Thursday, September 5, 2013

After 100+ years, IHES to vanish

Immaculate Heart Elementary School closed its doors for good in 2006. And now years later, as the building sits dilapidated and decaying, it will soon vanish from the heart of Girardville, PA.. And gone with it the memories of countless children who called it their home for the most formative years of their lives...
Sr Monica where are you now!?
Thais! Save us!
Mrs. O'Connor.... please no!

John Usalis from the POTTSVILLE REPUBLICAN wrote in a page 1 lead today that the building will be razed 'quickly' by Northeast Industrial Corp from Shamokin, PA.. It is going to cost $53,500 to do it..

According to Matt Kerr, our friendly voice from the Allentown Diocese (Cardinal Brennan Chargers should know his name well), the building is in disrepair.. a roof is leaking.. the sidewalk is crumbling.. and if you look close as you zoom by the building, the area where the wall seems to be caving is was Mr. Schappel's former 7th grade classroom.. may God rest his soul.

And may God rest the soul of the former IHES...

It was perhaps the happiest school I ever attended. I switched from Holy Spirit in Mt Carmel during the 6th grade, and arrived in Girardville to meet friends who lasted so far for a lifetime.. (Funny enough, Holy Spirit, IHES, and CB are all closed.. am I the curse??) 

And what does the friendly Father Connelly want to do? He wants a parish hall. But he is realistic, I suppose, telling Usalis that 'more realistically, it will be a parking lot' ...

Great. Another parking lot.. another area of nothing. Another school gone, and the death of Catholic education in the coal region only amplifies by the crumbling infrastructure of a once beautiful school...