Cardinal McCarrick High School (CMHS), later known as Cardinal McCarrick/St. Mary's High School, was a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

located in South Amboy,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, that operated under the supervision of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen The Diocese of Metuchen () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic church in the borough of Metuchen, New Jersey, Metuchen in New Jersey in the United States. The Diocese of Metuchen was established on November 19, 1981. The mother church of th ...

. The school closed at the end of the 2014–15 school year, in the wake of an increasing financial deficit. As of the 2009–10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 328 students and 25.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio The student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio refers to the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers or staff in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that ...

of 12.8:1.Cardinal McCarrick High School
,

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data on education in the United States. Established under , it operates within the Institute of Education S ...

. Accessed September 11, 2012.

Description

The school said its goal was to help to ensure that each CMHS student continues to reach their potential during high school. Initiatives to advance this goal included a College Advisory Program, a Formalized Academic Support Program, an Enhanced College Testing Program, Distance Learning Opportunities, and an Interdisciplinary Honors Program.

History

The school was founded in 1885 by Saint Mary's parish, and included grades one to eleven. It was expanded to include the twelfth grade in 1918, was accredited as Saint Mary's High School in 1919, and the first graduating class was in 1922. The original building was destroyed by a fire and a new school building that opened in 1968 was built in its place.History
Cardinal McCarrick St. Mary's High School. Accessed September 11, 2012. During the late 1980s, the high school went from being a parish high school to a diocesan high school, separating completely from the now-defunct St. Mary Elementary School (K-8). As a result of the change the high school went through several name changes, including St. Mary Regional High School (1988–2000), St. Mary Diocesan High School (2000–2001). On June 11, 2001, then Diocese of Metuchen Bishop Vincent Breen announced that Saint Mary's would close and reopen under a new name the following fall. In September 2001, the school was named Cardinal McCarrick High School, in honor of

Theodore Edgar McCarrick Theodore Edgar McCarrick (July 7, 1930 – April 3, 2025) was an American Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal who was Archbishop of Newark from 1986 to 2000 and Archbishop of Washington from 2001 to 2006. In 2019, McCarrick was defrocked by Po ...

, the first bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen. Also in fall of 2001, the school opened a local branch of a credit union called the Eagle's Nest. The high school had a partnership with

Saint Peter's University Saint Peter's University is a private Jesuit university in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. Founded as Saint Peter's College in 1872 by the Society of Jesus, the university offers over 60 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than ...

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

to serve as a satellite campus for their graduate studies. In 2013, the school, along with Sacred Heart Elementary School, joined the umbrella organization Raritan Bay Catholic Preparatory School.Bichao, Sergio
"Cardinal McCarrick latest Catholic school to close"
''

Asbury Park Press The ''Asbury Park Press'', formerly known as the ''Shore Press'', ''Daily Press'', ''Asbury Park Daily Press'', and ''Asbury Park Evening Press'', is the third largest daily newspaper in the state of New Jersey. Established in 1879, it has been o ...

'', May 21, 2015. Accessed March 6, 2021. "Sabrina Leff, a sophomore at Cardinal McCarrick High School, is not looking forward to the fall.... Parents and students learned Tuesday that the 130-year-old school would close next month as a result of plummeting enrollment numbers and widening budget deficits. This year's graduating class will be the last from the high school once known as St. Mary's."

Mascot, colors and mission

Cardinal McCarrick's school mascot was the Eagle, wearing blue and gold. The Eagle was named Ollie. In 2000–2001, Cardinal McCarrick High School rewrote their mission statement - "The mission of Cardinal McCarrick High School is to facilitate, nurture, and instill a thirst for knowledge based on Catholic moral principles in preparation for life's journey to create a better world."

Athletics

The Cardinal McCarrick High School Eagles competed in the

Greater Middlesex Conference The Greater Middlesex Conference is an athletic conference comprising 34 public and private high schools located in the greater Middlesex County, New Jersey area. The league operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic At ...

, which includes public and private high schools located in the greater Middlesex County area. The league operates under the supervision of the

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. State championsh ...

