In addition, the parish honored her legacy by establishing the Sister Christine Lavoie Scholarship which will be given to children who attend St. She was loved and respected by the students and the staff,” said Father Salatino about Sister Lavoie. She was able to keep order in the place but she wasn’t strict. “We knew that pre-K and preschool were the answer, in many ways, to increasing enrollment, and Father Brian and I firmly believed that if we wanted to give them this great education starting at 6, why not start it at 3? That was really part of the reason why we did it and it was very successful.”Įnrollment in the elementary school increased dramatically after the pre-K program was established. We got glowing remarks about the school,” said Sister Lavoie. Father Brian (McGrath) and I were here together 12 years and that was a great experience,” said Sister Lavoie, who felt her major accomplishments included starting the pre-K program and helping the school attain accreditation in 2004. She was hired by Father Creane the year he retired. He was unable to make the trip from Hollywood, Florida, where he is retired and still playing golf on a regular basis. Mary’s with Father Creane, who is nearing 92 years old. I think he was so successful here because the people saw that he walked the walk and talked the talk,” said Father Salatino, who worked four years at St. He rallied people together and he just was able to accomplish a lot. “He just rolled up his sleeves and got to work. IOBSERVE CLEBRATING SUCCESS WINDOWSThis included redoing all the roofs, boilers, heating systems, and windows of the church, the convent, the elementary and high schools, and rectory. Mary campus, inside and out, some more than once. He loved the mission of the church and of taking care of the least important ones,” said Father Salatino.Īmong Father Creane’s many achievements were renovating all of the buildings on the St. “Father Tony was very much a company man. A previous pastor, Father Brian McGrath, was the first Founder’s Day recipient last year.įather Creane served as pastor at St. Mary’s is an important and strong community. Mary community to get together, to do things together and to remember that St. He added that while the Founder’s Day celebrates individual and collective achievement, it’s also an important occasion for the whole St. We have a wonderful parish here and it exists because of the people who’ve gone before us and it’s a reminder for us who are here today to continue the work they began,” said Father Salatino. “We remember the people who’ve done so much for our parish in years past. Joseph Christine Lavoie, former principal of the K-8 elementary school.ĭuring the Mass, Father John Salatino, pastor, spoke about the achievements of both honorees and of the important role each played in the parish history. Mary Parish, here, held a special Mass to commemorate its second annual Founder’s Day and honor this year’s two award recipients: Father Anthony Creane, a longtime pastor of the parish and Sister of St. Joseph Christine Lavoie receives a congratulatory letter on her achievement from Caitlyn Letourneau, who represents the office of State Sen.
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