| Date: Wed 11/15/06 7:41PM From: Philly Email: philsantella1@yahoo.com Message: Hey Connie, Be looking forward to a reunion of old St.Rita alumni. Keep me posted. Hello Nancy M. How you doing? Well i hope. May be getting together with the group again soon i hope. Say hello to Ginger for me. God Bless Phil aka Dukie |
| Date: Wed 11/15/06 11:55AM From: Nancy M. Email: mangeo@optonline.net Message: To Connie.I do remember perry como at our christmas eve masses. such memories. hope to have another reunion as "phil" suggested...regards, nancy |
| Date: Tue 11/14/06 12:29AM From: connie palmieri Email: cookie82845@yahoo.com Message: judy I am in the 3rd row 1st girl, tell your sister I said hi, my last name was DeCrescenzo |
| Date: Mon 11/13/06 11:39PM From: Judy Close Email: jclose1@nyc.rr.com Message: Connie, If you look on St. Rita's link, you'll see a 6th grade photo of Sr. Olga's class that Angela Geronta sent in. My sister, Erin Ann, is in second row from the right hand side of photo, third pupil, behind the boy and blond girl. She has very dark hair and eyes. Nuns probably did call her Ann because Erin wasn't a saint's name!! She looks at this site occasionally, so I'll mention you asked about her. Phil, a few years ago, St. Rita's Parish had its 90th reunion -- I saw it in The Tablet weeks before, and attended the special Mass. Maybe they'll plan a 95th anniversary! Hope to attend and see you all there. A classmate sent me our graduation photo from 1963 -- I'll send it in soon for posting, when Rick gets a chance. There's no photo of our Sister Thomas, though. Judy Gallagher Close |
| Date: Mon 11/13/06 10:57PM From: connie palmieri Email: cookie82845@yahoo.com Message: Phil, I do remember Perry Como attending mass but I thought it was Christmas Eve, everyone was so excited, and Judy I think your sister Ann was in my class, what wonderful memories. We are trying to work on another reunion, will keep you posted Phil. Take care, Connie |
| Date: Mon 11/13/06 9:54PM From: Philly Email: philsantella1@yahoo.com Message: Hello Judy, Just read your messages from 11/11 And yes i do remember Perry Como coming to St.Ritas on a Easter Sunday back in 57-58? Cant exactly remember what year. Senior moment i guess. Any way i did manage to get him to autograph my wifes photo,and we still have it. Im a little before your time at St.Rita. I grad. back in 49 went on to F K Lane, Lasted one year and was asked to leave. Finished high school at E.N.Y.Vocational high in 53. My wife grad Blessed Sacrament, then Maxwell High. We lived on Cleveland St. between Fulton and Atlantic. Hung out at Liberty Park,and also Embassy Luncheonette,on corner of Fulton and Richmond. You,ll find many of my photos on cleveland St. Warwick St. Liberty Park, Richmond St. Also zone 6 This is a great site. Rick Gomes does a fantastic job. By the way has anyone heard if St.Ritas is cosidering another Reunion get-together? Missed the 75th.Ann. Please respond. There are a group of old St.Rita Alumni that would attend |
| Date: Mon 11/13/06 10:31AM From: bob ridings Email: re3436kids@aol.com Message: 1953 graduate of fklane hs Great school we all got a very good education . Our parents made sure we did our home work and we could never blamed the teachers or the schoolfor not getting good grades our parents would have spanked our behinds . Times have changed now parents want the schools to be the baby sitters , and they do not follow up and make their kids work harder . They blame every one but themselves real sad. |
| Date: Sat 11/11/06 8:58PM From: Judy Close Email: jclose1@nyc.rr.com Message: Hi Nancy M.: Yes, I couldn't remember the other 8th grade's nun's name! Sister Placidea was the only SSND who used to always wear sunglasses (like she was a celebrity!). I'd always notice that when we were at recess across Shepherd Avenue in the Marian Yard at lunchtime, or if you saw her walking through the neighborhood to go to the el train (some SSNDs went to school for their master's degrees and when they'd be walking down my street back to the convent from the train, any of us outside would offer to carry their heavy school bags). Sr. Placidea also was related to a family who lived across the street from me and would sometimes have dinner with them--this was unusual for SSNDs, because they were a semi-cloistered order). In my last message of updates about my classmates that I've heard about in recent years, I forgot to mention another bit of sad news: Lillian Bellisimo also has passed on, a few years ago. And, only Donald Sheldon was in my class; Linda never was -- but she'd occasionally come in to talk to her brother. She was a genuine head case back then, but Donald wasn't. She once came in to our class, argued with Donald, hit and cursed him out, then when the nun intervened, Linda hit the nun. That didn't go down well, needless to say--but at least our class didn't have to stay after school for that!!! So you see, between the head cases in our various classes, sometimes their parents were like-minded, the nuns had their hands full. And a priest from those long-ago years, Father LaRocca, also didn't mind using his fists to break up fights at the bazaars, either. Does anyone remember when Father LaRocca's friend, Perry Como, would occasionally come to St. Rita's midnight Mass at Christmas or on Easter Sunday? Perry Como lived out on L.I. then. The whole parish would be buzzing about it. Midnight Mass at Christmas was so special anyway--the church would be dark, then there would be a procession with the infant statue being carried down the aisle to the creche at 11 PM, Italian songs would be sung as well as traditional carols. If you've seen the Perry Como Christmas shows from those years, you'll hear the same Italian Christmas songs. Glad to share my St. Rita's memories from the '50s and '60s. The nuns didn't cripple my psyche and I doubt they harmed anyone else's either. On the contrary, I'm eternally grateful to them for how hard they made us work in school to this day. It helped me out later in life when the going got tough. We were all fairly tough-minded kids (who had senses of humor, so important) growing up in East New York--but it was still a special place and a special time. Judy Close |
| Date: Sat 11/11/06 3:31PM From: Angela Curreri Email: currasko@comcast.net Message: Thank you! What a treat to look back on my childhood neighborhood. I was born in Brooklyn, attended St. Malachy's School and lived at 145 Barbey Street until I moved to Hollywood at the age of 14 in 1972.I have bookmarked the site and will revisit often. |
| Date: Sat 11/11/06 12:56PM From: Paula Smith Email: MYSTIKL44@YAHOO.COM Message: hi everyone: my twin brother tony and i graduated berriman jr.hs in '59....he went on to east ny voc. high and i went to lane...graduating in '62....would love to connect with friends......great website! |