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Catholic school turns 50

St. Jude celebrates and looks forward to $9.5-million in campus improvements.

By WAVENEY ANN MOORE
Published February 9, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - Sister Pat Caulfield likened Saturday's 50th anniversary gathering for St. Jude Cathedral School to "old home week."

She had driven from West Palm Beach in the Saturn that had been a going away present after 27 years as St. Jude's principal. Other Adrian Dominican nuns also had come, as had alumni, current and former lay teachers, students and parents.

"Two of the children I was principal for are teachers," she said.

"It's a cycle of faith, love, family, values, everything we try to teach here at the St. Jude's School."

At a Mass to start the weekend's events, Bishop Robert Lynch offered thanks for St. Jude's 50 years of Catholic education and spoke of more happy and productive years to come. A revived capital campaign to rebuild the school's campus seems to assure such a future.

Launched in 2001, the effort to raise money for a new school stalled amid a confluence of circumstances that included that September's terrorist attacks, a sluggish economy and a nationwide clergy scandal.

Last March, though, the campaign was revived. Parishioners at Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle and the school's parents united to push what is now a $9.5-million effort.

A year ago, they started with $90,000 in collected pledges. This week, they report that of the $3.95-million pledged, $2.8-million has been collected. Groundbreaking ceremonies are being planned before year's end.

Sue Brett, whose husband, Timothy, and son, Tom, are St. Jude's alumni, thinks now is the right time for the project.

"Our time is not God's time," she said. "Now it's starting to come together."

She gives much of the credit to cathedral rector the Rev. Gregg Tottle. He spearheaded the building of a new school at Espiritu Santo, his former parish, Mrs. Brett said, and has brought that experience to St. Jude's.

She said parents and parishioners, who responded to a survey, have decided that the first phase of the project should be classrooms. A gymnasium, offices and chapel also are planned, but details remain to be worked out, Mrs. Brett said.

"There is still a lot of work before anything is etched in stone or poured in concrete," she said. "What we're trying to do is trying to be very fiscally responsible now with an eye to the future."

Saturday evening, as excited friends exchanged hugs and news, Virginia Flynn, her daughter, Pat Kranik, and son-in-law, Michael Kranik, paused to chat for a moment before entering the filling cathedral. They, someone pointed out, were typical of the strong generational links that have formed St. Jude's.

Mrs. Flynn, 87, retired in 1987 after 17 years as a teacher at the school. Her daughter, Pat, an alumna, now teaches science there. Nicholas Kranik, a grandson and also an alumnus, works in the afterschool program.

Debbie and Steven McCann have started their own St. Jude's tradition. Their two older daughters, Haele, 13, and Stephanie, 7, attend the school. Katherine, 4, will start prekindergarten in August.

Haele likes the feeling of family at St. Jude's.

"You know everyone. And your teachers don't change much," she said. "Everyone is so loving and caring. You can talk to anyone."

To prepare for the school's anniversary, Haele and her classmates interviewed alumni, founding families and former teachers. She discovered that St. Jude's 50-year-old classrooms haven't changed much. Change has occurred in another area, though.

Haele said she was surprised to learn that former students had been taught mainly by nuns.

"They said that the sisters that they had as teachers, that they were really, really strict and they said they had about two teachers that weren't nuns," she said.

The last nun left St. Jude's before she got to the class, Haele said.

[Last modified February 9, 2005, 00:43:19]