PAWTUCKET — Saint Raphael Academy will begin a celebration of its 100th anniversary during the 2024-2025 academic year.
From its humble beginnings as “the little school on Walcott Street” to the expansion of the campus and student body, Saint Raphael Academy will celebrate the past and embrace the future over this very special centennial year.
The school will recognize and commemorate this milestone with a slate of events and activities for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. The Academy is planning celebratory masses, a recognition of the 50th anniversary of women at the school, and an end-of-year gala.
The kickoff event will be an opening mass and reception on September 7, followed by a school-wide celebration for current students on September 11.
With support from the Diocese of Providence and in consultation with Bishop William Hickey, the local pastors whose parishes provided students for the new high school decided that the Academy should be dedicated to Saint Raphael, one of the seven Archangels and the patron saint of youth. The Christian Brothers brought the ideals and teachings of St. John Baptist de La Salle to the U.S. and started many Catholic schools in New York and the Northeast. Saint Raphael Academy officially opened its doors on September 10, 1924, welcoming 59 young men into what was once a residence at 123 Walcott Street (now the White Building) in Pawtucket.
The Diocese of Providence has continued its unwavering support of Saint Raphael Academy for the last century. The school also remains connected with the Christian Brothers and is one of more than 1,000 Lasallian educational ministries worldwide.
The Academy remained an all-male high school until 1974, when young women were welcomed from the former St. Jean Baptiste Academy.
Over 100 years, the Academy built and acquired an additional seven buildings that encompass its current college-style campus. More recently, Saint Raphael Academy completed and exceeded a $5 million capital campaign in 2022 to support scholarships, infrastructure, and an endowment.
A complete list of events can be found on the school website, www.saintrays.org.
