| Rev. Father O. N. Jackson, the first pastor of St. Anthony's Church
applied for teachers in 1917 and Rt. Rev. Bishop Keiley urged the Sisters of
St. Joseph to take charge of this school. The undertaking was accepted and
Sister M. Genevieve and Sister M. Ambrose were given the assignment.
At the time the Sisters of St. Joseph took charge of this school in
September, 1917, there was no convent building in St. Anthony's Parish. The two
teachers lived at the Sacred Heart Convent at 330 Courtland Street and went
back and forth on the street cars to the school which was then at 651 Ashby
Street, S. W.
Appreciating the difficulties under which the Sisters labored, living in one
part of the city and teaching in another part; seeing the crowded conditions in
the school, and foreseeing the needs of larger space for future expansion; a
loyal and devoted member and benefactor of St. Anthony's Parish, Miss Hannah
Kuh, purchased and gave to the parish a spacious residence building on a large
and beautiful lot, located on Gordon Street and adjoining Howell Park, to be
used as a school and convent.
With a few alterations part of the first floor provided ample space for the
school. The second floor was used as the living quarters for the nuns. Sister
M. Alphonsa was appointed the first Superior. She had two assistants, Sister M.
Ambrose, who taught the third and fourth grades, and Sister M. Dorothy, who
taught the first and second grades. Mother Alphonsa taught the fifth and sixth
grades. There were six grades taught the first year in the new school,
1918-1919.
Mother Alphonsa remained Superior until 1924 when she was succeeded by
Sister M. Immaculata, who was Superior until 1927, when she had to leave on
account of bad health. Sister Alphonsa returned and remained Superior until
1931. This parish was saddened by the death of Sister Alphonsa on October 11,
1936, at the Sacred Heart Convent. Sister M. Magdalen was appointed Superior in
1931, and remained here for six years until 1937. During her stay at St.
Anthony's Sister Magdalen celebrated her Golden Jubilee as a professed nun on
February 2, 1935. She is now at St. Francis Xavier School, Brunswick, Georgia.
In 1937, Sister Mary Caroline, the present Superior and Principal, was
appointed. Sister Mary Caroline came here from St. Louis, Missouri.
The continued growth in members of St. Anthony's Parish brought the need of
a larger school to accommodate the increased number of pupils. During the
pastorate of Rev. Father Harry F. Clark, later Monsignor, this need became
acute. He began planning for a new school and a new convent. In July, 1933, the
old school building was demolished and the erection of the present handsome
fireproof school begun. It was finished in January, 1934, and was dedicated by
Most Rev. Michael J. Keyes, Bishop of Savannah, on February 11, 1934.
During the construction of the new school, temporary class rooms were
constructed and used in the basement of the church. After the school was
dedicated the new school was first used on February 12, 1934.
Several years before the construction of the new school, a well constructed
sixteen-room house on a large lot adjoining the school property was purchased
by Father Clark. In the summer of 1933 this building was refinished inside to
meet the modest and simple requirements of a convent.
It was ready for the use of the nuns when they returned for the opening of
school in September. In January, 1934, one of the large rooms was remodeled and
furnished to make a beautiful chapel. This convent was dedicated on the same
day as the school. It is the present home of the Sisters in this parish. The
building is located about forty feet from the school. The street number is 953
Gordon, S. W.
St. Anthony's Parochial School is located at number 963 Gordon Street, S. W.
It contains eight standard classrooms that are fully equipped in every detail.
There is also space for three additional classrooms in which no equipment has
been installed. There is an office for the principal, girls' toilet, boys'
toilet, wide corridors and stairs and four entrances. A conduit system for the
future installation of radio equipment centering in the principal's office and
with extensions to each classroom is a feature of the construction.
The school course consists of nine grades, grammar and junior high. From
1919 to 1932, St. Anthony's School had seven grades. In the fall of 1932 an
eighth grade was started. In the following year, 1933, a ninth grade was
started and the first class graduated from the Junior High course in May, 1934.
The present faculty at St. Anthony's Parochial School is: Sister Mary
Caroline, Superior and Principal, ninth grade; Sister M. Felice, seventh and
eighth grades; Sister M. Grace Marie, third and fourth grades; Sister M.
Josephine, fifth and sixth grades; Sister Mary Edward, first and second grades.
Sisters who have taught at St. Anthony's besides those already mentioned
are: Sister M. Dorothy, who taught the first and second grades from 1918 to
1931; Sisters M. Anthony, Mary Louis, Rita, Raphael, Alice Joseph, Bernadine,
Philomena, Aurelia, Angela, Josephine, Augustine, Bernadette, Grace Marie, Mary
Bernard. St. Anthony's children have been benefited by the teaching of these
unselfish women.
Sisters, like other people, sometimes get sick. On several occasions, when
due to illness the teachers needed assistance with the school work, some of the
ladies who were not Sisters have offered their assistance. Miss Rose Moran has
assisted with the teaching at St. Anthony's, and a number of years ago when
Sister Dorothy was operated upon, Miss Regina Keith, now Mrs. Ernest Ray taught
in her place for six weeks.
Sister Mary Marcella of the Sisters of St. Joseph was formerly a pupil of
St. Anthony's School. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Meyer of this
parish. Another Sister now a member of the Sisters of St. Francis was a pupil
in St. Anthony's School. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Frenke,
former members of St. Anthony's parish, who now live in Kentucky. Two daughters
of Mrs. J. J. O'Donnell, who are now Sister Lillian Josephine and Sister Imelda
Marie, were pupils of St. Anthony's first school.
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