Northeast Catholic High School

Northeast Catholic High School opened in 1926 as Northeast Catholic High School for Boys, and was located at 1842 Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was under the administration of the high school system of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia and its sports teams participated in the Philadelphia Catholic League. During its history, at one point, it had the largest student body of any Catholic boys school in the world, and today it is known for having the largest number of all-male alumni of any high school in the world. Northeast Catholic followed the Salesian tradition, which means that "North's" priests followed in the footsteps of Saint Francis de Sales in their day-to-day actions and mission statement. The school closed permanently in June 2010. History Northeast Catholic High School for Boys opened on September 8, 1926, as the fourth Diocesan High School in Philadelphia. The site for the school was purchased from the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for $150,000. The new students were welcomed at the first assembly, held in the gym, by the Rev. Joseph Butler, OSFS, the Principal and Superior. The school chose the Falcon as a symbol of the school for three reasons: It is "a bird of prey that never lets go of what it has captured; it is completely faithful to its trainer; and it is the fastest of God's creatures". The students also chose Cardinal Red and White as the school colors: Cardinal Red in appreciation of Dennis Cardinal Dougherty's sponsorship of the school and White for purity and fidelity. In 1928, the school newspaper, The Good News, was founded, followed by The Falcon, the North Catholic Yearbook in 1929.