Sacramento Emergency Foodlink and the Elk Grove Food Bank got a big boost from the St. Francis High School student body, which collected 131,216 cans and packages of nonperishable food items, breaking last year’s food drive record by 30,000 items.

Each fall St. Francis High School’s Homecoming festivities involve numerous activities designed to build class spirit and unity, from pseudo-sports competitions to creating elaborate, theme-based decorations, skits, dances, songs and cheers. The annual Food Drive is part of the competition among the classes and serves as an amazing display of the power of young women to optimize their resources and serve their community.

Family connections in the food industry, grocery store requests and going door to door in their neighborhoods helped St. Francis students gather the extraordinary quantity of food, which included 1,008 ounces of baby formula, 17,328 cans of food from Raley’s, 9,952 cans of fruits and vegetables, and 77,000 boxes of Mac and Cheese.

The main beneficiary of the food drive, Sacramento Emergency Foodlink, serves over 150 local agencies and food closets throughout the Sacramento community. Thirty percent of the food collected will be donated directly to the Elk Grove Food Bank.

St. Francis High School students also raised money through recycling, bake sales and a portion of sales from Leatherby’s Family Creamery to raise $2,441 for Catholic Charities of Sacramento, Inc., an agency that provides a wide variety of social services to people and families in need throughout the 20 counties of the Diocese of Sacramento.

Margo Reid Brown knows a few things about St. Francis High School.
She graduated from the school in 1981 after spending time as junior class president, student body president and a member of the varsity tennis team.
Now Brown has decided to come back to St. Francis, but this time as president, taking over the reins from Marion Bishop, who retired earlier this year.
Brown, who was appointed president by Bishop Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Sacramento on Feb. 1, officially took over the position July 1.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to be at St. Francis and help grow and contribute to that enriching environment that I so benefited from having been here,” Brown said. “And if what I have as far as gifts and talents that are bestowed upon me from God that I can share with the girls that are coming to St. Francis, I’m honored to be able to do that.”

Call it a come back
When presented with the opportunity, Brown said as an alumnus she was drawn to become president of St. Francis to help the school continue its growth in the community and ability to create an “academically excellent environment” for the girls that attend.
“Just seeing the contribution that graduates from St. Francis make to the community in Sacramento made me want to come back here and help lead St. Francis through the next growth opportunity,” she said.
Brown said the obvious change to the school she noticed from the time she was last on campus was its physical plan, which has grown to accommodate a growth in the number of students.
“When I was here, we had about 575 students and there were 125 in my graduating class,” she said. “My older daughter is a senior here at St. Francis and when she started as a freshman, there were 300 in her class and I think there’s still about 275. The size of the school has grown tremendously – we built a brand new gym, there’s a fine arts center and theater, and the athletic fields have changed.”
However, Brown says the spirit of St. Francis and opportunities students have “to grow and to blossom in an enriching environment” hasn’t changed.
“That has been the hallmark of what St. Francis does for the young women in this environment for more than 70 years – that’s what’s exciting to come back to,” she said.

Born and raised
Brown was born and raised in Sacramento. After graduating from St. Francis, she left the area to attend the University of Southern California, from which she graduated in 1985.
She then moved to the east coast to work in Washington, D.C. for five years, after which she moved back to California.
Brown’s past work experience includes a number of both professional and volunteer positions with nonprofits.
She was appointed by both the Wilson and Schwarzenegger administrations to serve in the Governors’ Capitol Office staff, and subsequently as Agency Executive leading the Administration’s initiatives on Waste Diversion & Recycling programs.
She was also director of the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle).
“My background is leading mission-based organizations, fundraising, community involvement, and that’s really the role of the president,” Brown said.
Now Brown calls East Sacramento home and lives with her husband and two daughters, both of whom attend St. Francis.
Her sister and brother are also currently raising families in East Sacramento as well, and Brown says she has a few nieces in the area that will be attending St. Francis in a few years.
Brown is also very active in the community outside of her school. A past president of the Junior League of Sacramento, she currently sits on the Board of Directors for Keep California Beautiful and the California Product Stewardship Council.
What has been taking up most of Brown’s free time, however, is her involvement with Team in Training. She and her daughter, Carolina, are in training for the Disneyland Half Marathon over Labor Day weekend. The marathon will help raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
“There have been members of our community who have been diagnosed with blood cancers and we’re running in honor of several of the people we know,” she said.

Moving forward
Now as president of St. Francis, Brown says her experience at various nonprofits and government agencies have given her the skills to make her a good fit for this position.
As president, Brown says her role is to provide fiscal oversight for the school, including budgeting, finance and facilities management, as well as business aspects such as admissions and marketing. She is also responsible for the spiritual ministry on campus.
Brown is already looking at plans for growth and improvement at the school as it continues to grow in student enrollment, which Brown says is at 1,100 right now.
“We have some capitol improvements that we’re looking at that we’re going to be developing over the next decade or so,” she said. “We’re looking at technology in the classroom, we’re looking at how we’re preparing girls to be admitted to the college of their dreams.”
And Brown says she is hoping to help St. Francis continue to grow and continue to be a “vibrant community” of girls that goes on and changes the world.
“The opportunity to be a part of that and help grow St. Francis over the next decade is truly a gift and I’m so much looking forward to the opportunity of really rising to the expectations that the community has for the potential of the girls here,” she said.

corrie@valcomnews.com

The historical St. Elizabeth Portuguese National Church building at 1817 12th Street has been a part of the Sacramento community for nearly a century. And throughout the existence of the church, many residents of the Riverside-Pocket area have been members of this parish.

Prior to St. Elizabeth’s founding, many Portuguese in the Riverside-Pocket area attended Masses and other religious services at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament at 11th and K streets, St. Rose Parish at 7th and K streets and St. Stephen Parish at 3rd and O streets.

Parish established in 1909

The beginnings of the St. Elizabeth parish date back to early 1909, when Bishop Thomas Grace was petitioned by the Portuguese community to establish a church to meet their needs for the conducting of Portuguese services, as well as other traditions.

These traditions mainly included the annual Festa do Espirito Santo (Holy Ghost Festival).

Soon after the request was made for a new parish, property was acquired and plans were completed for the construction of what would become the St. Elizabeth church or “Igreja de Santa Isabel” to its early members. The name of the church was selected in honor of the beloved 13th century queen of Portugal.

Plans for the church were made at Manuel S. Williams’ grocery store at 1630 11th Street and the property for the church was donated by Manuel and his wife.

Early reinforced concrete structure

The church, which was one of the first reinforced concrete buildings constructed in the capital city, was designed by Frank Shea and John Lofquist of San Francisco.

Shea and Lofquist designed the building to resemble the 15th century Igreja de São João Baptista (Church of St. John the Baptist) in the island of Terceira in the Azores Islands of Portugal.

Selected to construct the building was the well-known Sacramento building contractor Charles A. Vanina, who resided at 2022 M Street (now Capitol Avenue).

Parish beginnings

During the time that the church was being built, the parish was already in existence.

The parish began at St. Stephen Parish with the October 24, 1909 baptism of a Portuguese child named Joseph Viega.

First priest

St. Elizabeth’s first pastor was Father Joao (John) Vieira Azevedo, who was born in the Azorean island of Pico on Nov. 25, 1880.

When he was 21 years old, Azevedo came to California to finish his studies for the priesthood.

After being ordained two years later, he completed assignments in Yreka, Fort Jones and Sutter Creek.

Azevedo was later assigned to Sacramento to establish the St. Elizabeth parish.

On May 10, 1948, Azevedo was bestowed the title of monsignor by Bishop Robert J. Armstrong.

Although he appeared stern and was recognized as being strict in the discipline of the children who he tutored, Azevedo was very well liked and respected by all members of his congregation. He remained active as the church’s pastor until June 1955.

In addition to assisting in the planning process for the church, Azevedo was involved in the dedication of the church on Feb. 2, 1913. Azevedo presided over the dedication with Bishop Grace.

An active dedication day

On the day of the dedication services, the first wedding at the church was also held, as Joseph Valine and Rosa Neves were married inside the new structure.

Also occurring at the church on the same day was the church’s first baptism, that of Mary Alvernaz.

Basement features

Several years after the church was constructed, various features were added in the church’s basement.

Among these features were a community center – known as the “social hall,” where plays and other entertainment were presented – a kitchen and a unisex bathroom.

Also in the basement was a stage, which was initiated by Azevedo to accommodate his first communion and confirmation classes.

Second pastor

Two years following Azevedo’s service as the church’s pastor, Father Valdemiro Machado Fagundes, whose secondary education had been financed by Azevedo, became the church’s second pastor.

Fagundes’ experience leading up to his years as the church’s pastor included serving as St. Elizabeth’s associate pastor from 1951 to 1955 and the church’s administrator from 1955 to 1957.

A sad moment in the church’s history occurred on the morning of Tuesday, April 2, 1957, when Azevedo passed away.

Fagundes, who was born in the island of Terceira in the Azores Islands, had a much different appearance than Azevedo.

His youthful looks, which were enhanced by his crew cut haircut, high energy and young behavior caused parishioners to initially question his readiness to become the church’s pastor.

As Fagundes matured, he gained the respect of the parishioners, and his willingness to intervene in their welfare and financial problems endeared him to his congregation.

Fagundes, who was also appointed monsignor, retired as the church’s pastor on January 1, 1985.

A retirement party for Fagundes, who passed away on Sept. 26, 1996, was held at the Elk Grove S.E.S. (Sociedade do Espirito Santo or Holy Ghost Society) Hall on Jan. 13, 1985. The event was chaired by Al Balshor of Balshor Florist.

Subsequent pastors

St. Elizabeth’s next pastor was Jose F. Ribeiro – of the Society of Jesus – who served the church from 1985 to 1991.

