History of Bishop Dunne
In 1961, Bishop Dunne Catholic School began under the name Our Lady of Good Counsel High School. The Sisters of St. Mary of Namur had established two girls’ high schools in Dallas; Our Lady of Good Counsel Academy in Oak Cliff in 1901 and St. Edward’s Academy in East Dallas in 1912. At the request of the Diocese of Dallas, the Sisters agreed to close the two high schools and invite students from them to be part of a new entity, a diocesan sponsored high school. The Sisters agreed to continue staffing the girls’ section of the institution, while the Brothers of the Sacred Heart were invited to staff the boys’ section of the school.
In 1969, the school became coeducational. At that time a Brother of the Sacred Heart was named principal, and a Sister of St. Mary of Namur was named assistant principal. The Sisters remained in administrative or teaching capacity at Bishop Dunne until 1992, residing in a convent on the grounds of the school. The Sisters of St. Mary of Namur continue to guide us in our mission and Catholic identity and support our students through generous sponsorships.
Bishop Dunne Catholic School was named for the second Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, Bishop Edward Dunne, who was celebrated for building the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe and many other Catholic institutions at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century. The school began as Our Lady of Good Counsel in 1901, and, in 1961, St. Edward’s Catholic School and our Lady of Good Counsel were combined at the present site. The school was named Bishop Dunne High School in 1963 and Bishop Dunne Catholic School in 2000 with the inclusion of the Middle School.