The first graduating class in June 1941. Saint Rose was established before the City of Roseville. At the time, the church and school were in Rose Township. The school’s enrollment that first year was 170, and five nuns from the Servite Order staffed the school. Sister Mary Margaret was the principal and taught the seventh and eighth grades. The other nuns taught two grades each.
Saint Rose of Lima Catholic School, located on Hamline Avenue in Roseville, will mark a milestone this year. The Pre-K through eighth-grade school will mark 75 years on Saturday, Sept. 19, with a Diamond Jubilee celebration from 4 to 9 p.m. at the school.
Founded in 1940, the school’s mission is to provide quality academic and religious education as well as strong faith formation for its students. “I am so grateful that my children attend a school that not only gives them an excellent education but also cares about their emotional, mental and spiritual well-being,” said Saint Rose parent Vickie Brand.
The Diamond Jubilee event will include a garden prayer service, Mass, free children’s activities sponsored by the school’s after-school and summer program PowerPlay, and a reunion for alumni of all ages. The Mass, which will be held in the adjacent church, will feature alumni from over the years. A memorabilia display will be set up inside the school gymnasium and will include old uniforms and photographs, along with a Saint Rose quilt from the 1960s. Alumni are encouraged to meet their fellow graduates and share stories of their time at the school.
Saint Rose of Lima Catholic School opened on Sept. 16, 1940, just a year after Saint Rose Church was started. This photo shows the school in 1940. Photos from the Saint Rose school yearbook.
Following Mass, dinner will be served in an outdoor tent. Tickets for the dinner are $12 for adults and $8 for kids age 12 and under. (Prices go up after Sept. 11 to $16 for adults and $12 for children.) Participants are strongly encouraged to RSVP for the event and the dinner, but tickets will also be sold on the night of the event at a slightly higher price. The event is open to the public, and other than the dinner and cash bar, it is free of charge. You can RSVP for the dinner at www.saintroseoflima.net/school/. Click on News & Events and then click on 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee.
Tours of the school will also be given throughout the evening and are expected to be popular with alumni who are curious to see how, or if, their favorite classrooms and hangout spots have changed over the years. Around 500 guests are expected to attend the weekend’s festivities.
On Sunday, Sept. 20, the 21st annual Saint Rose of Lima Booster Club Benefit Golf Tournament will be held at Cedarholm Golf Course in Roseville, in conjunction with the Diamond Jubilee celebration. All proceeds from the tournament benefit Saint Rose athletics.—Alex Lodner