Ribeiro, who was born in Penude Lamego, Beira Alta, Portugal on Sept. 15, 1935, had previously served in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Following Ribeiro as St. Elizabeth’s pastor was Eduino T. Silveira, who served the congregation from 1993 to 2005.

For two years prior to his pastorship at St. Elizabeth, Silveira, who was born in Fenais da Luz in the Azorean island of Sao Miguel on Aug. 10, 1955, served as the church’s administrator.

Januarius Rodrigues, a retired pastor who was born in India and speaks fluent Portuguese, became the church’s temporary pastor on Feb. 24, 2005.

On following July 1, Rodrigues was replaced by three fathers – Giancarlo Mittempergher, Antonio Luiz Madeiros and Edwin E. Limpiado – from the Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata.

Presently, Mittempergher, who is St. Elizabeth’s first non-Portuguese pastor, and Madeiros serve as the pastors for both the St. Elizabeth parish and the Holy Cross parish in West Sacramento.

Recognized landmark

An important moment in St. Elizabeth’s history occurred on Feb. 18, 1983, when the church was designated as a “Point of Historical Interest” by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

A bronze plaque recognizing this designation is located on the west tower of the church, near the edge of the stairway leading into the church.

Today, St. Elizabeth Portuguese National Church is recognized as the oldest Portuguese national church west of New England.

The designation of a Portuguese national church is rare, as altogether there are only three of these churches throughout the United States.

The Catholic Church infrequently grants this designation for churches in certain areas with large ethnic populations.

A centennial for the parish, which included a Mass with Bishop Jaime Soto and a candlelight procession, dinner and dancing at the Portuguese Hall in the Pocket area, was held on October 10 and 11, 2009.

Many people associated with the church are hopeful that a centennial celebration honoring the dedication of the church will be held next February.

lance@valcomnews.com

After 11 years of service, St. Francis High School’s first-ever president, Marion Bishop, will retire on May 31, leaving behind a legacy that includes a capital campaign, technology, campus ministry, and a growth spurt in student population.

The ‘President-Principal Model’

In 2001 Bishop, who at the time was working in the Catholic Schools Department for the Diocese of Sacramento, was appointed president of St. Francis High School to bring the president-principal model to St. Francis that other Catholic schools in the area were already using. This model calls for a principal to handle the academics of the school and a president to handle the business side of the school, including fund raising.

“Research had indicated that a when a high school reaches an enrollment of 600 or more students that it really becomes impossible for a single administrator to take care of all the academic concerns of the campus, as well as all the business,” Bishop recalled. “St. Francis was at the threshold of that 600 students and it was time to move in to this new model. I just happened to be first in line to be hired to implement the new model.”

St. Francis’ current principal, Patrick O’Neill (who has been principal for three years and was assistant principal for two years before that), said the president-principal model that Bishop initiated was instrumental in the growth of St. Francis’ student body from 600 to now 1,100 students. Having this model allows him to effectively concentrate on the academics of the school, while having a compatriot handling the business side.

“Marion and I have clicked from Day One,” O’Neill said. “We see things the same way and she’s been outstanding to work for.”

Making improvements

As part of her role as president, Bishop played an integral role in the improvements made to the St. Francis campus over the years. For instance, when she first arrived in 2001, the school was beginning the first phase of a capital campaign to expand the campus.

“I was really privileged not only to be part of that capital campaign to raise monies to improve the campus and expand it, but also I oriented the expansion itself,” Bishop said. For example, she played a pivotal role in the development of the school’s current Performing Arts Center and gymnasium.

Throughout her 11 years Bishop continued to make improvements to St. Francis.

“She listened to the student body and what was going on in the education world, and then would be strategic in trying to weave that into the direction of the school, whether it be technology, safety or the green movement,” explained Shannon Terwedo, past St. Francis High School Board member whose daughter graduated from the school in 2007.

Past Board member Helen Pierson – whose two daughters graduated from St. Francis in 2000 and she herself graduated from the school in 1974 – said Bishop always had St. Francis’ best interest in mind in all the decisions she made and that she was someone who could see what was important for the school.

“It’s a challenge to have an all-girl high school and keep it running – a lot of different schools have had to go different ways and unfortunately some even had to close,” Pierson explained. “St. Francis has been very fortunate because of the leadership that has enabled it to stay above the water and keep itself as a place where young ladies want to go. It’s a great school and she’s been at the helm for many years and I think it’s because of that.”

Having faith

One area Bishop focused on building upon during her tenure at St. Francis was in the school’s Campus Ministry Department.

“Under Marion’s leadership, she’s put a lot of work, emphasis and resources into building up our program so we have more of a holistic approach to ministry, to where it’s not just prayers and retreats, but also service and faith community life,” explained Director of Campus Ministry Linda Norman.

As part of the Campus Ministry Department, Bishop said one of her proudest accomplishments is the establishment of an integrated retreat program where each year’s class has their own retreat, culminating with a senior retreat (called Kairos) their final year.

“This for many of our girls is a life-changing four-day student-lead retreat experience,” Bishop explained. “It has been the single-most item that our graduating seniors comment on as their most significant moment at St. Francis, and so I’m very proud of that because I think it speaks to the whole person, the whole student, and what she’s taking with her when she leaves here. That’s one program I’m very, very proud of.”

Additionally, Bishop began a mother-daughter retreat program in 2003, which Terwedo attended with her daughter. Terwedo recalled Bishop attending this retreat and talking to the mothers and daughters about her own experiences.

“She shared her personal journey with her daughter and as a daughter herself – the good, the bad, the challenges of dealing with a daughter in in the teenage years,” she recalled. “She just took off the mantle of being president and put on the mantle of being a woman that was both a daughter and a mother.”

‘A huge heart’

Now on the eve of her retirement, Bishop is excited for the Disney cruise she, her husband of 42 years, and family will be taking, and then occupying her time with gardening, playing and praying.

“I do feel like I have another life in me somewhere,” she said. “I still feel very young although I’m at retirement age. I feel like there’s something else there and I’ve been praying a lot about what that is and how it’s going to express itself.”

Although she is looking forward to her retirement, Bishop said she will greatly miss the students and staff at St. Francis and that she hopes the school continues to grow and prepare the young women that attend to serve the greater community.

“When I came here, I hoped that I would really bring the school ‘heart’ and I think that I have done that and I’m very proud of that,” Bishop said. “I think the school has a huge heart and it shows itself in many, many ways.”

corrie@valcomnews.com

After nearly a year of crunching numbers, creating charts, sketching diagrams, reviewing technical details, learning new jargon and discussing the possibility of failure, apprehension was replaced by anticipation at St. Francis High School regarding ways to power the campus.

Stepping away from the drawing board, the school’s administration has approved the installation of photovoltaic panels to capture solar energy to power the campus.

With this effort, St. Francis will be the first school in the Diocese of Sacramento to adopt solar power.

The movement to bring solar energy to the campus began in the school’s finance department, but quickly grew to encompass something much larger. Now, solar panels will provide environmental, economic, educational and religious benefits to the campus community.

The panels will produce 30.6 percent of the electricity required by the school, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 294 metric tons – the equivalent of 32, 978 gallons of gas.

Largely funded by federal treasury grants and SMUD rebates, the initial cost of $1.3 million was reduced to around $300,000.

The project is cash flow positive from the beginning, returning over $1 million over the next 25 years.

Science teachers can use the panels, as well as the accompanying technology and resources, during class to teach students different environmental and meteorological concepts.

Themes of stewardship and personal responsibility can be emphasized in theology classes, with the panels as a concrete example. The project also coincides with the position of the Catholic Church on environmental issues: Pope Benedict XVI recently added “ecological” evils, committed individually and collectively, to the modern list of sins, encouraging every individual to consider their lives in the context of a greater community.

In light of all the positive aspects of the project, the benefits it would deliver to the community, and the example it would set, it seemed nothing lay in the way of gaining the necessary signatures for approval.

The solar group consisted of Sharon Tobar, St. Francis High School director of finance; Tim Lien; Josh McDonald of Valley Solar; and this writer, as a student representative. An initial proposal by the group was rejected by the Diocese’s finance committee. However, a revised proposal met with the approval of the Diocese last September. With the approval of Bishop Soto and his financial advisors, St. Francis will now move forward with its plans for installation.

The high school plans to start construction in November, with completion planned for early spring. Both the federal grant and SMUD rebate require a certain percentage to be completed by the end of the year in order for the returns to process, so St. Francis and Valley Solar are working together to expedite the process and begin installation as soon as possible.

It is hoped that the solar panels will not only contribute to St. Francis High School, but also inspire other schools and organizations in the community to adopt similar eco-friendly policies.

Erik Swanson, principal at Sutter Middle School, will be the new chief of talent and professional development officer for the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Sacramento. He will leave his position at Sutter Middle School on Sept. 19.

According to a press release issued by Rick Maya, director of Catholic Schools at the Diocese, Swanson will be responsible for attracting and retaining top principals. Swanson will be involved in creating new procedures for the evaluation, development and support of diocesan administrators and teachers. Maya explained that Swanson’s duties include serving as a personnel manager as well, to provide greater resources for the Catholic schools.

Swanson said this is a really tough opportunity.

“I am so happy with the staff and community at Sutter,” Swanson said. “They are second to none and I will miss them dearly.”

He said the opportunity to work as the new chief overseeing 46 schools makes the best use of his skill sets.

“At this stage of my career, I could not pass it up,” Swanson said.

Gabe Ross, chief communications officer for the Sacramento City Unified School District said Swanson is going be missed.

“Vice Principal Cristin Tahara-Martin will be the interim principal,” Ross said. “There is no doubt the school will run smoothly until the new principal is hired.”

Ross said they are working on finding Swanson’s replacement. A meeting has been set up on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. to discuss with parents and staff what characteristics they want in the new principal.

The day after I arrived, my next door neighbor, Butch, took me down to play in the “Pit,” a vacated sand and gravel site which abutted the back yards of the houses on the east side of Janey Way.

It must have looked like the Grand Canyon to a five-year old boy. The site sank about 30 feet into the ground and stretched in an L pattern from M Street on the south all the way over to Elvas Avenue on the north, then across to 62nd Street on the east. It covered about 40 acres of the land on which the St. Francis Catholic High School now stands.

At that time, a dirt road snaked down into the bottom of the Pit from the M Street side of the site, just behind the Petrocchi house at the beginning of Janey Way. Big trucks entered the Pit almost daily to dump their contents in an effort to backfill the big hole. They dumped things like broken pieces of concrete, waste lumber and dirt.

We used this debris to build forts to play in. We also did things like racing our bikes over and around the mounds of dirt left by the trucks, playing cowboys and Indians and staging mock battles between pretend armies.

The Pit was our playground and because it changed shape daily that made it all the more fun.

But the Pit went though many changes as we grew up. By the late 1950s, the entire east end of the pit was level ground. In 1959, the East Sacramento Little League built a baseball diamond on that section of the site. It was a beautiful diamond with bright green fences all around, built-in dugouts, stands for the fans on both sides of the field and a two story structure behind the back stop for a snack bar and a public address system. I played my first and only year of Little League baseball in that park.

Soon after that, all the rest of the Pit was leveled to look like a large vacant lot except for a tall mound of dirt in the middle we called Mount Everest. We played often on that hill. We used it as lookout, as a hide out, and as a stage for great military maneuvers. The younger Janey Way kids actually staged gladiatorial fights on the top of Mount Everest.

On July 4th, we lit fireworks on top of Mt. Everest even before Red Devil and Freedom fireworks were sold in town. Dom Costamagna lit flares and popped fire crackers. Once he even shot off a naval flare which turned the night sky red over the top of our Mt. Everest. However, soon after that even Mt. Everest disappeared.

By the mid 1960s, the Diocese of Sacramento constructed St. Francis High School on the area we once called the Pit. We had grown up then and our days of playing army, riding bikes and building forts had long since ended.

Now the Pit is just another cherished Janey Way memory.

His human, Sister Catherine Connell, SSS, has already been up for an hour of prayer. She says it is “really essential, so I can be present to those I am serving and see God’s presence in them. As well as helping them see God’s presence then in me in the work I am doing to help them come to healing.”

Sister Catherine’s day begins early, at 4:40 a.m. After her hour of prayer, she and Billie have their breakfast and a morning walk in Land Park.

Each day is dedicated to the service of others, and has been ever since Sister Catherine, a licensed clinical social worker, became a member of the religious order known as the Sisters of Social Service. It is a calling she heard when she was a teenager in the late 1950s.

The Call to serve

The middle child of five children, she grew up in a Catholic family. Still, “a lot of communication went back and forth” between the sisters at the Sisters of Social Service and the teenager before she approached her parents for their blessing. It also meant having to tell someone else about the call she was hearing to dedicate her life to others. 

“I had a steady boyfriend at the time,” Sister Catherine said. “He wanted to marry me, but I felt I needed to check this (calling) out first. It was a strong feeling that I needed to go and pursue this to see: is this is what God really wants for me?”

The two parted as friends. He later married another girl and had a happy marriage.

When she left her home in Muscatine, Iowa for the “Mother House” in Los Angeles, “it was quite a send-off with my grandparents, parents and three priests,” she said. “It wasn’t until I was on my way to the airport that I burst into tears because I realized I was leaving.”

When she entered the “novitiate” stage on Feb.1, 1959, Sister Catherine began a journey that would include religious studies, a college education and hands-on field work, known then as “family visits” in parishes.

“It was a wonderful preparation,” she said. “The prayer, the classes, the different assignments. You learned the focus of living a spiritual life.”

The Sisters of Social Service value education. Sister Catherine graduated from Mount St. Mary’s College with a degree in sociology, and from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. with a master’s degree in social work. She took her final religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in 1967.

Her field work took her around the nation, from working at Holy Name Parish near the Watts area of Los Angeles (“During the Watts Riot, I went to work anyway,”) to working at Walter Reed Army Hospital during the Vietnam War (“I worked in a ward of 80 men. Every last one of them was missing legs, arms, eyes…There were major disabilities,”) and finally, to Sacramento, where she became known for her work in opposing the state’s death penalty and for her support for making state prisons true places of rehabilitation. Last year, she was honored by Death Penalty Focus’ Friends Committee on Legislation.

In the 1987, Sister Catherine and Sister Claire Graham founded the Wellspring Women’s Center in Sacramento. Wellspring Women’s Center is a drop-in center for women and their children established to foster the innate goodness and personal self-esteem of all who enter its doors. “Hospitality with dignity and love” is the foundation on which Wellspring is built.

Guests at Wellspring are diverse in age, personal background, and ethnicity. Many guests are young mothers seeking adult companionship or a break from child rearing. Wellspring provides a sense of “family” to older single women without a support system. Administered today by the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the center will celebrate 25 years of service to the community this year.

Cancer survivor

A new phase of Sister Catherine’s life would come in 1998 that would change her life forever, when a visit to the doctor came back with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

“I began a year of chemo in 1999,” she said. “Dr. Ernie Bodai was my doctor. He is wonderful.”

She beat the cancer, but four years later she learned that she was in the early stages of breast cancer. Because of early detection, she beat this cancer, also.

Because of the ovarian cancer and the side effects of chemotherapy, Sister Catherine decided to step down from her position as director at Wellspring.

“That’s when I decided to try something where I wasn’t managing a whole agency, but could still serve,” she said.

Clinical therapist

Sister Catherine applied for and accepted a position as a therapist at Kaiser. Each week, Sister Catherine directs two groups: a codependency group that covers “every variety of codependency: relationships, etc.” and a bipolar support group.

Because she is still vowed to poverty, her paychecks go to the Sisters of Social Service, who in turn support her with housing, food and any other needs.

She works at Kaiser three days a week.

“Those are my very busy days,” she said. “On my less busy days, Billie and I go out on our visits.”

Sister Catherine and the little dog (rescued from the Sacramento City Animal Shelter) visit a wide variety of people. Together, the two stay “very much in touch” with the religious community and the community at large, meeting countless needs for a kind word, dignity and support. They have many friends. Included in their rounds is Mercy McMahon Terrace, a residence for seniors.

“The seniors there love Billie, and he loves them. Billie also loves to visit with Bishop Quinn,” she said with a smile. “He is one of Billie’s favorite people.”

Each day is full, and through it all Sister Catherine has found that the motto she adopted when she took her final vows – “That In All Things God May Be Glorified” – is appropriate to every day.

“It certainly has been true for me,” she said.

susan@valcomnews.com

Over 100 alumnae gathered at St. Francis of Assisi Parish to celebrate the 70th anniversary of St. Francis High School in Sacramento on Sept. 10.

The Mass and celebration were held on a Friday during school hours, so alumnae from the all-girls high school graduating decades of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s could more easily attend.

It was an appropriate setting, since the high school was founded on the third floor of the St. Francis Elementary School at 2500 K Street in 1940. That year, the school expanded its educational program to include its first ninth grade class. The first class was just 12 young women, who then transferred to St. Joseph’s School, which was located at 8th and J streets. Students went on to graduate from Bishop Armstrong High School.

It was the girls who began their freshman year in 1941 became the first graduating class of St. Francis High School in 1945.

“We had 39 girls in our class,” reminisced Marie Terribile Donnelly, who graduated in 1949. “We used to say ‘Thirty-nine in ’49.’”

“And that was the largest class ever,” laughed Dorothy Lavelle Massa, who also graduated in 1949.

Continuous growth

The school continued to grow, bit by bit.

During the post-World War II Baby Boom years, there was a need for more high schools in the Sacramento area. Bishop Armstrong became the school for the upperclassmen from St. Francis, St. Joseph and Christian Brothers high schools. Each junior high school maintained its own ninth and tenth grades. Bishop Armstrong High School was a co-ed school. The faculty there consisted of Christian Brothers, Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of St. Francis, diocesan clergy and dedicated lay men and women.

“We were lucky to have Mr. Anton Dorndorf as our music teacher,” Donnelly said. “He was also the church choir director.”

In 1964, the Christian Brothers purchased Bishop Armstrong High to create a four-year boys’ high school. (Christian Brothers would remain an all-male high school until 1990, with the closure of Bishop Manogue High School).

St. Francis High School was moved to the old gravel pit site located at 6051 M Street. There were 520 students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades. The ninth graders remained at St. Francis Elementary for one more year. Alumnae from those days remembered “eating from the same canteen truck that came by to feed the workers who were building the school.”

Soon the M Street facility was completed. The Sisters of Notre Dame and the Franciscan Sisters served on the campus until 1975, when they were no longer able to staff the school. Bishop Alden J. Bell appointed the Sisters of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to help staff the school. They served until 1999.

The M Street campus would serve young women in the Sacramento community until 2006, when the facility was expanded. The expansion included relocating the campus entrance to 5900 Elvas Avenue, a new performing arts center, a new gymnasium and a state-of-the-art science wing.

Today, St. Francis High School’s enrollment stands at 1,145 – which is a full capacity enrollment.

Curriculum changes

As the needs of students and the culture have changed, so too has the curriculum at St. Francis High School. Alumnae recall being taught by nuns or the occasional lay faculty member. They were provided instruction in such basics as sewing (by hand, since no sewing machines were available) and the “proper way to sit as a lady.” Typing was introduced by Sister Geraldine and Sister Peter, who also directed the annual school play.

