THE HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL - NORTH BROOKFIED

Religion and births must have been flourishing in the Gilded Age! To have such a Convent and 8 classrooms cost somebody serious bread. The Irish came first, then the French-Canadians, Lithuanians, Polish and Italians. The Victorian school and convent had meaning and purpose. My family on the LeDoux-Poulin side attended St. Joseph School as did I! The Wine-Potvin branch attended Public Schools in Roger Ducasse's house or on School Street or Grove Street.




My sources reveal 'The Sisters of Mercy of Albany, New York, withdrew from the St. Joseph parish after almost 20 years of devoted service. (1888 - 1905.) There was a Catholic Church on Forrest Street for the French. It lasted but 4 years and maybe was TORCHED at Christmas time. c. 1904.




St. Joseph School was taken over by the Diocese of Springfield in September of 1905. The Sisters of Saint Joseph lasted until 1971.One Rev. James L. Clifford acted without permission of the parish Council in having the complex razed. The Late John J, Ingemi related this to me years later.




The aggregate student body of children received an excellent Primary Education. My grandmother, my mother , my sister and I did very well. The nuns would ask "WHY ARE THE POULIN KIDS SO SMART!?" Maybe because our parents tended to business!




Attending St. Joseph School was fun.We were like the Sound of Music frolicking and singing. I recall exploring deep into the forest behind the school and being late in returning.It was an age of innocence. Some nuns were better than others. The three-sided ruler plied over the knuckles sent some kids in defiance. The nuns would grab us by the chins for effect!




I was plagued with 'I will not talk in school' 500 times written. Bad. The good point I scored a 96 in the Diocesan Exam in 1956 with Sr, Agnes Claudia. Then Mr. Leach came in from North Brookfield High School. He invited us to attend NBHS. Most did. A few chose trade schools. Switching over to NBHS meant my rebelling. "Forever in blue jeans."

The nuns allowed me to be myself by shoveling their walks, erasing the black boards and clapping the erasers. Sister Lucina rang her bell at 8:45 AM sharp and I recall one morning the clapper fell out of the bell! LOL. Finally, Johnny LaValle and Eddie Catrombone had a violent fistfight. To quell anxieties, Rev. Francis M. Hickey called the total student body together to witness a handshake between the two boys!


Yes, these were my halcyon days. Vatican II came along and the nun's 'habits" went South. Today the acculturation of it all places St. Joseph years in our memory banks. From 1888 to 1971 our school was high on a hill!