MSGR JAMES DOODY

MSGR JAMES DOODY

Diamonds have many facets.  St Patrick's Convent School was one of the beautiful facets that made up that exquisite diamond that is St Patrick's Parish.  With this in mind, I direct you to St Patrick's Parish website.  Just click here & you will find yourself on the website.

I notice that long time Pastor of St Patrick's, Msgr James Doody,  has recently been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.  This is a special medal commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne.  The medal is awarded to those who have made major contributions to their communities.  This Msgr Doody has certainly done over his many years of priesthood.  So, I dedicate this post to Msgr Doody and, on behalf of all St Patrick's Convent School girls ( and boys),  I thank him for his years of dedicated service to St Patrick's Parish and congratulate him on receipt of his well merited award.  

Dear Msgr Doody, you will be missed at St Patrick's but we wish you good health and much happiness in your new home at St Patrick's Mercy Home.  Don't forget St Patrick's Parish - it won't forget you!  God bless you Msgr Doody.

Good readers of this post, don't forget to click here to read the full story of Msgr Doody's award.  You will also be able to keep up to date with all that is going on in St Patrick's Parish.  Speaking from my own experience, I think  that is especially comforting for those of us who now reside in foreign climes.

SR MARY XAVERIA FARDY

Sr M Xaveria & an unamed pupil

This is another picture from the 1979 yearbook. 

The piano teacher is Sister Mary Xaveria.  Sister Xaveria  taught in various Presentation Schools across Newfoundland.  I am not certain of dates but I know it was the early 1950s when Sr Xaveria was a classroom teacher at St Patrick's old school. 

Some of you will remember "The Passage" connecting the Deanery Avenue School with the really old classrooms above the Auditorium.  Sr Xaveria taught Grade 10 in one of those classrooms.  Mother Berchmans taught Grade 9 up there and Sr Imelda taught the Commercial Class in one of those classrooms.  Graduates of Sr Imelda's Commercial Class were highly sought after by St John's firms.  This is all from my memory so if I err, please someone, set me straight.

Sr Xaveria's family name was Fardy.  She was an Aunt of that great St Bon's sportsman, Hugh Fardy.   In the 1970s Sister retired to St Patrick's.  I say "retired" but I don't think Nuns ever "retired".  They just kept on working until the Good Lord decided otherwise.  Anyway, Sr Xaveria then taught piano to a whole new generation of Westenders.

Unfortunately, I do not know the name of  that cute looking little piano student.  I hope someone out there will be able to help me with that.   Also, any other memories of Sr Xaveria, the old classrooms above the Auditorium, or any of the Sisters mentioned here would be appreciated.

FROM A 1920s NEWSPAPER

Here is a little item I came across in a very old scrapbook. The clipping was from a St John’s newspaper published in March 1920. It will, I hope, be of interest to all St Patrick’s girls but especially to those who were ‘Children of Mary’! I knew that the Sisters & students of St Patrick’s were leaders!

“There passed away at the Presentation Convent, St Patrick’s, on Wednesday last at 4:45 a.m. the venerable Mother M Caulfield, a well known and highly esteemed member of the Presentation Order.

The deceased, who was born in Limerick City, entered the Presentation Convent, Cathedral Square, in 1851. She made her Profession there in 1854. A few years afterwards she was sent to the recently established foundation at Riverhead, where she zealously laboured for the spiritual and temporal welfare of the many souls committed to her care during her long religious life of sixty-nine years.

In 1876 she, with Rev Dean Ryan and Sr M Patrick Kielly, was instrumental in establishing the Sodality of the Children of Mary at St Patrick’s (the first Sodality of G. de M. in this Island). In 1884 she, with Rev Father Palmer (then stationed at St Patrick’s) established the Confraternity of St Anne of which she was Directress till her death.”

The article continues with a report of the death of another Sister at St Patrick’s. (More about that at a later date.) 

The report concludes with “We have loved them in life, let us not be unmindful of them in death.”

I was unable to turn up any details of the funeral but, just by chance, I saw Sister’s headstone in the little cemetery at St Patrick’s. Also, just by chance, I had my camera with me. So, of course, I took a picture of the grave. I don’t profess to be a photographer so please make allowances for the quality of the photo and just enjoy this little bit of St Patrick’s history.

Grave of Sr M Aloysius Caulfield

A GOOD FRIDAY REFLECTION

The Mission Cross in St Patrick's Church