BASKETBALL TEAM 1960

We are long overdue for a Holy Cross Post so here is one from 1960.  Do you know anyone on it?

Young Champs!  How many can you name?

We have some names but we hope someone can fill in the blanks for us.

FRONT, L-R: Fred Noftall, ?, ?, James Murphy, Paul Meaney,?, ?,

Back, L-R: Tom Healey, ?, John Whitty, ? Healey, Kevin Walsh, Br Fahey

Br Fahey, the coach .  (Nice Brush Cut!)

HOLY CROSS HOCKEY CHAMPS

It's Hockey Season again (it seems to get longer every year!) so we dipped into the 1961 Holy Cross Yearbook to see what we could find.  We came up with this wonderful photo of the Crusaders Hockey Team,  High School Champs for that year! How many of you can remember those thrilling games? I am delighted that we have all the names of the players and the coach. Where are they now?  

Holy Cross Crusaders, High School Hockey Champs 1961

Row 1:  Ed Colford, Peter Densmore, Gerry Holden, Pat Densmore, Pat Hearn, John Murphy

Row 2:  Brother H B French (coach), Jim Finlay, Roger Maunder, John McCormack, Jim Casey, Nick Antle, Larry Dillon

Row 3:  Robert Wells, Cyril Kane, Jim Squires, Ron Baird, Ed Kennedy, Paul Labonte

HOLY CROSS YEARBOOK, 1961

Thanks to my sister-in-law, Eleanor, I am able to post some very interesting photographs from a 1961 Holy Cross Yearbook.  The yearbook belonged to her late husband, Shannon.  I hope I don't offend anyone but, in all honesty, I have to say  whoever took the pictures for this yearbook was a pretty poor photographer.  Some of the pictures are fine but most of the class and group pictures are really poor quality.  Anyway, I have picked out some of the better ones and I will post them for you all to enjoy.  As well as finding your brothers here, you just might come across some youthful crushes and even an old boy friend or two - maybe even an old boyfriend  who eventually became your husband!

 Cover of the 1961
Holy Cross Yearbook, "Crusader"



Grade 9, 1961, Brother Lawlor is the teacher



Grade 3, 1961, Mrs M Hollihan is the teacher

Holy Cross Senior Glee Club, 1961





 

Thanks, Eleanor, for keeping Shannon's Yearbook safe and for letting me borrow it.  I think it will kindle memories (some fond and some not so fond?) for lots of people.   Anyone with pictures, yearbooks, stories, etc, of Holy Cross or St Patrick's is welcome to share.  Just send anything you have to mcallistersmith@gmail.com and we will all be very grateful to you.  Anyway, as they say, "watch this space" because we will be posting more from the 1961 Holy Cross Yearbook, "CRUSADER".

FIRST COMMUNION 1916, CONFIRMATION 1943

Still on the topic of First Communion and Confirmation, we have a Confirmation photo from the early 1940s and a First Communion & Confirmation Certificate from 1916.  

Confirmation Time for a group of Holy Cross Boys,
circa 1943

This is a photo of a group of Holy Cross boys on their Confirmation Day.  The date is not certain but it is definitely the early 1940s and most likely 1943.  Notice their red rosettes which,  by tradition, boys wore at their Confirmation.  White rosettes were worn for First Communion. 

 

We have just four names:

2nd Row:
6th left, Alexander (Duey) Fitzgerald
7th left, Derm? Molloy

Third Row:
6th left, John McAllister

Back Row
4th left, John Whalen 

If anyone out there can give us some more names please send them to us at mcallistersmith@gmail.com. 

 

This is a First Communion and Confirmation Certificate in one and it records the First Communion and Confirmation of Ellen Josephine Williams.

 

First Communion &
Confirmation Certificate, 1916

 

A close up of the entry on the 1916 certificate



This is a very interesting certificate because it details three major events in the Sacramental life of a young Catholic. We see that Ellen Williams was Baptised in 1905, received First Holy Communion in the Church of St Patrick on the 10th June 1916. It doesn't give us the specific date of Confirmation but it does say that Ellen received "the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation in the same year", i.e 1916.

