Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School
| Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
700 Stevenson Road North Oshawa, Ontario, L1J 5P5 Canada |
|
| Coordinates | 43°54′40″N 78°53′36″W / 43.9112°N 78.8934°WCoordinates: 43°54′40″N 78°53′36″W / 43.9112°N 78.8934°W |
| Information | |
| Motto | "Veritas Bonitas" ("Truth and Goodness") |
| Founded | 1965 |
| School board | Durham Catholic District School Board |
| Superintendent | J. Bowyer |
| Principal | Mrs. S. Duane |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1250 (2011) |
| Language | English |
| Colour(s) | Blue and gold |
| Team name | PD Saints |
| Website | http://pauldwyer.dcdsb.ca |
Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School is a Catholic Secondary School located at 700 Stevenson Road North in the city of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
The present Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School started in September 1962 as St. Joseph High School (on Simcoe Street North), thanks to the vision and commitment of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Monsignor Paul Dwyer and other Catholic priests in Oshawa who identified the need for the continuation of Catholic education from elementary to secondary school. St. Joseph Catholic High School moved locations and became Oshawa Catholic High School (O.C.H.S.) in September 1965. The name was changed to Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School in 1976 in memory of Monsignor Dwyer, who gave generously to the Oshawa community and especially to the development of Catholic education in Oshawa. The school was renamed after the late Msgr. Paul Dwyer who had not actually founded the school but petitioned constantly to have a Catholic school during his lifetime. Currently, Msgr. Paul Dwyer C.H.S. serves the Catholic population of northern Oshawa and other municipalities as far north as Port Perry. The school is one of eight secondary schools in the Durham Catholic District School Board.
The Sisters of St. Joseph had been an educational presence in Oshawa since 1858. The Sisters taught at three elementary separate schools and played a key spiritual role in the community. The story of Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School cannot be told without detailing the major efforts of the Sisters, who filled teaching positions at the newly formed St. Joseph High School on Simcoe Street North in 1962.
With the original start-up class consisting entirely of Grade 9 students, Sister Mary Sheila (principal) and Sister Constance faced the growing pains of this new vision for Catholic education in Oshawa. With the assistance of Monsignor Dwyer, the Oshawa Separate School Board, and support from the community the Sisters vision for Catholic education took shape. The Sisters remained at St. Joseph H.S. for two more years, until Oshawa Catholic High School opened in September 1965.
At O.C.H.S., the Sisters of Joseph – Toronto Archdiocese willingly agreed to finance half of the $1 million construction cost of the school. The local parishes were responsible for the other half. The Sisters functioned as principals, teachers, secretaries, cooks and cleaners. They fully reinvested their salaries into the school to keep it from severe debt. Even so, the school operated at a loss. Despite the ongoing challenges they faced, the Sisters remained committed to Catholic education. Sr. Mary Sheila wrote, “I wanted the school to be different because it was a Catholic School. I hoped each student would graduate, proud of the school and proud to be a Catholic not because he/she was born so but he/she was convinced from the Christian values learned at home and at school that personal human fulfillment in life could be achieved only by living up to the responsibilities of a committed Catholic.”
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