Notre Dame among top U.S. Catholic high schools

Brother David Migliorino, a Franciscan monk who directs Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau, kept his mouth shut even though he wanted to shout the news days ago.

But today the principal will tell students his secret: The school ranks among the top 50 Catholic high schools in the nation.

Migliorino planned to disclose the news to the school's 490 students at a morning prayer service.

The high school principal said he hadn't even told faculty the news. "I am really dying to see the kids' reaction and the faculty reaction," he said.

The Catholic Action Group, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., annually chooses what it considers to be the best Catholic high schools.

The group lists the top 50 schools on its Catholic high school honor roll.

Notre Dame Regional High School is the first Catholic high school in the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese ever to receive the award, Migliorino said.

"We got the award for our Catholic identity, academic excellence and civic pride," he said.

Regarding civic pride, he said, the school received high marks for its social ministry, Christian service and the teaching of social justice.

The high school, he said, is committed to spreading the Gospel. "We incorporate that in every subject and in the mission of the school."