CALLING ALL H H M GIRLS, CLASS OF 1967

"COR UNUM INTER NOS"

I have had an e-mail from Terri (Kelly) Morris.  Terri is trying to contact the HOLY HEART OF MARY CLASS of 1967 .  If you, or anyone you know, went to Holy Heart of Mary and graduated in 1967 Terri would like you to contact her at dtmor@pei.sympatico.ca  It looks like there is a reunion in the planning so don't waste another minute - get those e-mails off to Terri NOW!

THREE SISTERS FROM TREPASSEY

For this beautiful Family photo I am indebted to Eleanor Dalton.  A little while ago I posted a picture of my mother and her friend, Sr Josephine.  (LINK HERE)  Sr Josephine spent many years at St Patrick's and, although I never knew her myself, I know that she was a popular and well loved member of the community.  I was very pleasantly surprised when Eleanor contacted me to say that Sr Josephine was her great-aunt.  (LINK HERE)  Sr Josephine and her sister, Sr Agnes, were on the photo that I posted.   Eleanor informed me that there was a third Halleran sister who was a Presentation Sister and she promised to send me a picture of the three sisters.  True to her promise, Eleanor has sent me this wonderful picture. 

THE HALLERAN SISTERS FROM TREPASSEY

"The photo is of the three Halleran sisters, Srs. M Agnes, M Josephine and M Zita, (don't know the order of the girls). In the middle of the Sisters is their nephew Fr. Tom Halleran, and Mercy Sister in the second row is their niece my mother's sister Sr. M. Andrea Sutton.  I don't know who the other two Sisters are but would guess that they are also from Trepassey, as the photo was taken in Trepassey."

I don't suppose anyone reading this actually knew Sr Josephine but there is a chance that you have heard older members of your family speak of her. If so, we would love to hear from you.

Thank you very much Eleanor.  Let us know if you come up with anything else.

LINKS TO THIS POST

RAISING MONEY FOR THE NEW SCHOOL
GREAT AUNTS WHO WERE REALLY GREAT

MEMORIAL DAY IN NEWFOUNDLAND



THE FIGHTING NEWFOUNDLANDER

At Beaumont Hamel on 1^st July 1916 the Newfoundland Regiment was all but annihilated as they bravely went over the top only to be cut down in a hail of German fire.  General de Lisle, 29^th British Army Division said, “It was a magnificent display of trained and disciplined valour, and its assault only failed of success because dead men can advance no further.”   It was two weeks before the tragic news reached St John’s.  Not a family on the Island was untouched by the news for everyone had lost a relative, a friend or a neighbour.   Not a family on the Island would ever forget!

Since 1917, 1^st July has been observed as Memorial Day in Newfoundland.  As a sign of remembrance, Newfoundlanders wore a spray of blue Forget-me-nots on Memorial Day.

These days, 1^st July is celebrated as Canada Day and Newfoundland observes both Canada Day and Memorial Day.  So on this Canada Day weekend, I wish all St Patrick’s girls a very happy Canada Day.  I also wish you a thoughtful and very proud Memorial Day!

It is fitting today to remember Thomas Nangle, who has a connection with Memorial Day and with  St Patrick’s Parish.  There is even a tenuous link  with Nano Nagle, the foundress of the Presentation Sisters. 

The name “Nangle” is a variant spelling of the name “Nagle”.   “Nagle” is of Norman Irish origin and, after the Norman invasion of Ireland, the Nagles were granted large tracts of land in Cork and in north Connacht.  The Cork branch of the family used the “Nagle” spelling and the Connacht branch the “Nangle” spelling.  (I did warn you that the link was tenuous!)  

PADRE THOMAS NANGLE

Thomas Nangle was born in St John’s on 5^th September 1889.  He was educated at St Bonaventure’s College and, in 1909, young Tom went to Ireland to  commence studies for the priesthood.  On 29^th June 1913, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Tom Nangle was ordained in St John’s by Archbishop Howley.  Father Nangle served in various parishes at Bell Island, Topsail and St John’s.  From 1914 to 1916 the people of St Patrick’s Parish enjoyed the ministrations of Fr Nangle.  St Patrick’s was his last parish for shortly after the debacle of Beaumont Hamel, Fr Nangle was off to join his fellow Newfoundlanders as the Catholic Chaplain to the Newfoundland Regiment.

