While moving in last Saturday, several random coincidences among us here came to light, including a highly unusual meeting of former-Staten-Islanders. With this new connection to one who knows places from my teenage years came news about my old school, St. Francis. That being, that the building was being made into luxury condos.
It's probably sentimentality gone mad, but I still hold that place, those grounds and my time there as almost sacred. So I looked it up online and found this:
http://stfranciscentersi.org/
Right now, it's a Catholic training center and still used by the Franciscans. Seeing the photos of the place brought back a rush of memories. I don't want to hear it's gone to yuppie slumland. I emailed them to ask what's happening and how I can help. It seems odd to me that the quite rich RC church would do that to a prime real estate. You'd think they'd want to keep it. I hope it's just not true.
MYSTERIOUS GARDEN
10 months ago
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2 comments:
I also went to a school named St Frances (of Rome) but this one was in the Bronx. I heard that the school might have also closed in the past few years. Churches and religious schools are closing all over due to the diversities of the neighborhoods. I grew up where everybody was either Irish or Italian and all were Catholic. There might have been a Protestant around, but we never met any. I am sure we would have had to confess that.
Ack! I'd be one of your confessed dirty Protestant friends back in the day. Remember when that was a big deal?
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