Recuerdos: a St. Augustine scrapbook
By José Roberto Juárez, Ph.D.
My 12 years at St. Augustine School (1941-1953) were very pleasant and formative. The combination of Sisters of Divine Providence and the Oblate priests (primarily Spaniards) molded my religious beliefs and practices (any failings, of course, are of my doing!). The nuns demanded (and got) discipline as well as study. My university professors at the undergraduate and graduate level always asked who had taught me to write. (I assume they meant write well.) I would thank all the Sisters who had demanded written essays from the early elementary grades (my mother, bless her, kept copies!) to high school. Sisters Clarissa, Stephen, Celine, and Alban in particular come to mind in developing my intellectual abilities. Sister Clarissa was a stickler for grammar and meaning. To this day I'm indebted to Sister Stephen for teaching me the mechanics of writing a research paper. This exercise allowed me to write a paper during my university sophomore year which the professor considered to be of graduate level. Sister Celine's geometry and algebra courses prepared me for the rigors of college math courses. Sister Alban's threat of a ruler on the knuckles stimulated me to reach the 90-words-per-minute typing goal. That skill has served me throughout my life. Oblate Father Jerónimo Olaizola taught our Spanish courses at a much higher level than taught in sophomore university courses. One day during my senior year Sister Celine asked me to take a standardized test. To my surprise the result was a four-year full scholarship to St. Edward's University. The demands made by our teachers prepared us to succeed in higher education.
One of my most pleasant memories is my participation in operettas, plays, choir concerts, and musical presentations. Preparing for these programs was very time consuming but it was always a joy to hear the applause at the end. I was always amazed at how the Sisters (with our yeoman labor) were able to transform the barren auditorium into make-believe scenes. Oblate Father Henry Janssen demanded perfect pitch, tone, and timing of everyone in the choir. Thanks to Sister Stephen and Father Janssen we learned to enjoy Gregorian chant, classical, and popular religious and secular music.
St. Augustine did not have a gym during my years there. At the elementary school level we used the area south of the church to play baseball and basketball or simply jump rope or run around. Once in high school we would use San Agustín Avenue to play baseball during the lunch hour. The fact that we did not have a gym did not prevent us from having some excellent basketball teams. The players would use San Agustín plaza to run their laps and then use the basketball court south of the church. Coach Richard Morales, Sr., provided his services free of charge and did a magnificent job.
The downtown St. Augustine School holds many memories for me, my wife Toni Martínez, and all the alumni who were educated there. Besides the nostalgia, why should we restore the school to its previous grandeur? Certainly, doing so will enhance our landmark Cathedral. Also, the school should always remain a monument to the work of the Sisters of Divine Providence, the lay teachers, and the Oblate priests. They educated many of the leaders of Laredo. The building sits at the very center where Laredo was founded almost 250 years ago (May 15, 1755). Excavations have revealed the exact location of the first temporary church put up in the 1750s. Visitors can see its outline in bricks. The second church begun in 1768 and used until 1873 was built at the corner of Grant St. and San Agustín Avenue. The remnants of the walls are in front of and under the entrance to the school. Efforts to prove, through DNA, that Don Tomás Sánchez is buried there are underway. Laredo must preserve and restore its very core.
The beautiful classrooms and the elegant auditorium would allow for conferences, receptions, a diocesan museum, and drama, musical, and dance productions. By restoring the St. Augustine School building we will be contributing to the revitalization of downtown Laredo . The City is initiating a river walk project. The El Portal bridge project is already under way. The Laredo Urban Mall Association is improving the Iturbide and surrounding area. The Webb County Heritage Foundation continues with its Villa Antigua project between Zaragoza and Lincoln Streets. The Plaza Theatre is being restored. We already have a Laredo Center for the Arts two blocks away.
During this year and the upcoming 250th celebration of the founding of Laredo , let's complement the efforts of these organizations to preserve the downtown area. The community can help reinvigorate downtown by contributing generously to the St. Augustine School Restoration Fund.
(José Roberto Juárez, Ph.D. is a graduate of St. Augustine School Class of '53.)
