Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School

Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School (from 1949 to 1993, Norfolk Catholic High School; from 1993-2004, Catholic High School; commonly referred to as "Catholic" or "CHS") is a Roman Catholic secondary school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, founded as Norfolk Catholic High School in 1949^[2] and moved to Virginia Beach in 1993. In 2003, the school was renamed in honor of Walter Francis Sullivan, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Richmond and a significant benefactor during the school's move to Virginia Beach. The Barry Robinson Theater and Fine Arts Center opened that same year.

Mission statement

The stated mission of Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School is to provide a college preparatory education which nurtures the intellect, shapes character, and forms Christian values. The school describes itself as a community which reveals God's presence in the world by affirming the Gospel message and challenging, when necessary, the views of a secular society.

Academics

Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School is a college preparatory school and fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Virginia Catholic Education Association. Over 98% of BSCHS' senior classes enrolls in an institution of higher learning upon graduation.

Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School offers a variety of AP courses for advanced preparatory education, including: English Literature, English Language, World History, U.S. History, U.S. Government and Politics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science, German, Spanish, Latin: Literature, Latin: Vergil, and Studio Art.

Religious Education

In keeping with its Catholic tradition, BSCHS also gives the students a chance to get in touch with their relationship to God. . Students receive various aspects of religious education and are required to perform community service to better understand their place in the wider community, serve as Eucharistic Ministers & Lectors at religious celebrations, and help with the planning and preparation of services and community events.^[3]

Bishop Sullivan's Campus Ministry program is one of the strongest and most active on campus. Students, whether Catholic or not, participate in retreats, communal prayer services, and lead prayer each day.

Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic school in the Diocese of Richmond. The Mass is celebrated each week for the whole campus and confessions are available weekly and celebrated as a community twice yearly. BSCHS also marks several significant events (Rites of Passage, Baccalaureate) with Mass. In addition each student is required to take 4 years of theology.

Athletics

Bishop Sullivan offers 41 sports teams for students to be involved in high school athletics and is a founding member of the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools as well as a member of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA). . Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School (BSCHS) is a college preparatory school where students are asked to push themselves every day with a rigorous academic program. At the same time, athletics are very important to the students at BSCHS. Over 85% of the student body participates on at least one of various sports teams.

In 2013, the football team won its first state championship, defeating Potomac School (McLean, Virginia) 50-44 in the Virginia Independent Schools title game to cap off an undefeated season. However, the tenure of football coach Carl Turner ended after the season; the school released a statement saying that Turner had resigned for personal reasons, but Turner then said that he had been fired because he had "run the score up on opposing teams" after being told not to do so.^[4]

In early 2016, the Crusaders hired Coach Chris Scott who had been coaching and teaching at Ocean Lakes.^[5]

As a consequence, Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School was accused of "recruiting" and ignited a conflict with TCIS. This conflict even included Bishop Sullivan's suspension by the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools.

Notable alumni

• Captain Humbert Roque Versace (class of 1955) U.S. Army officer of Puerto Rican-Italian descent, awarded the Medal of Honor—for his heroic actions while a prisoner of war (POW) during the Vietnam War. He was the first member of the U.S. Army to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions performed in Southeast Asia while in captivity.
• Wyatt Andrews (Class of 1969), CBS Television News Correspondent.
• Larry Sabato (Class of 1970), Professor of political science at the University of Virginia, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics; political analyst.
• Cecil Gray (class of 1986) defensive lineman at the University of North Carolina. Drafted in the 1990 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He went on to play 6 seasons of professional football.

References