County’s First New Catholic High School in 22 Years : Santa Margarita Opening With Pioneering Spirit

In a spectacular setting, with mountains looming in the background and sun filtering through clouds over Plano Trabuco, Orange County’s first new Roman Catholic high school in 22 years officially opened Wednesday.

Santa Margarita Catholic High School, a $25-million, 40-acre expanse of Spanish colonial architecture and green athletic fields, was opened in a brief outdoor ceremony. Speakers noted that Santa Margarita is the only new Catholic high school being built in the nation this year.

The co-educational school is off Antonio Parkway in the new planned community of Rancho Santa Margarita in southern Orange County.

The area, framed by the twin peaks of Saddleback, is steeped in California history. And the principal of the new school, Father Michael A. Harris, reminded the parents and spectators that it was Catholic pioneers who founded California in 1769.

“What we do here today had its beginning more than 200 years ago when Father Serra and Portola, the explorer, and the early, early settlers of this land came out here and brought the faith, brought the gospel of Jesus Christ, brought the love of all God’s children, to these shores,” Harris said.

“When they looked up at this mountain range that towers behind us, and walked this very land we are on, they were men of vision and hope. They knew that this area represented a golden opportunity, not just in the financial sense of that word, but a golden opportunity where people could come, where families could grow, where their best dreams could come true.”

Santa Margarita Catholic High School is itself a dream that has come true, Harris said. Despite cost and other obstacles, the late Bishop William Johnson 10 years ago committed the newly established Diocese of Orange to founding a high school in southern Orange County, Harris said. The fulfillment of the bishop’s dream comes with Wednesday’s opening freshman class of 300.

Harris and other speakers referred to the inaugural class as “pioneers.” The freshmen will be the only students in the high school until next year, when a new freshman class moves in.

Sister Celine Leydon, superintendent of the diocesan education department, wryly noted in her speech that the new freshmen are “going to be seniors for four years.”

The students themselves, in individual interviews, said they savored being “pioneers” and in having the opportunity to start traditions for the new school.

“This is a new beginning,” said Shannon Brennan, 14, of Laguna Niguel.

Added John Hutchinson, 14, also of Laguna Niguel: “I want to be a pioneer in this school. It’s a new school, and we’ve got to make it work.”

‘Ones Who Set Examples’

Similarly, Mike Ragusa, 14, of Mission Viejo said: “I like being a pioneer in this school--we’re the ones who set examples. Also, I like continuing my Catholic education.”

Chris Bodell, 14, of Laguna Niguel, said: “I’m going here because my friends are going here, and I like being in a Catholic environment. Also, I want to help set the traditions for this school.”

In their brief speeches at the opening ceremonies, Anthony Moiso and Arthur B. Birtcher, co-chairmen of the fund-raising campaign for the new school, said the entering students have great prospects ahead.

“Make these memories great now, because these four years will go by so fast that you won’t know what happened to them,” Moiso told the students.

In a later interview, Moiso said that half of the school’s $25-million cost is being paid by the diocese. The other half is being paid for by private funds, and so far that campaign has taken in about $8.5 million.

$2,500 a Year Tuition

Harris, in his speech, noted that Moiso’s family donated the land for the school site.

Students pay $2,500 a year tuition at the new school. Harris said non-Catholic students are eligible to attend, “and in fact, about 10% of our opening class, I’m estimating, is non-Catholic.” But Harris said priority is given to Catholic applicants.

Harris has been principal at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana for the last nine years. Until Wednesday, Mater Dei, which always has more applicants than it can accommodate, has been the nearest Catholic day school to southern Orange County. There is a boys’ boarding high school, St. Michael’s College Prep, in El Toro. The county’s other Catholic high schools are Rosary, a girls school in Fullerton; Cornelia Connelly, also a girls school, in Anaheim, and Servite, a boys school in Anaheim.

The new Catholic high school for southern Orange County is a continuation of the pioneering spirit of Father Junipero Serra, Harris said. Turning to the students, Harris said, “What adventures await you now!”

And then to the parents, Harris smiled and said: “I’ve talked to these students, and there’s a lot of Indiana Jones in all of them.”