Chaplains don’t carry arms but Padre Nangle was side by side with the men, tending to the wounded, burying the dead, and encouraging the battle weary.  The Padre’s commitment to the men of every religious persuasion made him a popular figure and he was chosen to do some recruiting while on leave in Newfoundland.  Fr Nangle served bravely and unstintingly throughout the remainder of the War.  After the War, Padre Nangle was involved with the identification and re-interment of the bodies of the Newfoundlanders who had died in battle.  He was also the driving force behind the erection of the Newfoundland Memorial Park at Beaumont Hamel.

This proud, patriotic and brave Newfoundlander, Thomas Nangle, died in Rhodesia on 4^th January 1972.  Padre Thomas Nangle and the men of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment are worthy of remembrance every day, but especially today, 1^st July, Memorial Day in Newfoundland.

Some Memorial Day/Canada Day reading:

 

MRS GREENE'S GRADE 4 CLASS, 1979

I am posting this picture at the request of 'Anonymous'.  'Anonymous' is on this picture (I have no idea which little girl is 'Anonymous') and she has told me that she would love to see it posted on the blog.  So here it is my friend, just for you.

MRS GREENE'S GRADE 4 CLASS, 1979

FRONT ROW L-R:  K Hickey, D McDonald, A Murphy, P Murphy, D White, M Pitcher, K Matthews, A Barron, T Locke, Mrs A Greene

2nd ROW:    T Greening, J Cobbs, D Piercy, M Avery, L Walsh, H Fowler, D Tobin, L Mason

3rd ROW:     D Tucker, A M Fagan, M Kavanagh, T Ennis, R Cullen, S Rossiter, L Marshall, K Murphy, L O'Connell

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

ST PATRICK'S BASKETBALL TEAM 1955/56

Today's post is a real humdinger!  Enid (Stanford) O'Brien has sent me a photograph of the St Patrick's Basketball Team of 1955/56.  I didn't even know that we had a Basketball team way back then.   In my opinion, the Nuns were wonderful ladies but not terribly progressive when it came to clothing.  I didn't have a problem with their clothing - it was ours that was the bugbear.  The team must have had the same thought as Enid said,   

"Apparently the uniforms were not permitted to be any shorter than one inch above the knee.  As some of the other schools could wear shorts and have shorter uniforms, the girls thought they were at a disadvantage while running".  

Those long black stockings couldn't have been a big help either.

ST PATRICK'S BASKETBALL TEAM, 1955/56

Left to Right: M Sorenson, ??,  B King, J Wadden, A Hamlyn, C Whelan, M O’Brien, R Stanford, J Galway, Y Snow, B Nugent, P Silver, A Mercer, ??, S Cole, M Madden,

Centre: M English (Captain)

Two names are missing so if anyone out there knows who they are, please get in touch.

 

 

Enid said that she has  two sisters who attended St Patrick's, Joan and Rosemary.  Rosemary played on the Basketball team.  From the lineup of trophies on this picture, the team must have been pretty good, despite the length of their uniforms!

 

 

Thank you, Enid, for this wonderful picture.  It is a real treat and I look forward to some more gems from you.  

GREAT AUNTS WHO WERE REALLY GREAT AND A SCHOOL REUNION

I have had some interesting e-mails concerning this blog.  The senders have given me their permission to share them with you in a post.

The first one is from Eleanor Dalton and it concerns a post that I did on 4th April 2011, RAISING MONEY FOR THE NEW SCHOOL, (click here) and I am very pleased to post Eleanor's e-mail below.

"Hi Beth Anne

Sr M Josephine, Nellie Williams
and Sr M Agnes.  The Sisters are
Eleanor's Great Aunts and Nellie
is my dear Mother.

I enjoy this blog very much as well as interesting. Looked at a photo of your mother with Sister Agnes and Sister Josephine.  These two sisters are my GREAT AUNTS; they also had another sister (Sister Zita).  My grandmother was Margaret Hallernan and married John Sutton. My mother Bessie also had two sisters in the Mercy Order, Sister Mary Andrea and Sister Mary Edmund. I will look for some pictures I think I may have one picture with all three Sisters.

