Mission
Catholic High, New Iberia...dedicated to the development of 4th-12th grade students through academic excellence and Christ-centered values rooted in caring discipline, compassion, and zeal.
Success for all learners is the vision of Catholic High, New Iberia. We seek to inspire our students to become confident, self-directed, lifelong learners who keep Christ at the center of their words and actions.
We Believe
- The Catholic Church provides the foundation of faith and truth.
- As a child of God, every person is a valued individual.
- The school must provide a safe, caring, family-oriented environment.
- All students have the ability and the need to learn.
- Students must be provided with engaging, challenging, and diverse learning opportunities.
- Common goals and shared values, which honor the traditions of the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, are a part of the culture, community, and success of our school.
- A zealous commitment to continuous improvement is imperative.
Imagine an education that's designed to fit your every need.
A place steeped in history and tradition, yet progressive, modern, and genuine. A place where diversity, readiness, and discipline are celebrated daily....This is Catholic High.
Our History
With roots set down in 1918, Catholic High School is proud of a long tradition of spirituality and quality academics. In 2018, Catholic High School celebrated its centennial year, continuing its distinguished history as a leader in Catholic education in the Diocese of Lafayette.
Catholic education in Iberia Parish began in 1870, with the opening of Mount Carmel Academy for girls by the Sisters of Mount Carmel. In 1918, the Christian Brothers opened St. Peter’s College for young men in the area. By 1957, SPC had outgrown its facility, and the school moved to its present location on de la Salle Drive. The move outside the St. Peter’s Church parish boundary prompted a name change to Catholic High School. In 1971, first through third grades were moved to St. Edward School. Catholic High School enrolled its first female students in 1987. In the spring of 1988, Mt. Carmel Academy closed its doors, and Catholic High School became the sole Catholic high school for the Iberia Deanery. The end of the 1994-1995 school year marked the end of Christian Brothers as administration and faculty members and the beginning of lay leadership.
Today the school is owned by four church parishes: St. Peter’s, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Nativity of Our Lady, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. St. Edward Catholic Church is recognized as a non-owner co-equal.
Over the years, major renovation and expansion projects have continued, providing additional classrooms, chapel and library redesign, cafeteria addition, improvements to the school’s athletic facilities, and the acquisition of an additional twenty acres adjacent to the existing school property.
Beyond structural growth, the school has advanced in spiritual development and academic enhancements. Grade level retreats, weekly masses, and service projects provide students with opportunities to enrich and build their faith. In the area of academics, technology integration, innovative teaching techniques, updated and relevant curricula, and ongoing professional development are all a part of a strong college-preparatory program that begins in grade four and continues through the senior year.
Living its mission and following in the traditions of the Christian Brothers and the Carmelite Sisters, Catholic High School looks ahead to the next 100 years, committed to the development of confident, self-directed, life-long learners, who keep Christ at the center of their words and actions.
Past, Present, & Future
Mount Carmel
St. Peter's College
CHS Commencement
Testimonial: A Trip Home
On a trip home to New Iberia in October, I visited my alma mater Catholic High one morning and attended the school mass, sat in on two classes and was given a tour of the campus. (I graduated from Catholic High in 1966 and started there in fourth grade when the school first opened.)
I was impressed by the blending of both the old and the new. Much of the campus looked essentially the same as when I attended while, of course, there is much new. My academic impression mirrored my physical impression: the old spirit remains intact while supplemented by new approaches to promote student learning, involvement and growth. Catholic High still effectively educates the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. The old and the new blend successfully at Catholic High.
After teaching for 48 years on the university level, I retired from my university in May. I have been a witness to the changes, many not for the good, in education. But I was totally impressed by the ability, behavior, dedication and direction of the Catholic High students and staff that I met and observed. These students are ready for their next step such as college and they are preparing for life. They will achieve the maxim of Catholic High—Acta Non Verba. They will act and achieve and accomplish. Bravo to the teachers and students at Catholic High. If, as St. Thomas Aquinas said, to work well is to pray well, Catholic High students are offering a constant prayer.
I am not engaging in hyperbole. What I saw at Catholic High on my brief visit has reinvigorated my hope for the future. These students will make the world better. If the purpose of an education is to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and critical thinking skills in order for students to develop their full human and spiritual potential and be productive members of society by being good and moral citizens, Catholic High School is a true educational institution. I can think of no better gift to a person’s children than an education at Catholic High School. It is more than worth the cost and effort and energy involved in such an endeavor.
Pope Francis said “Education cannot be neutral. It is either positive or negative; either it enriches or it impoverishes; either it enables a person to grow or it lessens, even corrupts him. The mission of schools is to develop a sense of truth, of what is good and beautiful.” Catholic High is vigorously helping its students to develop this sense of what is true, beautiful and just.
Dr. John W. Ray, Class of 1966
Professor Emeritus—Montana Technological University—Butte, Montana