About Us

About Regis St. Mary

With the merging of Regis High School and St. Mary Catholic School, Regis St. Mary Catholic School officially began operating as one PreK-12 school system on July 1, 2017. Regis St. Mary Catholic School is a nonprofit, private corporation established by the Archdiocese of Portland. The Archbishop is the sole “member” of the corporation. The board serves as an agent of the Archbishop to provide, within the prescribed limitations, governance for the school. One board of directors serves as primary governance for the united school.

Campus History

St. Mary Catholic School has been serving the students of Stayton since its founding by the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon in 1929. The school was originally staffed by two sisters and had an enrollment of 45 students. The current school building across from Immaculate Conception was constructed in 1955, with an addition completed in 1959. In 2002, the middle school building with science lab was added to accommodate growing enrollment.

In the early 1960s, community members came together to fulfill a long-held vision, one that would bring a high-quality and well-balanced Catholic education to high school students in the Santiam Canyon and Mid-Willamette Valley. The names of these founders are engraved on a plaque in the Regis courtyard, honoring their proud and bold legacy. Regis High School opened its doors in the fall of 1963 and celebrated its blessing and dedication led by Principal Rev. Francis Campbell and Archbishop Edward D. Howard.

Vision Statement

Regis St. Mary is a joyful Holy Spirit inspired Catholic education community,
journeying with families in passing on the faith to their children,
so “they may have a full chance at life.”

Mission Statement

Regis St. Mary develops disciples of Christ who love, learn, lead, and serve.

Motto

Viva Cristo Rey! Que Viva!

School Year Theme 2024-25

Joy

Core Values

These core values guide how we interact with each other and the attributes we seek to instill in our students as we develop disciples of Christ who love, learn, lead, and serve.

(Love) Prayer: Prayer is the pathway to holiness. It is through prayer a person shows gratitude to God and grows in a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. To pray effectively requires dedicated times of purposeful silence and stepping away from the distractions of the world to focus solely on life in the Trinity. Two of the most effective forms of prayer are reading sacred scripture and participating in the Eucharist.

(Love) Community: Christians are saved by Jesus Christ as part of a people. They do not journey through life on their own but depend upon one another. When a person relies solely on themself, they frequently stumble and fall into sin. It is the small details of love, compassion, and forgiveness that are the distinctive mark of a true Christian community. This is true of the Trinity, the Holy Family, and our school. All Christians are called to be persons of community and to love each other so that all will reach their full potential on earth, and be with God and one another in heaven.

(Learn) Patience: Patience allows a person to bear through difficult times and situations without becoming sorrowful. A patient person sees the good beyond the current challenging circumstances and still grows in sanctity and trust in God. In a world that is focused excessively on the immediate need to get things done, a patient person is an effective counter-witness to a society that insists on rushing around.

(Learn) Perseverance: Perseverance is an inner strength that allows an individual to deal with the ups and downs of life as well as with the failings of others. In challenging circumstances, instead of lashing out, perseverance helps individuals to continue to put their faith in God and people. Perseverance also enables a person to accompany others in their anxiety and distress, even though doing so may not bring immediate satisfaction.

(Lead) Boldness: Boldness allows a person to pursue great things for God and to leave a mark on the world. Christian boldness is always done out of humility to bring glory to God and not for an individual’s ego. The bold especially recognize their own strengths and weaknesses which allows them to serve others effectively without being concerned about failure because they have deep trust in Jesus.

(Lead) Passion: Passion allows a person to break out of their comfort zones and take on new initiatives with zeal and enthusiasm. Those who have passion let the Holy Spirit guide their lives and serve the Lord in new and exciting ways. Passion enables a person to fully open their heart to share the Gospel to the world with boldness and fidelity to the teachings of the Church. Passionate people are able to serve their brothers and sisters in need with the love of Christ.

(Serve) Joy: Joy is the response of a person who recognizes the love that God has freely given them and this spontaneously overflows into their dealings with others. Joy is exemplified by the lives of the saints, who no matter the challenges of life, remained confident in God’s love for them and shared this love with all that they met. Joy is an antidote to those who focus only on “receiving” material wealth as a source of happiness. The joyful person knows that it is only by giving of themselves that they become united to God and their fellow man.

(Serve) Hospitality: Hospitality is the ability to welcome each person as if they were Christ, especially those new to the community. Every individual, made in the image of God, is unique and worthy of our respect and understanding. To care for each other, we must first truly know each other. As an education community, we seek to recognize the needs and call forth the talents and gifts of every person. A person grounded in hospitality feels compelled to participate in works of social justice to build up the Kingdom of God.

(Love) Wonder: Wonder enables a person to see God’s hand in all things — in all peoples, cultures, areas of study and learning, and in every human experience. In finding God in all things, we discover sacred moments in everyday life — grace-filled opportunities to encounter God in nature, our relationships, our academic pursuits, our own stories, and in the stories of those around us. A person steeped in wonder realizes their connectedness to God and how they are called to participate in transforming the world in both big and small ways.

Education Philosophy

Following the command of Jesus, Regis St. Mary Catholic School joyfully proclaims the Kingdom of God in the Santiam Canyon. We meet families where they are in their faith lives and journey with them as they grow in discipleship, knowledge, and love of Christ the King.

Recognizing the primary role of parents in passing on the Catholic faith to their children, we partner with families to teach all students to love God and serve Jesus in their neighbors in need.

Drawing upon the rich Catholic educational heritage of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon and the Benedictine-inspired values of our local parishes, we educate students spiritually, academically, emotionally, socially, and physically taking into account each individual’s unique needs and abilities.

We believe by integrating faith and service into all aspects of our curriculum and exemplifying Christian values throughout our school, our students will be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to evangelize the world as disciples of Christ.