'The Dream Continues'
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
“She would have loved this,” Trenton Catholic Academy Lower School director Anne Reap observed as she surveyed the school auditorium where some 250 alumni and current students, as well as former and existing faculty members began to assemble for a Mass of Gratitude, honoring the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia on Sept. 29 during the school’s 50th anniversary year.
The “she” Reap was referring to was the late Sister of St. Francis Marie Anthony Heiss, who passed away in July at the age of 88. Her death marked the end of an era, and signaled the first time a Sister of St. Francis would not walk the halls of the beloved school building since it was built by Msgr. Michael McCorristin 50 years ago.
Click HERE to view photo gallery
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., recognized the accomplishments of both the Sisters of St. Francis and Msgr. McCorristin in his homily during the Mass.
“Tonight we celebrate 50 years of service in Trenton,” Bishop O’Connell reflected in his homily.
He considered the history of the school and acknowledged that the school was “known by different names but remembered for the same strong traditions, the same Catholic faith and the same Christian message.”
“It’s not the name,” he continued. “It’s what the name represents to those who taught here, to those who work here, especially to those who went here.”
Father Daniel Cahill, who served with Msgr. McCorristin at St. Anthony’s Parish in Trenton from 1979-1989 and is currently the pastor of St. Ann Parish in Keansburg, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop O’Connell along with Msgr. Thomas Gervasio, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows – St. Anthony Parish, and diocesan vicar general and moderator of the curia, and Father Jeffrey Lee, pastor of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, and episcopal vicar for Mercer County. Deacon Joe Latini, from St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, also assisted at the Mass. Msgr. Gervasio, Father Lee and Deacon Latini are all graduates of the school.
Before Msgr. McCorristin began construction of what was to become St. Anthony High School, McCorristin Catholic High School and finally Trenton Catholic Academy, he selected the Sisters of St. Francis of Glen Riddle, Pa., to staff the new high school.
As Phyllis Vannozzi, member of the Class of 1967, and former faculty member from 1971-1974, said during the presentation to the sisters that followed the Mass, “[Msgr. McCorristin] asked the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia to believe in his dream and follow him into the vast unknown. These great and generous women agreed to staff the school, develop a curriculum, order books and supplies, clean the classrooms and then teach the children sitting in the desks. As Msgr. McCorristin said, and I quote, ‘they labored without complaint.’”
“By saying yes to Msgr. McCorristin, you are the foundation of which monsignor’s dream became a solid reality.”
As Vannozzi shared “He wanted to ensure that his pupils would not only learn the 3 R’s of reading, writing and ‘rithmetic but more importantly, the 3 R’s that will make a difference in their lives forever, reverence, respect and responsibility.”
In 1962 Trenton Catholic High School, the all boys’ high school in the city of Trenton, announced it would close its doors. Fearful that the area youth would be unable to receive a quality Catholic education, Msgr. Michael McCorristin petitioned the bishop to permit him to build a new Catholic high school in the neighboring community of Hamilton. St. Anthony’s High School was soon built on the grounds of the former Kuser Estate.
Construction of the building began in March of 1962 and the seven founding Sisters of St. Francis welcomed 332 ninth grade students from the parishes of St. Anthony, St. Raphael, Holy Angels and Immaculate Conception, and 136 10th grade students from Trenton Catholic, Cathedral and Notre Dame High Schools in September of that same year. In 1979 the name was changed to McCorristin Catholic High School to honor the school’s founder Msgr. Michael “Iron Mike” McCorristin. Following a school consolidation in 2005, the school was renamed Trenton Catholic Academy at McCorristin Campus and became the first Pre-K through 12 regional school in the Diocese of Trenton.
Sister of St. Francis Elizabeth Scully, the only surviving member of those pioneer sisters who assisted Msgr. McCorristin in the realization of his dream, was “overwhelmed by the words of gratitude and love,” and marveled at how much the school had changed since she had last seen the building when she left the school in 1965.
And while the night was intended to honor this special group of women who dedicated themselves to their school and their students, they could not help but to also remember the special priest who thought so highly of them.
“I feel so privileged that I had the opportunity to have served with him,” Sister of St. Francis Marguerite O’Beirne, and principal of McCorristin Catholic High School from 1983-1995, said of Msgr. McCorristin.
“He used to stop by my office every month to sign over his Social Security check and he would indicate which students and families needed the money for tuition.”
“As we celebrate this Year of Faith I continue to pray to him,” she revealed, adding that she still keeps his picture close.
“He was such a wonderful example to me and I am blessed to have known such a wonderful role model of faith.”
After the Mass and presentation by Vannozzi, Trenton Catholic Academy president Sister of St. Joseph Dorothy Payne, along with alumni and current faculty member, Diane Kinnevy, presented the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia with a plaque for “their selfless dedication to Catholic values and academic excellence in service to the students of St. Anthony High School, St. Anthony Grammar School, McCorristin Catholic High School and Trenton Catholic Academy.”
“The Dream Continues,” Sister Dorothy remarked of the title of a painting that hangs in the back of the school chapel. “It does continue with each one of us who currently minister at Trenton Catholic Academy. The mission is the same to provide quality Catholic education here for everyone that wants it. Our mission is monsignor’s mission, it’s the mission of the sisters who first founded our school, and it will continue.”
