Bishop Canevin High School is named for Archbishop John Francis Regis Canevin, born June 5, 1853, who rose to become the fifth Bishop of Pittsburgh, the first native son to hold this office. He governed the diocese from 1904 until 1920. Archbishop Canevin spent his days as Chief Shepherd of the Pittsburgh Diocese, truly reflecting his motto that “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it.” (Ps. 126)

In 1958, His Excellency, the Most Reverend John F. Dearden, Bishop of Pittsburgh, announced that a high school intended to serve the Chartiers Valley was to be erected on the diocesan property adjacent to St. Paul’s Orphanage, now St. Paul’s Seminary. Ground was broken for Canevin High School on this site on August 17, 1958. The completed building was dedicated on November 22, 1959 by the Most Reverend John J. Wright. The first headmaster, The Reverend Leo G. Henry, opened the school to a freshman class of 217 boys and 218 girls in September, 1959. Under Father Henry, a faculty was assembled from five communities of sisters, and supplemented by two laymen.

With the addition of successive classes each year, three more communities of sisters were added to the faculty. Bishop Wright also sought a community of priests and brothers to administer the school and staff the boys’ division. In 1961 a contract was signed between the Diocese of Pittsburgh and the Province of the Immaculate Conception of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, entrusting the administration of the entire school to them. A pioneer contingent of eight Conventual Franciscan priests joined the faculty under Father Henry for the 1961-1962 school year.

The full co-institutional character of Canevin High School was realized with the installment of Reverend Gervase M. Beyer, O.F.M. Conv. at the beginning of the 1962-1963 school year. Canevin housed two separate faculties, one for boys and one for girls. Members of the communities of the Sister of St. Agnes, Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Divine Providence, Felician Sisters, Sisters of St. Francis (Millvale), Franciscan Sisters of Baltimore, Sisters of the Holy Ghost and Sisters of Mercy all served at Canevin. A number of laymen and laywomen also served on both faculties.

In 1963, Canevin High School received Pennsylvania State Accreditation. On Sunday, June 2, 1963, the Most Reverend John J. Wright presided at the first Canevin Commencement at the Syria Mosque in Oakland; 151 boys and 152 girls were the first graduating class. In March of 1965, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools Evaluation Committee reviewed Canevin High School and endorsed the school’s accreditation. In January 1966, notification was received of full accreditation.

During the 1970-1971 school year, the newly appointed headmaster, Reverend Canice Connors, O.F.M. Conv. shifted Canevin toward a more integrated co-educational school, improving the variety and quality of curriculum, professional staff and building facilities.

Under the leadership of Reverend Julian Zambanini, O.F.M. Conv., Headmaster (1972-1975), Canevin prepared for its ten year re-evaluation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools

The early seventies were a time of transition for Canevin High School. In the summer of 1975, Reverend Robert Sochor, O.F.M. Conv. who had been teaching at Canevin for seven years, became Headmaster. The Diocese of Pittsburgh assumed responsibility for the administration of the high school in 1976, and Reverend Donald J. Sotak became Headmaster.

A precedent was set in January 1979 when Mr. John Maurer assumed the leadership of Canevin. Mr. Maurer was the first lay headmaster of a diocesan district high school. The more than twenty-two years that Mr. Maurer had served as Headmaster is the longest tenure of any Canevin Headmaster. Under his leadership Canevin Catholic High School celebrated the thirty-fifth anniversary of its founding and also underwent a fourth evaluation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Once again, Canevin Catholic was not only given Accreditation but likewise cited for having an outstanding academic program. The fifth Middle States Evaluation occurred in 1995, and since that time Canevin Catholic has maintained fully accredited status.

At the end of the 2001-2002 school year, Mr. Maurer retired and Mr. Kenneth Sinagra was named Principal of Canevin Catholic High School beginning with the 2002-2003 school year. In November 2002, the new school administration and advisory board petitioned the diocese to formally change the name of the school to Bishop Canevin High School to reflect its Catholic identity and to emphasize its roots as a diocesan school named after the prominent bishop.

During the 2004-05 school year, Bishop Canevin High School underwent its fifth evaluation by the Middle States Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges. Under the new Validating the Vision model, Bishop Canevin once again received accreditation for the next seven years.