On September 11, 1901, Saint Columbkille Parish School opened its doors to students in the Allston-Brighton community for the first time. And on September 1, 2021, Saint Columbkille Partnership School (STCPS) started its 120th school year with an enrollment of 408 students. A pre-K through Grade 8 Roman Catholic lab school located in Brighton, STCPS has been a mainstay within its surrounding community and has educated children for many generations.
In conjunction with the school’s 120th anniversary celebration, the St. Columbkille parish is marking its sesquicentennial, 150th anniversary. In 1871, St. Columbkille was designated its own parish and was no longer considered a mission territory of St. Mary’s in Brookline. The church building on Market Street in Brighton was completed in 1880. The parish was named for St. Columba, an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist who is credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland. He was born in 521 AD, and 2021 marks his 1500th birthday. Columba translates to “dove” symbolizing peace and the Holy Spirit, and Columbkille translates to “dove of the church.” The dove is ever present in the school’s logo, serving as a reminder to build a community of peace.
Saint Columbkille School was forward-focused when it opened in 1901 and is still innovative today, with a belief that a high-quality Catholic education should be available to all who seek it. The longstanding and vibrant history of the school makes it a cornerstone in the Brighton community, with an ongoing commitment to develop strong and capable leaders.
STCPS utilizes the newest and best practices in education while forming prospective teachers and future Catholic school administrators. Teachers strive to develop the whole child: intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, socially and physically. Employing Jesuit pedagogy, the school has prepared children to live lives of faith, service, and leadership for the greater glory of God and the betterment of society for 12 decades.
Saint Columbkille Parish School started in 1901 offering a Catholic education to students in Grades 1-8, and a four-year high school was added in 1932. Additional classrooms were added over the years, and in 1955 a third floor was built on the existing school building and was named Saint Columbkille Junior High School.
The high school was closed in 1992, and the entire school was reestablished as Saint Columbkille Partnership School in 2006 through a combination of the resources of the Archdiocese of Boston, Boston College and St. Columbkille Parish. Then in 2018, STCPS was designated as a laboratory school of Boston College's Lynch School of Education and Human Development. The laboratory school designation—the only such arrangement between a university and an elementary school in the city of Boston— enhances opportunities for teacher training, educational research and professional development.
Saint Columbkille Partnership School is blessed with a rich and diverse history. Together with alumni and current families, the school’s faculty, staff and administration aim to continue the longstanding traditions and excellent Catholic education that has been a central part of the Brighton community for 120 years.
