Holy Cross of San Antonio opened in 1957 as the only Catholic, college preparatory, school primarily serving students of the West and South Sides of the city. Today, Holy Cross serves students from all over the city and remains the only Catholic, coeducational, college preparatory school serving children in grades 6th through 12th.

Holy Cross is run by the Brothers of Holy Cross, members of the Congregation of Holy Cross. The Brothers of Holy Cross provide an educational mission tried and proven over more than 175 years. Currently, the Congregation of Holy Cross administers forty-three schools around the world, including nine universities (most notably The University of Notre Dame) and sixteen middle and secondary schools in the United States. In the tradition of our founder, Blessed Father Basil Moreau, the Brothers understand the importance of providing educational opportunities to students of all abilities in order to develop their spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical capacities.

Located at 426 North San Felipe (1 mile from St. Mary's University), Holy Cross of San Antonio is an independent Catholic middle and high school that has been serving the community since 1957. Holy Cross welcomes students of different abilities and backgrounds and prepares them to integrate Christianity into their learning and living, to address the challenges of society, and to acquire virtues for effective service to others.

Since Holy Cross of San Antonio's first graduating class in 1961, the schools alumni have gone on to serve as federal judges, lawyers, business executives, teachers, priests, law enforcement representatives, principals, CEO's of major companies, surgeons, dentists, CPA's, engineers, professors, business executives, even Grammy Award winning artists and many, many more. Holy Cross of San Antonio bases its reputation on the students it produces and not on the student it accepts. Holy Cross strives to eliminate economic conditions as a factor in a child's opportunity for educational prosperity. Holy Cross Alumni continue to lead the way in providing outreach programs to local youths, scholastic endowments to the under-privileged, health and welfare education courses for the local community, and a continued financial dedication to the only college preparatory school on the West Side of San Antonio, Texas. The effort to produce academic excellence as well as social, physical, and spiritual achievement will always remain a foremost concern. The Holy Cross of San Antonio community understands the need for an educational institution that prepares the kind of graduates that freely give back to their community.

Holy Cross of San Antonio fulfills and exceeds the requirements of The Texas Catholic Conference Education Department and also exceeds the Curriculum Guides of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). All teachers, library staff, counselors and paraprofessionals at Holy Cross must meet the Educational Personnel Requirements as determined by The Texas Catholic Educational Department.

Holy Cross of San Antonio has been a Blue Ribbon school since 1984 and is distinguished by being the first Blue Ribbon school in all of San Antonio. Holy Cross will continue to serve as a beacon of hope and educational prosperity. Upon graduation, 100% of our graduates will have earned the necessary credits and requirements to enroll in college. The goal is to have all students perform at their highest level of competence. This philosophy accounts for more than 95% of graduates enrolling in colleges throughout our country.

President
Hon. Larry Noll
District Judge, State of Texas

Brother Stanley Culotta CSC, MD
President, Holy Cross of San Antonio

Mr. Delbert Gonzalez
Accountant

Mr. Kenneth Schraer
Owner, Schraer Construction Co.

Mr. Guillermo Ponce
Engineering Manager

Dr. Ernesto Guerra
Physician

Mr. Mark Wright
Retired CEO

Mrs. Linda Ruiz
Medical Profession

Ms. Judy McCormick
Insurance Executive

Mr. Rick Aleman
President, Selrico Services, Inc.

The Holy Cross student is a refined person who lives by faith. Devoted to their souls' welfare, they reflect often on God. Their daily actions are sanctified by prayer, the practice of virtue and Christian piety. Since sanctity is their goal, there is a deep devotion to Our Lord and to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The Holy Cross students are studious. Learning is regarded as a duty; intellectual perfection as an honor. In the tradition of Father Moreau, students recognize that school is the training ground where useful citizens are molded.

The Holy Cross student is loyal to God and country. Devotion to their school and their teachers is demonstrated by their cooperation, zeal, and spirit. They are friends to all because they are a member of the Body of Christ.

In a word, Holy Cross students are persons of faith and honesty, of strength of character through self-mastery, of respect for the Christian family and lawful authority, of leadership in the pursuit of the true, the good and the beautiful. These are the Holy Cross Students.

During the mid 1950's the Archdiocese of San Antonio planned a trade school for boys to be located on the predominately lower-income West Side of San Antonio. But further planning and deliberation changed the direction from establishing a trade school to establishing a college preparatory high school. This led to the Brothers of Holy Cross accepting responsibility for the administration of the new high school and it was named Holy Cross High School. Brother Harold Young, C.S.C. was named the first principal and on September 3, 1957, Holy Cross opened as an Archdiocesan high school for boys with 84 freshmen. The entire faculty consisted of 3 Brothers of Holy Cross and Msgr. Alexander Wangler. These students and faculty described themselves as "pioneers", and the high standards they set continue making Holy Cross synonymous with excellence.

During their first four years these pioneers accepted the responsibility of initiating the many traditions that only a charter class could perform. They chose blue and gold for the school colors. Recognizing the affiliation of the Brothers of Holy Cross and the University of Notre Dame, they chose the famous "Notre Dame Victory March" for their school song. For their mascot they chose "Knights". When the "pioneers" arrived on September 3, 1957, there was only the library, eight classrooms, the cafeteria, and the Brothers Residence. They wasted no time pulling weeds and planting trees. It was their school and they proudly let it be known.

