St. John Elementary will celebrate 150 years April 24

On April 24, St. John Elementary will hold a celebration honoring the institution’s 150th year of Catholic education in Franklin.

The celebration will begin with a 10:30 a.m. Mass at Church of the Assumption and follow with lunch and community at St. John Elementary School. All alumni, former students, current students, family and friends are invited to attend. Special guests will include several members of the

Marianite Order who once taught at St. John School.

In 1870, the Rev. M. Harnais made a plea to the Marianites of the Holy Cross to send sisters to establish a Catholic school in Franklin. Upon visiting the area and seeing the need, the sisters accepted his request.

On Nov. 4, 1871, The Academy of St. John was founded. The school was the fifth permanent foundation of the Marianite Sisters of the Holy Cross.

The school says St. John Academy has evolved from a school for girls to a promising and faith-filled elementary school, renamed St. John Elementary. Under the guidance of Church of the Assumption and the current principal, Sheri Higdon, St. John Elementary serves students in church parishes from Bayou Vista to Jeanerette, educates 135 children, and has a faculty of 23, seven of whom are alumni of the school.