
Welcome to John Bapst Memorial High School, a college-preparatory school serving grades 9-12 in Bangor, Maine.
Walking the halls of John Bapst, you immediately feel the presence of history and tradition. This has been a school of achievers for many years. It’s important to note, however, that competition at John Bapst doesn’t have to do with winning at somebody else’s expense; rather, it’s a challenge to discover what an individual is capable of and what a community can accomplish together.
We hope you feel the presence of something else at John Bapst as well—a spirit of friendliness and supportiveness. In the world we inhabit, kindness and generosity can seem to be in short supply. If any place should work to counter that tendency, schools should.
In her poem “Am I Not Among the Early Risers,” Mary Oliver asks a rhetorical question about weather and about life:
Have I ever said that the day was too hot or too cold
or the night too long and as black as oil anyway,
or the morning, washed blue and emptied entirely
of the second rate, less than happiness
as I stepped down from the porch and set out along
the green paths of the world?
I think of these words of wisdom when times are challenging. Would I wish for other times, other places, other people with whom to set out along the world’s ever-renewing paths? Not really.
To be associated with John Bapst is to be among the early risers literally—many a meeting at school starts at seven in the morning—and metaphorically. Here are talented faculty and staff who care deeply about the school, waking up early to give of themselves to our students. Here too are students who have decided to make the extra effort required of them on their voyages of self-discovery.
We hope you will find information you need on our website, but if not, just give us a call. And if you are considering John Bapst as a school for your student or for yourself, we’ll certainly look forward to meeting you.
With best wishes,

Mel MacKay
John Bapst Memorial High School
100 Broadway
04401