ELGIN—Alumni, students, staff and supportive community members celebrated St. Edward Central Catholic High School, here, at a number of 75th anniversary events Oct. 15.
Activities included an afternoon open house, a Mass at St. Laurence Parish in Elgin with Bishop David Malloy, Father Andrew Mulcahey, pastor, and Father Andrew Deitz, parochial vicar of St. Patrick Parish in St. Charles, and an evening of fellowship with food and fun.
“Family is the word that best describes the St. Edward High School community,” said Barb Villont, superintendent and principal of the school.
“We are blessed with the genuine commitment from generations of families for the good of our school,” she said.
At the open house, former teachers and alumni walked the halls and remembered their days at the school.
John “Jack” Rumple of West Dundee, a 1948 graduate, remembered playing pranks in chemistry class and being called into the principal’s office.
“Sister (Rose) sent me home and said I couldn’t come back unless my father came with me,” he said, smiling.
Students conducting the tours, Victoria Mindykow-ski, Katie Maloney and Jayda Jefferson, all juniors, were amazed at the large number of long-time graduates who came back to see the school.
“We are so family-oriented here,” said Maloney. “Everyone knows each other and we care about each other.”
“I love my school,” Jefferson said.
At the Mass, Bishop Malloy encouraged students to take their faith to heart by coming to Mass and going to confession.
“Heaven and earth are deep realities,” he said, “and there are great dangers to our spiritual life.”
He added, “Catholic education is constant in its effort to give us reason to find friendship in Jesus Christ. It gives us courage to be willing to stand up and live a moral life through the goodness of having others, family and friendships, around you.”
St. Edward High School was founded Sept. 8, 1941 and dedicated Oct. 12 that year.
“The school was named St. Edward in honor of the patron saint of Bishop Edward Hoban,” he said.
“Four Adrian Dominican sisters served as faculty of the school which began with 80 students.”
In 75 years, St. Ed’s has grown through the support of Elgin Deanery parishes — St. Catherine of Siena in West Dundee; St. John Neumann and St. Patrick in St. Charles; St. Joseph, St. Laurence, St. Mary and St. Thomas More in Elgin; St. Mary in Gilberts; and St. Monica in Carpentersville.
“Students at St. Ed’s value discipleship where they learn their Catholic faith by mirroring Christ’s teachings of giving back to others and having great respect for one another,” Villont said.
Their deeds and examples were rewarded when the school received the national “advanced education certification” for discipleship.
There are 357 students and 30 teachers at the school.
While any school has challenges of debt reduction and maintenance, Villont is optimistic about St. Ed’s future.
“We are a diamond in this neighborhood on the hill,” she said. “We have been blessed with 75 years of faith, family and excellence. We eagerly welcome the next 75 years to continue our story.”
Graduates Mark and Ann (Wheeler) Warner of the classes of 1969 and 1979 were co-chairs of the 75th anniversary events.