Saint Stephen's Alumni

Submitted by
Name: Bob Gavin
From: Nicetown
E-mail: cgavin3537@comcast.net

Comments:
WOW! NEVER THOUGHT THE OPENING COMMENTS ABOUT SISTER H.C. WOULD'VE SNOWBALLED LIKE IT DID.I'M SURE SHE NEVER EXPECTED THE NOTORIETY.SHE CERTAINLY MADE A BIG IMPACT ON ME.--- QUITE A FEW IMPACTS IN FACT. WELL LET ME GET THINGS GOING AGAIN WITH A SUBJECT THAT STICKS IN MY MIND LIKE A THORN.WE ALL KNOW THAT OL'H.H.RODE HERD OVER THE ALTER BOYS.SHE PICKED OUT WHO GOT THE 6AM(UGH)MASS FOR THREE DAY STRETCHES.I WAS USUALLY TEAMED WITH JOE SYKES.THEN THERE WAS FUNERALS.I SWEAR I SERVED AT MORE FUNERALS THAN MR.McGLONE.AND OF COURSE NORTH WAS SO CROWDED WE HAD TO BE KNOWN NOT AS HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMEN,BUT 9TH GRADERS AT THE ANNEX SO WE WERE STILL UP FOR ALTER BOY SERVICE LIKE IT OR NOT.CRAFTY OL' HH MADE IT LOOK LIKE WE WERE BEING PROMOTED CAUSE ALL WE HAD TO DO NOW IS OUR 3 DAY STRETCHES AT THE 6:30 IN THE CONVENT.JUST ME,FR.CONWAY & ALL THE LADIES IN BLACK.WELL IN CASE YOU DONT KNOW IT,A BONE WAS THROWN TO SOME OF US ALMOST ONCE A WEEK VIA A WEDDING ASSIGNMENT.BIG BUCKS IN THOSE DAYS.AFTER THE HAPPY UNION WAS WRITTEN IN STONE THE BEST MAN OR FATHER OF THE BRIDE WOULD LAY A COUPLE OF BUCKOS ON THE SERVERS.HERE'S THE RUB AND YOU GUYS KNOW WHO YOU ARE.H.H. HAD HER FAVS & SHE BESTOWED THE LUCRATIVE WEDDINGS ON THEM WITH SHAMEFUL ABANDON LEAVING THE REST OF US TO SIT BACK IN ENVY.ONE SATURDAY MY MOTHER CALLED ME IN OFF MY BOX BALL GAME ON BOTT ST.& TOLD ME TO GET WASHED UP & DRESSED.SEEMS OL'HH WAS IN A PICKLE.ONE OF THE FAVS TOOK SICK & c*** SERVE AT THE WEDDING.SOOOO I WAS RUSHED INTO SERVICE.ANYTHING TO GET INTO THE "BIGS"I THOUGHT.WELL THE GLOW DIDN'T LAST BECAUSE I WAS THE 7TH OR 8TH GUY SHE CALLED & IT NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN.SO I FINISHED MY ALTER BOY CAREER BACK IN THE MINORS.
SISTER IS PROBABLY LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER AS I'M TYPING THIS LONGING TO LAY ANOTHER KNOCKOUT PUNCH ON ME.SEE YA ON 9-23

Added: August 21, 2007

Submitted by
Name: George (Bud) Madden
From: 1047 W. Venango St

Comments:
Some other random thoughts from days gone by: I remember having to take my younger sisters (The Twins – they didn’t have individual names back then) back and forth from school.
By eighth grade, stopping at the grocery store at Old York and Erie for a quick nickel pinball game.
The day JFK was assassinated. First, watching the nuns becoming unnervingly upset as the word spread. Then, being dismissed early from school. Finally, hearing the church bells ringing as we were marching in our lines to go home, which meant that JFK had passed away.
Just had to get that one out of my system.

Added: August 21, 2007

Submitted by
Name: Pat Wendell Simmons
From: Wallingford, PA

Comments:
Hi Everyone,

This is simply to let all of my dear friends from St. Stephen's Class of 1950 know I will be thinking of you & remembering all of the fun times we had there.

One of my not such fun times occurred when I had Sr. Marie Assumpta in 6th grade. On the way home from school I was discussing the nuns to whom we were all assigned. Well, a couple of 4th graders slightly exaggerated my story & the next day I was called before Sister John DePaul's 4th grade class. Sister angrily asked "Did you call me an old crab apple?" I thought for a moment & decided I would be telling the truth by saying, "No, Sister." But she yelled at me anyway & sort of made me feel like a liar. So I left in tears. My sweet sister, Sr. Marie Assumpta came outside the door to my rescue & I told her the whole story. She consoled me & told me I did not lie. I admitted to my Sister that I had called Sr. John De Paul an old crab, not a crab apple. From that moment on, I loved Sr. Marie Assumpta even more.

Love,
Pat Wendell Simmons
Class of 1950

P.S. I love you, especially my best friend, Pat Mallon and my other dearest friend Tootsie Woodward Reynolds.

Added: August 20, 2007

Submitted by
Name: Pasquale "Pat" Varallo '44
From: Philly
E-mail: vrllo@yahoo.com

Comments:
Hi to all the St. Stephen's classes. I hope you have a really great reunion!

Press Release August 1, 2007

Pasquale, of Fox Chase, Philadelphia, and author of Poems For A Beautiful Woman by Pasquale, will be appearing at the Barnes & Noble Book Sellers Princeton,in the Market Fair Mall, 3535 US Route 1 South,Princeton, NJ August 30, 2007, Thursday evening, 6-9pm as part of a New Writer’s Night event.

This will be Pasquale’s eighth appearance at a B&N store where his book has been sold with success. His books are also available online and other book stores world wide.

