St. Joseph Center for Special Learning opened its doors in 1955 for children with special needs, and for the past 60 years the school faithfully continued that mission.
The students, parents, faculty and staff gathered with the Most Rev. John O. Barres, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown, on Thursday to celebrate the school’s diamond jubilee milestone with a Mass in the cafeteria.
Before Mass, Barres toured the building and visited the classrooms to meet with the children and staff. The school has 15 school-age children and six adults in a state-licensed adult habilitation program for those over 21 who, due to functional level, are unable to join the workforce.
Sponsored by the Allentown Diocese Office of Education, the school offers academic, social, religious and pre-vocational instruction to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Schuylkill County and surrounding counties regardless of race, creed and ethnic origin.
The Mass was celebrated by Barres in the school’s cafeteria and activity room. The concelebrants were the Rev. Leo Maletz, pastor of St. Matthew the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Minersville, and the Rev. Paul Rothermel, pastor of Most Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Tremont. Altar servers assisting at the altar were students and brothers, Tyler and Dillon Tray.
In addition to the students and their aides, the room was filled with parents, grandparents and other relatives, all of whom were greeted by Principal Roobhenn Smith before the Mass profession.
“Welcome to St. Joseph Center for Special Learning. This is a great time for us,” Smith said. “We are celebrating 60 years. Back in 1955, there was a vision to provide quality education in the area for children with special needs. We are continuing to live up to that vision up to this very day. I’m glad you’re all here to share in this celebration with us. We have Bishop Barres, our shepherd and our leader for the Diocese of Allentown, to celebrate with us today.”
Music throughout the Mass was provided by school religion coordinator Susan Kaczmarek, who played guitar and sang, assisted by student Keith Bouffard on drums.
“Happy 60th anniversary, everyone,” Barres said in his opening remarks. “I just want to begin by thanking you all for some incredible progress and forward thinking in terms of the future.”
Barres thanked Smith, the staff, and the members of the school’s Development Advisory Board who have provided “incredible guidance and energy.”
“And I especially want to thank our students. (Student) Brian Kirwan was with me on Sunday and he’s one of my chief ambassadors for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal,” Barres said. “And it’s so great to see all of our students and our friends who are such a great inspiration to all of us.”
Barres gave the homily after the reading of the Gospel and spoke of how the students are “special heralds” of mercy.
“We are celebrating the Jubilee Year of Mercy, and our students here at St. Joseph Center are special heralds and messengers of mercy,” Barres said. “Isn’t that incredible? You are messengers of mercy and you inspire all of us each and every day. For this Jubilee Year of Mercy and celebrating the 60th anniversary, we will just have one simple image for the homily for today. That image is opening a door. Opening the door of mercy, opening the door of mercy and Christ’s love. I want everyone to think of the door of your heart. As we open the doors of our hearts, we open the interiors of our hearts to the mercy of Christ so that we can share it with others. I’d like you to think of the door to St. Joseph Center as a door of mercy where we experience Christ’s mercy.”
During the Prayer of the Faithful general intercessions, student Debianne Herring, 7, helped in prompting the response of “Let us pray to the Lord” by pressing a large button on an electronic device used as a teaching tool in the classroom. Herring was assisted by her aide, Sierra Wilson, as teacher Jean Mahall held the device.
Near the close of Mass, students lined up near the altar and participated in a song called “I Love My Catholic School” with the 12 months of the year standing for a different aspect of the Catholic faith.
After Mass, a luncheon was held outside for everyone.
Originally known as the St. Joseph Day School, the school opened in November 1955 and was dedicated by Archbishop John F. O’Hara of Philadelphia on April 14, 1956. Instrumental in the founding of the school for special needs children was Monsignor John E. Boyle, former pastor of St. Patrick Church in Pottsville.
According to the school website, the original school was housed in the former Sisters of St. Joseph Convent on Mahantongo Street in Pottsville. Sister Irma Helen, SSJ, was the first principal and also taught the 25 children who attended St. Joseph’s. It wasn’t long before enrollment had increased and Sister Irma Helen added Sister Marie Cornelia, SSJ, to the faculty and divided the children into two classes.
Ten years later, in 1965, Sister Elizabeth Leona, SSJ, became the new principal and teacher. The enrollment was 27 at that time and Sister Mary Vincent, SSJ, was the other teacher. In 1967, Sister Carmelita, SSJ, replaced Sister Mary Vincent as teacher. When Sister Elizabeth Leona received a new assignment in 1974, Sister Carmelita became the new principal. At the same time, Philip Brown became the first teacher not belonging to the Clergy or religious order and a third class was formed. Also in 1974, Mary R. Burns, who had been volunteering her services as a dance instructor, was hired to teach dance and physical education. Burns remained until 1992.
In 1975, Sister Joan Kathleen, SSJ, came to the school as principal and teacher of the primary class. Sister Francis Helen, SSJ, and Nancy Neary taught the intermediate and advanced classes at this time. Sister Joan Kathleen was at the school until June 1981 and planned the celebration of the 25th anniversary in November 1980.
In 1981, Sister Susan Cunningham, SSJ, replaced Sister Joan Kathleen as principal. In 1985, the school’s name changed from St. Joseph Day School to St. Joseph Center for Special Learning in order to reflect an emphasis of a learning skills center and school rather than a day care facility. Cunningham, SSJ, remained until 1988 when Sister Kathleen McShane, SSJ, became principal.McShane immediately became involved in the Capital Campaign to raise the local funds needed for a new school building, which was then constructed at the present location of 2075 W. Norwegian St. in Pottsville. The ground-breaking ceremony was held May 9, 1989. The new school officially opened its doors on Dec. 18, 1989. It was dedicated on Feb. 11, 1990 by the Most Rev. Thomas J. Welsh, second bishop of Allentown.
McShane received a new assignment in 1991 and Sister Francis Helen, SSJ, became the principal. The Development Advisory Board was formed in 1990 and has been very active in assisting the school with public relations and fundraising to supplement the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. In 1994, Sister Francis Helen left to care for her parents and brother. Sister Grace Christi, SSJ, a former teacher of St. Joseph Center from 1989-91, became the new principal for the 1994-95 school year. Following Sister Grace’s departure, Richard Webb assumed the role of school principal for the 1999-2000 school year.
From 2002 to 2015, Julia Leibensperger served as principal and oversaw the school’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2005.
In August 2015, Roobhenn Smith became the principal and will complete his first year at the school, keeping the school on track with the mission of serving special needs student in a loving and nurturing environment where they are encouraged to reach their fullest potential.
