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Holy Cross School

Our History

Our History

The word “mission” has a special resonance in the history of Notre Dame High School. The school is located in the San Fernando Valley, named for the Mission of San Fernando established by the Spanish Franciscans in the eighteenth century. The architectural design of Notre Dame reflects this mission heritage, most notably in the arches which run along the Riverside Building. It was also a mission that sent Holy Cross tradition to the United States from France to found the University of Notre Dame, and, from there, to California to establish Notre Dame High School.

Our Heritage

The French Revolution, despite its promises of liberty, equality, and fraternity, became a reign of terror noted for its assault on Catholicism. After the restoration of the Church, a need emerged for religious who would educate and evangelize the French. This period witnessed the birth of the Brothers of St. Joseph, founded by Fr. Jacques Dujarie in Ruille, France in 1820. After teaching in parish schools for 15 years, the Brothers merged with a small group of parish priests under the leadership of Blessed Basil Moreau in Sainte Croix, a suburb of Le Mans. Fr. Moreau later added a group of Sisters, and his three-part foundation became known as the Congregation of Holy Cross. It is in this religious order that the foundation of Notre Dame lies.

The Establishment of Notre Dame High School

After the establishment of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, a group of Holy Cross Brothers traveled to Southern California in the 1940s. In 1941, the Brothers were invited to staff St. Anthony’s Parish High School in Long Beach. Shortly thereafter, a demand arose for a new Catholic high school in the San Fernando Valley. In 1945, the land at the corner of Riverside and Woodman was purchased for $45,000. In 1947, Notre Dame High School opened as an all-boys school with a freshman class of 125 and a faculty of five, four of which were Holy Cross Brothers.

The Start of Co-Education

In 1983-84, Notre Dame began a new era of co-education with the admission of the first female students (66 sophomores and 119 freshmen). This addition created many changes at Notre Dame: the facilities were adjusted to meet new needs, new faculty were hired and the athletic department was expanded to incorporate girls’ sports.

The Expansion of Notre Dame High School

Notre Dame’s campus has grown significantly since the Moreau Building was built in 1947 (formerly the Riverside Building) and named in honor of Holy Cross founder Fr. Basile Moreau C.S.C.   In May 1951, the gymnasium we use today was completed.  The St. Andre Bessette Building (formerly the Woodman Building) was named in honor of the Congregation of the Holy Cross’ first saint, and was finished in September 1956.  The Allegretti Building opened in May 1987, providing an office complex and classrooms in the area between the Woodman and Riverside Buildings. Two major classroom buildings were built in the past two decades; the Fritz B. Burns Center for the Arts and Technology (January 2002) and the Hampton Science Center (January 2007).  The Light the Way capital campaign, which ended in January 2016, made way for several more campus improvements.  The gym received a new floor, new lighting and new air conditioning in 2010.  The Holy Cross Center (formerly the Brother’s Residence) was remodeled in 2011-2012 to house administration and campus operations.  The library was renovated in 2012 with new technology, furnishings, and workspace and was named the Barry Stubblefield Library.  In 2014, Joseph P. Rawlinson Aquatic Center and Marine Corps Memorial (baseball) Stadium were completed.  The Fritz B. Burns Gymnasium was named in January 2016 as the gymnasium was expanded to include the Donahue Family Fitness Center and a new gym lobby.  

    • NDHS Campus in 2020

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