Greensburg Central Catholic High School

Greensburg Central Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic high school located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg.

History

Construction of Greensburg Central Catholic High School began in the summer of 1958, only seven years after the founding of the Diocese of Greensburg. The first class of freshmen entered in September 1959, including students from as far east as Ligonier and as far west as Trafford.

Bishop Hugh L. Lamb dedicated the building November 29, 1959, before an audience of 2,000 which included Governor David L. Lawrence as the featured speaker. This large audience was somewhat surprising given the extremely cold and snowy weather on the day of the dedication. In fact, according to the Greensburg Tribune-Review:

The former Pittsburgh mayor (Governor Lawrence) not only had to abandon his automobile on a steep grade near the school but was forced to give his address in near darkness and without the use of a public address system. The latter inconveniences came about when an automobile went out of control, struck a utility pole... and wrecked the power system.

At the time of Greensburg Central Catholic’s founding, six Roman Catholic religious institutes provided most of the faculty. The Sisters of St. Benedict were responsible for teaching languages; the Sisters of Charity, science and music; the Felician Sisters, mathematics; the Sisters of Mercy, English; the Sisters of St. Joseph, social studies; and the Vincentian Sisters of Charity, business. Lay teachers handled physical education.

In 1962, Bishop William G. Connare proposed the building of a faculty house for all six religious groups, featuring a wing for each community with a common chapel (the Chapel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary), dining room, and community room. The first Mass was offered in this chapel on August 31, 1963.

These religious communities served Greensburg Central Catholic for years, and many alumni remember them fondly. The Sisters of Charity are the only remaining religious institute at Central.

The original curriculum of the school was primarily academic, but a general course and a business course were soon added. Father Shuda, the school's third principal, urged the construction of an addition to the school, also designed by Francis O’Connor Church. The Fathers’ Club and Mothers’ Club (now replaced by one group, the Parents’ Club) helped with furnishings and installation.

Over the years, Greensburg Central Catholic has constantly updated and improved its curriculum and facilities to better serve its students and the community. It currently offers a diverse curriculum including Advanced Placement and college credit courses as well as business and general study courses. A stadium was built in 1989 and lights were installed in 1998 for night football and soccer games.

2011 saw the introduction of a new Junior High program. For the first time in its history, the school housed a 7th and 8th grade. The project necessitated multiple renovations to the building. The former art class rooms were converted into multi-purpose classrooms for the new grades, the former weight room was made into the library, and the current weight room sits where the stage used to be, next to the main gym. Although the junior and senior high schools are mostly segregated from one another, certain high-school level courses are available for 8th graders to take.

Today there are students who, drawn by the school's well known academic and athletic programs, come from as far west as Charleroi.

The athletics program at Greensburg Central Catholic is one of the most successful in the state of Pennsylvania. The school has won three state championships and countless WPIAL titles. The most successful sports program at Central is the ice hockey team, which won three state championships in the 90s and has been a state power for the past twenty years. The football program has received widespread notoriety as a result of back to back WPIAL championship game appearances in 2005 and 2006, before winning the WPIAL championship and appearing in the PIAA championship game. The girls' basketball program has been dominant for the past few decades winning the section title consecutively as well as WPIAL titles and PIAA contests.

Administrators

• Benjamin Althof (Principal)
• Christine Mahady (Dean of Junior High)
• Dan Mahoney (Athletic Director)
• Fr Tyler Bandura (Chaplain)
• Sr Christine Kiley (Campus Ministry Director)

Notes and references

Diocese of Greensburg
Ordinaries	Bishops Hugh L. Lamb William G. Connare Anthony G. Bosco Lawrence E. Brandt Edward C. Malesic Auxiliary bishop Norbert F. Gaughan
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Greensburg Parishes St. Peter's Church, Brownsville St. Patrick's Church, Cowansville Mount Saint Peter Church, New Kensington St. Gertrude Church, Vandergrift
Education	High schools Geibel Catholic High School, Connellsville Greensburg Central Catholic High School, Greensburg
Priests	Giuseppe De Andrea
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