 

If you have First Communion or Confirmation photographs, certificates or stories that you would like to share with us, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Just send it along to us at mcallistersmith@gmail.com.

TIME FOR ANOTHER HOLY CROSS PHOTO (EDITED POST!)

It is time to post another Holy Cross Class Photo and have I ever got a beauty for you!  It was sent to me by Dianne HAWLEY King and it belonged to her late brother, Roger, who passed away last December.  I think many of you will remember Dianne who lived on Water Street and then Sudbury St.  I am also pretty certain that quite a few of you will remember handsome Roger who was a real heart throb.  There were many 'heart throbs' at Holy Cross!  Here are just a few of them.

Another group of Holy Cross Heart Throbs!

***I am very pleased to edit this post because we have recently been given some more names of the boys in the photo.  Originally Dianne and I came up with a few names but Enid O'Brien has once again come to our rescue!  Enid and her friend, Jim Dodd, have been able to supply many more names for us. Jim, by the way, is one of the boys in this photograph. 

Here is the updated version:

 

FRONT ROW, L-R:

Jim Dodd, Bruce Jones, Pat Casey, Damien Ryan, Brian Moriarity, Donald Dinn and Paul Duggan

 

 

2nd ROW:

Jack Power, Hubert Dunne, Bud Gushue, Pat Power, John Dewling, Kevin Martin, Jerome Dinn

 

3rd ROW:

Mike Kelly, Gus McGrath, Pat Ryall, Roger Hawley, Brian Leonard, Andy Samuelson, Mike Power and Tom Fagan

 

4th ROW:

Cyril O'Leary,   Ed Shapter,  Bob Perchard, Don Murphy, Bill Neville, John Anderson and Bernard Sheehan

 

 

5th ROW:

Stuart Rose, Gus Samuelson, Alan Murphy, Dennis Coffey, Bill Hynes

 

6th ROW:

Leo Power, Pat Downey, Brian Philpott, Mike OKeefe, John Whelan and Tom Wakeham

 

We don't know the year this photo was taken nor do we know what grade it is.  We are hoping that someone out there can help us with that and also with any of the names that we don't yet have. 

***The previous paragraph is now redundant because, thanks to Gus Samuelson, we have all the names as well as the grade and year.  Gus informed us that this is a photo of the Grade 11 class of 1958.  Gus noted that  Jack, Pat and Leo Power are three brothers from Fort Amherst.  I rememebr them Gus.  Their father was the Lighthouse Keeper at Fort Amherst. 

 

Thanks Dianne.  This is a great picture and if you come across any more pictures of Holy Cross or St Patrick's, please share them with us.  We all get a lot of pleasure from seeing old friends and classmates.   To Jim Dodd, a very big thank you for you help. Thanks also to  Enid O'Brien who is always helpful!   Last, but by no means least, thank you very much Gus Samuelson.  Whatever would I do without you all?

ST PATRICK'S GIRLS AND BOYS!

HELEN GOULDING has sent us two lovely photographs from 1967 and 1968.  Helen, who finished at St Patrick's in 1976, said that the children in these photographs were just six or seven years old. 

 

This first photo is of Helen's Grade 1 Class, 1967.   At one time, boys attended St Patrick's before moving on to Holy Cross.  I am very pleased with this picture because it  is the very first one that I have received which has boys on it.  Can anyone give us a name or two?  Also, who is the Sister?  Love the modified habit!  Believe it or not, some people thought it pretty daring.  I suppose it was quite a big change from the previous one that covered everything but face and hands.  Anyway, I love this picture and I really hope that some of you will be able to identify the Nun and the children.

Grade 1 Girls and BOYS, 1967

 

Here we have another picture of the Rhythm Band at the 1968 Graduation.  Aren't they just the cutest musicians you have ever seen?  I am hoping for some names here too, please.

 

You all look very smart in your red capes and hats!

 

I am always very grateful to receive photographs and/or stories from St Patrick's pupils, girls or boys.  I hope some boys will now be encouraged to allow us to have a peek at their old school pictures.  We really would LOVE to hear from the men out there who are former St Patrick's pupils!

