AN EXTRA SPECIAL LADY

As we are all aware, every St Patrick's girl is special. 😉 Today I am posting about an extra special St Patrick's girl, Helen Gushue Mallard.

Helen Gushue is a second generation St Patrick's Girl.  Her late mother, Molly Flynn Gushue, also attended St Patrick's Convent Schools.

Helen married Tom Mallard and together they raised a beautiful family of eight daughters and five sons. Helen sent her eight girls to St Patrick's.  Her daughters were being educated at the best girls' school so, of course, her sons had to be enrolled at the best boys' school, Holy Cross!

The Mallards are a very talented family. They have been blessed with good singing voices and the ability to play many musical instruments. The girls all sang in classroom choirs and several, including Liz, Louie, Cathy and Brenda, sang in Sr Brendan's award winning Glee Clubs. 

Helen was born to Bill and Molly Flynn Gushue on 24th October 1928.  This year Helen celebrated her 96th Birthday. Helen's daughter, Mary Lou (Louie) Tucker, sent a couple of pictures of Helen and her girls.

Top: Chrissy, Louie, Sue
Middle: Tish, Geri, Brenda
Helen
Bottom: Liz, Cathy

Top: Sue, Chrissy, Louie
Middle: Helen, Cathy, Tish
Bottom: Geri, Liz, Brenda

Thanks Louie for sharing such a wonderful occasion.  It is a delight to see your dear mother and her daughters. Helen, you really are an extra special lady.  May God bless you and keep you safe.  

TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO 12, DEFINITELY OLDIES!

Today I have some definitely oldies!  It is a long time since this uniform was worn. Again, it is a random selection of photos that have been submitted over the years.  If you  are in any of these photos you are, like me, not 21 anymore 😉. 

TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO 7, MORE MUSIC, DANCE AND SONG

Did you know that the Presentation Sisters were the first teachers in Newfoundland to introduce music into schools on a daily basis? Well they were and that musical tradition was carried on down through all the years and in all their schools province wide.  This post shows St Patrick's Pupils enjoying the music, song and dance opportunities on offer. I am grateful to all the people who have contributed these wonderful photos. Thank you so much for your help.  

Kiwanis Music Festival, 1956

St Patrick's Day Concert

Madeline entertains at a Class Reunion

Making music on the Xylophone, 1978/79

Doreen and the Montereys

Miss Lawton and pupil

GOLDEN FRIENDSHIP

This is a post that should have been done in November but I am afraid I missed it.  I apologize to Christine Butler and her friends - I must be slipping!  Each and every friendship is precious and deserves celebrating and this is a very special friendship and worthy indeed of celebrating. 

The friendship between this group of St Patrick's girls blossomed in Grade three and it has survived the ups and downs of life ever since.  The ladies regularly get together to celebrate that friendship.  They all graduated from St Patrick's in the School Year of 1973/74. On the 9  November 2023 they gathered at the Royal Yacht Club in Manuels to celebrate the amazing Golden Anniversary of their graduation together. 

Christine and Terri have sent a photo of that happy day  and I am pleased to post it below.

Celebrating a Golden Friendship

Congratulations on such a wonderful occasion and may you continue to enjoy your beautiful friendship for many more healthy and happy years.  God bless you all.

LINDA'S PICTURES

I have had some very interesting pictures from Linda Withers.  They will take you back more than a few years! 

56 year old kindergarten uniform &
50 year old gym t-shirt

School clothes from 50+ years ago

The green tunic is Linda's 56 year old Kindergarten Uniform.  It is size xx small (how sweet is that💖).  The blue one is a gym t-shirt and it is a mere 50 years old!  It is size medium.

St Patrick's Convent School Pin

Linda surprised herself when she found her old School Pin and she kindly shared a picture of that with us too.

Linda's School Pin on her Gym T-shirt

Linda, I am very grateful to you for sharing your lovely mementos and memories with us. Anything else you would care to share, including anecdotes or stories about your schooldays, would be very welcome.  Thank you, Linda.  

