ST. PETER — The city of St. Peter has had a Catholic school since 1856.
But, according to Steve Boehm, the decision to form the John Ireland Catholic School didn’t come about until 1924, when officials chose to combine two existing schools in the area.
Then, John Ireland Catholic School opened in 1926.
“They named it after John Ireland who was one of the original priests in St. Peter and then became (a) bishop up in St. Paul,” Boehm, who leads the school’s alumni association, said.
This Saturday, the school, located at 1801 Broadway Ave., St. Peter, is celebrating its centennial anniversary.
Festivities kick off with an open house from 2 to 3:45 p.m. Then, mass is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Finally, dinner and cocktails will be served at 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door.
“We’ve got posters and memorabilia from all the decades. We’ve got … trophies that have been won by basketball and cheerleading teams over the years. We’ll be celebrating past teachers, past pastors that have been there as well as the alumni that are there,” said Boehm.
Getting alumni together has been a goal for Boehm over the years.
“The community’s fairly close as it is, and we’re expecting anywhere from 50 to 60 people to attend,” he said.
“That’s been my goal over the last couple of years is to try and gain phone numbers so that we can text and email people to get it out. It’s fairly successful.”
Though not a graduate of the school himself, Boehm has gone to Catholic schools his entire life.
He moved to St. Peter about five years ago from the Twin Cities and joined a local church with ties to the school.
As the anniversary approached, Boehm said planning the celebration has been “fairly easy. Everyone’s just stepping forward.”
He shared his thoughts as the school turns 100 years old.
“It’s awesome to be able to bring forward the Catholic ideas and welcoming students not just that are Catholic but all faiths, and bringing forward the gospel values and Christian service, it’s just been great for the community,” he said.