DOMINICAN HIGH SCHOOL

HISTORY/FOUNDATION

St. Dominic de Guzman of Spain (1170-1221, shown on the front cover) was the founder of the Order of Preachers (O.P.). His personal response to the call to a life of prayer and study remain today as the foundation of the calling of Dominican religious congregations throughout the world. Dominic confronted heresy, persecution, and materialism by preaching the Gospel. He also challenged Church leaders to give witness to the Gospel by example in lives of voluntary simplicity.

Through the centuries, a diverse community of women and men have continued to give life to the Dominican tradition, including St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Catherine of Siena (Doctors of the Church), St. Albert the Great, St. Catherine de Ricci and St. Martin de Porres. From a grounding in prayer and study, Dominicans have been especially active in science, medicine, and service to the poor.

Our Dominican presence in Wisconsin came through Italian native Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, O.P. (1809-1864), who preached and established faith communities throughout what are now Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. An accomplished scientist and architect, Fr. Mazzuchelli earned the respect of fellow Catholics and Protestants, Native Americans and settlers, for his preaching and openness to others. One of the new faith communities would eventually serve as the foundation for Dominican High School, the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary.

In the 2023-2024 school year, we celebrate 177 years since the founding of our sponsoring Catholic religious order of sisters in 1847 by the Venerable Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, O.P. (1809-1864). The Sinsinawa Dominican C ongregation was the first religious congregation incorporated in the new state of Wisconsin in 1848. Today, the Sisters sponsor eleven institutions, one of which is D.H.S. Through sponsorship, the Sinsinawa Dominican women carry out their ministry of preaching and teaching in order to participate in the building of a holy and just society.

In September of 1956, Dominican High School opened its doors to 174 freshman students from 26 surrounding parishes. Although sponsored by the Sinsinawa Dominicans, Dominican High School would never have come into being without the thoughtful foresight of two visionary pastors, Rev. Peter E. Dietz, Pastor of St. Monica parish (1923-1947) and Monsignor Farrell P. Reilly, Pastor of St. Robert Parish (1912-1958). Both priests envisioned and championed the formation of a Catholic High School in the North Shore suburbs. St. Monica Parish donated the land for Dominican High School and St. Robert Parish contributed over a half million dollars of seed monies for its construction.