Gradually facilities were enlarged or increased, and activities were introduced. In January of 1961 the science building was completed. In 1963, after two years of hard work by a dedicated group of parents and their sons, the quarter-mile cinder track was ready for use. In 1964 the gym was completed and the basketball team no longer had to practice on the outdoor courts. In 1965 the baseball field was completed. Parents and students played significant roles in campus development. Not only did parents and students develop the original facilities but also through the years the parents and students have continued maintaining and improving the facilities.

When Holy Cross opened in 1957 it received subsidy from the Archdiocese of San Antonio. In subsequent years tuition costs rose but so did the subsidy. Then in February of 1968, Holy Cross was informed that at the end of the school year, the Archdiocese could not and would not provide further financial subsidy. Through the efforts of the parents, alumni, and friends, Holy Cross was able to avoid closure and was able to continue its education ministry. Most notable during this time and the following years were the many Benefit Concerts of Miss Vikki Carr.

During the early years, a large percentage of students who entered Holy Cross were from Catholic elementary schools located in South and West San Antonio. Unfortunately, many of these Catholic elementary schools began experiencing financial hardships and decreasing enrollments that led to their closing. Committed to its mission of Catholic education Holy Cross responded by expanding to include both seventh and eighth grades.

Between 1968 and 1998, Holy Cross continued offering its quality, value centered, college preparatory education although it was really without an owner. The Archdiocese of San Antonio owned the property but was removed from any financial obligations or responsibilities. Alumni remained loyal and attached. Then in 1998, a group of representative Alumni approached the Archdiocese of San Antonio, seeking ownership of Holy Cross High School. In April of 2001 all understandings and agreements were completed and ownership of Holy Cross was transferred to Holy Cross Community Services, a non-profit corporation.

Holy Cross has evolved from an all-boys school to one that serves a broader spectrum of students. In 2004 the all-boys middle school began the sixth grade program. The middle school now serves grades 6th through 8th. In 2005 the mission of education expanded as Holy Cross made the transition to coeducation at the high school level. Holy Cross is again happy to announce, beginning with the 2009 school year, the mission of education will again expand to include young ladies in the former all-boys middle school. 2009 will mark the first year Holy Cross of San Antonio became coeducational at all grade levels.

As an independent Catholic school Holy Cross of San Antonio continues its mission of Catholic education under direction of its school board. The spirit of the founders, those "pioneers" to whom all who are associated with Holy Cross are so thankful, continues today in the students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends.

"We can state in a word the kind of teaching we wish to impart. We do not want our students to be ignorant of anything they should know. To this end, we shall avoid no sacrifice. We always place education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart. While we prepare useful citizens for society, we shall likewise do our utmost to prepare citizens for eternal life."
--Father Basil Moreau, Founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross

Holy Cross of San Antonio was started by the Brothers of Holy Cross, members of the Congregation of Holy Cross which has a tradition of education tried and proven over more than 175 years. Since 1957, the mission of Holy Cross High School is the fullfilment of the educational ministry of the Roman Catholic Church and has as it’s primary goal the continuous formation of the Christian person.

The Holy Cross philosophy of education is stated in the Holy Cross Code, “ The Holy Cross man realizes that life consists in the harmonious development of the whole man - his religious, intellectual, and physical powers”.

Holy Cross of San Antonio adheres to the absolute importance of developing the spiritual and moral character of our young men. The effort to produce academic excellence as well as social, physical, and spiritual development remains at the forefront because the Holy Cross community understands completely the need for an educational institution that prepares graduates who are inspired at every level.

Today's United States Holy Cross schools have a dual purpose: they must fulfill the educational goals set by the United States bishops and they must do this in the tradition of Holy Cross as passed on from our founder, Father Basil Moreau. What then should the characteristics of Holy Cross of San Antonio be?

• Holy Cross exists primarily to evangelize and to educate in the Faith
• Holy Cross views itself as part of the local Church
• Holy Cross serves a diverse population
• Holy Cross finds ways of providing opportunities for the poor and disadvantaged
• Holy Cross is a community and family
• Holy Cross selects and retains teachers with great care
• Holy Cross helps students get the best education possible
• Holy Cross helps students become active and informed citizens
• Holy Cross instills in each student a strong sense of personal self-worth and feelings of accomplishment
• Holy Cross helps students develop all aspects of their humanity
• Holy Cross provides an orderly learning environment
• Holy Cross provides efficient and well-maintained facilities

Holy Cross of San Antonio offers and serves students of all abilities and economic status. Holy Cross education is concerned primarily with leading students to understand and to live Christianity. Holy Cross welcomes non-Catholics and non-Christians who wish to benefit from our mission. In the Holy Cross of San Antonio educational heritage, there is a direct connection between the qualities a person develops in school and the qualities lived long after the years in school. Holy Cross students are destined to live in the business and problems of the world. Holy Cross has a concern for realism in education; students must be prepared for the society and the world in which they are going to live and work. The Holy Cross of San Antonio graduate forever remains committed to all that is significant in every community. Holy Cross wants to continue producing alumni that will positively impact the local community, the country, and the world.