As of the 2017–18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 510 students and 46.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1. The school's student body was 80.0% (408) White, 5.9% (30) Hispanic, 4.7% (24) Black, 4.5% (23) Asian, 3.5% (18) two or more races, 0.8% (4) American Indian / Alaska Native and 0.6% (3) Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander.[6] The school serves students who feed into the high school from 50 different parochial and public schools within the Diocese of Camden.[8]
For the class of 2017, 90% of the students went on to college (56% to 4-year institutions, and 34% to 2-year institutions), while 10% into the military, trade schools or the workforce. Scholarship and grant money awarded to this class totaled over $14 million.[8]
After opening in 1926, the school had its first graduating class of 27 students in June 1930. Through the 1940s, the school's enrollment varied between 150 and 200. After World War II, the school added a gymnasium and classrooms to its building on Cumberland Street, to accommodate enrollment that rose as high as 300 during the 1950s, and reached 700 in the 1970s.[9] Under the leadership of John Colman, who became the school's first lay principal in 1999, enrollment at Gloucester Catholic had grown to 850 at its height. Students came to GC from Gloucester County, as well as from Burlington, Camden and Salem counties.[9]
In the 2000s, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden explored possibilities to move the school to Gloucester County, New Jersey. After a two-year study the diocese promoted the idea of moving the school to Deptford Township. Due to legal disputes, in 2005 the diocese announced that it would not build a new school in Deptford Township. Andrew Walton, the spokesperson for the diocese, said that the diocese would either renovate and/or expand the existing Gloucester Catholic or move it elsewhere. Walton added that the district would likely not take both actions at the same time.[10] In 2008 the diocese announced that the district agreed to purchase a farm on a site along Route 77 and across from the Gloucester County 4-H grounds in the Mullica Hill community of Harrison Township for $5,000,000 and move Gloucester Catholic to the site by 2010. The new campus would be the first Catholic high school campus built in around 40 years. Walton said in 2008 that 60% of the families with children in the school live in Gloucester County.[11][12] The diocese said that a survey polling parents from 15 elementary school and 30 parishes indicated support for the idea of relocating the school.[13] A junior high (7th and 8th grades) was added in Spring 2011 following the closing of Saint Mary's Elementary School.[9]
Gloucester Catholic High School Rams[5] compete as one of the member schools in the Tri-County Conference, which comprises public and private high schools located in Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.[3] The conference is overseen by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[14] With 333 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public B for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 37 to 366 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools).[15] The football team competes in the Horizon Division of the 94-team West Jersey Football League superconference[16][17] and was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group B (equivalent to Group I for public schools) for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 64 to 223 students.[18]
The school was recognized as the Group B winner of the NJSIAA ShopRite Cup in 2006–07. The award recognized the school for achieving first-place finishes in baseball and boys' golf; second in boys' bowling and boys' tennis; and ties for third place in girls' soccer, boys' swimming, boys' basketball and softball.[19]
Through the 2016–2017 school year, Gloucester Catholic had won 59 state titles, including baseball (18 - most in NJ), football (10), girls' basketball (10), softball (8), girls' soccer (6), boys' basketball (3), golf (2), and boys' track and field (2).[citation needed]
Gloucester Catholic's first state championship was delivered by the 1964 basketball team, who won the Group B title in Atlantic City Convention Hall. They were led by Bill Somerset, Mike Baker, Jack Fink, Bud Shodder, and John Murphy. As South Jersey's number one-ranked team, Coach Ray Ford's team posted a 22–1 record during "that championship season."[21]
A crowd of more than 7,500 at Convention Hall in Atlantic City watched the 1970 team finish the season with a record of 21-5 after winning the Parochial B state title with a 71–59 win against St. Joseph's.[22]
The boys' basketball team, under the direction of Coach Ralph Saquella, won the Parochial B state championships in 1972, defeating Paterson Catholic by a score of 44–39 in the championship game.[23] Coach Saquella, who won his 100th career victory in 1972, went on to become the head coach at Glassboro State College.[23]
Bertha "Bert" Nolan won an estimated 500 games as coach during her career, leading the Lady Rams basketball team to win the 1973 state championship, the first offered in the sport, repeating as winners of the state title in 1976.[25]
