Traditions

Catherine McAuley is a school with many special and fun-filled traditions. These traditions create a bond between our girls that is truly unique. Here are some of our favorite traditions:

Freshman Orientation

Upperclasswomen traditionally welcome incoming classmates on a summer day in August. Outward Bound is here to lead the team-building exercises. Freshwomen get a chance to meet each other before the academic year begins.  This has been a great way to create unity among Catherine McAuley’s newest students.

Welcome Breakfast

The first day of school begins with a prayer service and a Welcome Breakfast, sponsored by the Parents Club.

Homecoming Weekend

This fun-filled weekend connects the McAuley community across all generations in a show of school spirit. Homecoming begins on Friday with a pep rally put on by the Varsity Club. That evening, students enjoy tailgating and a Powder Puff Football Game - the highlight of Homecoming. Juniors and seniors are pitted against freshmen and sophomores in this incredible grid-iron battle on the Larry K. Mahaney Athletic Park. “McAuley football -- undefeated since 1969.”  Saturday is packed with athletic events, and Homecoming closes with a semi-formal dance.

Christmas at Catherine McAuley

The Lions love Christmas.  The season begins with a Christmas concert followed by our annual Immaculate Conception Liturgy.  The Winter Ball is a semi-formal dance and is one of the many student activities to enjoy. Soon after, our Student Council coordinates a school-wide Secret Santa exchange. All week, students and faculty alike try to figure out who their Secret Santa is. On the last day of classes before Christmas break, your Secret Santa is revealed!

Big Sister/ Little Sister Fiesta

Little Sisters meet their Big Sisters for the first time at this party and lay the foundation for their special relationship.  Big and Little Sisters bond over Mexican food, a volleyball game, obstacle courses, and the fierce competition to break the piñata!

Senior Mother/Daughter Breakfast

Every year before the seniors’ final exams, the Parents Club sponsors a breakfast for our graduating seniors and their mothers.

Baccalaureate Mass

There are few sights more emotional at Catherine McAuley High School than the graduating seniors processing in their white caps and gowns. During this ceremony, our students become “women of Mercy”.

Class Day

Class Day is one last opportunity for the McAuley community to celebrate the achievements, friendships, and bright futures of the graduating seniors. The entire community turns out for a dress rehearsal of the upcoming graduation ceremony.  After their final song, each class presents the seniors with a parting gift. By tradition, the junior class creates a highly anticipated slide show as their gift. Its presentation at Class Day gives students a few moments during their busy time to reflect upon their years at McAuley. Class Day sends our seniors on to a new chapter in their life with the knowledge that the friendships they made at McAuley will be with them for a lifetime.

Graduation

The Bishop of the Diocese of Portland presides over our magnificent graduation ceremony held at Merrill Auditorium. To see all of our graduates in procession in their white graduation caps and gowns, with long white gloves, and carrying a single yellow long-stemmed rose, is a marvelous moment for graduates and well-wishers alike.