Stella Sisters Reunite in 2nd Annual Celebration - The Wave (2024)

After a successful gathering last year, generations of alumnae from Stella Maris High School returned to their old stomping grounds again on Saturday, Oct. 5, for another day of celebration, reunion, and sisterhood.

Established in 1943 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, Stella Maris High School was an all-girls, Catholic high school at 140 Beach 112th Street until its closure in 2010 due to low enrollment. While the Diocese of Brooklyn has since leased the school’s building to the Board of Education, the adjacent Stella Maris Convent remains operational with many nuns living in residence.

Last weekend’s celebration on the convent’s back lawn saw the return of countless Stella alumnae across various classes, from Sr. Miriam Anna Morgan, an alumna of the class of 1956, to Lauren Towey, who was only a freshman when the school closed in 2010 and now currently works in the Stella Maris Convent.

Much like the school’s 80th anniversary celebration last year, the weather held up for the 2nd annual gathering, allowing the alumnae to enjoy a bright sunny day with a light breeze as they told stories and shared memories of their time together.

“We welcome everyone on this glorious day to your beloved sacred ground of Stella Maris High School,” Sr. Tesa Fitzgerald, the president of the Sisters of St. Joseph Leadership Council, said in opening remarks. “I know your memories are deep and fond and wonderful, and they’re life-giving. Look where all of you have gone from this beloved institution [with] all your lives’ journeys, and yet, you come here today to celebrate what held you together: so many good values, good times, good memories, and, I hope, a lot of good education.”

As per Stella Maris tradition, Fitzgerald rang the Angelus Bell near the convent before reciting the Angelus Prayer. In further remarks, Fitzgerald acknowledged the alumnae present for the celebration while also remembering the sisters, staff, and administrators who have gone before them.

CSJ Associates Director Colleen Keegan O’Brien, the celebration’s organizer and an alumna of the class of 1972, credited the nuns of Stella Maris for helping develop the school’s alumnae into the successful women they are today and remarked about their ongoing efforts to give back.

“We are very generous in spirit,” Keegan O’Brien said. “When we [the class of 1972] had our 50th anniversary reunion, we made a donation to the Sisters of St. Joseph toward the Villa chapel out at Hampton Bays. Now, in following up [on] our generosity of our spirit, the class of 1974, who just celebrated their 50th, has a donation to make.”

From there, Nancy Corrigan, an alumna of the class of 1974, presented Fitzgerald with a check, representing the first of many donations that will go toward the renovation of the chapel inside the Stella Maris Convent.

“This chapel, here, means a lot to a lot of people and particularly to the sisters who live here and spend a lot of time in the chapel not only in prayer but also reflection,” said Jorge DeJesus, the director of mission advancement for the Sisters of St. Joseph. “Our goal for this year, this next year, is to be able to raise the funds to be able to renovate this chapel very quickly; we hope to do this in the next several months.”

In addition, DeJesus announced that the Sisters of St. Joseph plans to resurrect the Stella Maris Alumnae Association, with representatives from each of the graduating classes and a new directory with updated contact information.

After lunch, the alumnae all gathered together for a group photo and were joined by many of the nuns who reside in the convent. As the nuns joined the group photo, DeJesus reiterated the plans to renovate the convent’s chapel, resulting in applause from the crowd.

“We know you have a chapel that we’re going to work on, so we’re going to try to raise the funds and build this new beautiful, sacred space for you,” DeJesus said. “We’re going to work really hard.”