St Paul School on Broad Street in Cranston will hold a luminaria in front of the school to celebrate its 100th anniversary and remember loved ones who have been lost  Saturday March 11, starting at 5:30 p.m.

Opening its doors in September of 1922, St. Paul School is the oldest Catholic school in Cranston. Earliest plans for the school can be traced back to 1916 when St Paul Parish held a bazaar to raise an impressive $5,000 for the future institution. With a full capacity enrollment of 300 students for grades 1-8, the school began a century of teaching the children of Cranston under the leadership of Superior Principal and Music Teacher, Sister Mary Thomas.

In celebration of its centennial, the church has put together the luminaria, where luminous white paper bags with flameless candles filling them with a soft glow will have the names of loved ones inscribed on them as they light up the night, as well as an anniversary gala planned for September. With more than 300 names already submitted to be honored at the Luminaria, Mary Simas, a former student of St Paul School, is looking forward to a wonderful event.

“We want to remember all those who have gone before us,” St Paul School said about the event. “If there are any family members, classmates, teachers, sisters, priests or friends you would like to have remembered, please take the time to fill out the enclosed form with their names. Their names will also be entered in a book and placed in our school and church for people who would like to read through the names at any time through the year.”

In addition, the announcement of the luminaria said that those wishing to make a donation to help aid in defraying the cost of the event can make checks payable to St. Paul School, but what matters most is taking a moment to think of the loved ones you want to celebrate and to share their names with the school.

In addition to being placed in a book for those visiting the church to view year round, the school said that another copy of the book will be placed in a time capsule that the current students of St. Paul School will bury in September, 2023.

“I am doing this 100th Anniversary Luminaria as a special tribute to all the deceased members of the school, parish and family who have supported the school over the past 100 years,” said the organizer of the event, Mary Simas. “There are many deceased teachers, sisters, priests that have been mentioned in the luminaria.  I have noticed that there are several bags for a former teacher, Miss Helen Gannon, who died last year.”

Those hoping to put in the name of a loved one can contact the school at office@stpaulcranston.org, or Simas Directly at mjsimas155@gmail.com.