St. Anthony's High School history

In 1934, well-paved roads were a rarity on eastern Long Island, and a trip from Brooklyn to Smithtown required careful planning.

The first five students graduated in June 1935.

The practice of giving the cassock at that time began in February, 1936.

With the growth of the school’s population during the 1940’s and 50’s, the Number 11 school building became inadequate.

On September 14, 1948, the official beginning of the term began.

Since the Novitiate had moved to a new location in 1949, the Mills house had become St Bonaventure Postulate.

Each summer, from approximately 1950 until the opening of the day school, a unique camp was conducted at Saint Anthony’s.

In 1952, all four rooms of the school on the first floor were crowded to absolute capacity and it became necessary to remodel the building to make four large rooms.

On Monday after Labor Day in 1958, therefore, the Brothers and some 40 Juniorate boys were faced by the unfamiliar sight of a parade of cars (there were no school buses the first year) disgorging some 85 new students.

On December 5, 1959, Bishop Kellenberg presided over a Pontifical Mass celebrating the school’s twenty-fifth anniversary at St Josephs Church in King’s Park.

In 1963, an additional school building was built by Father Norbert E. King just north of the original school.

In 1967, the Franciscan Brothers had dedicated the football field in Smithtown on the old campus as Cy Donnelly Field.

Just before noon on April 30, 1970, fire broke out in the historic old Mills house, by then a friary for part of the faculty.

The first Sister, Sister Berchmans, OSU, joined the Religion Department in 1974, followed by six more Sisters, representing three Orders, the following year.

In 1982 the Brothers celebrated with Franciscans all over the world as the Holy Father approved the new Rule and Life for members of the Third Order Regular of St Francis.

When Bishop McGann celebrated the Golden Jubilee Mass on Sunday, September 18, 1983, none of the thousands who gathered on Cy Donnelly Field for the Mass and the champagne brunch that followed realized that an era was ending.

September 1984, began a new era at Saint Anthony’s High School with the admittance of young women who had attended Holy Family High School.

June Commencement of 1985 saw our first females graduate from St Anthony’s High School.

St Anthony’s High School graduated its first group of Seniors who had completed their four years at this new location in June 1988.

The 1989 was a phenomenal success with a private Mass and Audience with His Holiness Saint John Paul II. Thanks are due to Brother Marius Grone, O.S.F., who arranged for the special moment allowing the Chorus to be graced by the charasmatic and saintly present of the late Pope.

The 1990’s saw the first major expansions in the Academic Program.

The Math Department expanded their offerings with AP Calculus in 1992, while the English Department offered Intoduction to Speech (St John’s University), Creative Writing, Shakespeare and Journalism.

In 1993, the Boys Football Team won their first Championship at the South Huntington campus and went on a streak for countless victories in the decades that followed.

The Brothers very happily celebrated 140 years in the United States on Pentecost Sunday of 1998.

Joseph Minucci, a graduate of the class of 1999 seamlessly took up the reigns in order to insure the continuation of the winning tradition of the Saint Anthony’s Friars.

The academic year of 2001, began as every other September, with excited students and staff returning for another school year.

Brother Gary Cregan, who was serving as Vice Principal at Cardinal Gibbons High School in North Carolina was chosen as Principal of Saint Anthony’s beginning his tenure in September 2003.

Christopher Farrell, a 2004 graduate of Saint Anthony’s High School and Assistant Director of Student Activities was appointed Dean of Admissions, the position vacated by Mr.

Later 2005, the main football field in Huntington was re-dedicated to Cy, a long-time benefactor to Saint Anthony’s.

In 2006, ground was breaking in the former Senior Courtyard (the Senior space was relocated to the center cloister of the school named after Saint Therese) for a tenth-century Romanesque Chapel began.

In September 2008 following its completion, Bishop William Murphy consecrated the Chapel in the presence of faculty, staff, students and parents.

Gone are the days of the infamous white tent on the main field, for Graduation Commencement was held in June for the first time in the comfortable and impressive indoor arena following the center’s dedication in May 2009.

Beginning in January of 2014, new Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Anatomy and Biology were constructed in the current academic building.

In April 2015, at 4:00 AM, Brother Joshua discovers a water main burst on the first floor which has flood all of the Activities Wing including the Cafeteria, the Chapel, Gym, the Auditorium, the Breezeway, and reaching as far as the staircase of the Student Center.

In December 2016, Saint Anthony’s acquired an AnatomageTable, the world’s first virtual dissection table.

Since 2019, Saint Anthony’s has continued to adapt to an ever-changing world.