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Extent:

9.6 linear feet (, 23 document boxes)

Abstract:

The parochial school system in Philadelphia officially began in 1852 under Philadelphia's fourth bishop, John Nepomucene Neumann. However, the first Catholic schools in Philadelphia can be traced to the mid- to late-18th century under the purview of local parishes, and early expansion occurred unsystematically until the 1850s. Since few parishes had the resources to provide a K-12 education, many Catholic households chose to send their children to Philadelphia's public schools. Due to several factors (including doubts about the suitability of a public education for Catholic children and growing anti-Catholic sentiment and the nativist riots of 1844), Bishop Francis Kenrick began pushing for separate parochial schools for Philadelphia's Catholic families. By 1850, nearly every parish had a free school. By 1852, Philadelphia had a parochial school system administered by a central school board. Consistent policies were established in 1890, when the central board voted to create an...(see more)

Held at: Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center [Contact Us]