Central Catholic Marianist High School

Private, day, college-prep school in San Antonio, Texas, United States

Central Catholic High School

Address

1403 North St. Mary's Street

San Antonio

Texas

78215

United States

Coordinates| 29°26′12″N 98°29′7″W﻿ / ﻿29.43667°N 98.48528°W﻿ / 29.43667; -98.48528
Information
Type| Private, Day, College-prep
Motto| Faith, Wisdom, Integrity[3]
Religious affiliation(s)| Roman Catholic
Established| 1852; 173 years ago (1852)
Sister school| Providence High School[2]
President| Jason Longoria '96[1]
Principal| Dr. Lee Hernandez[1]
Chaplain| Fr. Patrick McDaid, S.M.
Grades| 9–12
Gender| Boys
Enrollment| 522[5] (2021–2022)
Student to teacher ratio| 14:1[5]
Color(s)| Navy Blue and White
Song| "With Loyal Hearts"[3]
Fight song| "Central Will Shine Tonight"[3]
Athletics conference| TAPPS Class 6A
Nickname| Buttons
Accreditation| Southern Association of Colleges and Schools[4]
Newspaper| The Pep
Yearbook| The Fang
Annual tuition| $12,850[5]
Website| cchs-satx.org

Central Catholic High School is a Catholic, all-male, non-boarding college preparatory school located in the River North District of Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio.

## History

[edit]

The school began as St. Mary's Institute on March 25, 1852 in rented rooms above a blacksmith's shop on Military Plaza.[6] The original faculty consisted of Brother Anthony Edel (Founder, First Superior, and First Principal) from Ohio, three Marianist Brothers from Bordeaux, France (Nicholas Koenig, Jean-Baptiste Laignounse, and Xavier Mauclerc), and Timothy O'Neil, a layman from San Antonio.

The school moved to a new two-story building at 112 College Street on March 1, 1853. In 1891, the school was renamed St. Mary's College, reflecting its expansion to include boarders and primary and middle school grades. In 1923, the school added boarding students from St. Louis College and was renamed St. Mary's Academy.[7] The site is now a hotel entryway, recognized by Texas Historical Marker #3819[8] as the location of Old St. Mary's College, or "The Old Academy."

In 1932, the school relocated to the current three-story art deco brick building on 2.2 acres (0.89 ha) at 1403 N. St. Mary's Street[9] and was renamed once more to Central Catholic School.[3][10] Classrooms were added to the unfinished third floor in the late 1940s.[11] By 1950 attendance grew to 740, including its first black student in 1951.[9] The third floor was not occupied until 1953. Grade school classes were dropped in 1955.[9] A Dr Pepper bottling plant occupied the northeast corner of the site until 1956. By the end of the 1950s the school added its first lay teacher to its staff, to be evenly split between Marianist brothers and lay people within ten years.[9]

On December 6, 1982, the school was incorporated in the State of Texas as Central Catholic Marianist High School. Upon the assumption by Rev. Joseph Tarrillion, SM,[12] of the presidency, the school's name was changed back to Central Catholic High School. The football field and track were added in the 1980s, and the former activity center became the school's band hall by the 1990s.[11] As of 2012[update] the campus occupies 12 acres (4.9 ha).[13][14]

The school expanded in 2013 with the addition of a new library and eight new classrooms attached to the main building, comprising 16,370 sq ft (1,520 m2).[9] In 2019 the 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2) Kahlig-Cowie Convocation Center & Mother Adele Chapel opened, providing space for athletics and faith.[15][16]

Central Catholic is one of the oldest high schools in San Antonio, and it counts many prominent business and political leaders among its alumni. It was the first all-boys school in San Antonio and remains one of the largest all-male schools in Texas. Historical Marker #788 on the school's front lawn describes the school's history and denotes it as a Texas landmark.[17]

## Mascot

[edit]

