SJP and North Philadelphia: Perfect Together
The Prep proudly states that “Philly Is Our Campus” and it is hard to separate the school from its location.
Since 1879, St. Joseph’s Prep has been located in North Philadelphia, nestled in an area between Francisville and Fairmount, not far from Brewerytown. But the Prep’s location is more than an address; it is a vital part of the school’s unique and successful educational process.
There is an old saying that “Bernard loved the valleys; Benedict loved the mountains; Francis the towns; Ignatius loved great cities.” The Jesuits are known to be “urban animals,” establishing schools, churches, and other ministries in many of the world’s great cities to ensure proximity to large numbers of people with whom they work.
The Prep’s location is more than an address; it is a vital part of the school’s unique and successful educational process.
Philadelphia is one such city. The first Jesuits, led by Fr. Joseph Greaton, S.J., arrived on the Delaware River shoreline in 1733, and were allowed to set up a church thanks to the religious freedoms that the Quakers had established. In fact, Old St. Joseph’s Church is a testament to religious freedom as it was the only place in the English colonies where public Catholic worship was permitted by law.
In 1851, Fr. Felix Barbelin, S.J., started a school as part of the Old St. Joseph’s Parish and the first Prep students arrived there in September. Through some ups and downs, the school survived until finally moving to North Philadelphia in 1879, part of Fr. Burchard Villiger’s plan to found another Jesuit mission in Philadelphia. Since then, the Prep and North Philadelphia have been synonymous.
That relationship has sometimes proved challenging. Space constraints and many city residents resettling in the suburbs meant that the Prep sometimes had to adapt. In 1966, when 2/3 of the campus burned in a fire, many wondered if the school would follow the lead of other private schools and move out of the city. The Jesuit leaders of that era made a bold declaration to stay and rebuild. They knew that the Prep and the city were too intertwined to change that.
The Jesuit leaders of that era made a bold declaration to stay and rebuild. They knew that the Prep and the city were too intertwined to change that.
As block captain William Harris says, “The Prep has been a beacon in this area.” It has remained through many iterations of the neighborhood. But more than that, it has welcomed generations of young men from throughout the Delaware Valley. They start in their neighborhoods and make their way to St. Joseph’s Prep, whether on a school bus, SEPTA/PATCO, car, or even bike/walk. They join other like-minded young men who seek something different that they can’t get in their regional schools: a Catholic, Jesuit, Urban education.
No, you can’t imagine St. Joseph’s Prep without North Philadelphia. Philly truly is our campus!
