I read all the newspaper stories today about Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, and while they all mentioned her Catholic School education at Cardinal Spellman High School, not one mentioned that — for the EIGHT years before that — she attended Blessed Sacrament School on Beach Avenue. So did I — at the same time.
Alas, we did not know each other but she was only one year younger so I’m sure we have some of the same experiences. I’m sure if I mentioned Father Dolan to Judge Sotomayor, she’d know exactly who I’m talking about.
You hear a lot about bad Catholic priests but Father Dolan was one of the best, a great guy. He spent many weekends taking students on various outings to make our worldview larger than just the Bronx and the projects. (I grew up in the Monroe Houses, a bit farther from the school than where Judge Sotomayor grew up in the Bronxdale Houses.) He had a great spirit about him and was funny besides. He has passed away now but there was never a hint of scandal in his life.
Because of him, I learned how to ice skate, roller skate, and swam in the famous pool at the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn. I saw the promenade there for the very first time on that trip with its gorgeous view of the skyline of lower Manhattan.
These were inexpensive trips but necessary for those of us whose experiences were very narrow. Father Dolan was showing us the world outside the Bronx, and teaching us how to get along, boys and girls, Irish, Italian, Latino and African-American, as we all traveled here and there by bus or subway.
By skipping over Judge Sotomayor’s experience at Blessed Sacrament, the newspapers are ignoring the eight formative years she spent before she attended Cardinal Spellman and Princeton. If you went to Blessed Sacrament you got a major league Catholic education. And despite what one always reads about pedophile priests, the education at Blessed Sacrament had none of that — it was rewarding in every sense. I’m sure Judge Sotomayor would agree.
hi rudy, regina, carol and…nancy conaway (you may not remember me)
lots of good memories from these postings. thanks paul.
i think the boy’s name who was killed on bruckner blvd was david zarena(spelling?)
rudy or regina please write me arnold.gibaldi@evonik.com
Hi! I was born directly across the street from Blessed Sacrament but moved to long island way before I started school. Both of my sisters went there and my parents were very involved. I have heard tons and tons of stores about Fr. Gorman and Fr. Dolan. My dad is turning 85 this year and I am looking for pictures of the old school/neighborhood. If anyone has any could you please send them to me at sammimom8@hotmail.com
grew up in 1780 Watson in the sixties—–lot of good memories
of the grey truck man…I used to go to pathmark and help people with their groceries for tips. If you could hustle up a couple of bucks, you had a feast! two sabrett franks,a bag of chips, a can of soda and a bag of penny candy for one dollar.
Mr. LaRosa,
Was searching for the “Bronxdale Reunion” web site when I found your site! Allow me to add my history……My root’s are deep as a 3rd generation “Bronxonian Native”, born and raised, I commend you for your blog! Judging by some of the years mentioned from some, I guess I’m older than most and can state that I was one of the first of my generation to live in Bronxdale before those of this blog lived in the area….I say that because, at the time, my parent’s were among the first to move into the “Bronxdale Projects”, from the South Bronx in ’51, when the only section was the 1st! We lived in 1735 on the corner of “Rosedale & Watson” Ave’s, before attending my first few years of grade school at P.S. 36, as I watched the 2nd & 3rd sections being built, everything on the opposite side of Bruckner Blvd was all flat land and the clearing of the land for “Rosedale Gardens” hadn’t started yet! All the streets, including Bruckner, were mostly dirt and cobble stone in some areas….Some years after we moved into 1815 Bruckner Blvd, between Bruckner & Watson on Beach Ave, of the 3rd section, Monroe was being constructed and I was attending JHS 125 by then in the early ’60′s then attended James Monroe HS….
I knew “Father Dolan”, as did all in his area, and met the “Conaways” in ’64! Father Dolan married the 2nd oldest daughter, Linda, and myself in ’70 four years after my discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps in late 1966!
Although we longer live in the Bronx, I felt a great rush of pride when Justice Sotomayor received her nomination! I felt the same way when “Sec of State Colin Powell”, who lived not too far from where I was first born and where the Conaways also lived, in the South Bronx, achieved his position! I’m also proud to say that as “JQ Public”, I was able to witness these historic events, especially that of “President Barack Obama”…….I never thought I’d live to see the day!
Growing up in the “Bronxdale Projects”, back then, thanks to my “Parent’s and Grandparent’s”, instilled a great sense of pride in me that helped fortify my instinctive sense of “survival”, when I became a U.S. Marine, and prevented me from becoming a tragic statistic of the streets…….
Semper Fi
PFC Arthur Jackson Jr.USMC (Ret.)
