St. Ben’s gets ready to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Bennie Day
St. Ben's students and alumnae prepare to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Bennie Day on Oct. 3rd. Celebrations will be held locally in Minnesota, as well as across the country and into the United Kingdom.
Oct. 3rd, 2024, will be the 25th anniversary of Bennie Day. Beginning in the fall of 1999, Bennie Day initially started in coordination with the Benedictine Friends program. In attendance were about 100 students and 100 Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict. It quickly became a hit as t-shirts were made for the event. From that fall day in 1999, Bennie Day became a staple tradition at St. Ben’s. What was once a homecoming week centered around Johnnies became an integrated celebration for both campuses.
Dana Kelly Fitzpatrick, an alumna of St. Ben’s, along with classmates and members of the St. Ben’s Senate were planning festivities to celebrate homecoming. Fitzpatrick served as the St. Ben’s Senate President for part of her time at CSB. While St. John’s students have the cherished Johnnie Hot Bread Nights, Fitzpatrick and others wanted to take the St. Ben’s festivities in a different direction and have something that was special specifically for St. Ben’s students.
Now, as we come up on the 25th anniversary of Bennie Day, the growth of the event can be seen. It is a day for current students, as well as alumnae, to connect over the community at St. Ben’s. The festivities at St. Ben’s will not be the only activities going on to celebrate Bennie Day. Across the country, many official gatherings will be held. In Minnesota events will take place in cities such as Minneapolis, Rochester, Northfield, Chanhassen and more. Nationwide, celebrations can be found in places such as Austin, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Bend, Oregon and even across the pond in London, England.
Fitzpatrick’s steps to create Bennie Day show a lasting impact on the tradition and connection at St. Ben’s. It shows to be a day where students and alumnae can connect on the importance of female community, as well as the sisterhood that begins at St. Ben’s and expands beyond the undergraduate years on campus. Fitzpatrick said the experience is uniquely feminine and is a powerful day to have a safe space for strong women.
Fitzpatrick says that the first Bennie Day shirts were $1.75 and were printed with feminine colors and prints to tease Johnnies and hype up the women. The t-shirts from Bennie day have been and continue to be worn everywhere. These shirts become collectors’ items and are shared around the world.
The 2013 Centennial Celebration was when alumnae began celebrating alongside current Bennies. It is a sacred day to celebrate the sisterhood. Mary Geller, Associate Provost for Student Success at St. Ben’s, says she remembers claiming and celebrating the Bennie identity.
A part of the Bennie identity includes Benedictine friends. This year, Bennie Day will feature more involvement with the Benedictine Sisters to show the rooted connection between the two. Bennie Day chose to create their own tradition as opposed to merging with the St. John’s Hot Bread tradition to maintain the community and history that is strong within St. Ben’s. Instead, they looked at it as an integration. It is a day to add value to the Bennie and Johnnie experience and educate those on the Benedictine education in the communities.
Bennie Day will take place on Oct. 3rd with Johnnie Day following on Oct. 4th. “Bennie Day is an opportunity to learn about the pride and spirit of our beautiful college,” said Fitzpatrick.
