St. Mary graduations will begin next week

St. Mary Parish public and private high school graduations begin Thursday and conclude May 20.

“I am very excited about graduation ceremonies,” Patterson High Principal Rachael Sanders said. “This is the night of the year that the faculty and staff at PHS are the most proud. In four years, a bond is formed with our kids.”

In spite of the obstacles, be it peer pressure or academic troubles, 12th-graders persevered and accomplished goals.

“For some of them, the journey was a breeze. For others, it was a struggle,” Sanders said. “But we survived the same way we survive everything at PHS — as a family.

“We feel so blessed to be able to share this final teenage milestone with them, and as always, it will be so hard to say goodbye.”

Building relationships with students and families in the name of faith were vital to high school seniors’ success at Central Catholic.

“I have grown very close to the Class of 2016 and their parents,” Central Catholic Principal Victor Bonnaffee said. “There have been many memorable events and activities. I will miss them very much.

“They have been dedicated to the school and allowed us to strive for academic excellence and faith formation with them as a group.”

Berwick High is graduating its largest class with 140 graduates, principal Buffy Fegenbush said.

“As we prepare for our graduation ceremonies, we realize that these wonderful faces we have seen for the past four years will no longer be with us,” Fegenbush said.

“It is bittersweet, but we know that they are prepared to step into the rest of their lives. And, they can always come back if they need us.”

Morgan City High’s graduation date is a week later than neighboring schools. With the untimely, tragic car accident of high school senior Francisco Sierra, the hurting school family needs additional time, principal Mickey Fabre said.

“We are hoping that, in some way, he can be a part of our graduation celebration,” Fabre said. “Our goal is to make that evening magical for everyone.”

Beyond the sadness, overall, it’s been a great school year for Morgan City High, Fabre said.

“This senior class is one of the best that I have had the privilege of working with during my time as the principal at Morgan City High,” Fabre said.

“That says a lot, considering the great senior classes that have walked these halls the past 10 years.”

The following graduation schedules are:

—Berwick High, May 12 at 7 p.m. (stadium).

—Centerville High, May 12 at 6 p.m. (gym).

—Central Catholic High, May 16 at 6 p.m. (Holy Cross Church).

—Franklin High, May 13 at 6 p.m. (auditorium).

—Hanson Memorial, May 15 at 3 p.m. (Church of Assumption in Franklin).

—Morgan City High, May 20 at 7 p.m. (Morgan City Municipal Auditorium).

—Patterson High, May 13 at 7 p.m. (gym).

—West St. Mary High, May 12 at 6 p.m. (gym).