Much has changed in the last 50 years for Sanford Catholics.
For example, in 1972 the town had three churches, each with its own parish and priest. St. Ignatius Church in downtown Sanford, Holy Family Church on the East Side, and Notre Dame Church in Springvale. In 2006, only his one pastor became responsible for leading all three of his churches. With the closure of St. Ignatius Church in 2010, he now has two Catholic churches instead of three. In time they were united in one of his associations, St. Teresa of the Diocese of Lisieux.
That’s a big change. As someone who grew up in downtown Sanford, attended Mass and Sunday School at St. Ignatius Church, and got married there, I can attest to such a change. As, I can attest that there will be many more changes, exciting changes in the future.
But in all this change, one thing has remained constant over the past 50 years. It’s St. Thomas’ School.
Since opening in the fall of 1972 on the corner of Winter Street and North Avenue, the school has become a trusted institution educating thousands of students. And this Sunday, October 23rd, Father Bill Love, administrators, teachers, students, their families and others will officially celebrate the school’s half-century.
Celebrations begin at 10:00 am with Mass at the Holy Family Church on North Avenue. Afterwards, a special gathering will be held at the Sanford Springvale Historical Museum. Here is a new exhibit documenting his 50 years of Catholic education at St. Thomas’ School. seen by the public. The museum is located at 505 Main Street in Springvale.
When St. Thomas’ School opened 50 years ago, its future beyond the 1972-1973 school year was far from certain. The school’s first board had to make all sorts of tough calls related to funding, staffing, facilities, and registration.
In fact, it was through the generosity of the school’s first board that this place got started. To quote the late Richard Bergeron, one of the founders, who wrote the school’s history in 2007 on the occasion of its 35th anniversary, “The ongoing struggle to maintain Catholic education has caused a great deal of stress and frustration. It was an age of rations.
Bergeron said the school at one point needed $30,000 specifically for cafeteria facilities and supplies. The school board public proved to be saviors there. They used their own collateral to sign the loan.
“Despite their own business and family concerns, each member was so convinced of the importance of the school that they each signed a $5,000 promissory note,” Bergeron wrote.
Other Sean Sullivan:What’s on your Halloween reading list?
This school is the last school in Sanford Springvale. During that time, St. Ignatius Church provided education for all grades, including the high school, which closed in 1969. The parishes of Notre Dame and the Holy Family also provided primary education.
The closure of St. Ignatius High School, and the deteriorating economy and shortage of nuns, brothers and priests in the early 1970s, made Bergeron and others concerned about the fate of Sanford’s Catholic education. In town he each of the three parish councils met to discuss the idea of merging the remaining elementary schools into one.
They did this in April 1972. With the decision to consolidate the schools, Sister Thérèse Berbet was appointed as the new school’s first principal. She maintained that position until her death in 1990.
A new school board, consisting of all three priests and one layperson per parish, was formed that April, and it was decided that the Holy Family School on North Avenue would become the new consolidated school. . According to the history written by Bergeron, Father Adrian Paradis is credited with naming the new school after Saint Thomas Aquinas. It was a perfect choice. Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of scholars.
And now, 50 years later, here we are. On a recent Friday, Principal Jessica Rice and Erica Sanborn, the school’s director of heritage, marketing, and admissions, shared what they believe is the secret to St. Thomas Her School’s longevity.
Sanborn is certainly in a position to consider it – she attended St. Thomas’ School in the ’80s and now has a child of her own who attends there, and of course there’s a position she holds.
“Given what St. Thomas stands for, I am happy to say that Christ is at the center of all our activities,” Sanborn said.
Sanborn added that the school has a “great academic history” that Sanford High School will be able to showcase when it announces the top 10 students in its graduating class. Many of the seniors in that line-up went to St. Thomas as children.
“I think it says a lot,” Sanborn said. “Teachers help students explore their talents and talents and feel comfortable trying new things. That’s when we see them making these tremendous leaps, not just academically, but personally and spiritually.”
It all goes back to the school’s mission, Rice added.
“We educate the whole child,” she said. “It’s not just knowledge. It’s what that knowledge does for us as people…it plays a big part in why when students leave here, they move on as full human beings.” increase.”
The head of the parish, Claire Auger, is the host of the school’s celebration on Sunday. She has ties to St. Her Thomas School that go back even further than Sanborn. Auger and her late husband Gil sent all four children to St. Thomas School.
Auger was active in school when his children were students. There was also a time when she held back a little from her involvement. She was a middle school French teacher and spent her retirement years in Florida. But she really rolls up her sleeves these days and helps keep school active and vibrant.
One morning I spoke with Auger at her house. She shared the story of her Catholic education when she was young and emphasized her support for the children who attend St. Thomas today. explained why it is so important to
“I love teaching,” she said. “And I’m very obsessed with my faith. Part of my faith is evangelism. It’s not like proselytizing. I’m trying to make the Christian way of life known and loved.”
Volunteering at St. Thomas’ School is how Auger fulfills her personal mission in whatever capacity she is required. Like Rice and Sanborn, Auger loves the sense of community the school has, she said. This has been going on for her for 50 years and she wants it to last for another 50 years.
“It was part of my life,” said Auger. “I can’t imagine life without St. Thomas”
Shawn P. Sullivan is an award-winning columnist and reporter for the York County Coast Star. His contact is his ssullivan@seacoastonline.com.
Comments
Post a Comment