A Debt of Gratitude
by Julie Lally

For nearly 75 years, the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill, New York, contributed significantly to the life of Little Flower Parish. Shortly after the decision in 1926 to begin a parish school, Father Tammany invited the Dominican Sisters to staff the newly erected two-room school. Sister Georgianna, O.P., and Sister Louis, O.P., were assigned to teach those first classes of children. Since there were no living quarters for the sisters at Little Flower, they resided at the Dominican convent at St. Mark’s Parish and commuted daily to attend to their charges at Little Flower.

By January 1929 the new combination church and school building was completed. The two-story structure housed the church on the first floor and the school and convent on the second floor. By this time, there were 150, another source says 165, children in the school, and the number of sisters increased to five. Convent space was limited, but a stairway led to a flat roof so that sisters could occasionally find some quiet and fresh air. To relieve this crowded and unsatisfactory arrangement, Father Tammany announced plans in 1941 to purchase the Sala residence at 1275 Arch Terrace, which was to be used as a convent. A chapel and additional rooms were added after the purchase. The sisters moved into the convent in 1942.

Classes were large, especially during the 1950s, and often exceeded 50 students. The monthly compensation for each sister was $50, and it was paid to the religious order by the parish. This was the only way parish schools could exist – the sisters gave their lives freely so that the church could provide a Catholic education to the children at a minimal cost. The Dominican Sisters were the backbone of Little Flower School from the beginning, and they sacrificed their very lives, their energy and talents, to spread the gospel message to the young children at Little Flower.

To the common observer it was obvious that the charisma of the Sparkill Dominicans was their spontaneity, their joyful approach to life, and their dedication to music and the fine arts. In those early years, in addition to their many classroom duties, they offered to teach private piano lessons to interested children.

For many years, the sisters were also responsible for the sacristan duties in the church. Sister Jarleth, O.P., is remembered for her organization and her high expectations for sacristan service. The sisters performed many of the tasks themselves, organized adult volunteers, and taught many of the children to care for the religious articles and to beautify the church.

Life was very different in early convent days. The sisters wore full habits that required time-consuming upkeep. One sister never left the residence unless she was accompanied by a sister companion and only if the mother superior approved. The sisters were permitted visits to their family homes only twice a year.

Records show that by 1958 the enrollment in the school was 470 students, and nine sisters were on the faculty. This population boom continued until the late 1960s, but by the early 1970s, the numbers declined drastically. With the decline in numbers of religious women teaching in Catholic schools, more lay teachers took their places. At Little Flower, a Dominican presence continued for the next 30 years. A Dominican sister served as principal until 1987. In addition, Sister Sheila McCarthy, O.P., served as a parish minister, and Sister Suzanne Hulford, O.P., served as Director of Religious Education. Other sisters were classroom teachers as they adapted to the new role of religious women in the Catholic church of the late 20th century.

Some of the sisters who led our school through difficult times of transition were Sister Louise Schmid, O.P., Sister Maureen Stocking, O.P., and Sister Sheila Brennan, O.P. Sister Theresa O’Hanlon, O.P., came to Little Flower four different times. She taught Kindergarten in the 1930s, returned as a middle school teacher in the 1940s, was assigned again in 1967 for three years, and after serving at other missions, including principal of a school, she returned to Little Flower a fourth time in the early 1980s to teach Kindergarten with unmatched skill and enthusiasm.

For the past 26 years, Little Flower School has been privileged to have Sister Janet Vietor, O.P., as a member of the faculty. She continues to bring the good news to our children and remains as a sign of the commitment made by her religious community 75 years ago to serve our parish