Forty Years of St. Peter Chanel Day

St. Peter Chanel Day was created by Mr. Michael Hart, social studies teacher, and Ms. Nanci Pearson, English teacher and senior class moderator. New principal Fr. Joel M. Konzen, S.M., now Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, approved the idea. Aside from the more modern arrangement of the junior class organizing the day, the activities have remained much as they were during the first year of the event. From athletic tournaments to a talent show—which now focuses solely on live music performances—the original St. Peter Chanel Day was a full day of merriment held in honor of the martyred Marist priest Peter Chanel. In the beginning of its fifth decade, the festivities persist for another generation of Marist students.

Mrs. Amelia Luke ’01, director of student leadership and activities, said, “I’ve been lucky enough to oversee the planning of Chanel Day for the past 16 years. It is so much fun working with the juniors to prepare for the day and seeing their work in action for the whole school to enjoy. The bands are always awesome, and this year was no exception!”

This year’s enjoyable day began with Mass presided by Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM, Conv., who commissioned 27 juniors as extraordinary ministers of holy Communion. This valued group will serve the Marist School community until their graduation in 2024.

Bishop Hartmayer’s homily celebrated the feast of St. Peter Chanel, the first Marist saint, by guiding the Marist community to take inspiration from Peter Chanel’s life mission of preaching the Gospel without using words, but by doing it in the way he lived his life. “People are attracted by seeing Christian values lived out by people,” he said.

One way in which the spirit of St. Peter Chanel was reflected on campus this special day was through the teamwork Nicole Barrios ’24 witnessed among her classmates. “Seeing the whole junior class working together was very rewarding. Everywhere I looked, juniors were smiling and having fun serving their peers and the whole school community.”

The joy was infectious. Following Mass, all were invited to enjoy a wide range of fun activities. From the front of campus in the Flag Circle, stretching through the Arcade to Alumni Plaza, and scattered among the various fields and gymnasiums, there was something for everyone to enjoy. Students—and even many faculty and staff participants—challenged one another in friendly competitions of pickleball, ultimate frisbee, basketball, softball, dodgeball, and more. Between those events, students enjoyed facepainting stations and several food trucks.

The seniors had their own designated field known as “Senior Beach”, featuring exclusive games and an inflatable obstacle course the size of a classroom. Katherine Erdman ’23 reflected, “Chanel Day is such a special day on campus where everyone can enjoy the fresh air and participate in a variety of activities! Whether working the day or being a participant, I enjoyed listening to the bands, playing in the tournaments, and spending time with my classmates!”

The bands that played throughout the day in the Flag Circle could be heard from even the furthest reaches of campus. From the youngest of students to those about to graduate, and from soloists with acoustic guitars to full brass bands, Marist’s talented musicians came prepared to “wow”. Everyone gathered to hear the performances and cheer on their peers.

“It was awesome to see my friends show off their talents and the music was amazing. With the pandemic and planning the day last year, this was my first opportunity to fully enjoy the day,” said senior Spencer Schoenberg, adding the Junior Leadership Team “did an amazing job this year as well.”

While St. Peter Chanel Day is the junior class service project for the benefit of the entire school, Andrew Albright ’24 noted, “It was so fulfilling to see how much teachers and other students enjoyed Chanel Day after all the hard work Junior Leadership Team put into planning the event.”

Alexander Lee ’24 agreed, saying, “"I was super proud as I walked around and saw all the improvements the juniors worked so hard on for Chanel Day this year!”

With the weather sunny and cool, it was as if St. Peter Chanel smiled down on Marist for this 40th year celebrating his legacy. For another joyous day in April, the Marist School community carried forward this rich tradition and will remember the words of Archbishop Hartmeyer who said, “Make the right decisions. Make good friends. Have a goal in mind, something you want to achieve for the good of others, just like St. Peter Chanel. Live your lives so others are influenced by the way you live your life.”

Watch this video to learn more about this year’s St. Peter Chanel Day preparations.

View photos from the 2023 St. Peter Chanel Day.