Using its speed, the 1976 team beat St. Anthony 63–52 to pull away and win the Group I championship game against St. Anthony of Jersey City[26]
The 1977 team won the Group I state title with a 72–66 victory against Mother Seton in the championship game.[27] A last-second defensive play helped the team repeat as Group I champion in 1978 with a 70–68 win against Mother Seton in the playoff finals.[28]
The football team won state sectional titles in Non-Public B South in 1971 (awarded by the NJSIAA) and 1979 (via playoff).[9][29] The 1979 team finished the season with a 10–1 record after winning the Non-Public B South title with a 13–7 win against Bishop Eustace in the championship game.[30]
The 1996 team finished the season with a record of 29-2-1 (with both losses to out-of-state opponents) after winning the program's record eighth state title with a 9–1 victory against Pope John XXIII in the playoff finals.[32]
The 2000 team beat Seton Hall Prep by a score of 13–4 in the Parochial A championship game to finish with a 33–1 mark for the year.[33]
The 2001 team finished the season with a 26–4 record after winning the Parochial B title with a 6–0 victory against St. Mary of Rutherford, the program's third consecutive title and eleventh overall.[34][35]
The 2003 team finished the season with a record of 25-5 after a one-hitter in the Parochial B championship game against St. Mary of Rutherford, which they won by a score of 3–0.[36]
In 2013, the Rams became only the second program in New Jersey history to capture four straight NJSIAA state championships when they topped Seton Hall Prep by a 2–0 score in the tournament final for the Non-Public A title; the state title was the 17th in program history, a state record.[37] The 2013 campaign was the first for head coach Mike Rucci, a former standout Rams' player who took over for coach Dennis Barth, now at Rutgers-Camden. The 2017 team defeated Newark Academy by a score of 15–5 in the playoff final of the Non-Public B tournament, to win the program's 18th state title.[38]
The baseball program produced two of New Jersey's greatest seasons on record in 1980 and 2000. Under head coach Al Radano, the 1980 squad posted a perfect 24–0 record to win the New Jersey Parochial B state championship. The team was voted "Team of the Century" by Courier-Post readers in late 1999. In 2000, Gloucester Catholic was crowned national champions after winning a state title and posting a 33-1 overall record under head coach Dennis Barth. Led by Rucci, a catcher, along with pitcher Greg Burke, the Rams defeated some of the best teams in the state and the country that season. The Rams won four consecutive Non-Parochial South B titles from 1983 to 1986, and went on to win the Group B state championship in 1984, 1985 and 1986.[39]
The team won the Parochial South B state sectional championship in 2001 with a 1–0 win over St. Joseph High School in the tournament final.[41] The team repeated the win in the Parochial South B sectional championship with a 4–0 win over Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in the 2002 tournament.[42] The team won their third consecutive title in 2003 with a 1–0 win in fifteen innings against Bishop Eustace.[43][44] The 2006 team won the South B title with a 5–0 win against Bishop Eustace.[45] The 2007 team won the North B state championship with an 11–6 win against Newark Academy.[46]
In the 2010 Non-Public B championship game, the team finished the season with a 23–6 record as they defeated Immaculate Conception of Lodi by a score of 11–1.[47]
The team won its second consecutive Non-Public B state championship in 2011 with a 4–0 win against Morris Catholic High School in the tournament final, finishing the season with a 21–4 record.[48]
The girls' soccer team won the 2000 Parochial South B state sectional championship, defeating Wildwood Catholic High School 5–0 in the tournament final.[50]
In 2007, the team won the Non-Public South A state sectional championship with a 3–0 win over Holy Spirit High School in the tournament final.[51][52] The team moved on to win the Group A state championship with a 3–0 win over Immaculate Heart Academy.[53][54]
The 2009 team finished the season with an 18-1-2 record after winning the Non-Public B state title, the program's sixth, with a 2–0 win against Villa Walsh in the championship game.[55]
The 2006 boys' tennis team won the Non-Public, South B state sectional championship with a 3–2 win against Bishop Eustace.[57] The team repeated the feat in 2007 with a 3–2 win vs. Wildwood Catholic High School in the final matches of the tournament.[58]
The 2006 and 2007 golf teams won Non-Public Group B state championships. The 2007 golf team won the state Tournament of Champions and finished the season ranked number one in the state by The Star-Ledger.[citation needed]
Browning Ross (1924–1998), former cross country and track coach; Ross was a two-time Olympian (1948, 1952) and two-time gold medal winner at the Pan American Games (1951)[79]
^Schools, South Jersey Catholic Schools. Accessed February 21, 2023.
