More than 450 alumni attend Notre Dame reunion Saturday

A reunion 85 years in the making took place at the Venue in Cape Girardeau on Saturday evening as more than 450 people gathered to celebrate the anniversary of Notre Dame Regional High School.

Following a Mass that began at 5 p.m., the reunion treated its alumni to a casual evening of a fully catered meal, a cash bar and a chance to reunite with old friends.

"Our students and alumni tell the story of Notre Dame," said Brother David Anthony Migliorino, principal of Notre Dame Regional High School. "It's a story told not with words, but by actions. Whether it's the mission trips our students take part in each year or their ongoing involvement in local charities, the students of Notre Dame High continue to demonstrate a sincere concern for the world around them because they want to do good things for the people they share the world with."

"Our school has always been known for the many athletic awards Notre Dame has acquired over the years," said Tony Buehrle, a 1972 graduate who is now Notre Dame's development director and served as event coordinator for the reunion. "But I think one of the most important is that since 2004, our school has been identified as a top 50 Catholic school -- out of more than 2,500 Catholic schools nationally -- by the ACT ON group, a national group that rates Catholic high schools."

"I can't wait to see my friends tonight," said Florence Lewis, a 1953 graduate. She maintains relationships with the people she went to school with. Lewis said her attendance at Notre Dame helped smooth religious differences when she married after she graduated. "Although he wasn't Catholic, we had no problems whatsoever because he loved his sports and was a loyal booster of Notre Dame!"

Kenny Haas, a graduate from the class of 1939, said, "The friends I made in school have proven to be lifelong friends. The spirit of friendship and brotherhood associated with Notre Dame has only grown as the years have gone by."

From 1925 to now

The school began in 1925 as St. Mary's High School, opening its doors at a building on Sprigg and William streets to its first student groups: seventh- and eighth-graders and high school freshmen. When the Depression presented serious problems to the school being able to keep its doors open, the Sisters who taught there decided to work for free.

In 1954 the school opened in a new location between Caruthers and Clark avenues to accommodate a growing student body, and changed its name to Notre Dame in 1960. Then in 1998 the school moved to its present site on donated land to help the school accommodate the increasing number of student enrollments, this year being the largest for the school with more than 500 enrollments.

"For us the school is like an extension of the family," said Tom Essner, a 1977 graduate whose parents and children have attended the school. "The thing I feel distinguishes our school is the spirit of excellence that drives the students. Under Brother David's leadership, the school has been setting academic records with ACT scores and scholarship awards, the enrollment continues to increase and the athletics teams have reached unprecedented levels. All these things have made today a golden age for Notre Dame High School."