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History of Holy Name High School

Holy Name High School  traces its inception to St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church located in Reading, Pennsylvania.  Founded in 1752, St. Peter’s established its parish elementary school with the approval of Bishop Neumann in 1859.  By 1911, the parish high school was established, with the first graduating class receiving their diplomas in 1914.

With the formation of the Allentown Diocese in 1961, Bishop Joseph McShea realized the demand for additional high school facilities in Berks County, as well as other parts of the Diocese.  Subsequently, he inaugurated a massive building campaign which culminated in the construction of three new high schools:  Bethlehem Catholic in Bethlehem; Marian High in Tamaqua and Holy Name in Reading

The land on which Holy Name is situated is located in the 18th Ward of the City of Reading.  Purchased from the Textile Machine Works, the original tract of land comprised 35.6 acres in all.  It was bounded on the north by Joan Terrace, on the east by the Swartz Tract, on the south by East Wyomissing Boulevard and on the west by Parkside Drive South.

 

On Sunday, August 30, 1964, Holy Name High School was dedicated by His Excellency The Most Reverend Egidio Vagnozzi, D.D., Apostolic Delegate to the United States.  The name of the school was chosen as a tribute to the Holy Name Societies of men in the Allentown Diocese, who, acting on behalf of the Bishop, campaigned for the funds with which to build the high school.

 

When Holy Name opened its doors in September of 1964 (St. Peter’s High School closed its doors permanently in June of 1964), the faculty included three Diocesan Priests, one Benedictine Priest, six Immaculate Heart Sisters, three Sisters of St. Francis, three Bernardine Sisters and seven Lay Teachers.  The Reverend (now Monsignor) Richard J. Loeper, a native of Reading, was appointed the first Principal of Holy Name.  The student body numbered 566, Grades 9 through 12.  The first graduating class numbered 64. 

 

In June of 1979, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales were invited by Bishop McShea to become part of the administration and staff of Holy Name High School, replacing the Diocesan priests currently on the staff. 

 

In 1986, with the financial assistance of the Diocese of Allentown, through the Forward With Christ Program, an addition was constructed adjacent to the gymnasium.  Included in this addition is a ticket booth for athletic and social events, a weight room and two storage rooms.

 

In 1987, a Multi-Media Communications Center, dedicated to Bishop Joseph McShea, the founding Bishop of the Allentown Diocese, was constructed on the second floor.  Included in this center were facilities for video-taping programs, a closed circuit television station which is used for daily announcements and a variety of programs, including Channel 1.

 

In March of 1995, it was announced that the Oblates would be leaving Holy Name High School and that Sister Joseph Eleanor Murphy, IHM, would be the new Principal.

 

As the result of a major capital campaign, a renovation and construction project was undertaken in the spring of 1997, which would be completed in several different phases over the next few years.  The project resulted in a complete state-of-art computer wing, an enlarged library equipped with computers, a new administrative wing, a new auditorium with seating for approximately 800 guests, a weight room, a new television studio, a new athletic complex consisting of tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, field hockey field, a football field which also serves as a soccer field, and an all-weather track.  In addition, the parking facilities have doubled in size.
 
In 2003, the school transitioned to the President/Principal model.  Rev. Robert T. Finlan, was appointed by Bishop Cullen, to lead the school, and Mr. Keith S. Laser was selected to serve as principal. In 2008, Father Finlan was replaced as president by 1979, Holy Name graduate, Rev. Jonh A. Frink.

 

The school now has superb state of the art facilities.   A modern sports complex, new administrative offices, SMART technology available in every classroom, a fiber optic cable connection to the Internet, three complete computer laboratories each with 30 computers, a beautiful library, a 760 seat auditorium, art and music rooms, wireless Internet connection, and a wide variety of cutting-edge software applications.  All of these enhancements are to ensure that our students have all they need to receive a top-notch Chirst-centered education.