BETHLEHEM, Pa. — To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Bethlehem Catholic High School has launched a capital campaign to support facilities improvement projects, including updates to its athletic fields.
The school announced its campaign last month. It is working with the firm Petrus Development to raise $15 million to $20 million over the next year.
Joseph Uliana, president of the school’s board of directors, said the Centennial Comprehensive Campaign is an “ambitious” effort meant to make sure Becahi is “ready for the next century.”
“What we're focused on is giving [students] the tools to be successful in this life and the next,” said Uliana, both a former state representative and state senator.
“What we're focused on is giving [students] the tools to be successful in this life and the next."Joseph Uliana, president of Bethlehem Catholic's board of directors
Bethlehem Catholic, which enrolls about 500 students, has been at 2133 Madison Ave. since 1965.
Before moving north to the current site, the school was at 4th and Webster streets in South Bethlehem, where it was founded in spring 1926 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph.
Updating athletic fields, parts of school building
Through the funds generated by the capital campaign, the school plans to update its athletic fields with turf and add a track.
“It will just be taking what we have now and upgrading the playing surfaces and making some minor changes to how our baseball field is situated,” Uliana said.
Currently, the school’s baseball, softball, field hockey, football and soccer teams practice at the grass fields behind the school.
The capital campaign also will raise funds for improvements to the school’s main entrance and rotunda, as well as to renovate its cafeteria and auditorium.
Uliana said the cafeteria update is part of an initiative to improve student life.
The cafeteria will resemble that of one at a college campus. It will be redone as a multiuse space so events and classes can be held there.
The auditorium is a priority, Uliana said, because of the importance of school plays.
Additionally, with the growth of audiovisual technology, he said, many students want to be content creators.
“We want to have those facilities for them to create content because we think that that's important in our overall mission,” he said.
The school also will upgrade classrooms to provide for science and arts activities.
Additionally, the campaign will raise money for student grants to go toward tuition, which currently is $12,300 a year for one student.
Some funds will be earmarked for teacher grants toward merit pay, class projects or field trips.
“We want to make sure that those teachers who are really focused on our Catholic mission get rewarded,” Uliana said.
That mission is what sets Becahi apart from other schools, he said.
"We actively marry our Catholic faith with our education and everything we do."
Projects incorporate students, staff feedback
Funds that are raised will also be put toward the school’s endowment.
Bethlehem Catholic operates through funds generated from its endowment, along with money from tuition, fundraising and the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program.
Bethlehem Catholic Principal Dean Donaher, a former Bethlehem Area School Board director, said priorities for the campaign were developed in part through interviews he conducted with students.
“I would say something like, ‘If money wasn't an obstacle [and] you don't have to think about it, what would you like to see at Bethlehem Catholic that would improve your ability to learn?” he said.
Students mentioned improving the sports fields, renovating the cafeteria and taking more field trips to “get out of the classroom and go see real life situations," he said.
The school’s board of directors also interviewed staff to determine funding priorities.
“This ensures our students benefit from both a rich legacy and new opportunities."Hayley Bedics, Becahi’s English Department Chair
Hayley Bedics, Becahi’s English Department Chair, said in a statement that the school’s campaign proposals “honor our school’s proud traditions and will pave the way for future growth!”
“This ensures our students benefit from both a rich legacy and new opportunities,” she said.
Another Lehigh Valley Catholic high school recently launched a similar capital campaign, too.
Allentown Central Catholic also celebrates its centennial in 2026. It's raising funds for projects similar to those proposed by Becahi.
At ACCHS, those include the development of a turf athletic field, building renovations, student scholarships and more.
