"To Know, Love, and Serve God"

January 1855:

St. Landry Catholic Church pastors Gilbert Raymond and Francois Raymond began small classes in the church rectory for boys.

October 1855:

St. Mary’s Academy for boys was opened by Frs. Gilbert and Francois.

October 1856:

Marianites of Holy Cross opened the Academy of the Immaculate Conception for girls.

1874:

The Sisters of the Holy Family established St. Joseph’s School to then provide Catholic education for black students.

1895-1900:

St. Mary’s Academy for boys was dissolved, and A.I.C. became co-educational.

1921:

St. Joseph’s School for black students was united to the newly-established Holy Ghost Church Parish, and was thus renamed Holy Ghost School.

1953:

The current building for A.I.C. (now OCS) was built on Prudhomme Street.

1970:

Bishop Schexnayder of the Diocese of Lafayette, ordered AIC and Holy Ghost School to combine and become one integrated Catholic school. Thus, Opelousas Catholic School was born.

May 1972:

This was the year of the first graduating class of Opelousas Catholic School.

2006:

The 150th Anniversary Capital Campaign got underway to raise funds for the aging facilities.

2009:

Construction was completed for the renovation of all classrooms and the establishment of a new St. Agnes Chapel.

Opelousas Catholic believes that the message of Christ must be authentically and fully proclaimed in our classrooms and in our day-to-day activities. OCS strives to integrate religious truths and values with life itself by its unique curriculum and, more importantly, by its presence of teachers who express an integrated approach to learning and living it their private and professional lives. The school's academic and extracurricular programs stress the spiritual, intellectual, social, aesthetic, and physical development of the whole person in a caring environment. Students can, therefore, prepare themselves for the future: by becoming aware of the world around them; by serving God, His church, and the community at large; by developing a sense of justice; and by learning to be responsible for their own actions.