Lourdes Central Catholic High School

Lourdes Central Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Nebraska City, Nebraska. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln. It is also known as Our Lady of Lourdes Central Catholic Schools.The Lourdes Central Catholic School's "tradition of excellence" began over a century ago. In 1861, Saint Benedict's Parish, with the assistance of the Benedictine Sisters from Pennsylvania, founded a parochial school known as Saint Benedict's School. As the need for Catholic education grew in Nebraska City, Saint Benedict's School was joined in 1865 by Annunciation Academy, an all-girls school, and in 1880 by Saint Mary's School.Due to decrease in enrollment, Saint Mary's School closed in 1891, and the building was sold to the Nebraska City Public Library Committee.In 1908, Annunciation Academy was also closed due to a lack of funds to repair the deteriorating building.Over the course of several years, numerous attempts were made to reopen Saint Mary's School. Those attempts proved futile until the Bernadine Madames of Ollingies, Belgium, offered to establish a new school and convent in Nebraska City. In 1909, Saint Bernard's Academy was founded in the former home of Judge William Hayward. Saint Bernard's Academy offered classes for boys and girls, and provided a boarding school for the girls.Due to a change in the state law which disqualified aliens from teaching in public and private schools, the Bernadine madames left Nebraska City in 1920. The sisters were replaced at Saint Bernard's Academy by the Ursuline Sisters of Kentucky that same year. In 1927, the Ursuline Sisters assumed responsibility for Saint Benedict's School as well. A new Saint Benedict's School building was erected by the sisters and the members of Saint Benedict's Parish in 1951. The structure now houses the present Lourdes primary grades.