  Kellyroad Member Username: Kellyroad Post Number: 234 Registered: 04-2007 |
I thought I'd give the St. Jude Post another chance, this time with a few photos added periodically. St. Jude parish and school were at one time the largest in the Arch Diocese of Detroit with about 13,000 parishioners and more than 1600 students enrolled in grades 1-8 (circa late 50s-60s). Some of the first and second grade classrooms had 61 students x 4 classes per grade (over 240 students per grade)... I know, I was one of them. 31 nuns, 4 priests and 2 visiting priests tended to the school and parish. The photo below is of Sr. Leonita (1963), the principal 1960-67. A few months ago the Michigan Catholic ran an article about her. At the time she was 104 yrs old living in Adrian..a writer of children's books and a big Red Wing fan. Please share a few of your St. Jude memories. If you know of anyone who is not a member of the Discuss Detroit Forum and were a member of St. Jude ask them to join. Hopefully, this post will continue on. St. Jude was and still is a rich part of the northeast Detroit community,  | ||
Patrick Member Username: Patrick Post Number: 5278 Registered: 10-2003 |
My mom and her pals used to play around the construction site before it was finished. They wouldn't let my uncle have his wedding there since my grandfather didnt "donate" enough to the church. | ||
Chitaku Member Username: Chitaku Post Number: 1893 Registered: 03-2006 |
i was baptized there, the Jets | ||
Eastburn Member Username: Eastburn Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2008 |
I graduated from SJS in 1958. Well remember 60+ kids in every classroom. Big rooms but Sr. Mary Magdalene could still throw a blackboard eraser corner to corner to clip a talking kid in the back of the head. Spent 7th grade in the "portables" in the parking lot which was also the playground. Swings, slides & monkey bars on asphalt. No sissy kids back then. You fell, broke your arm - no big deal - no lawsuit. The class of '58 had great 25 & 30 year reunions but I've heard nothing about a 50th this year. Maybe I'm the only one still alive????????????? | ||
Kellyroad Member Username: Kellyroad Post Number: 236 Registered: 04-2007 |
Eastburn: The class of 67 had a 20 yr reunion in 87 (called the "67 riot") a good reunion but none since then. Sr. Mary Magdalene taught 4th grade and was the band teacher around 1962. Another teacher with a tough reputation was Sr. Rose Magdalene. although she was ill for a good part of 66-67. We were glad to see her back after all the subs. Mrs. Martin especially ran her class with iron clad rule. I do recall the monkey bars, slides, and swings with asphalt foundations (Heilmann also had rough foundations for their playground equipment) Sr. Rose Magdalene  | ||
Eastburn Member Username: Eastburn Post Number: 2 Registered: 03-2008 |
Sr. Rose was after my time but I do remember Mrs. Martin tho I was never in one of her classes. Surprised Sr. Mary Magdalene was still around in '62 since she was about 104 years old when I had her in 4th grade. The Adrian Dominicans were (and are) a great bunch of people. | ||
Kellyroad Member Username: Kellyroad Post Number: 237 Registered: 04-2007 |
Eastburn: Sr. Mary Magdalene was relatively young in 62. Probably a coincidence with the names | ||
Caldogven Member Username: Caldogven Post Number: 165 Registered: 05-2006 |
Eastburn - Did tou know any of the Stanko's from Eastburn St.? | ||
Edziu Member Username: Edziu Post Number: 49 Registered: 07-2007 |
Where is (was) St. Jude school? I had a Dominican nun as a teacher by the name of Sr. Mary Magdalene at St. Suzanne school on W. Chicago in the fifth grade. Year was 1954. Does anyone have a pic of her? | ||
7_and_kelly_kid Member Username: 7_and_kelly_kid Post Number: 87 Registered: 12-2007 |
KR.you knew I'd have to chime in....how'd you get so many pics of everything?.........gee, my blood ran cold seeing Sr. Leonita again.....and I remember Ms. Martin...ooooooooo....I had Mrs. Knoll for 4th grade.........and Sr. Mary Magdalene for 5th....ya know, lookin' at the guy that I shave every morning in the mirror, those nuns all of a sudden don't look so old anymore...hmmm.......later mike | ||
Kellyroad Member Username: Kellyroad Post Number: 239 Registered: 04-2007 |
