St. Pius X - St. Matthias Academy section-2-03.aspx

St. Pius X - St. Matthias Academy > chapter-2-GENERAL INFORMATION > section-2-03-History of the School

BRIEF SCHOOL HISTORY

PMA was born from two great traditions of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles- Pius X High School (1953-1998) and St. Matthias High School (1963-2013).

In 1953, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles launched Pius X High School. Pius X served a co-ed population from the southeast area of Los Angeles county. Pius X entered into the most revolutionary concept of modern teaching--the Model Schools Project. During this time it became a powerhouse in athletic competition while graduating countless alumni who had “Warrior Pride” ingrained in their being.

For thirty-seven years, St. Matthias High School was located on Stafford Avenue and Belgrave Streets in Huntington Park, California. The school was devoted to academic, spiritual, and character building excellence, attracting students from the surrounding communities of South Los Angeles, Watts, Compton, Downey, Bellflower, Huntington Park, Southgate and Paramount. As an all-girls Catholic school, a true “sisterhood” was established among classmates across generations. The well-known “Spirit Week” was a highlight of the high school experience. In 2001 it was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the US Department of Education.

In March of 1995, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced a school realignment transforming Pius X, a co-educational high school, into a co-institutional high school with St. Matthias, phasing out the Pius X program over a three-year period. About 80% of St. Matthias' all-girls student body of 300 transferred to Pius. This resulted in larger all-girls high school located on the sprawling 17-acre Pius X campus.

In the spring of 2012, the St. Matthias High School Advisory Board and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles asked Loyola Marymount University’s (LMU) Center for Catholic Education to conduct a detailed feasibility study on potential growth options for St. Matthias High School. The Center for Catholic Education study looked at how we were achieving our Catholic education mission during this time. It also looked for ways in which we could better serve the needs of our community.

The LMU team sought the opinions of current students and their families; current and former teachers and staff; alumni of both St. Pius X and St. Matthias; priests, lay leaders, teachers and administrators from surrounding parishes and schools; and educators and lay leaders from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. They also reviewed the history of St. Matthias and St. Pius X, the current use of campus and other resources, and estimated the number of students who might attend a Catholic high school in future years as well as the number of schools that could meet their needs.

As a result of this study, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced that St. Matthias High school would transition to a co-ed school as PMA enrolling freshman boys and girls in the fall of 2013. With this transition, the school saw many transformations both in its student profile and the facility upgrades and renovations that have taken place since the spring of 2013. A grand rededication and blessing with the Archbishop of Los Angeles took place on August 9, 2013.

PMA Established 2013

With the transition to a co-ed school, every effort had been made to continually improve the programs and services offered by the faculty and staff of PMA. The fall of 2013 began with a student body of 27 boys in the freshman class and 237 girls in the 9th through 12th grade classes. Boys had the opportunity to participate in cross-country, boys’ soccer, boys’ basketball, and track and field. Varsity Cross Country won the Santa Cruz league title and qualified for CIF prelims and finals for the first time in the new school's history. Track and Field finished its season winning the last Santa Cruz League title before that league was dissolved.

The school launched its 3 year 3 phase technology improvement program beginning with the newly added WIFI infrastructure, short throw projectors in classrooms and meeting rooms. This was all made possible through the generosity of the Shea Foundation.

The renovations from that first year as a co-ed school included biology and chemistry labs, an unused classroom converted to a Physics lab, repainting of the entire school with the new school colors, the gym floor being refinished with the new school name and colors courtesy of the Dan Murphy Foundation. The spring prior to the grand opening saw the library refurbished, creating a research lab and collaborative work center through the generosity of the John H. & Cindy Lee Smet Foundation.

In academics, the research-based curriculum was established requiring all teachers to incorporate research components into all coursework. Greater learning expectations were required of the students in order to better prepare them for the rigors of college work. The focus on Common Core and increased technology set the foundation for continued academic and curricular growth within all departments. The introduction of AP Euro History, AP Government & Economics and AP Psychology strengthened the course offerings for high achieving students.

