By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — Two events will kick off a yearlong celebration marking the 100th anniversary of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School. “This is just the start of the fun,” said Principal Julie Delaney.
The school’s annual golf outing, scheduled for June 13 at Emeis Golf Course in Davenport is a fundraiser and gathering now in its seventh year that will launch the celebration, she said. Cost is $90 per golfer by May 31 and $100 per golfer afterward. Tickets include 18 holes of golf, cart, dinner and three drink tickets. Golfers can compete for longest drive, closest to the hole, longest putt, Mulligans and yellow ball 50/50.
On June 14, St. Paul will celebrate an all-class reunion, which begins with Mass at St. Paul the Apostle Church at 4:30 p.m. followed by school tours, hors d’oeuvres and drinks, and dinner in Denning Hall. The school tours and dinner are for adults only. Alumni, teachers, principals and parishioners are invited. Dinner is $25 per person. Reservations are due by June 1. Call the school at 563-322-2923 or email leigh.thompson@st-paul.pvt.k12.ia.us to RSVP. Delaney said organizers invited the school’s founders, the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVMs) in Dubuque to attend. Eight sisters who taught between 1955 and 2013 are still living.
The celebration will continue into next year, with a spring gala as a finale. During that event, 100-year-old doors from the original school will be up for bid. The school replaced the doors with new ones for the building’s safety and security. Additional memorabilia will be available, with proceeds going toward the parish and school endowment.
St. Paul the Apostle School opened its doors Aug. 30, 1926 with 130 students in grades 1-6. Archbishop James Keane of the Archdiocese of Dubuque dedicated the school during a ceremony on Oct. 24, 1926. Built at a cost of $125,000, the school housed eight classrooms, an office, auditorium (gym and stage), kitchen, library and separate boys’ and girls’ entrances, according to The Catholic Messenger. The dedication was one year after the laying of the cornerstone.
In 1956, the school added four classrooms, which Bishop Ralph Hayes dedicated in 1957. Construction of another addition and a new convent took place in 1964. More than 30 years later, Bishop William Franklin dedicated an addition for classrooms in 1998.
Throughout the summer of 2008, the school received many modifications that allowed for expansion of its early learning program. The school added an elevator in 2018. Today, St. Paul has 486 students enrolled in preschool through eighth-grade. It also has a daycare center.
The school is seeking sponsorships to ensure St. Paul the Apostle School continues to be a place of vibrant, family centered learning, Delaney said. In addition, efforts are underway to update the database of alumni and supporters. To update, go to https://www.stpaulcatholic parish.org/100thanniversary.
St. Paul the Apostle is also building a list of “notable” alumni and will share the success of alumni in the future, she said.