^ abAt a Glance, Gloucester Catholic High School. Accessed February 21, 2023. "The student body of this comprehensive high school consists of students from more than 50 parochial and public schools."
^ abcdHistory, Gloucester Catholic High School. Accessed August 7, 2013.
^Home Page, West Jersey Football League. Accessed May 1, 2023. "The WJFL is a 94-school super conference that stretches from Princeton to Wildwood encompassing schools from the Colonial Valley Conference, the Burlington County Scholastic League, the Olympic Conference, the Tri-County Conference, the Colonial Conference, and the Cape Atlantic League. The WJFL is made up of sixteen divisions with divisional alignments based on school size, geography and a strength-of-program component."
^Burrows, Walt. "Gloucester Catholic Wearing NJ State Crown; Overcomes Delay and St. Joe's 71-59", Courier-Post, March 21, 1970. Accessed March 11, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The Rams experienced a 50-minute delay in their championship game against St. Joseph's of West New York here last night and the outcome was similar to that of 1964.... They roared to a 71-59 victory and the Group B championship before a crowd of 7,762 in Convention Hall."
^ abOstrum, Gus. "1972 Boys' Basketball State Championship Team Honored; Rams Top Glassboro", Gloucester Catholic High School, February 6, 2012, backed up by the Internet Archive as of December 13, 2013. Accessed September 16, 2016. "GCHS's 1972 boys' basketball team, which captured the NJSIAA Parochial B state championship that season, returned to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a glorious season, which was capped off by a 44-39 state title win over Paterson Catholic at Princeton University's Jadwin Gymnasium.... The state title win at Princeton was the school's third in its history after winning crowns in 1964 and 1970."
^via Associated Press. "B-R East romps to girls title", The Record, March 21, 1976. Accessed February 1, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "In the Group 1 championship game, Gloucester ; Catholic used its rebounding strength to fastbreak, and took advantage of poor foul shooting by St. Anthony's of Jersey City, 63-52. St. Anthony's went cold with 5:40 left in the game and the score 49-43."
^"Nutley Wins First Title; Asbury Gals Romp, 70-47", New York Daily News, March 20, 1977. Accessed January 3, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Defending champion Gloucester Catholic, in a seesaw state tournament championship Group 1 match, engineered a 10-2 streak midway through the fourth quarter and went on to defeat Mother Seton 72-66 yesterday in North Brunswick."
^"Donovan shows way", The Record, March 19, 1978. Accessed January 31, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Theresa McGlade knocked a pass out of Amelia Gomee' hands In the final two seconds yesterday, preserving Gloucester Catholic's 70-65 Group 1 State championship win over Mother Seton."
^Hadden, Mark. "Gloucester Cath. wins S. J. crown", The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 2, 1979. Accessed November 25, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Ideally, a football team's offense should have a comfortable balance between passing and running. Yesterday, Gloucester Catholic had that balance; Bishop Eustace did not, and the result was a 13-7 victory for Catholic in the NJSIAA South Jersey Parochial B championship game.... Casella, a 6-foot, 195-pound senior, had more rushing yards than the entire Eustace team (160 to 121), but it was his passing that made Catholic (10-1) a sectional champion for the first time since 1972."
