“It’s a providential time frame for us, because 100 years, first of all, it’s a feat,” said Father Jadyn Nelson, president of Bishop Ryan. “It’s a good reminder for us of how many people have gone before us and have contributed to this mission that we have – this educational mission. But also it should make us feel that we’re part of something that’s bigger than ourselves, that there’s a real need for. We’re still relevant. We still have a purpose in this community, and if we’ve made it through 100 years, I think the horizon for us is bright.”

There were times when the prospect of making it to 100 years wasn’t so bright. St. Leo’s school closed due to declining enrollment and issues with the building, and the Little Flower school closed due to impact from the 2011 flood.

The trends painted a dim picture 15 years ago.

“By 2027 we were not supposed to be here,” said Jaimie Brunner, director of operations at Bishop Ryan. “The trends had a sharp downward movement. I think that was really a point where it took some pretty special people to step forward and say, ‘You know, if we’re going to turn this tide, we’ve got to do some things. And I think that kind of started a place where people said we need to have a plan, and we need to do what we can to turn this around.”

Submitted Photo Bishop Ryan third graders Quinn Schepp, Haddie Weidler and Ivy Franklin practice with stethoscopes with sophomore Cambree Zwak during the Human Body Camp hosted by high school Biomedical Principles students, 2025.

Now, Bishop Ryan’s enrollment is larger than the high enrollment years of the early 2000s, she said. Bishop Ryan’s current enrollment is 475 students from pre-K through grade 12. Modular classrooms have been moved in to accommodate the growth.

Nelson, who joined the Bishop Ryan staff in 2012 and has been in his current role since 2016, credited leaders other than himself who had the courage to try something different and rethink the way education was being provided. It also is a credit to parishes that prioritized Catholic education with their investment of finances, labor, volunteerism and prayers, he said.

“We were in a resource slump, which happens when your enrollment falls, and so we needed an infusion of resources, and the parishes stepped forward to increase their support on an annual basis. That helped us to do some things that then created positive momentum. We had a successful strategic plan in 2018, the implementation of which has borne fruit, including a capital campaign for teachers’ salaries and endowed scholarships. And God has blessed us every step of the way with bringing the right people into this school. Because the school really is the people,” Nelson said.

Nelson said the school has changed drastically in the past seven years, resulting in the need for a new strategic plan. Having developed a good program, the focus now is on providing adequate space for those programs to flourish, he said.

“We are about 30,000 square feet short of where we would like to be for this current school population. There’s nowhere to put an adequately sized chapel, for example. There’s nowhere to put a fine arts center with an auditorium for 500 people. There’s no place to put an adequate fitness center that probably needs to be three or four times the size of our current weight room just to meet the needs of our student athletes. There’s no place to put a STEM center,” he said.

Submitted Photo Bishop Ryan students enter the school in 1961.

Nelson said the current campus also is landlocked and the building is at a point of needed investment.

Bishop Ryan was gifted 40 acres near the U.S. Highway 83 Bypass, and Nelson said a concept plan has been drafted for a new campus. However, the project isn’t yet at the point of a launch, which would require considerable resources.

“A Catholic school, just like a Catholic parish, is a monument of faith. The only reason for us to exist is because of faith, is because, in my estimation, God wants us to exist. And so, if that is what He wants, that is what He will get. Our job is simply to knock on every door to see if it opens,” Nelson said.

There’s also an effort to preserve the currently vacant St. Leo’s school, owned by the St. Leo’s parish. Construction is underway to convert the former gymnasium into new office areas.

A centennial logo has been created that celebrates not only Bishop Ryan but also the former St. Leo’s and Little Flower schools and Minot’s four Catholic parishes whose efforts have ensured Catholic education remains an option today, Brunner said.

Submitted Photo Sister Libory works with students during the 1961-1962 school year. Sister Libory was Superior of the Ursuline Sisters in Minot, and she taught world history and practical math at Bishop Ryan.

The centennial celebration will be yearlong.

Because so much of history happens around food, a cookbook is being assembled that will include original recipes from past school cooks who had a profound impact on students through not only the meals they prepared but the environment they created, Brunner said. The cookbook also will contain recipes submitted by current Bishop Ryan families and graduates.

One of the first activities of the celebration is a 100 Hours of Adoration event from Monday, April 20, to Friday, April 24, at the school. An invitation went out to the community to participate by taking an hour of adoration to fill those 100 hours.

Through the summer, a social media push will enable people to pose questions and get answers. Questions might be about whatever happened to a certain graduate or teacher or a feature of the school that disappeared over time. It might be a question about why certain things happened as they did years ago.

The first weekend in August will be alumni weekend, with special events planned and opportunities for class reunions. Events start Thursday, July 30, with a formal banquet. Speakers representing Catholic education over the years will talk about tradition leading to hope for the future.

Friday, July 31, will bring a Party on the Green with country/pop group Slamabama. On Saturday, Aug. 1, the school building will be open for Mass and an evening social with snacks and tours.

Just before Thanksgiving, the Turkey Bingo that was popular years ago will be revived.

Brunner said a traditional Advent event in December, the Lion Family Rosary, this year will focus on 100 rosaries for Catholic education. Over the course of Advent, there will be 100 ways offered in which people can pray the rosary together.

A social media page will be available as in the past for people to join online and pray with the rosary leader from wherever they are, Brunner said. However, people also will be able to come to the school chapel and participate.

Brunner said there is talk of bringing pieces of the former school carnival back in association with other events. This summer, the St. Leo’s donuts that were a mainstay for many people will be back.

“We’ll be bringing back a weekend where we are going to make St. Leo’s donuts and sell those around the community,” Brunner said. “We’re going to do a fair parade float, because that’s just a great way to be involved. And then there’s some other community-based things that we’re looking at doing, like maybe a night at the Hot Tots, maybe a Zoo Day.”

The events will celebrate with the Catholic community and with the Minot community.

“We’re not here just because of what we’ve done. We’re here because of the community that has supported us and has found value in having Catholic education as part of what we have here in Minot. So, we want to celebrate with everybody,” Brunner said.

The celebration is just the beginning, though, she said.

“One hundred years is not the end goal. One hundred years is not the end of the story. One hundred years is actually the jump off point for turning around and looking at the tradition and the history of everything that’s been done to get you to this point,” Brunner said. “Now, our job is to take it the next 100 years.”