Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy created the St. Peter Chanel Society to recognize and honor individuals whose support of the school and enthusiasm for its role in private, Catholic education is exceptional. Through their contributions of leadership gifts to the Notre Dame Annual Fund, they demonstrate a belief in the enduring value of education and provide us with a foundation for continued achievement and distinction.
Members of the St. Peter Chanel Society include parents, alumni parents, alumni, grandparents, friends, faculty and staff who have a deep and genuine concern for Notre Dame and who wish to contribute substantially on an annual basis to its continued excellence and fiscal soundness.
Your gift at any of the following levels will be recognized with a listing in our Annual Report and an invitation to our annual dinner for donors in October:
- Ven. Jean-Claude Colin Circle: $25,000+
- St. Marcellin Champagnat Circle: $15,000+
- Our Lady of Lourdes Circle: $10,000+
- St. Joseph Circle: $5,000+
- St. Anne Circle: $2,500+
- Society of Mary Circle: $1,000+
For more infomation about the St. Peter Chanel Society, please contact Frank Castronova '89 (NDHS) at fcastronova@ndpma.org or 248-373-2171 ext. 5.
About St. Peter Chanel, s.m. (1803-1841)
Peter Chanel was born in France on July 12, 1803. He entered the seminary at a time when the missionary spirit was developing in France. He was ordained in 1827. Following a brief period of parish work, he joined a group of diocesan priests who were eager to establish a religious order called the Marists.
During this time, the Vatican was searching for missionaries to evangelize Western Oceania. Fr. Jean Claude Colin, s.m., founder of the Marists, agreed to furnish personnel for this effort if the Vatican would recognize the Marists as a religious congregation under the Pope’s authority. Rome agreed, and Peter Chanel arrived in Oceania to the island of Futuna in 1837.
Peter met with severe resistance and his ministry was unproductive. When the chief’s son asked to be baptized, the chief sent a band of warriors to “remove” the missionary. Peter was martyred on April 28, 1841. Within two years of his death, the island converted to Catholicism. Peter Chanel was canonized on June 12, 1954 by Pope Pius XII. The Catholic Church celebrates his feast day on April 28th.