About Holy Spirit School

Holy Spirit School has 280 students enrolled in Grades Pre-K through Grade 8 as of October 1, 2020.  

Holy Spirit School admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.  

All paid staff must have on file both BCI and FBI background checks and must attend “Protecting God’s Children". 
 

History of Holy Spirit Parish and Holy Spirit School

The Holy Spirit Parish was founded in 1947 under the guidance of Father Harry S. Connelly. In November 1948, a census of the parish showed a Catholic population of 624 with no school, no church building, just devoted parishioners. The present chapel was blessed by Bishop Ready in April 1951.

The cornerstone for Holy Spirit School was laid in July 1952 and 167 children were enrolled that first fall. By 1954, the population of the parish had grown to 4,517 with 672 students in the school. That same year, the cornerstone of the second church was laid with the dedication of the church on September 12, 1954.

Plans for Holy Spirit’s new church, which was to be built at Broad and Yearling, were drawn up in April of 1959. The new church was built to align with the school so that later it could be converted into classrooms. A new parish, St. Pius, was formed in 1958 and eastern boundaries for Holy Spirit were set at McNaughten Road. The cornerstone of that church was laid on September 4, 1960, and the first Mass was celebrated in the new church on the first Friday of December 1960.

The establishment of St. Matthew and St. Phillip parishes in the late 1950s created today’s north and south boundaries of Holy Spirit Parish.

From 1974 to 1982 Father John Dreese and Father Anthony Missimi served as co-pastors. It should also be noted that during the period 1979 to 1981, Sr. Pauline Devine was assigned to the parish as an associate pastor. In July 1982 Father Jerome Stluka was assigned as pastor.

The bells in the tower were purchased in 1983 from the former Carmel Community and installed more than 20 years after the church’s completion. In July 1989 Msgr. J. Colby Grimes was assigned as pastor. The school was remodeled in 1987 and entered the 1990s with a state-of-the-art computer room and an enrollment of 300 students, again near capacity.

In July 1997 Father Raymond Larussa was assigned as pastor to Holy Spirit Church. In 2004, an elevator was installed to provide access from the ground to the sanctuary and basement levels of the church. The “Ten Commandments” monument located at the church's front entrance and funded through the efforts of parishioners was dedicated on September 11, 2005. A Shrine to the Blessed Virgin was erected by the Holy Spirit Men's Club in 2007.

Father William L. Arnold was assigned as Holy Spirit's pastor in July 2009. Holy Spirit Parish continues to be a vibrant and diversified Catholic Community under the continued spiritual guidance of Father Arnold.

Click here to visit the Holy Spirit Catholic Church website.