In 1882, a group of Presentation Sisters from Ireland, immigrated to Fargo, North Dakota and opened St. Joseph's Academy, the first Catholic school in Fargo. In 1897, the school was renamed Sacred Heart Academy and moved into a new building on North Broadway. Sacred Heart originally provided primary and secondary education. After the 1950 academic year, the school moved to a new building, and was renamed Shanley High School in honor of John Shanley, the first bishop of Fargo. Less than a decade after opening, the school was severely damaged by the 1957 Fargo tornado, an F5tornado that destroyed much of north Fargo. Starting in 1964, the De LaSalle Christian Brothers began involvement with the school, acting as both administrators and teachers. Christian Brothers and Presentation Sisters would continue to work in the school until 1989. In 2001, construction began on the joint Shanley High School and Sullivan Middle School building. This $13.9 million project moved the school from its original location in north Fargo to an 80-acre site in south Fargo shared with Sts. Anne & Joachim Catholic Church. The final academic year in the original building completed in May 2002. In the fall of 2010, Shanley High School completed construction and expansion of existing activities facilities along with the creation of a multi-purpose football and soccer field named "Sid Cichy Stadium" in honor of one of the program's former coaches. The project includes plans for a baseball field as well as track and field facilities.
Activities
Athletics
Throughout the 1950s to 1970s, Shanley's football team rose to prominence under head coach Sid Cichy. Throughout his tenure the team won 16 state titles and completed 11 undefeated seasons. At one time the Deacons held the record for longest consecutive unbeaten streak in the country, having won 59 games in a row. In 2009, Shanley was reclassed to "AA", the second level of North Dakota's four-class football system. Shanley also has shown its ability to produce NFL talent as of late.
Shanley is home to a large choral program with two choirs, the Concert Chorale and the Varsity Choir, both directed by Patrick McGuire. Members of the choir are also able to participate in numerous music festivals and competitions. In the fall of 2005, Shanley's Concert Chorale was given the designation of "Governor's Choir" for the state of North Dakota.
Faith and service activities
Deacon Day
Deacon Day is Shanley High School's annual day of service. This generally occurs in the fall during the school's homecoming week and stands as a strong marker of Shanley's commitment to Catholic social teachings. Faculty and staff members lead groups of students as they serve at a variety of locations in the Fargo-Moorhead community. All Shanley students participate in this day of community service. In the past, students have served at homeless shelters, food banks, churches, schools, parks, and other non-profits in the area. September 24, 2014 marked the 16th annual Deacon Day.
For years Shanley High School has had a strong and active Teens for Life group. Due to their substantial pro-life activism, the Students for Life of America Conference named Shanley's Teens for Life group the National Pro-Life High School Group of the year in 2013. Shanley was honored again in 2014 when the National March-for-Life Committee selected Shanley to carry the lead banner in the 2015 National March-for-Life in Washington, DC. Shanley High School plans to have the entire student body march in the 2015 March-for-Life.
