CCS History

Cathedral Chapel School opened on September 8, 1930. Twenty-eight students comprised the first graduating class, and ten sisters of the Immaculate Heart Community, who commuted from the Hollywood Motherhouse, served as the faculty.In 1968, the Sisters of Saint Louis replaced the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart as teachers in the school. The Sisters of St. Louis lived in the convent from 1968-1987. When they moved in 1987, the Guadalupana Missionaries of the Holy Spirit were invited by the Cardinal to use the facilities as their novitiate. In 1994, Cathedral Chapel Parish sold the convent to the Guadalupana Sisters.

Beginning in 1973, Cathedral Chapel School was under the guidance and support of a new pastor, Reverend Earl G. Walker, a graduate of Cathedral Chapel School. In 1986, the last religious principal served the school community. The first lay principal assumed the administration of the school in September 1987.  At the present time, Cathedral Chapel School continues to be a viable model of Catholic education under the lay leadership of Ms. Tina Katherine Kipp who was appointed as principal in August 2003. Reverend Walker retired in 1998 and was replaced by Reverend Charles Schwehr, who served as pastor of Cathedral Chapel Parish until his sudden death on November 3, 2007.

Reverend Truc Nguyen was appointed temporary pastoral administrator following the death of Father Schwehr. In March 2008, Fr. Truc was appointed pastoral administrator through June 30, 2011. Father Truc immediately implemented changes in an effort to reach out and further strengthen the bonds between the parish and school communities. 

Today, the Cathedral Chapel School facility includes nine classrooms, a computer lab, a math resource room, a school library, a faculty room, an art room, a school auditorium, and offices for the principal, office manager, office assistant, Spanish teacher and Outreach Concern counselors. The computer lab has been recently updated with 35 Apple IMac computers that are linked to the Internet. The lab also has an LCD projector, a scanner, and a printer. LCD projectors and laptops were purchased for the teachers in grades K – 8, and our computer teacher submitted a grant to Catholic Telemedia Network, which was approved for a multimedia cart for use in the school.

The Outreach Concern Counseling Program was introduced to Cathedral Chapel School in the fall of 2003. Two counselors have been on site at the school four days a week for the past five years to provide counseling to the students, their family members, as well as faculty and staff members. Outreach Concern also provides educational testing services, crisis intervention services, parent/guardian informational meetings, and faculty/staff in-services. 

Our successful academic program has prepared students well. Many students receive scholarships as well as honors at entrance from the Catholic high schools of their choice. Cathedral High School, Immaculate Heart High School, Loyola High School, Notre Dame Academy, Notre Dame High School, and Providence High School have awarded these scholarships and honors to CCS graduates.

At present, the school staff consists of a lay principal, who was appointed in 2003, eleven full-time lay teachers, a computer teacher, a librarian, a music teacher, an art teacher, five teacher aides, an office manager, an office assistant who is also the health coordinator, the Extended Day Care Director, four EDC supervisors and a school custodian.  Cathedral Chapel School has nine grades ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade. 

Through the commitment, encouragement, motivation and example of the administration, faculty and staff, past and present, Cathedral Chapel School continues to offer an effective, challenging, relevant, faith-based learning environment for its students.