Society of Mary (Marianists)
NCHS is administered by members of the Society of Mary (the Marianists), a religious congregation of brothers and priests which was founded in 1817 in Bordeaux, France. Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, a French priest, began with faith groups (called “sodalities”) as a means of re-Christianizing France in the aftermath of the French Revolution. He believed strongly that if a society was to be brought to true faith, the best place to begin was working with youth. The first members of the Society of Mary came from these sodalities and began to work in already existing schools (and then founded some of their own) as a means of bringing a Catholic, Christian culture to be the dominant culture in France in the early 1800’s.
Marianists today are involved in educational ministries at the university, secondary and primary levels. They also minister in parishes and retreat centers. There are 18 Marianist high schools in the U.S. Province of the Society of Mary along with three universities (Chaminade University of Honolulu, St. Mary’s University (San Antonio) and the University of Dayton (Ohio).)
When Nolan Catholic was founded in 1961, Marianists administered the boys division of the co-institutional high school. When the school became co-educational in the early 1970’s, the Marianists continued in the role of chief administrators, a role which they continue today.
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