(NJSIAA). The boys basketball team won the NJSIAA Parochial South B championship in 2003, defeating

Wildwood Catholic High School Wildwood Catholic Academy (WCA), formerly Wildwood Catholic High School, is a co-educational pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade Catholic school in North Wildwood, in Cape May County, New Jersey. The school operates under the auspices of the Rom ...

, 67–51. The 2005 team repeated the feat with a 75–56 win over Holy Spirit High School in the tournament final. The girls bowling team won the Group I state championship in 2012 and 2013. Sports included:
Fall
Varsity Soccer (Boys and Girls)
Varsity Cross Country (Boys and Girls)
Varsity Tennis (Girls)
Varsity and JV Football
Varsity Cheerleading

Winter
Varsity and JV Cheerleading
Freshman, Varsity and JV Basketball (Boys)
Varsity and JV Basketball (Girls)
Varsity Bowling (Boys and Girls)

Spring
Varsity Track and Field (Boys and Girls)
Freshman, Varsity and JV Baseball (Boys)
Varsity and JV Softball (Girls)
Varsity Golf (Boys and Girls)

Notable alumni

* Allie Clark (1923-2012), baseball player for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

and World Series winner.Hall of Fame
, Cardinal McCarrick High School. Accessed April 5, 2007. * Tom Kelly (born 1950),

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...

Manager and World Series Winner. * Matt Loughlin, sportscaster who is the radio

play-by-play In Broadcasting of sports events, sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as a sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real time (media), real-time live commentary of a game or event, traditionally delivered in the present t ...

voice of the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

WFAN WFAN may refer to: * WFAN (AM) WFAN (660 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York, with a sports radio format, branded "Sports Radio 66 AM and 101.9 FM" or "The Fan". Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves the New Y ...

. *

Jack McKeon John Aloysius McKeon (; born November 23, 1930), nicknamed "Trader Jack," is an American former manager and front-office executive in Major League Baseball (MLB). In , at age 72, he won a World Series as manager of the Florida Marlins. Two ful ...

(born 1930),

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park. The ...

Manager and World Series winner. *

Johnny O'Brien John Thomas O'Brien (December 11, 1930 – June 13, 2025) was an American second baseman and pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1953, 1955–58), St. Louis Cardinals (1958) and Milwaukee Braves (1959). O'Bri ...

(born 1930), former professional baseball player. * Eddie O'Brien (born 1930), former professional baseball player. * James T. Phillips (1953–2014), politician who served in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...

andas mayor of

Old Bridge Township, New Jersey Old Bridge Township is a township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of th ...

Marques Townes Marques Rashaad Townes Villar (born September 3, 1995) is a Dominican-American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Loyola Ramblers, after beginning his career with Fairleigh Dickinson. He drew national attention after help ...

(born 1995), basketball player for the

Loyola Ramblers men's basketball The Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team represents Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. The Ramblers participate as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Ramblers joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 2013, and stayed until 2 ...

team, who transferred out of Cardinal McCarrick after his sophomore year.Haley, John
"Q and A session with Marques Townes of St. Joseph (Met.), what sport will he play in college?"
''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition. In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...

'', January 28, 2014. Accessed March 26, 2018. "So that was the first thing I addressed with Townes, who grew up in Rahway, moved to South Amboy in the fifth grade and who now lives in Edison. After two years at Cardinal McCarrick in South Amboy, Townes transferred to St. Joe's."

Closing

The Cardinal McCarrick school closed its doors as of June 2015. The Cardinal himself resigned that rank in July 2018 (reverting to Archbishop) and was laicized in February, 2019. Bishop Ahr High School (now St. Thomas Aquinas High School) accepted its former students; Ahr and the former McCarrick had the same tuition prices.

References

External links

* *
Data for Cardinal McCarrick High School

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardinal Mccarrick High School 1885 establishments in New Jersey 2015 disestablishments in New Jersey Defunct Catholic secondary schools in New Jersey Educational institutions disestablished in 2015 Educational institutions established in 1885 Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools Private high schools in Middlesex County, New Jersey Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen South Amboy, New Jersey