About This Site
Frank Fitzgerald
March 2004 - One of our former classmates suggested that I describe how
this site came about. The letter below, hopefully, will answer most
questions. I sent it out on March 20, 1998 to the members of my class
(1/54) that I had addresses for. This was followed up by notices published
by Newsday in their weekend "Milestones" ("Reunions"?) section, and word
of mouth (more likely - email) took it from there.
At this point, I have over 200 valid email addresses subscribed to the
Updates list. Clearly, this is not a huge number, so please pass the word
and feel free to let
me know if you have any thoughts on making the Classmates site more
visible to the St. Pascal (and St. Albans) diaspora.
Friends,
Inspired by the work of our former classmates who put together the 1997
Reunion, and by the surprise gift of the 1946 class photo
presented to us by Sr. Mary Helen, I have designed a website to celebrate
our common childhood experience. The URL (address) of the site is (former
URL deleted) http://goodlight.net/pascal.
For those of you with access to the Internet, I hope you will take the
time to look the site over and offer your feedback and suggestions. What
you will find there is whatever relevant photographs and documentation I
could lay my hands on, plus Robert Obach's "first day of school"
reminisance and a few pieces of my own which are meant to light a fire
under the rest of you to encourage your active participation. The site
will be updated and expanded as necessary.
I have been in touch with St. Pascal's current pastor, Msgnr. McCourt,
and also, the archivist for the archdiocese of Brooklyn, in an attempt to
secure additional material. However, I believe our best resource is our
own memories and, where they exist, family albums. It is my hope that many
of you will be inspired enough to sit down and give us a slice of your
life - your view of an hour or a day from your childhood in and around the
school or neighborhood - by writing a page or two that I might add to the
site. There are instructions on the site (click "Contact") on
how to get your copy to me. If you have any questions, please call or
write.
I know that some find writing an intimidating task. If you are one of
those who do not feel inclined to write, but have a story to tell, perhaps
we could do it "interview" style. Why not give me a call and
talk about it?
In addition to "word pictures," I am hoping that you will
look through your closets for those old photos your mom and dad took of
you in your school play costume, cassock, or cap and gown. Any photos of
our teachers, classrooms, schoolyard, neighborhood haunts, houses, etc.
will receive a special (yet to be thunk up) award. Again, instructions for
submitting the material is on the site.
For those of you who do not have a computer at home, you probably have
to look no further than your children (or more likely, grandchildren) to
have all of this interpreted for you. Suffice to say, there now exists on
the Internet a mini-museum, the "St. Pascal Baylon School/Memories
& Reunion" website, that documents a part of your childhood -
even though often painful, a yet wondrous time of running, yelling,
laughing, jumping, falling, rolling, biking, digging holes, throwing
things, thinking crazy thoughts, snowballs, hurricanes, long poles to open
tall windows, inkwells, knickers, uniforms, book reports, raising hands,
rosary beads, missals, tantum ergo's(?), questions about nuns, schoolbags
with something gooey down there at the bottom, recess, summer nights - you
_know_ what I mean.
If you don't have access to the Internet at home and don't have access
to a relative who has access, there is always the public library. At this
point, most of them are set up with this capability and have people
trained to help you. I really hope you decide to get involved and help to
make this little project a happy experience for all of us.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes to all,
Frank Fitzgerald
PS. Please copy and circulate this letter to members of other St.
Pascal classes, St. Albans neighbors, or anyone who might be interested in
the subject. I think the site could become a meeting place for others who
might wish to plan their own Reunions, and I would be happy to put people
together who contact me.
Also, the site is a freebee offered by GeoCities (update: no longer
true) and will carry some advertising. If the need arises, in the future
it may get relocated. If that happens you should be able to locate it by
using an online search engine - search for "St. Pascal Baylon
School."
Also, also - the '97
Reunion group photo (as well as the 1946 photo)
are online. If you are not in the '97 photo, please send in a picture of
yourself (so's we kin see yer progress).
Tell us what you have been doing
Contact classmates list
How to send in photos |