School History

St. Mary's School, 1864-2016, 

Home of the “Gaels”:

St. Mary’s School (SMS) was founded in 1864 with Mrs. Maggie Mohan Ryan serving as the school’s first teacher. By 1879, SMS had three grade levels. In the 1890’s SMS welcomed its first African-American students. Considering the culture of the era, especially in Indiana, this was a significant benchmark for Catholic education in Anderson. Holy Cross School continues to welcome students from a wide range of racial and ethnic backgrounds. By 1893, the school served 11 grade levels with around 200 students. By 1915, SMS had 300 students and eight teachers. In 1923, with Reverend Thomas Travers serving as pastor, a new school building was constructed at 321 East 11th Street at the cost of $150,000 (Ernest Watkins, Architect). The gymnasium was completed in January of 1925. In 1956, the west wing was added to the school, and in 1964, the adjacent single-story structure was added. 

On May 3, 1966, Mother Verda Claire informed Monsignor Francis Kienly that the Sisters of the Holy Cross would no longer be teaching at SMS. Over the next few years, the Sisters discontinued their service at the school. On May 20, 1966, St. Mary’s High School graduated its final senior class of 61 students. In 1974-1975, SMS had its first school year with an all-layperson faculty. In 1975, Kindergarten was added, with Preschool being added in 1991.

On May 31, 2016, St. Mary’s School held its final day of classes with 141 students in Preschool-Grade 8. 

St. Ambrose School, 1950-2016, 

Home of the “Crusaders”:

St. Ambrose School, 2825 Lincoln Street, opened on September 15, 1950, with 131 students in grades 1-6. Bishop J.G. Bennett dedicated the school and chapel building on October 1. The following year, grades 7 and 8 were added. A house at 2817 Morton Street was purchased to serve as the parish Rectory. This house was later used as a convent by the Sisters of the Holy Cross and was used by Boy Scouts Troop #601 until 2024.

By the end of the 1950’s, enrollment had reached 323 students. The faculty consisted of four Sisters and three lay teachers. In 1963, the cafeteria was opened in the church basement. In 1970, grades 7 and 8 were discontinued. In 1974, Kindergarten was added and all staff members were lay persons. Preschool classes were started in 1995. 

On May 31, 2016, St. Ambrose School held its final day of classes with 94 students in Preschool-Grade 6. 

Holy Cross School, 2016-present, 

Home of the “Saints”:

In March 2015, it was announced that St. Mary’s and St. Ambrose Schools would be unified and known as Holy Cross School. The school name pays tribute to the Sisters of the Holy Cross, who served the school from 1879-1966. In the first year of unification, the student population was 213, with South Campus (the former St. Ambrose School building on Lincoln Street) serving Preschool-Grade 1. Grades 2-8 were housed at North Campus (the former St. Mary’s School on 11th Street).

At the time of the unification, Monsignor Robert Sell was pastor at St. Mary’s and St. Ambrose parishes, and Fr. Daniel Shine was Parochial Vicar. The current Pastor of the Anderson-Alexandria Pastorate is Fr. Tom Metzger, with Fr. Christian DeCarlo serving as Associate Pastor. The first principal of Holy Cross School was Mrs. Tina Neal, who served the school from 2016 until 2022. Rob Frey began serving as principal in the fall of 2022 and is the current Holy Cross School principal.