph was in charge of this grammar school, whereby in 1912, advanced branches of learning were taught to Catholic children from nine Austin and Oak Park parishes. The Sisters acquired the title to the entire frontage along Washington from Central to Parkside in the same year. This would be the site of the future Sienna High School, dedicated on Columbus Day, 1925.

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In 1906, Archbishop James E. Quigley directed that a new combination of church and school buildings be constructed at the corner of Lake and Mayfield Streets to serve the flourishing St. Catherine of Siena Parish. For several years following, the parish had two places of worship; at Washington and Parkside, and on Lake near Mayfield. At this point, a grammar school was organized by the Sisters of Mercy at the new location to serve the parish children.

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In 1915, property was purchased on the southeast corner of Washington and Humphrey in Oak Park. The new two-story church/school was dedicated on October 28, 1917. Services were held on the lower floor, and classes were attended on the upper. In 1934, the construction of the present church building on Washington and Austin began. Also, a third floor was added to the school to accommodate classrooms with an attic gymnasium above. The first floor remained an assembly hall until 1958 when it was converted to primary classrooms. In 1959 the School Annex, now known as Maguire Hall, was built as a combination gymnasium and assembly hall for students.

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In 1974, when the St. Lucy and St. Catherine parishes merged, a new school was born; St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy School. Today we serve children ranging in age from early childhood to eighth grade, with an enrollment of over 250 students. We have evolved and grown over the years into an academic and religious institution that is the pride of our community and an example to the Archdiocese.

St. Catherine-St. Lucy School
27 Washington Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302
708-386-5286
jcourier@catherinelucy.org

© 2024 by St. Catherine - St. Lucy School. 

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