The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia to Hold Groundbreaking for State-of-the-Art STEM Center
The STEM Center is made possible by Mr. Daniel M. DiLella ’69’s $10 million lead gift, the largest commitment in the school’s history.
The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Center. The construction of the new center is being made possible by Mr. Daniel M. DiLella ’69’s $10 million lead gift. It represents the largest single donor commitment in the school’s 136-year history. The new STEM Center will be built on the current site of Roman Catholic’s parking lot on Vine Street.
Mr. John Prendergast ’08, President of The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia; Mr. Daniel DiLella ’69, Chairman of the school’s Board of Directors; Mr. Thomas Leonard, Esq. ’64, President of the school’s Board of Directors; and Mr. Jay DeFruscio, Chief Operating Officer for Secondary Schools for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Office of Catholic Education, will participate in the ceremonial groundbreaking.
In addition, Andrew Stevens ’26, a Campus Ministry leader, will give the Invocation, and Otis Shenk ’26, Student Council President, will offer brief remarks.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
11:00 a.m.
The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia – Learning Commons
301 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Pennsylvania State Representative Mary Isaacson and Philadelphia City Councilman Mark Squilla will be present. Representatives from The Connelly Foundation; Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS); The Ambassador’s Fund for Catholic Education; INTECH Construction; Strada Architecture; PurePM Project Management; and members of the school’s board, alumni, and donors are slated to attend the groundbreaking.
In December 2025, school leadership announced Mr. DiLella’s $10 million commitment to his alma mater as the next phase of Roman Catholic’s Vision of Promise expansion project and unveiled its plan for the state-of-the-art STEM Center. Including Mr. DiLella’s lead gift, the school has raised more than $26 million toward this development initiative. In addition to Mr. DiLella’s role on the school’s board, he serves as Chairman of Equus Capital Partners, Ltd. Mr. Leonard is also Chairman Emeritus at Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell, and Hippel.
Background Information on The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia:
Founded by Thomas E. Cahill in 1890 as the first free Diocesan Catholic high school for boys in the nation, Roman Catholic continues its tradition of excellence as it strives to offer a comprehensive academic curriculum within a disciplined Catholic environment. Enriched by its cultural, racial, and religious diversity, Roman Catholic provides a community where each young man can learn to appreciate and respect the uniqueness of others, while becoming a man of personal integrity. The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia strives to bring the Gospel values of Jesus Christ to its students, while forming a Catholic community which embodies the Christian spirit of service to all. For more information about The Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia, please visit romancatholichs.com/.
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Editor’s Note:
For more information about Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, please visit aopcatholicschools.org/.