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Saint Mary's Academy and College

Coordinates: 39°11′31″N 96°03′33″W / 39.19194°N 96.05917°W / 39.19194; -96.05917 (St. Mary’s Academy & College)
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Abdicata (talk | contribs) at 21:11, 25 May 2018 (Conservatrix moved page St. Mary's College (Kansas) to Saint Mary's Academy and College). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Not to be confused with University of Saint Mary.

39°11′31″N 96°03′33″W / 39.19194°N 96.05917°W / 39.19194; -96.05917 (St. Mary’s Academy & College)

Saint Mary's Academy and College
MottoInstaurare Omnia in Christo
(To Restore All Things in Christ)
TypeReligious School,
Society of St. Pius X
Established1978
PrincipalRev. Fr. Gerard Beck, Rector[1]
Undergraduates682+ (Academy) (2008)[1]
Postgraduates50+ (College) (2008)[1]
Location
St. Marys
,
Kansas
,
U.S.
CampusSuburban
ColorsBlue and White
MascotCrusaders
Websitesmac.edu

Saint Mary's Academy and College is a religious school of the Society of St. Pius X located in St. Marys, in the U.S. state of Kansas, 25 miles (40 km) west of Topeka.

The original St. Mary's College

The original college at this location, St. Mary's College, was founded in 1848 as an Indian mission. The school is the site of the first cathedral west of the Missouri River and east of the Rockies, the 1851 "log cathedral" of Bishop John Baptist Miège, S.J., Apostolic Vicar of Pope Pius IX known familiarly as "The Bishop East of the Rockies".[2]

(School literature refers to Bishop Miege's cathedral as the first cathedral (in the United States) west of the Mississippi. However, (in Mexico,) Upper California was part of the Diocese of Sonora, which was established in 1779 by Pius VI and, after 1840 it was under the bishop of Alta and Baja (Upper and Lower) California until the establishment of the Diocese of Monterey in 1850. Further, this is because the Diocese of St Louis, Missouri, was established in 1826 and the cornerstone of the current Basilica laid in 1831 on the western bank of the Mississippi River, or essentially ON the river.)

The 465 acre (1.9 km²) college had been operated by the Jesuit order as a seminary since 1931, when the entire theology faculty of Saint Louis University left that school and transferred to St. Mary's.[3] It closed in 1968 as the Jesuit order reoriented itself to other commitments.[1]

Saint Mary's Academy and College

In 1978, the Society of Saint Pius X acquired the property along with 12 major buildings. The school is now incorporated in Kansas as The Society of Saint Pius X, Saint Mary's, Inc. It has no direct ties with the previous St. Marys College.[1]

As of 2014, the Academy had enrollment of over 800 students K-12 and the two-year college had an enrollment above 90 in a liberal arts curriculum. St. Mary's does not have a seminary program. St Mary's offers boarding for students in the 8th grade and higher.[4]

In 2002, the governor of Kansas formally recognized Saint Mary's Academy and College for the excellence of its educational curriculum. While neither the Academy nor the College are accredited by any accreditation agencies, they do operate with approval from the Kansas Board of Regents.

The school operates its own radio station, KSMK-LP 98.3 FM since 2002.

The Academy teams play in the Kansas Christian League in football and soccer and against some non-league teams.[5][6]

St. Mary's Academy and College is also a traditional Catholic parish of approximately 4,300 persons (2014).[7]

Controversy

In February 2008, St. Mary's Academy made news when a female referee was told that she could not officiate at the high school basketball game. The other referee allegedly claimed that someone told him it was because "as a woman," she "could not be put in a position of authority over boys because of the academy's beliefs". The Academy denied this "belief". St. Mary's Academy is on the Kansas State High School Activities Association list of approved schools and can play games against member schools, but is not a KSHSAA member.[8]

St. Mary's official reply to the incident was in a press release:[9]

This alleged reason was neither stated nor is it held by any official of St. Mary's Academy, as evidenced by the fact that the faculty and staff of St. Mary's includes many honorable ladies of talent and erudition....
St. Mary's Academy follows the directives of the Catholic Church regarding co-education. The Church has always promoted the ideal of forming and educating boys and girls separately during the adolescent years, especially in physical education (Cf. Divini Illius Magistri - Encyclical on the Christian Education of Youth, by Pope Pius XI, 1929 and The Instruction of the Sacred Congregation of Religious on Co-Education, A.A.S., 25 (1958) pp. 99-103). This formation of adolescent boys is best accomplished by male role models, as the formation of girls is best accomplished by women. Hence in boys' athletic competitions, it is important that the various role models (coaches and referees) be men.

The school has been reinstated on the KSHSAA's approved school list.[10]

In 2004, the school forfeited a football game against White City High School because the opponent had a girl on the team.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e History of the Site visited June 2011 {http://www.anewimmaculata.org/history.html} Archived 2012-04-18 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Timeline of the Mission and Bishop Miege {http://www.smac.edu/?TimeLine1848to1869}
  3. ^ Dosen, Anthony J. (2009). Catholic Higher Education in the 1960s: Issues of Identity, Issues of Governance. IAP. p. 72. ISBN 9781931576314.
  4. ^ About SMA visited June 2011 {http://www.anewimmaculata.org/about.html} Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ 2010-2011 Ks Christian League Standings {http://www.maxpreps.com/league/xavfhAlAO0iNm_psr0mRSg/standings-kansas-christian-aa-(8-man).htm}[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ St Marys Academy 2010-2011 football schedule {http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/M2EEckEC20OpuHGz87auEA/st-marys-academy-crusaders/football-fall-10/schedule.htm}[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ About the SMA Parrish {http://www.smac.edu/?ParishMain}
  8. ^ Sports Illustrated February 13, 2008 Kansas HS refuses female official[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ Washington post article with quote {http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/prayingfields/2008/03/gender_and_religion_on_the_bas.html}
  10. ^ Kansas State High School Athletic Association Membership Directory
  11. ^ http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=1228D4632B15A5D8&p_docnum=3&p_theme=gatehouse&s_site=NKSB&p_product=NKSB
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