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Bishop Marrocco / Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School is a multicultural co-educational Catholic secondary school that provides challenging educational opportunities to all of our students. Throughout the educational process, our students are encouraged and challenged to grow intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically within the framework of a Catholic community.

With the leadership given by our first namesake Bishop Francis Marrocco, whose involvement with social action and the well-being of families is an example to all of us, along with the deep spirituality of our second namesake Thomas Merton, our community has two excellent models to emulate.

A full academic program is offered at the three levels of difficulty. In addition, a gifted program and a program for multiple exceptionality and developmentally delayed students are available.

The Grade 9 program ensures a focus on students acquiring the skills and attitudes necessary for further academic success and to become lifelong learners. At the Grade 9 level, we run a one-to-one reading program which helps our incoming students who have reading and writing difficulties. Senior students are also given the opportunity to tutor the junior students. This valuable experience helps senior students successfully gain access to education programs at the post-secondary level.

The Arts School at Bishop Marrocco / Thomas Merton houses a comprehensive secondary school arts program. The new arts-focused curriculum was introduced by the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) in the fall of 2004.

The Religious Education Program enables students to develop a knowledge of their faith tradition, as well as attitudes that encourage a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Chaplaincy teams in the secondary schools play a vital role in the development of a sense of Christian community and the celebration of faith through prayer groups, liturgies and prayer services, as well as through service to others through peer support groups, mission groups, special needs projects and community outreach to the elderly and disabled.

The discipline in Catholic schools is designed to train both mind and character. Principals and teachers - in partnership with parents and parishes - set standards of behaviour for students to help them achieve self-discipline. All schools, with the assistance of their Catholic School Parent Council (CSPC), have created a student code of conduct that reflects TCDSB’s Safe Schools policies and the Province’s Code of Conduct.

All secondary school students are required to wear the uniform of the school that they attend. The uniform at each school has been developed in consultation with the school community.

Bishop Marrocco / Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School began its history as two schools merged in September 1988. The Merton traditions of 35 years joined with the new school of Bishop Marrocco. Two hundred and fifty Marrocco students met 500 Merton students and 350 grade 9 Marrocco/Merton students who filled the building with bursting energy for starting something new and amazing. This merger brought forth a school dedicated to Catholic principles and the spiritual and academic development of our students.

The lives of Marrocco & Merton both have given excellent examples for our school to follow. Bishop Marrocco created the Institute For Social Action and was also the chairperson of the Ecumenical Committee on Housing, through which he brought assistance and support to a large number of immigrant families. We continue to welcome and support the new - as well as the more established - immigrants in our community. Our school has a rich multicultural population which contributes to our focus on justice for all. As a school we have taken on Marrocco’s spirit for social action as witnessed in our yearly social justice week.

At the same time, we look to Thomas Merton as an example of a man with a deep spiritual life. As a Trappist monk, prayer, silence and contemplation were his daily bread, but he also wrote extensively about his vision of world peace. He wrote of God’s love and love of neighbour, and he criticized social prejudice and injustice. As a school, we take up Merton’s challenge to discover what he calls our “true self” and to recognize our students’ precious dignity as human persons created in God’s image. He calls us to be people who bring Jesus’ peace, love and truth to those we meet each day.

As the history of our school evolves, the staff and students at Marrocco/Merton are committed to creating a Christian atmosphere, which encourages each of us to “act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with God.”

At Bishop Marrocco / Thomas Merton, we invite students to become active participants in the process of Catholic Education. The students within our community are encouraged and challenged to grow intellectually and spiritually in a manner consistent with our Catholic heritage. We treat all students with “respect and dignity” and we appreciate their talents and gifts. Our students are taught that education consists of much more than the understanding of skills required in a particular vocation or profession. They also learn to apply their accumulated wisdom to problems in life. Our community is a safe and welcoming environment that takes pride in service to all students.