St. Joseph Center for Special Learning held its eighth annual Arbor Day program on Friday and dedicated a tree to a late pastor who was a very good friend and supporter of the school.
The Japanese maple planted recently on the school grounds in Pottsville was dedicated during the 11 a.m. ceremony to the late Rev. John W. Bambrick, the pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church in Ashland who died unexpectedly March 11.
The school children, faculty and staff, and friends of Bambrick gathered near the tree that had been planted recently by the Pottsville Shade Tree Commission, whose president, Joseph T. Orlowsky, and other members were in attendance.
The dedication of the tree was held in a short ceremony near other trees dedicated in previous years. This is the eighth year that trees have been dedicated at St. Joseph Center, but this is the ninth tree since two trees were dedicated in 2009, the first year the school began the Arbor Day tradition.
Also attending was state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry fire forester Steven Ziegler, Pottsville City Councilwoman Dorothy L. “Dottie” Botto and the Rev. Robert Reilly, who blessed the new tree with holy water using a short evergreen branch. After blessing the tree, he used the holy water to bless everyone in attendance.
School secretary Nannette Brophy Major opened the ceremony.
“Thank you to everyone today for celebrating Arbor Day with us,” Major said. “Thanks to the Pottsville Shade Tree Commission and Joe Orlowsky, we have a Japanese maple and dedicating it to Father John Bambrick in his memory. We have many of his good friends here with us today.”
Due to Reilly’s delay, his friend, Paul Gombola, Pottsville, was asked to bless the tree.
“This dedication is for Father Bambrick, my good friend. I’ll miss him terribly,” Gombola said after his blessing. “I met him in the junior year in high school and we graduated together. We all went to school together on Sept. 9, 1960. My father, Paul, drove me and Father John to St. Charles (Borromeo) Seminary. We both entered the seminary and he stayed and I didn’t. He was a wonderful friend. I had dinner with him three weeks before he passed away.”
Major showed a small metal plaque and read the inscription:
Dedicated Arbor Day 2016
St. Joseph Center for Special Learning
In Loving Memory of Our Friend
Reverend John W. Bambrick
Major and Orlosky attached the plaque to the tree.
Ziegler spoke briefly representing the Arbor Day Foundation to honor the City of Pottsville as the recipient of the “Tree City USA” award for this year.
“I’d like to commend Pottsville for outstanding urban tree care with this award,” Ziegler said. “In order to receive this award, a community must follow the guidelines set by the Arbor Day Foundation. These guidelines include that they must have an active community tree ordinance, have a tree board or department such as a shade tree committee, a community forestry program with an annual budget of $2 per capita, and to celebrate Arbor Day, which we’re doing here today. Pottsville has done a great job adhering to these standards for the last 28 years. That’s quite an accomplishment to be able to follow those guidelines and go above and beyond. So please help me congratulate all those involved in the community of Pottsville and all the cooperating agencies that help out to help make this a green city. Happy Arbor Day.”
Ziegler presented a Tree City USA flag to the city as its award.
Botto was next to speak, reading a proclamation on behalf of Pottsville Mayor James T. Muldowney that declared April 29, 2016, as Arbor Day in the city.
Reilly arrived and put on the stole over his shoulders to conduct the official blessing.
“May this tree be a symbol of God’s love for us, bring shade to those who rest under it, and be a place for the birds to rest and sing and hopefully build their nests. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen,” Reilly said in his blessing prayer.
In 2009, the first two trees were dedicated, one to the late Monsignor John E. Boyle, who was pastor of St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church in Pottsville and helped make St. Joseph Day School a reality in 1955. The school’s name changed to its current on in 1985. The second tree that year was dedicated to Sister Janice Marie Johnson, RSM, who was leaving her position as the Diocese of Allentown supervisor of special learning schools and programs, and recognizing her support of the school. Sister Janice is currently the coordinator of the diocesan Office for Ministry with Persons with Disabilities.
The third tree, dedicated in 2010, recognized the donated labor and materials by the Wal-Mart Distribution Center at the Highridge Business Park to make improvements and upgrades to the school. The fourth tree in 2011 memorialized the late Emil Rushanan, who had assisted the school in many ways since its dedication. The fifth tree in 2012 was dedicated to the late Joseph A. Brennan, who was active with the school as DAB chairman and whose daughter was a student at the school. The sixth tree in 2013 was dedicated to the late Albert V. Schulze Jr., who was instrumental in securing the financial needs of the school for its construction and operation over many years.
In 2014, a tree was dedicated to the late Elizabeth “Betty” Kerwick, who served many years on the school’s Development Advisory Board, and in 2015, a tree was dedicated to the late Patricia “Pat” Schilbe, who spent many years as a volunteer reader at the school.