Bethlehem Academy (Faribault, Minnesota)

Bethlehem Academy is a private, Roman Catholic High School established in 1865 in Faribault, Minnesota by the Sisters of St Dominic.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. It serves 244 students from grades 6 to 12.[2][4][5][3][8] It is the oldest Catholic high school in Minnesota.[10]

Bethlehem Academy
Address
Map
105 Third Avenue SW

, ,
55021-6039

United States
Coordinates44°17′19″N 93°16′21″W / 44.28861°N 93.27250°W / 44.28861; -93.27250
Information
TypePrivate, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1865
NCES School ID00701072
PrincipalTom Donlon
Grades712
Enrollment193 (2013)
Color(s)Red and White   
Athletics conferenceGopher Conference
MascotCardinal
Team nameCardinals
AccreditationNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools[1]
NewspaperBethlehem Star
YearbookVeritas
Websitehttp://www.bacards.org

History

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In 1865, the Murphy family left New York for California. En-route they stopped in Faribault, Minnesota due to the threat of conflict with Native Americans along the route. After most of the family died, Catherine Murphy's dying request was to provide for a Catholic education for the children. In response, Bethlehem Academy was founded by nuns from St Clara's Academy in Wisconsin.[11]

The school opened inside the convent, then moved to a home in 1896. The bottom story consisted of four rooms, including the school room on the first floor with two dormitories and a chapel upstairs.[12]

In 1874 a new site was purchased, and a new three-story brick building was opened on June 1, 1876. In 1900 the North wing was added, and a three-story South wing was opened in 1908.[13][12]

In 2014 the school celebrated its 150th anniversary.[14]

Athletics

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Bethlehem Academy has an athletic program.[15][9]

Bethlehem Academy has a total of 7 Minnesota Class A Volleyball State Championships (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014).[16]

In 2012 they were the Minnesota Class A State Runner up, losing 14–20 to Mahnomen High School in Prep Bowl XXXI.[17]

In 2018, coach Franz Boelter was fired for mistreating athletes emotionally. At the time he had coached the volleyball team to seven state championships and was the ninth-winningest coach in Minnesota high school history.[18]

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Notes and references

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  1. ^ NCA-CASI. "NCA-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Archived from the original on 2009-09-23. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  2. ^ a b "Bethlehem Academy in Faribault, MN". Niche. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  3. ^ a b "Bethlehem Academy". Private School Review. 16 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Search for Private Schools - School Detail for BETHLEHEM ACADEMY". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  5. ^ a b "Bethlehem Academy". US News & World Report (Education).
  6. ^ "Bethlehem Academy | Schools | MSHSL". www.mshsl.org. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  7. ^ "Staff Directory - Bethlehem Academy". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  8. ^ a b "Explore Bethlehem Academy in Faribault, MN". GreatSchools.org. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  9. ^ a b "Bethlehem Academy (Faribault, MN) Sports - Football, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, and more". www.maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  10. ^ Schreiber, Pauline. "1 Bethlehem Academy's 150th Anniversary" (PDF). Rice County Historical Society. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Bethlehem Academy. Its many advantages and attractions". Irish Standard. August 15, 1896. p. 5. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Fifty Golden Years". Catholic Bulletin. June 19, 1915. p. 8. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Fifty Golden Years". Catholic Bulletin. June 19, 1915. p. 1. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  14. ^ Smith, Jerry (November 3, 2014). "Faribault Bethlehem Academy shares Founder's Day history". Faribault Daily News. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  15. ^ Randleman, Mike (2023-10-06). "Bethlehem Academy hands K-W football first loss". Southernminn.com. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  16. ^ https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/championship-matches-history-thru-2020.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  17. ^ "Prep Bowl History".
  18. ^ Christensen, Joe (February 15, 2018). "Franz Boelter, 'major icon' in Minnesota coaching, denies mistreating student-athletes". Star Tribune. Retrieved 7 December 2023.