Contact:	President Ed Socha 508-943-3666
Email:	StLouisAlumni@hotmail.com

The mission of the St. Louis School Alumni Association shall be to reach out to all of the former students of St. Louis School and to offer them the opportunity to share the same enjoyment which we experienced in our reunion of August 14, 2004.  Our initial goal is to contact all of the former students and make them aware of the 125^th anniversary of our school in 2007.  Our work will be to plan and schedule events which will properly capture and regenerate the "Pride & Spirit of St. Louis School".

The Grand Reunion celebrating the 125^th Anniversary of the founding of St. Louis School was a great success and a fun evening for all of the nearly 250 people attending.  Alums from the '30s and '40s were well represented, reporting that they were thrilled to make contact again with friends they had not seen in 60 years!  More recent graduates, from the '50s through the '70s were there in force.  Alumni brought news clippings, yearbooks, photos and other memorabilia from their days at St. L.  Sister Janet Provost, Class of 1957, led the gathering in singing the Alma Mater, (see below). She introduced the Sisters in attendance, including Sister Joseph Anna Hine, Sister Veronica Emile Corriveau, Sister Patricia Murphy, Vice President of the Sisters of St. Joseph and Sister Daniel Maria, the last SSJ to serve as a teacher and then principal at St. Louis.  But the alumni came to their feet when Sister Mary Richard Tyrrell, Class of 1925, was introduced!  Sister Mary Richard is likely the oldest living alumna of St. Louis and is the oldest member of the Sisters of St. Joseph; she will be 101 on October 22^nd.  Needless to say, everyone was thrilled that she and the other Sisters were able to attend.  (Be sure to see the story about the reunion, featuring Sr. Mary Richard in the October 5^th issue of the Catholic Free Press.)

Ed Socha, Class of 1962, chairman of the reunion committee, introduced committee members and led the gathering in a moment of silence for all deceased alumni, making special note of Cecilia "Ceal" Provost, Class of 1960, who died last year.  Ceal was instrumental in the revitalization of the Alumni Association and subsequent plans for the Grand Reunion.  She was truly missed at this event.

Father John Gee, Class of 1945, gave the blessing before dinner.  It was wonderful talking with Fr. Gee and the rest of the 1940's crowd.  Those were the war years when "Career Plans" in the school register listed "Armed Forces" for so many of the boys.  Many St. Louis alumni served then and some did not return.  Certainly, those years were a common topic among those alums. 

The excitement began when the first alumni arrived to check in and didn't let up until the hotel staff turned up the lights at the end of the evening.  The dance music brought back memories of semi-formals and proms, as well as the weekly Bartlett dances in the old gym on Church Street.  Henry Cierpich, Class of 1967, flew out from California, landing that afternoon and hopping back on a plane on Sunday morning for home, where he was needed at a major parish event going on the same weekend.  He said his brief visit was worth it, a sentiment expressed over and over by the alums that evening.  St. Louis alumni take great pride in having been part of a school that has served the parish and the community for 125 years.  Here's to the next 125 years. 

Sing we thy praises, thou our dear guide, our light;
Hail we thy honored name, thou leader of truth and right.
Alma Mater, we children thee revere,
Faithful to thee we'll ever be,
Hail dear St. Louis, hail, hail to thee!

Onward, dear classmates, hold high our noble shield,
Emblem so dear to us, with faith, hope and love 'tis sealed.
Alma Mater, our valiant leader dear; Loyal to thee
We'll ever be.
Hail dear St. Louis, hail, hail to thee!

If you would like to get in touch with old friends from St. L, send your email to: stlouisalumni@hotmail.com.  Be sure to indicate your years of attendance, as your message will be placed in the appropriate folder where it can be read by other alumni using the address.  The password will be forwarded to you.

The wrap-up Alumni Association committee meeting was held on October 3^rd.  Plans were made for the next meeting to be held in May, 2008.  If you have ideas you would like to bring forward, please email the alumni address.  Hope to hear from you!