St. Bede to host homecoming activities Sept. 27 to Oct. 1

St. Bede is ready to welcome home alumni and friends for the academy’s largest celebration of the year.

Homecoming festivities will kick off with the annual girls’ powder puff football game at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27.

On Friday, Sept. 29, the annual homecoming parade will begin at 5 p.m., marching through downtown Peru. St. Bede’s Abbot Michael Calhoun, OSB 1989, will lead the march. The prime location to sit for the parade will be from the corner of the former police station and post office to the intersection at Schuyler Street, where Eye Care Professionals and Dr. Steven Ludford and Dr. Jacob Postula Family Dentistry is located.

The parade will be followed by the all-school cookout and the student variety show at 7:30 p.m. The show will be in the Abbot Vincent Gymnasium. On Friday, many classes ending in a “3″ and “8″ will celebrate their reunions at various locations around the Illinois Valley. A list of gatherings and class liaisons can be found on the St. Bede homecoming webpage at www.st-bede.com/homecoming.

On Saturday, Sept. 30, the annual Jim Lattin 5K Run/Walk will begin at 8 a.m. on campus. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. in the St. Bede shelter for those who wish to register that day.

The Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m., during which the following alumni student-athletes will be inducted: female athletes Caitlin (Gidcumb) Colling, 2002-06 (basketball, softball) and Emily (Arkins) Balestri, 1998-2022 (tennis, basketball and softball); boarding student and football player Ralph Levaccare, 1969-73; three-sport athlete Richard “Dick” Verruchi, 1960-64 (football, basketball and track); the 1972-73 football team, which finished with a record of 7-2; and basketball coach and teacher Ken Anderson, 1983-91.

Also on Saturday, the academy will open its doors from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for tours of the second- and first-floor renovations. The state-of-the-art renovations include restored classrooms and corridors complete with modern classroom furniture, lockers, windows and upgrades to the infrastructure, such as electrical and heating and cooling systems. These renovations are all part of the academy’s ongoing Legacy Project.

At noon, a recognition and ring ceremony will take place for the 2023 softball state champions at the Abbot Philip Davey Field. Tailgating and reunion gatherings also will begin at 11:30 a.m. on campus and continue into the evening.

The varsity football game will kick off at 1 p.m., during which St. Bede will take on the Elmwood Park Cougars. During the halftime show, the Golden Bedan Class of ‘73 will be honored. Each year, the class celebrating their 50th class reunion become “Golden Bedans.”

Following the homecoming football game, the annual BruinsJam concert, featuring a lineup of performances by St. Bede alumni, will play into the evening.

On Sunday, Oct. 1, the annual alumni Mass will be at 10 a.m., where a formal induction of the Golden Bedan class will take place. The annual Bruins Brunch, hosted by the St. Bede Alumni Association, will follow and be in the Perino Science Center.

During the brunch, this year’s Distinguished Alumnus Award will be presented to Father Larry Snyder, ‘68, and all female graduates of St. Bede, as this year marks the 50th anniversary of when St. Bede went co-educational.

The weekend will conclude Sunday evening with the annual homecoming student dance.

For more information about homecoming events, visit St. Bede’s website at www.st-bede.com/homecoming. A full schedule of events can be found on the website, along with the registration form for the Jim Lattin 5K Run/Walk. Also, follow the St. Bede Academy social media pages for coverage of the weekend events.