Moving Day

This is the 100th year of at what is now called St. Columbkille Catholic School. When the Benedictine sisters arrived for the first year of school, the building wasn’t ready yet. So Sr. Celestine, Sr. Victoria and Sr. Amelourga stayed in the rectory while Fr Holheisel moved into the sacristy. The sisters taught in the church with the kids sitting on the kneelers and using the pew as a desk starting on August 23rd. Today, October 12th, was moving day. Finally the sisters could move to the school and Fr. Holheisel could move back into the rectory.

Of course the furnace wouldn't be added to the school until November.

Why the Cot?

This is the 100th year of at what is now called St. Columbkille Catholic School. When the Benedictine sisters arrived for the first year of school, the building wasn’t ready yet. So Sr. Celestine, Sr. Victoria and Sr. Amelourga stayed in the rectory while Fr Holheisel moved into the sacristy. The sisters taught in the church with the kids sitting on the kneelers and using the pew as a desk from August until October 12th when the school was done (the furnace would be added in November.)

Imagine sleeping on a cot like this from August to October! (It might not have been this nice,) We have it in the entryway of the parish to help the students imagine it.

Here is a picture of Fr. Henry Holheisel who was out pastor from 1897 until 1940. While he was pastor the school was begun. About seven years later the new (second) church was built on the same block as well as a rectory.