Who We Are

Bishop McNamara Catholic School celebrated its 100th anniversary during the 2022-2023 school year. St. Patrick High School began in 1922, then in 1956 it became St. Patrick Central High School. In 1965 the school became known as Bishop McNamara High School. In 2016 we became our present day Bishop McNamara Catholic School. It was at this time, we regionalized our catholic grade schools as well, becoming a Pre-K-12th grade school.

 

Bishop McNamara is a member of the Illinois High School Association, the Illinois Elementary School Association, and the Chicagoland Christian Conference.  Bishop McNamara participates in 27 IHSA athletics/activities and 14 IESA athletics/activities. Bishop McNamara is dedicated to help our students become better people by promoting the values of teamwork, commitment and dedication. These values are the main characteristics for success in athletics as well as in life.

 

The Irish have seen success in their rich history at the state level. Football leads the Irish with 5 IHSA State Championships, Boys Golf have earned two, and Girls Softball and Girls Basketball each with one. The Irish have seen themselves Runner-Up in the IHSA State Championships six times.

 

Along with our championships, the Irish have seen countless state qualifiers in individual sports like cross country, tennis, wrestling, and track and field. Wrestling has 15 individual state champions, along with 42 IHSA All State Wrestlers.

 

Activities are just as successful at Bishop McNamara. In 2022 the IHSA began a state series for eSports, and the Irish wasted no time making their presence in that event, placing an individual in the top 16 the first year of the state series. The Irish began a Chess team in 2022, who finished in the IHSA top 10 in 2023.

 

Bishop McNamara alumni have gone on to play professional sports in football and bowling: Thomas Guynes ’92 (Arizona Cardinals), Tyjuan Hagler ’00 (Indianapolis Colts, Super Bowl XLI Champion), Jonathan Ward ’16 (Arizona Cardinals & Tennessee Titans), and Dylan Deatherage ’17 (Houston Texans). Brandi Branka ’08 is a professional bowler.

 

Irish traditions run deep at Bishop McNamara, with those traditions continuing each year. Belong to something bigger, Be Irish Greatness!

 

 

Irish IHSA State Champions:
Football: 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2015
Boys Golf: 1992, 2000
Girls Softball: 2013
Girls Basketball: 2015

 

Irish IHSA State Runner-Up
Football: 1978, 1981, 1998, 2018
Girls Cross Country: 1995
Competitive Dance: 2014

 

 

Irish IESA State Champions:
Baseball: 2022, 2023

 

Irish IESA Runner-Up
Boys Basketball: 2022
Girls Volleyball: 2022