close
Jump to content

Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School
Image
Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School in 2025
Location
Map
403 North Lansdowne Avenue,

Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania

Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
,
(Delaware County)
19026

United States

39°57′12″N 75°16′53″W / 39.95333°N 75.28139°W / 39.95333; -75.28139
Information
TypePrivate school
Motto"Purity - Integrity - Loyalty"
Religious affiliations
Roman Catholic
Order of Saint Augustine
Established1953
PresidentJohn Cooke
Principal
Andrea Ciliberti
Grades9–12
Enrollment830 (2022)
ColorsGreen, Gold, White, & Black

    
Garnet, Grey, Black, & White

    
MascotMonsignor Bonner: Friar
Archbishop Prendergast: Panda
NicknameMonsignor Bonner: Friars
Archbishop Prendergast: Pandas
Team nameMonsignor Bonner: Bonner Friars
Archbishop Prendergast: Prendie Pandas
RivalCardinal O'Hara High School
Archbishop John Carroll High School
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1]
NewspaperBonner Bulletin
YearbookBonAire
Alumni18,000
Websitewww.bonnerprendie.com

Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School, commonly known as Bonner–Prendie, is a coeducational Catholic secondary school of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia located in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania.

The school was originally two schools on one campus, with Monsignor Bonner High School, an all-boys' school founded in 1956, and Archbishop Prendergast High School, an all-girls' school founded in 1953. In 2012, the two schools merged as a co-ed institution.

History

[edit]

The land in which Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School is located was originally owned by Christopher Fallon, who built a mansion on the site in 1850. In 1882, the mansion was bought by Colonel Anthony J. Drexel. The mansion was situated on what was then called the "hill of Drexel", which led to the area becoming known as Drexel Hill. In 1908, the mansion burned to the ground with only the gatehouse, which had served as servants' quarters, remaining.

Image
Edmond Francis Prendergast, former Archbishop of Philadelphia and namesake of the girls' school.

In 1917, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia purchased the 33 acres (130,000 m2) for $57,000. Archbishop Edmond Francis Prendergast subsequently announced the construction of St. Vincent's Orphanage, which was to be operated by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Work on the project was slowed by the war, and Archbishop Prendergast died before the work was completed.

On May 9, 1920, the dedication of the new orphanage took place and was attended by Archbishop Dennis Dougherty and Pennsylvania governor William Cameron Sproul.

St. Vincent's functioned as an orphanage for over 30 years. By 1952, the number of children needing care had dwindled, and Archbishop John Francis O'Hara decided to move the remaining orphans to a smaller building in St. Davids and convert the facility into the new Archbishop Prendergast High School, an all-boys' school, which opened in 1953.[2] The facility was turned into a high school to seek to meet the increasing demand for a Catholic high school in the expanding western suburbs of Philadelphia. In 1956, the archdiocese opened a new building on the same tract and named it Monsignor Bonner High School in honor of Monsignor John J. Bonner, a former superintendent of schools for the archdiocese. With the new construction, Monsignor Bonner then became an all-boys' school, and Archbishop Prendergast became an all-girls' school.

In 2005, the archdiocese's Office of Catholic Education announced that Monsignor Bonner High School and Archbishop Prendergast High School would unite in a co-institutional model with one administration. The new administration would include a single president, principal and assistant principals overseeing both schools. The new model became official for the 2006–07 school year.[3]

In January 2012, as part of the wider 2012 Archdiocese of Philadelphia school closings, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput announced that both Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast would close at the end of the school year at the recommendation of a blue ribbon commission.[4][5] The basis of the commission's recommendation was founded upon the real estate value of the school land and their potential income after possible retail development. Soon after the announcement was made, the school administration began the appeal process which outlined plans for the improvement of both schools.[citation needed] In a 13-day span, alumni and supporters donated $1.11 million to keep the school open.[3] Additionally, just days before the final decision regarding the schools was to be made, a group of business people came forward to help not just the two schools, but other high schools slated to close as well. On February 24, 2012, Archbishop Chaput announced that the schools would remain open, though they would now fully merge into one co-ed school known as Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School. To accommodate the merger, the girls would move out of the Archbishop Prendergast building and into the Monsignor Bonner building beginning with the 2012–13 school year.

Since the merger, male athletic teams continue to use the "Friars" nickname from Bonner, while female athletic teams use the "Pandas" nickname from Prendergast. Homerooms remain single-sex, along with theology classes and health/physical education classes.

On March 28, 2018, an exchange student from Taiwan named Sun An-tso (Chinese: 孫安佐), the son of actors Peng Sun [zh] and Di Ying, was arrested for threatening to "shoot up" the school. On August 28, he pled guilty and sentenced to time served and deportation.[6]

Image
The former Archbishop Prendergast building being redeveloped into a campus for Delaware County Community College in 2025

In 2019, the school sold the former Archbishop Prendergast High School building to Delaware County Community College, where it has been redeveloped into a campus for the college.[2] Costs for the redevelopment were estimated to be around $66.5 million[7][8]

Notable alumni

[edit]

Monsignor Bonner

[edit]

Archbishop Prendergast

[edit]

Bonner–Prendergast

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ MSA-CSS. "MSA-Commission on Secondary Schools". Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
  2. 1 2 Lai, Stephanie (September 13, 2019). "Archdiocese sells historic 'Prendie' building in Drexel Hill to Delaware County Community College". Inquirer.com. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Kinney, Monica Yant (January 25, 2002). "Monica Yant Kinney: Flood of donations seeks to save Bonner, Prendergast". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2019. The president of Monsignor Bonner[...] had 1.1 million reasons to keep the schools open. - This refers to money, as a previous paragraph said "Over 45 days in 2006, wealthy philanthropists raised $68 million[...]"
  4. ↑ Matza, Michael (January 6, 2012). "At twinned Delco high schools, raw grief at closings". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  5. ↑ Bayliss, Kelly (January 6, 2012). "44 Catholic Elementary Schools, 4 High Schools Closing". NBC Philadelphia. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  6. ↑ Roebuck, Jeremy (November 19, 2018). "Son of Taiwanese celebrities to be released, deported after Delco school shooting threat". Philly.com. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Delaware County Community College to build $66.5 million campus in Drexel Hill". PhillyVoice. October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Delaware County Community College receives funding for $66.5M project at former Archbishop Prendergast site". Philadelphia Business Journal. October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Where are they now: Dave Krmpotich". August 11, 2008.
  10. ↑ "'Delco Proper' creator Tommy Pope to appear with Tommy Highland in Springfield show". Delco Times. June 7, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Carl J. Robie III, 66, Olympic swimming champion".
  12. ↑ "Rahel Solomon". funtimesmagazine.com. January 9, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Kern, Mike. "Finally Free of Injuries, McGillian Running Wild", Philadelphia_Daily_News, April 18, 1986. Accessed December 21, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "But finally, as a senior, St. Joseph's Elaine McGillian has remained injury free.... After qualifying for the NCAA championships last fall in cross country (supposedly her best sport), the 5-3 product of nearby Archbishop Prendergast High followed that up with an undefeated indoor season at L500 meters."
  14. ↑ March, Lochlahn (July 9, 2023). "Bonner-Prendergast's Kevin McGonigle is drafted by the Detroit Tigers". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Isaiah Wong". University of Miami Athletics. May 22, 2019.
[edit]


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monsignor_Bonner_and_Archbishop_Prendergast_High_School&oldid=1366763601#History"