Saint Louis School, located in the neighborhood of St. Louis Heights in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a historic Catholic college preparatory school for boys. It was founded in 1846 to serve Catholics in the former Kingdom of Hawaii. Located within the Diocese of Honolulu, it is affiliated with the Society of Mary, a religious order of brothers and priests called the Marianists who also administer Chaminade University of Honolulu, formerly the college section of Saint Louis School. It is located near Sacred Hearts Academy, a girls' school founded by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and both schools hold joint programs such as cultural festivals and the JROTC.[2][3]

Saint Louis School
Address
Map
3142 Waialae Avenue

,
96816-1579

United States
Coordinates21°17′24″N 157°48′25″W / 21.290°N 157.807°W / 21.290; -157.807
Information
TypePrivate
MottoMemor et Fidelis
(Mindful and Faithful)
Religious affiliation(s)Catholic
Established1846; 178 years ago (1846)
FounderCongregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
OversightMarianists
PresidentGlenn Medeiros
GradesK12
GenderBoys
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)Red and Blue   
MascotThe Fighting Crusader
Team nameCrusaders
RivalKahuku High & Intermediate School
Punahou School
AccreditationWestern Association of Schools and Colleges[1]
NewspaperThe Collegian
YearbookThe Crusader
Websitewww.saintlouishawaii.org

History

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Establishment

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Students in the 1890s

Saint Louis School was originally located in the ʻĀhuimanu area of windward Oʻahu as the College of ʻĀhuimanu, founded in 1846 by the Fathers of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. In 1881, the school was relocated to Beretania Street, in downtown Honolulu, adjacent to Washington Place, the home of Liliuokalani, who was Queen of Hawaii from 1891 to 1893. When the school moved to downtown Honolulu, it was called the College of Saint Louis, named after the patron saint of Louis Maigret, Bishop of Honolulu. In 1883, the school moved again for a third time to Kamakela (known today as College Walk), on the bank of the Nuʻuanu Stream, near Chinatown, Honolulu. This remained the campus until the 1920s.[4]

The high school and college sections eventually split up and the emblem for Saint Louis College can be seen above the door of the administration building of Chaminade University on the Chaminade/Saint Louis campus. Marianists assumed control of the school and determined a need to expand facilities to serve the burgeoning Hawaiian Catholic population, who included many Filipino immigrants. Because of the Marianist core mission to educate regardless of ethnic, religious, or fiscal means, the Order purchased land in Kalaepōhaku, a hillside division of Honolulu's Kaimuki community, to enable the school to better serve Hawaii. Kalaepōhaku opened in September 1928 as Saint Louis School.

Developments

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In the years following World War II, Saint Louis School re-evaluated its mission. Beginning in 1949, it dropped the lower grade levels one at a time, concentrating on a curriculum as a high school serving grades 9 through 12.

In 1980, it reinstated grades 7 and 8. In 1990, grade 6 was reinstated. The school created a middle school consisting of grades 6 through 8, operating independently within Saint Louis School. Grade 5 was reinstated and added to the middle school. In 2015 Saint Louis School announced its plans to expand again to become a K-12 school for the 2016–17 school year.[5] The school currently provides for students from grades K-12.

Academics

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Saint Louis School is fully accredited by the Western Catholic Education Association[1] (WCEA) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). It offers three distinct curricula.

  • An accelerated college preparatory program for students planning to attend very selective colleges or universities. This includes a partnership with Chaminade University of Honolulu, whereby students can take courses and remain on campus for dual-enrollment credit.
  • A college preparatory program.
  • A general program for students planning to attend trade or business schools, two-year community colleges, or enter the military or work force.

Athletics

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Saint Louis School plays competitively in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) and the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association (HHSAA). Sometimes it fields members in the Pac-5, an alliance of Honolulu-area private academies.

As the state has no professional sports teams, high school teams in Hawaii are extremely popular with the public. Several generations of Hawaiian residents have become avid fans of Saint Louis School athletics, especially its football team. The Honolulu Advertiser and Honolulu Star-Bulletin newspapers have nicknamed Saint Louis School's team as Hawaii's Team; it has played in invitational tournaments throughout the world.

Saint Louis School also fields teams in bowling, cross country, kayaking, and water polo in the fall. In winter it competes in canoe paddling, basketball, soccer, swimming and diving, riflery, and wrestling. In spring it competes in baseball, golf, judo, track, lacrosse, and volleyball.

Saint Louis has had a strong history in Football winning a total of fourteen Oahu State Prep Bowls, in 1983 and consecutively from 1986 to 1998. Continuing from 1998 Saint Louis went on to win the HHSAA Football Championship in 1999, 2002, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018, and most recently in 2019.

Saint Louis also won Hawaii state basketball championships in 1968 and 1986 with Kaipo Johnston Spencer first as a player in ‘68 then later as coach of the ‘86 team. In recent years, the Saint Louis basketball team has obtained significant success. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, the Crusaders managed to win a three-peat state championship.

Notable alumni

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Listed alphabetically by last name (year of graduation):

Government

Athletics (American Football)

Athletics (Baseball)

Athletics (Other)

Other

Notes and references

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  1. ^ a b WASC-ACS. "WASC-Accrediting Commission for Schools". Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
  2. ^ "Clubs & Activities". sacredhearts.org. Archived from the original on 2016-08-06. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  3. ^ "Saint Louis School and Sacred Hearts Academy". Honolulu. August 2008. Archived from the original on 2016-08-16. Retrieved 2016-07-12.
  4. ^ "History – About Us – Saint Louis School". Archived from the original on 2017-06-10. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  5. ^ "Saint Louis School Welcomes Kindergarten-Grade 5 in 2016". saintlouishawaii.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05.
  6. ^ Chinen, Kyle (June 30, 2021). "Saint Louis' Caleb Lomavita earns 2021 Gatorade Hawaii Baseball Player of the Year". www.hawaiinewsnow.com.
  7. ^ "Maj. Gen. Joseph Caravalho, Jr./ Deputy Surgeon General and Deputy Commanding General (Support)". Army Medicine. 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-09-05.
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