A Greenville Parish with a School at Its Center
Our Lady of the Rosary is a Roman Catholic parish in Greenville, South Carolina. A defining feature of the parish is Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School, its K-12 classical academy and most important ministry. The Our Lady of the Rosary parish and school share an address at 2 James Drive, Greenville, and their identity is closely joined: worship, Catholic formation, family life, and classical education belong to one community rather than separate institutions.
The school's mission gives that relationship a practical shape. It names parents as guardians of family life and the primary educators of their children, while presenting the school as a partner that extends the work begun at home. Students take part in weekly Mass, adoration, and prayer, receive instruction in Catholic doctrine, practice, and history, and pursue a curriculum built around truth, goodness, beauty, wisdom, and virtue. This integration gives Our Lady of the Rosary a character that is both distinctly Catholic and centered on family life.
From a Temporary Church and School to K-12
The school began in September 1955. An auditorium and gym building had been erected as a temporary church and school, and four Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity came from Stella Niagara, New York to begin the school. A new school building was completed by spring 1956. An additional wing was added in 1963 to improve classroom space, and a decision to erect a library was made in 1968.
The physical history of OLR reflects creative reuse and steady growth. After Donaldson Air Force Base closed in 1969, the parish purchased a wooden barracks building; it now houses the K4 classroom and art classes. Father Bayard formed the first school board and encouraged the integration of religious truth, scholastic achievement, and creativity. In 1975, work began on a parish center with a gym and an unfinished upper level. Three classrooms were created in that upper level in 1977, forming the Middle School that remains in use.
A transition in 1987 brought the end of the Sisters of Notre Dame's administration. Sr. Carol Gnau bid farewell to the Upstate, Keith Darr became the first lay principal, and Terri Parillo continued the tradition as assistant principal. The succession of principals and headmasters continued through Paul Herr, Therese Gallivan, Mary Louque, Beverly Farley, John Harrington, Bobby Moreau, Marianne Tully, and Tommy Curtin. The school received SACS accreditation in 2017.
OLR's Upper School marks the latest stage of that development. The school asked the Diocese of Charleston for approval to extend through 12th grade in 2017, received approval in 2018, and welcomed its first Upper School class in 2019. What began in one temporary building is now a K-12 classical academy integrated with the parish, with Lower, Middle, and Upper School divisions joined by a single mission.
Parents as Guardians, the School as Partner
Under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, OLR's mission is to empower parents as guardians of family life and the primary educators of their children. The school describes its classical program as a complement to the sacred work of the parish, forming joyful disciples of Jesus Christ with knowledge, wisdom, and virtue so they can live their vocations in accordance with the truth of the Catholic faith.
This family-centered approach shapes both the classroom and admissions. Families are asked to strive continually according to Catholic teaching, participate meaningfully in parish life, enroll their eligible children, and model respectful partnership with teachers and administrators. Non-Catholic families are welcome to apply and receive fair, prayerful consideration; the expectation is that they will strive to live according to Catholic teaching and welcome opportunities to understand the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Catholic faith.
The Upper School expands the same idea. Its six commitments are thoroughly Catholic, modeled on the family, focused on a core curriculum, inclusive of diverse learners, preparatory for life, and integrated with the parish. Loving guidance, accountability, authentic friendship, and shared commitment are treated as qualities of both home and school. The result is an education designed not to replace family life, but to extend it.
That idea also shapes the way the school works with children of different learning needs. Admission considers the whole family, while the instructional program seeks to welcome students together and provide appropriate support within ordinary classrooms whenever possible. Extraordinary support is designed through conversation among parents, the headmaster, the pastor, and school leaders.
Mass, Adoration, and Prayer Shape School Life
Worshipping God is at the center of the parish and school community. Every student participates in weekly school Mass, adoration, and prayer services, and every grade receives religion classes on Catholic doctrine, practice, and history. Liturgical feast days are celebrated throughout the year. Morning prayer is also part of the school's formation, with students discussing how it has affected their faith.
The centrality of Mass is not a separate topic from academic life but part of the rhythm of the community. The pastor speaks about the Mass as central to OLR, and sacred music plays a crucial role in the school's faith life. Music, worship, classroom learning, athletics, arts, and service all meet within the same Catholic formation.
The school's Marian traditions make that formation tangible. The whole school joins an annual May crowning and procession honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, singing hymns in English and Latin and completing the crowning inside the church. The House System carries the same formation into everyday school life. Students are assigned to Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John and remain with that house across the years, earning points for courage and kindness while developing traditions, leadership, and service to others.
Students are expected to demonstrate love and respect for their school, teachers, classmates, and themselves. The honor code asks them to lead by example, make good choices, work and play honestly, show respect, take responsibility, and do their own work well. These habits connect worship at Mass with conduct in classrooms, at athletic contests, at performances, and at home.
