ST. ANNE'S SCHOOL, 1955-1975
ST. ANNE'S SCHOOL, 1955-1975
The need for a parochial school in Westville was envisaged
as early as 1921, when Bishop Walsh spoke at the ceremonies dedicating the newly
built mission Church of St. Anne. The Bishop noted that it would not be long
before a larger church and a school would be needed.
The parishioners of St. Anne's, throughout the years of growth that took them
from the little mission building to the dedication of the new church in 1950,
did not lose sight of the goal of having a parish school. The Men's Guild and
other parish organizations continued to raise funds and formulate plans. During
the term of Father Martin J. Killeen as a pastor Bartholomew J. Eustace, Bishop
of Camden, was approached for approval of the idea of a Catholic school in
Westville. The Bishop's approval was secured.
Fundraising commenced in earnest. Father Killeen started a "Brick
Club." Anyone could give $1.00 to go to the purchase of a brick for the school.
There were carnivals, dances, holiday shows, and more.
Father Killeen was transferred from St. Anne's and his successor was Reverend
James L. Schad. In appointing Father Schad to St. Anne's on Memorial Day, 1954,
Bishop Eustace informed the new pastor that Father Killeen had embarked on the
planning and fundraising stages of a Catholic school in the parish. On Father
Killeen's departure, he left Father Schad the entire purse raised by the
parishioners, and with it passed along the need to continue the fundraising and
make the school a reality.
As an interim measure, Father Schad made arrangements with Father Peter Budniak
of St. Mary's in Gloucester, and Father Edward Lucitt at Sacred Heart in Camden.
These arrangements provided for children of St. Anne's Parish to be admitted to
St. Mary's and Sacred Heart school. To accomplish this, the parish purchased a
used school bus for fifty dollars. Father Schad and Tom Pallante drove the bus,
transporting the Catholic children of Westville to school. Enrollment at the two
accepting schools nearly doubled for the school year 1954-1955.
Father Schad was busy working out details for the planned school, chief among
which was finding nuns to staff it. At, last in December of 1954, Father
received news from Mother Jean Marie of Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, New
York. Mother Jean Marie promised that there would be Sisters to staff the school
in September of 1955.
Ground was broken for the new building on Sunday, February 27, 1955. The
architectural firm was Ricker and Axt; the builder was West Construction
Company.
The Vicar General of the Camden Diocese, Right Reverend Augustine T. Mozier,
participated in the groundbreaking ceremony, along with Father Schad, then
assistant pastor Reverend John P. O'Brien, parish trustees, Thomas Baker and
Emilio Pallante, and the eight year old Michael McKeever. Michael was the
grandson of one of the parish founders, William McKeever, and nephew of Reverend
William L. McKeever, the first young man from St. Anne's to have joined the
priesthood. Also participating and representing the convent community from
Allegany were Sister Vincent Marie, O.S.F., and Sister Thomas Mary, O.S.F.'
stationed at Christ the King in Haddonfield.
During the building of the school, a house at the corner of Highland and Third
Avenues was purchased to become the new Rectory. The house at 308 Summit Avenue
was refurbished to become a convent. Much of the renovation work was done by
members of the parish. Parisioners and benefactors donated money, time and talent
to make both houses into comfortable homes. Meanwhile, almost all of the desks
for the school and religious articles were donated.
Sister Mary Danita, O.S.F. was to be the first principal of St. Anne's School.
Catholic parishes nearby that had no schools asked permission to have their
children admitted to St. Anne's. Just as St. Mary's and Sacred Heart had helped
St. Anne's, the new school accepted students from the two former mission
parishes, St. Matthew's in National Park, and Most Holy Redeemer in Westville
Grove. Some students also enrolled from St. Francis de Sales in Barrington, St.
Maurice in Brooklawn, Annunciation in Bellmawr Park, and even St. Patrick's in
Woodbury.
Worked continued at a rapid pace through the summer. A new school bus was purchased. The church basement was modified to
serve as a lunchroom for students. Through it all, activities to raise money for
the building fund continued, as did visits to homes by the team of pledge fund
collectors.
The dedication ceremony was held on Sunday, September 11, 1955. It consisted of
the blessing and dedication of the school, hymns and Benediction. Participants
included Father Kileen, who was now stationed at St. John's in Paulsboro; Father
Umberto Carta, a former assistant at St. Anne's; and Father John O'Brien, who
had been transferred since the groundbreaking and was stationed at Our Lady,
Star of the Sea in Cape May. The current assistant pastor, Father James Ryan,
served as Master of Ceremonies. The principal celebrant was Monsignor Mozier.
In his message marking the dedication, Father Schad cited his appreciated to his
"priestly predecessors" and requested continued prayers for them,
living or dead. He also wrote, "To mention one priest, may well in our
efforts in establishing a Catholic school here because of Rev. Martin Killeen is
a priest through and such a priest made the people here very
'school-conscious'". Father Schad went on to note that too often at events
such as this, the work of the laity was not emphasized, and he made point of
mentioning the contributions of the faithful of the parish and its missions. He
also expressed appreciation to Mother Jean Marie, who, at a time when the
"Sister-shortage" was critical. Promised four Sisters to staff St.
