To our Trenton Catholic Academy School community,

This week our students will be returning to Trenton Catholic Academy both in-person and virtually.  As you know from the many news stories on returning to school, preparing for this was not an easy task.  Multiple considerations and accommodations were made with the safety and security of our students and staff as the number one priority.  We are certain that the preventative measures, safety protocols, cleaning and sanitizing plans and technological infrastructure upgrades, will allow for a safe and fruitful return for our TCA community.

I would like to thank you for your support these past few months as we prepare for this unprecedented return to school. Yes, we are venturing into uncharted waters, but with preparation and faith, we are ready to provide the best educational opportunities for our students; whether they are learning in our building or remotely.

This year our theme is Faith Forward, and it truly embodies the spirit of our administration,  faculty and staff who have worked tirelessly this summer to prepare for the 2020-2021 school year.  It is their faith, perseverance and desire to “serve the youth to whom God gives tomorrow” as our founder, Monsignor Michael McCorrisitin asserted, that has allowed us to open our classroom doors (and Google classrooms) to over 530 Iron Mikes and their families who desire a Catholic education.

I encourage you to follow our journey on social media and our website as we move forward with our school reopening plan, which we have named, Project Hope. I also ask  that you continue to keep us in your prayers as we begin this new school year.

I look forward to keeping you updated on our progress and will continue to hold you all in prayer.

Sincerely,

Michael Knowles, President

A Back to School Prayer for 2020

with our many feelings, expectations, fears and hopes. 

Help us to remember, however, we have the comforting

assurance from you: "I will always be with you."

Loving God, for all of us this is a time of transition. It is transition 

from the work and leisure of summer back to the classroom.

It is a transition from time spent with family and friends.

Give us patience with ourselves and with one another during this time of change. Keep us healthy and safe as we grow in your love.

Faithful God, this beginning is very new for all of us.

Turn the anxiety about the academic school year to a quiet confidence in the way

you have blessed us in the past. Give us a new perspective to see persons, events, and academic work as an invitation to develop the many gifts you have given us to be used in service for our students and their families. May we always remember to “serve the youth whom God gives tomorrow.”

We ask all of this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Located on a beautiful, quiet 64-acre campus in suburban Hamilton, NJ, Trenton Catholic Academy serves as the regional PreK-12 school for the Diocese of Trenton. With a demanding preparatory curriculum, TCA prepares a universal population to succeed now, as well as in college and beyond.

The PreK thru 8th and 9th thru 12th schools are located in separate wings connected by a corridor. Students share a chapel, gymnasium and cafeteria.

Competitive TCA athletic teams play in top-notch facilities. The gymnasium, baseball, track & field, and soccer fields have received extensive renovations over the last five years. 

TCA’s affordable tuition for private school is considered even a greater value considering generous financial assistance received by more than 85% of families.Classes are sized to allow teachers to provide individualized attention and support.

The Upper School graduation and college acceptance rate is routinely 100%. The average amount of college scholarships/grants extended that graduates receive range from $50-$70K.

In 1962 the all-boys Trenton Catholic High School announced it would close its doors. Concerned for the academic and spiritual future of area youth, Monsignor Michael P. McCorristin, pastor of St. Anthony Parish, petitioned Bishop George Ahr of the Diocese of Trenton, to build a new parish high school in Hamilton. Through his vision and the hard work of many, St. Anthony High School was built on the grounds of the former Kuser Estate. In 1965, the first graduating class received their diplomas from newly established, St. Anthony High School.

To staff the new school, Monsignor McCorristin employed the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, who along with lay teachers, educated thousands of students in the Trenton and Hamilton area. In 1979, Bishop Ahr renamed the building, McCorristin Catholic High School in honor of Monsignor McCorristin for his dedication to the students and their families.

In 2005, following a study of area parochial schools, the Diocese of Trenton consolidated four Catholic elementary schools, Holy Cross School, Holy Angels School, Immaculate Conception School and St. Anthony Grammar School with McCorristin Catholic High School to create Trenton Catholic Academy. Sister Dorothy Payne, SSJ, who had previously served in the Office of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Trenton, was named President of the Academy and remained at the helm of the school until her death in 2019. Trenton Catholic Academy remains the only Pre-K-12 regional school in the Diocese of Trenton.

Despite the name changes, the school icon remains the Iron Mike, paying homage to the tough man with the soft heart who made this school possible. TCA carries on Monsignor McCorristin’s dream to enrich students’ lives through quality Catholic education that is affordable.

Our Mission

We educate a culturally and academically diverse student body to be responsible citizens of a global community through a challenging and relevant curriculum centered in Catholic tradition and values. 

Our Vision

We create a thriving, well-respected educational institution dedicated to academic excellence and focused on the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical needs of our students.