The incarnation of Dolores Mission School began three decades after Dolores Mission Church was founded in 1925. The parish grew, and in 1950 the people of this community asked the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to join them in addressing the needs that it had identified for itself. Consequently, Dolores Mission School was founded. Since 1980 the Society of Jesus, committed to the challenges and hopes of Dolores Mission, has been responsible for the parish and school.
Dolores Mission is located in Boyle Heights in the East Los Angeles region of the city across from the Los Angeles River. The campus is surrounded by three housing projects, which house families who earn only 10-30% of the median income in Los Angeles County. Our student population is 97% Latino, 60% are classified as English Language Learners and 75% of families live below the federal poverty level, despite one or both parents working full time.
While most parish communities and schools are supported by its parishioners and their respective families, Dolores Mission finds itself on the opposite end, helping support the harsh realities of its parishioners and families by working together with the community for to promote safety and stability and offer a quality education in a nurturing environment.