Holy Cross Regional Catholic School Information

Holy Cross Regional Catholic School, located in the city of Lynchburg, is a Roman Catholic, co-educational, PreK-12 school in the Diocese of Richmond. Its history is somewhat unique, in that the school predates the public schools in the city of Lynchburg. History claims 1879 as its founding date, but Holy Cross as a church-related or parish school has a pre-history. The history of the Catholic Church in Lynchburg dates back to 1843. The construction of the Kanawha canal in 1834 contributed to its growth. Thousands of Irish Catholics were employed for the project, and many workers established their residence in or near Lynchburg after the completion of the canal. A building located at Ninth and Clay streets was acquired in 1843 for use as the first church, named St. Francis Xavier. In 1871, Reverend James J. McGurk, Pastor, organized a parochial school. In 1874, the school was incorporated into the newly founded public school system. However, this arrangement was discontinued after one year and the school was once again an independent school. In 1879, the present Catholic Church was built at Seventh and Clay streets and the parish was renamed Holy Cross. A request for Sisters was made to Emmitsburg, Maryland, to the community founded by Elizabeth Ann Seton. As a result, four Daughters of Charity arrived in December 1879. When the Sisters arrived, the school was housed in the old church (St. Francis Xavier). Eighty pupils ranging from six to seventeen years of age were enrolled in the school. Initially, students were grouped into primary, intermediate, and senior sections instead of separate class levels. In 1916, the old church building was razed and a new ten-room building was erected on the same site. For forty years, it served the academic needs of the Catholic population in the area. In 1957, with the arrival of two large industries and the subsequent arrival of Catholic families from the northeast, expansion of school facilities became imperative. The pastor, the Very Reverend Monsignor F. Harold Nott, purchased a large double house at the corner of Eighth and Court streets and this house was converted into a high school in February 1957. Soon, this facility was not adequate to provide for the increased enrollment.