History
A Brief History of Holy Ghost Prep
Father John Tuohill Murphy founded Holy Ghost Prep in 1897 as Holy Ghost Apostolic College, a preparatory school and junior-college seminary for young men studying to become Congregation of the Holy Spirit members. By 1941, the school’s name changed to the Holy Ghost Missionary College to convey its mission better. Holy Ghost Prep was founded and the school opened its doors to non-seminarian day students in 1959 for the first time. In 1967, the school discontinued the seminary program and HGP began to emerge as a leading preparatory school, preparing young men for college. In the 1990s, the school began a long-range planning process, which resulted in significant structural enhancements to the campus. Today, HGP’s enrollment consists entirely of college-bound students and the school’s facilities and curriculum continue to evolve to prepare these young men to succeed.
Below is a timeline of highlights from HGP’s modern era:
1962 Corn field became the new Fieldhouse
1963 Faculty is 90% religious; 10% lay
1970-71 HGP’s track team won the school’s first-ever state title
1976 Gregory Nowak ’77 and Kevin McPhillips ’76 become HGP’s first national forensics champions
1986 Priests move out of Cornwells Hall
1986 More classrooms, more students, more faculty and staff
1993 Board of Trustees is established; HPG mission statement is approved
1993 Faculty is 92% lay; 8% religious
1996 Wooded area cleared for Mundy Track and Fran Nick Soccer Field
1997 School celebrates its 100th anniversary
1999 Founders Hall opens
2003 Firebird Fieldhouse is renovated
2015 Gregory J. Geruson ’79 becomes the school’s first lay president
2018 The Holt Center and the STEM Tower open
2022-23 Holy Ghost Prep holds year-long celebration of its 125th anniversary
2023 The Duaime Athletic Complex opens with a turf field and new track facilities
Shield
The shield of Holy Ghost Prep is a dynamic symbol of Spiritan influence, tradition, and history.
The fleur de lis, or translated as lily, has two-fold significance. It is representative of France at the time of the monarchy, which is where and when the Spiritans were founded. It is also connected to the Virgin Mary in that the whiteness and beauty of the lily flower is symbolic of the purity of Mary Immaculate, whom the Spiritans have always held as a patron.
The dove and the flame are Biblical images of the Holy Spirit.
The combination of the fleur de lis and the image of the Holy Spirit in one shield symbolizes the combining of two orders - the Congregation of the Holy Ghost founded by Claude des Places and the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary founded by Francis Libermann. During Libermann's time, the Pope requested the merger of the two orders, which is why the official name of the Spiritan congregation is the Congregation of the Holy Spirit under the protection of the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary
The colors of the HGP shield are also significant. The fleur de lis is in blue, which is the symbolic color of the Virgin Mary. The red field represents the traditional color used for the Holy Spirit. This is why red and blue are the colors of HGP.
Additionally, the shield of HGP incorporates some key elements of traditional heraldry. Blue typically represents loyalty and truth, red signifies fortitude and magnanimity, and white points to peace and sincerity. Furthermore, a corner square (where the fleur de lis is located) on a shield is a symbol of honor. The HGP shield is very representative of the truths and values we hold as a community and truly captures our Spiritan charism.