Parish Trivia

Our facilities

  • the convent used to be the rectory?
  • when the nuns arrived in 1963, the priests went to live in the second floor of the school until the rectory was built?
  • there was an old utility building on the site of the current rectory?
  • the Holy Name Society men supplied the labor to lay the sidewalks around the block?
  • Bingo was held in the church basement until the school was built?

The old church and neighborhood

  • the old parish church on Wayne St. was bought from a Polish parish?
  • Servant of God Andrew Sheptytsky visited the church on Wayne St. in 1921?
  • that church has been nicely remodeled and is presently a Portuguese Catholic parish?
  • there was a Ukrainian hall and picnic ground on State St.? The property is still much the same in appearance and a tryzub is still on the building!
  • before WWII, most parishioners lived near the old church in the neighborhood between Hall and Pulaski Avenues?

Activities

  • the Pyrohy Ladies use to sell plates of pyrohy and drinks during the lunch hour to public school children at the back entrance of the church?
  • the St. Nicholas program was held on Sunday afternoons for the entire parish to attend?
  • on past Memorial Days before most parishioners had cars, parishioners would walk way up to the parish cemetery taking picnic lunches with them?
  • the Sodality took part in the city-wide Marian May Crowning ceremony at Waters Stadium?
  • Ukrainian language and culture schools were held in the Wayne St. church basement and in the old Ukrainian hall and the adjacent Democratic Club building on State St.?
  • altar boys were assigned for every Liturgy, even early weekday Liturgies?
  • our parish, like many clubs and parishes early in the last century, had an orchestra?
  • St. Ann’s has held their Calendar Party dinner since back in 1962.

School trivia

Did you know…

  • the lot on which the school was built was a sandlot baseball field in the 1930’s?
  • Sister Yosaphata was honored in 2002 for serving as a sister for 50 years?
  • the Teacher Resource Room used to be the Main Office and the Main Office used to be the Music Room. The library used to be in the pre-K room and the current library used to be completely empty and used for gym on rainy days? Confused yet?
  • the school started in 1963 with only grades 1 and 2 and a grade was added every year after that until they were all established?
  • Former Pastor, Father Roman enjoys having a Maryland crab dinner once in a while?
  • you can still order hand-made pyrohy at the parish church?
  • the class of ’74 had only eight students?
  • the sisters spend the summer in Connecticut?
  • the school hallways used to be painted green?
  • the convent was the rectory until sisters moved there in 1963?
  • the lab equipment and furniture was donated to us from St. Pius X High School in Piscataway after that school closed?
  • only the downstairs classrooms were used the first three years. While the rectory was being built, the pastor lived in the old library room and the assistant pastor lived in the Teachers Lounge?
  • Taras “Teddy” Rylyk ’70 launched a kickball from home plate near the rectory garage onto the school roof and the janitor found the ball on Jacques St.? Is that a home run?
  • the actor who played the E.T. character in the movie “E.T.” once visited our parish school?
  • the eighth grade used to visit the United Nations and see a Broadway play for their graduation trip?