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By Alivia Phelps, JCA Student ‘17

The history of Joliet Catholic Academy is a long

running event that our tradition keeps alive, but what

exactly is our tradition? Most would answer and say

our tradition starts at the base of the JCA foundation:

family. This tradition of family began almost 150

years ago with the start of a Catholic school for girls.

In 1869, St. Francis Academy was opened by Mother

Alfred Moes in hopes to educate and inspire the young

women of the time. The school’s original location was

just off of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, but with a

growing number of girls wanting to attend the school

for their outstanding academics, St. Francis Academy

made the big move to Larkin Avenue where the school

still resides today. The new building was unlike

anything the young Catholic girls had seen with its

beautiful front entry and signature blue windows. A

new building meant a new start for the traditional

Catholic school, with more classes being added

each year and more girls going on to carry out the

Franciscan charisms in new and brighter ways. St.

Francis Academy became recognized across Joliet for

the elegant young women and numerous academic

achievements it produced.

Across town another tradition began during

the opening of DeLaSalle High School for boys. The

Christian Brothers, under the direction of George

Cardinal Mundelein, built the soon to be excelling

high school in the former St. Patrick’s Church Hall as a

place for the local young men to come and get a

higher education in the Joliet area. The Christian

Brothers released ownership to the Carmelite Order

in 1933, who in turn renamed the school Joliet

Catholic High School.

The Hilltoppers, (a name given for the spectacular

high ground that the school was built upon) became

known around the city of Joliet as the boys to beat.

The school produced students with amazingly high

test scores and athletic ability. The athletic ability

possessed by the boys is what really propelled them

into the national spotlight. During the construction of

the school, a lighthouse was built as a sign of hope for

all who passed, but it quickly developed a more

symbolic meaning. The statue would light up anytime

the boys won a game, promptly giving this monument

a new name: The Victory Light.

The Victory Light provided a sense of family and

hope to the community; everyone felt light in their

hearts when the tower was glowing and future

Hilltoppers in Joliet dreamed of the days when their

own efforts would shine for the city to see. Soon,

people began to drive by the school every night in

hopes of seeing the brightly lit Victory Light. For

almost a century, the statue was a focal point in the

skyline for the Joliet Community, spreading warmth

and happiness through all who gazed up at its

beautiful structure. The Victory Light helped guide

JCHS students home, much like the early Joliet priests

of St. Patrick who would put lanterns in the church

towers to guide boats through the canal, while also

celebrating their increasingly successful accomplishments

on the athletic fields.

So why build a new Victory Light at Joliet Catholic

Academy? The answer lies in the very root of JCA;

our tradition. Just as one might leave the porch light

on for a returning family member to their home, The

Victory Light is a beacon for not only current students,

but also future students and returning alumni. When

St. Francis Academy and Joliet Catholic High School

combined in 1990, not only did a new name evolve,

but also a combination of old and new traditions. A

multitude of alumni donated to the extravagant

Heritage Quad, wishing to contribute in any way they

could to the school that guided them through their

teenage years. In honor of these amazing people, the

Donor Walls were constructed, listing the names of

every proud citizen that helped out. The quad also

features beautiful donor benches honoring families

who have contributed to the overall project, and have

given so much of their lives to the JCA community

over the years.

Driving down Larkin Avenue the public will look

to their side and see a school clearly displaying its

pride through these structures, just as we as a city

looked up proudly to the old light built on the hill

on Broadway Street. Every family has their own

traditions, and the new Heritage Quad will show

Joliet Catholic Academy’s past, present, and future

highlighted with the hope that only The Victory Light

can bring.

8 | Tradition | Fall 2015

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