Community Catholic School

Shortly after the closing of Our Lady’s school, three Catholic parishes in the Portland area - Our Lady, St. Cecilia and St. Anthony - convened to create a new school.  Given the smaller number of Catholic families in the Portland area, it was thought that a school equally supported by the three parishes would be a more successful arrangement.  The following is the agreement signed in June 1971:

 

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

 

THIS MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT made this ______day of June, 1971, by and between:

ST. CECILIA’S CHURCH, ST. ANTHONY’S CHURCH and CHURCH OF OUR LADY

 

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, in the past, St. Cecilia’s Church, St. Anthony’s Church and Church of Our Lady have each operated a school for the use of the children belonging to their respective parishes, and

 

WHEREAS, it is deemed best that the three parishes combine and operate a school to be known as ‘Community Catholic School’ for the joint use and benefit of the children belonging to said three parishes, and,

 

WHEREAS, it is anticipated that there will be substitutions made in the individual representatives from each of the parishes, and also in order to have a memorandum of the understanding and agreement of the members of the three parishes, it is hereby agreed as follows:

 

The three parishes will operate and conduct a school for grades one through eight, to be known as ‘Community Catholic School,’ and located in the school building heretofore used and occupied by St. Cecilia School.  It is agreed that the parish school building and playground shall be used for the said school.  (The parish hall and the Mackin Council Building are not to be included or used in connection with the school unless a separate agreement is made with St. Cecilia’s Church.)  St. Cecilia’s Church reserves the right to use this school building from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. each Friday for the purpose of having a Bingo or other social event and also for cooking and serving suppers at the annual picnic held by the Parish, which is usually held on the Saturday previous to Labor Day of each year; and there is also reserved the right to use the playground for automobile parking facilities at all times other than during the usual school hours.  There shall be no charge for the use of said facilities for Bingo, picnic or other social activities hereinabove referred to.  In the event St. Cecilia’s Church desires to use said facilities for purposes other than those hereinabove mentioned, a reasonable rental fee shall be paid.

 

The three parishes agree to pay proportionately for all expenses that may be incurred in the operation of the school and playground, including teachers’ salary, janitor service, minor repairs, including the usual plumbing and heating repairs, painting and all other normal expenses in the operation of the school and the use of said building and playground area.  Said expenses shall be paid proportionately by the said three parishes on a per capita basis.  Major expenses or alterations (including a contemplated enlargement of the library, replacement of roof, boiler, etc.) shall be paid one-third each by the three parishes and not on a per capita basis.

 

This agreement will be effective for three years, beginning July 1, 1971, and said school will be operated for a period of at least three years and the three parishes will pay their portion of the expenses required during said three-year period immediately as the same become due and payable.  Any extension of said three-year period shall be agreed upon by the three parishes.  The operation of the school shall be controlled by a committee consisting of an equal representation from each of the parishes.  Each parish shall have ______ representatives (Pastor and _____lay representatives from each parish).  The chairman and other officers of the committee shall be elected by a majority vote of the committee and all business transactions and operations of the school shall be controlled by the majority vote of the committee or by such individual or committees as may be authorized from time to time by the whole committee.

 

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, witness the signatures of the Parishes of the three above named Churches, this the date first hereinabove mentioned.

 

Maria Christine Fransesca Coons-Villier provides an account of her experience at Our Lady’s school:

 

I was in the 7th grade at the time Our Lady’s School closed.  I was also the fourth child out of five, and all three before me were lucky enough to graduate from Our Lady’s.  Mine would be the first graduating class of Community Catholic School in 1972.

 

St. Cecilia’s facility scared most of us to death being as big as it was, considering the closely knit little building we were coming from.  We all had a sense of responsibility to set the pace, being 8th graders and all.  Well here it is the year 2003 and Community Catholic has come a long way.  I guess we set a pretty good pace!  We had a reunion in 1992 to mark the first 20 years.  The friendships made in the coming together that first year were strong ones and still go on today.

 

 

Evacuation

On March 19, 1972, a barge loaded with 640 tons of liquid chlorine broke loose from its towboat and lodged in the gate of the McAlpine Dam.  While preparing for the stabilizing of the barge, it was evident that a chlorine leak could occur (liquid chlorine turns into a poisonous gas when reduced to normal air pressure).  An evacuation of the Portland area was announced on Thursday evening, March 30.  The evacuation area was bounded by Shawnee Parkway on the west, Bank Street on the south and 22^nd Street on the east.  The New Albany, Clarksville, and Jeffersonville area awaited a possible evacuation.  Mayor Frank Burke and Judge Todd Hollenbach appeared on television announcing the evacuation to a stunned public.

 

Jeffersontown High School and Westport High School served as shelters to the homeless while many stayed with friends and relatives.  By 9am Saturday April 1, 4800 Portland residents had packed their belongings and left behind a virtual ghost town.  Except for the 200 Kentucky National Guardsmen and nine patrolling police cars that protected the area, the portion of the city known as Portland was deserted.  Easter Day would prey upon the memories of all for many years to come, just as flood waters interrupted parish life in the past.  Easter Liturgy was celebrated by pastor Fr. Waldie at Westport High School.  Late on Sunday the people returned to their homes.

