Father Doran

Friday, September 26,

Dear Andrew and John,

All is quiet and not much news but Wednesday night, when I drove to the store for bread, I decided to drop by St. John's on my way back and had a nice long talk with Father Doran. First of all, the door was opened by his brother, Mr. Doran, a layman, who is principal of the school. While waiting for Father to come down he told me how he came out of the service in 1945 (he looks about 50 now) and had to get out of business on doctor's orders. He came to St. John's when his brother was transferred from. St. Thomas Acquinas on Roland Avenue in Baltimore and is still there. It was just in 1945 that they started the school. They took an old building not much larger than a couple of chicken houses along side the church and fixed it up to accommodate the first 26 children. Father Doran looks a lot like a Brother Patrick (not Thomas Patrick) we had at St. Joe but taller. He's swell and I told him all about you. He says if you have time, one thing he'd like you to do when you return is put on a play for him; they've never had one but evidently have the auditorium in the new school. The new school was put up in 1950 and cost about $300,000. It doesn't look like more than a half dozen rooms and maybe the hall, but you know prices. He said when they first started the school idea in the ramshackled building people didn't really believe it. They set aside two days in August for registration and he said, would you believe it, up to five minutes of twelve on the second day, the only registrants were five Protestants. However, they started off with about 26 and now must have many more for the sisters whipping by in the station wagon seem to number six or seven; and they have two new buses which cover the area and, according to their schedule, make several trips each. Father Doran also told me they have a congregation of 500, counting men, women and children. The little chat lasted over an hour and both were so darn nice I am sorry for doubting them; in fact, Ann called Peterson's store to find out where I was.

Today is very warm, about 80°, but the nights are cool and we've had the heat on--down to fifty. The fog was so thick this morning I had to creep along till I hit Loch Raven.

Saw just one more TV show from 9:30 till 10:00 Wednesday when I got back; called "The Hunter" with Barry Nelson. Very good! And then Ralph Belamy stuck his fat face in at the end to say he is coming back next week with Man Against Crime to replace it.

END OF LETTER

Next Posting: September 29, 1952

Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner