‘Angels’ celebrate St. Mary School

The Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine began the school in 1939 in the midst of the Great Depression.

Eighth-grader Fabiola Registre leads her fellow school children in a song to the angels during St. Mary Cathedral School's 70th anniversary Mass Oct. 2, feast of the Guardian Angels.

ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Eighth-grader Fabiola Registre leads her fellow school children in a song to the angels during St. Mary Cathedral School's 70th anniversary Mass Oct. 2, feast of the Guardian Angels.

ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FLORIDA CATHOLIC MIAMI BUREAU EDITOR

Posted: 10.22.09

MIAMI | Angels sang to mark the 70th anniversary of St. Mary Cathedral School.

The angels, of course, were today’s students, led by classmates wearing angel costumes. The reason for the angelic theme was partly that the celebration took place Oct. 2, feast of the Guardian Angels; and partly because of two “living angels” who were honored during the Mass.

MORE ANGELS

ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
James and Grace Colross have helped support St. Mary School financially for the past few years. “They have been angels to us in helping us over the years to keep this school going,” said Msgr. Terence Hogan, rector of the cathedral.

James and Grace Colross have helped support St. Mary School financially for the past few years.

“They have been angels to us in helping us over the years to keep this school going,” said Msgr. Terence Hogan, rector of the cathedral.

The Colrosses received the Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven) award from Archbishop John C. Favalora during the Mass.

The couple met Msgr. Hogan when he was pastor of St. Augustine Parish in Coral Gables. James Colross remembers having lunch with his former pastor one day and Msgr. Hogan telling him, “Jim, I don’t think we have enough money to pay for the books.”

“I’ve been helping ever since,” Colross said.

In remarks at the end of Mass, Msgr. Hogan recalled how 70 years ago, the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine began the school in the midst of the Great Depression. There was no air conditioning back then, he pointed out. Times were tough.

“They trusted God. We’re here because they trusted God,” Msgr. Hogan said.

He added that hard times are nothing new for the 300-student, pre-K through eighth-grade school, which saw enrollment increase this year after faltering in years past.

“We’ve always needed help from people, from people all throughout south Florida who said, ‘I believe that we have to have Catholic education in this neighborhood.’ It hasn’t been easy. Seventy years ago it wasn’t easy,” Msgr. Hogan said.

Among those who attended the Mass was Marjorie Wessel, who graduated from St. Mary in 1948, back when it was both an elementary school and a high school. Wearing a St. Mary School T-shirt that read “Recycled Teenagers,” Wessel called the school “very special.”

Also in attendance were members of the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, 70 of whom have taught at the school over the past 70 years, not counting the current principal, Sister Jane Stoecker.

Another member of the order, Sister Kathleen Clark, currently tutors first- and second-graders who need extra help.

“I was here when the present third-grade teacher was in third grade,” said Sister Clark, who coincidentally keeps a collection of angel figurines in the bookshelf in her classroom.

Since the 2007 school year, another religious order, the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, have been added to the school’s staff.

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