Eastburn, 7K: I was in error. The fourth grade teacher and band instructor was Sr. Mary John not Sr. Mary Magdalene. After 40 years too many look alikes and sound alikes can prompt errors. Mea maxima culpa. The pictures are mostly kodachrome slides, scanned with minor cropping and editing in Photoshop. The pictures are of 1st communions, May crownings, graduations etc. taken by my dad. | ||
Kellyroad Member Username: Kellyroad Post Number: 240 Registered: 04-2007 |
Edziu: St. Jude school now called East Catholic academy is located on East 7 Mile near Kelly Rd. in the far north east corner of Detroit. I believe it is the only catholic grade school still existing within the boundary lines of Detroit. | ||
Eastburn Member Username: Eastburn Post Number: 3 Registered: 03-2008 |
Caldogven- Where did the Stankos live on Eastburn? The name doesn't ring a bell. Our house was between Rex and Crusade. I left there in '66 when I got married & my folks sold & moved to Saratoga in '69 or so. Edziu- I also had Sr. Mary Magdalene in 4th grade in '54. Must be different ladies. Were yours Adrian Dominicans? | ||
7_and_kelly_kid Member Username: 7_and_kelly_kid Post Number: 90 Registered: 12-2007 |
I went to St. Judes with Laura Burns who lived on Eastburn........our dads worked together at Eaton Springs. | ||
Eastburn Member Username: Eastburn Post Number: 4 Registered: 03-2008 |
Don't remember a Laura Burns from SJS or Eastburn. I was at SJS from '50 to '58 & lived on Eastburn from '49 to '66. Anyone have memories of St. Jude's Founding pastor, Fr. Ording? He scared the dickens out of me even when he came over to the house to drink & play cards with my Dad (who wasn't a Catholic). | ||
Kellyroad Member Username: Kellyroad Post Number: 243 Registered: 04-2007 |
St. Jude had a very active cub scout pack and boy scout troop. Our pack leader was Roy Warren (circa 1962-63) Cub scouts standing outside the school "portables" during a May crowning circa 1963  | ||
65memories Member Username: 65memories Post Number: 544 Registered: 10-2003 |
Kellyroad...there are many Catholic grade schools still existing within Detroit's boundaries...St. Marys,Christ the King, St. Scholastica and Gesu to name a few. | ||
Eastburn Member Username: Eastburn Post Number: 5 Registered: 03-2008 |
Troop/Pack 420, wasn't it? | ||
Tammypio Member Username: Tammypio Post Number: 172 Registered: 04-2005 |
St. Mary's of Redford is closing after this school year. The schools that will be left in the city boundaries are Gesu, Christ the King, St. Scholastica, St. Cecilia, East Catholic, St. Bartholomew, Holy Redeemer, Most Holy Trinity, and Our Lady of Guadalupe (which is actually a middle school). Not very many but at least more than one. | ||
Kellyroad Member Username: Kellyroad Post Number: 244 Registered: 04-2007 |
Eastburn:  My memories of Fr. Ording are from a perspective of a grade schooler and altar boy. He had a very authoritative aura about him, liked golf, and had a close knit circle of friends. If he wasn't a priest he probably could have been a CEO of a fortune 500 company. He didn't "scare the dickens out of me" but yet wasn't the most approachable priest either... he was a leader. Again, this is from a perspective of a young kid. I did respect him as our pastor. St. Jude school would always get the feast day of St. Joseph off because that was J.J. Ording's namesake. | ||
Eastburn Member Username: Eastburn Post Number: 6 Registered: 03-2008 |
Kellyroad- Thanks for the great picture. He really was a larger than life kind of guy. I did get to see a different side of him because of his friendship with my Dad. He could be pretty down-to-earth when away from "the job". Do you remember Fr. Joe DeSantis? | ||
Kellyroad Member Username: Kellyroad Post Number: 245 Registered: 04-2007 |
65 Memories: Thanks for the info. I had heard that many of the remaining west side grade schools had closed recently and that East Catholic was the only one left within the city limits. It's good to hear of catholic schools still existing (Message edited by Kellyroad on March 21, 2008) | ||
Kellyroad Member Username: Kellyroad Post Number: 246 Registered: 04-2007 |