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“She would have loved this,” Trenton Catholic Academy Lower School director Anne Reap observed as she surveyed the school auditorium where some 250 alumni and current students, as well as former and existing faculty members began to assemble for a Mass of Gratitude, honoring the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia on Sept. 29 during the school’s 50th anniversary year.
The “she” Reap was referring to was the late Sister of St. Francis Marie Anthony Heiss, who passed away in July at the age of 88. Her death marked the end of an era, and signaled the first time a Sister of St. Francis would not walk the halls of the beloved school building since it was built by Msgr. Michael McCorristin 50 years ago.
Click HERE to view photo gallery
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., recognized the accomplishments of both the Sisters of St. Francis and Msgr. McCorristin in his homily during the Mass.
“Tonight we celebrate 50 years of service in Trenton,” Bishop O’Connell reflected in his homily.
He considered the history of the school and acknowledged that the school was “known by different names but remembered for the same strong traditions, the same Catholic faith and the same Christian message.”
“It’s not the name,” he continued. “It’s what the name represents to those who taught here, to those who work here, especially to those who went here.”
Father Daniel Cahill, who served with Msgr. McCorristin at St. Anthony’s Parish in Trenton from 1979-1989 and is currently the pastor of St. Ann Parish in Keansburg, concelebrated the Mass with Bishop O’Connell along with Msgr. Thomas Gervasio, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows – St. Anthony Parish, and diocesan vicar general and moderator of the curia, and Father Jeffrey Lee, pastor of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, and episcopal vicar for Mercer County. Deacon Joe Latini, from St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, also assisted at the Mass. Msgr. Gervasio, Father Lee and Deacon Latini are all graduates of the school.
Before Msgr. McCorristin began construction of what was to become St. Anthony High School, McCorristin Catholic High School and finally Trenton Catholic Academy, he selected the Sisters of St. Francis of Glen Riddle, Pa., to staff the new high school.
As Phyllis Vannozzi, member of the Class of 1967, and former faculty member from 1971-1974, said during the presentation to the sisters that followed the Mass, “[Msgr. McCorristin] asked the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia to believe in his dream and follow him into the vast unknown. These great and generous women agreed to staff the school, develop a curriculum, order books and supplies, clean the classrooms and then teach the children sitting in the desks. As Msgr. McCorristin said, and I quote, ‘they labored without complaint.’”
“By saying yes to Msgr. McCorristin, you are the foundation of which monsignor’s dream became a solid reality.”
As Vannozzi shared “He wanted to ensure that his pupils would not only learn the 3 R’s of reading, writing and ‘rithmetic but more importantly, the 3 R’s that will make a difference in their lives forever, reverence, respect and responsibility.”
In 1962 Trenton Catholic High School, the all boys’ high school in the city of Trenton, announced it would close its doors. Fearful that the area youth would be unable to receive a quality Catholic education, Msgr. Michael McCorristin petitioned the bishop to permit him to build a new Catholic high school in the neighboring community of Hamilton. St. Anthony’s High School was soon built on the grounds of the former Kuser Estate.
Construction of the building began in March of 1962 and the seven founding Sisters of St. Francis welcomed 332 ninth grade students from the parishes of St. Anthony, St. Raphael, Holy Angels and Immaculate Conception, and 136 10th grade students from Trenton Catholic, Cathedral and Notre Dame High Schools in September of that same year. In 1979 the name was changed to McCorristin Catholic High School to honor the school’s founder Msgr. Michael “Iron Mike” McCorristin. Following a school consolidation in 2005, the school was renamed Trenton Catholic Academy at McCorristin Campus and became the first Pre-K through 12 regional school in the Diocese of Trenton.
Sister of St. Francis Elizabeth Scully, the only surviving member of those pioneer sisters who assisted Msgr. McCorristin in the realization of his dream, was “overwhelmed by the words of gratitude and love,” and marveled at how much the school had changed since she had last seen the building when she left the school in 1965.
And while the night was intended to honor this special group of women who dedicated themselves to their school and their students, they could not help but to also remember the special priest who thought so highly of them.
“I feel so privileged that I had the opportunity to have served with him,” Sister of St. Francis Marguerite O’Beirne, and principal of McCorristin Catholic High School from 1983-1995, said of Msgr. McCorristin.
“He used to stop by my office every month to sign over his Social Security check and he would indicate which students and families needed the money for tuition.”
“As we celebrate this Year of Faith I continue to pray to him,” she revealed, adding that she still keeps his picture close.
“He was such a wonderful example to me and I am blessed to have known such a wonderful role model of faith.”
After the Mass and presentation by Vannozzi, Trenton Catholic Academy president Sister of St. Joseph Dorothy Payne, along with alumni and current faculty member, Diane Kinnevy, presented the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia with a plaque for “their selfless dedication to Catholic values and academic excellence in service to the students of St. Anthony High School, St. Anthony Grammar School, McCorristin Catholic High School and Trenton Catholic Academy.”
“The Dream Continues,” Sister Dorothy remarked of the title of a painting that hangs in the back of the school chapel. “It does continue with each one of us who currently minister at Trenton Catholic Academy. The mission is the same to provide quality Catholic education here for everyone that wants it. Our mission is monsignor’s mission, it’s the mission of the sisters who first founded our school, and it will continue.”
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