The history of Catholic Schools in Ontario since 1841 is one of dedication and perseverance in the face of financial hardship and adversity. Due to the commitment of the religious teaching Orders, the bishops and priests, the teachers, parents and students, our forebears have handed us a great gift – a fully funded public Catholic school system.

The courts of Ontario and Canada have reinforced the rights of the Catholic school system with a number of judgments which affirmed the rights of separate school boards to:

a) Have their guaranteed powers in the Separate School Act of 1863 improved
b) Receive equitable funding
c) Prefer Catholics when hiring elementary and secondary school teachers
d) Have their own buildings
e) Have an exclusive Catholic school community

The integration of religious truths and values with life is one of the most significant elements that distinguish the Catholic school from any other schools. This is a matter of crucial importance today in view of contemporary trends and pressures to compartmentalize life and learning and to isolate the religious dimension of existence from other areas of human life.

The courts have recognized, over the years, that Catholic education is not a subject but rather a way to view the world that speaks to the interrelationship between faith, knowledge and action. The Catholic school is a unique setting within which this ideal can be realized in lives of Catholic children and young people. In our Catholic schools this reality can and is lived out.