The ladies were very excited to right away find Katie’s brother in the class picture we have hanging in the foyer of the school (second row, second from the left).
The pair shared many stories with us as we walked them around their alma mater. One of their fondest was of the May Procession parades. Katie told us of how she remembered dressing as an angel.
Katie and Roberta remarked on the great quality of the spiritual and fundamental educational experience they had at Our Lady of Mercy. Although they told us the nuns at the time were strict, they believe the experience they had at OLM gave them the tools to achieve their goals and successes throughout their lives. The small school community environment allowed for them to make life-long friendships from a very early age.
One funny story…as we sat in the now principal’s office we were told that this was where the elusive “spanking machine” used to be. Katie said “We were told that if we had bad behavior we would be sent to the spanking machine. I never saw it but I knew it was there.“
We were grateful to have the ladies visit and are eager for them to return again one day soon. If you or someone you know would like to come in for a visit or have pictures or stories you would like to share please contact our Alumni Coordinator, Sophia Beland, at sbeland@olmschool.org. We would love to hear from you!
We were also delighted to hear that Roberta found herself in some of the older pictures we have hanging in the hall! This one was taken on groundbreaking day for Our Lady of Mercy School (circa 1950). Roberta told us that her family donated some of their land to the school. The little girl with the hat standing to the right of the nun is Roberta!