Classical Learning from K4 Through Grade 12
Each year, students receive instruction in religion, English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, and music. Physical education continues through eighth grade, theatre is taught in grades 3 through 10, and Latin is taught in grades 4 through 10. The school seeks to integrate subjects whenever possible and to show that Catholic truth is present throughout the curriculum, not only in a religion class.
The Upper School's core curriculum draws on the literature, history, classical language, traditional laboratory sciences, and arts of Western Civilization. Students move through the curriculum as a cohort, sharing conversations and confronting common questions as they grow. Technology is used with laptops, projectors, and online coursework, but its role is judged by its effect on intellectual formation and relationships with teachers and peers.
Cooperative learning is part of that approach. Students in the same grade encounter the same essential material and contribute to a common body of knowledge. This shared work is designed to create a culture of learning rather than a collection of isolated assignments. The curriculum asks students to connect ideas across disciplines and to consider how knowledge and artistic skill can serve God and neighbor.
Academic expectations are intentionally clear. The Classic Learning Test is administered in grades 3 through 10; students in grades 10 and 11 also take the PSAT, while grade 12 students are encouraged to choose the SAT, ACT, or CLT according to their plans after graduation. OLR also administers the Assessment of Religious Knowledge at certain grade levels to track students' knowledge of Catholic teaching and practice. Students in K4 through second grade receive standards-based report cards, while later grades use a graded scale for academic subjects and satisfactory or unsatisfactory ratings for several arts and physical education courses.
The school does not offer Advanced Placement courses as such. Several core courses, however, substantially overlap existing AP material, and students may register for corresponding exams. This approach keeps course objectives tied to OLR's Catholic classical mission while still providing college preparation that meets state graduation requirements and prepares students for admission to competitive universities.
Six Commitments Behind the Upper School
The Upper School begins with a foundational question: who is the human person? Its Catholic answer holds that each student is made in the image and likeness of God, has a unique plan, and is created by God and for God, while also facing the reality of sin and the limits of personal choice. Choosing truth, goodness, and beauty is therefore understood as choosing the friendship of Jesus Christ. From that starting point, academic study, athletics, the arts, and service become ways to place a student's talents at the service of God and neighbor.
Thoroughly Catholic
Catholic teaching is integrated throughout the curriculum rather than confined to isolated religion courses. Teachers are chosen to model Catholic life in a way students can encounter, and families are invited to reinforce virtuous behavior and religious devotion. The aim is a Catholic culture that continues in the classroom and beyond it.
Modeled on the Family
The Upper School treats the family as an ideal learning environment. Loving guidance, accountability, authentic friendship, and shared commitment are extended from home into school, allowing the school to serve as an extension of parents rather than a replacement for them.
Focused on a Core Curriculum
A common body of essential knowledge gives every student a shared foundation. Literature, history, Latin, traditional laboratory sciences, and the arts provide a strong base for later study, while each course remains oriented toward the Catholic classical mission.
Inclusive of Diverse Learners
Gifted students, students with disabilities, and twice-exceptional students are included in the same educational community and challenged according to their abilities. The Upper School seeks reasonable accommodations and an environment in which brothers and sisters learn together among friends.
Preparatory for Life
College preparation is important, but the school also seeks the wisdom and virtue needed for friendship, marriage, parenthood, work, and service to others. Students are encouraged to consider how God may be calling them, including the possibility of a vocation in the religious life.
Integrated with the Parish
The pastor and parish staff help provide a complete Catholic experience of living, worshipping, and working together. Integrating parish and school life teaches students that they belong to a wider family and that their formation extends beyond the school day.
Athletics, Arts, and Service
Middle School teams compete in the Carolina Middle School Conference, with volleyball, cross country, boys' and girls' basketball, and archery among the sports. The program's stated goals are teamwork, confidence, responsibility, character, and sportsmanship. Winning is a goal, but it is not the first goal, and participation is valued in its own right. Upper School sports and clubs grow from student interests, with teachers helping students create and manage activities such as chess, journalism, or ultimate Frisbee when interest is present.
The performing arts occupy an equally important place. Theatre is taught from third through tenth grade, while students receive regular instruction in general music, chorus, instrumental music, and art. The Rose Theater provides a setting for school productions, with tickets and advance concessions available through its box office. Upper School students also have opportunities to learn and practice different styles of dancing, including a swing dance club, a hoedown, a winter formal, and prom.
Student government gives Middle and Upper School students representation in school affairs. Elected officers are expected to model responsible leadership and maintain academic standards. The House System connects younger and older students, while retreats extend formation beyond the classroom.
Service and public witness are also part of student life. OLR has a recurring March for Life program, and its Catholic formation asks students to carry their beliefs into the wider community. The school's broader vision is lifelong discipleship, with alumni prepared for holiness and success in adult life.
Enhanced Learning for the Whole Child
OLR describes inclusion as a characteristic of Catholic culture rather than a separate educational market. Students with different learning needs learn together, and teachers make reasonable accommodations for gifted students and those with diagnosed learning challenges. The Enhanced Learning Program supports students with exceptional needs, while the Enhanced Learning Advocacy Program serves gifted, exceptional, and twice-exceptional students through honor projects for advanced work and academic support plans for students who need additional help.
