St. Rose School in Girard exemplifies family bond to community

By danny restivo

drestivo@vindy.com

girard

Mary Ellen Britt and her sister, Rose Ann Lubert, can vividly remember the traditional Catholic-school uniforms they wore while attending St. Rose School.

“Sometimes the nuns would make you bend down, and if your skirt wasn’t long enough to touch the ground, they would make you change,” said Lubert. “The school is a little different now.”

Britt and Lubert, who fondly laugh about their formative years at the school, left St. Rose in 1960 and 1966, respectively. The sisters now watch as their nieces and grandchildren blossom at the same school they did.

“It’s just special to have multiple generations from one family attend one school,” said Britt.

Britt’s family reflects the bond that has tied the school and community together for nearly a century.

In September, the school will celebrate its 100th birthday. Britt and Lubert are among a group who are gathering names of former St. Rose students to inform them of a Sept. 29 Mass and dinner in honor of their childhood school.

Patrick Rubinic left the school for Ursuline in 1978. His children — Tess, a seventh-grader, and Patrick Jr., a fifth-grader — carry on the Rubinic family tradition at the school. He said St. Rose is a cornerstone of the community with its history for many families.

“It’s a family-oriented environment,” said Rubinic. “You don’t realize how important it is to you until you get older.”

According to church records, Monsignor Edward A. Kirby became pastor at St. Rose parish in 1909. As the area became more industrialized, European immigrants flocked here for jobs, and the parish began to grow. In April 1913, Kirby was able to secure three lots of land near the church’s current location before signing a contract to build the original school for $15,000. In the 1950s, the number of families attending the parish increased to 6,800 from 5,500 a decade earlier. In 1956, Monsignor Norman P. Kelly helped break ground for a new school. That building is where classes take place since the original St. Rose School was torn down in August 2010.

Mayor James Melfi said four generations of his family went to the school. His daughter, Nicole Melfi, is now a fourth-year instructor who teaches religion to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. The younger Melfi said the school is an extension of her bloodline.

“I love this school because it means family to me,” she said.

Britt said she’s seen the school go through several changes, including a drop in enrollment from a peak of 1,115 in 1964 to 252 today.

Though her three grandchildren no longer wear the plaid “jumpers” or receive “the strict discipline that taught you how to act like ladies and gentlemen,” she said the school still is a staple of the community.

“Its just good to know the school is continuing traditions that a lot of people want to see continued,” said Britt. “It’s been the jewel of our community.”

St. Rose alumni interested in attending the mass and dinner can call 330-545-2495, or email strosealumni@yahoo.com.