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!

MRS MEANEY'S GRADE 7 CLASS, 1979

This great photo was sent to me by Shelly McAllister who rifled her 1979 Year Book for pictures for me.  Thank you very much Shelly.  It is greatly appreciated! 

There must be lots of you out there with Year Books, pictures, etc, so please don't be shy.  Why not e-mail them to me at mcallistersmith@gmail.com 

Mrs Meaney's Grade 7 Class, 1979
(Click on the picture to enlarge it)

Front Row: A M Howlett, S McAllister, D Johnson, B Conway, S Billard, D Allison, B Hearn, G Brewer, Mrs A Meaney



Row 2: A Godsell, M Brennan, C Crotty, T Brewer, K Carey, K Collins, S Evans, G Mallard

Row 3: L Gallagher, K Cullen, P Harding, M Carville, A M Hurley, R Pretty, K Coady, M Hayes

Row 4:  B Osmond, S Hayes, S Dalton, J Browne, E Donnelly, D Dalton, L Lyver, F Mathioudaki

THE PRESENTATION SISTERS COME TO RIVERHEAD

“Ah! Must –Designer Infinite! –

Ah! Must Thou char the wood

ere Thou canst limn with it?"

(The Hound of Heaven,

by Francis Thompson)

After their arrival in St John’s in 1833, the Presentation Sisters immediately and wholeheartedly began their work among the poor Irish Catholics of the port.

The “Designer Infinite” did indeed “char the wood” for, despite the solicitous care of Bishop Fleming, the Sisters’ early years in St John’s were beset with difficulties. Nevertheless, their efforts on behalf of the people were blessed and the girls of the town flocked to their school.

The four founding Sisters, Sr Bernard Kirwan, Sr Magdalen O’Shaughnessy, Sr Xaverius Lynch and Sr Xavier Maloney, were joined in 1843 by two Postulants from Ireland. That year, on the Feast of the Assumption, Bishop Fleming received Catherine Phelan (Sr M Ignatius Aloysius) and Amelia Shanley (Sr M Antonio Magdalen) into the Presentation Congregation in St John’s. In his excellent book, “Fire Upon the Earth”, Brother J B Darcy tells us that a lay Sister was also received that day but, unfortunately, he does not give her name.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for just six Sisters to cope with the more than 1,000 pupils who daily came to the school. Accordingly, the good Bishop once again appealed to the Galway Presentation Convent for more Sisters. In 1846, having received the consent of Bishop O’Donnell of Galway, Sr M Josephine French and Sr M DeSales Lovelock accompanied Bishop Fleming to their new home in St John’s. True to the spirit of Nano Nagle, and in the full knowledge of the tragic fire that had just reduced St John’s to a pile of blackened rubble, these selfless and courageous ladies generously volunteered to forsake their home, family and friends.

Gradually the Presentation Community grew as the Sisters were joined by recruits from Ireland and Newfoundland and the Sisters began to establish new Convents in the Colony. Their first new House was opened in Harbour Grace in July 1851. By 1855 there were five Presentation Convents in Newfoundland.

The Old St Patrick's Convent
(Click on the picture to enlarge it)

On 10th January 1856, four Presentation Sisters came from the Community at Cathedral Square to establish a Convent at Riverhead, in the West End of St John’s. Sr M Clare Waldron was appointed Superior. The next day, Fr Kieran Walsh celebrated Mass in the Convent Chapel. This house was cold and damp so in March 1880 the Foundation Stone was laid for a new building to better serve the needs of the Sisters and their charges. On the Feast of Corpus Christi 1882, Bishop Thomas Joseph Power solemnly blessed the new St Patrick’s Convent and celebrated the first Mass in its Chapel.



In the beginning, the Sisters taught both boys and girls in their school. However, St Patrick’s eventually became an all girls’ school. The enrolment increased steadily and, 65 years after the Sisters opened their first school, a new school was opened. In 1921 a new St Patrick’s Convent School, erected as a Memorial to the men of the Parish who died in WWI, opened on Deanery Avenue.