^Narducci, Marc. "Rams win 8th baseball crown; Despite the death of the coach's brother, Gloucester Catholic routed Pope John XXIII", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 9, 1996. Accessed June 6, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "A day after the sudden death of his brother, John, coach Dennis Barth guided Gloucester Catholic to yesterday's 9-1 win over Pope John XXIII in the NJSIAA state Parochial B , championship game at Toms River East.... It was a record eighth baseball state title for Gloucester Catholic (29-2-1), which lost to Immaculata, 9-2, in last year's state championship.... The Rams, ranked No. 1 in South Jersey by The Inquirer, ended the season by winning 18 consecutive games and never lost to a team from New Jersey."
^"Yesterday's NJSIAA Baseball Finals", Home News Tribune, June 11, 2000. Accessed March 13, 2021. "Parochial A Gloucester Catholic 13, Seton Hall Prep 4: Winning pitcher Mark Michael hit a two-run homer to spark a three-run first inning and Gloucester Catholic went on to a victory over Seton Hall Prep at Toms River North. Gloucester Catholic (33-1) won its 10th state championship overall and second straight since moving up to the Parochial A Division."
^"Gloucester Cath. wins 3rd straight", Asbury Park Press, June 10, 2001. Accessed December 27, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Jeff Mazzola pitched a two-hitter and Mike Falasca drove in three runs to lead Gloucester Catholic to a 6-0 victory over St. Mary's of Rutherford and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Parochial B baseball NJSIAA championship yesterday at East Brunswick Vo-Tech. It was the third straight title for the Rams their previous two were in Parochial A and their 11th overall since the overall state playoffs began in 1971."
^Cummins, Jeff. "Gaels a little short in final", The Record, June 10, 2001. Accessed February 1, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "But the Gaels needed more than experience to overcome Gloucester Catholic, which downed St. Mary's, 6-0, to win the State Parochial B baseball title.... Nonetheless, St. Mary's seemed unfazed, despite the fact that Gloucester Catholic (26-4) scored three runs in the top of the first."
^Czerwinski, Mark J. "St. Mary's silenced by Gloucester Cath.", The Record, June 11, 2003. Accessed December 16, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Two batters into Tuesday's Parochial B championship game, Gloucester Catholic pitcher Blake Ortiz realized that St. Mary's was not like most of the teams he faced this season. "We read in the paper that their coach said they don't have a lot of power, but they like to move runners along and bunt a lot," Ortiz said after throwing a one-hit shutout at St. Mary's in a 3-0 victory at Toms River East High School.... The Rams (25-5), winners of 19 of their last 20 games, took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning."
^Carchidi, Sam. "Glou. Cath. Seeks 5th Straight Parochial B Title", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 8, 1987. Accessed July 18, 2007. "Gloucester Catholic High will be aiming for its fifth straight South Jersey Parochial B baseball championship when it faces old foe Bishop Eustace Prep in tomorrow's 4 p.m. title game at Haddon Township. The teams certainly aren't strangers. Gloucester Catholic, which has won three consecutive state titles, has eliminated Eustace in each of the last four seasons."
^McGurk. "In a gripper, Gloucester Catholic seizes sectional title from Eustace", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 4, 2003. Accessed July 17, 2007. "Fifteen innings, 44 strikeouts and a controversial call - the South Jersey Parochial B softball championship game had it all. Yesterday's game was decided when Gloucester Catholic's Suzanne Fox was ruled safe on a bang-bang play at home plate after a wild pitch. The run gave the Rams a 1-0 win over rival Bishop Eustace at Delsea and their third straight sectional crown."
^Iezzi, Bill. "Gloucester Catholic romps to state softball title, 11-1", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 5, 2010. Accessed December 2, 2017. "The Gloucester Catholic girls beat Immaculate Conception of Lodi, 11-1, in the state Non-Public B softball championship game the way they've won all year.... Hagerty gave up six hits, struck out seven and walked one en route to a lopsided victory that started to take shape in the fifth inning, when the Rams (23-6) exploded for four runs to take a 7-0 lead."
