HISTORY
OF ST. PETER'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Reverend John M. Lucey, who could be called the “Father
of Roman Catholicism in Pine Bluff,” was the driving force behind the establishment of St. Peter’s Catholic School.
In 1889 through the generosity of local business man Wiley Jones land was donated and a two-story frame building was completed.
The Colored Industrial Institute began with an enrollment of 140 pupils on September 9, 1889. St. Peter’s was the first
school founded for African-American children in Arkansas and was staffed by the Sisters of Charity from Nazareth, Kentucky
who also staffed Annunciation Academy at St. Joseph’s Parish in Pine Bluff. These sisters withdrew from St. Peter’s
in 1901. Other communities who have staffed St. Peter’s are:
1901-1913 Sisters
of the Holy Family from New Orleans, Louisiana
1913-1927 Sisters of the Holy Ghost and Mary Immaculate from
San Antonio, Texas
1928-1975 Sisters
of the Holy Spirit from Techny, Illinois
1984-2004 School Sisters of Notre Dame from Dallas, Texas
2006- Daughters of Charity, Gould,
Arkansas (St. Louis, Missouri)
After only 8 years of operation, the Colored Industrial Institute outgrew its
small frame building. A three story, red-brick building was completed for the start of the 1898 school year. The school used
this structure until it was torn down in 1963.
Father Joseph Kehrer, SVD, known as the carpenter priest,
built the present school, rectory, convent, and cafeteria between the years of 1960-63. The Sisters of the Holy Spirit from
Techny, Illinois staffed the school from 1928 to 1975, when they were recalled to their Motherhouse. In 1975, the school was
forced to close.
In 1984, the School Sisters of Notre Dame from Dallas, Texas, responded to
the pleas of the pastor, Father Clement Mathis, SVD, to reopen the school. Father Tom Mulally, SVD priest, and the School
Sisters of Notre Dame worked in close unison to help the school to provide underprivileged children a quality education.
In
1997, Father Bernard Keller, SVD, continued in the mission to provide a quality education to the underprivileged youth of
Pine Bluff. Special emphasis was placed on helping our Black and Hispanic Catholic youth. Father Keller worked diligently
in his mission to serve the Pine Bluff community until his unexpected death on April 10, 2003. The entire school mourned for
him, but was strengthened in knowing he was with our Lord.
In July of 2003, Father Donald Murrin, SVD
stepped in to continue with the mission of Catholic education in Pine Bluff. An enthusiastic educator, Fr. Murrin teaches
phonics in the kindergarten class and reads with the children in several grades.
St. Peter’s
currently maintains an average enrollment of 70-80 students. The school has a new PreKindergarten class of 3 & 4
year-olds, then Kindergarten through 6th grade. Specialty classes include Art, Music, Religion, Spanish, Physical
Education, and Library for all grades.
St. Peter’s has a history of 122 years of service
in Pine Bluff. By its emphasis on spiritual as well as scholarly growth, the school has a record of service that is unique
in Black History and outstanding for Catholic schools in Arkansas. Our school motto is “Where Faith and Knowledge Meet”,
and in 2007, the students voted to have the Golden Eagle as our mascot. Courage, intelligence, heart, and perseverance
are a few of the qualities represented by our new mascot. In the 2009-10 school year, a new Parent Center featured
workshops for parents, and ongoing programs, to help parents assist students in achieving their educational goals. Today,
both the PTO and the Parent Center focus on Reading and improving Literacy in, "Helping Our Children to Become Good Readers!"
