(1870-1938)
This is the story of a sequence of events which started in France before the French Revolution(1790’s). The events occurred over 150 years and led to the meeting of two high school students in the basement of a famous High School in San Antonio Texas in 1950..
The story begins with Fr. {now Blessed} William Joseph Chaminade who was born in Perigueus (peh-ruh-gow) France in 1761. He was the 14th child of a deeply Catholic family. Three of his brothers became priests and in 1771 he entered the minor seminary of Musedan and was ordained a priest in 1785 at the age of 24.
The next major player in this story is the French Revolution which started in 1789 and ended in 1799. In 1791 Chaminade refused to take the oath so-called “Civil Constitution of the Clergy,” which was an attempt to reorganize the Roman Catholic Church in France on a national basis. Fr Chaminade clandestinely exercised his priestly ministry putting his life in constant danger in Bordeaux.
In 1797 he was driven into exile to Saragossa, Spain where he lived for three years. There he prayed daily at the shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar. Continuing a devotion to the Blessed mother that was formed in the earliest days of his childhood. He was inspired by Our Lady of the Pillar, to found a religious society known as the Society of Mary, also known as Marianists.
Picture of Memorabilia from Central Catholic High School
In 1800 He returned to France and in 1817 a group young men came to Chaminade with the goal of forming a religious institute under his direction. Some sodalists wanted to make a more complete commitment to the Church. So, with Fr. Chaminade in 1817 these faithful men Founded the Society of Mary committing themselves to forming others in faith, primarily through education at Bordeaux. Chaminade sought to establish a network of schools to train Catholic teachers, but this effort was checked by another Revolution in 1830. However, both of Chaminade's religious institutes continued to grow: the Daughters of Mary, (which he and a Nun founded in 1816) started schools in south-western France to educate rural women. The Society of Mary expanded in France and spread to Switzerland (1839) and the United States of America (1849)Dayton Ohio. Then San Antonio 1852.
Father Chaminade died in 1850 in Bordeaux and In the year 2000, Pope John Paul declared Fr Chaminade Blessed.
Jean-Marie Odin, C.M., (February 25, 1800 – May 25, 1870) was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the second archbishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans from 1861 to 1870. Odin previously served as the first vicar apostolic of Texas from 1841 to 1847 and as the first bishop of the Diocese of Galveston in Texas.
Bishop Odin and Sisters from the Ursuline Order of New Orleans established an academy in Galveston in 1847 to provide education and religious instruction for young girls. In 1848, Bishop Odin brought Ursulines to San Antonio. They purchased 10 acres of land in San Antonio along the San Antonio River and construction began to establish Ursuline academy.
At first there was a Clock Face only on the Southside East and West of the clock tower. Initially it was thought that the city would never develop toward North
· Later known as Southwestern School of Art at the Ursuline Academy
· Now part of UTSA
Why did the French Marianists go to Texas? Four French Marianist missionaries traveled to Texas to open a school at the behest of Galveston Bishop Odin. In May 1852, three brothers stepped off the Indianola stagecoach to get a glimpse of downtown San Antonio where they would establish their school.
Picture of West side of Military Plaza 1850’s (note: dome of San Fernando Cathedral on left)
· The Marianists arrived in San Antonio from France and opened St. Mary's School for boys in 1852, just 16 years after the Battle of the Alamo, in a room above a Blacksmith shop at the Southwest corner of Military Plaza.
A Blacksmith shop of that era.
In 1852, Military Plaza was a rowdy, bustling center of activity as a gathering place and market. These places and events are important because they lead up to the establishment of Central Catholic High School.
Students of St. Mary’s Institute c 1853
· Photo: Military Plaza SW corner today.
· San Antonio City Hall is located on Military Plaza
St. Mary’s Institute (2nd follower of school above Blacksmith)
Note: St. Mary’s Church tower on the right. This 4 story building was the Catholic Boy’s School before Central Catholic opened in 1932. Sue’s Dad Gildas Gorrell graduated from there in 1925.