SCHOOL SOUVENIRS

Teri Healey Evans is sharing some lovely school souvenirs with us.  They are little cards which were given to her late sister, Cindy, and kept by their mother.  Teri came across them in a book belonging to her mother and thought we would like  to see them.  She and I both thought these might encourage others to share any such tokens on our School Blog.  We think there are plenty of them still out there.  I know that I have at least one tucked away somewhere.  I am going to have a look for it and post it when I find it.  Come on, all you St Patrick's Convent School grads, please turn out your souvenir boxes and see what you can find to share with us all. 

Front and back of Cindy's card from Miss Walsh

Front and back of card given to Cindy by Miss Rogers

Thanks Teri.  These are really nice and, anything else you come across would be welcome too.  Keep in touch.📚👩🏼‍🎓👨🏼‍🎓

👉👉 BEFORE YOU GO, HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR BELOVED ST PATRICK'S PARISH. THINGS AREN'T LOOKING GOOD.😭

http://stpatrickschurch.ca/2.0/news/

A MIND BLOWER, FOR SURE!

I was given this photo a few years ago and it is definitely time I posted it.  The quality of the photo is very poor but I think most people on it are recognizable.  I have not been given any date for it but I think it would be around mid 1950s.  I also think it is Sr Columba's grade 4 or 5 class.  I have most of the names.  Perhaps you could fill in the blanks for me. If you click on the photo, it should enlarge for you.

Do you know anyone in this picture?

1. ?
2. ?
3. Bernice or Dorothy Noftall
4. ?
5. Rita Hickey
6. Marina Grace
7. Patsy Noseworthy
8. Bridie Vavasour
9. Jeanie Albert
10. Dorothy Levine
11. ?
12. Diane Edison
13. Cynthia Reddy
14. Elaine Morris
15. Marlene Morris
16. Margaret Power
17. Mary Johnson
18. Valerie McGrath
19. Elizabeth Flynn
20. ?
21. Barbara Sharpe
22. ?
23. ?
24. ?
25. Carmel Fitzgerald
26. Mary Whelan
27. ?
28. Norma Williams
29. Marie Furey
30. ?
31. ?
32. ?
33. ?

GRADE 2, 1967

This lovely photo will bring back fond memories for some of you.  It was sent to me by my niece, Susan McAllister Riddell. It is a grade 2 Class picture from 1967.  The teacher was the well loved Miss Jackie Sears.  It is too bad Miss Sears isn't in the photo.  

Susan has given me most of the names and perhaps you might be able to help with the ones she has missed.  If you can help, then please send the names to mcallistersmith@gmail.com. I will add this post to the faebook page but please DON'T MESSAGE ME THERE because, for some unknown reason, I am unable to access my messages.

Grade 2, 1967, Miss J Sears (Click on photo, should enlarge it)

First Row: Susan Power, Jacinta Mackey, Josephine Dalton, Karen Baird, Marie O'Brien, Joan ?, Terri Dicks, Janet Pink, Judy McCarthy, Louise Kavanaugh, Cathy MacKay, Margo Walsh

Second Row: Lynn Martin, ??, Paulette ?, Joan Tracey, Susan Emberley, Rachel Reid, Sandra Doyle, Kathy Stone, Darlene Horwood, Janet Power, Tina O'Brien, Judy ?

Back Row: Jeanette Power, ?, Maureen O'Brien, Anita Hall, Mary Lou Redmond, Anette Power, Gertrude Bruce, Trudy Collins, Sylvia Broderick, Susan McAllister, Colleen ?

Don't forget, if you are able to help with any missing names, please email me at mcallistersmith@gmail.com. Don't message me on facebook because, unfortunately, I am unable to access my facebook messages. Thanks!

Thank you Susan for this great photo.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SR BRENDAN LYNCH

I have received some happy news from Wayne Lynch regarding his Aunt, Sr Brendan Lynch.  Wayne tells me that Sr Brendan celebrates her 90th Birthday today, 25 February, 2021.    Sr Brendan, we all wish you a wonderful Birthday and, were it not for this Covid situation we find ourselves in, I am sure there would be a steady stream of St Patrick's girls making their way to Presentation Convent to greet you on this special day. 

