St. Joseph Regional Academy students and faculty, past and present, will be gathering one last time next month to say farewell to the school that has shaped thousands of children’s lives over the past century.

On June 16, the Home and School Association of St. Joseph Regional Academy in Jim Thorpe will host a farewell celebration at the school.

“St. Joseph Regional Academy has been an important part of the community for a hundred years,” Kathy Goff, president of the Home and School Association, said. “Some of our families have been here for four or five generations. There are countless memories in that building. We want to give people a chance to visit one more time and leave with one last good memory.”

The event will take place from 1 to 6 p.m. on the school grounds. Mass will be celebrated at 4 p.m. at St. Joseph Church.

Current students, alumni, current and former teachers and staff are welcome to attend.

The farewell celebration is the final chapter in the story of St. Joseph Regional Academy, which graduates its last class on June 12.

Last month, the Diocese of Allentown announced that it had decided to close the school after registration for the next year dwindled to only 41 students, meaning that parents and the school’s sponsoring parishes would be required to pay more to keep the school open.

The closure leaves two Catholic schools in the region — St. Jerome Regional in Tamaqua, which is relocating to Rush Township over the summer; and St. John Neumann in Palmerton/Slatington.