A little hiatus

Heading home through the Columbia River Gorge today. There will be a brief break in posts while I spend time with family and disconnect for a few days. For a little Pacific Northwest bravura, enjoy this link.

I crashed a reception tonight...

I am on my way to visit my family in Olympia, Washington. As a creature of ridiculous habit, I stopped today in Pendleton, Oregon and tomorrow will venture down the Columbia River Gorge – a trip that always restores and reinvigorates my Pacific Northwest roots. By chance there was a reception tonight in the Pendleton hotel at which I frequently stay and I briefly crashed the reception!

The reception was for the students of St. Joseph’s Academy, a Catholic school in Pendleton. It was an older crowd as the school finally closed its doors almost 40 years ago in 1974. There is a typical and yet remarkable history. In 1882, five Sisters of Mercy travelled from both Kentucky and San Francisco to launch the school. After three years, the Sisters of Mercy abandoned the project, but at the urging of the Archbishop, six Sisters of St. Francis from Philadelphia took on the school and it reopened in September of 1887.

Early accounts of the school’s history speak of the extreme poverty endured by the sisters, having finally met with greater success in 1896 and beyond. The school buildings were very impressive. Sr. Stanislaus, the first of the sisters to arrive is remembered as being heroic in her early work on behalf of the school. During the Depression, the sisters fed over a hundred men each day in addition to their regular duties at the school and tried to find odd jobs around the school for the many unemployed – the community was very grateful for the presence of the sisters and their ministry at the academy.

A terrible fire destroyed most of the buildings in 1956, and although they rebuilt the school buildings, the high school was closed in 1962. Finally, in June of 1974 the elementary school succumbed and the Academy was closed forever. One commentator writes, “…Education in Pendleton has never been the same.” There is very little historical information available about this school that served this community for almost 88 years. It is almost forgotten. It strikes me as the administrator of a newer Catholic school: what is it that ensures the longevity and success of a Catholic school in our communities today? What is the particular mission of a Catholic school as we face the present challenges? The statistics are not very positive…

The former Superintendent of Schools, Patricia O’Neill for the Archdiocese of Washington DC said in an address in 2010 that Catholic education is in a state of "mission confusion" as the number of schools shrinks along with the student population - "We are in very, very serious trouble…” Catholic schools have closed at the rate of better than 100 a year over the past 50 years, with 5,645 fewer Catholic schools operating now than in 1960, according to figures from the National Catholic Educational Association. The NCEA released results that there was a 3.3% decrease in enrollment across the nation for the 2010 school year.

Sobering thoughts on the evening where about 75 alumni gathered to remember the work of just such a closed school. You could palpably sense the pride and joy these alumni had in this gathering to remember the institution that had served them so well. What needs to be done to ensure the ongoing vitality of Catholic schools such as The Madeleine Choir School?

Spanish Choir Live on Sunday

One aspect of tremendous growth at the Cathedral and Choir School has been the Hispanic community. There are now two Spanish Masses, in addition to the four Masses in English celebrated each weekend at the Cathedral: Saturday evening's Anticipated Mass at 7:00 PM and the Sunday Mass at 3:00 PM.

The Cathedral's Coro Hispano continues to grow, and they are now broadcast live every Sunday afternoon at 3:00 PM on KXOL 1660 AM. Tune in on Sunday afternoon and hear the Coro Hispano which features many dedicated parents from the Choir School.

Olympic Memories from 2002

With the 2012 Summer Olympics underway in London, memories are awakened from the Winter of 2002 and our own city's remarkable opportunity to host the Winter Olympics. Those were very heady days, and the choristers were very busy with performances on multiple occasions throughout -- from the arrival of the Olympic Flame at Washington Square to the official opening assembly for the IOC in Symphony Hall with the Utah Symphony, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Madeleine Choir School.

Prior to the actual events, recording sessions were held in Symphony Hall with composer Michael Kamen - quite an experience! All of the music for the Opening Ceremonies was pre-recorded by the Utah Symphony, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Madeleine Choir School. Here is just one part of the music for the ceremonies...