Looking back at our history, we can see our School and our Parish have been built through our love of God and love of our neighbor. The project of building a new school was successful through God’s blessings and the personal relationships between the people of God. It is in this spirit that our community continues today.
St. Ignatius School was founded on August 15, 1940, when the Holy Cross Sisters were appointed to staff and open an eight-grade school in the basement of St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church at 205 W. Johanna St. It was a 5-room school for K through 8th grades. Classes began on September 15, 1940, with an enrollment of 65 students. The Sisters of Holy Cross staffed the school: Sr. Eileen Patrice (principal), Sr. Rita Cascia, Sr. Corona, and Sr. Michella Maria.
Fr. Eugene Doré, C.S.C. became pastor in 1949. The parish grew tremendously during this period, and the demand for student enrollment greatly exceeded the available school accommodations. The 218 students attending at that time stretched the limits of the school’s capacity. In November of 1953, Fr. Doré, C.S.C. purchased five and a half acres from the John La Prelle Estate for $65,000; we present the location of the Church, School, Annex, and Family Center.
In 1954 parish men worked evenings from 6 to 9 pm and on Saturdays to begin construction of the convent for the sisters. The convent was completed in 1955, and an open house was held in December.
In 1954 the present St. Ignatius Martyr School Building was designed by architects Jessen, Jessen, Millhouse, and Greeven; Archie C. Fitzgerald was the general contractor. This new school was designed to accommodate 450 in grades 1 to 8 and was to be constructed of Arkansas ledge and Texas limestone. Groundbreaking for the new St. Ignatius Martyr School Building took place on October 10, 1954, and among those manning the shovel was Austin Mayor C.A. McAden. Bishop Reicher completed and dedicated the school on June 15, 1955, and the many celebrities on hand included Austin Mayor Tom Miller and the City Council members.
On May 8, 2015, to mark the beginning of the 75th anniversary of our school, a time capsule was buried in front of the school under the big brown cross. It is to be opened in the year 2040 for the 100th anniversary.
We are indebted to the many Holy Cross sisters, brothers, and priests who have dedicated their lives to the education of our young people and the growth of our parishioners for over 80 years. With God’s help, we will continue to educate minds and form hearts for many more years!