Today’s students, in contrast, have a wide spectrum of options open to them. Young women at St. Francis High School participate in a rigorous college preparatory program that includes the opportunity to pursue additional studies in robotics, international diplomacy, speech and debate, moot court and mock trial and more. There are also national and international service projects that students can participate in during the summer months. The St. Francis Troubadours – named thus after their founding saint, who composed ballads to God – dominate on the sports field as well as in the fine and performing arts.

The Spirit of St. Francis

If there is one tie that binds every generation of St. Francis High School alumnae together, it is what they refer to as “the Spirit of St. Francis.” It is a powerful sense of community.

“It’s a camaraderie,” said Barbara LeDoux, who graduated in 1966. “It is the ability to connect with each other and feel like we have known ea

ch other all our lives.”

“It’s all about school spirit and sisterhood,” said Victoria Elorduy, Class of 1965. “You can hear the walls talking.”

“I feel as if we’re all 15 again and in our uniforms,” said Karyn Wendt, also from the Class of ’65. “How much tradition there is…We had big sisters who showed us the way our freshman year, the uniforms. I’m grateful for the friendships.”

“You want to see your friends,” said Mary Doval, Class of 1966. “It’s a big family reunion.”

“This spirit is alive and continues to bloom in every St. Francis student, even after all these years,” said Marion Bishop, president of St. Francis High School, in her remarks to the alumnae. “This spirit shined in those first dozen graduates, just as it radiated in the 262 graduates of the Class of 2010 – the largest class ever.

“Spirit is the single-most identified quality that students mention during their stay here, and that seniors comment on as ‘the best characteristic of St. Francis High’ during their exit interviews,” Bishop continued. “Your lingering spirit is palpable when you enter the campus, and it continues to inspire young women to join the St. Francis ranks. And it flows beyond the walls of the campus into every community on the globe where St. Francis alums find their homes.”

Enduring legacy

Today, St. Francis High School continues on as a four-year, all-female college preparatory high school. It is the only Catholic high school in Sacramento affiliated with the Diocese of Sacramento. It serves young women from over 50 private and public feeder schools. Students come from the counties of Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, Placer and Solano. It is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA).

The legacy of the school is much more than an academic one, according to alumnae, staff and students. The program for the celebration reflected this, stating “The legacy of St. Francis High School is one of spirit-filled community and educational excellence; of athletic merit and artistic accomplishment; of peace and goodness (Pax et Bonum). At St. Francis, young women integrate their faith, knowledge and experience of community to become effective Christian witnesses in our global society. This special mission makes St. Francis much more than the leading college preparatory school for young women in the Sacramento region. St. Francis graduates understand that they can make a difference in today’s world – and make it.”

Today’s students are appreciative of this legacy they have received and are committed to blazing a trail for others to follow.

“It’s an accomplishment to last this long,” said Haley Damele, a senior “Troubie.” “We thrive at everything, whether it’s academics or athletics.”

“I’m glad I’m a Troubadour,” said Hannah Vice, a senior Troubie who plans to go on to major in business communications and law. “Looking back at all the hard work and dedication I’ve put in will pay off big time into my future. Those who went before set the pace with high expectations. So it really raised my expectations of myself.”

“These ladies are a gift to the Sacramento community,” Bishop said of the St. Francis alumnae. In her remarks, she said “Many, many things have changed during these past 70 years – way too many to enumerate. Many memories have been initiated at St. Francis High School. In each of them, a glistening light shines: (a) wonderful, faithful and bright spirit.

“The Spirit of St. Francis – your spirit – has burned steadily for seven decades,” Bishop said. “And I am certain it will continue for seven more.”

Among East Sacramento’s most renowned architectural structures is the Sacred Heart Church at 3860 J St., where for eight decades, many local residents have come to gain spiritual guidance, while making many lifelong friends along the way.

Just last week, for instance, longtime Sacred Heart Church members Carolyn Granucci and Bev Geremia met with the East Sacramento News to discuss their many memories of the church, its influence in their lives and the friendships they have made during this time.

Geremia expressed her gratitude for the local Catholic church, its parish school and the many people, including Granucci, who she has made longtime friends with through her membership in the church.

“I’ve definitely made a lot of friendships over the years and our family has made a lot of friendships (through the church),” Geremia said. “Many of my children’s best friends are from their days at Sacred Heart School and through the church. It’s just that kind of a place.”

Granucci echoed Geremia’s words and added that although many of her closest childhood friends from Sacred Heart School, as well as the church, moved away from Sacramento many years ago, various reunions have proven that these friendships remain extremely strong.

“We can go many years without seeing each other and then when we get together, we pick up right where we left off, like we were never apart,” said Granucci, a lifelong member of the church who attended Sacred Heart School from 1944 to 1953.

The many stories of close friendships and spiritual ties among the church’s parishioners date back to the establishment of the church in 1931.

