What is the value of Catholic High School?
High school is a critical time for helping students form life-long values
Milwaukee is fortunate to have 16 Catholic high schools throughout the archdiocese, including all-girls, co-ed and one all-boys school. Marquette University High School is the only all-boys Catholic, Jesuit school in the area and in Wisconsin.
Many institutions share a Catholic background. They also draw from different Catholic traditions. Examples include the Sisters of the Divine Savior and the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa.
Marquette University High School's commitment to faith, scholarship and community means we care for the whole person. Over four years, our education and experiences develop students spiritually, emotionally, physically and intellectually.
That sense of mission sets Catholic high schools apart.
At Marquette High, we grow on our strong foundation from the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits. St. Ignatius of Loyola founded this group almost 500 years ago.
In Milwaukee, MUHS has a history of over 165 years. They founded it to educate a growing immigrant community. Today, MUHS is part of a Jesuit educational system that includes colleges, universities and high schools.
Our community continues to follow the Catholic leadership qualities of our St. Ignatius and our Jesuit namesake Father Jacques Marquette, a French explorer to the Great Lakes region.
Marquette High offers education that helps create a strong network. This network includes faith, community, and career support. It benefits our alumni and their families.
About 75% of students at Marquette High are Catholic. More than 900 young men come from over 150 schools. These include parochial, private, and public schools. Students do not have to be Catholic to attend MUHS. Our campus ministry, teachers, and staff help students from all backgrounds. They guide students to explore their beliefs and put their faith into action.
High school is a critical time for helping students form life-long values, empathy and cultural understanding. A Catholic high school environment provides that foundation where this can take place. Read on for how Catholic high schools provide value for the next stages of life in students.
Catholic high schools build character
"Marquette High shapes its students into being the best possible version of themselves. MUHS focuses on developing the personalities of students by providing guidance to becoming leaders and good men." - Matthew Brigham, Class of 2023
Each year, the highest student award at Marquette University High School's graduation focuses on a key aspect: Character.
The Jesuit Schools Network awards a senior who most represents the embodiment of a graduate at graduation. Last year, Mason Brewer received this award. His faculty nomination said he showed academic excellence, a strong work ethic, and good character. Mason has done very well in all subjects, especially in math and science. He shows real curiosity and care for his classmates.
Mason is a graduate of St. Francis Borgia Catholic School in Cedarburg. During his time at Marquette High, Mason showed his leadership skills. He led religious retreats like Kairos and Freshman Retreat. He also served as a Big Brother and helped with tutoring.
As Mason's involvement shows, one of the ways MUHS develops strong character in our students is through our peer-to-peer mentoring and retreat program, which includes seniors attending Kairos and groups participating in the sophomore and freshman retreats. These students’ experiences on retreats deepen their faith and shape them as men of integrity and compassion.
This central focus on character shows up repeatedly in the mission of Catholic high schools.
For example, leaders from over 60 Jesuit schools across North America gather annually to discuss and learn about important educational topics. This year, our focus is on the pedagogies of character formation in Catholic and Jesuit schools.
MUHS was selected as one of 10 Catholic schools in the nation to participate in a three-year study of researchers at Boston College to examine how Catholic schools develop character in students.
Our involvement in this study helps contribute to a broader understanding of how Catholic schools integrate character formation into their curriculum, pastoral programs and daily practice. Their work underscored the need for character education in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and shifting moral standards.
Catholic high schools foster community
"Being part of the Marquette High community for the past 10 years has been a privilege and we’ll cherish every single memory of it!" - Gabriela Maroun, MUHS parent
Recently, the Catholic Herald published its annual Faith and Sports edition, highlighting MUHS junior Tommy Novotny. In his interview, Tommy focused not on his many achievements. Instead, he discussed how his faith has grown. He shared experiences like the freshman retreat, time with his teammates, attending Mass, and serving others.
Like many of his classmates, Tommy has grown as a man of faith. He has learned this through sports and other important experiences in his Catholic community and at home.
This Catholic high school community also extends beyond our walls. Each year, MUHS goes to the Jesuit Classic soccer tournament.
This event features some of the best varsity soccer teams in the country. Teams include Rockhurst High from Kansas City, Gonzaga College Prep from Washington D.C., and Regis Jesuit High from Denver. These teams compete in the spirit of Catholic, Jesuit education and gather for Mass at the end of the games.
At Marquette High, students also engage in Ignatian Civil Discourse as they process and discuss current and political events. During the election, the Doerr Library offers a central place for students. They can access news from many sources.
This helps them think critically and approach issues carefully. It also encourages respectful conversations with people who have different opinions. As a Catholic, Jesuit school, we want to help students work for the common good. This goal goes beyond just election season.
