Jesuit's 124th Birthday

On Sept. 11, 1899 in downtown Tampa, what would become Jesuit High School was founded as Sacred Heart College by the Jesuit priests of Sacred Heart Church.

Over the next few decades the school changed its name and its downtown location. And while many things continue to change – campus development, technological initiatives, generations of students graduating as 'Men for Others' – there is one constant: Jesuit's total commitment to the formation of the whole person.

Jesuit High School is devoted to the formation of young men in the Tampa Bay area in the longstanding tradition of Jesuit education, which dates back 475 years to the first Jesuit school in Messina, Italy in 1548. The Jesuits are known throughout the world as educators dedicated to "finding God in all things," and exploring wide-ranging cultures and academic fields. Jesuit education takes the whole person into account and fosters intellectual development along with moral and spiritual growth.

Last week, Jesuit recognized its 124th birthday. On Sept. 14, the students were dressed in coat and tie that morning inside the Chapel of the Holy Cross to celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross with Solemn Lauds. Afterward, birthday cake and milk greeted the students as they spilled out of the chapel, courtesy of the Jesuit Mothers' Club, and many posed for photos with the special 124th anniversary cake.

Next year, Jesuit is planning a larger celebration. Special events throughout the course of the 2024-25 school year will commemorate the anniversary occasion: 125 years since the founding of Jesuit High School in Tampa.