"WE ARE ONE"
John 17:22

In TRADITION we find faith. We are ONE.

Marist Catholic High School had its beginnings in a single room of the old St. Mary's Elementary School located on the corner of 11th and Lincoln in Eugene. The first Freshman class enrolled in 1918, and four years later, seven young women comprised the first graduating class. The school was staffed and operated by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary who arrived in Oregon from Montreal, Canada in 1859.  

Because only one parish existed in Eugene during the first half of the twentieth century, St. Mary's offered the only parish school (picture at left). Eventually, enrollment outgrew the building. By the 1950's, Eugene had added three new parishes and students from these parishes formed the new Catholic high school community. Named after Bishop Leipzig, St. Francis High School (now O'Hara Catholic School), built on West 18th Street, opened its doors to 108 students in 1950 and was part of the Archdiocesan system of Catholic education. During the 16 years of its existence, enrollment grew beyond its boundaries.

On May 23, 1967, ground breaking ceremonies launched the construction of Marist Catholic High School. By September of 1968, on what just a few years previously had been 30 acres of lush Oregon farmland along the banks of the Willamette River, stood a spacious modern facility dedicated to the continuing Christian education of youth. The school was then staffed by nine Marist Brothers, eight Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and a complement of lay men and women. The new school derived its name from the Marist Brothers, the second largest order of teaching brothers in the Roman Catholic Church. Having been invited as long ago as the 1850's, it was not until the early 1960's, at the request of Monsignor Edmund Murnane (photo at right), that the Brothers actually came out West.

From 1968 until 1993, the Marist Brothers administered the school for the Archdiocese of Portland. In 1992, the Brothers decided to withdraw from their ministry in Eugene due to its personnel commitments in Chicago, Boston and New York. Though the Marist Brothers have withdrawn, they have left an indelible mark on the school and the greater community by their dedication and example.

From 1993 through 1998, a priest of the Dominican Order served as Principal. Currently, a lay professional serves as Principal of the school. Marist Catholic High School, accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, is part of the education system of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.