Read the original story here.

The Central Catholic High School Class of 1947 meets every year on the date of its graduation, and Thursday marked the group’s 70-year anniversary.

About 20 of the former classmates gathered at St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church in Reading for Mass before reminiscing over lunch.

According to Trudy Erlacher Ritter, who organized the event, the class used to hold reunions every five years, but classmates liked getting together so much that they decided to make the reunions annual affairs.

“We had a class that was so compassionate and loving,” Ritter said. “Maybe because we grew up in the latter part of the Second World War. I think we appreciated life so much more.”

The Class of 1947 has stayed in touch over the years, sending one another Christmas cards. Central Catholic alumnus Stanley Puwalski said he was especially looking forward to seeing his former classmates this year, exactly 70 years after their graduation.

According to Ritter, 98 percent of the class went on to college, and many of the couples who met in high school are still married. About 35 members of the class of 130 are alive today.

The reunion featured remarks from St. Paul’s pastor, Monsignor John Grabich, who celebrated the Mass, and Tony Balistrere, principal of Berks Catholic High School.

The Rev. Fran Peffley, parochial vicar at St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax Station, Va., and the son of deceased classmate William C. Peffley, spoke about his father before entertaining the group with a juggling routine.

The event concluded with a prayer written by Thomas Powers and the singing of the Central Catholic alma mater.

Reading Central Catholic officially opened in 1940 with 75 students, occupying the former Luden mansion on Hill Road. The school closed in 2011 when the Allentown Diocese merged Central and Holy Name high schools to form Berks Catholic.