The Central Catholic mascot is the Buttons which are the hard, round segments that comprise the rattle of the rattlesnake. The mascot pays tribute to St. Mary's University, which the high school was originally a part of, whose mascot is the Rattler.[18][19]

## Athletics

[edit]

Central competes in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS). For the 2022–2024 alignment, Central is in Division I District 2 for Winter Soccer and 11 Man Football and 6A District 2 in Baseball, Swimming, Track and Field, Golf, Tennis, and Basketball. Central competes in Cross Country in the TAPPS 6A division.[20]

## 2025 hazing incident

[edit]

In April 2025 a 15-year-old freshman on Central Catholic’s varsity soccer team reported that he had been bullied and sexually hazed by teammates for several months. The boy and his family alleged assaults in the school locker room—specifically inside a chain-link enclosure nicknamed “the cage”—and during a Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) state-tournament trip to Round Rock in early March.[21]

The student’s father filed criminal complaints with both the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) and the Round Rock Police Department. SAPD initially classified the allegation as indecency with a child and later asked the Texas Attorney General to withhold the incident report, arguing release would interfere with an active investigation.[22]

On June 4, 2025 the school said its internal investigation had resulted in the disciplinary withdrawal of two students—including a senior who was not permitted to graduate—while three others received lesser sanctions; at the same time, the Board of Directors announced it would hire an outside firm to conduct an independent review of team culture, supervision practices and reporting pathways.[23][24][25][26]

By early June at least five additional former or current students had come forward with similar complaints, and their attorney, Jesse E. Guerra Jr., said he was preparing to file a civil lawsuit against Central Catholic, alleging the school knew about the hazing but failed to act.[27][28]

The school stated that, while the third-party review is under way, faculty or staff “may be placed on administrative leave to ensure the integrity of the investigation and not necessarily as a disciplinary action,” and it reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on bullying and hazing.[23]

On June 20, 2025, Central Catholic’s Board of Directors and School President announced a new long-term partnership with ChildSafe, a San Antonio-based nonprofit specializing in services for child victims of abuse. In their statement, the Board wrote:

Our collaboration with ChildSafe is a long-term commitment that will include: Trauma Sensitive School Program, Staff Development, Safe and Supportive Environment Creation, Needs Assessment and Support Planning, Emotional Skills Building, Family Collaboration, and Policy and Procedure Adaptation.[29]

On July 3, 2025, the parents of the victim filed a 36-page negligence suit in the Bexar County state district court against Central Catholic High School, Principal Lee Hernandez, Athletic Director Edward Ybarra, Head Soccer Coach Bartholomew Valerio, and three student athletes—alleging that over four months beginning in January the school failed to intervene in incidents of bullying, battery, sexual assault and hazing, seeking at least $1 million in damages. Central Catholic has said that they have not been served and declined to comment.[30][31]

## Notable people

[edit]

### Alumni

[edit]

* William J. Bordelon, 1938, posthumous recipient of Medal of Honor at Battle of Tarawa, 1943[32]
* Josef Centeno, chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author[33]
* Henry Cisneros, 1964, mayor of San Antonio, 1981–1989, HUD Secretary 1993–1997[34][9]
* Ben Dunn, 1982, comic book artist and founder of Antarctic Press in San Antonio, TX.[35]
* Nicholas Gonzalez, 1994, actor[36]
* Sonny Melendrez, 1964, Radio Hall of Famer, TV host,[37] actor, writer, and motivational speaker[38]
* Jose Menendez, 1987, member of the Texas Senate, District 26[9]
* Jim Oertling, 1960, musician, Rockabilly Hall of Fame, Louisiana Folklife Center’s Hall of Master Folk Artists[39]
* Whitley Strieber, 1963, author, screenwriter, and alleged UFO abductee
* William C. Velásquez, 1962, social activist and vote organizer[40][41]

### Faculty

[edit]

* John Hamman, brother and English teacher
* Mike Santiago, football coach 2017–2022[42]

## References

[edit]

