WEST MEMPHIS — St. Michael School in West Memphis celebrated 75 years of Catholic education April 13 with a Mass, reception and dinner. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor presided at the Mass with Msgr. Bernard Malone, temporary administrator of St. Michael, and Father Martin Vu, CSSp, and Father Honest Munishi, CSSp, associate pastors of St. Mary Church in Helena.
“We are required to be faithful to the Lord, not only when it is easy, but especially when it is difficult.” Bishop Taylor said.
Not only did his words reflect the readings but also the challenges facing St. Michael School as it celebrates its 75th anniversary while preparing to continue its mission into the future.
After Mass, a spaghetti dinner was prepared by the parish and served by faculty and parishioners. The cafeteria was filled with Benedictine sisters from Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro, teachers, students, alumni and friends of St. Michael. Msgr. Malone welcomed the large crowd, expressing gratitude for the sisters’ work in education, especially Sister Henrietta Hockle, OSB, former principal and superintendent of Catholic schools.
Several speakers reflected on the past, present and future of St. Michael. Primo Baioni, class of 1939, recalled the days when Msgr. Thomas J. Prendergast built the church and school at the same time and the difficulties simply trying to attend St. Michael.
“Father Prendergast built the church and school at the same time in 1936 and asked my parents to send us to St. Michael’s when it opened, but Dad was farming with mules so he did not have time, but Father Mulligan came in and he had a car, so he came to Marion to pick us up,” he said. “The car would break down half the time so I hitchhiked a lot. Two sisters taught four grades. I was the only one in the eighth grade.”
A standing ovation followed when Baioni stated, “I never want to see St. Michael School never ever close. We need our Catholic school in this day and time, just look what is happening around us.”
Dan Young, class of 1986, now a lawyer in Little Rock, spoke about the good teachers he had and the strong parental support.
“There is no comparison to the public schools. St. Michael’s taught the students discipline and respect in the classroom,” he said.
Principal Becky Haney reflected on the future of St. Michael.
“We have a very special gift right here at St. Michael’s, but to keep it for the future we must rely on sound financial decisions,” she said. “We must remember that this is not a business; it is a ministry that is important enough to continue into the future. We have plans for the next year and the next.”
West Memphis Mayor William Johnson presented Haney with a proclamation naming it “St. Michael’s Day” in the city. Johnson, who had visited St. Michael in the past, said, “We need what St. Michael’s brings to the table and what our public schools cannot. We need each other.”
Johnson, former West Memphis school board member for 30 years, said parental involvement, discipline and respect at St. Michael is what the public schools are lacking.
“You can be proud of your students. They are disciplined, they have manners, they’re obedient to authority and you give them a great education. You are definitely needed in our community,” he said.
Bishop Taylor spoke about the school being founded in 1936 in the middle of the Depression.
“My impression was that the patrons of the school were not high rollers, but from people who worked hard for a living and made many sacrifices, but had the desire, the will and the determination to provide their children an excellent Catholic education which required a lot of sacrifice,” he said. “The sisters made great sacrifices as well, and their sacrifices inspired parishioners to make further sacrifices. Can you imagine teaching four grades in one class?”
The bishop also spoke about the serious financial challenges.
“What I would hate to see is that the school failed through failure of will, meaning that the people didn’t fully appreciate what they have here and unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices for their children and grandchildren what their much poorer grandparents made to them,” he said. “Most of you can think about your parents and grandparents and the things they did without so that you could have a better future and the value they placed on a solid Catholic education was the foundation on which everything in your future would be built.”
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