By the 1950s, it was realized that the current buildings were unable to adequately meet increasing educational needs. On 2nd October 1953, His Grace Most Reverend Patrick James Skinner blessed the cornerstone of the new St Patrick’s School on Patrick St. On 4th January 1954 Archbishop Skinner celebrated Mass on the main corridor of the new school and blessed the building.

Sadly, St Patrick’s Convent School is no more. In 1999 St Patrick’s closed its doors for the last time. The building is now a private school. Fortunately, the Presentation Sisters remain a presence in St Patrick’s Parish and the oft renovated and improved Convent which was opened in 1882 is still their home.

LINKS TO THIS POST:
THE LADY WITH THE LANTERN
FIRST PRESENTATION CONVENT OUTSIDE IRELAND

SR COLUMBA'S BUDGIE



SR COLUMBA'S BUDGIE???




MARIE IN GRADE 5

 This lovely little gem comes from Marie O’Brien. I think this story is priceless and I am sure that those of you who shared a classroom with Sr Columba’s Budgie will love it too. Marie wrote:

“I lived on George St. and I was in Sr. Columba's Class. I don't have any pictures but I do have a lot of memories of the Sisters, including a budgie bird that Sr. Columba had in her class room and I used to have to buy the feed for it. I can't remember the Principal's name at the time and I am sure it will come to me, but Sr Columba would hide the receipts plus the feed whenever she came into the room. So funny! I always made sure I had receipts for anything I bought her.



SR COLUMBA



I also remember buying her black stockings from the Arcade. Those were the days! I was probably the poorest kid in the class and I never could figure out why she trusted me. lol.

I also have to add that Sr. Columba wanted me to take her name for my Confirmation and I did. My Mom just about had a fit and of course she wouldn't change it because she didn't want to offend her, but I am thinking she was also scared of the nuns back then, just like we were. This is the first time I have ever told anyone my Confirmation name. I wonder if anyone else reading this has the same name.

Regards,

Marie Burkhart (O’Brien)”

Marie later remembered that the Principal was Mother DeSales.

Marie, I too was given my Confirmation name by Sr Columba. However, I was a lot luckier than you were! Sr Columba gave me the name of Marie. That is a nice name so my Mom and I were both quite happy with that. I don’t know of anyone else with the name of Columba but they used to say that if you were Confirmed in Mother John’s class, she made everyone take either Mary or John! I don’t know if that is true or not but, knowing Mother John, it certainly has the ring of truth to it!

Thanks for getting in touch with these wonderful little anecdotes Marie. I look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Anyone with photographs, stories, etc, to contribute can e-mail me at mcallistersmith@gmail.com

SR COLUMBA'S GRADE FIVE CLASS, 1956/57

Doreen Walsh e-mailed this to me.  It is a great photo of Sr Columba's Grade Five Class.  I think a lot of people will love this one.  Thank you Doreen, this is great.    I hope I will soon receive similiar e-mails from more of you ladies out there.  In the meantime, enjoy this picture and please leave your comments in the comments section and tick a rating too if you like. 

"Hi Beth Anne,

Here is the photo I was telling you about with the list of names below:

Sr Columba's Grade 5 Class, 1956/57
(Click on the picture to enlarge it)

Row 1: Elaine Morris, Bridie Vavasour, ??, Geraldine Hearn, Ann Whelan, Alana Graham, Rita Hickey

Row 2: Elizabeth Healey, Mary Lambert, Dianne Richards, Bernadette Grouchy, Lorraine Reese, Sheila Glynn, Marie O'Brien, Patsy Noseworthy, Valerie McGrath, Alice Hennessey, Margie Morrissey,Bernadette Hearn, Maureen Sullivan

