Holy Cross High School is a

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

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 ...

high 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., ...

located in

Flushing Flushing may refer to: Places Netherlands * Flushing, Netherlands, an English name for the city of Vlissingen, Netherlands United Kingdom * Flushing, Cornwall, a village in Cornwall, England * The Flushing, a building in Suffolk, England ...

, in the

New York City borough The boroughs of New York City are the five major governmental districts that comprise New York City. They are the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Each borough is coextensive with a respective county of the State of New ...

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

. Formerly a

boys' school Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education, same-sex education, same-gender education, and gender-isolated education, is the practice of conducting education with male and female students attending separate classes, perhaps in se ...

, the school began to admit girls from the 2018–19

academic year An academic year, or school year, is a period that schools, colleges and university, universities use to measure the duration of studies for a given educational level. Academic years are often divided into academic terms. Students attend classe ...

. Founded in 1955, Holy Cross High School was chartered by the

Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York The Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York is responsible for the general supervision of all educational activities within New York State, presiding over the University of the State of New York and the New York State Education ...

and accredited by the

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, also referred to as the Middle States Association or MSA, is an accreditor in the United States. Historically, it has accredited schools in the Mid-Atlantic states region of the northeas ...

. Located within the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn The Diocese of Brooklyn () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in the U.S. state, State of New York (state), New York. It is headquartered in Brooklyn and its territory encompasses the New York City borou ...

, the school is sponsored by the

Brothers of Holy Cross The Congregation of Holy Cross (), abbreviated CSC, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation A religious congregation is a type of Religious institute (Catholic), religious institute in the Catholic Church. They are legally distinguished f ...

. The School's team is the Holy Cross Knights and the school's athletic archrival is the St. Francis Preparatory School Terriers. Since they are both located on

Francis Lewis Boulevard Francis Lewis Boulevard is a boulevard in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Queens. The roadway is named for Francis Lewis, a Queens resident who was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. The boulevard z ...

approximately apart, when they play each other the game is called the Battle of the Boulevard.

History

The proposal for the first all-boys Catholic high school in Queens was developed at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

in the early 1940s by Msgr. Edmund Reilly, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church (Flatlands) and Rev. Frederick Schulte, CSC. The

were invited to come and work at the Boys' Department of St. Thomas Aquinas in 1944 and St. Francis of Assisi in 1947. Shortly afterwards, the Brothers were invited to establish a high school in Queens. In September 1955, Holy Cross High School opened despite the school building being unfinished. Shortly afterwards with the support of parents and other involved parties, the Brothers of the Holy Cross assumed operational control of the school. The mission of the school is to educate young people within the traditions of

Catholicism 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 ...

and to prepare them for life after graduating. In 2017, the school announced its intention to become co-educational and admit girls for the first time. The school became co-ed starting in fall 2018. Other schools in the United States operated by the Congregation of Holy Cross had already been going co-educational in prior years. In 2025, the school was expanded for the first time in it’s history with the construction of the new Arts, Technology, and Athletics Center. The additional building is expected to open in 2026.

Academics

Holy Cross is a college preparatory school with four levels of college preparatory courses. The school offers the Blessed Father Basil Moreau Honors Program and the Science Research Program. When the school was first opened, they had an industrial arts program which included a print shop which printed, among other things, the school newspaper "The Lance". This program was discontinued during the principalship of Brother Aubert Harrigan, C.S.C. in favor of expanding the mission and purpose of the school to be a college preparatory school. It was during the John McGovern tenure (75-81) that the governance structure of the school was changed from a completely religious (CSC) board of trustees to a two-pronged board structure consisting of an ownership (Congregation of Holy Cross) board working in collaboration with a lay board of Directors (Executive Committee) appointed by the ownership group. It was during the McGovern tenure that the school reached its highest enrollment (1400+). For many years McGovern promoted this structure annually at the convention of the National Catholic Educational Association where he also served in later years as National Public Policy Research Associate.

Religious life

Holy Cross offers intellectual pursuits such as Campus Ministry. The Holy Cross Brothers still staff the school in various capacities; however as a result of governance changes instituted during the McGovern tenure in collaboration with provincial leadership, the school is operating under a "sponsorship" model with the Brothers of Holy Cross constituting the ownership board and a local Board of Directors constituting the management board. The religious philosophy is based on the mission of The Brothers of Holy Cross which were founded in

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

, France in 1835.

Notable alumni

Basketball

Sylven Landesberg Sylven Joshua Landesberg (; born April 10, 1990) is an American-Israeli-Austrian professional basketball player for Hapoel Haifa in the Israeli Premier League. Standing at , he plays at the shooting guard and small forward positions. He was a 2 ...

