ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC
A young school with a rich history!
Annunciation Catholic opened its doors in 2005 as a newly formed school serving both the parishes of
St Mary's and St Philip Benizi.
In the 1950s, Orange County California was experiencing rapid growth and expansion. Along with this boom came a need for additional Catholic churches and Catholic schools. No less than 12 Catholic Elementary Schools opened in the 1950s. St. Mary was the established church and school in the Fullerton area at the time and two St. Mary Annex Schools were opened. St. Mary's First Annex School was built in 1957 and later became known as St. Philip Benizi School. (St. Mary's Second Annex School was built in 1959 and later became known as St. Juliana School.) In January 1958, the new parish of St. Philip Benizi was announced. St. Philip Benizi Church had not been built yet so daily mass was offered in a temporary chapel set up in one of the classrooms and Sunday mass was offered at the Merilark Roller Rink. St. Philip Benizi School opened for session in September 1958. There were two first-grade classes, two second-grade classes, one third-grade class, and one fourth-grade class. The plans for St. Philip Benizi Church were approved in August 1958 and construction started in October 1958. The first mass in St. Philip Benizi Church was offered on July 19, 1959 and the dedication was held on August 23, 1959. On August 17, 2000, an arson fire destroyed St. Philip Benizi Church. A temporary church structure was erected on the west end of the sports field. Today, the only remaining visual evidence of the tragedy is the concrete foundation (the "Slab") where the temporary church once stood.
In 2002, the relationship between St. Mary School and St. Philip Benizi School was renewed as socio-ecconomic conditions caused declining enrollment and led to the merger of the two schools. The merger hosted the Elementary School (grades Pre-K & K-5) at the St. Philip Benizi campus and the Junior High School (grades 6-8) at the St. Mary campus. During this time a new church was built at St Philip Benizi and it was dedicated on March 12, 2005.
In 2005 ,St Mary's School and St Philpi Benizi School closed and the new school, Annunciation Catholic (ACS) was formed and opened in August on the ground of St Philip Benizi Parish. Today the school serves both parishes and also the greater Fullerton area. It boasts a multicultural student body, a dynamic and challenging academic program, small class sizes and a strong Catholic Identity. Annunciation Catholic also builds on the strong traditions of both St Mary's and St. Philip Benizi Schools and counts their graduates as honored alumnae.