As summer winds down and the new school year begins, students and staff at St. Michael Catholic School are preparing for something special. This fall, the school — located in the heart of St. Michael — is celebrating its 150th anniversary.
“The atmosphere at St. Michael Catholic School is one of joy and anticipation as we approach our 150th anniversary,” said Heidi Gallus, the school’s principal, before the start of the new school year. “Excitement is really building in our community, especially as we hear and share amazing stories from generations who have been part of (our) history.”
One of those stories comes from the Hackenmueller family. According to Sister Mary Theresa Hackenmueller, a School Sister of Notre Dame, her German-born grandfather, George Hackenmueller, settled in the St. Michael area in 1857. George had 11 children — three boys and eight girls — who were raised in the Catholic faith.
When George’s oldest daughter discerned a vocation to religious life, she approached Father Ignatius Schaller, the parish pastor at the time. Over several years, Father Schaller worked out an agreement with the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Milwaukee through which George’s daughter joined the order. A short time later, the order sent three sisters to teach at the newly founded St. Michael Catholic School. Over the next several years, six more of George’s daughters would join the order.
St. Michael Catholic School has its roots in a small parcel of land purchased by Bishop Joseph Cretin, the first bishop of St. Paul. In 1856, Cretin purchased 20 acres of land in St. Michael for $60. Nine years later, St. Michael parish was incorporated into what was then the St. Paul Diocese, and work began on opening a Catholic school in the area.
Founded in 1876 and originally staffed by the three School Sisters of Notre Dame, St. Michael Catholic School has grown into a powerful force of faith in the community. The original two-and-a-half-story school building housed classrooms and living space for the sisters and boarding students. The inaugural class of 15 students grew to 120 by year’s end.
Thirteen years later, in 1899, a second school building was constructed to serve as the main teaching space, with the original school converted into a spacious convent for the sisters who taught there. In 1940, the school’s current building was constructed — complete with community-focused amenities like a gymnasium and bowling alley. St. Michael briefly operated a Catholic high school in what is now its community education building, but students today attend grades 7-12 at the local public high school.
Eighty-five years later, St. Michael Catholic School continues to use its facilities to help students grow in their faith. “Our students are grounded in the truth of the Catholic faith,” said Father Brian Park, pastor of St. Michael. “Because of the strong foundation they receive at (St. Michael), along with the support of our parish youth ministry and their families, our young people are ready to stand firm in their faith and to be leaders in both school and community.”
150th ANNIVERSARY EVENTS
St. Michael Catholic School in St. Michael will host three special events in the coming year to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
On Oct. 4, the school will hold a 150th anniversary Mass. Afterward, the school will hold an anniversary dinner and program.
The school will also host a parent and alumni trivia night on Jan. 24 for current and former school families to connect and test their knowledge.
The school is also hosting a spring Mass and social on May 17 as a capstone of the school’s 150th anniversary celebrations.—
That commitment to provide a strong Catholic education has resonated with local families, who often have multigenerational histories with the school. Several descendants of the Hackenmuellers are attending the school’s 150th year, and Melissa Zachman, the school’s director of Catholic identity and mission, is related by marriage to a direct descendant of the family. “I am truly humbled to be connected to this lineage and to help our school celebrate such a meaningful occasion,” she said.
What sets the school apart, Gallus said, is the school’s emphasis on forming the whole student — in mind, body and soul. Teachers and staff at St. Michael Catholic School work closely with parents and families to provide an educational experience that helps students achieve not only academic success but also grow in their relationship with God and become leaders in their faith community.
“We, as a community, share in the sacred responsibility of helping raise and form our children in faith and virtue,” she said. “Parents are the primary educators, but we know we cannot be an island. We entrust our children to a community that reinforces the values of our homes and our Church.”
The impact of the school isn’t limited to the world of academics. Utilizing spaces both new and old, the school offers athletic, cultural and educational enrichment courses to help students develop skills in physical education, art, music and language.
As St. Michael Catholic School moves into its 150th year, staff and students are excited about what the future holds. Father Park noted that attendance at the school is not only healthy but thriving. “Generation after generation of families have entrusted their children to (the school) with the confidence that they will be formed not only academically, but spiritually. That legacy inspires us today to continue passing on the faith, ensuring that our students know, love and live for Christ in all they do.”
“We are blessed to be at 99% capacity, which speaks to the strong desire families in our community have for an authentically Catholic education,” he added.
St. Michael Catholic School will be celebrating its upcoming anniversary through several public events: a special Mass and dinner on Oct. 4, a parent and alumni trivia night on Jan. 24, and a spring Mass and social on May 17.
FUN FACTS
- The first Catholic Masses in the St. Michael area were held in 1856. The same year Bishop Joseph Cretin purchased his 20 acres, the first Catholic Masses in the area were celebrated in a log chapel along the Crow River.
- Michael in St. Michael wasn’t always part of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. When St. Michael was founded, St. Paul was not yet an archdiocese. At the time, the Diocese of St. Paul encompassed all of Minnesota and included most of what is now North and South Dakota.
- The original school building was constructed for $1,800. The original brick school building, which was torn down in 1939, was built for just $1,800 — or roughly $54,000 today.
- When the school first opened, tuition ranged from $1 to $7.50. Michael Catholic School’s inaugural class paid just $1 a month to attend. Students who required room and board paid $7.50 a month.
- The Hackenmuellers’ seven vocations ties a School Sisters of Notre Dame record. After George Hackenmueller settled in the St. Michael area in 1857, he had eight daughters. One died in infancy and seven joined the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Only one other family, the Gonnerings in Wisconsin, committed more vocations to the order.
