Fifty years (The Big 50) have passed since our Aurora Central Catholic High School graduation ceremony. Everyone has taken separate yet personal journeys and many have lost touch with each other. However, one day, an idea sparked in the minds of a few very ambitious alumni to organize Our 50th Year Reunion.

When day arrived, and as the graduates of ’73 walked into the hall of the Phoenix Club, I think everyone was a little taken back. The once youthful faces were now showing a little bit of age, and the once thick hair had now thinned out a little in my case a lot. Yes, and the color of some of the hair turning a bit gray. However, despite the changes in everyone’s appearance, we all started to feel a sense of belonging. Everyone had all gone through their own various life experiences and had grown to become similar in ways they couldn’t have imagined back in school.

As we caught up with each other many of those that attended shared their stories of success, failure, love, and loss. They laughed, cried, and hugged each other tightly, realizing how much they had missed. They felt a sense of pride to see their fellow classmates’ accomplishments and how they had overcome challenges.

As the night came to an end, many shared and exchanged their phone numbers and emails, promising to stay in touch this time. Many now realized they didn’t want to miss out on each other’s lives anymore. They had realized that despite the years of separation, they still had a bond that was real.

That 50-year reunion was a chance for the Aurora Central Catholic High School graduates to catch up with each other’s lives. They had grown to become more similar through life experiences and had a sense of belonging that brought them together. If you missed the reunion, you missed a chance to reconnect with old friends and celebrate life’s achievements.

It is not uncommon for high school reunions to evoke a sense of nostalgia and a desire to reconnect with old friends and classmates. Ours was no exception. 

I personally was inspired (yes I find it difficult to believe as well) to create a website for just “Our Class, 1973”. While the school already has a website, there is something special about a platform that is dedicated to us and us alone. A space where we can share our experiences from the past as well as well into the future. It is a great way to stay connected with each other and to continue building on the relationships that were formed in the 70’s.

Hopefully, this website will encourage more of you, our fellow classmates, to come forward and share your stories. It is a wonderful way to keep the spirit of ACC HS 73 alive and to show that the bonds forged during those years still exist. I wish you all the best in your endeavors and look forward to hearing from everyone soon.

Bill McFarland