, American-Israeli professional basketball player in Israel for

Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv () is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such as football, basketball, j ...

(Class of 2008) *

Jermaine Bishop Jermaine Bishop (born February 22, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Leones de Ponce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN). He played college basketball for the Norfolk State Spartans and Saint Louis Billikens. Hig ...

, American professional basketball player in Puerto Rico for Leones De Ponce. (Class of 2015) *

Derrick Chievous Derrick Joseph Chievous (born July 3, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player. During his pro club career, he played at the small forward position. Chievous played three seasons in the National Basketball Association, after b ...

, former basketball player for the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

and

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

of the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(Class of 1984) * Evan Conti (born 1993), former basketball player and coach (Class of 2011) * Charles Jenkins, former basketball player for the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

of the NBA, attended his freshmen year. (Class of 2007) * Bob McIntyre, former basketball player for the

New Jersey Americans New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

and

New York Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

of the

ABA ABA may refer to: Aviation * AB Aerotransport, former Scandinavian airline * IATA airport code for Abakan International Airport in Republic of Khakassia, Russia Businesses and organizations Broadcasting * Alabama Broadcasters Association, Uni ...

(Class of 1963) *

Kyle O'Quinn Kyle Brandon O'Quinn (born March 26, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for the Norfolk State Spartans, and led them to a victory over the #2 seed Missouri Tigers in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Men's Divi ...

, American basketball player for Sichuan Jinqiang Blue Whales, transferred after sophomore year. (Class of 2008) * Mike Riordan, former basketball player for the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

and Baltimore/Capitol/

Washington Bullets The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

of the NBA; 1970 NBA Championship (NY Knicks); 1972–73 NBA All Defensive 2nd Team (Class of 1964) *

Billy Schaeffer William G. Schaeffer (born December 11, 1951) is an American former basketball small forward in the American Basketball Association (ABA) for the New York Nets and Virginia Squires. He also was a member of the Allentown Jets in the Eastern Penn ...

, former basketball player for the

and

Virginia Squires The Virginia Squires were a basketball team based in Norfolk, Virginia, and playing in several other Virginia cities. They were members of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976. The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, a ...

of the ABA; 1974 ABA Championship (NY Nets) (Class of 1969) *

Kevin Stacom Kevin M. Stacom (born September 4, 1951) is a retired American professional basketball player. A guard from Holy Cross High School, Flushing, New York; and Providence College, Stacom played six seasons (1974–1979; 1981–1982) in the Natio ...

, former basketball player for the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

and

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

of the NBA (Class of 1969)

Football

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Dean Marlowe Dean Marlowe (born July 25, 1992) is an American former professional football safety. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent following the 2015 NFL draft. He played college football for the James Madison Dukes. Early ...

, former NFL football player *

Kevin Ogletree Kevin Ogletree (born August 5, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions and New York Giants. He signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free age ...

, former NFL football player * John O'Leary, former CFL football player

Baseball

Pete Koegel Peter John Koegel (July 31, 1947 – February 4, 2023) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman, catcher, and outfielder. Koegel was drafted in the fourth round of the 1965 Major League Baseball Draft by the Kansas City Athletics out ...

, former MLB baseball player *

Dave Valle David Valle (; born October 30, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Texas Rangers from to . He attended ...

, former MLB baseball player

Soccer

Marcos Lugris Mark 'Marcos' Lugris (born January 1, 1962) is a former Puerto Rican football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualifie ...

, former professional soccer player NY Cosmos/Dallas Sidekicks/Houston Dynamos-Puerto Rico National Team

Other notables

John Megna John Anthony Megna (November 9, 1952 – September 5, 1995) was an American actor, director and teacher. His best-known role is that of Dill in the film ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' (1962). Early life John Anthony Megna was born in Ozone Park, ...

, played Dill in the original movie production of "To Kill A Mockingbird" *

Mike Repole Mike Repole (born January 21, 1969) is an American entrepreneur, businessman, and racehorse owner. He is best known for co-founding Glaceau (maker of Vitaminwater), which sold to Coca-Cola for $4.1 billion, and BODYARMOR SuperDrink, a spo ...

, co-founder of Glaceau (maker of Vitaminwater) * Mike Star - American actor https://www.facebook.com/holycrosshsny/photos/as-dumb-and-dumber-to-hits-theaters-tomorrow-you-can-see-holy-cross-grad-mike-st/10152503752065866/

References

External links

Holy Cross web pageNational Center for Education Statistics data for Holy Cross High School

Holy Cross BrothersHoly Cross building restoration
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, state=collapsed Holy Cross secondary schools Educational institutions established in 1955 Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn Roman Catholic high schools in Queens, New York Flushing, Queens 1955 establishments in New York City