Marist School is celebrating its 125th anniversary during the 2026–2027 academic year to honor the school’s heritage.
Founded by the Society of Mary in 1901 in Downtown Atlanta, Marist was a Catholic military day school for boys until the mid-70s when it ended the military offering and became coeducational.
The school, originally called Marist College, became Marist School when it moved to Ashford Dunwoody Road in 1962, a change prompted by the construction of the interstate through the original campus.
Marist priests led and guided the school until 2023 when J. D. Childs became the school’s first lay president. Marist School Rector Father John Harhager, S.M., who previously served as school president from 2008-2017, works closely with Childs to sustain the school’s Catholic identity, Marist charism, and connection with the Society of Mary.
“This is a tremendous moment for Marist School, an opportunity to convey the extraordinary continuity of our mission and the essence of the Marist spirit that has shaped our school for 125 years,” Childs said in a press release.
According to Childs, “The educational and spiritual inheritance we have received from the Society of Mary makes profound claims on how we educate young people precisely as a Marist school today. This year, with profound joy, we celebrate the Society of Mary’s remarkable legacy of educational excellence as it has manifested here at Marist School in Atlanta and look confidently to the future, continuing the essential work of forming young people in the image of Christ.”
The school community kicked off the anniversary celebration together on Schola Brevis, the first day of school. Accompanied by the ringing of the bell in the new Marist Bell Chapel, students, faculty and staff processed to Hughes Spalding Stadium for a commemorative “125” photo, followed by an all-school assembly in Centennial Center.
The celebration continued with events surrounding Founders Day on Oct. 2, which is the day 125 years ago that Marist opened its doors on Ivy Street next to Sacred Heart Church to welcome 32 boys.
On the eve of Founders Day on Oct. 1, trustees and members of the Marist community gathered to honor current and past Marist priests, marking the occasion by blessing the new Marist Bell Chapel, a structure whose architecture hearkens back to the entrance of the school’s original building downtown and whose bell also holds historic significance for the Marist community.
The celebration continued withschool day festivities on Oct. 2. A Founders Day Mass was celebrated by Bishop Joel Konzen, S.M., former Marist School principal. A Party in the Plaza afterward gave time for students, faculty and staff to ring the Marist Bell Chapel bell, sign a “We Are Marist Made” wall graphic and enjoy a Marist marching band performance and birthday cake. During Mass, Bishop Konzen blessed custom lapel pins for students as well as a time capsule that was later placed in the Marist Bell Chapel for future students to discover.
Two special history exhibits have been installed on campus as part of the 125th anniversary celebration. The school’s Arcade houses “125 Years of Marist: A Timeline Exhibit,” curated by Marist archivists Michael Bieze and Louisa Moffitt. Using a decade-by-decade approach, the exhibit outlines defining moments from the school’s century and a quarter history.
A second exhibit is in the Marist Way Reading Room within the Marist Library in Wooldridge Center. Entitled “The Marists: 125 Years of Impact”, the exhibit was conceived by Society of Mary Archivist Susan Illis to highlight the Marist priests, both past and present, who have modeled the gentle and nurturing spirit of the school’s patroness for generations of students and families. To complement the history exhibits, milestones of Marist’s storied 125-year history are documented online in a timeline accessible from the 125th anniversary webpage.
On Oct. 7, the school marked the 125th anniversary with a day of prayer on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. More than 125 Marist parents, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty, staff and students assembled in Esmond Brady Memorial Chapel over a 24-hour period to spend time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Offered in celebration and thanksgiving for 125 years of Marist School, the day honored the faith at the heart of Marist’s founding and its continuing mission.
Other signature features of the yearlong 125th anniversary celebration include a fun focus for students on the 125th day of school, exclusive anniversary merchandise in the Campus Store, and an alumni prayer initiative—”25 Prayers to Celebrate 125 Years”—which involves alumni returning to campus to lead morning prayer alongside current students, faculty and staff.
During Women’s History Month in March 2027, Marist School will recognize the landmark shift to coeducation, when Marist welcomed girls to campus.
Marist School’s quasquicentennial has received statewide recognition through a proclamation and commendation from Gov. Brian Kemp as well as resolutions from both houses of the Georgia General Assembly.
