Former students of the Christ the King Class of 1968 gather before Mass to celebrate their 50th reunion in July. (Dan Cappellazzo/Staff Photographer)

When friends gathered together to reminisce about the old days, who knew that it would blossom into a full blown class reunion for the Christ the King School class of 1968. Through social media and friends reaching out to other friends, most of the class was able to reconnect. They came from California, Texas, Florida, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont and from all parts of New York state.

"It's almost unreal because this class has not been together for half a century," said alumnus Dr. Dan Whopperer.

The alumni gathered together for Mass on Saturday, July 14. Of the 59 students who graduated in 1968, 35 were able to attend the reunion. After Mass the alumni were treated to a reception and tour of the school. Memories flowed back as the alumni visited each classroom. "I'm a writer so one of my memories is really loving English class," said alumna Ann Morgan. "The emphasis on language and grammer and penmanship and spelling."

Whopperer recounted how the school nurtured his artistic talent. "One of my fondest memories was cuttings class, not cutting it, but being given permission from the teachers to go and work on the bulletin boards," he said.

Class reunions like this seem rare, but the bonds forged have stayed strong over the decades. Morgan started at Christ the King in seventh grade when her family moved to the Buffalo area. "I didn't feel like the new kid. I always felt like one of the crowd for the two years I was here," said Morgan. "Made me feel like I belong someplace."

Even after her family moved again while Morgan was in high school, she felt a need to return to Buffalo. "I have varied roots but I still consider Buffalo the place where I grew up," said Morgan.

Some current students, recent alumni and school administrators shared stories with the Class of 1968. "It (Christ the King School) gave me a solid foundation at just being a good person. The priests and the nuns did teach us a moral code. For me, that has lasted to this point," said Whopperer.

After the reception the class of 1968 gathered for dinner together at the Eagle House in Williamsville.