Support can include services provided on campus by local organizations. These have included speech therapy, applied behavioral analysis aides, Orton-Gillingham tutoring, mental health counseling, and private academic tutoring. The aim is to keep students within a balanced school community while providing the assistance each child needs. Families, teachers, the headmaster, and the pastor work together when a student needs a more extensive plan.
Director of Enhanced Learning Katie Fowler coordinates these methods and is an Arrowsmith cognitive instructor. The Arrowsmith Program began at OLR in 2012, and its students have included winners of an international Arrowsmith exercise competition. Becca Messer, an Enhanced Learning teacher, has also begun the Cupertino program for high school students with disabilities. These efforts reflect a consistent principle: students with differing abilities are to be welcomed, challenged, and served according to their God-given dignity.
Large Families and the Faithful Families Scholarship
The Faithful Families Scholarship reflects OLR's conviction that Catholic education should be affordable, including for large families. The scholarship covers annual tuition for all but the two eldest children enrolled from the same family in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Families must enroll at least three children and be active parishioners who exemplify a Catholic lifestyle in the home. The scholarship is awarded at the discretion of the pastor and Financial Aid Committee, with families also asked to support the school's mission through gifts of time, talent, and treasure.
The scholarship does not include annual administrative fees, Pre-K tuition, or Enhanced Learning tuition. Its foundation is the Church's teaching that large families are a sign of God's blessing and of parental generosity. The approach treats education as a family vocation while also seeking to keep tuition manageable and sustain a community in which Catholic families can remain together.
Every OLR family is expected to contribute 40 hours of service to the school each year. These Family Work Hours help lower tuition costs and foster a spirit of family and community. Each parent joins the Parent-Teacher Organization after enrolling a child, and the organization coordinates special events and school fundraisers. Service offers another expression of the mission: families contribute to the communal work that supports their children's education and the life of the school.
Visiting the Parish and School
The parish and school share 2 James Drive in Greenville, South Carolina. The school office can be reached at 864-277-5350. A regular school day runs from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., with half-day dismissal at noon and aftercare available after dismissal. All visitors to the school report to the office, sign in, receive a badge, and sign out when leaving.
Families arriving for the school follow a defined campus routine. The speed limit is 7 mph. Drivers enter from the Frontage Road entrance and turn left around the horseshoe to prevent traffic from backing onto the road. Classroom doors open at 7:40 a.m. for Lower and Middle School students, and Lower School families follow a designated drop-off route while Middle and Upper School students use the other side of the campus. Cell phone use is prohibited during arrival and dismissal lines.
Students on campus are expected to wear their uniform properly. Attire must be modest, neither too tight nor revealing, and may not contain offensive words or images. These are expectations for students on the school campus rather than a separate standard for parish worship. The combination of modest dress, respectful conduct, and attentive care for younger children reflects the school's effort to make its shared environment safe, orderly, and consistent with its Catholic mission.
Pastor, Headmaster, and School Leaders
Fr. Dwight Longenecker serves as pastor and holds immediate authority over the parish school. OLR also remains accountable to the Diocese of Charleston and Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, following diocesan expectations for governance and curriculum while retaining room for a distinctive classical approach. The school belongs to the National Catholic Education Association and holds SACS accreditation.
Headmaster Tommy Curtin joined OLR in 2017 and has helped guide the school from a small elementary school into a K-12 classical academy. In addition to his administrative work, he teaches Latin IV and Fine Arts in the Upper School. The educational divisions are led by administrators including Adam Slocum as Director of Lower School and Assistant Headmaster, Jeff Pajak as Director of Middle School, and Jose Silva as Director of Upper School.
Other ministry leaders have defined responsibilities across the life of the community. JohnMark Cayer directs faith formation and oversees parish catechesis. David Haggard directs athletics and formation, with responsibilities involving sports, clubs, house activities, retreats, and religion classes. Katie Fowler leads Enhanced Learning, while Rebecca Lawson teaches general music, chorus, instrumental music, and Spanish, bringing sacred music, music history, Gregorian chant, and hymnology into the academic program.
The Upper School is intentionally small so that students can be known personally and challenged in their abilities. OLR also emphasizes an affordable and sustainable tuition rate that includes families. Its leadership model joins pastoral authority, diocesan oversight, classical academic leadership, and parent participation in a shared mission.
One Community, Continuing Forward
Our Lady of the Rosary's identity is visible in the way its parish and school meet. Mass and prayer establish the spiritual center of the year. Parents remain the primary educators of their children, and the school forms families by extending that work through classical study, arts, athletics, service, and moral formation.
At Our Lady of the Rosary in Greenville, students are formed as joyful disciples of Jesus Christ for lives of wisdom, virtue, and service. The community that began with a temporary church and school has grown into a K-12 Catholic academy without separating education from worship or family life, leaving the parish and its school joined in the same continuing mission.