Sister Mary Brendan came to St Patrick's in 1967 and began to work her musical magic. She found an abundance of talent at St Patrick's and she certainly honed and polished it into a thing of beauty.  Awards and accolades came thick and fast for Sister and her choirs(here).  (To see other news of Sr Brendan and her choirs, just enter her name in the search box in the top left corner of the blog.)

Gertrude Lynch was born to Agnes and Patrick Lynch on 25 February 1931 in Grand Falls-Windsor. Sadly, Agnes passed away when Gertrude was just a child. Gertrude, Gen Murphy and Kay McDermott all started school together and became fast friends. The girls went through school together and eventually graduated together.  The beautiful thing is that the three are still friends and this year they all celebrate their 90th Birthdays. Happily for us, Gertrude joined the Presentation Sisters and was given the name Sr Mary Brendan. Sr Brendan taught in various schools across the Island sharing her talents and instilling the love of music and song in her charges.

Wayne has kindly shared some photographs of Sr Brendan with us.  I will post them here because I think many of Sr Brendan's pupils will be wishing her well today. 

Wayne, thank you so much for making  it possible for us to let Sr Brendan know that she and her music always will be special to her St Patrick's girls.

Happy Birthday, dear Sr Brendan, and may God bless you today and always.

NOVEMBER 21, PRESENTATIION DAY

Today, 21 November, is the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the temple at Jerusalem or as we know it, Presentation Day.  It is a day that is special to Presentation Sisters all over the world.  It is special to St Patrick's girls and boys too because it was the Sisters of the Presentation who established St Patrick's Convent School and taught there for well over one hundred years.  (Some of us can even remember when Presentation Day meant a holiday from school!)  

The school closed in 1999, but although many years have passed since we sat in the desks at St Patrick's, those days and the Sisters continue to influence our lives. 

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known in the East as the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, is a liturgical feast celebrated on 21 November by the Catholic Church, Orthodox Church, and by some Anglo-Catholic Churches. The account of the Presentation of Our Lady into the temple is based on the Protoevangelium of St James.  The Protoevangelium has been dated by historians prior to the year 200 AD. It relates that in thanksgiving for the birth of their daughter, Joachim and Anne decided to consecrate her to God. When the child was three years old, her parents brought her to Jersusalem where she was presented in the temple.

Dolls depicting how the PBVMs used to look

That the Sisters of the Presentation are no longer a presence in our Parish is sad.  The contribution of the PBVMs to St Patrick's School, Church, and Parish is immeasurable. The whole of the West End of our beloved City is better for their coming.

A 108 YEAR OLD TEXTBOOK!

I owe this post to Sean of "FAIR AND SQUARE HANDYMAN SERVICES".

Fair and Square Handyman Services

Sean's mother came across a very old school book which had belonged to her aunt. The aunt, Mary (May) Williams, happens to be my aunt too. 

Mary (May) Williams and her younger sister
standing behind their parents

Mary Williams attended St Patrick's Convent School more than one hundred years ago so she would have been taught by some of the Presentation Sisters who had come over from Ireland on the Newfoundland Mission!  

Mother M DeSales Walsh (1866-1968)

Among the Irish Sisters was Mother Mary DeSales Walsh who was born in Tralee, Co Kerry, in 1866. Mother DeSales was just 16 years old when she arrived in St John's to join the Presentation Sisters at Cathedral Square. Mother DeSales had a long and distinguished life. She taught at various schools, including St Patrick's, and served two terms as Mother General of the Presentation Sisters in Newfoundland. She was also one of May's favourite teachers!  Mother DeSales died at Presentation Motherhouse on 1 March 1968. She was 102 years old.

English textbook used by St Patrick's pupils
more than 100 years ago

Now back to that book! The book is an English text book that children of that time used in school. Sean has taken pictures of some of the pages where we can see where May marked the pages to be studied. Homework, perhaps? He has also taken pictures of the front cover and of the inside back cover. On the inside back cover, May has written her name and the date. At this time, so soon after our commemoration of the signing of the Armistice on 11 November 1918, the pictures set me thinking about the children who learned from copies of this textbook. They would have lived through the dreadful years of WWI. Many of them would have been in the thick of it, fighting in the mud and blood of the trenches. Sadly, so very many of them would never again return to their beloved Newfoundland. May lost her first beau just days before the Armistice was signed. He died in a military hospital in France at the tender age of 17.  

