St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School

Education is the second pillar of our motto, “God, Education, Work.” Liberia Mission is dedicated to offering education access for impoverished students in Liberia, and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School is our instrument of delivering that promise. Each year we offer Kindergarten—9th-grade education at affordable prices, not only to our residential students on the mission, but also to over 450 youth of the surrounding communities.

With such a high percentage of the poorest primary-aged children in Liberia out of school, we provide scholarships and tuition subsidies to make it possible for these students to attend. In addition to the quality education delivered, the school also provides jobs to over twenty-five members of the local community—many of which who are mothers and fathers to children that attend the school.

Each morning the students line up for daily devotion, sing hymns, read Bible passages, and pray decades of the rosary. Doctrine is a class all students take that teaches them the tenants of the Catholic faith; and every month, on the first Friday, there is an all-school Holy Mass. Additionally, there are events and seasons throughout the year that the school celebrates in conjunction with the Catholic Church, such as Advent and Lent.

Our annual rosary procession is in October, the Month of the Rosary.

Our students, in addition to academics, are also taught the benefit and importance of prayer.

We want to be humble, but we must also be honest. Our school has a strong reputation for academic excellence. The administration, teachers, and support staff are all committed to providing the best quality education possible; many of them have bachelor’s degrees, which is rare in the primary school setting in Liberia. Our success is evident in our results: for the past two years, our 9th-grade classes have achieved a 100% pass-rate on the WAEC exam, which is a regional, standardized test delivered in the fifteen countries of West Africa. This achievement in and of itself is a huge accomplishment and a real indicator that the quality of education provided by St. Anthony is ever-increasing.

Prince teaches our students some practical science knowledge.

Our students participate in work projects throughout the year. Before being cleared for graduation, our ninth-graders complete over 1,000 hours of service-related work that enhances the quality of life both on and off campus. Every year the student council utilizes its funds to implement a project that benefits the entirety of the student body, such as benches, trash cans, or a new flag pole. This year they decided to install fans in each classroom that will provide much-needed relief from the hot Liberian sun!

Student council installs fans they purchased with student council funds.

Our ninth-graders give back during their service project.

We are so proud of how far St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School has come throughout the years, and there is so much to look forward to as well! Each new year brings new development, new successes, and new standards to achieve and surpass. Please know that your prayers and material support do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. The whole student body prays for you every morning at devotion … a big, collective, Liberian, “THANK YOU, O!”