Bishop Kevin Farrell

The Chief Shepherd of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas

Connect

Bishop Lynch High School’s 50th Anniversary

By

Few of the 225 students who composed the first class at Bishop Lynch High School when it opened its doors in September of 1963 would recognize the campus today.  From that original small student body Bishop Lynch has become the largest private high school in Texas with more than 1,100 students.

As the school prepares to mark its 50th anniversary, nearly 10,000 alumni and exes can look with pride on their alma mater which has emerged as one of the premier secondary institutions in the southwest. A series of observances beginning Wednesday, September 4 will commemorate a half-century of achievements and celebrate a promising future.

A number of the Dominican Friars who opened the school and gave their name to Lynch’s athletic teams will be present for the festivities, as will representatives of the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, who shared administrative responsibility for the school in its early years.

We will begin the observances with a Mass on September 4, at which I will use the chalice and crozier of Bishop Joseph Patrick Lynch, third Bishop of Dallas, whose name the school bears. The week’s festivities will include a “walk down memory lane” and a dinner on September 5 for founding families.

A yearlong observance will follow with homecoming and reunion gatherings, athletic events, theater presentations, concerts culminating with a closing celebration in June 2014.

I salute and congratulate the Dominican friars and sisters who launched Bishop Lynch and also  Deacon Ed Leyden, who succeeded the Dominicans as principal in 1982 and now serves as president.  I am grateful to Deacon Leyden along with the lay faculty and administrative staff of today who continue to provide the outstanding leadership established by BL’s founding educators.

It is an honor to join alumni, parents, students and faculty in marking this significant milestone in  Catholic education in the Diocese of Dallas.

Bishop Lynch High School’s Dual Enrollment Program

By

Bishop Lynch High School graduates are entering colleges and universities as sophomores and juniors in their first year thanks to the school’s Dual Enrollment Program which offers college credit for certain high school courses.

In 2010 Victoria Erlinger registered as a junior at Texas A&M in her freshman year with 87 semester hours. Chelsea Firra, BL’s 2013 salutatorian will enter Truman State University in the fall with 85 semester hours.

Lynch, the largest private high school in the State of Texas, hosts the largest Dual Enrollment Program in the state, offering more than 50 courses a year in English, math, history, science and the arts. In the 2012-2013 academic year 360 students (grades 9-12) participated.

To be eligible to participate, students must pass the Dallas County Community College entrance exam or be exempt by their SAT or ACT scores. Once enrolled, students must maintain a 3.0 average. The last three graduating classes have taken over 3000 credit hours with them to college…all at no extra charge for the student and their families. All Lynch faculty members have met the academic requirements for adjunct professors at Eastfield College.

This is the kind of initiative by our Catholic schools that makes them stand out among educational institutions and assures parents that their children are receiving not only a Christian values centered education but outstanding academic formation.

Bishop Lynch will observe its 50th anniversary in September. I congratulate the administration and faculty of Bishop Lynch High School for achieving and maintaining the highest level of academic excellence for five decades.