Throwback Thursday: St. Mary’s Combined Church and School

Before the current church structure was built at Third and Woodbine in the late 1920s, our parish was known as St. Mary’s, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament. Bounded by Fifth, Maclay, and Atlas Streets and dedicated in 1908, the building was a combination church and school.

Here’s what a current parishioner had to say about her experience at the school:

I attended first, second and third grades at St. Mary’s. I also took piano lessons at St. Genevieve Convent where the Sisters of Mercy lived. My piano teacher was Sr. Mary Birchman. My teachers were Sisters Assumpta, Nicholas, and Laetisia. The principal was Sr. Zarilla. I have many wonderful memories of St. Mary’s, and to this day whenever I see The Bells of Saint Mary, I can’t help but think of my school — especially our beloved Monsignor William Horrigan, who loved to give the children a day off from school, without telling the Sisters first! My memories are too numerous to write down, but they forever will be in my heart. I am so thankful I was a part of it.

These photos are only a few of the plethora available in the OLBS Parish Archives. Stay tuned for more throwbacks to our parish history on our Facebook page and an archives page here on the website!