Welcome to Xavier High School Online
THE XAVERIAN BROTHERS
The Congregation of the Brothers of Saint Francis Xavier, commonly called The Xaverian Brothers, was founded in 1839 in Bruges, Belgium, by Theodore James Ryken. Although Brother Francis Xavier, as Ryken was called, had intended a religious community to work among the Native Americans, God had other plans. The small congregation grew slowly, establishing schools in several Belgian cities and beginning an English Province in 1848. On August 16, 1854, an American colony of Xaverians opened two schools in Louisville, Kentucky. Despite difficulties and hardships, the work of the Brothers spread quickly in America. Schools were opened along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Virginia; the first Xaverian school in New England was opened at Saint Patrick's Parish in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1881. The Brothers first came to Connecticut in 1904 to work at St. John's Industrial School located initially in Hartford and subsequently in Deep River. This school was similar to many of the schools the Brothers administered at that time. The Brothers withdrew from St. John's in 1919 when that institution changed from being an industrial school to an orphanage.
In addition to Xavier High School, Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools can be found in Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts and New York. The Brothers also work in various apostolates in California, Florida, South Carolina, Mexico, Virginia, England and Bolivia. Xaverian missionary work continues in Bolivia, Haiti, Kenya, Uganda, Lithuania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Visit the Xaverian Brothers web page.
XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL
Xavier High School welcomes students of all denominations from throughout Connecticut. To meet the needs of the 21st Century, a 27,000 square foot building addition was completed in October 1999, updating and expanding the school's facilities. St. Joseph Hall is home to a state-of-the-art science floor, a new, air conditioned dining hall and the Galluzzo Media Technology Center. Refurbished areas in the original building provide additional athletic facilities including a new, well-equipped weight room, new showers and locker areas. A new art studio and a new music room with a full complement of musical instruments and individual practice rooms have been incorporated to expand our fine arts capabilities.
FOUNDATION
Xavier High School was founded in 1963 by The Most Rev. Vincent J. Hines, second bishop of the Diocese of Norwich, as a Catholic secondary school for young men. It is sponsored jointly by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich and the Congregation of the Brothers of Saint Francis Xavier. The school was incorporated under the laws of the State of Connecticut on February 18, 1963.
From the foundation of the school until the present, Xavier has maintained an educational philosophy which seeks "to impress upon students the dignity of the human person created by God, to guide and counsel students in educational and vocational need and to help them prepare for college, for life work, and above all, for life itself." (Statement of Aims and Objectives as published in the 1963 brochure)
Although it has been adapted to the changing times and circumstances, Xavier's philosophy has nevertheless remained essentially consonant with the original statement written in 1963 by Brother Robert Sullivan, the school's founding principal.
On May 29, 1998, the Most Reverend Daniel Hart, Bishop of Norwich, and Brother Matthew Burke, Superior General of the Xaverian Brothers, gave final approval to an agreement whereby Xavier High School was formally recognized as a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School. According to the terms of the agreement, the corporate structure of the school has been modified to reflect what is now common practice at other Xaverian Brothers schools while also preserving Xavier’s identity as an institution of the Diocese of Norwich.
The essential characteristic of Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools is the partnership existing between the Brothers, their lay colleagues and each member of the school community, which serves to maintain the Catholic nature of the school and to ensure continued excellence as it carries out its mission of education. The sponsorship agreement provides for a significant change in Xavier’s governance, which is the responsibility of a Board of Directors appointed by the Bishop and the General Superior, together with the school’s corporate members and their delegates.
Within the Catholic tradition and within the context of a Christian community, Xavier seeks to educate the whole man, spirit, mind and body. Through academic, religious, service, athletic and extracurricular programs, the school endeavors to form a man who is academically competent, spiritually alive and physically sound. By providing a community centered on Judeo-Christian values, the school seeks to support the student in his growth as a human being and to instill in him a sense of responsibility for the gifts which are his. At graduation, then, the Xavier man should be intellectually prepared to undertake collegiate studies or to enter the work force, to make mature choices and to take responsibility for his life and his gifts, and to have an understanding of Christian values and the obligations to his fellow human beings which these values entail.
St. Irenaeus wrote, "The glory of God is the human person fully alive." Xavier attempts to be part of the formation of such persons, young men who are prepared "for college, for life work, and above all, for life itself."