Cornelia Connelly, Foundress of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus
Mayfield offers an education with a distinctive spirit, grounded in the educational philosophy and spirituality of Cornelia Connelly, who founded the Society of the Holy Child Jesus in England in 1846. As an educator, Cornelia strove “to provide an intellectually challenging and creative program of study that fosters academic excellence” and “a faith commitment that engenders a joyous, personal response to God in the challenges of the world.”

Holy Child Educational Philosophy
As a result of Cornelia Connelly’s vision, the hallmark of a Holy Child School is its emphasis on respect, trust and joy. The educational system is based on trust and reverence for the dignity of every human being. Cornelia exhorted Holy Child educators to carry this spirit of trust and reverence to students of diverse backgrounds as they sought to respond to the “wants of the age” in which they lived.

Spread of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus
The Society and its schools spread from England to the United States in the early 1860s, to continental Europe in the 1870s, then to Africa in 1930. In the United States, the Society grew from Pennsylvania westward, arriving in Pasadena when five sisters established the Mayfield School in 1931.

The Mayfield Schools
Named after the Society’s school at Mayfield in Sussex, England, Pasadena’s Mayfield School was located on Euclid Avenue. By 1950, the school had grown so much that it was necessary to move the older students to another campus, and Mayfield Senior School opened on Bellefontaine Street.

Mayfield: The Early Years

Mayfield Senior School of the Holy Child Jesus is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for girls sponsored by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus. The school is committed to academic excellence within the context of Christian values. Mayfield’s philosophy is rooted in the belief that knowledge is best gained in an atmosphere of disciplined thought, personal concern and religious awareness. Mayfield fosters each student’s intellectual, spiritual, artistic, emotional and physical gifts, thereby enabling each to make a meaningful contribution to society. Mayfield also challenges each student to reach beyond herself and render service to others. Respectful of its traditions, Mayfield is always open to the new, “meeting the wants of the age” in the spirit of Cornelia Connelly, foundress of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.