Since 1951, St. Anne has been building something truly special. Over the years, we have broadened who we serve, but still today we hold the rich tradition of welcoming students of all faiths who are seeking a values-based education. Our faculty combines knowledge and virtue and are dedicated to the moral, spiritual, and academic growth of each individual student. As the first racially integrated school in the state of South Carolina, St. Anne is an extraordinary place for students from diverse backgrounds to grow intellectually and learn how to balance faith, academics, extracurriculars, and service in their lives.
Please take some time to visit our website. You will see the joy on our students’ faces as they engage with their teachers, each other, and the world around them. The opportunities we offer our students to develop their gifts through learning, prayer, and service make our family environment the Catholic school of choice for students from preschool through 12th grade. Families come to us from York county as well as Chester, Lancaster, and North Carolina because of our small, nurturing approach to the development of the whole child.
With the support of the Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, St. Anne Catholic School cultivates intellect, faith, and integrity as we build virtuous leaders of society.
The Congregation of the Oratory was founded by Saint Philip Neri in the 16th century with the primary goal of educating both Catholics and non-Catholics in the faith. Many people have a limited and even superficial understanding of their faith – as they have not been fully catechized --sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Saint Philip used various means to teach the Catholic faith. He would have talks on sacraments, history, and theology, often interspersed with music and skits. Learning was never boring with Philip! He first began teaching in his room and later moved to the Oratory of the church, which is how the congregation received its name. When that prayer space proved too small, the main body of the church of St. Mary of the Valley was used. From its inception, the Oratory would focus on Education as an integral part of its mission.
The great Oxford don Saint John Henry Newman also saw the importance of education and founded a University in Dublin as well as a school to prepare boys for college in Birmingham, England. His desire was to have a well-educated laity so that they could fulfill their mission in helping the church proclaim the Good News of Jesus. The Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Rock Hill, South Carolina, continues this tradition along with Saint Anne School. The school was founded to teach Catholics and students of other faiths not just secular subjects but the importance of faith in their daily lives and future careers. Saint Anne was the first school in South Carolina to integrate, thus living the Gospel command of Love thy neighbor and the belief that All are created equal. Saint Anne School prepares children from K-3 through Grade 12 as whole persons, body and soul. Faith is an important and essential part of each school day.
Our students continue the vision of St. Philip Neri as well-educated and faithful disciples of Jesus, and faith plays a vital role in decision making in their daily lives. They continue the great commission which Jesus gave the Apostles: Go into the world proclaiming to all the Good News of Jesus Christ.