 

 

Rev. John C. Eckert

In June 1978, Rev. John C. Eckert (photo left) was appointed pastor.  He grew up at Holy Spirit parish and attended Flaget High School.  Afterward, he enrolled in seminary at St. Mary’s College in Kentucky in 1956 and continued this theology training at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana.  He was ordained June 11, 1960.  Prior to Our Lady, Fr. Eckert served the following parishes:

 

1960-62            St. Francis of Assisi

1962-66            St. Albert the Great

1966-70            St. Martin of Tours

1970-78            St. Albert the Great

 

Fr. Eckert served the Catholic population in many other ways.  He was a part-time teacher at St. Xavier High School and Sacred Heart in the early 1960s, a member of the Priest’s Senate 1978-80 and confessor of St. Catherine Convent starting in June 1972.  During his tenure at Our Lady, he was chair of the Commission on Archdiocesan Planning and a member of the Catholic school board.

 

Fr. Eckert was accompanied by Fr. Kendrick Williams, originally from Nazareth, Kentucky where he was in charge of rural religious education.

 

During his eleven-year term, Fr. Eckert brought to the parish a sense of community and camaraderie with his personable, fun-loving personality.  Stories, jokes and one-liners, like the following, were often found in Sunday bulletins:

 

Stucco - What you get when you sit on gummo.

Paradise - Two ivory cubes with dots all over them.

Geometry - What the acorn said after it grew up.

 

Have you met the Tate Family?  There is Dic Tate who wants to run everything while Uncle Ro Tate tries to change everything.  Their sister Agi Tate stirs up plenty of trouble with the help of her husband Irri Tate.  Whenever new projects are suggested Hesi Tate and his wife Vegi Tate want to wait until next year. Then there is Aunt Imi Tate who wants to be like all the others. Of course, Ampu Tate cuts himself off from all the others. But not all the Tates are bad.  Brother Facili Tate is quite helpful to all. Cousins Cogi Tate and Medi Tate always think things over and lend a steadying hand. And finally, there is that delightfully happy member of the family, Miss Felici Tate.

 

Although a new pastor was to be appointed in June 1989, Fr. Eckert was permitted to remain until after the celebration of the 150^th anniversary.  He then became pastor to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church.  He passed away at the parish rectory February 26, 1994.

 

Midnight Mass - Christmas 1978

Midnight Mass - Christmas 1988

 

 

1980s Reunion

During his tenure, Fr. Eckert invited all graduates of Our Lady school and all former members of the parish to a Mass and reception [date unknown].  The banner hanging in front of the altar read ‘Welcome Home’.

 

 

Archbishop Thomas Kelly

The Very Rev. Kelly Thomas Cajetan Kelly, O.P. (photo right), was installed as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Louisville by Pope John Paul II, replacing the retiring Archbishop Thomas J. McDonough.  He was ordained bishop in 1977 and served as the secretary of the National Conference of Bishops in Washington, D.C.  The school bus was used to transport parishioners to the installation on February 18, 1982.  The following are remarks from Sunday bulletins:

 

·         January 31, 1982 - The sign on back of the church reads ‘Church of Our Lady founded in 1839 welcomes Archbishop Thomas Cajetan Kelly, O.P.’  The sign will be up for several weeks.  It was paid for by two recent raffles at bingo.  We wish to thank the men who braved the cold last weekend and installed the sign.  Please look at the sign as you drive carefully along the X-way.  Let us remember in our prayers Archbishop Thomas J. McDonough who has served us so well for the past 14 1/2 years.  May God bless Archbishop McDonough.  Ad multos annos!

·         December 5, 1982 - On Saturday December 11, Archbishop Kelly celebrated Mass at Our Lady’s.  Gift Bearers at the Mass were: Mr. Steve Tarter, President of the Parish Council, Mrs. Dorothy Stemm, President of Our Lady’s Ladies, Mr. Clyde Cowles, President of the Men’s Club, and a Youth representative from Our Lady’s Youth Group.  Coffee, cookies and soft drinks were served at the reception following the Mass.

·         December 26, 1982 - Archbishop Kelly had the highest praise for the warm hospitality shown him during his visit on December 11.  The Archbishop said: ‘This church is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen.’  We wish to thank all those who worked so hard to make Archbishop Kelly feel at home!

·         February 20, 1983 - Friday February 18 marked the first anniversary of Thomas Cajetan Kelly, O.P., as Archbishop of Louisville.  We thank Almighty God for giving us Archbishop Kelly to continue to lead us to great spiritual heights. Note: A basket of fruit was sent to Archbishop Kelly in the name of the parish on the occasion of his first anniversary.

 

 

 

         

High altar & Tabernacle - 1980s

               

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