DODGEVILLE — A group of parents and professionals in the Dodgeville area in Iowa County is undertaking an effort to found an independent high school in the Catholic tradition.
Michael J. Lancaster, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Madison, said the group has received approval from the Diocese of Madison to name the school Holy Family High School (HFHS).
“While the diocese has and will continue to provide guidance, as is the case with all schools, HFHS will receive no financial support from the diocese,” said Lancaster.
The high school would not be connected to any single parish. According to canon law, HFHS may not yet be called a “Catholic school” until it petitions the bishop and he grants this recognition.
“The process of founding a new high school is complex, and this dedicated group has undertaken an arduous but most noble and appreciated task,” said Lancaster in a February 4 letter to pastors, other priests, and principals in the Diocese of Madison.
“It is our hope and prayer that many more will offer their assistance and resources toward the realization of this vision, that through our collective effort it may be nurtured and grow to form the souls and minds of many, in the rich offerings of the Catholic tradition,” he said.
There are currently only two Catholic highs schools in the Diocese of Madison: Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart and St. Ambrose Academy, both located in Madison.
This leaves a large number of students, primarily outside of Dane County, with no viable option to attend a high school in the Catholic tradition.