An integral part of any vibrant parish is its educational program. Our Lady of Angels is no different. This reality was reflected in the immediate creation of a school by Father Columban soon after his appointment as pastor, and the school continues to reflect the parish’s commitment to its youth by providing a quality education, both secular and religious.
In the latter part of the 19th century, the Baltimore Council urged that every parish have a parochial school. As noted above, Father Columban took this to heart and began Our Lady of Angels school as one of his first acts as pastor. The first school year was 1923-24 and, although the building was not yet ready for immediate occupancy, the school officially opened on September 10, 1923, with one class held in the chapel and the other two classes meeting in the reception rooms of the monastery. Total enrollment was 103 – 70 boys and 33 girls. Approximately 30 of the children were from St. Vincent de Paul Parish.
The first ten years of the school’s existence saw that enrollment increase to more than 400. The number would eventually reach to more than 1,100 in the 1960′s before leveling off and decreasing over the past 30 years. For years, the Sisters of St. Joseph, whose Academy for girls is located within the parish, just north of the church, were in charge of the educational program. Thousands of children received a quality education thanks to the selfless efforts of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Over the years, lay teachers replaced the sisters and, today, Our Lady of Angels students are taught entirely by lay instructors. The quality of education offered remains high, however, and the school has an excellent reputation in the greater Cleveland area.