Student activities were vast and introduced the first Spirit of Charity week, a 5 day event that was based on raising awareness and donations for five charitie. The spring sports rally recognized our spring sports and also unveiled our new spirit flag for the school as well as the introduction of the new PMA Alma Mater which was written in collaboration with various students and faculty.

ST. PIUS X - A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Pope Saint Pius X (Latin: Pius PP. X) (2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914), born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 258th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914, succeeding Pope Leo XIII (1878–1903). He was the first pope since Pope Pius V (1566–72) to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox theology. His most important reform was to publish the first Code of Canon Law, which collected the laws of the Church into one volume for the first time. He was a pastoral pope, encouraging personal piety and a lifestyle reflecting Christian values. He was born in the pastoral town of Riese.

Pope Pius was a Marian Pope, whose encyclical Ad Diem Illum expresses his desire through Mary to renew all things in Christ, which he had defined as his motto in his first encyclical. Pius believed that there is no surer or more direct road than by Mary to achieve this goal. Pius X was the only Pope in the 20th century with extensive pastoral experience at the parish level, and pastoral concerns permeated his papacy; he favored the use of the vernacular in catechesis. Frequent communion was a lasting innovation of his papacy.

Personally, Pius combined within himself a strong sense of compassion, benevolence, poverty, but also stubbornness, and certain stiffness. He wanted to be pastor and was the only pope in the 20th century who gave Sunday sermons every week. His charity was extraordinary, filling the Vatican with refugees from the 1908 Messina quake, long before the Italian government began to act on its own. He often referred to his own humble origins, taking up the causes of poor people. I was born poor, I have lived poor, and I wish to die poor. He died on 20 August 1914 of a heart attack.

Following his death, Pius X was buried in a simple and unadorned tomb in the crypt below St. Peter's Basilica. Considered a holy person by many, public veneration of Pope Pius began soon after his death. Numerous petitions resulted in an early process of beatification. He was canonized on May 29, 1954.

Patron: Archdiocese of Atlanta, Georgia; diocese of Des Moines, Iowa: first communicants; diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Montana; pilgrims; diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

ST. MATTHIAS - A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Mathias was one of the first to follow Jesus Christ, our Savior; and he was an eyewitness of all His divine actions up to the very day of the Ascension. He was one of the seventy-two disciples; but our Lord had not conferred upon him the dignity of an apostle. After the Ascension of Jesus, St. Peter proposed to the assembled faithful that they choose a disciple of Christ to fill the place of the traitor Judas in the first missionary band. Lots were drawn, with the result in favor of Matthias (Acts 1:18-26). According to one ancient tradition, this missioner labored in Ethiopia and was martyred there by stoning and beheading. Thus did St. Matthias receive "the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him." The Church venerates St. Matthias on an equal footing with the other Apostles, whose voices resound throughout the world, from generation to generation, giving testimony of what they saw and heard in their life with our Lord. His name is mentioned in the Canon of the Mass.

And yet, he was to have this great glory, for it was of him that David spoke, when he prophesied that another should take the bishopric left vacant by the apostasy of Judas the traitor. In the interval between Jesus' Ascension and the descent of the Holy Ghost, the apostolic college had to complete the mystic number fixed by our Lord Himself, so that there might be the twelve on that solemn day, when the Church, filled with the Holy Ghost, was to manifest herself to the Synagogue. The lot fell on Matthias; he shared with his brother-apostles the persecution in Jerusalem, and, when the time came for the ambassadors of Christ to separate, he set out for the countries allotted to him. Tradition tells us that these were Cappadocia and the provinces bordering on the Caspian Sea.

Symbols: Halbert; lance; carpenter's square; sword held by its point; axe; saw; scroll; scimitar and book; stone; battle axe; two stones; long cross; hatchet.

Patron: Alcoholism; carpenters; reformed alcoholics; smallpox; tailors; diocese of Gary; Indiana; diocese of Great Falls-Billings, Montana.