Row 3: Bernadette Yetman, Doreen Walsh, Brenda Tracey, Maureen Walsh, Marlene Morris, Bernice Noftall, Bernice Rose, Carol Sceviour, Patsy Walsh, Doreen Hynes, Linda Callahan, Dolores Connolly

Row 4: Frances Mealey, Peggy Butler, Norma Williams, Patsy King, Mary Johnson, Jeannie Albert, Carol Anne Carew, Sheila Carew, Joan Hynes, Eileen Maher, Sister Columba

Row 5: Yvonne Street, Dorothy Levine, Joan Picco, Mary Clark, Sandra Boggan, Barbara Walsh

Hope you enjoy this little stroll down memory lane. This would have been taken during the 1956-57 school year. Please feel free to add this to your blog. I'm sure there would be a few people out there who would like to see this.

Look forward to hearing from you soon. Cheers for now.

Doreen"

Doreen did a great job remembering all but one name.  Can anyone supply the missing name?   

MORE FROM THE REUNION, 2010

Thanks to Betty Simms, I am able to post some more pictures of the great reunion of August 2010.  (Again, I make a plea to anyone who has any old school pictures, or even any not so old school pictures, to e-mail them to me at mcallistersmith@gmail.com and I will post them on the blog.  Any stories or reminiscences of St Patrick's would also be appreciated!) 

(CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM.)

This handsome young man is Valerie McGrath's son.  I think his name is Peter McDonald.  If I am wrong about his name, I apologise and I hope that someone will be kind enough to correct me so that I can put it right.  I have been told by many that he did an excellent job of piping the "girls" into Church.  Well done Peter and well done Valerie on having such a fine son!

Here we have the "Craigmillar Girls",  Elaine Collins, Jenny Finlay, Betty Simms, Marina Grace and Jackie English.    It seems like only yesterday you were all standing at the bus stop!

Patsy Whiffen, Barbara Sharpe, Bernadette Grouchy and Alice Prim take time out for a photo.  You all still look great but then, why wouldn't you?  It has only been fifty years!

Madeline Adams also provided some great entertainment.

Joan Evans, Elizabeth Healy, Florence Furey and Sr Marie Furey P B V M also pause for a photo.  The beautiful reunion cake (which you can see by scrolling down the page a little) was made by Florence's husband, Tom Greene.  

Fr John Hanton, Bridie Colbert, Rosann Martin, Eileen Maher and Gillian Martin enjoy a chat after dinner.  It is really good to see Fr Hanton again.  He hasn't changed an awful lot since that Holy Angels party back in 1958.  (You can see that picture too by scrolling down the page a bit.)

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY

A HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY

TO ALL ST PATRICK'S GIRLS (AND BOYS)

WHEREVER YOU MAY BE!

SR IMMACULATA'S GRADE SIX CLASS

O K Girls, here is the one you have all been waiting for!  It is Sr Immaculata's Grade Six Class, 1958.  This picture is pretty special because this is the one that made it into a Mission Magazine!  I can't remember which magazine it was but perhaps someone can help me out with that.  Why was our picture in a Mission Magazine?  Well, because we sent a GREAT DEAL of money to the missions that year.  I think we used to call it "Buying babies".  Thank God none of them ever arrived!  

Sr Immaculata was a great one for fund raising.  Remember how someone in each row was appointed collector and every day that poor girl had to collect money for the missions from the girls in her row?  Then on Friday, whichever row Sister had extorted the most money from - oops, sorry, slip of the tongue!  I meant to say, whichever row had donated the most money that week, had a homework free weekend.  Oh Joy! 

Here's a puzzle.  Can anyone tell me why, whenever I watch "A Christmas Carol" and poor old Jacob Marley's ghost appears fettered with all those chains and money boxes, I think of Grade Six?

