On June 1, Julie Levar will follow in the footsteps of her three older siblings, father - 45th Ward Alderman Patrick Levar - five uncles and grandfather when she graduates from Our Lady of Victory School on Chicago's northwest side. Julie is last of the third generation to graduate from the Catholic grade school and is the fifth generation to belong to Our Lady of Victory Parish.

She will attend Mother Guerin High School, as did her sister Michelle, 22, and her mother, MaryAnn Levar. Michelle graduated a year ago from Marquette University in Milwaukee. Julie's brother, Patrick Jr., 25, graduated from St. Patrick High School and then DePaul University, Chicago, and her other brother, Ryan, 17, currently attends St. Patrick's.

"Obviously, faith and Catholic education are very important to my husband and me," said MaryAnn, who attended St. Ferdinand School as a child and spent two years at Rosary College, now Dominican University, in River Forest. "We like that it's not just books and facts - it's learning a lifestyle, being kind to one another and the best way to treat our fellow man."

The family started their involvement at Our Lady of Victory five generations ago when Ald. Levar's great grandmother, Minnie Dahl, joined the parish. Her son, Joseph, and his wife, Myrtle, stayed in the area and were parish members and started the Catholic education trend by sending their children, Joseph Levar, Jr. (Patrick's father), Robert, and Marilyn, to school at Our Lady of Victory. In turn, Joseph Levar Jr. sent his six boys there, including Patrick, now in his 16th year as a Chicago alderman.

Julie is the last to attend Our Lady of Victory - for now. Perhaps Ald. Levar's future grandchildren will some day continue the tradition. "None of them are married or thinking about kids at this point," said MaryAnn. "But they do like the area. Who knows, maybe they'll stay."

Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools
The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago play a critical role in the life of the community by developing the minds and spirits of nearly 123,000 students of many races, faiths and backgrounds in the 304 elementary and secondary schools in Cook and Lake counties. There are more than 6,000 teachers in the Catholic school system who instill values, teach discipline and achieve strong, consistent academic results in the Archdiocese of Chicago's 261 elementary and 43 secondary schools. Visit the Archdiocese of Chicago Website at http://schools.archchicago.org .