The story below is from our January/February 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Photo above: Ana Morales / Archival image courtesy of the Virginia Room, Roanoke Public Libraries
As part of Roanoke’s iconic skyline, Roanoke Catholic has seen its fair share of changes and updates.
Although it is perched atop the same hill overlooking downtown Roanoke, the Roanoke Catholic School of 1964 sure looks different than the school today — in more ways than one.
The school’s gymnasium and main building were constructed in 1961, just three years before this photo was taken.
But the school’s origins go back more than a century. Two women of St. Andrew’s Parish, opened a school inside St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Roanoke in 1889, according to a historical account on the school’s website. Ten years later, a two-story brick building was constructed as the home for St. Andrew’s school. (See more on St. Andrew’s Catholic Church and its artchitecture in our “Iconic Skyline” feature on page 50.)
In 1931, the parish built a new building for the school, now housing grades pre-kindergarten through second grades.
The school actually took the name Roanoke Catholic High in 1950, when it combined with Our Lady of Nazareth’s school.
Roanoke Catholic continued to grow, with the elementary grades coming together on the same grounds, and the addition of a kindergarten program.
The school added a multi-purpose structure in 1999-2000, joining its upper and lower buildings and featuring a cafeteria, chapel, science labs and more.
Fast forward to today, where total enrollment at Roanoke Catholic is 396, and the average class size is 19 students, according to the school’s website.
Alongside its academic mission, the school’s annual Shamrock Hill Run, coinciding with Roanoke’s March St. Patrick’s Day parade became a popular community affair for years.
In 2022, the school changed the event’s name to the Celtic Fest on the Hill. The first fest featured bagpipers, inflatables for children, a beer garden, food and free admission.
The story above is from our January/February 2023 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
