St. Philip’s Catholic School honors alumni, supporters at brunch Saturday

Three people will be honored when St. Philip’s Catholic School holds its second annual Outstanding Alumni and Supporters brunch and induction at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 18, in the St. Philip’s social hall. Doors will open at 10 a.m., and the event will be free and open to the public.

The brunch is part of a spring gala weekend, but it does more than fill a date on the school calendar. St. Philip’s is using the recognition to put alumni and longtime supporters at the center of its story, tying past graduates and parish backers to the school’s present identity and to the students now moving through its classrooms. The first recognition brunch honored five Outstanding Alumni and Supporters, giving this year’s event a built-in sense of continuity as the school returns to the format for a second year.

That emphasis fits the role St. Philip’s has played in Bemidji for generations. The Catholic community is at 702 Beltrami Avenue NW, and the church’s local history stretches back to 1898, with St. Philip’s Catholic Church dedicated on Aug. 8, 1908. The school today serves pre-kindergarten through grade 8, while the parish also offers religious formation through grade 11, keeping alumni ties and church relationships closely linked.

The school says alumni, supporters, current and past church members, and others interested are welcome to attend. For families that have moved through St. Philip’s for years, the brunch offers a public reminder that the school’s influence reaches beyond its own hallways and into the civic life of Bemidji. It also gives current students a visible connection to the people whose loyalty has helped sustain the institution over time.

Those planning to attend or make a donation can contact Kevin Erpelding, the school office at 218-444-4938, or Principal Reierson. In a city where long-running institutions often define community memory, St. Philip’s is using this weekend’s brunch to reinforce one of its oldest messages: the school’s strength comes from the people who return to support it.