 

Helen, if you come across anything else you would like to share here, we would be delighted to post it. Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures with us.

MEMORIES OF HOLY CROSS SPORTS DAY

Once upon a time, June was the month in which Holy Cross Sports Day provided an exciting diversion for the boys at Holy Cross and for their sisters and friends at St Patrick's.  Craig McAllister has sent me some great pictures of one such Sports Day.  The first picture was taken as the boys marched along Water St, near the foot of Leslie St.  I was tempted to crop the picture but I thought it better to remind ourselves of how Water St at Leslie looked before progress set in!  The second picture shows the boys marching into Brother Egan field on Leslie St.   These great pictures were  taken either in 1959 or the early 1960s.  My thanks go to Craig for sharing them with us. 

 

Holy Cross Boys marching up Water St,
near the foot of Leslie St

 

Arrival at Brother Egan Field,
Holy Cross Sports Day

 

This third picture is one I found among my old photographs.  It was probably taken at the first Sports Day held in the new field on Leslie St.  That would have been in June 1959.  Time certainly does fly!

 

My brother, Shannon McAllister,
Holy Cross Sports Day, 1959
 

 

This final picture is also from my own photo collection.  I am sure many of you will remember Gerry Dawson for his prowess on the sports field.  If my memory serves me correctly, Gerry ran away with many trophies at previous Holy Cross Sports Days.  Reg Farrell, from St Lawrence, was known for his sporting achievements for his home town and for St Bon's College in St John's.

Gerry Dawson and Reg Farrell,
keeping in touch with Gerry's old School,
Holy Cross Sports Day June 1961

 

Are there any more H C Sports Day pictures out there?  If so, please send them to mcallistersmith@gmail.com and we would be very happy to post them.

MINI REUNION IN FLORIDA



Mini Reunion in Florida

I don't know exactly what it is about St Patrick's girls that makes them friends for life.   No matter where they find themselves, living or visiting, they just can't resist getting together for a reunion. That is just one more thing that makes St Patrick's folks so special!

 

Janet (McGrath) Crane, Phyllis Reardon, Cathy (Hearn) Greene, Pat (Hurley) McDonald, Myra (Walsh) Meigle and Judy (Comerford) Newton had a happy reunion in Florida on 13 February 2014.  This picture was taken at Marina Jack's, Sarasota, Florida, where the ladies got together to chat, reminisce and, no doubt, to laugh a lot!  You all look like you are having a wonderful time and, I have to admit to a bit of jealousy on my part as I wish I could have been there too. 

 

Thank you, Pat Hurley McDonald, for the picture & the information.  I am glad it  went so well for you all. 

N B

IF ANYONE HAS HAD, ARE HAVING, OR ARE PLANNING A REUNION, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO WE CAN SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS ON THIS BLOG.   ANYTHING CONCERNING ST PATRICK'S OR FORMER PUPILS OF ST PATRICK'S OR HOLY CROSS WILL BE GREATLY WELCOMED.

MISS JENNY HAYES

I post here an interesting note that I received some time ago from Brenda Murphy Sheir. 

Brenda said:
"How about Miss Hayes, God love her! She used to sell the scribblers with the holy pictures on them and also the holy picture cards. She was a very kind lady to my family and I am sure to other families. I started St. Patrick's I believe in 1958 as I was born in Oct. 1953. I graduated in1966. Spent 67, 68, 69 and finally Business Course at Holy Heart in 1970. I was the oldest of 6 girls who all went to St. Patrick's, Brenda, Allison, Karen, Mary Lou, Connie and Geraldine Murphy. We grew up at 554 Water St, just below Patrick St. What a wonderful neighbourhood to grow up in. My first girlfriend was Patricia Lee from Deanery Avenue and later we were joined by Isabelle Fleet who grew up on Plank Road. The families were all united and I am so blessed to have grown up where I did and have been educated at St. Patrick's and brought up in the Catholic faith at St. Patrick's. Some of my school chums were Brenda Peddle, Diane Darcy, Sharon Dinn, Marilyn Murphy, Janet Bradbury, Cookie Martin, Theresa Prim, Mary Graham, Regina Whelan, Pamela Mulcahy, Allison Wakeham just to quickly name a few. God bless each and every one of the girls and teachers that I spent kindergarten to grade 8 with.
Love to you all.

