Morris Catholic High School is a four-year comprehensive Roman Catholic regional high school located in Denville Township, in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school was founded in 1957 and operates as part of the Diocese of Paterson.Morris County Schools, Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. Accessed March 28, 2023. Morris Catholic High School has been recognized by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, the highest award an American school can receive.Staff. "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school. It has its own student ministry team, which runs events for the school."
As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 394 students and 40.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.8:1. The school's student body was 64.5% (254) White, 11.4% (45) two or more races, 10.4% (41) Hispanic, 9.4% (37) Black and 4.3% (17) Asian.School data for Morris Catholic High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2023.
The school has been accredited by AdvancED.
Assumption College for Sisters Assumption College for Sisters is a two-year Roman Catholic women's college. Founded in 1953 through an affiliation with Seton Hall University, Assumption is run by the Sisters of Christian Charity. Primarily designed to prepare women for work in religious vocations, Assumption specializes in theological studies and the liberal arts. It is the last remaining sisters' college, or college primarily designed to educate nuns, in the United States.About, Assumption College for Sisters. Accessed June 4, 2018. In 2014, the school relocated to a convent on the Morris Catholic High School campus.Westhoven, William. "NJ’s smallest college moving to Denville", Daily Record, November 3, 2014. Accessed June 4, 2018. "The Assumption College for Sisters is moving operations — and many of its students — to the unoccupied convent at Morris Catholic Regional High School in Denville. The only 'sister-formation' college of its kind still operating in the United States and the smallest degree-granting institution in New Jersey, Assumption is moving from the 112-acre campus in the middle of the borough as part of a reorganization and consolidation of the properties owned by Sisters of Christian Charity."
Awards, recognition and rankings During the 1984–85 school year, Morris Catholic High School was awarded the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education.U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982 Through 2018 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed October 1, 2020.
During the 2012–13 school year, students from Morris Catholic drama classes won first place at the New Jersey Thespian Festival. It was the school's second win after taking the top prize for the main stage category the previous year.
Athletics The Morris Catholic High School CrusadersMorris Catholic High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, which is comprised of 39 public and private high schools in Morris, Sussex and Warren counties, and was established by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey.Home Page, Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. Accessed August 27, 2020. "The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference prides itself on being one of New Jersey's premier high school conferences and is comprised of 39 high schools located in Northwest New Jersey."League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020–2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had participated in the Colonial Hills Conference which included schools in Essex, Morris and Somerset counties in west Central Jersey.Home Page, Colonial Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive, as of November 19, 2010. Accessed December 15, 2014. With 328 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public B for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 37 to 366 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools).NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The interscholastic sports that Morris Catholic offers are men's and women's soccer, football, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, wrestling, ice hockey, winter and spring track and field, men's and women's lacrosse, baseball, softball, fencing, and golf. The football team competes in the United Blue division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions." The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group B (equivalent to Group I/II for public schools) for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 140 to 686 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
The school participates as the host school and lead agency for joint cooperative cross country running and ice hockey teams with the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, while the Academy of St. Elizabeth is the host school for a joint field hockey team. DePaul Catholic High School is the host school for a joint skiing team. All of these co-op programs operate under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.NJSIAA Fall Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
The 1971 baseball team won the Parochial B state title with a 3–0 win against Gloucester Catholic High School in the playoff finals.Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.Rowe, John. "Fiore's strong left arm places Morris Catholic on Prep throne", Herald News, June 14, 1971. Accessed February 18, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Fiore, a senior lefthander, helped Morris Catholic achieve the heights of its athletic history Saturday as he pitched the Crusaders to a 3–0 win over Gloucester Catholic in the Parochial B state championship baseball game. The two-hit pitching of Fiore and a three-run fifth inning gave Morris Catholic the first state title in the history of the school."
The 1974 and 1975 boys cross country team won the New Jersey Meet of Champions and finished the season ranked #1 in the state becoming the first team to win back-to-back titles.NJSIAA Boys Cross-Country Meet Of Champions Winners (1972–2018), New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 1, 2020.Valentine, Wayne. "Three Teams From The Area Qualify For Meet Of Champions", Daily Record, November 17, 1999. Accessed January 17, 2026, via Newspapers.com. "Mount Olive has the only Morris County Girls Meet of Champions title. Morris Catholic won consecutive boys crowns in 1974 and 1975." They were Parochial B champions in the five consecutive years from 1974 to 1978.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.Valentine, Wayne. "Cross Country Notebook", Daily Record, November 11, 2000. Accessed January 17, 2026, via Newspapers.com. "The Morris Catholic boys lead local schools with five straight titles from 1974–79 under coach Tom Donahue."
The softball team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1982 (defeating Camden Catholic High School in the finals) and won the Non-Public B title in 1986 (vs. Gloucester Catholic High School), 2021 (vs. St. Joseph Academy) and 2022 (vs. Gill St. Bernard's School).Softball Championship History 1972–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated July 2023. Accessed April 1, 2024. The 1982 team ended their season at 17–7 after winning the Parochial A state title with a 2–1 walk-off win against Camden Catholic in the championship game."Luck runs out for the Irish in loss to Morris Catholic", Courier-Post, June 1, 1982. Accessed February 20, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The end came Sunday when Morris Catholic beat the Irish, 2–1, in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's Parochial A championship game. Camden Catholic scored in the second inning and the run held up until Morris tied the score in the sixth. The North Jersey champions went on to get the deciding tally with two out in the last half of the seventh on an RBI hit by Dede Rampone.... Camden Catholic, the South Jersey champion which finished its season with a 17–7 record, scored when Nancy Lenaghan walked, stole second and came home on a double by Lisa Brown."