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St. Benedict School prepares for 90th anniversary

Organizers of the 90th anniversary of St. Benedict School in Richmond in 2009 are using the moment as an opportunity to set a vision of the school for the next 90 years.

While the 90th anniversary is not until next year, two Richmond men who are graduates of St. Benedict’s, are seeking to gather an updated list of alumni so that former graduates are kept in the loop of activities planned and to gather financial support to finance upgrades to the school facility.

“We also want to remind people that they are who they are today because of St. Benedict’s School,” said Tom Benedetti, a 1984 graduate who is now a parishioner of Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

Ruppert Beirne, the other key organizer, said many alumni of the school will be hard to locate. He is appealing to people who know of graduates who have moved out of Virginia to contact the school with their names and current addresses.

“We have a lot of names, but not a lot of addresses,” he said.

The two men, joined by school principal Sean Cruess, have begun a campaign June 1 to raise $250,000 to, first of all, repair the school building front steps which are showing signs they are sinking. The original steps, which go back to 1922 when the school building was erected, will be repaired this summer.

The money raised in the campaign will also be used to refurbish the bathrooms and multi-purpose room in the basement, and furnish a new computer lab.

Mr. Benedetti, the youngest of six children, pointed out that his late mother, Peggy Nolte Benedetti, had attended St. Benedict School as did his older brothers and sister. His older son Jack, now, five, will enter St. Benedict’s kindergarten this September.

He and his wife Liz feel the multi-cultural diversity of students and living in the city is an asset of St. Benedict’s.

“This will give our two sons and daughter a sense of where they’re from and a sense of place,” he said. “There is the sense of community we want to give Jack, Andrew and Sarah.”

Mr. Beirne’s parents, Jack and Carol Beirne, also attended St. Benedict School as did his brothers and sisters. His two oldest sons, Adam and Daniel, have graduated from the school. His son Jonathan is already a student and daughter Samantha will start kindergarten this next year.

He and his wife feel that the school is “a great fit.”

“I think it feels like family,” Mr. Beirne said. “I wanted my kids to experience the same thing I experienced. My kids all have had good experiences here.”

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