St. Bonaventure History
Est 1963
In 1782, Father Serra established the San Buenaventura Mission, named after Franciscan Priest and Scholar, Bonaventure. Over the next 100 years, the population around the Mission grew and in 1887, the City of San Buenaventura was founded.
In 1963, St. Bonaventure High School was established in the City of San Buenaventure, known now as Ventura. The school was named in honor of St. Bonaventure, the patron of the City of Ventura. Bonaventure’s work as a philosopher and theologian during the Middle ages earned him the title of Seraphic Doctor, hence the school’s mascot of Seraph, the highest order of angels.
St. Bonaventure’s first student body consisted of 70 freshman that started classes in partially completed buildings in September 1963. The teaching staff, headed by Sister Mary St. Lawrence, was composed of five sisters of Notre Dame, with lay men and women to supplement faculty as needed. The Franciscan Brothers were added to the faculty in September 1966.
In September 1966, St. Bonaventure became a complete four year co-educational high school with 264 students. Reverend Thomas Meskill became the new Principal, serving from 1966 to 1976.
The school’s Alma Mater, composed by Claire Miller, one of the school’s original graduates, was sung for the first time in the 1966-67 school year.
Father Meskill was followed as Principal by Brother Hilarion O’ Conner from 1976-1979. In September 1979, Brother Thomas Fay became Princial and was then succeeded by Brother Paulinus Horkan from 1986-2007. Mr. Marc Groff was appointed the first lay Principal in the school’s history in May 2007.
Under the guidance of these Pricipals from 1963-2007, St. Bonaveture High School blossomed in enrollment, curriculum, and facilities. The school displayed ever growing excellence in Academics, Athletics, and Service to our community.