One Last Trip Down Memory Lane
OLV Sign with handprintsHeather Jauquet/Author
As the world begins to open up after 15 months of isolation and distancing, one community staple closed its doors for the last time.
On the evening of June 11, 2021, hundreds gathered to walk the halls one last time to say goodbye to a beloved school. Former students and staff stopped by to walk the halls, visit old classrooms, and reminisce with fellow students and staff about their time at Our Lady of Victory Catholic School on Wilkens Avenue.
Desks and chairs were pushed to the center of the room while books and materials were balanced haphazardly on the surfaces. The rooms were both a time capsule and an ending of an era. Memories and laughter were shared between former classmates as families walked through empty classrooms.
Our Lady of Victory Catholic School first opened its doors in September 1957 and closed its doors to attending students for the last time on June 10, 2021. A final Mass was celebrated to send off the students not only for the summer but for their future academic endeavors. Previous Our Lady of Victory pastors Fr. Timothy Klunk and Fr. John Rapisarda joined current pastor, Father Bill Keown, Deacon Bill Jauquet, and Deacon Maurice Afor as they celebrated Mass for the school.
Students will move onto other Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore or back to their home public school. In an attempt to help place former OLV students, administrators from neighboring Catholic schools met with parents via a zoom conference to provide information about their schools. OLV families were assured that they had available seats at the neighboring schools should they wish to continue their education within the Archdiocese of Baltimore for the 2021-22 school year.
Some staff has been able to secure teaching positions within the Archdiocese but at a lower pay rate. Others are still looking for positions to continue with their career as Archdiocesan teachers. With summer here and more area Catholic schools closing, it is getting harder to find those jobs.
At a glance and by the numbers, the student-teacher ratio at Our Lady of Victory was 13:1. An average of 20 students attended each class. The school had 194 total students which are far too few to maintain the operation of the school.
In a letter to parents on April 16, 2021, Our Lady of Victory shared that with enrollment down 33% for several years coupled with the significant financial strain of the pandemic on both the school and the parish leaving Our Lady of Victory with a “deficit of $450,000.” The letter further states “the school cannot meet the operational expenses as well as the growing educational resource needs of our students.”
Our Lady of Victory School has changed the lives of countless students since its founding in 1957 and will always hold a special place in our hearts.”—Our Lady of Victory School, in a letter to parents
The letter further states, “It had been our hope that the school would see an increase in enrollment this year, such has been experienced by many other Catholic schools in Baltimore and surrounding counties. Unfortunately, that was not the case and has led us to make this sad and very painful decision. We understand that this news is upsetting. Our Lady of Victory School has changed the lives of countless students since its founding in 1957 and will always hold a special place in our hearts.”
When Our Lady of Victory School first opened its doors, it started with grades 1-4. The plans were to add one grade each year until a total of eight elementary grades were reached. In 1962, OLV School saw both its first kindergarten class and first graduating class. Before the doors closed on the school for the last time, it had grown to 19 classrooms, a learning center, Sr. Ruth Hindley Hall, a library, a health room, and offices.
It was truly “an experience in Christian living.”
Did you go to Our Lady of Victory Catholic School? What are your thoughts on its closing? What are some of your favorite memories? Let me know in the comments.