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CITY, ND – (NewsDakota.com) St. Catherine School is celebrating their 100th Anniversary during the 2016-2017 school year.
The kick-off weekend was highlighted with an inspirational concert featuring Tony Melendez at the Hi Liner Activity Center September 11th in Valley City.
Melendez is a musician who plays guitar with his feet. He was born without arms because his mother was given thalidomide for morning sickness while the family lived in Nicaragua.
He was also born with a club foot, his father and mother won enough money in a small lottery to take a 14-day drive in a Ford from Nicaragua to Los Angeles to have an operation to allow Tony to walk for the first time in his life.
Tony told the audience in Valley City that his father encouraged him to try playing the guitar using is feet. He can now drive a van that is equipped with a device on the floor that allows him to steer and stop the vehicle.
Eventually the whole family of eleven moved from Nicaragua and made their new home in Los Angeles, California.
Melendez came to the world scene when he performed for St. John Paul II in Los Angeles in 1987. Pope John Paul II jumped off a stage and greeted Tony with a kiss. Pope John Paul said to Tony that day, “My wish to you, is to continue giving this hope to all the people.”
He recently recorded his new song “Honor Your Father and Mother” for the Decalogue project in Poland.
More upcoming events to commemorate St. Catherine’s 100th Celebration will be announced in the future.
The school opened its door in January 1917. The Franciscan Sisters of Rochester, Minnesota taught at the school for the first two years. In the summer of 1918, the Sisters of Mary of the Presentation took charge of the school.
In 1930, St. Catherine added high school classes and had its first high school graduating class in 1934. The final graduating class came in 1969. Since 1988 St. Catherine has been a K-6 elementary school.
- Musician Tony Melendez.