School: Greenwood St. Mary's (School Dedication - 25 May 1952)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Phillips, Merkel, Hartung, King, Murphy, Augustine, Finnigan, Pitts, Treacy, Pritzl

----Source: Greenwood Gleaner (Greenwood, Clark Co., Wis.) (22 May 1952)

A long awaited dream will be realized this Sunday, May 25th, 1952, when His Excellency, Bishop John P. Treacy will come to St. Mary's Greenwood to dedicate the newly erected St. Mary's Grade Schoo, and to offer the Solemn Pontifical High Mass in the new school chapel.

Building operations for the new school got underway on April 22nd and the first concrete for the footing was poured April 25, 1951. The building operation were under the supervision of Mr. W.J. Merkel of Marshfield, while Mrs. Eugene Phillips of Milwaukee, Wis. was the Consultatory Architect. More than four thousand hours of common labor was given by the members of St. Mary's Congregation. In spite of material shortages that were encountered along the way, the building continued in steady progress, so much so, that in less than nine months from the actual day operations were begun. The chapel part of the new building was in for the midnight Mass on Christmas.

On January 15th the children of St. Mary's proudly entered its large spacious classrooms for the first day of school in the new building. It was indeed a real treat for the children who had made many sacrifices during the past years in the small quarters they occupied.

The school proper is composed of five large classrooms, school library, office supply closets, janitor room and two lavatories on the first floor. In the basement is the combination dining hall and chapel, which will comfortably seat five hundred people. Likewise there is a large modern spacious kitchen which is fully equipped with Westinghouse cooking appliances and a full set of dishes to prepare and serve three hundred people.

Invitations have gone out to the former Pastors of St. Mary's Greenwood to be with the members of the parish that day to celebrate with them their success and progress in the parish during the past year. Likewise, the members of St. Mary's parish and the one hundred and twenty children, the Sisters and the Pastor, Father Edward F. Hartung, kindly extend to all the community a most cordial invitation to celebrate the historical event with them. A dedication day dinner is being prepared by the ladies of the parish, to which they extend to all a cordial invitation. Serving will begin at 12:30 p.m.

At the Dedication Day Ceremonies Bishop Treacy, Bishop of the La Crosse Diocese, will be assisted by Father John Pritzl of Neillsville and Father Norbert King of Loyal as Deacons of Honor. Father John Muphy of Durand and Father Augustine of Willard will act as Deacon and Sub-Decason of the Pontifical Mass. Father James Finnigan will be Master of Ceremonies, assisted by the Pastor Father Edward F. Hartung. Monsignor John Pitts of Sacred Heart Parish, Eau Claire will be the Assistant Priest to the Bishop.

The young ladies of St. Mary's, along with the 6th, 7th and 8th grad students of St. Mary's School, under the able and capable direction of Sister Margaret Ann and Sister Roselma, will take charge of the music and the choir.