The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
160 YEARS STRONG
St. Mary Catholic School, church marking milestone
St. Mary Catholic School in Elyria will celebrate its 160th anniversary in 2019 as the third oldest Catholic school still operating in Lorain County.
St. Mary’s School began welcoming students in 1859 on the same grounds where it stands today at 237 4th St., according to school Principal Sharon Urig.
However, the school initially has classes at St. Mary’s original church on its same plot of land before the school building was built with additions from 1901 to 1949, and in 2004.
The only schools older than St. Mary in Elyria are Holy Trinity School in Avon, built in
“We’ve had generations of families come through this school. It’s been a tradition for many to attend.”
— Principal Sharon Urig
1845, and St. Mary Christian School in Avon, built in 1854, Urig said.
Urig has been principal of St. Mary’s, a preschool through eighth-grade, for the last three years.
She started teaching at the school in 1985.
Urig said it’s remarkable St. Mary’s School has served the Catholic community for as long as it has, especially as more Catholic schools under the Cleveland Diocese are closing.
She said she thinks the school continues to provide education to families from a number of surrounding cities because those families and parishioners have a strong belief to see their children continue through a good education that also focuses on Catholic values.
“We’ve had generations of families come through this school,” Urig said. “It’s been a tradition for many to attend.”
Creating memories
Rev. Father Charlie Diedrick of St. Mary Church once was a student at the school, alongside some of his family members.
Diedrick said his family came from New York for the church and his great-grandparents were married in the original church in 1867.
It’s incredible St. Mary’s school is continuing to create more memories after 160 years, Diedrick said.
“That’s why we want to keep it going,” he said. “It’s getting tough these days, and there is a lot of competition between (other Catholic) schools.”
However, St. Mary’s school is continuing to grow in a way where its services are benefiting students daily.
It’s growing in a way Diedrick describes as an academy with the size, equipment and additions of the building.
“It’s worth fighting for,” he said. “You don’t see 160 (years) very often.”
Individual attention
As a small school, St. Mary’s students receive more individual attention by the dedicated staff, Urig said.
This year, there are 113 students enrolled, and not all are Catholic, she said.
“We have a diverse population here with students coming from different backgrounds, nationalities and religions,” Urig said. “It’s also a misconception that you have to be Catholic to attend St. Mary’s, but you don’t have to be. We accept all religions.”
Having a diverse population is an important asset to have in school so that young students are familiar and educated on other nationalities and traditions, she said.
No matter the background of students and families at the school, they’re a tight-knit family, Urig said. Increasing enrollment By next year, additional students could be added to the St. Mary’s family through its 3-year-old preschool it will offer.
Urig said staffers are trying to increase enrollment through the Catholic school’s new preschool program.
Other county Catholic schools, including in Lorain, are growing, so St. Mary’s hopes to reach out to more families, she said.
The annual tuition at St. Mary’s is $5,150, but with options for financial assistance, most families pay much less, Urig said.
There are scholarship programs that benefit students in grades 6 and lower and those who reside in Lorain.
Parents also have the option to apply for financial aid.
St. Mary’s also offers courses and service most public schools do, Urig said.
“Students can get all services here they do at public schools today, with school psychiatrists, speech therapists, intervention specialists, tutors, our computer lab and a number of after school programs,” she said.
St. Mary’s programs and courses benefit its student’s futures, she said.
After 160 years, the school has become the heart of the city, Urig said.
Kicking off in 2019, staffer of St. Mary’s are planning to host an all-class class reunion, inviting all graduates to celebrate the more-thana-century-old school.