A chance to walk down the halls of St. Stephen’s ‘one more time’

By Tanya Connor  | The Catholic Free Press

Alumni of St. Stephen School in Worcester and members of St. Stephen’s parish council have planned an event to remember the recently closed school and to raise money to repair the church’s bell tower.
On Sept. 19, the 4 p.m. Lord’s Day vigil Mass is to honor all alumni, teachers, families and friends, says a posting on the parish’s Facebook page - Facebook.com/StStephensWorcester. From 5-7 p.m. people can tour the school at 355 Grafton St., view memorabilia and get refreshments and replicas of the church and school. Masks and social distancing are required.
“We billed it … as ‘a walk down memory lane,’” said Kathleen Foley, chairwoman of the parish council, a member of the high school class of 1970 and co-chairwoman of the event planning committee.
“Most of our publicity is on Facebook and through alumni who are contacting their classmates,” she said. “The admission is free … but we’ve asked for a $100 contribution” to help repair the bell tower. “For the $100 you get” wooden replicas of the school and church, paid for by an alumna who chose to remain anonymous and produced by The Cat’s Meow Village in Wooster, Ohio.
The school and parish were “really the spiritual and social center of our liv es,” Ms. Foley said. “That’s how this event started.” So they’re beginning with Mass celebrated by Msgr. Robert K. Johnson, pastor of St. Stephen’s and neighboring Holy Family parishes. Then they have other ways to reminisce.
St. Stephen’s was serving students in pre-kindergarten through grade 8 when it closed at the end of the 2019-2020 academic year, in the face of declining enrollment and financial concerns. The high school had closed in 1971 after a brief time as part of the diocese’s central Catholic school system.
After the closing last spring, alumni shared on Facebook “how we would love to walk down those halls one more time,” Ms. Foley said.
She said the other planning committee co-chairwoman, her cousin Nancy Ridick (class of 1969), suggested combining that interest with a fundraiser for the church’s bell tower.
Msgr. Johnson said the top third of the aging tower needs major attention, and the chimney also needs work; he doesn’t want bricks falling on people or on the church. He said he would like to get the repairs done before this winter.
Fixing the outside of the church, including the bell tower, is expected to cost between $160,000 and $180,000, he said.
An announcement in last weekend’s parish bulletin said many people have contributed through restoration fund envelopes, directly, or through a GoFundMe account, accessible through the parish’s Facebook page. People are also contributing by buying the replicas of the church and school.
The church replica, a Christmas decoration, “prominently features the bell tower,” Ms. Foley said. It says, “St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, Worcester, MA, founded in 1886, ‘Save the Bell Tower’ 2020 Memorial Ornament.”
She said the school replica (not a tree ornament) was sold for a fundraiser years ago, but more information is on the back of the present version. It says, “St. Stephen’s School, Worcester, Massachusetts, 1924-2020. St. Stephen’s School, founded in 1924, and staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph and dedicated lay teachers, provided quality, affordable Catholic education for the parish.”
“We’re urging people to pre-order because we didn’t order a lot” of school replicas (60) and “we don’t believe we are going to order them again,” Ms. Foley said. She said they ordered 100  church ornaments and may order more if needed for Christmas.
After the Sept. 19 event, any remaining school replicas will be available for $40 each, and church ornaments for $25 each, she said.
“So many of the older parishioners are graduates of the school,” and some are now out of state, she said. “We’ve had to mail (replicas) to California, to Florida, to Vermont.”
People can pick up pre-ordered replicas, or buy ones that are left, and buy St. Stephen’s tote bags, on Sept. 19 at a tent on the lawn between the church and school, Ms. Foley said.
She said that at this “very COVID-perfect reception,” they can also get wrapped cookies donated by Kathleen (Mahoney) McClintock (Class of 1969), bottled water donated by Susan (Prunier) Mullan (Class of 1962) and individual fruit and cheese trays donated by Stop & Shop at 949 Grafton St.
“It’s not the biggest reception; it’s just … a celebration,” Ms. Foley said. “It should be the most historic. … I think it’ll be fun, sentimental.”
Small groups of people can take turns going to the reception, the alumni room and tours of the school given by alumni, she said.
Money to establish the alumni room in the hall beneath the church was donated some time ago by John Tivnan, (class of 1943 and the high school’s baseball coach from 1948-1971), who is now deceased, she said. She said it contains memorabilia, including trophies and photos, and that alumni can donate their own items to it if they wish.
“Wait ‘til you see the school – it’s magnificent!” she said. She said Mrs. McClintock is putting names of Sisters of St. Joseph who taught there on the classroom doors “so that people get a little smile when they walk through the corridors.”