Besides writing poems for beautiful women, Pasquale is writing lyrics for tunes written by Fred Mandel of Runnemede, NJ. Some of which are poems from his book that have been adapted to Fred’s music.

Pasquale may be contacted at:
215 728 7992
vrllo@yahoo.

Added: August 17, 2007

Submitted by
Name: Doris Brown Parsons
From: Cape May Court House, NJ
E-mail: dorisparsons@verizon.net

Comments:
I am one of four children who attended St. Stephens. Joe Brown class of 53, Ursula Brown class of 55, Bill Brown class of 58, and myself class of 57. We lived on Atlantic Street, 1200 block along with Bob Morris, Bill Morgan, Larry Conway, Charlie & Jim McKee.
Does anyone remember Crystal Place Skating Rink?
Carmen Skating Rink? Strand Theater? Great Northern Theater, Rexall Drug Store?
Looking forward to September.

Added: August 16, 2007

Submitted by
Name: Edward Gavin
From: Nicetown then - S. Phila. now
E-mail: edgavin42@verizon.net

Comments:
Ah yes: the mystery of the Three Eighth Grades! I have wondered more about that in adult life than in my youth. What could the rationale have been? The 'uncontrollable sex fiend" theory mentioned earleir certainly seems plausible, but how to explain that one co-ed section. Was that one taught by a Sister St. Pius? Or is her name always forgotten, like the Third Tenor ("Seinfeld" fans note this). Was it that the all-boy and all-girl sections were definitely going on to North or Roman and Little Flower, while the co-ed section was filled with back-sliders - candidates for Public High School? I was with H.H. and the boys, and I know I heard her say that she liked boys more than girls. She certainly knew her W.W.I soldier songs, and sang them unprompted: "And we'll hang the Kaiser on a sour-apple tree, And all go marching home!" By about my forties I began to think the whole thing was an experiment to see if separation of the sexes produced better scores on standardized tests. But the bigger question became how did they determine which kid went where. Over cigars and brandy one evening every May, once the Procession (a Broadway production) was over, the three eighth-grade sisters would play pinochle, the winner getting first dibs on who she wanted in her section. Remember, they knew all of us down to our favorite socks; everything from the first grade on had been put into our Permanent Record. So each kid was a known quantity. Maybe they arm wrestled in their bare feet, rosary beads clicking in the strenuous efforts. Okay, okay, far-fetched. Maybe. It could not have been random selection: darts thrown at class pictures. More importantly, the very concept of rendom selection would have been anathema, since it smacked of offensive secularism. So I guess the actual selection process is lost in the mists of time. But if it was the educational experiment that I suggested earlier, then imagine the celebrations of the high-scoring section's sister. The nature and outcomes of those celebrations I leave to your imaginations, but I have a couple of theories - see you at the reunion!
Good thoughts to all of you.

Added: August 16, 2007

Submitted by
Name: Nancy Modesta McCullen
From: 3848 Percy St/Havertown, PA
E-mail: nancym@pcom.edu

Comments:
Class of 1960 - not much of a response from our Class. Where are you guys? My brother Joe, sister Cass and I lived at 3848 Percy Street. That was a very long time ago, and yet so many memories are still very clear. Hanging with Annie Fasano, Janet Luszcz, Joan Fox, Betsi McKee and Dot Powers (and, of course, the boys), going to St. Henry's dance on Friday nights, St. Joe's on Sunday nights, Hunting Park, Logan movie, etc. were a very big part of my adolescence. Widowed now with 2 grown married daughters and one grandchild, I often tell them about growing up like we did. They can't believe we looked forward to when the fire hydrant at the corner of Percy & Pike or Delhi & Pike would be opened. What a great experience it was. I am really looking forward to the reunion and hope I get to see some people from the old neighborhood. God bless you all!

Added: August 16, 2007

Submitted by
Name: George (Bud) Madden
From: 1047 W. Venango St

Comments:
By the way, Jessica, they divided the classes that way because we were all considered to be uncontrollable sex fiends in those days. If they had had their way, they would have put us in different schools altogether (wait a minute…Roman…Little Flower…Damn them!!!!!)

Added: August 15, 2007

Submitted by
Name: George (Bud) Madden
From: 1047 W. Venango St

Comments:
Barbara Ann – Yes, I remember that class well; it’s great hearing from you.
Sara – Long time no see! I can’t wait to see you and John at the reunion.
Jessica – Yes, I can absolutely believe your Happy Helen story. I was asked to serve Mass in the Convent for the sisters during the summers, and would often get to see their more human side.
I’m surprised no one has brought up Tommy Gun (Sister Thomasina). Did anyone ever have more deadly aim with a dirty eraser? She never missed!!!!

Added: August 15, 2007

Submitted by
Name: Joe Lupinacci, '54
From: 3858 N. Percy St
E-mail: JPLUPI@COMCAST.NET

Comments:
I hope you people are satisfied. Every day I have to log in and get my "fix" of readings. Personal thankyou's go out to Pauline Plefka, and Ed McKee for helping me remember that I was in the class of '54. Names and memories keep flooding in and I sit here with a smile on my face. Airdrie St. (wasn't that the one block street with the candy store at the end?) Georges Restaurant. Carlino's Flower Shop, PTC barne, Running thru the barns, Running thru the barns under the trolleys, LF HS, Hunting Park, Box ball, Half ball, Dead Block, Duden's, Flynn's, Modesta's, Sullivan's, Sawyers, Logans. Selling milk with Ed McKee (I'll save that story for the re-union), The circus near the train tracks, Buying the same candy back again and again from Sr. Assumpta. (Does anyone have some candy for me???) I hope we can all just step back in time and see each other once again. God, bless us, one and all. Hmmmm Is Tiny Tim, here?

Added: August 14, 2007

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