Saint Ursula Academy - Scroll Yearbook (Toledo, OH)

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file Pdsslhg of cm fpocfz . .. HEN the clang and clatter had subsided somewhat, the on- looker beside me said: They're tearing down the old convent. ,lust a sestet of words, but what meaning lay hidden therein the power of words can not fully credit. That simple state- ment carried with it memories of all that had gone before in another genera- tion. We of the second generation stood there pondering-he with his thoughts, l, with mine. Certainly such an occasion made rem- iniscence timely. Memory conjured up my great aunt's many recountals con- cerning the early beginnings of Ursuline education in Toledo. lt was in 1854, on December twelfth, that five Ursu- lines arrived in Toledo at the invitation of Bishop Amadeus Rappe, and took possession of the property at the corner of Cherry and Erie Streets. Situated on this lot were two unpretentious frame houses, the roofs of which leaked and the locks of which were any burglars delight. These comprised the first Ursu- line Convent of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the first Ursuline Academy. The Nuns had come from Cleveland during the time of that dreadful plague known as Maumee fever . Desiring to extend the knowledge of the Christian way of life to young maidens, they fought plague and poverty, and with the aid of cherished benefactors, estab- lished this first academy. Students of all ages and creeds soon flocked in. The Ursulines, believing in getting them young, as the saying goes, established the first kindergarten in Toledo-inci- dentally, one of the first in America. Then and Now This accomplishment marked a great step forward in the progress of Catholic education in Toledo. A carefullv de- fined, adequately provided for cur- riculum was initiated in which all branches of learning were included. Indeed, young ladies of those days -SHANDoNRosE STEUEV. '43 at the convent school knew what it meant to study. Perhaps that is why, to hear our teachers express it, we are considered ladies of leisure compared with those girls who studied so many and such varied courses in that first Ursuline Academy. As we now groan over the scansion of Vergil or the in- tricacies of French verbs, we are re- minded: Hln my day, the curriculum was quite different. CThis from those of our teachers who had undergone the old rigors and now can gloat.l We had intensive study of church history, astronomy, logic, and literature courses in English and the other modern tongues. This sounded to me like present day college work, or at least like post-graduate undertakings. I just could not bring myself to believe it. So, fully confident, l decided to en- sconce myself in a far off corner of the library with several of the old bulletins resurrected from the archives and settle this thing once and for all. That far off corner proved to be a wise choice in concealing my embarrassment, for there it was in the proverbial black and white: Young ladies in high school pursued a course of study in these ad- vanced branches besides the usual readin', writin', and 'rithmeticf' Most assuredly, young ladies of that day learned to be prim, prudent, and par- ticular, and by now l was firmly con- vinced that they were ready for a de- gree, sumnm cum laude, or what have you. Awards Were Numerous As l read on in the bulletin the in- formation found there was a salve for my chagrin, and I did not feel too futile. Those young women with the swollen courses, as l chose to call them, were well rewarded for their efforts. De- serving students were prominent on commencement night, when medals for excellence in every branch, every task, 4 THE SCROLL

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and every art were distributed with all due ceremony. Reviewing these pro- grams, I was not a little impressed: French embroidery, lace making, tapes- try weaving, manuscript illuminating, and last, but ever so important, stock- ing darning and bread baking, headed the premium lists. I wondered if I could qualify for a medal in some sub- ject, but I am sure those girls would certainly have put me to shame in the bread baking contest, not to mention the art of working with a needle and thread in stocking darning fashion. Yes, there were awards and there were awards. The most coveted, and properly so, was that given for excel- lence in the study of the science dealing with the realms beyond the sky-Chris- tian Doctrine. It is there that He abides, and Ursuline girls of the last century were shown the way to His Kingdom through this study. This most desired of all merits has come down through the years as a prize to be sought, and today no less than then, we seek it avidly. Quiz Sessions The public examinations were looked forward to with fear and anxiety. The Bishop was present and he could and did ask any question on any subject and call upon any girl to answer it. I'll wager many .1 girl sat waiting for her name to be called so that she might prove herself and her school to the hierarchy. But with such a wide range of subjects from which to choose, any question, even the most facile, would have frozen me to a permanent place in my chair. just as I had prided myself on a perfect understanding of ye old convent school of the late l800's, lo and behold! what do I find! Confusion takes pos- session. Query reigns supreme. There it was: had I been a senior in 1878, everything would have been so simple. With my own eyes I saw it-twelfth graders were learning to count to a thousand and to write Arabic numerals just as far. Words of three letters were to be mastered in spelling by mid-term. On the other hand, first graders were occupied with such brain teasers as mathematics and logic. It just did not make sense. Figure it out I must-and I did. The solution was quite simple- just a wrong way Corrigan method of specifying grade levels: twelfth grade was considered the first and the most importantg therefore first grade, twelfth grade, twelfth grade, first grade. Thinking I had spent enough time in examining these old records, I was hieing myself thither when I discovered that reminiscence still had me in its grasp. I wondered when the Ursulines had transferred from the old convent to the new, and what brought about the existence of this library anyway. Back l went to the bulletin and found my- self lost again in its pages. Migration to Collingwood Realizing that sameness is stagnation and that progress is salvation, as was so appropriately stated in the Golden Jubi- lee souvenir booklet of 1905, the Nuns made plans to branch out. Their ex- pansionist aspirations found fulfillment in the purchase of the property on Col- lingwood Avenue-a glory to modern architecture. The progressive spirit moved rapidly and it was not long be- fore adequate equipment was installed and new educational trends incorpor- ated. The Nuns, ever mindful of the counsels of their foundress, Saint An- gela, marched on with the times, serv- ing humanity in a manner befitting Christian educators. Today, no less than in those early days, each Ursuline graduate owes whatever success she has attained, or will attain, to the ideals ineulcated by those first Ursuline teach- ers-a heritage to be cherished by all who follow after. The clang and clatter ceased. The dust cleared away, revealing only the mounds of bricks where once stately edifices had been. My friend and I turned away, and as our minds were once more occupied with our little worlds, we knew our reverie was over. Only memories remained for those who long ago practiced their vows and watched Christian education mature in the home of their choice-the Cherry Street Convent. 6 THE SCROLL