Our Story, Our History, & Our Mission Nuestra Historia y Misión
Over the last 130 years, the neighborhood around Annunciation has changed a great deal, seeing many waves of people and immigrants come and go. Through all these changes, the mission of Annunciation has remained constant. Annunciation has always been committed to offering a rigorous, Catholic education to any student and family who desires it, regardless of family income. We offer a well-rounded education that instills in students the academic knowledge, strong habits of character, and deep faith they will need to discern and achieve their goals and change the world for the better. Foundational to our mission is our desire to imitate Christ in all we do and our firm belief that a challenging and holistic education is the most powerful tool to help students transform their futures, their families, and our shared community.
In its beginning, Annunciation was little more than a small church, a two-room school house, and two sisters with a powerful vision. The parish was named St. Anne’s, and it was started by two Sisters of St. Joseph who had come from St. Patrick’s. In 1890, a new priest came to the parish, and established a larger church and school, renaming it Annunciation. It was also this priest who invited the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth to staff and run the school.
When the Sisters of Charity first came to the school, there were 125 students enrolled and only three sisters to teach them. Over the next eight years, the school grew to 400 students, in a building with only seven classrooms and seven teachers. But despite its small staff, the Sisters were deeply committed to serving the poor and immigrants who continued to settle in the Cole and Five Points neighborhood.
As the school and community continued to grow, a high school was opened in addition to the elementary school in 1913. In the 1930’s, however, the school building was beginning to fall apart, and was finally condemned in 1938. But the tenacious sisters were undaunted, and they set up classrooms in any available space they could find – even teaching in the sacristy of the church and the dining room of the convent. After a renovation, the school reopened with 650 students, and a continued dedication to the children and families of the community.
Over time, the demographics of the neighborhood have changed.The student population we now serve is made up predominantly of students from Mexico and South Sudan. About 75% of our student identify as Hispanic, 15% as Sudanese, and 10% identify as African-American, White, Multi-Racial, or Other. But throughout the changes in the neighborhood, Annunciation Catholic School continues the mission of its founders and the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, educating all children, especially the children of immigrants, in the Catholic School Tradition of academic excellence, character formation, and a commitment to our Catholic faith and values.
Mission Statement La Mision
We are Annunciation Catholic School, of the Archdiocese of Denver. We are an inclusive, urban community... Committed to Serve, Committed to Learn, Committed to Love, And committed to live these with integrity as Jesus did.
Nosotros somos Escuela Catolica de la Anunciacion, de Arquidiócesis de Denver. Somos inclusivos de una comunidad urbana… Comprometidos a servir, Comprometidos a aprender, Comprometidos a amar, y comprometidos a vivirlas con integridad como lo hizo Jesus.