Brenda Murphy Sheir"

 

It is a lovely e-mail and I am sure most of us, if not all, remember Miss Jenny Hayes.  She operated the little shop on Water St and she was so kind and patient with all the girls and boys who crowded into her shop.  She was often assisted in the shop by her friend, Marian Fitzpatrick, who was also very nice.  At lunchtime the shop was full of Holy Cross boys and St Patrick's girls who lived too far away to go home for dinner.  (The schools had no cafeterias in those days.) There the girls and boys all sat, on chairs or upturned Coke boxes, and ate their lunches from brown paper bags. Miss Hayes would be busy serving the children who called in for their two cents or five cents worth of candies.  Remember thos big glass jars, full of all kinds of delicious candies, some two for a cent.  Some were even more than TWO for a cent.  And who could forget those delicious snowballs that you could get for just five cents?

The white car is coming out of Patrick St and the
little shop operated by Miss Jenny Hayes was about
the third building up from there. 
Sorry I don't have a better picture but if
anyone has one to share, I'd be grateful

The Bus Stop was just up a little from the shop and, in bad weather, Miss Hayes allowed the bus-riding school children to wait inside her shop until their bus came.  Miss Jenny Hayes truly was a good and kind lady. 

Thank you Brenda for reminding us of Miss Hayes.  If anyone has any memories of Miss Hayes, we would love for you to share them with us.  Also, if any of the friends that Brenda mentioned are reading this, please get in touch.

E-MAILS AND COMMENTS!

This post consists of e-mails and comments between YVONNE McISAAC and myself and an interesting  comment from CHRISTINE (BARRY) CHIPMAN.  Yvonne had some interesting memories and she has kindly given me permission to share them.  Also, Yvonne would love to hear from any former classmates.  She can be contacted at ymci@live.com 

THIS IS THE FIRST COMMENT FROM YVONNE:

"I remember my school days at St. Patrick's like it was yesterday, but they were in the 60's.  Sister Luke (principal), Sister Brendan (choir), Miss Lawton (piano) and the list goes on. I live in Ottawa now, but there was a time when I visited Ottawa as a girl with the St. Patrick's choir and we sang at the National Arts Centre...what a wonderful memory. I had the opportunity a couple of years ago to visit the school again, as my niece attended school there (I can't remember the name of it off hand) and what a great experience it was to see the old classrooms, the halls and the basement. 

I'll never forget the day when I was in class there, that Holy Cross across the street caught fire.  My brothers were students there but thankfully everyone was safe. 

Sister Luke was a wonderful principal and I remember her so well.

Those green uniforms will never be forgotten for sure!

God Bless all the St. Patrick's Girls."

MY REPLY TO YVONNE:

"Good Morning Yvonne

Thank you for these lovely sentiments.  I was at St Patrick's in the 50s but like you, I remember those days like it was yesterday.  I have nothing but happy memories of my school days, the girls & the nuns.  I was working when Holy Cross burned but we heard at work that the school was on fire & we rushed from work to Patrick St.  I remember standing outside St Patrick's with a crowd of people watching the dear old school in flames.  A lot of people, including me, had tears streaming down their faces.  It was indeed a very sad day but, as you said, thankfully nobody was hurt.

Sr Luke was my Grade 8 teacher & she was just fantastic.  She is now about 93 years old & I still keep in touch with her.

Would you have any photos of your time at St Patrick's or any more stories or memories?  If you do I would love to post them on the blog for all to share.  Actually, the memories that you have shared in this comment would make a good post.  Would you mind if I posted it for all to see?  If you do have anything that you would like to share with all those great St Patrick's girls all over the world, you could e-mail it to me at mcallistersmith@gmail.com & I would post it on the blog but keep your e-mail address private unless you say otherwise.

Anyway Yvonne, it is really good to hear from you & thanks again for your very interesting comment.  Take care &, as you say, God bless all St Patrick's Girls."

