Catholic education in Saint Joseph dates back to the days of Jesuit missionary activity in the early 1800s during the time of the town’s founding by French-Canadian fur trader Joseph Robidoux. Schools were officially founded in the 1850s by monastic associations such as Christian Brothers and the Religious of the Sacred Heart.

While our schools are no longer affiliated with these groups, we continue their legacy of service and scholarship, in the great tradition of Catholic academic and personal excellence. Bishop LeBlond, our high school, along with the the three elementary schools, Saint James, Saint Francis Xavier, and Cathedral, share a common mission of educating and nurturing children, preparing them not only for the professional sphere but also for communal life.

In the context of our Catholic mission to bring light and love to the world, academic and athletic excellence take on a special purpose beyond personal glory. Bishop LeBlond’s motto, Ut In Omnibus Glorificetur Dei, that in all things God may be glorified, identifies the purpose of academic and professional success as a means of equipping ourselves to be better stewards of our world. Our Catholic schools strive to develop our students’ gifts and talents for their own personal edification as well as for the betterment of our community and the world beyond the classroom. Every college acceptance, every outstanding essay, and every science project contributes towards human knowledge and progress, both epistemic and spiritual. Every dance practice, touchdown, and academic team trophy serve as an opportunity to teach our students the virtues of team work, humility, and dedication.

Above all, our Catholic schools strive to be a force for good in the community and the world at large. By fostering an inclusive and supportive school environment in which every child is accorded dignity, respect, and personal attention, we are confident that we will succeed in our vocation of educating and molding the next generation of compassionate, curious, and capable adults. The lessons that our students learn in Catholic school will stay with them wherever they go, as they strive to share with the world the gifts and talents their community has fostered, so that in all things God may be glorified.