At OLSH, the Catholic faith is more than part of our name, it is part of everyday student life. As a Catholic high school sponsored by the Felician Sisters, students participate in daily prayer, weekly Mass, the Sacraments, faith-filled traditions, service opportunities, and spiritual formation throughout the school year. These experiences help students grow in their relationship with Christ while fostering a strong sense of community, purpose, and belonging.
The OLSH Chapel
The OLSH Chapel is the spiritual heart of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School and a historic center of Catholic life on campus. Built in 1932, the chapel is where the school community gathers for weekly all-school Mass, Ring Day, Graduation, and daily prayer. The school celebrates Mass together once a week as an entire community, with most liturgies celebrated by the OLSH Chaplain and occasional guest priests who lead Masses and prayer services throughout the year. The chapel is also open to students at any time for personal prayer and reflection, making it a daily space for faith and spiritual growth. It is an intergenerational sacred space shared with the Felician Sisters, reflecting the school’s deep Catholic heritage and mission.
Rich in history and craftsmanship, the chapel features a marble altar designed by Alphonse Moroder, a renowned sacred artist who also created altars for Felician Sisters’ provinces in Buffalo and Chicago. The altar, weighing nearly 400 pounds and built without a single nail, includes intricate carvings of angels and symbols of Faith, Hope, and Charity. It was shipped from Genoa, Italy, in 1932 and transported in 43 crates to Coraopolis, highlighting its remarkable origin.
The chapel also includes handcrafted pews, pipe organs, Stations of the Cross, and stained-glass windows designed by a Felician Sister. Today, the OLSH Chapel remains a defining landmark on campus and a powerful symbol of faith, tradition, and Catholic identity.
Daily Prayer
Daily prayer is an important part of student life at OLSH. Students begin and end each school day with prayer and gather to pray the Angelus at noon. Prayer is also woven throughout the school experience, with teachers opening classes in prayer and athletic teams, clubs, and performing arts groups praying before meetings, competitions, and performances. These daily opportunities help students strengthen their Catholic faith while building a supportive, Christ-centered school community.
Eucharistic Procession
Each September, OLSH begins the school year with a campus-wide Eucharistic Procession and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, one of the school's most meaningful Catholic traditions. This annual celebration brings together the entire school community in prayer to honor the Eucharist and ask God's blessing on the students, faculty, staff, and campus for the year ahead.
Set against OLSH's beautiful hilltop campus, the procession winds through the school's scenic grounds as the chapel bells ring and students walk together in prayer. Led by the OLSH Chaplain and a student color guard, the Blessed Sacrament is carried across campus while art and theology students create vibrant sidewalk artwork celebrating the Eucharist. The procession pauses at the statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, where the community offers prayers to Mary and the campus is blessed before returning to the chapel for Benediction.
This unique tradition transforms the OLSH campus into a visible expression of faith, reminding students that their Catholic education extends beyond the classroom and is lived throughout every part of campus life.
Blessing of Student Athletes
Blessing of Student Athletes at OLSH is a Catholic school tradition that brings together student-athletes, families, coaches, and the Felician Sisters at the start of each sports season. Held in the OLSH Chapel, this special liturgy is a defining part of student life at this Catholic high school, where athletes receive a blessing for safety, strength, teamwork, and good sportsmanship. The ceremony asks for God’s guidance and protection as students represent OLSH in athletics both on and off the field. This annual event highlights the strong connection between faith, character, and athletics in the OLSH community and reflects the school’s commitment to developing student-athletes who lead with integrity.
Consecration of the school to Our Lady
Consecration of the School to Our Lady at OLSH is a Catholic tradition in which the entire school community entrusts the mission, students, faculty, and future of the school to the care and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As a Catholic high school rooted in the Felician Sisters’ tradition, OLSH participates in this prayerful act to seek Mary’s guidance and protection while growing closer to Christ through her example. This consecration is a unifying moment of faith that strengthens the school’s Catholic identity and reinforces its values of prayer, service, and spiritual growth.
May Crowning
May Crowning at OLSH is a cherished Catholic school tradition that honors the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of Heaven and Mother of the Church. Held each year in May, this celebration brings the OLSH community together in prayer, song, and reflection as a statue of Mary is symbolically crowned with flowers. As a Catholic high school rooted in the Felician Sisters’ tradition, OLSH uses this liturgy to highlight Mary’s example of faith, humility, and devotion to God. The May Crowning is a meaningful expression of Catholic identity and invites students to deepen their spiritual connection during the month dedicated to Mary.
