Riverland school to celebrate centenary
Schools
Past and present members of St Joseph’s School at Renmark will gather in October to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Catholic education in the Riverland.
The centenary celebrations will be held over the October long weekend and will include a number of events.
On Saturday October 5 a Centenary Mass and supper will be held in the church hall and on Sunday October 6 activities will include a family day and tours of the school. That evening a more formal dinner at the Renmark Club will enable members of the community to share their reflections and memories of the school.
Five Sisters of St Joseph, led by Sister Pius as Community Leader, were responsible for establishing the first Catholic school in the Riverland – St Columba School which was located in what is now the church hall at Renmark.
Through the zeal and enthusiasm of the then parish priest Father Peter Conolly and his small congregation, a residence for the Sisters was found.
The church hall’s foundation stone was laid on September 1 1918 and the school was overflowing with 111 students when Bishop Norton officially blessed and opened it on March 30 1919.
In 1941 a new school, St Joseph’s, was built on the Twelfth Street site, a few hundred metres down the road.
Subsequent building programs have seen the school completely transformed to its present structure. The Sisters of Saint Joseph maintained an active presence in the school until the first lay principal was appointed in 2001.
For more information about the centenary or to register your interest, phone 8586 5055 or email 100years@sjsr.catholic.edu.au
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