Bishop O'Gorman Catholic Schools history

Upon his return to Minnesota, O'Gorman was ordained a priest on November 5, 1865.

He served in a variety of parishes and, in 1885, he became the first president of the newly-established College of St Thomas where he also served as professor of dogmatic theology.

O'Gorman was the second bishop of the entire state of South Dakota and was placed in Sioux Falls on May 1, 1896.

In September of 1905, six Dominican sisters began classes for 195 students.

In 1913, the Dominican Sisters began instruction for their first freshman class, inaugurating the expansion to secondary education.

In 1917, the first class of high school students graduated.

Bishop O'Gorman later died in 1921 at age 78.

Classes began in September 1927.

St Mary School opened in 1949 in the basement of St Mary Church.

Christ the King School opened in 1955 with four Benedictine sisters teaching 138 students.

St Lambert School opened in 1959 with two Benedictine sisters teaching 85 students.

Prior to this time, students at the junior high level held classes at the former Cathedral High School (converted to a Catholic junior high school in 1961) and at St Mary School.

In the fall of 1970 O’Gorman had 43 full time faculty members, half of whom were lay teachers.

St Mary School was originally Kindergarten through 8th grade until the completion of the centralized Junior High located on the O'Gorman High campus in 1991.

In 1998, the seventh Bishop of the Sioux Falls Diocese, Robert J. Carlson, along with the SFCS School Board, established the first centralized Catholic junior high in Sioux Falls.

O’Gorman saw much change in the 2000’s as well, and received many accolades.

In 2005, the SFCS community was challenged to meet the needs of updating the 45 year old O’Gorman High School.

In response to the growing demand for Catholic education from the families in the west side of Sioux Falls and surrounding areas, St Katharine Drexel School opened its doors in the fall of 2008 as a preschool through first grade school.

A brand new O’Gorman High School was unveiled in 2009.

O’Gorman’s 1000 seat Performing Art Center opened in the fall of 2011.

Work on converting the original auditorium into a wrestling and weight room began in the spring of 2012 and is completed.

In July of 2014 SFCS introduced a new leadership structure.