Oratory Athenæum for University Preparation is a private

Private school

Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...

, Roman Catholic high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 in Pharr, Texas

Pharr, Texas

Pharr is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 70,400. Pharr is connected by bridge to the Mexican city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas...

. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville

Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on July 10, 1965. The number of catholics is 943,611 among the total population of 1,110,130 in 2006...

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Background

The Oratory Athenæum for University Preparation was established in 1998 as an extension of The Pharr Oratory School System of St. Philip Neri, established in 1983 by the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri of Pontifical Rights of Pharr, Texas. It was the first Catholic high school in Hidalgo County, Texas

Hidalgo County, Texas

Hidalgo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Located in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Hidalgo County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States, and is the seventh most-populous county in Texas. Its population in 2010 was 774,769, a 35% increase from 2000...

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Mission statement

The mission of the Oratory Schools is to promote the formation of Christian character, Catholic lay leadership, Christian fellowship, and community service by integrating the gospel message with a liberal arts educational program in the spirit of the joy exemplified by its founder, Saint Philip Neri.