On Saturday, La Salle Academy celebrates return to 2nd Street campus

La Salle Academy, one of New York's oldest Catholic high schools, is returning to its longtime East Village home on Second Street after 15 years on Sixth Street. 

On Saturday, the school will hold a ceremony at 44 E. Second St. (near Second Avenue) beginning at 9:30 a.m. The day will start with a mass in the gym celebrated by Bishop Edmund Whalen, followed by a blessing of the building and the unveiling of a new 9/11 memorial plaque honoring 12 La Salle alumni who died that day, including FDNY Chief Ray Downey. 

The FDNY Emerald Society Pipes and Drums will perform as part of the proceedings. 

La Salle, an all-boys school, had operated out of St. George Academy on Sixth Street since 2010. The Nord Anglia International School New York, which previously leased 44 E. Second St., relocated to Gramercy Park for the fall. 

With enrollment on the rise, the Christian Brothers and alumni have invested in modernizing the Second Street building, which had been the school's home from 1856 to 2010. 

As part of the celebration, Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue will be closed to traffic until 3 p.m. The block will feature food from local restaurants, music and games for La Salle supporters and the EV community. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• School shuffle: La Salle Returning to 2nd Street as St. George seeks new tenants