| Teachers in Catholic schools in Atlanta merge from religious to lay
teachers and vice versa to the extent that it is rather difficult to entirely
separate one from the other. There have been a number of Catholic schools, both
parochial and others, taught by lay teachers. Lay teachers have assisted in
teaching in schools operated by religious orders and other schools have been
taught entirely by religious orders. Religious orders of nuns who have
conducted schools in Atlanta are: Sisters of Mercy; Sisters of St. Joseph;
Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart. Religious
orders of priests engaged in educational work as a special vocation: Society of
Mary.
Early teachers
In the days when Terminus was located, all of North Georgia was mission
territory. Speaking of the early missionary days in Georgia and South Carolina,
Rev. Father J. J. O'Connell says: “The clergymen became schoolteachers,
even when the attendance was scarcely a half-dozen. Churches, schools,
academies were established where needed, or wherever there was a prospect of
patronage. In the ranks of the clergy was never found a money grabber. There
never lived since the early ages a more detached body of men. They were
homeless, penniless, often hungry and sick, and naked and unfriended.”
Further on Father O'Connell says it was generally with the Irish laborers that
the priest found his accommodations. The first Catholics of this city were
Irish laborers, so it is reasonable to believe that the first Catholic schools
teachers were missionary priests.
The first Catholic lay school teacher who came to Atlanta of whom we have
record was Mrs. Terence Doonan. Mrs. Doonan's residence in Atlanta began in
1846 when her husband moved here from Augusta, Georgia. Mrs. Doonan before her
marriage was Ellen Barry. She and her sister, Elizabeth Barry, taught a school
in Augusta before the Doonans located in Atlanta. Elizabeth Barry afterwards
became Sister Isadore. In later years, after the War Between the States, Mrs.
Doonan's daughters, Mary and Annie, assisted her in teaching their school. The
Doonan school, at that time, was conducted in their home, which was located on
the north corner of Whitehall and Garnett Streets. Mr. Doonan owned a
greenhouse which was located on the corner and the house was a one-story wooden
residence set back a considerable distance from Whitehall Street. Mrs. Doonan's
daughter, Mary, married Mr. Charles Madden. Mrs. Mary Madden afterwards was
organist at the Immaculate Conception Church for fifty years. Mrs. Doonan's
daughter, Annie, entered the religious life in Baltimore, Maryland. She became
a Visitation nun.
An early Catholic school was one taught by Mrs. Peavy in the sacristy of the
first Immaculate Conception Church. She was succeeded in the work of teaching
these classes by Miss Mittie Odena and Miss Louise Odena.
Adjoining the present Immaculate Conception Church property on Centrals
Avenue, S. W., is a building known as the Red Men's Wigwam. Under present
numbering system it is 160 Central Avenue, S. W. Since it was originally
constructed this building has been altered and additions made to it several
times, but the original building is still contained in the structure. The first
building was a two-story brick building, almost square in construction, and was
built on the west corner of the original Immaculate Conception Church property.
It was built by Rev. Father Thomas O'Reilly, who became pastor of the
Immaculate Conception parish in 1861. It was built for a Catholic School and
was used as such until it was sold in 1901. Even today the outline of the
original building can be easily traced by the difference in design, in material
and in construction. The original window openings with their stone lintels are
clearly recognizable though some have been filled in with brick. The difference
in brick used in third floor walls is easily distinguished from those used in
first and second floor walls. The store fronts that have been added on the
street side and the comparatively new three-story addition in rear are of
entirely different construction from the old building. The original building
contained eight rooms.
In this building a Catholic school was taught by a number of lay school
teachers, among whom were Professor P. D. Whelan, Professor T. S. Gillespie and
Mrs. McKeon. This school was for both boys and girls.
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