Anne's.
Ads in the dedication commemorative booklet included the names of many of the
families from the beginning of St. Anne's; there was one from the grandchildren
of Michael O'Brien, one from Ellen Vair in memory of her husband, Joseph, one
from the McKeevers, and more.
On Monday, September 12, 1955, Mother Mary Danita and Sister M. Dennis Joseph
posed for a photograph as they "officially" opened the opened the
doors of the new school building. In doing so, they symbolically opened the way
for twenty years of Catholic education in St. Anne's School.
Opening day had 340
students in five classes ready to commerce their Catholic education. The faculty
of 1955 consisted of Mary Danita, Sister Mary Catherine Labroure, Sister Mary
Dennis Joseph, Sister Helen, and Mrs. Marie Scheuring.
The class sizes were larger once the word spread about the fine work being done
at St. Anne's. The first grade class of 1955, for example, had about 75
students, while by 1958, first grade had 106 students! (These extraordinarily
large class sizes continued the start of the 1962 school year, by which time
Most Holy Redeemer opened its own school.)
Mrs. Betty Durkin of Westville Grove helped aide for several years until the
opening of Holy Redeemer School. 1959 found parishioner Mrs. Anne Fatkin
beginning her ten year donation of work as a teachers' aide. There were also
dedicated ladies such as Alice Sully, Vera Connors and Marge Bailey, who were
the kitchen workers who first helped with the hot lunches served at the school's
beginning, and then with hoagie sales, etc. that the P.T.A. sponsored as
fund-raisers. The P.T.A. also provided a " Room Mother" or two for
each class; these ladies helped organize pageants, parties, helped the teachers
with decorations, made phone calls to notify for school closings, and so on.
Through the years, St. Anne's P.T.A. sponsored fashion shows, dinners, jewelry
sales and other creative projects to earn money for the maintenance and support
of the school.
1959 was also the year of the first graduating class; these children were the
fifth grade class when school opened: John Burned, George Barton, James Beeson,
Mary Ann Berenato, Geraldine Campbell, Patricia Carter, Bernadette Chmieliwski,
Daniel Citro, Nancy Clark, Anthony DeSant, Joseph Fernan, Jr; Barbara Gatczynska,
Alfred Grabbe, Robert Graves, Terence Gray, Joseph James, Margaret Lentz, Dennis
McIntyre, Frances McKeever, Richard Minder, Colette Miscerendino, Edward
O'Callahan, Anne O'Donnell, Eileen Paterson, Mary Pinto, Roger Richeal Helene
Ringland, Anne Ryan, Marilyn Sanders, Carol Tartar, Janet Wallace, Barbara
Willims., Bernadette Wodazik. Their eight teacher was Mother Richard Alfred.
Geraldline Breneman and Richard Minder later married, they have three grown
children. Geraldine's parents, Jack and Thelma Breneman are still parishioners
at St. Anne's Mary Pinto, Bernadette Wodazik and Bernadette Chmieliwski Riviello
are also still members of the parish.
There was a special commemorative booklet dedicated to the Class of 1963, which
was the first class to attend St. Anne's for all eight years; this group was the
first grade class of 1955. At graduation, they numbered sixty-one.
Fond memories of the early days of St. Anne's School include the May
Processions, First Friday devotions, the founding staying after school library,
checking the "Condemned" movie list, staying after class to clean the
blackboards or sweep the floors, the Christmas plays, the all-school pageants
(such as when each class was assigned a different country to represent), buying
"pagan babies," learning Catechism and "times tables," preparing
for the for First Confession and First Communion, ultimately preparing for
graduation and all that lay beyond the doors of St. Anne's.
The school flourished through the 1960s. There were six nuns then, with two lay
teachers. Around 1965 the weekly Bingo was started to help defray expenses.
Tuition was established but parents who helped at the BINGO could be exempted
from paying. During the time when Sister Ursula was principal (1964-67), she
ordered soft pretzels delivered fresh each morning. These were sold for a nickel
a piece for lunchtime or recess.
In the 1970s, the number of nuns began to decrease as the Allegany Franciscans,
like most other religious orders, found vocation to religious life in dwindling
supply, By the time the parish celebrated it fifth anniversary in 1971, school
enrollment was at 263 students. The principal was Sister Anne Marie Grager,
O.S.F., and there were three other nuns who served with her.
In 1974, due to a decline in membership and an increase in the number of senior
Sisters, the Allegany Franciscans announced with regret that they would withdraw
their sisters from St. Anne's at the end of the 1974-75 school year. An important
part of parish life left with the closing of the school, which became fully
consolidated with St. Matthew's in National Park. This process had begun two
years earlier with the consolidation of the first and second grades. St.
Matthew's is staffed by the Little Sister Servants of Immaculate Conception.
Children from St. Anne's continue to attend St. Matthew's School to the present
day.