CANASTOTA — Holy Cross Academy, a junior-senior high school in Oneida, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with an appreciation banquet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 30 at Theodore’s Restaurant, 3231 Seneca Turnpike. The event will honor several individuals who have significantly assisted the school over the years.

Bishop Douglas Lucia of the Diocese of Syracuse will attend and members of the community are invited. Tickets are $35 and should be reserved by Tuesday, May 23 by calling the school at 315-363-1669. 

Honorees receiving recognition awards include Steven Anderson, Eric Belusar, Magdalene Breckenridge, Deacon James Chappell, Patrick and Joann Collins, Skip Leroy Helmig, Kim Herter, Joseph Edward Kirk, Werner Koegst, Allan and Karen Lohr, Michael Magnusson, Scott Rutledge, Edward W. Smith, John and Megan Vanderhoof and Patrick and Lory van Lieshout.

Chappell has taught government and economics at Holy Cross since 2007 and has assisted the school and its students in daily activities, along with spiritual and personal support. He will be retiring after serving as a deacon for more than 50 years.

In memoriam observations will include Rev. Richard Kapral, Clark Mollenhauer and James Wurz. Kapral, former pastor of St. Joseph’s and St. Patrick’s parishes in Oneida, was a constant supporter of Holy Cross.

The school was founded in 1997 with the blessing of former Syracuse Bishop James Moynihan by a group of Catholic lay men and women dedicated to providing an excellent education enlightened by the Catholic faith.

HCA began its life in New London at the former Holy Cross Catechetical Center. It was a two-room schoolhouse with just a handful of students in grades seven and eight. It then moved briefly to St. Joseph’s in Oneida, before settling into its current home on Barrington Road in Oneida in 2001.

A grade was added each year until it became a complete junior-senior high school and the first class graduated in 2002.

The school is registered with the New York State Education Department and successful students earn diplomas from both New York State and Holy Cross Academy. The school’s independence allows it to design its own curriculum and focus on the essentials. Small class sizes and caring faculty help students strive for excellence according to their own individual abilities, as teachers work to draw out those abilities to their fullest measure.

For more information about HCA or to schedule a visit, call 315-363-1669, visit www.holycrossacademy.com or find Holy Cross Academy on Facebook.