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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF GIVING
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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF GIVING THE MEINERZ FAMILY
Earlier this year at the 2022 Commencement Ceremony, the Meinerz Family was presented with the Walter Yakich Faithful Servant Award, recognizing 50 continuous years of faithfully investing in the lives and futures of Pius XI students. The Faithful Servant Award is bestowed upon those who have dedicated themselves to using their God-given gifts and abilities in service to God and their community.
“Our family was incredibly touched to receive this year’s Walter Yakich Faithful Servant Award,” noted Scott Meinerz ‘72 who accepted the award on behalf of the family. “My seven siblings and I called Pius XI home over the span of nearly two decades. To be able to give back to the place that had such an incredible impact on all of us and enrich the experience for other Popes has been an honor”.
Archie and Viola Meinerz sent all eight of their children to Pius XI. They made their first donation to the school in 1972. Since that time, individual family members and their family foundation have invested more than $2.5 million in scholarships, programs, facilities, and opportunities. From the fieldhouse to the science wing to dozens of Meinerz Scholars, the family has made a positive and lasting impact on the community, including past and present Popes. A plaque in the fieldhouse lobby dedicated to Viola Meinerz reads, “Do a little better every day”. This very sentiment is built into our core value of Excellence, which states, “we hold ourselves and each other to the highest standard of performance and strive to do a little better every day so that we can each reach our unique and highest potential”.
“I think my time at Pius XI had everything to do with the person that I am today,” shared Leigh (Meinerz) Peterson ‘64. “It was strict, we learned respect, and we were held to high standards. I know those same standards are part of the core values that guide the school today.”
The following members of the Meinerz Family were recognized with the Walter Yakich Faithful Servant Award:
Archie & Viola Meinerz (posthumously) Lynn (Meinerz) Thornhill ‘61 Leigh (Meinerz) Peterson ‘64 Sandy (Meinerz) Townsend ‘66 Tim Meinerz ‘67 Greg Meinerz ‘68 Scott Minerz ‘72 Nancy Meinerz ‘75 Luann (Meinerz) Namowicz ‘76
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
1 Peter 4:10
