The St. Peter Chanel Society (SPCS) is comprised of leadership donors making annual gifts of $1,000 or more to The Notre Dame Fund. Through their annual contributions, members provide the school with the resources necessary to fulfill our mission to form Christian People, Upright Citizens, and Academic Scholars.
Members of the St. Peter Chanel Society (SPCS) include parents, alumni parents, alumni, grandparents, friends, faculty and staff. SPCS members come together for dinner each fall to celebrate the year's success and hear about the "state of the school" from the Head of School. The SPCS dinner and reception serves as a small token of gratitude and a powerful reminder of the SPCS members’ individual and collective impact on the lives of every student, every day.
The St. Peter Chanel Society is made up of the following annual giving levels:
- 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 information about The Notre Dame Fund and the St. Peter Chanel Society, please contact Gregory Simon at 248-373-2171 ext: 5 or gsimon@ndpma.org.
2018 St. Peter Chanel Dinner Photo Gallery
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.