The concept of the first all-boys Catholic high school in Queens was conceived on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in the early 1940s out of a friendship between Msgr.

The Brothers of Holy Cross were invited to staff the Boys' Department of St. Thomas Aquinas in 1944 and St. Francis of Assisi in 1947.

Within two months after coming to St. Thomas Aquinas, the Brothers were invited to establish a high school in the Bayside West section of Queens.

In September 1955, ten years after the initial plans were drawn, Holy Cross High School officially opened in the still incomplete building.

While at Notre Dame, Begley played under legendary Coach Frank Leahy in the late 1940s winning 3 National Championships.

Holy Cross began as a comprehensive high school offering college preparatory courses in addition to conducting programs in industrial arts and general studies.

Besides athletics, Holy Cross offers many intellectual pursuits such as, but not limited to: Campus Ministry, Student Government, and the National Honor Society (NHS).