A peek inside an English textbook from the early 1900s

Could you handle this at 11 or 12 years of age?

Once again, thank you Sean, for the pictures and for others that you have kindly sent to me over the years. I must not forget to thank Sean's mother, my sister Doreen.  She too gets a vote of thanks for keeping the book safe and keeping alive the memory of a 12 year old St Patrick's Girl who studied at our school over one hundred years ago.

Inside back cover with May's signature and the date

CHEERLEADERS

Today we bring you some more of Wendy Power's photos.  Were you a cheerleader? Have a look at the pictures. Perhaps you are in them.  Was this a Basketball game?  Where were the pictures taken?  Perhaps you could give us some details about them.  Thank you for sharing your memories, Wendy.  

SR AGATHA'S GRADE 7/8 CLASS

Today I have a great picture to post.  We have Karen Dawe-Gordon and her amazing Aunt, Florence Laurie, to thank for it.  Some of you people out there, because of your age, might have to get your mothers or even grandmothers to have a look at it with you.  This 1949 picture is a real treasure from St Patrick's past.  By the way, Florence Laurie is in the front row, second left.

Florence Laurie, who is now in her 80s, must have a wonderful memory for she has given us most of the names of those in the photo.  Not surprisingly, some of the first names have slipped her mind so, if you, your mother, or grandmother can remember a name, we would be more than pleased to hear from you. 

The young ladies in the photo are:
Larry Hearn,Joan Collins,? Buckingham, ? Athee, Maureen Brennan, ? Malone, ? Dillon, ? Sorenson, ? O'Brien, Mary Barry, Helen Walsh, Jennie Foley, ? Corbett, Madeline Murphy, ? Quinlan, Elizabeth MacKay, ? Luby, ? O'Brien, Florence Laurie, Eileen Murphy, Betty Hall, Mary Power, Mary Snow, Bernadette Collins, Helen Kerrivan, Kay Griffiths, Maureen Wadden, ? Luby, ? Sceviour, Helen Finch, Helen McGrath, ? Merner, Betty Stafford, Alfreda Hearn, Ann Connors, Mary Coady, Dorothy Tobin

Does anyone remember Sr Agatha?  I have a vague recollection of her.  I would have been in maybe Grade 1 or 2.  After she left St Patrick's I didn't see her for years.  In late 1965 or early 1966, I met her again.  She was then very sick and she died shortly after, on 20 March 1966.  Sr Agatha was laid to rest in Presentation Cemetery.

A huge thank you to Florence Laurie for sharing this wonderful memory with us.  If you have anything else you would be willing to share, we would love to receive it. You can just send it to mcallistersmith@gmail.com and we will be delighted to post it here.  Thanks also to Karen Dawe-Gordon who emailed the photo and information to us.  In this dangerous time of Covid 19, stay safe, keep well, and may God bless you both and all who are dear to you.

FR FRANCIS BURKE

Maurice Charette has a wealth of items closely linked to St Patrick's past history.  Maurice found them while sorting through his late mother's things.  His mother was  Elizabeth (Betty) Murphy.  Betty lived at 9 Patrick St and later at 544 Water St.  She was a pupil of St Patrick's Convent School and a loyal member of St Patrick's Parish.  Maurice has kindly shared photos with us before (HERE) and now he has sent this interesting little card.

The card from Maurice

Fr Burke was ordained for the Scarborough Foreign Mission Society.  Many young men from Newfoundland became members of that worthy organisation.  This is a group photo which I came across on line.  Fr Burke is in the back row.  

Fr Francis Burke is in the back row

I well remember my mother receiving the monthly magazine from the SFM.  She knew some of the Newfoundlanders who were members and she spoke of them often.  I hope some of you will be able to add more to Fr Burke's story.  Also, any information about the other Newfoundland priests of that Society would most definitely be welcome.(Send to mcallistersmith@gmail.com)  I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you Maurice.  May God bless you and your family and keep you safe and well during this terrible Covid 19 pandemic.