WELCOME

This free website has been established as a place for classmates to find each other, to post old photographs and to share information. Please use the menus to find old classmates by graduation year, to add your information and to view photographs.

Share the memories. We'd love to have more class photos to put on the website. Please upload scanned photos via this website.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Read the wonderful article from the Philadelphia Inquirer about the April 27, 2008 Opening Celebration Mass.

FROM OUR PASTOR

June 23, 2008


Dear Alumnus of Lourdes:

Over a month ago, we inaugurated the Centennial Celebration at Our Lady of Lourdes School. It was an immense pleasure to see many of you here for the opening Mass, a wonderful, grace-filled event marked by memories, friends, old classmates and teachers, all together to commemorate this historic occasion. I look forward to seeing you again as we move forward toward our Centennial Gala in November, and the dedication of the new school cornerstone in June 2009, by His Eminence, Cardinal Justin Rigali.

I now wish to take this opportunity to bring you up-to-date on the many exciting things happening at your alma mater. Over the course of these past two years, the school has undergone a remarkable transformation. Of the numerous examples that I could give you, I want to point out to you that the standardized testing scores for students in Kindergarten through the Fourth Grade have significant improvements and are now at grade level or above. Indeed, Lourdes’ students have also exceeded the Archdiocesan average in their Technology skills. With these fantastic results, our parish school continues to maintain a vibrant enrollment, placing many of our new graduates into both private academies and Archdiocesan high schools.

While the majority of our students are non-Catholic, Our Lady of Lourdes strives to continue the same remarkable and Spirit-filled mission carried out for so many years. Your alma mater is on the forefront of the Church’s efforts to live the Social Gospel and the Mission of Evangelization. Some of our students, with their families, have become Catholic on account of our sustained commitment. Now, I am asking for your help in continuing this work for Christ.

For many years the school has been dependent upon the parish to meet its operational needs. We have reached the point at which the parish can no longer be the sole/primary source of support for the school. The school has run in serious operating deficit prior to my arrival in 2004. The parish has generously contributed to eliminate that deficit, but cannot sustain its financial support at the same level. The Friars and Sisters are dedicated to ensuring that your school – your place of fond memories – can flourish. But we cannot accomplish this alone.

I implore you to take a leadership role in helping us. I need help in finding grants, endowments, and other funding to guarantee the future of Our Lady of Lourdes School. After the excitement of celebrating 100 years, it would be a devastating tragedy to see the ‘Home of the Blue Knight’ close its doors forever. If we do nothing, this will be the sad conclusion to a long, illustrious history. Together, though, we can both honor our past, and enhance our future.

I have written to you, personally, because I believe that our school has the greatest potential to serve the children in this neighborhood. Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and School remains a ‘beacon’ of hope for so many here. I trust in your prayers and love for your alma mater. I need your help and I look forward to hearing from you soon. I may be reached at 215-473-1669.

In Christ,


Rev. Fr. James W. Mayer, O.de M. Pastor