NOTE: I graduated in 1950 from Central and our 4 sons and my grandson Matthew McClure went to Central. Jeff, my second oldest son graduated from Central in 1975
After Central opened this 4 story building became St, Mary’s University Law School downtown.
Today, 170 years later, the site of the school on the bank of the Riverwalk houses the world-class Omni La Mansion Hotel (initially known as La Posada)
Historical Plaques along the San Antonio River commemorating the buildings and events leading to Central and St, Mary’s University.
Central Catholic High School
In 1932, the high school programs at St. Mary's Academy on the river relocated from the College Street campus to what became Central Catholic High School
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The Marianists arrived in San Antonio from France and opened St. Mary's School for boys in 1852 . and 180 years later In 1932 Central Catholic High School opened.
Foot NOTE: Bishop Odin also in addition to bringing Ursulines and Marianists to San Antonio established the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament from Lyons, France, in Brownsville, where they opened Villa Maria Academy for girls in 1853, after arriving in Galveston in June 1852.
Founded as St. Mary's Institute, the school opened on Aug. 25, 1852, with a faculty of five and an enrollment of twelve boys.[ In 1921 all college classes were transferred from downtown to the St. Louis College campus. In 1923, St. Louis College became St. Mary's College with an enrollment of twelve in the freshman class. Grade school and high school students remained at the downtown school, which adopted the name St. Mary's Academy. The new St. Mary's College quickly gained senior college status and in 1927 the first class of bachelor's degree candidates graduated from the newly renamed St. Mary's University.[6]
Norbert George Moellering was born September 23, 1915 in Florissant, Missouri Joined the Society of Mary and was ordained at St. Meinrad's Seminary in Indiana on June 11, 1946. Texas assignments included teaching in Victoria and several years at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio including 1949 and 1950.
During the summer of 2000 he was assigned to the Marianist Residence in San Antonio for health reasons and died in San Antonio, Texas on May 5, 2006 at the age of 90.
1949 Homer starts Senior year, Sue enters Junior year at Ursaline academy
1950 Fr. Moellering invites principals at Ursaline, Incarnate Word and St. Mary’s High School Downtown to send girls to Central for Square Dance Lessons.
#7 and #8 Pictures after #10
Senior Picture 1951
3rd person standing from the left: Joe Tarrillion (later Fr. Joe Tarrillion Now Deceased)
Note date (Feb. 21) above Caller’s head
Sue and I always claimed Feb 14 (Valentine’s Day) 1950 as our 1st meeting
So that is when and what occurred over 150 yrs, that played a role in our meeting in the basement of Central Catholic High School.
In Summary
1. If Fr Chaminade had not been exiled to Spain because of the French Revolution
2. and been inspired to Establish the Society of Mary
3. and if Bishop Odin had not requested the #4Ursulines and #5 Marianists to come to San Antonio and establish Ursuline Academy and the St. Mary’s Academy which became Central Catholic High School
#6 And if Norbert Moellering had not become a Society of Mary priest and assigned to Central in 1950 and invited girls from the S.A. Catholic High Schools for Square Dance Lessons
#7 And if the Sue’s parents had not sent Laura Sue to Ursuline Academy
#8 And if my Mother had not sent me to Central
#9 I may never have met the love of my life Laura Sue Gorrell in February 1950
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Four years later: the rest of the story
SUE’S Mom and Dad: Inez and Gildas Gorrell and my Mother Gertrude Lamm Fetzer
The beginning of a Beautiful Life together for 65 yrs. as partners with 5 wonderful talented children, and an untold number of travel experiences and friends some with as many children as we had.
Sue in 1966 during a summer trip to Tennessee
5 Fetzer children in 1966 during the same summer trip to Tennessee
Sue was a Hugger, never met a stranger, and always gave hugs when meeting! I could not have found a more loving, wonderful spouse.
Thank You God for Sue who is looking down on us from her Heavenly Home!