Who we are

Philadelphia merchant Thomas E. Cahill left most of his fortune to found a free Catholic high school for boys. Roman Catholic High School opened at Broad and Vine in 1890, and its graduates are still called Cahillites in his honor.

Alumni formed the Alumni Association in 1915, for the school’s 25th anniversary. Today it is led by an Executive Board and special committees of Roman alumni. We work alongside Roman’s Office of Mission Advancement, and the Cahill Club, Roman’s fraternal alumni club since 1897, is one of our special committees. We welcome all alumni, their families, and friends of the school.

What we fund

In its 2024–25 fiscal year, the Association granted $1,160,457 to Roman Catholic High School for student scholarships and tuition. As reported to the IRS, its programs fund scholarships and grants for more than 70% of Roman’s students, help with student recruitment, student activities, and athletic programs, and support the school’s academic and alumni events.

Source: the Association’s Form 990 for the year ended June 30, 2025, available on ProPublica.

To foster relations with alumni of Roman Catholic High School; to promote the interests and general welfare of Roman Catholic High School; to maintain and advance Catholic education and academic excellence.

Why “Cahillite”?

Roman Catholic High School’s students and alumni are called Cahillites, after the school’s founder, Thomas E. Cahill. The Association’s website, Cahillite.com, takes its name from them.

Our relationship to Roman Catholic High School

The Alumni Association is a separate organization from Roman Catholic High School. It has its own 501(c)(3) tax exemption (EIN 23-1872983) and its own Executive Board. It supports the school and its students, and it owns and operates Cahillite.com. The school’s official website is romancatholichs.com.

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