by Jacinta Hoyt
Special to The Leaven
LAWRENCE — St. John School here celebrated its 70th anniversary on Sept. 6, marking seven decades since it opened its doors as the first Catholic school in Lawrence.
The milestone was nearly a decade in the making. Under the leadership of Msgr. George Towle, a committee of 95 St. John parishioners worked for approximately 10 years to make a Catholic school in Lawrence a reality.
On Sept. 6, 1956, St. John opened as a parish school serving students in grades 1 to 8. Sister Owen Marie Falk, SCL, served as the first principal, with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth helping establish the tradition of Catholic education that continues today.
“As we celebrate this milestone, we are especially grateful for the generations of students, families, teachers, staff, religious Sisters and parishioners who have built St. John Catholic School over the past 70 years,” said principal Jeff Harkin. “They are the shoulders upon which we stand as we continue the mission entrusted to us.”
For some families, that connection stretches across nearly the school’s entire history.
“Our family’s connection to St. John began in 1955, when my grandparents joined the church,” said Meghan Glover, St. John alumna and current school parent. “When the school opened its doors in 1956, my aunts and uncles were among the students to enroll.
“From that very first generation to the present day, someone from the Oberzan family has attended St. John in every decade since the school opened.”
While St. John began as a parish school, its reach today extends throughout Lawrence and surrounding communities, and nearly 40% of current St. John families are not St. John parishioners.
The celebration kicked off Sept. 6 with “70 Gifts for 70 Years,” a project benefiting the school’s Eagles Wings Annual Fund. The effort is part of “Give Wings to the Next 70,” an invitation to honor the generations who built St. John while helping carry its mission forward for generations to come.
St. John will continue celebrating throughout the school year by sharing historical photographs, milestones and memories from across seven decades and asking alumni, former staff, parishioners and families to do the same.
To learn more, visit: sjevangelist.com/school/70-years.