Sr Immaculata's Grade 6 Class, 1957/58
(Click on the picture to enlarge it)

Front Row)  Anne Frizell, Florence Evans, Diane Richards, Geraldine Hearn, Doreen Walsh, Eleanor Simms, Alana Graham, Sheila Bulger, Mary Glynn

2) Carol Brothers, Diane Walsh, Irene Pope, Patsy Whiffen, Bernadette Mansfield, Margaret Power, Elizabeth Meaney, Judy Comerford, Alice Hennessey, Bernadette Hearn, Patsy Stafford, Joan Croke

3) Mary Kennedy, Carol Sceviour, Patsy Walsh, Eileen Maher, Anne Whelan, Beth Anne McAllister, Sheila Glynn, Brenda Tracey, Peggy Butler, Bridie Colbert, Margaret Morrisey

4) Loretta Maher, Lucy Power, Betty Simms, Alice Prim, Linda Callahan, Jackie English, Rosalie Brewer, Elizabeth Flynn, Diane Hawley, Patsy Arsenault, Betty Gallivan 

REUNION 1987

I hope I won't find myself in hot water over this post.  The photographs are from the Souvenir  Booklet from the 1987 Reunion and I hope that nobody objects to their use here.  If there is a copyright problem, please let me know and I will remove them immediately.  I hope that won't be necessary because the photos will surely bring back some memories.

REUNION 2010

In August 2010, a group of St Patrick's girls held a reunion. It was fifty years since they left St Patrick's so there was a lot of laughter and a few tears as old friends and classmates got together. I have been sent some pictures of this happy occasion so I will post some of them for all to enjoy.

By the way, if you are planning a reunion, get together or other function involving St Patrick's, if you let me know the details, I will happily post them here.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these photos from the 2010 reunion.  (CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO ENLARGE THEM.)

This is the reunion cake.  Mary Kennedy has informed me that this beautiful cake was made by Tom Greene.  Tom is the obviously talented husband of Florence Furey.  You got a winner there Florence!  Thanks for the information Mary. 

Two popular teachers, Miss Fagan and Miss Howard, cut the reunion cake.

Doreen Walsh  provided some excellent entertainment with her singing and guitar playing.  My first memory of Doreen entertaining us goes back to  Miss Murphy's Kindergarten Class.  Doreen entertained us then with her singing but she wasn't playing guitar.  She played the Spoons and we thought she was amazing - which, of course, she was!

Entertainment was also provided by Mary Kennedy and her Line Dancing Friends.  Even after fifty years, St Patrick's Girls can still cut it!

Thanks to Betty Simms for these photos.

HOLY ANGELS?

A Party for the "Holy Angels", about 1958
(click on the picture to enlarge it)

The quality of this picture leaves a lot to be desired but I hope you are able to make out some of the people on it and that it brings back some happy memories for you.  I think you all will remember "The Holy Angels" and "The Children of Mary". 

If my memory serves me correctly, this was a party for the Holy Angels.  It was held after school in the auditorium and we had a great time.  A young Fr John Hanton and an equally young Fr Phil Lewis graced us with their presence and to our delight, Fr Lewis entertained us on the piano with all the songs from the "Hit Parade".  I remember we were amazed because we didn't think priests knew good songs!   

I don't know what year this picture was taken and I don't know all the names.  Some of those in the picture are: Anne Whelan, Carol Sceviour, Patsy Stafford, Bridie Colbert, Carol Brothers, Patsy Walsh, Lucy Power, Eileen Maher, Alice Prim, Fr Hanton, Fr Lewis, Sheila Glynn, Betty Simms, Mary Glynn, Brenda Tracey, Elizabeth Flynn. 

I hope someone can enlighten us with some more names and any other details of this event.  You can either leave the information in the comments box at the end of this post or e-mail me at the address in the section "contributors".   If you have any photos or stories that you would like to share, it would be greatly appreciated. 

THE FIRST PRESENTATION CONVENT OUTSIDE IRELAND

Mother M Bernard Kirwan
(Click on picture to enlarge it)

In a letter to a friend, Nano Nagle wrote: “If I could be of any service in saving souls in any part of the globe, I would willingly do all in my power”. Less than fifty years after Nano’s death her Sisters took up the challenge in a very different “part of the globe”.

