UPDATE: More than 110 to attend orphanage reunuion
September 17, 2010 by Sarah Jenkins
The now-overgrown Grotto remains on the grounds of the St. Joseph Home orphanage just north of Abilene, Kan.
The original brick pillars still mark the grounds' entryway and along Buckeye Avenue just north of Abilene, Kan.
Greetings!
As of Sept. 17, we have 116 people registered — and this is your last chance to sign up for the lunch that’s included in the day of events on Saturday, Oct. 2. (See contact info below.)
We continue to work toward our upcoming gathering. So far, we have registrations that cover the entire history of St. Joseph Academy, the original girls’ school, and then St. Joseph Home and Orphanage. Among those planning to attend are a woman whose mother was a student at the original Academy, another woman whose grandmother was one of the elderly cared for in the early days of the orphanage and two “day students” from Abilene who attended the school along with the orphans — as well as nearly a dozen of the orphans who grew up there! Imagine the stories they will all be able to tell!
We have finalized some of the plans and wanted to get the schedule out to you.
Saturday, October 2
9:30 am – Begin gathering at St Andrews Catholic Church, 311 S. Buckeye Ave., Abilene, Kan.
10:00 – Opening prayer and welcoming
10:30 – View DVD of the history of St. Joseph Home
11:00 – Sharing and visiting
Noon – Meal
1:15 pm – Travel to the site of the orphanage for a Memorial Service (we will also have a Memorial Service at the Parish Center for those who do not want to go to the site)
2:30 – Return to parish center for sharing, visiting and closing
4:00 – Bishop Paul Coakley celebrates Mass
There is no charge for any of the events, although there will be a freewill ofering.
The Sisters of St. Joseph and our planning committee look forward to meeting each of you and spending the day sharing, reminiscing and learning. If you need overnight accommodations, there is the Holiday Inn Express, 1 888-400-9717. It is located just north of Interstate 70. It is also in the area where the St Joseph Dairy was once located. South of I-70 is the Super 8, 785-263-4545. A good resource page is www.abileneks.com.
DIRECTIONS: Abilene is on Interstate 70, in Central Kansas. Mile marker 275 is the main exit and becomes Buckeye Avenue. Saint Andrews is south on Buckeye. To get a map, here’s a link you can paste into your browser. http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.937848,-97.207761&spn=0.013987,0.038409&z=15
Feel free to copy and pass on this information. If there are others you would like us to send information to just let me know their names and addresses.
We need your registration by Sept. 17. There will be no charge for the event and meal, but we need an idea of how many will be taking part. Please send an email with your NAME, ADDRESS, HOW MANY ARE ATTENDING and HOW MANY WILL BE EATING LUNCH to janmccormick@rocketmail.com
We are really looking forward to this day and hope to see many of you there! If you have pictures or stories to share and want to send them in advance, please send them to CSJ Associate Jan McCormick or bring them with you on Oct. 2nd.
Blessings,
Sister Carolyn Juenemann Sister Leah Smith Sister Cecilia Green
Sister Mary Lou Roberts CSJ Associate Jan McCormick
Thanks and blessings to the committee who is planning and engineering a wonderful reunion for Oct. 2. The occasion promises to be an exciting reunion and full of happy reminiscing! You are doing a lot of work for the event.
Sr. Beth Stover
My brother John and I lived at the orphanage from 1943 to 1950. I hope to meet someone from that period at the reunion, I was very young but remember working on the milk route. Looking forward to attending.
HELLO, LOOKING FORWARD TO ATTENDING THE REUNION.
WAS THERE IN 1935-1940 JUST A YOUNG BOY WAS 9 YEARS OLD. HAD MANY CHORES, MILKED A COW, WE HAD CHICKENS, GREW OUR VEGETABLES, ALSO HAD GOATS,PIGS AND HORSES.BOYS WORKED OUTSIDE AND GIRLS WORKED INDOORS.
hello we are intersted in attend the reunion in october my mother and 2 daughters are looking foward to the event feel free to email us at this address. thank you Altha
Sister Mary Lou, Hope one day there is a reunion for the home in Salina!!!!