In the spring of 1920 the Philadelphia Catholic League was formed as youth competitive youth organization for the few Catholic school in and around the city of Philadelphia. Founded by the now immenient, Monsignor Bonner, an Augustinian monk, on the porch of Villanova Augustinian Academy (which is now called 'Alumni Hall' and part of Villanova University campus since the preparatory school moved to down the street to Malvern in 1923, becoming what is now Malvern Prep).
The five original regional Catholic schools that were members of the league were namely: St. Joseph's Preparatory, LaSalle College High School, Villanova Augustinian Academy, West Philadelphia Catholic High School and Roman Catholic High School. In the years following the league's founding other schools would be built to accommodate the region's growing need for High Schools. Salesianium Catholic High School in Delaware was admitted to the league in the fall of 1922. The Order of Saint Francis De Sales would open Northeast Catholic High School four years later in 1926, followed its counter part in south Philadelphia, namely South Catholic High School (which is currently called Neumann-Goretti after several name changes) in 1935. Saint John's Catholic High school in New Jersey was admitted in 1935, Saint Thomas More Catholic High School would open in 1937 and be admitted as well, followed by Saint James in Chester in 1943.
The original three sports the league presided over were football in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. In the spring of 1944, after the majority of the fear of shutting down athletics to help support the war effort had subsided, the league made a decision to expand the range of league sports incorporating, Track in the spring, wrestling in the winter and Cross-Country in the fall.
Since that time, the league has experienced a significant growth in regards to membership. They following are schools, past and present, who have been members of the league and participated:
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Saint James Catholic High School | 1944-1993 |
| Saint Joseph's Preparatory School | 1944-Present | |
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South Philadelphia Catholic High School | 1944-1953 |
| LaSalle College High school | 1944-Present | |
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West Philadelphia Catholic High School | 1944-Present |
| Northeast Philadelphia Catholic High School | 1944-Present | |
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Roman Catholic High School | 1944-Prsent |
| Saint Thomas More High School | 1944-1975 | |
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Saint John Neumann High School | 1953-2004 |
| Father Judge High School | 1954-Present | |
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Monsignor Bonner High School | 1955-Present |
| Cardinal Dougherty High School | 1956-Present | |
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Bishop Egan High School | 1957-1993 |
| Cardinal O'Hara High School | 1963-Present | |
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Archbishop Wood High School | 1964-Present |
| Archbishop Ryan High School | 1966-Present | |
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Archbishop Carroll High School | 1967-Present |
| Conwell-Egan High School | 1993-Present | |
| Neumann-Goretti High School | 2004-Present | |
| Bishop McDevitt Catholic High School | 1958- | |
| Archbishop Kennedy Catholic High School | 1963-1993 | |
| Kennedy-Kendrick Catholic High School | 1993- |