Graduation This Weekend for St. Anthony, Effingham High Schools

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Published on May 20 2016 2:48 pm
Last Updated on May 20 2016 2:48 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

Graduation ceremonies will be held this weekend for the Class of 2016 at St. Anthony and Effingham high schools.

The St. Anthony Baccalaureate Mass and Graduation Ceremony will begin at 7pm at St. Anthony Catholic Church. Springfield Diocesan Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will celebrate the mass and deliver the homily during the graduation ceremony.

As to the mass, former and current chaplains, vicars and pastors will serve as concelebrants, and siblings of the graduates will be the servers. The St. Anthony Chorus will present the prelude music, seniors Nick Grunloh and Emma Richards will share the readings, and Deacon Joe Emmerich will offer the general intercessions. The gift bearers will be Elizabeth Brandt, Hunter Niebrugge and Madison Schuette. Olivia Clausius will serve as organist, and senior chorus members Elizabeth Brandt, Emma Richards and Allison Spraul will present music.

During the graduation ceremony, James Kabbes will present the salutatorian speech and Mrs. Terry Pottebaum Fingerhut, a distinguished alum from the Class of 1966, will address the graduates continuing a tradition where a member of the graduating class from 50 years prior to the graduation class will speak. The bishop and Principal Greg Fearday will present the diplomas, followed by a senior tribute to "We Are Not Alone" and the valedictorian speech by Abby Brown.

Effingham High School's 130th annual graduation exercise will begin at 2pm Sunday in the large gym at EHS.

Following a processional by the EHS Band, Quinton Packer will offer the invocation, and then this year's 10 co-valedictorians will give their speeches. The 10 are Andrew Bingham, Taylor Crowell, Nathaniel Gengler, Ashton Haythorne, Collin Hecht, Drake Hill, Aidan Maloney, Joshua McCammon, Jared Minor and Reed Schafer.

Principal Jason Fox will present the class to Unit 40 School Board President Jeff Michael, and then Rob Zumbahlen will deliver the benediction. Members of the Class of 2017 will handle the ushering and decorations.