St. Jean de Brébeuf Catholic Secondary School "Anima, Mens, Corpus: soul, mind, body"

St. Jean de Brébeuf was a giant among men, an outstanding academician, and extremely spiritual in his dedication and courage. This French Jesuit priest was martyred in 1649 after introducing Christian values to the Huron Indians in the Midland area for 16 years. So it only seemed fitting that his name would grace the new Catholic Secondary School on the Hamilton Mountain that would open its doors to 450 grade 9 and 10 students in 1974.

"Anima, mens, corpus - soul mind, body" soon followed as the school's motto in 1975. It embodied the heart and soul of the school's mission, as did the naming of the school's first yearbook publication, "Echon", Huron for the "the Brave One". Each student was now learning under the guidance of his or her own heroic pioneer and spiritual mentor.

In 1978, the first Graduation Class from start to finish at Brébeuf, donated a painting of St. Jean de Brébeuf to the school to be hung as a reminder to students, staff, and visitors that the school's namesake was a person to be emulated on a daily basis. The Stations of the Cross were also presented in this same year. A mere four years after opening its doors, the Brébeuf family was growing in numbers, academic success, athletic prowess, and dedication to community causes. St. Jean de Brébeuf, the Jesuit Saint, was indeed implanting his faith in the hearts, minds, and souls of the school's community.

By 1984, St. Jean de Brébeuf's 10th Anniversary marked the lives of 1,066 students. Indeed, the greatest challenge was keeping pace with the skyrocketing enrolment. By 1992, 1648 students graced the halls of the building on Acadia Drive. Newly renovated spaces included a new library, "The Founders of Brébeuf", and a chapel in 2000. An outstanding gym facility with a fitness centre was completed in 2003.

Currently, St. Jean de Brébeuf's enrolment is over 1900 students strong. It is with great pride that the staff and the parish community work together to provide Brébeuf's students with dedicated support, solid curricula, and a spiritually charged learning environment.