St Marys High School - Blue Mantle Yearbook (Milford, MA)

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. . . MAKE PROGRESS THROUGH THE YEARS AT SAINT MARY’S On the morning of August 30, 1880, the doors of St. Mary’s opened for the first time to admit twenty- four girl students who w ' ere to begin a new era of learning in Milford. Classes were first held in a remodeled stable on the Erskin Cook Estate until 1892 when the present gran¬ ite Grammar School was built and 1924 when the present High School was built. The first faculty, the Sisters of Notre Dame, con¬ sisted of nine nuns with Sister Philomena as Superior. In addition to the regular curriculum, the girls were taught many domestic duties such as sewing, knitting, crocheting, and embroidering. From 1886 to 1904 when the last class was gradu¬ ated under the Sisters of Notre Dame, fifty-five young women received diplomas. It was then that the Sisters of St. Joseph were brought here on August 18, 1904, to open the doors to co-education. The first Superior was the late Sister Irene, who saw an enrollment of more than three hundred boys and girls. Besides many additions to the faculty, school curri¬ culum and social activities, two new rooms are being added at present to the school itself. Today the school has grown to an enrollment of eight hundred and six in the combined schools, and this past summer the school became St. Mary’s Central Catholic High School serving fourteen parishes in the Milford area.

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SISTERS OF ST. JOSE PH In 1807 a wise and holy nun was called to restore the dispersed Congregation of the Sis¬ ters of St. Joseph. Her name was Mother St. John Fontbonne. The inheritors of these blessed traditions are our present Sisters of St. Joseph. Today these same traditions can be seen by those fortunate ones who come under the guidance of our beloved Sisters. For fifty uninterrupted years, the Sisters of St. Joseph have taught and guided the children of St. Maty’s parish. Each day, when we enter the portals of St. Mary’s, we feel the influence of a Catholic school. It is a special privilege for us to receive a Catholic education. As we draw near gradua¬ tion, we marvel at the Christlike patience, tire¬ less industry, and conspicuous holiness of our teachers. They fulfill the double duty of teach¬ er and advisor, always ready to help us in our difficulties and to encourage us in our under¬ takings. In their work with us they have sought no material gain, but have reaped spiritual merit. To them, their work is a labor of love, for they desire only to bring souls closer to our Divine Saviour and to inspire in all our hearts, love and devotion to our Blessed Mother. The secret of love remains a mystery to the pagan world, but we understand and appreci¬ ate it as a reflection of the life of Christ. It comes from souls who try to walk in the foot¬ steps of Mary and to follow the leadership of St. Joseph. May their influence continue to be felt in the years to come, especially in the lives of all who come under their guidance.