South Hills Catholic Academy is an independent Catholic school created and funded by a group of lay people that was born out of and is aligned to On Mission for The Church Alive, the diocesan-wide planning effort to bring about a more vibrant Church.

It will offer a unique educational and spiritual formation opportunity that is targeted for a specific segment of the population in Pittsburgh’s South Hills.

The Academy offering endorsed by Bishop Zubik is built off of three key pillars that make it different and complementary to the Diocesan system:

• Ensuring that a Traditional Catholic education and curriculum is accessible to all children in the southern region of Pittsburgh, especially those of modest means and the growing immigrant population.
• Preparing students for higher education through a curriculum built on a foundation of a traditional education
• Providing a rich tradition of spiritual formation with a vibrant sacramental and devotional life at the center of the school mission

The Academy will be financially independent and supported by South Hills benefactors and modest tuition revenues. The school will have grades Pre-K through 8, with the intent to feed the existing Catholic High Schools.

The Academy Team is developing a plan that allows the Academy to be open for enrollment in January 2021 and in operation for the 2021-22 school year. We will be working with the Institute for Liberal Catholic Education, a nationally recognized organization, to develop the curriculum and operating model for the school.

Over the coming months, we will begin to share specific plans for the Academy in preparation for opening in 2021. Additional information about South Hills Catholic Academy may also be found on our Facebook page @southcatholic.

South Hills Catholic Academy

412.631.3131

The mission of the South Hills Catholic Academy (SHCA) is to assist parents in the Christian spiritual, moral and intellectual formation of their children by ensuring the total development of each child – body, mind, and soul.

Adhering to the premise that all knowledge comes from God and can only be understood and lived fully in reference to Him, we endeavor to integrate traditional classroom instruction with a vibrant Catholic sacramental and devotional life by doing the following:

• Offering SHCA students an intensive traditional curriculum covering all the major areas of the liberal arts and natural sciences, in an academic program that is both rigorous and challenging;

• Fostering in the SHCA’s students a fuller understanding of, and deep appreciation for, their Catholic Faith in a manner completely loyal to the teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church;

• Promoting a safe and disciplined educational culture for children from diverse ethnic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds – one that fosters authentic Christian friendship and service, and joyfully embraces the uniqueness of each child.

We firmly believe that in today’s complex world, other than an individual’s own family, there is no institution in our society where the challenges that confront young children can be more effectively addressed than by a Catholic School such as SHCA, where our first purpose is to remind our students that they are both loved and lovable in Jesus Christ, and that only in Him will they discover themselves and their calling in life.