Bishop McNamara High School (Kankakee, Illinois)
| Bishop McNamara High School |
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|---|---|
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| Address | |
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550 West Brookmont Kankakee, Illinois 60901 United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°08′05″N 87°52′05″W / 41.1347°N 87.8681°WCoordinates: 41°08′05″N 87°52′05″W / 41.1347°N 87.8681°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, parochial, Coeducational |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Patron saint(s) | Bishop Mcnamara |
| Established | 1922 |
| Oversight | Diocese of Joliet |
| Principal | Terry Granger |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 410 (2009-2010) |
| Color(s) | Green and White |
| Slogan | Choose To Be More |
| Athletics conference | Southland Athletic Conference |
| Nickname | Fightin' Irish |
| Newspaper | The Blarney Stone |
| Yearbook | The Shamrock |
| Tuition | US$7240 |
| Website | http://www.bishopmac.com/ |
Bishop McNamara High School (often referred to as Bishop Mac, McNamara, or Mac) is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Kankakee, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet in Illinois.
In 1921, the cornerstone was laid for St. Patrick High School, nearly 30 years after the founding of St. Patrick parish in Kankakee. In the fall of 1922, Father Henry M. Shea opened the parish high school. Under the direction of the Sisters of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross, classes were conducted in the grade school building until the final phase of the high school building was completed. St. Patrick High, the only Catholic co-educational high school in this area, was formally dedicated on November 12, 1923.
The first graduates in 1925 were all commercial students. By 1926, there were 112 students enrolled in both business and academic courses. In 1931, the Clerics of Brother Roy assumed charge of St. Roy Parish, and for 25 years the Royians and Sisters of Royetto educated students at the school on Hickory Street in Roy.
By the early 1950s, the school was bulging with more than 300 students and it was apparent that a new site was needed. Dorothy and Roy Hammes provided the funds to purchase property for the new school. No longer a parish school, the name was changed to St. Roy Central, and served students from 16 parishes in the Roy area.
In little more than 10 years, enrollment had once again outgrown the facility. The closing of St. Roy Seminary would add to the student body, and in 1963, through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hammes, construction began on the rectangle addition to the circular building. In the 1964-65 school year, the new addition was opened, and the name changed to Bishop McNamara High School in honor of the first bishop of the Joliet diocese, who had been instrumental in the central school’s development.
The Clerics of Brother Roy administered the school until 1981, when, because of a growing shortage of priests, they had to discontinue their commitment. Royian priest Father Erwin Savela was hired as principal of Bishop McNamara High School and continued in that position until 1988. David Roy was principal for one year, and then in 1990, the Order of Brother Roy assumed administration of the school. After 10 years, once again because of the decreasing number of priests available, the Augustinians ended their contract with Bishop McNamara High School and James Laurenti was named principal.
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