YVONNE'S RESPONSE:

yvonne mcisaac ymci@live.com

Good morning!  Thanks for such a pleasant reply.

Please feel free to print my comments and also my email address.  I'd love to hear from other ladies who attended this school.

Actually I noticed my sister's photo (Roxanne Cullen Przybysz) in the class photo with Mrs. Green.  She's 9 years younger than I am and was one of the St. Patrick’s cheerleaders ... I remember her and the others participating in the Santa Claus Parade.

What lovely memories!

Keep in touch.   :)

O K ladies, if you know Yvonne, she would be delighted to hear from you so send her an e-mail at ymci@live.com  

HERE IS CHRISTINE'S COMMENT:

"By 1979 I was no longer at St Pat's however I do remember Mrs Greene.  I remember we had 2 Mrs Greenes, a Mrs Cathy Greene (who was my grade 4??  teacher in 1969-1970) and this lady who was a Mrs Angela Greene!!

I wish someone would send in more of these class pics say from

-Mrs Warren
-Mrs Burry
-Mrs O'Brien
-Mrs Linehan so many fine teachers and of course Sr. Luke!!!!
Thank you-- Christine (Barry) Chipman

PS- have to post as anonymous as only way it would."

This photo is for Yvonne and for Christine.  How many can you identify?  I will post the names next post.

ST PATRICK'S FACULTY, 1979.  HOW MANY CAN YOU NAME?

HOLY CROSS, GRADE 11, 1957

As I said in a previous post, HOLY CROSS SPORTS DAY 1959, it is almost impossible to think St Patrick's without thinking Holy Cross too.  Our brothers went to Holy Cross and so did most of the boys we had our eye on way back then.  With that in mind, I am posting a picture of the Grade 11 Class of 1957.  Many of you will have brothers on this picture (I do) and you will all know someone on it, I think.  So see how many you can recognise and if you need a little help, the names are below the photograph.  Enjoy this little stroll down memory lane.

HOLY CROSS SCHOOL, GRADE 11, 1957

FRONT, L-R:  D O'Toole, K Sheehan, E Coady, J Fitzgerald, F Galgay, J Ennis, B Neville, E Parrell

2nd ROW:  N Coffey, D Murphy, B Whelan, D Ryan, G Hall,  B Gardner

3rd ROW:   P Carew, L Shortall, E Power, L Nolan, C Williams, K Finney

4th ROW:   John Whelan, F Baxtrome, C O'Leary, R Murphy, B Croke, R Sheehan

5th ROW:     F Squires, D French, E Foran, J Neville, J Dooley, G Jardine

6th ROW:    K Kerrivan, R Snow, P Hurley, D Jones, J Coady, B Fowler, M McAllister, Jim Whelan

HOLY CROSS SPORTS DAY, 1959

I know, I know!  This isn't strictly St Patrick's Convent School!  But it is HOLY CROSS.  Remember Holy Cross?  Who among us didn't have their eye on some "cute Holy Cross boy"?  Were you one of the girls who spent Sunday afternoons sitting on our school wall watching the Holy Cross Cadets practise in their school yard?  Did you, with a vigorous nodding of the head and an innocent face solemnly assure your teacher, "Yes Sister, it's my brother" as you dashed off to Buckmasters Field to watch the Holy Cross Cadets strut their stuff at the Annual Army Cadet Inspection?  Did you ever lose your voice cheering on our Holy Cross Crusaders at a Basketball, Soccer or Hockey Game?  Enough said!

Holy Cross Sports Day, 1959
(Click on the photo to enlarge it)

This picture was taken on 6th June 1959 at the first Holy Cross Sports Day held at the recently acquired Brother Egan Field on Leslie St.    Most of you will recognise Msgr D O'Keeffe, Msgr R McD Murphy, Fr Leo Shea, Archbishop P J Skinner and Br L Angel.  Msgr Murphy  was our long serving Parish Priest and the well loved Fr Shea was also serving at St Patrick's at that time.  Brother Angel was Principal of Holy Cross.  (It's a shame that our handsome P P was snapped adjusting his glasses.)

I hope this picture brings back some happy memories for you.  It did for me!