GRANITE CITY — Considering the popularity of the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) in parishes throughout the Springfield diocese in the late 1950s, '60s, and early '70s, former CYO members at St. Elizabeth Parish in Granite City may be on to something. On Nov. 12, St. Elizabeth CYOs (1962-1975) held a 40th anniversary reunion at the parish.
Msgr. Virgil Mank, now retired and living in Missouri, was the celebrant at the 4:30 p.m. Mass that kicked off the CYO celebration. He was an assistant pastor at St. Elizabeth in 1969-1970.
A reception for parents of CYO members, a tour of St. Elizabeth School, a catered dinner and a 40th anniversary CYO meeting at 8:30 p.m. rounded out the celebration.
An online St. E. CYO Reunion Gazette, created for the reunion, describes the thoughts of those organizing the event.
"We all started in the same time and place. Born into circumstances much more similar than diverse, we share common experience: the same formative years, the same culture of place, and a shared set of values and morals. Our parents worked hard and did their best in a time of exploration, great passions and movements: wars of poverty and dominoes, Civil Rights, JFK, gender equality, and journeys into inner and outer space. It was a time when all seemed possible and the unimaginable became real ... ."
Like thousands of others in their age group who filled classrooms at Catholic schools throughout the nation, St. Elizabeth CYO members had their particular school slogan. At St. Elizabeth the buzzword was "Channel your Mattingly" — Father Lawrence Mattingly (d. 1978) was pastor at St. Elizabeth for many years.
"When we were kids he would hand out report cards. One of our fundraisers at the reunion was to order a copy of your St. Elizabeth permanent records," said Michael Uram, one of the organizers who planned the reunion.
"Back then we all knew each other's families," Uram said. "A fair number of guys went into the seminary, but most didn't stay. One of those who didn't stay is a physician. His son is a priest."
A committee of 15 spent a year planning the CYO reunion.
"It was just a wonderful thing to do," Uram said. "We all grew up here; our parents knew each other, and our grandparents knew each other. There are just so many connections."
Anyone interested in learning more about how the group went about planning their reunion, is welcome to contact Uram at .