Last alumna of first graduating class remembers Sacred Heart School, Troy

By KATHLEEN LAMANNA- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

When Marjorie Hope started the fourth grade at the newly-opened Sacred Heart School in Troy, Calvin Coolidge was the president of the United States, Charles Lindbergh had crossed the Atlantic in the "Spirit of St. Louis" and Babe Ruth had just hit his 60th home run of the season for the New York Yankees.

That was in 1927. Having lived in Troy just about her entire life, Mrs. Hope -- now 98 -- is the last living member of Sacred Heart's first graduating class. The Evangelist spoke with her as Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 29-Feb. 4, was wrapping up in the Albany Diocese.

When the school opened, its initial 119 students were welcomed by then-pastor Rev. Edward Walsh and Mother James Marie McCann, CSJ, the principal and Mrs. Hope's teacher for all four years she spent at Sacred Heart.

"My parents really wanted me to go to Sacred Heart," Mrs. Hope recalled.

Let me go
Young Marjorie McNamara (her maiden name) was excited to go to the brand-new Catholic school, too. Back then, there was no tuition; she and her younger brother, who was in kindergarten at the time, could attend for free.

Sacred Heart initially just had first through fourth grade. But "each year, they built another classroom," Mrs. Hope remembered.

When she enrolled, there were 32 students in her class. Graduating from the eighth grade in 1932 with 34 classmates, Mrs. Hope went on to Catholic Central High School in Troy just as Amelia Earhart was making her first transatlantic solo flight.

Mrs. Hope's middle school has forever held a special place in her heart, though: "I always loved Sacred Heart."

She remembers wearing her uniform at Sacred Heart, and not having recess because "we walked home for lunch.

"If it snowed, we'd bring our sandwich [to eat at school instead], wrapped in newspaper," she added.

Faith-filled
She enjoyed having Mother James Marie as her teacher every year.

"She was tough," the alumna said. "You knew they were nuns and you respected them."

Mrs. Hope also remembers learning how to pray in school. She gained a deep devotion for Mary while at Sacred Heart.

Her teacher taught her how to make a May altar, with materials a bit less likely to be found around the house now: "We made little steps out of cigar boxes." A figurine of Mary stood at the top of the steps, surrounded by pressed crepe paper. "I made one in my home every year."

The big activity for Mrs. Hope's male classmates was basketball. She spoke of attending their games, though she said the girls weren't allowed to be involved in athletics.

Ironically, Mrs. Hope grew up to be an aerobics instructor at the local YWCA.

After school
In 1945, she married her husband, Leo, an electrical contractor and Navy veteran. The couple had five children, two of whom have since passed away, and were married for 69 years until Leo's death just two years ago.

All of Mrs. Hope's children attended Sacred Heart, too. When going back to the school for her children's events, Mrs. Hope said she noticed one thing: The desks were much smaller than she remembered.

Kathleen Hope, Mrs. Hope's daughter, noted that when her mother went to Sacred Heart, it was run by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet. Today, sisters from the order visit Mrs. Hope every day through the order's Sisters Care program, which provides companionship to seniors.

The sisters keep her company or take her to appointments, since Mrs. Hope still lives on her own.

"It's good for my mother," said Kathleen Hope.

In 2013, Sacred Heart parish celebrated its 100th anniversary. Mrs. Hope, who's now a grandmother of 10 and a great-grandmother of nine, was honored for her status as a special alumna of the parish school, receiving a bouquet of flowers.

Still energetic at 98, Mrs. Hope told The Evangelist that her secret is "exercise and wine...not necessarily in that order."[[In-content Ad]]