Hope to see you before you head back to the UK.

Take Care

Eleanor"

The next e-mail I received is from Mark Fardy.  Mark had some interesting comments about the post I did on 22nd April 2012, SR MARY XAVERIA FARDY, (click here).  Here is Mark's e-mail.





"Hello Beth Ann,

Sr M Xaveria Fardy,
Mark's Great Aunt

Your blog entry showed up in one of my Google auto-updates. Sister Xaveria was my GREAT AUNT. She also taught piano to both of my sisters (Marie and Joanne) each of whom also graduated from St. Patrick's (1978 and 1981 respectively).  My wife, Michelle Brennan, is also a grad (1977).

It was great to read your article, thanks Beth Ann.

Mark Fardy"

I also received an e-mail from Dora Reid.  Dora is interested in a School reunion.  I think many of you would be interested in a reunion so I am posting Dora's e-mail for all to read.  If you are planning a reunion or know of any that might be taking place, please let us know & we will give you all the publicity that we can.  Here is Dora's e-mail.

 

"Hello and good day!

I just viewed this website and found your e-mail address.

I was wondering if and when there will be a reunion for the students from the 80's. The principal was Sister Cecelia, Sister Regina, and all the wonderful teachers. I remember everything and everyone so well. A trip down memory lane with old friends would be fantastic, as the older teachers are getting older.

Thanks for your time, God bless

Dora Reid"

Thanks to Eleanor, Mark and Dora for these informative and interesting e-mails.  Your input is greatly valued. I appreciate all the help I can get in maintaining this blog so I welcome all photos, stories, memories, comments and e-mails.

CORPUS CHRISTI

ST CLARE AND THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

This event took place in Preston, Lancashire, England, last June.  It created a bit of a controversy but, since today is the Feast of Corpus Christi, I thought I would post the video anyway.  I think, in today's world, it took a lot of faith as well as a lot of courage to publicly proclaim in this manner the reality of Christ's real presence in the Blessed Sacrament.  What do you think? 

OUR LADY OF FATIMA



OUR LADY OF FATIMA, BASILICA OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST,
 ST JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND

This is a great link on the Basilica website.   It is a short video clip of that beautiful day in May 1955 when the Portuguese Fishermen carried the statue of Our Lady of Fatima through the streets of St John's.  The statue was lovingly and reverently placed in the Basilica where it still resides.  This video brought back happy memories for me.  I hope it does the same for you.  If you are too young to remember the occasion, ask you mother about it - or your grandmother even!

http://www.museevirtuel-virtualmuseum.ca/sgc-cms/expositions-exhibitions/basilique-basilica/assets/year_of_joy.html

ST PATRICK'S BASKETBALL TEAM 1979

St Patrick's Basketball Team, 1979

Front Row:  S Evans, A M Walsh, C Power, M Evans, L Gallagher, S Prim.

Second Row:  Mrs S Wade (coach), D Woodford, V Hawco, J Tucker, D Fitzpatrick, C Thompson, T Moore, E Donnelley, L Hickey, T Minnett, G Evans, M Keating (manager)

Mrs Wade would never have gotten past the Nuns at Holy Heart of Mary with those boots on!  The Gym floor at H H M would not have been better protected if it had been covered in gold!  Remember girls?  No boots, no heels, no etc, etc?  I admit it - that Gym floor really did have a great finish!

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

SR ANNE HICKEY'S GRADE 4 CLASS, 1979

ARE YOU HERE?
Sr Anne Hickey's Grade 4 Class, 1979
(Click on the picture to enlarge it)

Front Row: V Butler, L Greening, L Simon, J Dray, R Hurley, K Parsley, G Rees, M Follett

Second Row: K King, J Flynn, S Butler, S King, D Tucker, J Hollahan, T Doyle, J Healey, V Christopher, Sr Anne Hickey

Third Row: G Benoit, C Delaney, C Howard, K Denine, K Mullins, L Villarosa