On July 26 and 27, a long-awaited party will finally take place to commemorate the 100-plus years of St. Peter’s College in Muenster, Sask.

Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, this school to the east of Humboldt in the Diocese of Saskatoon could not revel in this momentous milestone exactly a century since the Benedictine monks of St. Peter’s Abbey founded the institution, originally as a high school, in 1921.

However, this gathering also provides an opportunity for graduates to celebrate in advance the university component, which began in 1926 when the college agreed to an affiliation with the University of Saskatchewan.

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John Kreiser, who attended St. Peter’s College boarding school from 1969-1971 (the high school era ended in 1972), shared that the oldest alumnus expected to attend the weekend will be three 87-year-old clerics — Archbishop James Weisgerber, who shepherded the Winnipeg archdiocese from 2000 to 2013, Fr. Ralph Kleiter of Saskatoon and Fr. Lawrence Demong, a Benedictine monk at St. Peter’s Abbey for over half a century.

The Saturday night banquet is the centrepiece event of the reunion celebration. It is an opportunity for the students to toast the teachers and the educators to salute their pupils.

Kreiser praised the teachers for providing him and his peers a “well-rounded education” that was “very ethical and social-justice informed.” He said the Benedictine values taught at St. Peter’s College are imperative to navigate modern society

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“I think the Benedictine spirit is needed more than ever in our world today,” said Kreiser. “(Consider) the Benedictine motto of pray, work and study and the idea of community and orderliness in living an ordered life. The future is going to be different with technology, but you still need to have values that are inspired. You still need to be inspired by some type of value beyond sheer profit and making a buck.”

Delwyn Jansen, a longtime friend of Kreiser and a fellow member of the 1971 graduating class, relayed to The Catholic Register that he struggled academically before enrolling at St. Peter’s at the suggestion of his parents. He said the academy brought out the best of him in the classroom as his grade average elevated five per cent in Grade 11 compared to his Grade 10 performance at his previous school. A teacher told him that such a rise at that juncture of his education is a rarity.

“I'm at school where there's a library I can go to any time, I've got teachers I can talk to any time and get help, whereas (at his other school), once you get on the bus to go home, that’s it,” said Jansen.

The long-term objective Kreiser hopes this reunion achieves is the revitalization of the St. Peter’s College alumni network.

“I truly believe that if we can get our alumni association revitalized, it can do some good work in spreading the message of the Benedictine spirit,” said Kreiser. “This could be in the form of retreats, workshops or a lecture series.”

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He also expects past students can help ensure the college and abbey continue to “be used as a source of strength and sanctuary in the area.” Already, St. Peter’s Abbey is used for spiritual retreats and workshops. 

St. Peter’s College’s university course offerings have greatly expanded since 1972. The allure is that around 100-150 students each year receive a big-city arts and science, engineering, nursing or teaching education in a quiet village.