^Freundlich, Carolyn. "Morris Catholic (0) at Gloucester Catholic (4), NJSIAA Group Tournament, Final Round, Non-Public B - Softball", The Star-Ledger, June 11, 2011. Accessed December 2, 2017. "She then stepped to the plate, drove a triple deep to left field and scored the first run of the game, on a single by Shayla Giosia, to spark a four-run rally that sent Gloucester Catholic to a 4-0 victory over Morris Catholic for the championship of the NJSIAA/Blue Ribbon Awards Non-Public B tournament at Toms River North. 'Brianna keeps the team loose and the kids play better when they’re having fun,' Gloucester Catholic coach Tom Sulivan, whose team improved to 21-4 and won its second straight title and eighth overall, said."
^O'Kane, John. "Girls soccer: Gloucester Catholic too strong for Holy Spirit in S.J. Non-Public A final"Archived June 11, 2007, at archive.today, Press of Atlantic City, November 9, 2007. Accessed November 15, 2007. "Holy Spirit High School's girls soccer team battled as long as it could Thursday night, but in the end, Gloucester Catholic was simply too good. The top-seeded Rams, No. 4 in The Press' Elite 11, beat the second-seeded Spartans 3-0 to win the South Jersey Non-Public A Championship on the artificial turf at Eastern Regional."
^Narducci, Marc. "Gloucester Catholic rides Duffy's goals to soccer title", The Philadelphia Inquirer November 19, 2009. Accessed November 25, 2020. "There is something about playing in a state championship soccer game that appeals to Gloucester Catholic's Chelsea Duffy.... Headed for the University of Delaware, Duffy deposited both goals in Thursday night's 2-0 win over Villa Walsh Academy in the state Non-Public B title game at the College of New Jersey.... For Gloucester Catholic (18-1-2) it was the sixth state title in school history, the fourth under coach Kate Ormsby."
^"Thomas Iacovone, Jr. Named Interim Principal at GCHS, Succeeds Ed Beckett", Gloucester City News, January 26, 2021. Accessed April 27, 2023. "On Saturday, January 23rd, Mr. Thomas Iacovone, Jr. officially became the Interim Principal of Gloucester Catholic.... He succeeds Mr. Ed Beckett ’78 who served and led Gloucester Catholic with distinction over a long number of years."
^Shyrock, Bob. "Gloucester County Italian Heritage Commission honors journalist/author George Anastasia", NJ.com, October 10, 2014. Accessed January 9, 2017. "The Pitman resident will be honored Wednesday, Oct. 22, 6 p.m. at the commission's annual 'Night in Sicily' fund-raising event at Auletto's Caterers in Almonesson.... Born in South Philadelphia, Anastasia graduated from Gloucester Catholic High School in 1965 and earned a bachelor's in French Literature from Dartmouth College in 1969."
^Zeise, Paul. "New Pitt women's basketball coach Agnus Berenato stresses family values, discipline", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 4, 2003. Accessed December 3, 2017. "Basketball may have become the family sport when Peter installed a basketball hoop next to the garage at their Gloucester City, N.J., home, but the most important lessons Berenato learned in ultra-competitive games on uneven concrete had little to do with the game itself.... She played high school basketball for Gloucester Catholic and helped it win three consecutive state titles. At the time, there weren't many scholarships in women's basketball."
^Chappelear, Scott. "Gloucester Catholic baseball product Braddock gets big league call", Gloucester County Times, May 23, 2010. Accessed February 22, 2012. "The hype surrounding Zach Braddock has steadily increased the last couple of years as he's steadily ascended through the Milwaukee Brewers' organization. But the former standout for Gloucester Catholic High School has never taken any of it for granted, and he certainly wasn't going to start Saturday when he got the call he'd dreamed of telling him he was being called up to join the Brewers' bullpen for the final game of their series in Minnesota."