Research affirms the value of this mission. A recent study found that students from Catholic and other parochial schools show higher levels of political tolerance, civic understanding, and community involvement. Catholic schools aim to help students take part in civic life and community service. They see these activities as ways to express their faith in a secular world.
As we move forward, we remain committed to fostering character, empathy, and critical thinking in our students. We continue to build a Catholic school climate where brotherly love and respect permeate all that we do.
Catholic high schools strive for excellence
"This school has helped me to grow in knowledge, faith, and wisdom considerably over the past four years." - Michael Milbrath, Class of 2023
Sending students to a Catholic high school is an intentional choice, and families expect students in this environment to strive to maximize their God-given talents. Our goal is then to meet students where they are, and nuture and grow these abilities.
Last year, the young men at Marquette High exceeded expectations. Our football, basketball, wheelchair track, and rugby teams earned state championships. Our Science Olympiad team was ranked 10th in the nation at the 2024 National tournament. Our Math Club was ranked 8th nationally after earning first place in Wisconsin in the Catholic Math League. The Class of 2024 entered the alumni ranks after receiving a record $15.1 million in first-year college scholarships.
Hilltoppers produced plays and a literary magazine, served more than 29,000 volunteer hours in our community, and supported their classmates’ pursuits at every turn. We enter the new school year confident in our ability to continue pursuing excellence. Ad majorem Dei gloriam, for the greater glory of God.
This success is reflected in our enrollment efforts. The Class of 2028 is our biggest freshman class since 2016. Our student retention remains very high, with 99% of the Class of 2027 returning for their sophomore year and our student body representing nearly 150 different feeder schools across the greater Milwaukee area. Our application for the Class of 2029 is currently open.
Catholic high schools develop faith
"The Jesuit education is worth every penny in our opinion. We have valued every day at MUHS: The retreats, the daily examen, the teachers and staff that truly care about our son." - Beth Von Rueden, MUHS parent
To start the school year, the entire school comes together as a faith community for the Mass of the Holy Spirit, asking God to guide our work this year and bless our school. We pray for students that they remain committed to the Catholic and Jesuit “Graduate at Graduation Values.” These include striving to be Open to Growth, Seeking Intellectual Excellence, Religious, Loving and Committed to Justice.
We also adopt an annual spiritual theme to bring focus and deepen our purpose through various initiatives, gatherings, and activities. This year's 2024-2025 theme, "LET JUSTICE ROLL," focuses on our faith that lives out justice in the world.
Inspired by the prophet Amos, who declares, "Let justice roll like a river and righteousness like an unfailing stream" (Amos 5:24), this theme aligns with the quality of a Graduate at Graduation who is “Committed to Justice.” Students are encouraged to move beyond acts of service and live as "Christ-like men for others," dedicated to working for the greater good.
We introduce this theme at an all-school assembly sponsored by the Ignatian Global Scholars. Each quarter, we focus on a different aspect of justice, exploring ways to live more intentionally as disciples.
Along with all-school Masses, there is also daily and regular opportunities for students to practice and explore their faith. This faith offerings include starting the school day with a morning prayer, practicing the daily examen in the middle of the day, and taking part in daily or weekly Liturgy.
In line with our focus on developing well-rounded graduates, we encourage MUHS students to develop the quality of being “Open to Growth.” A great way to nurture this trait is by joining a new club or activity. With over 60 activities available at MUHS, there's something for everyone to develop their talents and interests fully, including faith-based clubs and activities. Students who engage in the life of the school beyond the classroom often report a more fulfilling experience and generally perform better in their studies.
Catholic high schools inspire students
"MUHS creates leadership opportunities for every single student, not just a select cohort. The maturity needed to successfully step up in this way is taught to the students from day one of freshman year." - Laura Shipley, MUHS parent
In the final week of classes, we celebrate the many blessings of the school year, especially the contributions and service of the seniors. We acknowledge their achievements during the "Grad at Grad" program.
In this assembly, we recognized seniors for the ways they have embodied the qualities of a graduate at graduation.
We then gather for our final all-school Liturgy where we gave thanks for our seniors as we bid them farewell. They are poised to live out St. Ignatius’s words to his companions - "ite, inflammate omnia." May they each "go forth, to set the world on fire."
In a homily to this group, Father Ross Pribyl, S.J., Associate Director of Campus Ministry, talked about how a "5-second epiphany" can change the direction of your life, and he shared his own transformational moment when he had to choose what he cared most about.
"When you have your 5-second moment, what kind of guy are you going to be?" he asked seniors. This question doesn't end at graduation, he explained. It's merely the beginning of the invitation.
A special thanks to Principal Jeff Monday ‘84 for his weekly parent newsletter reflections that contributed to the content of this post
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