St. Daniel the Prophet School, a Garfield Ridge landmark, is marking 75 years of education and community service with a celebratory gala. The event will take place from 6:30 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the European Chalet, 5445 S. Harlem Ave.
“We have been very fortunate that our school has survived this long. We’re not just crawling along, barely making it to 75 years either,” said Principal Anthony Lyen, a 2005 alumnus of the school.
The school, located at 5337 S. Natoma Ave. since 1949, currently enrolls 555 students. While that number has declined from 700 during Lyen’s time as a student, it remains high compared to other schools in the Chicago Archdiocese.
Assistant Principal Jennifer Martinez is leading the gala planning efforts. “The plans are coming along well. We are looking forward to a great night for parents and alumni to celebrate the school. There will be photos on display going back through the years,” she said. More than 250 attendees are expected.
Lyen credited the school’s stability to its ability to welcome students from other schools in the area that have closed, including St. Jane de Chantal, St. Rene Goupil, and St. Joseph’s. “Parents want stability and assurance that their children won’t have to change schools,” he said.
The principal also shared his pride in the school’s history and his family’s connection to it. “My whole family went here, including my mom, aunts, uncles and cousins. We are all St. Daniel the Prophet parishioners. They just can’t get rid of us,” said Lyen with a laugh, referring to the church across the street, at 6612 W. 54th St., established in 1947.
“My mother graduated in 1978 and when I started here, there were still a few teachers who had taught her,” said Lyen. Indeed, some of his own teachers are still there.
“It has been interesting and fun to be their students and then become colleagues,” he said.
“My family is deeply connected to St. Dan’s. I tell parents enrolling their children that I have been here for 33 years, since I was baptized. When it comes to making decisions about the school, I feel my connection to it gives me added responsibility,” he said.
Lyen said gala tickets which are $100 each, were first offered to parents of current students. But sales are open to alumni and parishioners as well.
“We offered them to parents first because some of the silent auction items are intended for them—things like priority seating at graduation or lunch with the principal. But we have a lot of silent auction items,” said Lyen
“Garfield Ridge is a close-knit community, with families that have been here for generations. Word gets around about the celebration so we didn’t have to do much advertising. I would like to set up an alumni database, not to keep track of alumni but to invite them back for visits,” he added.
“It is not about looking for donations, I am more interested in it from the nostalgia point of view,” he said. “I always liked going to school here and didn’t have any negative experiences.”
As a 15-year-old student at St. Laurence High School, he came back to work with students in the religious education program at St. Dan’s. “I was prepping the first-graders for their prayers, and continued doing for the next three years,” said Lyen. He went on to get degrees in journalism and elementary education at Lewis University, and a master’s degree in educational leadership.
The gala will feature dinner, dancing, an open bar, and a variety of auctions. There will also be late-night food and a unique split-the-pot game, which Lyen said will include heads and tails with quarters.
All money raised will go toward security upgrades at the school.
“We would like to get a new PA system and cameras inside and outside,” said Lyen. A walk-a-thon fundraiser held earlier in the year raised more than $61,000, when they were only expecting $20,000, so he said there is less the gala as a fundraiser.
“Sure, it would be nice if we make a few dollars, whether $100 or $1,000. But this is mainly a celebration. It is really just a party to celebrate St. Dan’s. People have been asking for something like this, and we would just like it to be a fancy night for mom and dad, who are always honoring and celebrating the school,” said the principal.
Tickets for the gala are available on Eventbrite.com. More information about tickets or donating raffle prizes may be obtained by calling the school at 773-586-1225.
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