Msgr. John Burton, center, rector of Sacred Heart High School, Vineland, and a 1964 graduate of the school, stands with those who accepted the Jean-Pierre Médaille Award during the school’s 85th birthday gala June 16 at Eastlyn Golf Course, Vineland. Pictured from left are Msgr. Joseph G. Stoerlein, former pastor of Sacred Heart Parish; Victor LaTorre, Jr., local businessman; Josephine Jordan Walker, the unofficial historian of Sacred Heart Church and schools; and Ronald Schad, who accepted for the late Auxiliary Bishop James L. Schad, a 1935 graduate of the school.
Photo by Alan M. Dumoff, ccdphotolibrary.smugmug.com
Sacred Heart High School held a gala on Saturday, June 16, to celebrate its 85 year history and to help prepare for the school’s future.
Both a reunion and an expression of confidence in the school’s viability and growth, the event drew some 250 people, including a number of Sisters of St. Joseph who used to staff the school. It was held at the Eastlyn Golf Course in Vineland.
First named Vineland Catholic High School, it opened in September 1927 with 25 students in its freshman class. For two weeks, while their one classroom was being completed, they worked in church pews.
In 1929 the name of the school was changed to Sacred Heart, and by the following year it had four classrooms and students in all four grades.
The school continued to grow and in 1955 a new 12-classroom building opened on North East Avenue. By 1966 enrollment was at 500 students.
Enrollment declined in recent years, and in January the school was set to close. The school had an enrollment of 202, of which 67 were in the senior graduating class.
The school and its supporters rallied, the Save Sacred Heart School, Inc. was formed, and the following month Bishop Joseph Galante approved a plan that would keep it open under a revised financial and administrative structure.
The school is currently supported by Save Sacred Heart School, Inc. and five auxiliary organizations, the Sacred Heart High Alumni Association, the St. Joseph’s Society, the Sacred Heart Athletic Association, the Performing Arts Guild and the Parents Guild.
The recent gala was the work of the St. Joseph Society of Sacred Heart High School, which has also launched a giving campaign.
“Tonight is a night of joy and celebration — and there’s a lot to celebrate,” said Anne Hartman, assistant principal, who chaired the gala.
The event marks a milestone, she said, adding that the school is “looking forward to a successful future.”
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