By CatholicPhilly Staff Report • Posted October 30, 2024

The month of October has been a joyous one at Lansdale Catholic High School. The celebrations began on the feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the patroness of Lansdale Catholic, honoring the school’s 75th anniversary.

The Oct. 1 celebration began with a Mass for the entire school community, celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Keith J. Chylinski at St. Stanislaus Church in Lansdale, Montgomery County, site of the school’s humble beginnings.

In September 1949, Little Flower Catholic High School of Lansdale opened its doors on the property of St. Stanislaus Parish, in what is now known as Little Flower Hall at Mater Dei Catholic School. The school was opened thanks to the efforts of St. Stanislaus’ pastor at the time, Msgr. Joseph Schade.

Little Flower began with only a freshman class, and each succeeding year, another class was added. The first graduating class in 1953 had only 33 students.

The dedicated community committed the school to the spirit St. Thérèse, the Little Flower, known for her “little way” of doing ordinary things with great love. That spirit has been in the hearts of the teachers, staff and students who have filled the classrooms and halls of Lansdale Catholic for 75 years, both at the original site at St. Stanislaus and the current site, which was opened at 7th Street and Lansdale Avenue in September of 1960 due to increasing enrollment.

Just prior to the building’s opening, Little Flower Catholic High School of Lansdale officially changed its name to Lansdale Catholic High School. It continued as a parish high school until the mid-1980s when it became one of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools (AOPS).

More than 12,000 students have called themselves Crusaders with hearts loyal to the green and gold for 75 years. Lansdale Catholic students are encouraged to find their own “little way” as they become an important part of the school’s legacy.

Graduates have gone on to become leaders around the globe in countless professions. More importantly, they have held onto their strong faith foundation, timeless life lessons and lasting friendships that began when they were students at Lansdale Catholic.

The 75th Anniversary Mass included a special surprise, honoring a cherished member of the Lansdale Catholic High School community for more than 50 years, Stephen Probert. An English teacher and coach, he retired from the classroom in 2015 to become the first friendly face students and parents see when they walk through the doors each day for most of the last decade.

For 42 years he challenged students in the classroom, notoriously through his infamous six question essay test, to prepare them for college and life. Outside of the classroom, Probert served as the track and cross-country coach for more than four decades. He won 39 championships in total, ending up as a top three team in the state nine different times and winning a PIAA state championship in 1993.

When asked about the secret to his success, Probert said he just winged it all and followed his gut. More importantly than the athletic championships or academic successes,  Probert makes all students feel seen and valued. He finds students who are in need of a friend, he learns names, and he gets to know families.

Day in and out, Probert rushes to open the front door of the school for students and guests, helps to carry boxes and bags, and lets parents know their children are safe. If those parents are LC alumni, he is sure to remember them, and often recalls inside jokes and stories from his vault of LC memories.

At the Oct. 1 Mass, school President Meghan Lister Callen (Class of 1996) and Board Member Dr. Peter Walsh (Class of 1982) presented Probert with a scrapbook of more than 150 letters, notes and cards from Lansdale Catholic alumni who credit him for the life-changing influence he had on them.

All special guests at the Mass, including retired teachers and alumni, were invited to a reception in the newly renovated Lansdale Catholic gymnasium, and the faculty and staff stayed after school for a private toast to Probert, a man who has lived his life by doing ordinary things with extraordinary love, much like St. Thérèse.

The celebrations continued throughout the month of October, as LC celebrated Homecoming Week, Advancement Office initiatives such as Three Days of Giving (surpassing a $75,000 fundraising goal), and a record-breaking Fall Open House on October 23 with 279 prospective students and more than 700 guests.

As Lansdale Catholic High School celebrates its 75th anniversary, the school community is excited about the future and the possibilities that await the next generation of Crusaders.