Like most schools after World War II, St. Patrick's enrollment grew, going from 260 in the fall of 1952 to 666 10 years later, but fell by one-third to 443 in the fall of 1968. Apparently as the school was growing, the Sisters of Mercy considered building a new facility in Des Plaines or Mount Prospect near an industrial park, but delayed their decision to act. In the meantime, the property was sold and the Sisters missed their chance to purchase the land they once considered.

 

 

 

A WATERSHED DAY OF TEARS

At St. Patrick Academy in Des Plaines, IL

by  Margaret R. "Peg"  Paluch

 

Ours was a different kind of gym, though.  It was a basement converted to a half court basket ball area, a west side practice area which doubled for seating, a stage and an office in back.  The Gym gifted us with great advantage because guest basket ball teams didn’t know how to play half court basket ball.  However, our team didn’t know what to do in a full court.  There was simply too much room.  It worked both ways.  But I digress.

 

Morning came in a little cool.  The busses arrived and dropped us off at St. Pats.  Most of us were not wearing coats.  Slowly the suns warmth melted away the chill and by that time we were in Homeroom.  Having been called to assembly by our principal, Sr. Nora, we all walked to the Gymnasium.  This event happened around mid day;  1p or thereabouts. We really didn’t feel the need to hurry to assembly, so my group kind of strolled in to the gym.  Half of it had seating and most of us stood. Some of the girls were still in they’re gym suits.  I was not.

 

Sr. Nora came to the podium.  “Girls, we have a guest speaker today .  His name is Mr. Durkin.  Please give him as much attention as you afford me.”  Mr. Durkin approached the podium.

            “ Good day, ladies.  I am here to speak on the behalf of the board.”  Running through my head I thought, crap another board announcement.  I’m supposed to be in Lit and I like the class.

            “ St. Patrick Academy will be closing at the end of this school year.”  The students were abruptly silenced and stilled.  We were at least disbelieving what we just heard, and at most, shocked out of our wits.

 

As if choreographed, the gasp was in unison, and the shouting of protest began.

 

            “The class of 1970 will not be graduating from St. Patrick’s, they will have to find another school from which to graduate.  This was a very hard decision for those of us on the board.  My children will also be affected.”

 

The students’ excitement, dismay, disbelief and anger swelled almost to a fevered pitch. Personally, I planned to graduate from SPA despite what this guy said.  My mind took the path of denial.  To me this was the path of least resistance and the one towards escape. Two younger sisters of mine were in the same dilemma. 

 

The students looked around for any small piece of hope, to cling on to.  But there wasn’t even a piece of lint.   Mr. Durkin stepped back from the podium and Sr. Nora returned.  “Ladies, as soon as you calm down, we can get back to business.”  Well, that didn’t happen quick as a bunny!  A man had just dashed many of our hopes and there were going to be a  lot of questions.  The news finally set in with me.  The noise woke me up .  I was stultified, broken and worried for my sisters who were probably bereaved.

 

            “ Ladies,” Sr. Nora spoke, “come on now, settle down and we’ll have a restrained and orderly Q&A.”  Our calming took more than a little while. But it happened and Mr. Durkin came back to the Podium. ”Girls, this was not an easy decision.  We thought carefully, slowly and prayed for the answer to come. The parents of the board are just as upset as you are. Essentially this was our only option.”   (an aside: I must share that this writing is very difficult for me.  It brings it all to the fore of my mind and I weep as I type, not only for myself but for my sister Patrician’s alike.)

 

Then it came to me.  As the Bugle Sergeant for THE COLLEENS, our drum and bugle corps, how would we continue.  All of this came rushing to my head as I tried to figure out where I was going to go to school, and how it would affect the corps members.  We strove so hard to get to the point where we could be in parades, and represent the spirit of SPA to the community; through discipline, integrity, and the best we could twirl, blow  the horns and beat those drums.  The corps members were united in passion, not only in (oops dare I say it) discord through attempted harmonious music.  We represented something much bigger than the sum of our members.  We were THE ACADEMY GIRLS! ;  those that the general public saw at any rate.

 

Back to Mr. Durkin.  He explained things about which we knew nothing, and then opened the floor for “restrained discussion”.   There were some uncalled for remarks, but that was to be expected.  Let’s face it, he dropped an atom bomb in our gym.  He fielded questions re: the business of the school, the finances, how we got here, and why didn’t we sue the airlines that kept hitting the towers.  That would keep us running for sure.  Obviously, he was a pro at keeping his calm with very youthful, hormonal woman. 

            “  Why not let the kids who are enrolled now graduate and not take any more students.”?  Now we got to the meat and potatoes of reasoning.  “ It would not be fiscally or economically feasible or responsible.”  he answered.  And someone yelled out, “So our lives and well being come down to the almighty buck!”

            “In one way, yes.” Mr. Durkin responded and then added, “ The fourth floor is all ready condemned.  The Tower has been hit by the constantly growing O’Hare Airport  traffic.  The building has major structural damage which needs shoring up.  We’d have to raise the tuition to the unaffordable.  And we still wouldn’t meet the costs.   The school must close at the end of this year.  We’re all ready in the red.” and Sr. Nora came back to the podium. We were led in prayer and dismissed.

            Through the disbelief, shock, sniffling and tears, we went to our Home Rooms.  There we gathered our things as the dismissal bell rang clearly as it always did.  But as fate would have it, after dismissal on our final day, it would ring no more.

 

There is a bittersweet ending to this, though.  THE COLLEENS continued on until 1974, and won  First Place in All State B Class Corps Competition,1970.  The dedication of parents and students alike was phenomenal.  We marched as The St. Patrick Academy COLLEENS.  With our heads held high and our spirit proudly marching through the streets. we each knew  WE ARE ACADEMY GIRLS!"

 

 

 

"I lived in Des Plaines Illinois for most of my life.  I was looking at the page on your website devoted to the defunct St. Patrick's Academy.  The page stated that it is not known if the building is still standing.

I can tell you that the building was gone by the mid-1970s.  (The buliding was located at Touhy Avenue and Lee Street.)  The property remained vacant for many years, until an office complex was built, probably in the 1980s.  The Des Plaines Park District used part of the property for a while. (I received golf lessons there in the late 1970s.)

St. Patrick's Academy also played a part in the development of nearby St. Stephen Protomartyr church.  Before the parish church was built in 1952-53, Masses were held at the St. Patrick's chapel.  The Sisters of Mercy also staffed St. Stephen's School until around 1980 or so.

When I was a student at St. Stephen's in 1976, I was part of a group of students that the principal took to the still vacant site as part of a metal detector class.  There was not much left, only some remnants of tiled floor.  A friend of mine was startled when he stepped on a snake.  (The site was rather overgrown.)"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicago, IL  60631