Remembering Sister Patricia Francis

By Peggy Weber

Sister of St. Joseph Patricia Francis Sharron died on Christmas morning at the age of 93. Her obituary, like most, listed her background, her family and where she ministered. It noted that she taught first grade at the former Holy Name School in Springfield from 1947 to 1967.

All of that information is appropriate and accurate. However, as I read it I wanted to let people know that from 1960 to 1961 she taught me and 63 others featured in this school picture. I have been told that there were 67 in my first grade class and three kids were absent for photo day. But it is certain that every morning Sister Patricia got up each day and faced 64 of us. That’s right — 64!!!!

Honestly, I do not know how she did it. I do not remember her as a harsh disciplinarian. I have no memories of rulers being used as threats. I recall a calm place where we learned and grew.

When I think back to first grade I recall being in the Christmas show. I was Jill in a “Jack and Jill” skit. I still have the costume. And I also have to this day the ornament all of us made that year. Santa is featured in all his glory with a Mary and Jesus sticker as his belt buckle. I presume Sister Patricia must have had some help that day when we pieced the ornament together. But maybe we didn’t. Sister Patricia seemed capable of doing everything.

And I recall her kindness and sense of justice to me. One day, I came home with a paper where the students were supposed to color in the picture of words that ended in double consonants. I colored the picture of a muff with a white crayon. Sister did not see the coloring and marked it wrong. I showed it to my mother and explained that I had done it correctly. My mom said to ask Sister about it. So I did. Sister did not shoo me away from her desk. She did not dismiss my concern. She felt the paper and fingered the waxy, white crayon. She turned my 95 into 100 and put a sticker on it. But she also advised me not to use white again.

I do not know what my other 63 or 66 classmates recall but I am still in awe of Sister Patricia’s ability to do what she did.

(I am the curly-haired girl with the snazzy bow tie!)

When she worked at the bishop’s residence I would see her occasionally. I asked her how she handled all of us She just shrugged her shoulders and acted like it was no big deal. But it was. She and countless other teachers took care of us “baby boomers” and gave us a good education in  classes that had an incredible number of students.

So thank you Sister Patricia, for the Christmas ornament, for changing my muff paper, and for taking care of all of us that year.

 

 

 

 

Keeping Christ in Christmas

By Julia Dennis, Grade 8,

St. John the Baptist School, Ludlow

Editor’s note: Students in Sister of St. Joseph Jeanne Branchaud’s class were asked to write an essay on the Christmas season. We are sharing Julia’s work and hope you enjoy it. 

Throughout my younger years, Christmas has always meant something special to me; I delighted in the bright, twinkling lights, the aroma of evergreen trees, the meaningful nativity scene, and the delicately wrapped presents under the Christmas tree. And while I still enjoy these festive traditions, I’ve come to realize, in my slightly “older” and more mature age, the “secular world” has taken Christ out of Christmas; consequently, you cannot spell“Christmas” without “Christ.” The day after Thanksgiving, businesses are already advertising Christmas gifts; Black Friday comes along and mobs of people scramble and fight each other for the “perfect gift.” How slow they are to see that the perfect gift was already given to everyone: “ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.” -Luke 2:16. God gave us the perfect gift that keeps on giving, his beloved son, Jesus. It is just up to us to accept God’s gift and to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

In the past few years, society has been becoming more “politically correct.” During Christmas, some refuse to say, “Merry Christmas,” they use an alternative such as, “Happy Holidays.” The whole “reason for the season” is centered around Jesus and his love for us by coming into this world to save us from sin: “I have come into the world as light, so whoever believes in me, may not remain in darkness.” -John 12:46, “For I have come down from Heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” -John 6:38.  Religious carols have been replaced with “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and instead of “Christ is Coming to Town,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Hollywood has made Christmas out to be some romantic holiday,while in other movies, everything that can go wrong on Christmas will go wrong, and it is up to the family to come together and save Christmas.

In conclusion, it is up to us fellow believing Catholics and Christians to save Christmas. Indeed, it is the season of giving…not the gift that is a thrill for only a few days, or even minutes sometimes…it’s the gifts that keep on giving. Gifts don’t always have to be materials items; they can be spending time with a grandparent who is lonely, and helping them around the house. It can be a donation of food to the Survival Center; during these cold winter months, that one meal can change someone’s life. Particularly, in our own classroom, we have a gift list for foster parents and their children. The list is fairly simple: socks, blankets, soap, bed sheets, etc. When the person receives these gifts on Christmas morning, they will be so grateful and overjoyed to receive the things they needed. Hopefully, they will witness God’s love in their gift, and come to believe in Him and His message. In my opinion, the most important thing to do, after receiving a gift, is to thank the person who gave it to you. You can thank them in person or send a letter, text message, email, etc. filled with kind words of gratitude. I feel like most people these days just tear open the gift, then run off with it, not even thanking the person who gave it to them for their thoughtfulness and generosity.

 

Lastly, the best way to spend Christmas is with family and friends, at Mass, preferably both on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We should be going to Mass every Sunday during Advent so we can better prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. During the Christmas Season, let us resemble in our actions, Mary’s obedience to God, Joseph’s acceptance of Mary and his role of being Jesus’ earthly father, Jesus’ love for God and the world, and the Wise Men’s determination to find Jesus and escape Herod, and their generous heart, giving gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Photos courtesy of Catholic News Service.