### Citations

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Staff". cchs-satx.org. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
2. ^ "Providence High School acquires property for expansion". March 10, 2005. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
3. ^ a b c d Parent/Student Handbook 2019-2020 (PDF). CCHS. 2019. pp. 9, 10.
4. ^ SACS-CASI. "SACS-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
5. ^ a b c "Private School Guide". San Antonio Magazine. Vol. 17, no. 1\. October 2021. p. 44\. ISSN 2327-8315 – via EBSCOhost.
6. ^ Cruz, Gilbert (February 1, 1996). "San Antonio, Catholic Archdiocese of". Texas State Historical Association. Austin, TX. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020.
7. ^ Wood, S.M., Robert D. (April 1, 1995). "Marianists". Texas State Historical Association. Austin, TX. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021.
8. ^ "Details for Old St. Mary's College (Atlas Number 5029003819)". Texas Historical Commission. 1969. Marker Number 3819. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022.
9. ^ a b c d e f g Pack, Bill (April 4, 2015). "Central Catholic legacy dates to 1852". San Antonio Express-News.
10. ^ Welch, June Rayfield (1981). The Colleges of Texas. Dallas, Tex.: GLA Press. ISBN 0-912854-11-1. OCLC 7660276.
11. ^ a b "Art & Architecture: Our unique and growing campus". cchs-satx.org. December 3, 2007. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011.
12. ^ "After a lifetime of service, Rev. Joseph Tarrillion, S.M. '51 retires; named President Emeritus at Central Catholic High School" (PDF). November 12, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 13, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
13. ^ "Student-Parent Handbook 2004-2005" (PDF). cchs-satx.org. 2004. p. 1\. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 21, 2004.
14. ^ Huddleston, Scott (April 19, 2012). "Central Catholic addition OK'd". mySA.
15. ^ Considine, Mike (August 21, 2019). "Central Catholic unveils new convocation center". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
16. ^ "Our Historic Building". www.cchs-satx.org. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
17. ^ "Details for Central Catholic High School (Atlas Number 5029000788)". Texas Historical Commission. 1978. Marker Number 788. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022.
18. ^ Halwe, Bro. Fred (2004). "What Is a Button?". Central Catholic Marianist High School. Archived from the original on May 22, 2007. "Both schools had the rattlesnake as mascot, so the university took the name "Rattler" and the high school assumed the name of the warning rattles, or the "Buttons.""
19. ^ Abernathey, Pat. "Snake Bits". St. Mary's University. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011.
20. ^ "2022-24 Alignment Landing Page". TAPPS. October 15, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
21. ^ Ayala, Elaine (May 28, 2025). "Alleged sexual hazing at Central Catholic triggers SAPD investigation". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
22. ^ Ayala, Elaine (June 10, 2025). "SAPD won't release report on alleged sexual hazing at Central Catholic". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
23. ^ a b "Message from the Central Catholic Board of Directors and School President". Central Catholic High School. June 4, 2025. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
24. ^ Castillo, Natali (June 5, 2025). "Central Catholic expels two students amid sexual misconduct investigation". News4 San Antonio. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
25. ^ Phillips, Camille (June 6, 2025). "Central Catholic family says school's response to alleged sexual assault is 'too little, too late'". Texas Public Radio. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
26. ^ Kotisso, Nate; Ibarra, Daniela (June 4, 2025). "2 students expelled from Central Catholic following sexual misconduct investigation, school says". KSAT-TV. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
27. ^ Scheve, Annasofia (June 3, 2025). "More Central Catholic students come forward with sexual hazing allegations". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
28. ^ Garcia, Xochilt (June 5, 2025). "SAPD investigates sexual hazing at Central Catholic High School". San Antonio Report. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
29. ^ "Message from the Central Catholic Board of Directors and School President". Central Catholic High School. June 20, 2025. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
30. ^ Ayala, Elaine (July 3, 2025). "Parents say son was locked in cage, assaulted at elite San Antonio school". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
31. ^ Gambert, Bob (July 3, 2025). "Million Dollar 'Hazing on Steroids' lawsuit filed against Central Catholic". News4 San Antonio. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
32. ^ "San Antonio Does Its Part". TIME. No. 8\. February 21, 1944. pp. 68, 70. ISSN 0040-781X.
33. ^ "Josef Centeno on SA Cuisine and Modern Tex-Mex". San Antonio Magazine. December 9, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
34. ^ "Mayor-Elect of San Antonio Hails Vote as a Victory Over 'The Ethnic Factor'". The New York Times. April 6, 1981. p. 12\. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
35. ^ Klaw, Rick (February 28, 2019). "Comic Book Heroes: San Antonio Brothers Keep Antarctic Press Thriving Long Enough For One of Its Creations to Land a Netflix Show". San Antonio Current. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022.
36. ^ "Actor Nicholas Gonzalez". Archived from the original on August 18, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2006.
37. ^ "SonnyRadio.com // Welcome--Radio as You Know it is About To Change!". sonnyradio.com. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2007.
38. ^ "Sonny Melendrez". IMDb.
39. ^ "Walter James "Jim" Oertling Jr. Obituary (2020)". Legacy.com. Slidell, LA: The Times-Picayune. July 18, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
40. ^ "TSHA | Velásquez, William C." www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
41. ^ "Alumni Hall of Fame". www.cchs-satx.org. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
42. ^ Hinojosa, David (August 11, 2023). "Central Catholic football coach Mike Santiago dies after cancer battle". San Antonio Express-News.

