Messmer Catholic Schools proudly celebrated Founders Day Tuesday, September 13th, marking the official beginning of the school's 90th anniversary year.  A dedication ceremony started at St. Martin de Porres Parish  at 128 W. Burleigh St. in Milwaukee. It is the original Diocesan High School, established in 1926 at what was then St. Elizabeth School and is now known as Messmer High School. 

Since then, Messmer has relocated its high school campus  at 742 W. Capitol Drive in  Milwaukee and has expanded to include two grade schools - Messmer Saint Mary Elementary in Riverwest and Messmer Saint Rose Elementary in Merrill Park. 
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Mayor Tom Barrett, County Executive Chris Abele and Vicar Fr. Tim Kitzke, along with other key community and educational leaders,  joined Messmer Catholic Schools President Jim Piatt at St. Martin de Porres Parish to officiate the first of four dedications that will take place at each of Messmer Catholic Schools' campuses throughout the day. 

"Archbishop Messmer believed that a school, in order to be Catholic, is to be of the people," explained Piatt. "He was a pioneer in reaching out beyond the European Catholic community to be inclusive of African American and Hispanic."

After the first tree planting and dedication ceremony, 150 Messmer High School seniors walked 1.5 miles from St. Martin de Porres Parish to Messmer High School, symbolizing the theme of the 90th anniversary year, "Founded in Faith. Rooted in Milwaukee."