Page 77 - Pages for FlipBook 2018

When highly dedicated SISTERS have had a big impact on your life,
it’s great to see that the 2018 Nassau Chapter Ball will honor the

Dominican Sisters of Amityville.

Back in the 1950s, there was a small four room Catholic school in
St. James, NY with 8 grades of about 25 students each. Four nuns*
had the love, energy, skills, and discipline to make it work—and
wonderfully! All were great, but two really stand out:

Sister Jean Alice handled 5th and 6th grades, and was especially
good at teaching (and doing) hand-writing. She prepared all school
report cards in beautiful calligraphy. Kids of that age can be
impetuous and hard to control, but Sister Jean was highly skilled
with a ruler! Those kids both deserved and needed that discipline.
We remember her as a real contributor to our long-term welfare.

Mother Mary Cornelia ran the school and taught 7th and 8th grades.
Lots of things on her plate, but somehow, she always had the
kindness and time to spend with every one of her students. Under
her guidance, they became better and better at focusing on and
enjoying history, math and the Christian way of life. A fun 8th-grade
tradition was a prize for good work: Mother Mary would select a
student to climb and raise the American flag on the 10’ pole at the
front of the school (pull-cord missing). Sometimes it could even be
one of Sister Jean’s past “ruler-boys” -.

Thank you, Ted.

___

*Sorry, not Dominican in this case. “Back in the day” Holy Union Sisters were helping

the small country parish of SS Philip and James.