### Bibliography

[edit]

* McMurtrey, Martin; Janson, Herbert; Tarrillion, Joseph; Cunningham, Pat (2008). A History: Central Catholic High School. San Antonio: Central Catholic High School. OCLC 261139674.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Central Catholic High School.

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Education in Bexar County, Texas

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Religious private
high schools|

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| Closed|

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Houston area|

* The Regis School of the Sacred Heart (Houston)
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San Antonio area|

* Central Catholic Marianist High School (San Antonio)

El Paso area|

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Became coed|

* Holy Cross of San Antonio (San Antonio)
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Private girls' schools|

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Houston area|

* Duchesne Academy (Houston)
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San Antonio area|

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El Paso area|

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Education|

High schools
Antonian College Preparatory High School (Castle Hills)
Central Catholic Marianist High School (San Antonio)
Holy Cross of San Antonio (San Antonio)
Incarnate Word High School (San Antonio)
John Paul II Catholic High School (Schertz)
Our Lady of the Hills High School (Kerrville)
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Closed
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TAPPS 6A (2024-2026)

District 1|

* Liberty Christian (Argyle)
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* Parish Episcopal (Dallas)
* Trinity Christian (Addison)

District 2|

* Bishop Lynch (Dallas)
* John Paul II (Plano)
* Legacy Christian (Frisco)
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* Ursuline (Dallas) (girls only)

District 3|

| Girls|

* Antonian Prep (San Antonio)
* Incarnate Word (San Antonio)
* St. Dominic Savio (Austin)
* St. Michael's Catholic (Austin)
* TMI Episcopal (San Antonio)

|

Boys|

* Antonian Prep (San Antonio)
* Central Catholic (San Antonio)
* St. Dominic Savio (Austin)
* St. Michael's Catholic (Austin)
* TMI Episcopal (San Antonio)

|

District 4|

| Girls|

* Concordia Lutheran (Tomball)
* Incarnate Word (Houston)
* St. Agnes Academy (Houston)
* St. John XXIII (Katy)
* St. Pius X (Houston)
* Village (Houston)

|

Boys|

* Concordia Lutheran (Tomball)
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* St. Thomas (Houston)
* Village (Houston)

|

Independent|

* Cathedral High School (El Paso) (boys only)
* Loretto Academy (El Paso) (girls only)

Source:
TAPPS Alignment 2024-2026
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