Our History
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The history of Corpus Christi-Holy Rosary School is a remarkable record of devoted work by the Salesian priests and brothers and the Salesian Sisters with the generous and enthusiastic support of the people of Port Chester.
Corpus Christi Church, located in the Washington Park section of Port Chester, saw its greatest growth under the dynamic leadership of the Rev. Peter M. Rinaldi, S.D.B. who was appointed pastor in 1949. With the arrival of the Salesian Sisters, the school opened its doors in September of 1959 to children from Kindergarten through Fourth Grade. By 1963, Corpus Christi School provided education from grades Kindergarten through Eighth.
Plans for the initial school facility included provisions for future expansion. In 1996, plans were completed for the expansion. With the addition of the north wing of the School, the building is now three stories, providing large comfortable classrooms, a library, a science lab, a nurse’s offices, a gymnasium, computer lab and a cafeteria.
Holy Rosary Church, formerly named the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, traces its history to work begun by Italian immigrants in this area on October 7, 1903. In 1912, the Salesians first came to serve the parishioners of Holy Rosary in the person of Fr. Bernard Gentilini.
Under the direction of Fr. Aloysius Trifari, the parish purchased the Lincoln Public School building on Central Avenue in May of 1945. After raising monies for renovations, Holy Rosary School was opened to 181 students on September 10 of the same year with the convent located on the upper floor of the school building.
In 1954, the parish’s Jubilee Year, an addition to the school was built providing a lunch room and gymnasium-auditorium.
Grades 6 – 8 were added, a new convent was built, and the school enrollment grew steadily to a peak of 458 in September of 1960. True to its original mission, Holy Rosary School continued to serve the immigrant population of Port Chester.
In the 2008-2009 school year, Holy Rosary School, merged with Corpus Christi School, placing all Salesian elementary school students under the same roof. In 2019, the Holy Rosary school building was re-opened to accommodate some 200 UPK students.
Today, Corpus Christi-Holy Rosary School consists of two campuses – The Father Peter M. Rinaldi Campus on South Regent Street and the Blessed Laura Vicuña Campus located on Central Avenue. The school serves children in UPK and grades Pre-K to eight and continues Don Bosco’s legacy of educational excellence lived in environment of faith, optimism, joy and Family Spirit flourishes in these halls!