Michael Anthony Fleming, Bishop of Newfoundland, had travelled to Ireland with the specific aim of acquiring the services of the Presentation Sisters. The good Bishop keenly desired to provide the children of the Catholic population with a solid education and religious instruction. To that end he approached Mother John Power, the Superior of the Presentation Convent in Galway. Bishop Fleming explained his mission to Mother John and the assembled Sisters and, touched by the plight of his charges and his concern for them, Sr Magdalen O’Shaughnessy immediately volunteered. She was promptly joined by Sr Xaverius Lynch, Sr Bernard Kirwan and Sr Xavier Maloney.

The Bishop of Galway gave his approval and appointed Sr Bernard Kirwan as Superior. Bishop Fleming promised to provide the Sisters with £100 a year as well as a suitable Convent and school. Mother John Power stipulated that the Galway Community would be empowered to recall the Sisters after six years should they wish to return. All was agreed. Nano Nagle’s missionary dream was about to become a reality as her four spiritual daughters set out to establish the first Presentation Convent outside Ireland.

On 28th August 1833, the Bishop and the four courageous women set sail from Waterford aboard the Ariel. Their journey was not an easy one. Storms, gales, seasickness, and quite possibly homesickness, made it a very perilous and unpleasant journey. Finally, on the Feast of St Matthew, 21st September 1833, the four intrepid Irish Sisters came ashore in St John’s. They received a tumultuous welcome from the citizens, Protestant and Catholic alike.

Sr Bernard Kirwan, Sr Magdalen O’Shaughnessy, Sr Xaverius Lynch and Sr Xavier Maloney were the first Presentation Sisters to set foot in North America. Soon more would come. The work was just beginning!

Links to this post:  THE LADY WITH THE LANTERN

SISTER THERESA'S CLASS 1956/57

Sr Theresa's Grade 5 Class, 1956/57
(Click on the picture to enlarge it)

Today's post jumps ahead a hundred years or so from yesterday's post.  However, I think this is a good one!  I hope you do too.  It is a picture of Sr Theresa's Grade Five Class and it was taken in June 1957.  I think it was taken by everyone's favourite, Sr Mary Immaculata!  Don't we all look innocent sitting there on the School steps?

Front Row:  Judy Comerford, Sheila Bulger

Row 2:  Beth Anne McAllister, Mary Elizabeth Kennedy, Mary Patricia Loftus, Lucy Power, Mary Glynn, Bernadette Mansfield, Diane Walsh, Eleanor Simms, Patricia Stafford, Margaret Power

Row 3:  Elizabeth Meaney, Patsy Whiffen, Jeanette Roy, Gloria Connors, Emma Doyle, Patsy Arsenault, Marie Furey, Mary Power, Florence Evans, Betty Gallivan, Patricia Murphy

Row 4:  Betty Simms, Elizabeth Flynn, Mary Johnson, Carmel Fitzgerald, Mary Whelan, Dorothy Noftall, Eileen Fowler, Bridie Colbert, Alice Prim, Margaret Hickey, Cynthia Reddy

Back Row:  Loretta Hansen, Madonna Ryan, Loretta Maher, Rosalie Brewer

I received my first slap from Sr Theresa!  I left out a decimal point in a long division sum!  I have to say that the slap did me no harm  at all - I never left a decimal point out again!

If you are on this photo and you wish to get in touch, please do so.  You can leave a message in the comments box below or send an e-mail.

I hope you enjoy the photo and I hope I got all the names and the year correct.