^Flowers, Matt. "South Jersey pro wrestling school expands", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 26, 2015. Accessed January 21, 2021. "Through pro wrestling, Comoroto took an interest in amateur wrestling. The Blackwood native wrestled for Gloucester Catholic High School as a heavyweight in 2009 and for Gloucester County College until 2011, when he decided to pursue pro wrestling."
^ abKelley, Tina. "From Gloucester Catholic to a life of politics", The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 30, 1992. Accessed December 13, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "But in Gloucester City, there's a school that's been a regular greenhouse for aspiring politicians. Gloucester Catholic High School is proud of its alumni, whose ranks are slowly filling the Statehouse in Trenton. There's Jack Collins, class of '68, the new majority leader of the Assembly. And Dan Dalton, class of '67, former state senator and secretary of state-designate."
^Sinding, Rick. "Dan Dalton Interview (October 16, 2013)"Archived October 17, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Center on the American Governor, Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Accessed September 15, 2016. "I grew up in Glassboro, New Jersey, which is Gloucester County, and attended school there locally and went on to Gloucester Catholic, where I graduated high school. And from there I went to a small school in northeast Pennsylvania, King's College."
^Ostrum, Gus. "Gloucester County Hall of Fame to Induct 15 New Members", South Jersey Sports, January 22, 2006. Accessed December 11, 2018. "Joe Fields (Deptford/Gloucester Catholic) - A native of Deptford and graduate of Gloucester Catholic High School in 1971 and Widener University in 1975, Fields spent 14 seasons as an offensive lineman (center) in the National Football League (NFL), 13 of which were with the New York Jets."
^Pawling, Chris. "Former Gloucester Catholic High School star John Gaudreau helps Boston College to national ice hockey title", South Jersey Times, April 26, 2012. Accessed December 21, 2013. "After reaching a state final with the Gloucester Catholic High School ice hockey team, transferring to Dubuque (Minn.) to play for the Fighting Saints of the USHL, being selected in the NHL Draft's fourth round by the Calgary Flames, Gaudreau helped lead Boston College to its third NCAA Division I national championship in the last five years."
^Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 196, Part 2, p. 221. J. A. Fitzgerald, 1975. Accessed January 20, 2022. "Francis J. Gorman (Dem., Gloucester City) Assemblyman Gorman was born in Gloucester City, Nov. 19, 1924. He was educated at Gloucester Catholic High School, 1942, and La Salle College, Philadelphia, 1949."
^Tresolini, Kevin. "UD's Harker talks about the future of Blue Hen athletics", The News Journal, December 29, 2007. Accessed February 22, 2012. "Patrick Harker was recruited to the University of Delaware to play football by former UD coach Tubby Raymond in the mid-1970s. The Gloucester Catholic (NJ) defensive tackle chose to attend the University of Pennsylvania, spurning the Blue Hens as well as several other schools..."
^Chappelear, Scott. "Gloucester Catholic's Mike Shawaryn prepares to hear his name called in MLB Draft", South Jersey Times, June 6, 2013. Accessed October 26, 2017. "This is one hectic week for Gloucester Catholic High School pitcher Mike Shawaryn.... Then there’s the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft which began Thursday night, where the Carneys Point resident could hear or see his name called by the end of today before the 10th round concludes."
^Zimmaro, Mark. "He might have a future in baseball but he’s focused on now", Catholic Star Herald, April 15, 2021. Accessed December 13, 2022. "Solometo spent his freshman and sophomore years at Gloucester Catholic and won a Non-Public B State Championship with the Rams in 2018, throwing five shutout innings (11 strikeouts) in the state championship game."
^Litsky, Frank. "Browning Ross, 74, Founder of Road Runners", The New York Times, April 30, 1998. Accessed February 22, 2012. "At various times, he taught history at high schools in Woodbury and Camden and conducted youth programs at the Penns Grove (N.J.) Y.M.C.A. Since 1969, he coached track and cross-country at Gloucester Catholic High School."