PRAYERS IN HONOR OF ST. MATTHIAS AND ST. PIUS X

O God, who assigned Saint Matthias a place in the college of Apostles, grant us, through his intercession, that, rejoicing at how your love has been allotted to us, we may merit to be numbered among the elect. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

O God, who to safeguard the Catholic faith and to restore all things in Christ, filled Pope Saint Pius the Tenth with heavenly wisdom and apostolic fortitude, graciously grant that, following his teaching and example, we may gain an eternal prize. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

EXPLANATION OF THE SCHOOL SEAL

St- Pius X-S- Matthias Academy Seal logo.png

Cross- symbol of our Christian faith-reminder of Jesus’ death and resurrection
Winged Lion of St. Mark-taken from St. Pius X’s papal coat of arms. (The papal coat of arms was included in the Pius X High School shield [1953-1998]). The winged lion is the traditional symbol for, the evangelist Saint Mark, for three primary reasons. At the beginning of his Gospel, Saint Mark presents “a voice of one crying out in the desert,” as if the roar of a lion (Mark 1:3), calling for conversion and necessary preparation in welcoming Jesus into the world and our lives. The winged lion also is used to represent Saint Mark because his Gospel reveals Jesus as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Finally, the wings of the lion represent the revelation, from the very beginning of the Gospel according to Saint Mark, of “Jesus Christ [as] the Son of God” (Mark 1:1); the wings signify a connection to the Divine, or, indeed, the Divine itself.

Sword-the instrument of martyrdom for St. Matthias which tradition tells us was beheaded
Scroll-with the words “Virtus-Veritas”- Latin for Virtue and Truth. (The scroll was included in the St. Matthias High School shield [1963-2013]).

SCHOOL MOTTO

The school’s motto is PRIDE – VIRTUE – PURPOSE. Each word has a unique call that students are challenged to live by:

Pride arising from humility & service where,

Students will understand the source of their self-worth as being loved by God.
Students will share their God given gifts with the school and global community.

Virtue shaped by faith & morals where,

Students will deepen their faith through knowledge and experience.

Purpose driven by goals & determination where,

Students will become holistic learners who exhibit perseverance and self-motivation.
Graduates will emerge poised to succeed in college, career, and life.

SCHOOL MASCOT

By definition, the WARRIOR is the person who is engaged in or experienced battle and fights these battles with great courage, valor and vigor. In the Christian sense, the warrior is constantly fighting spiritual battles through prayer with the same courage and strength that Jesus Christ exemplified. The WARRIOR fights to overcome the toughest battles with resilience and vigor in order to reach his eternal destiny with PRIDE-VIRTUE-PURPOSE. Like the warrior, students and graduates of St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy recognizes their call to fight for Truth, Justice, and Righteousness while preparing for these battles with prayer, knowledge and grace.

SCHOOL COLORS

The color gray, which represents penance and repentance, reminds us of our imperfections as human beings and that we are stained by original sin. It is also a reminder that our lives will sometimes be faced with challenges that remind us of our need for divine grace, prayer, and the humility to recognize our shortcomings.

Crimson (red) represents the God who loved us so much that he became human flesh and blood to redeem us from our sins and failings. It is symbolic of the blood of Jesus Christ, who gives himself to us on the cross and in the Eucharist and the martyrs who throughout time have sacrificed their blood to perpetuate our faith. Red is also the color of fire and so symbolizes the presence of God through the Holy Spirit which engulfs us at Confirmation and prepares us for our mission in this life: to love and serve God and each other with Pride, Virtue, and Purpose.

PMA ALMA MATER

Hail! The Crimson and the Grey

Hail! The Warriors of PMA

Our Alma Mater’s praise we sing

St. Pius your glory rings!

Warriors we stand Victorious

With the sword of strength and truth

Pride and Virtue we will show

with Purpose we will go!

Loyalty and lasting love will

Guide our Glorious view

St. Matthias standing true your

Faith will see us through

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