It was a gift Jeanne Schenkel Calhoun '61 wasn't expecting under the Christmas tree.
"Never has any gift, I am aware of, moved her as much as this gift," said Jeanne's daughter, Beth Calhoun.
Beth’s mother graduated from St. Joseph Commercial High School but had never received her original diploma, until this Christmas.
Memories, laughs, chili and soups were in full supply as members of the Classes of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 gathered for the Last 5 Luncheon on Thursday, December 17.
"This school gave me my education so I wanted to come back," shared Faith White '15, who now attends Wright State University.
This was the fourth year the alumni & development office invited students from the last five graduating classes to a luncheon.
Thank you.
Those two words were said hundreds of times by students on Friday, November 20 as they met with scholarship sponsors.
The annual scholarship breakfast was an opportunity for sponsors to meet the student recipients of their scholarship. 
It was a reunion dozens of years in the making.
“Mary Margaret, Mary Margaret!” Wilhelmina Dix said in excitement as she reunited with classmate Mary Margaret Toohey on Tuesday, November 10. “I would recognize you from anywhere!”
The pair are the last known living graduates of the Julienne Class of 1930. Mary Margaret, who lives at the St. Leonard Living Community, recently told her daughter-in-law, Audrey Toohey, that she was hoping to reconnect with Dix.
Viva La Vida, or Live the Life, was something Lucas Pfander embodied. On Saturday, August 15, more than 150 members of the CJ community kept Lucas’ memory alive by participating in the eighth annual Lucas Pfander Memorial Alumni Race.
“You would think over an eight year period, the further you get away from it, the interest may go down, but it hasn’t. For us, that’s heartwarming,” said Greg Pfander, Lucas’ father.
The fourth annual CJ Reunion Weekend took place on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27. All alumni were welcomed back for the festive occasion. Milestone classes (ending in '0 and '5) gathered on the same weekend to celebrate and reconnect.
The community is invited to a special Mass on Saturday, June 27, being held during Chaminade Julienne's Reunion Weekend.
"As we do often at CJ, we are celebrating Reunion Weekend with prayer and coming together in liturgy," said Deacon Jim Walworth.
CJ's Reunion Weekend kicks off on Friday, June 26 with the Taste of CJ. The Mass on Saturday will be held at Queen of Apostles Chapel at Mount St. John's in Beavercreek. Father Jim Duell '70 of St. Patrick's in Troy will be the guest celebrant.
Chaminade Julienne will honor its 2014 class of Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame inductees the evening of Thursday, Oct. 2. The program begins at 6 p.m. with dinner to follow at 7 p.m. at NCR Country Club in Kettering.
This year’s recipients include current faculty and staff members Cindy Budde, administrative assistant, and Marguerite “Peg” Regan ‘73, foreign language department chair. Also being recognized are alums Cecil Giscombe ‘69, Norbert Schlei ‘46 and Timothy Will ‘66.
It’s been six years since he last set foot in the hallways of Chaminade Julienne, but the spirit of Lucas Pfander is alive and well within the building -- just ask former classmate, and now alumni relations coordinator, Ms. Teresa Spanel ‘10.
“To come back four years after graduating and see just how deeply Lucas has and continues to influence members of the CJ community is inspiring,” said Ms. Spanel, who returned to her alma mater to work in the development office this July after graduating from the University of Dayton.
More than 1,000 graduates and their guests returned to CJ to reconnect, reminisce and give thanks during the school’s third annual Reunion Weekend celebration Friday and Saturday, June 20-21.
A crowd of approximately 700 people attended the weekend’s signature event, the Taste of CJ, Friday evening from 6:30 to 9:30. This outdoor celebration takes place on campus at the corner of Perry and Eaker Streets underneath the big tent looking north on the city skyline.