THE LADY WITH THE LANTERN

Honora Nagle (known as Nano) was born in 1718 in Ballygriffin, near Mallow, County Cork. She was descended from a Norman Baron who founded an Irish Augustinian priory. Her father, Garret, was a wealthy landowner. Her mother, Ann, was from a prominent Tipperary family and a relative of the famous parliamentarian, Edmund Burke. In Ireland at that time, Penal Laws, designed to keep Catholics poor, uneducated, and oppressed, made it unlawful to open a Catholic School or to travel abroad for an education. Despite the Penal Laws, the Nagles had managed to keep most of their wealth and, through family connections, were able to send, discretely, Nano and her sister Ann to Paris. Here they received a thorough Catholic education. They also enjoyed the gaiety of life in Parisian Society! Early one morning Nano and Ann were in a cab, returning from a Ball in that great city. They came upon a group of poor people huddled outside a church door, waiting to attend early Mass before going to their work. Nano compared her own privileged lifestyle to these poor people. The scene so disturbed her that she decided to do something to help the poor.

In 1746, Garret Nagle died and Nano and Ann returned to Ireland to live with their mother in Dublin, where there was widespread poverty. One day Nano was looking for a piece of valuable Parisian silk, which Ann told her she had sold and given the money to the poor. Nano was profoundly touched by this and years later, said that it was this that had decided her vocation. She returned to Paris with the intention of consecrating her life to God in a cloistered order where she could pray for the poor. However, her very perceptive Jesuit Confessor advised her to return to Ireland and work for the poor and deprived in her homeland.

She went back to Cork and lived with her brother, Joseph. In Cork, she rented a mud cabin in Cove Lane and, in secret, set up her first school for the poor. Her aim was to provide these poorest of the poor with a sound religious education as well as an all round education that would help them to make their way in life. Nano had received a substantial inheritance from her Uncle Joseph and she used this to finance her charitable work. When her money ran out, she became a beggar for her beloved poor. Her charitable work did not stop at providing schools for the poor. She went out to them in the hovels and alleyways of Cork bringing them as much help and succour as she could. After her long days in the schoolroom, night would often overtake her as, with her lantern, she made her way home through the dark.

To give her schools more permanency, Nano brought some Irish Ursulines from France to teach in Cork. For various reasons, this was not a success and, though Nano never lost her love for the Ursulines and continued to help them financially, she began to think of setting up her own congregation of religious sisters. This congregation came into being on 24th December 1775. Nano’s preferred title was ‘The Sisters of Charitable Instruction of the Sacred Heart of Jesus’. After Nano’s death, and with Papal approval, the name was changed to the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, (P B V M), by which they are still known today. Although Nano and her little group received the religious habit on 24th June 1776, it was not until 1800 that the Sisters first wore religious dress in public. Nano, the congregation’s first superior, chose the name of Sister Saint John of God but, under prevailing Penal Laws, she was known officially as Miss Nagle.

The Latin words on the Nagle Coat of Arms roughly translated as ‘Deeds Not Words’ and Nano certainly lived by this motto! As well as long hours in prayer, Nano engaged in every work that would alleviate the misery of the poor. However, regarding the work, she told her Sisters “We must prefer the schools to all others”. So it was that Nano Nagle blazed the trail and inspired great educators such as Edmund Ignatius Rice and Catherine McAuley who followed in her footsteps. In 1782, a Relief Bill allowed Catholics, for the first time since 1695, to open their own schools. Of course, this had conditions but it did go some way to realizing Nano’s dream when her secret schools could at last operate openly.

In 1769, Nano had written to a friend, “If I could be of any service in saving souls in any part of the globe, I would willingly do all in my power”. True to her missionary vision, the Presentation Sisters, beginning in 1833, spread to every continent. Nano Nagle died, aged 65, on 26th April 1784. Today, all over the world, her spiritual daughters, the Presentation Sisters, continue the work of their holy foundress. Nor is she forgotten in her native Ireland! In 2005, an Irish newspaper poll voted Nano Nagle the greatest Irish woman of all time. In 2002, in a similar poll, she had been voted greatest Irish person of all time.

Links to this post:  THE FIRST PRESENTATION CONVENT OUTSIDE IRELAND