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By the close of the 19th century, a vast number of Canadians
had migrated to the mill town of Woonsocket, RI. The Franco-American clergy
of the area cherished the dream of assisting these immigrant families
by educating the young, preserving the language and enkindling the Catholic
faith. One local clergyman, Monsignor Charles Dauray, took the initiative
and laid the foundation for educational institutions that would serve
his parishioners. He invited the Brothers of the Sacred Heart to form
part of this dream by staffing a school.
 Mount
St. Charles Academy opened its doors on September 14, 1924 to a number
of boarders and commuting students. Br. Josephus SC served as the first
principal. The school was immediately recognized as an excellent seat
of learning and increasing enrollment and expansion marked the ensuing
years.
Three years after the completion of the school a gymnasium, the largest
in New England at the time, was added. In the spirit of Brother Josephus,
each succeeding principal has improved the school and its extra-curricular
programs. The boys could choose from a wide variety of courses to sharpen
their intellects as well as a selection of sports to assure their physical
development. In 1963, the Br. Adelard Ice Hockey Arena, named after the
"Father of Schoolboy Hockey" and the first built to serve a
particular school, was added to the campus.
Throughout its history, Mount St. Charles Academy has focused on responding
to the needs of the people of northern Rhode Island. By the 1970's, with
the closing of the all-girls' high school in the city and a diminished
interest in boarding schools, the Academy was transformed into a Grades
7 - 12, co-educational, day school. Desiring to better serve the individual
needs of each student, the Academy also established its distinctive Teacher
Counselor Program, which ensures that each student has an adult advocate
who will monitor his/her progress and serve as a liaison between the home
and school.
During the past two decades, the Academy has continued to flourish. It
is accredited by the New England Association
of Schools and Colleges and has been recognized twice as a Blue
Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. In
order to continue that success, the Academy has continued to develop its
campus including the construction of a new Performing Arts / Physical
Education facility in 2000. Future development includes plans for new
a new Science Center, a Technology Center and additional sporting facilities.
Whatever the improvements, our mission is always focused on the total
development of the young people in our care. This continues the mission
of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart who maintain a strong presence within
the Mount community. Collaborating with lay educators, they prepare students
to meet the challenges of the new millennium as they urge those students
to be guided by the motto of the school: Excelsior!
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