“They will soar on wings as eagles.” Isaiah 40:31
“Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Saint Anthony Catholic School provides academic excellence in a Christian setting faithful to the values and teachings of the Catholic Church. We challenge our student’s to become tomorrow’s leaders today.
In the practical application of this philosophy we the teachers of Saint Anthony Catholic School, working with the home and the Church, endeavor to provide every child with experiences will develop a character equal to the responsibilities of fundamental Christian living in the American democratic society. We shall attempt to accomplish this ideal objective:
Realizing the pressing need for a parochial school, every effort was made by the pastor, Rev. A. J. Ordner and his parishioners to raise sufficient funds for such an undertaking. The site was blessed on July 22, 1945. Actual construction began shortly thereafter. At its completion in May 1946, the school contained five classrooms with two hundred students' seating capacity. The cost of the brick and tile was approximately $45,000.00.
Dedication services for the new school were held on the evening of September 2, 1946, with His Excellency Most Reverend Bishop M.S. Garriga officiating. Classes began the following day with an enrollment of 114 students from grades one to seven. A kindergarten was established in 1958. With the opening of an Air Force Base in Harlingen, the addition of more classrooms became imperative; therefore, the former Episcopal Church building was purchased by the parish and dedicated to the exclusive use of the primary department. Five new classrooms were constructed during the period between June 1960 and November 1960 on Van Buren Street across from the rectory. On November 4th, the kindergarten, first, and second grades were moved to this building, and their classrooms were then occupied by the third and fourth graders. Enrollment continued to grow until it reached a peak of 476 in 1961-1962. Due to the closing of the airbase, enrollment began to decline. Eighth grade was discontinued in 1967-1968, and the seventh grade was discontinued the following year. This was due to decreased enrollment and the hardship involved in meeting Texas Education Agency Accreditation Standards when the Catholic Dioceses of Texas decided to seek blanket accreditation in 1969.
From 1968 to 1985, St. Anthony Catholic School included kindergarten through sixth grades. In 1984, an Extended Day Program was added, and in 1985 a pre-kindergarten was added, both of which are still in operation today. During the fall of 2003, St. Anthony Catholic School opened a Middle School in conjunction with Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. Our Middle School is here on our Campus now. St. Anthony Catholic School now provides a quality Catholic education for pre-kindergarten through sixth-grade students here in Harlingen, Texas. We are located at 1015 E. Harrison, Harlingen, Texas. We invite you to join our wonderful Catholic family!