SJS - History

Mission Statement History Directions	Our History
Mission Statement History Directions	In 1819 Bishop Flaget requested the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth to open an elementary day school for the education of the children in the Bardstown, Kentucky area. Bishop David, the founder of this religious order, provided the school staffed by these Sisters.
	The name "Bethlehem" was given to this new school to signify the birth of the first branch house, stemming from Nazareth, the Motherhouse of the Sisters. Bethlehem continued as an elementary school until 1911 when St. Joseph Preparatory School for boys was founded. From 1911 until 1952, Bethlehem continued as a co-educational elementary school and girls' high school. In the fall of 1953, the new St. Joseph Parish School was opened. At that time, it was one of the largest and most modern in the Archdiocese, designed to serve the growing needs of the parish. Bethlehem later became a parish high school for girls. In 1970 it became co-educational after the closing of the St. Joseph Preparatory School.

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