Hello Carol F,
I lived in the 3rd Section of Bronxdale,on Beach…. we called the old man, who sold his penny candy, soda and his great hot dogs w/mustard & onions in his truck, on the corner of Beach Ave @ Bruckner Blvd, “Pop”! Thank you for bringing back the “GREAT MEMORIES” of the early ’60′s! Does anyone remember the name of the movie theater to the left of the bakery between Beach & St. Lawrence on Westchester Ave? I’m guessing the name was the “St. Lawrence Theater”? I remember the sad day when it was shut down……spent a lot of Saturdays in there! You paid something under a dollar for a ticket back then….a quarter….I think?
Bronxdale Native
Hi – I lived in the Bronxdale projects,1730 Watson Ave across from the park. We were the first to have the apartment. I think the rent was $44 a month back then.
As far as the movie theater next to Sal & Dom’s bakery – I pretty sure it was called the Rosedale theater. The other two theater’s I remember were the Circle theater and the Ward theater where I saw West Side Story.
I remember Father Dolan who used to work out deals with the local movie houses and get us in for 35 cents. He was also a big baseball fan and would take the field with us in pick up games.
Hi – I lived in the Bronxdale Projects, 1775 Bruckner Blvd, what an amazing site this is, I didn’t attend The Blessed Sacrament School, I was one of many kids who would leave P.S 47 on Wednesday’s for CCD. Those are wonderful memories because it availed me and my sister Nancy to know Fr. Dolan, Fr. Gorman, Sister Regina, Fr. Rafferty and I just loved Monsignor Heart. He always had tricks for all of us and yes the trick with the quarter was I think one of his favorites. If anyone has pictures of these awesome priest and sister who touched all of our lives in a special way can you please share them with me I would be so grateful my email is domfonseca24@yahoo.com. Father Dolan was an Icon in my little life then and still now, he would take us to Orchard Beach, Circle Theater, St. Lawrence Theater, Ward Theater, Rye Playland, he loved us all. One of the other memories I had was seeing him and Fr. Gorman riding 10 speeds bikes down Rosedale Ave with there black cassock’s flying in the air, they enjoyed having as much fun with us as we did with them. All the kids would meet with parents and friends like, Mrs. Marquez, Mrs. Alonzo, Doris, Molly, Milligros, George, Carmen Marquez and Nancy Martinez, Dennis Martinez, Larry Larragoti, David Shrack, Maria Acosta, Tito Acosta and so many more kids. We loved going together to church dressing up and life was so simple then, Father Dolan would take us to Sal & Dom’s bakery that was a treat~they had the very best donuts and ice cold milk. There was a theater across the street and we would all go to the St. Lawrence Theater with Fr. Dolan. There was no issue if one kid didn’t have money because Father had arranged everything. I lived in the Blessed Sacrament Church just about, I was baptized there I made all my Sacraments and Father Dolan who had already been moved to another parish came back to marry me & George (at my request) I couldn’t imagine not being married by Fr. Dolan. We now live in Steubenville, Ohio and for my best friends Wedding Anniversary we came back to the Bronx last summer and stopped in for Mass at The Blessed Sacrament Church what a blessing. I remember in 1973 calling Fr. Dolan to thank him for his selflessness and unconditional love how his example affected my life this is something I will always be thankful for, I am convinced he is a Saint. I know he went door to door and that his ministry was tireless, I heard that he had a heart attack while coming out of a visit with someone who he was ministering to. Someone mention about the Grey truck that was on the corner of Watson Ave and Bruckner Blvd we used to call him Pop’s he sold penny candy, hot dogs with onions , pop’s introduced me to pretzels with mustard 5 cents then what about his ice cream, Italian ices 10 cents and soda’s 15 cents what great memories. Every time I am in the Bronx it is home for me and forget about how I feel about The Blessed Sacrament Church, it’s in my heart forever.
thanks for your input. we all loved those priests….
Carol,
I remember that bakery too which I went to after class. I lived across the street from BSS, and went home for lunch every day and watched “Jeopardy”. I believe that we were actually in the East Bronx, not the South Bronx.
Ralph
the more of these comments i get the more i’m convinced that fr. dolan was really an amazing priest. he made quite an impression on me at the time and i’ve always remembered him fondly but i can see by these comments that he’s touched many many other people as well. one of the reasons i now live in brooklyn, i think, is because fr. dolan took us on a trip to the st. george’s pool in brooklyn heights many years ago. after the swim, he took us up on the promenade where i was mesmerized by the view of the nyc skyline from that spot. years later, when i got married, i suggested we move to brooklyn heights and i’ve been living in this borough ever since…..i trace it to that swimming trip with fr. dolan. i’d never been in brooklyn before that!!