Eastburn: An Eastburn man who was really active in St. Jude is Julius Sawiecki (sp?) great guy, artist, and member of the Holy Name Society with my father. I believe my mom may still have some of his hand drawn get well cards he sent to my dad. I remember him painting the backdrop for our St. Jude Steven Foster themed school play (circa 1962) I heard the name of Fr. De Santis but don't remenber him. He was there probably just before my time of knowing priests besides Fr. Ording. Early names I do remember are Fr. Bodie, Fr. Burns, Fr Grady, Fr. O'Leary, Fr DeHarnaie (sp?) visting priests :Fr. Coil, Fr. Morris, Fr. Gallant Yes, It was Pack 420 "The Cub Scout Follows Akela" (Message edited by Kellyroad on March 21, 2008) | ||
Single_malt Member Username: Single_malt Post Number: 26 Registered: 02-2008 |
I was at St. Jude in the 80's. Sister Alice and Miss Brooks...some not so nice memories of them both. I was in Cub Scouts there too...walked home all the time from St. Jude to Beaconsfield. Ahhh the memories. | ||
Eastburn Member Username: Eastburn Post Number: 7 Registered: 03-2008 |
Kellyroad- I guess the problem I have in recognizing these names is if they didn't live on my block, I probably didn't know them unless they were with me in school or scouts or something. Honestly having trouble remembering names of all the near neighbors from so long ago but would probably recognize them. I have a lot of gratitude toward the priests & nuns at SJS. I don't believe my head was filled with a lot of the negative BS that many seem to remember from a Catholic education. I believe the Adrian Dominicans were very progressive. I know they still are. My older sister was a member of the order for 20+ years ('57-'77). I still have a good friend who is an Adrian Dominican tho she was never associated with St. Jude's. She spent a few years at St. Edmunds in Warren. | ||
Maxcarey Member Username: Maxcarey Post Number: 211 Registered: 07-2006 |
Some photos of St. Jude's from 2006 & 2007: St. Jude's School: (Facing 7 Mile) http://farm1.static.flickr.com /237/457115985_3e69c92153_b.jp g http://farm4.static.flickr.com /3162/2349108933_8df8c97b20_b. jpg (From Maddelin): http://farm4.static.flickr.com /3023/2350605850_51e26a07ee_b. jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com /3197/2349945170_3462b69c9e_b. jpg (From Rex): http://farm4.static.flickr.com /3191/2349944470_5b60881c27_b. jpg Inside (April 2007): http://farm3.static.flickr.com /2045/2349944134_126c0c60f0_b. jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com /3005/2349944846_325220cf02_b. jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com /3237/2349945546_ebedee3041_b. jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com /2065/2349111311_5048427211_b. jpg St. Jude's Gymnasium: http://farm1.static.flickr.com /233/457115927_81d4ab1af6_b.jp g http://farm3.static.flickr.com /2204/2349108609_8c4508e8d4_b. jpg Classrooms above the Gym (April 2007): http://farm3.static.flickr.com /2145/2349106293_742b711366_b. jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com /2002/2349106649_f193629eee_b. jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com /2300/2349942400_27a3e540ea_b. jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com /2326/2349942076_dc949e5e94_b. jpg St Jude's Playfield: http://farm1.static.flickr.com /176/457115955_bc6b5fb5f4_b.jp g Fr. Ording Parish Center: http://farm4.static.flickr.com /3023/2350605850_51e26a07ee_b. jpg A staple of any Catholic school: http://farm4.static.flickr.com /3294/2350613086_27fbe13721_o. jpg Finally, someone posted the church bells on youtube a while back: http://youtube.com/watch?v=M0I 1K7ijJIA | ||
Edziu Member Username: Edziu Post Number: 50 Registered: 07-2007 |
Eastburn. They were dominican, however I don't know if they were Adrian. The habits look the same. | ||
Kellyroad Member Username: Kellyroad Post Number: 248 Registered: 04-2007 |
Maxcarey: Thanks again for your documentary style photography. Nice shots....very much appreciated. When I posted the bells on youtube a while back it felt like the cumulative life of St. Jude parish came ringing back from the 50s to now. Thanks to the poster in youtube and Thank you for reposting  | ||
Kellyroad Member Username: Kellyroad Post Number: 249 Registered: 04-2007 |
Eastburn: Did your sister every teach at St. Jude? If so, what was her religious name? | ||
Eastburn Member Username: Eastburn Post Number: 8 Registered: 03-2008 |
No, she didn't. She taught in Shaker Hts., OH for a couple of years, then in Pt. Huron for a couple. After that she trained as a med tech and spent the rest of her "nun career" in CA and in the Ivory Coast (Peace Corps.) She's now a Wikkan. Quite a leap, eh? |
