Who We Are
Catholic Education Supports Tradition & Values
When you send your student to a Catholic school, you do more than share your faith with them, you also put faith in us to provide them with strong spiritual and academic foundations.
We believe a student
should be:
▸ a reflective, discerning, active Catholic
▸ a self-disciplined person
▸ an academically-prepared person
▸ a critical thinker; and
▸ a well-rounded person
We are committed to offering a challenging academic curriculum, a variety of extra-curricular activities and many community service projects in order to assist each student in their development.
▸ High standards, strong motivation, effective discipline in a caring environment, that nurtures academic achievement
▸ Catholic school students score an average of 35% higher than state scores on norm-reference and achievement tests.
▸ Catholic schools have an excellent success rate in educating minority students. Catholic high school students attend post-secondary education at a rate of 97% and are more likely to complete their program of studies.
▸ Catholic school students graduate from high school at a rate of 99%. Saint Joseph High School students graduate at a rate of almost 100%.
Our Mission
The mission of Saint Joseph Catholic Schools is to foster a compassionate and welcoming community of all faiths and traditions rooted in rigorous academic education, service, and extracurricular involvement within a Catholic faith tradition. In a safe environment, students are empowered to excel and grow holistically by developing accountability, resilience, and confidence. Through continuous engagement, our students embrace a lifelong passion for learning and virtuous character development, supported by the collaborative efforts of our dedicated staff and involved parents.
Beliefs & Values
The Catholic Church has provided for an education of our northern Utah youth which brings the Gospel to their lives. Our school honors our legacy of worship, prayer and sacrament, study of God’s word and the tradition of the Church, and service to all people.
Saint Joseph Catholic High School is administered by the Diocese of Salt Lake for the people of northern Utah. We teach the diocesan curriculum in theology, campus ministry, academic subjects, performing and visual arts.
We believe that the students in our community deserve our best: our best teaching, our best prayers, our best coaching. Our school believes in providing an exceptional education for soul, mind, and body – because we believe in the unlimited value of each student. Saint Joseph Catholic High School values education for its life-changing power. We value the rich array of gifts a diverse community possesses.
We believe in supporting families in their sacrifice for Catholic education through our income-based grants. We welcome to our community all who wish to join in its mission.
Our History
Saint Joseph Catholic School is built on a rich Catholic history and tradition in Utah. In 1877, Rev. Lawrence Scanlan, later consecrated the first Bishop of Salt Lake, established a school in a small, wooden structure, named in honor of Saint Joseph. In 1879, at the invitation of Father Scanlan, the Sisters of the Holy Cross opened a boarding and day school, known as Sacred Heart Academy, on 26th and Washington.
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It was in 1881 that the first parish school was built. In 1890, the Sisters purchased property on 25th street and erected the impressive Sacred Heart Academy. That institution, until its closing in 1938, was the center of Catholic culture in Ogden. The old academy on 26th and Washington continued as Saint Joseph’s School for Boys until 1923. Monsignor Patrick M. Cushnahan, pastor of Saint Joseph’s Church, erected a building on 28th and Lincoln, which was named Saint Joseph’s Grade School.
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In 1943, a junior high school department was added, but crowded conditions necessitated the closing of the 10th grade in 1950. Alerted to this imperative need, the Rt. Rev. Monsignor Patrick F. Kennedy, V.G., spent considerable time and effort gathering information to proceed with a new school and gained approval from the Most Rev. Duane G. Hunt, Bishop of Salt Lake City. Lay Catholic leaders volunteered to help make the high school a reality, opening its doors in September of 1954, under the direction of the Sisters of the Holy Cross and the Jesuit Fathers.
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In 1985, a new addition was built to house the Val A. Browning Library followed in 2003 with the Sam & Aline Skaggs Arts Education Building. Major renovations have been performed to improve the campus over the past decade, such as carpet and flooring, walls, windows, gymnasium floor, and more. In 2021 a pavilion, artificial turf field and a football field were added to the campus.