 

Parish people

In 1922, noting that there was a need for a permanent parish church in East Sacramento, Bishop Patrick Keane, who served as the third Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento from 1922 to 1928, purchased the property where the church would later be built.

Following the Oct. 6, 1929 death of the parish’s first pastor, the Rev. Philip Brady, Bishop Robert J. Armstrong appointed the Rev. Michael L. Lyons to serve as Brady’s successor. Lyons began these duties on Sunday, Dec. 1, 1929.

The following year, Lyons, who decided that the time was right for the construction of permanent parish buildings in East Sacramento, consulted Armstrong, who recommended that a church and priest offices be constructed on the 39th and J streets property that Keane had purchased.

Although the topic of constructing a parish school in East Sacramento was also discussed around this time, the idea was temporarily abandoned due to the inability to secure teachers.

The parish was fortunate to have the talented architect Harry J. Devine, among its members during its early years.

Devine, who had previously designed other churches in Northern California, was commissioned to create the plans for the new church and the offices and residence of the priests.

By November 1930, the plans were completed and William C. Keating was selected as the project’s general contractor.

Despite their quality, fine craftsmanship and many details, the new, $139,000 church buildings were constructed in a considerably short period of time.

Within a month after the plans were completed, work began at the 39th and J streets site, which had previously been home to the two-story East Sacramento Public School building, which was later briefly used by Christian Brothers High School students and faculty during the construction of the high school’s new campus at 21st and Y (now Broadway) streets.

 

Expanding the faith

The cornerstone of the church was laid on Sunday, March 15, 1930 and about four months later, the priests’ residence and offices were completed and being utilized by the priests, who had been living in a rented residence at 3801 H St.

To the delight of members of the parish, the lead, front page headline of the Sunday, Sept. 13, 1931 edition of The Register, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Sacramento, read: “New Sacramento church to be dedicated Sunday (Sept. 13).”

During this special, dedication day, Bishop Armstrong blessed the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which had been known as St. Stephen’s Church at its original site.

The name, St. Stephen’s Church, was used by the parish for its temporary church structure on the 39th and I streets property that had been purchased by Brady, who had believed it would be too expensive to have parish buildings constructed at the 39th and J streets site.

This name change resulted through a petition requesting that the church be dedicated to the “Sacred Heart.”

The petition was signed by about 500 parishioners and presented by the Women of the Altar Society of St. Stephen’s.

Permission to change the church’s name was later granted by Bishop Armstrong.

The small, square, temporary church building, which held its first Mass on Feb. 7, 1926, had received its name upon the request of Ellen Bowden, who provided funds for the development of the church and whose father and brother were both named Stephen.

 

Classic design

The Sacred Heart Church, which was designed in the fashion of a church in Ireland, is known for its brick architecture, decorative terra cotta, high, domed ceiling and many other details, which include 22 stained glass windows, 16 paintings, which include a series depicting the crucifixion of Christ, five large statues and 12 chandeliers.

Seven of the stained glass windows were imported from Ireland in the spring of 1932.

The church also includes a pair of altars, 72 wooden pews and 10 large marble pillars, which support a dozen archways on the south end of the church.

Early events in the church included the first wedding – the marriage of Mary O’Brien to Adam Charles Goetz – on Sept. 18, 1931 and the first confirmation on March 30, 1932.

In 1934, with the assistance of the Sisters of Mercy, Lyons helped develop the parish’s Sacred Heart School, which initially served first through fourth grade students. By the fall of 1936, the school included eight grades.

The school, which is located at 3933 I St., began with 60 students, who met in four temporary classrooms within the old St. Stephens Church building.

A “permanent” school was built in 1945 and has since lost its “permanent” status, as a new Sacred Heart School is being constructed across the street from the current school. The new school is scheduled to open in September.

The church’s current pastor, Monsignor Robert P. Walton, said that the church’s elementary school is an integral part of the parish’s history.

“It’s difficult to separate the church’s history from the school’s history,” Walton said. “Sacred Heart Church is synonymous with the parish school.”

Jeanne Winnick Brennan, a spokesperson for Sacred Heart Church, said that the opening of the new school is a great accomplishment in today’s world.

“The school is so rooted in this community that it is getting a new (school site and buildings) and that’s an unusual situation when many schools are closing,” Brennan said. “So, that’s a lot to be thankful for.”

The forthcoming school opening will undoubtedly begin one more important chapter in the parish’s extensive history, which began 84 years ago.

This history includes the celebration of the Sacred Heart Church’s 75th anniversary in 2006.

During this celebration’s Feast of Sacred Heart Mass, Monsignor Walton summarized the church’s importance to many people in the community in a very fitting fashion.

“This sacred space is so much more than great architectural beauty, magnificent, stained glass windows, inspiring space and liturgical appointments. It is filled with living memories of people…who have called Sacred Heart Church their spiritual home, and for many of you, for most of your lives.”

 

E-mail Lance Armstrong at lance@valcomnews.com.