The Legacy of St. Catherine’s High School
The Racine Dominicans
Sister Maria Benedicta Bauer opened St. Catharina’s Female Academy near the shore of Lake Michigan in January of 1865. If not for her relentless determination and drive, St. Catherine’s High School would not exist today.
Journeying to the U.S. from her native Bavaria in 1858, Benedicta was part of a vast network of Bavarian monks and nuns that built schools, parishes and other institutions in an effort to establish the German Catholic Church in America while spreading God's message through Christian education.
In 1862, Benedicta, along with Sister Maria Thomasina Ginker, established the Congregation of Saint Catherine of Siena in Racine, WI. That organization, now known as the Racine Dominicans, remains a proud sponsor of St. Catherine’s to this day.
A lover of music who served as a teacher and choir nun in Bavaria, Benedicta dreamed of opening an “English school” when she arrived in Racine. It was a dream she realized against tremendous odds, continuously battling economic hardship. The Sisters of the congregation were poor, and with the Civil War raging in America, money was scarce. Nonetheless, Benedicta spearheaded several fundraising efforts to secure the funds needed to build her academy.
In January of 1865, St. Catharina’s Female Academy opened with 15 boarders and 47 day school students.
Over time, that Academy would flourish into St. Catherine’s, a coeducational, college preparatory high school (grades 9-12) dedicated to teaching the importance of service and developing the God-given talents of every student passing through its doors. The institution promotes diversity and respect while teaching students in accordance with the four pillars of the Dominican Order: Study, Prayer, Service, and Community.
St. Catherine’s strives to develop the God-given talents inherent in every student while preparing them with the skills, faith and knowledge needed to achieve life success, and the school prides itself on the immeasurable impact over 16,000 Angel alumni have had on countless communities across the world.
Mission, Vision & the Dominican Pillars
Mission: St. Catherine’s High School educates students in the Catholic faith, fostering an environment of academic and behavioral excellence to create lifelong learners and globally responsible citizens.
Vision: St. Catherine’s will have become the premier model for innovative Catholic education in Southeastern Wisconsin, developing the whole person in a respectful, globally aware, and Christ-centered environment.
The Dominican Pillars: St. Catherine's is built on the Dominican values of:
Study: Delivering excellence in Catholic education that maximizes the potential of every student, producing graduates who embrace a lifelong love of learning.
Prayer: Elevating our Catholic faith in a loving God who lies at the center of all things, and who guides all of His people in their personal faith journeys.
Service: Creating a civically engaged environment that forms conscious world citizens who appreciate the dignity of every individual, driven by both word and deed.
Community: Emphasizing the importance of positive relationships at our school, in the surrounding area and within the greater world, leading to personal growth and enabling a commitment to the common good.
St. Catherine’s Foundation
Established in 1981, the St. Catherine's High School Foundation ensures the necessary financial resources to provide future generations of Angels with the same experience over 16,000 alumni have enjoyed ever since Mother Benedicta Bauer, our foundress, opened the school in 1864.
The Foundation's endowment, which features over 70 individual named funds valued in excess of $5 million, is managed by its Board of Directors, and generates interest income for the school on a reliable annual basis, funding scholarships and financial aid, staff development, and educational programs.
Establishing a new Foundation fund, making a gift to an existing fund by including the Foundation in your will or estate plan, or designating the school as a beneficiary of an IRA are just a few ways to support the endowment and help ensure the school's continued health and vitality.
Anyone wishing to learn more about giving to the Foundation should the Advancement Office via email or 262-833-5511.