A Brief History of Padre Pio Academy

A school is born.

Padre Pio Academy began with the desire of five local families to found a school that would provide their children with a traditional Catholic education, firmly rooted in the magisterium—the official teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Drawing on traditional resources such as the Baltimore Catechism and focusing on the importance of the Mass in Catholic life, the founders of Padre Pio Academy developed an academically rich K-12 curriculum and a nurturing, Christ-centered atmosphere in which to learn.

A patron is chosen.

Many of our original board members had a strong personal devotion to Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, Italy, whose cause for beatification was pending at the time of the academy’s founding. He was chosen as our namesake and patron out of a strong belief that his intercession would be instrumental in getting our school off the ground. And intercede he did. By June of 1999 Padre Pio Academy was legally incorporated, welcomed its first student the following September, and received tax-exempt status in October of the same year.

An idea is refined

Over the next several years, Padre Pio Academy experienced various highs and lows. Among the highest were the generosity of benefactors and the way students thrived in the atmosphere they enabled us to create. Among the lowest was suspending our high school curriculum due to a reduction in the high school student body. This occurred because of the opening of the new diocesan high school in the area.  While it was a path we regretted having to take, that move has enabled the elementary school to grow and develop into the first class elementary school presented on the pages of this web site.  Most of the Padre Pio graduates attend the new diocesan high school.

A dream continues.

Today, our namesake is honored throughout the world as St. Pio of Pietrelcina—and continues to intercede for us. Our beloved Padre’s prayers have led many supportive people and organizations to us at times when we have been sorely in need of help. Most importantly, he continues to lead our faculty, staff, and families to Jesus through His Mother Mary, to whose Immaculate Heart Padre Pio Academy is consecrated.