ST JOHNS PARISH

ST JOHNS SCHOOL BOYS 1918 AND 1921

Dear Scottie Press, I was given the name of the web site by a UK friend. In the archives section, part is dedicated to the parish and school of St John The Evangelist. My father and at least two of his brothers attended St John's School from the early 1900s to the mid 1920s and I have two photographs that may interest you for the site. One is of Class IIIA in December 1918 and the other is of Standard V in 1921. In the photo of 1918, my father, William LOMAS, then aged 9, is second from left in the front row. Although the details on the slate held by the boy in the middle of the front row are not visible, scanning of the slate at high resolution reveals that the photo is of Class IIIa and that it was taken in December 1918. It first appeared that the day was 1st December, but as this was a Sunday I rejected it and subjected the detail to further scanning and analysis. It seems that the date could be the 4th (a Wednesday) or the 9th (a Monday) of December. On information obtained from my brother, I believe that one of the boys in the back row is named Gerahty (Sp?), who was described as tall and blond. This person went on to teach at Holy Name School in Fazakerley. I was a pupil at Holy Name from Easter 1944 to July 1947 and Mr Gerahty was a teacher in this period. He married another teacher from Holy Name, a Miss Walsh.

In the 1921 photo of Standard V, my father is fifth from left in the second row from front. In June of 1921, my father would have been 12. When these photos were taken, my father's family lived in Howley Street, which I believe was off Fountains Road. My father and at least two, possibly three, of his brothers attended St Johns between about 1900 and 1923 and I am trying to trace any St John's School archives of the period. On information received yesterday, I believe that these may be held in St Anthony's Church, Scotland Road. If you have information, I would greatly appreciate it.

I am in contact with a contemporary pupil from Holy Name, a Dr Chamberlain. His father and three of his father's brothers also attended St John's School in the same period as my father and his brothers. William 'Bill' Lomas (France)

ST JOHN'S BOYS 1954

St John's School pupils are photographed in1954. This is the same class of boys but four yours younger than the class featured in the 1958 photo (see below). The 1954 photo pictures Mr Burke's class 2a. The boy third from right back row is me Vincent Rolston. I left in 1954 to go to St Paul's west derby .the boy on my right is John Nelson and to my left is Michael Fagan and Trevor Merasis. I hope this can bring back some good memories. Best wishers Vince

ST JOHN'S PUPILS 1958

Our thanks go to Tim Donovan for sending this photograph, which pictures pupils of St John's School (Lathom Street Huts). The photo was taken in 1958 and pictures Phil Sweeney, John Shields, Tommy Dalton, Jimmy Postlethwaite, F Burns, Peter Edwards, Jimmy McVey, Tony Harrison, Tony McGowan, Michael Jordon, Peter Morgan, John Duggan, Mick O'Neill (Race Horse Trainer), Tommy Rock, Bernie Morgan, Morris Hemmings, Francis Collier, Robin Smith, John Allen, Tim Donovan, Billy Williams, Mr Thomas (Teacher), John Grey, Paddy McGunniess, Chris Barton, Robbie Barlow, Billy Kelly (Tommy Smith's cousin), Tony Goldstein (sadly deceased), Bobby McCabe, Roy Lackey, John Nelson, Jimmy Dunleavey. When this photo was taken there were two lads not pictured - Dave McManaman and Joe Owens.

ARKLOW REVISTED

Dear Scottie Press,
I was in Dublin a couple of weeks back on some business and had a day to spare so I drove down to Arklow where the school camp was. I managed to find it and have sent you a photo. It used to be owned by the O’Neill family who then sold it on to the current owners about 30 years ago. The huge barn where we kids from St John’s School (Kirkdale) used to sleep is now a factory making conveyor belts, but the rest of the grounds and the river flowing by are as I remember from 1956/57.

What was a sleepy little town is now a hectic place with traffic jams in the main street and housing estates surrounding the area, which used to be the camp. That’s life!

120 YEARS OF PRIESTHOOD

Although Fr. Moses Doon founded the new mission of St John the Evangelist in 1871, the church was not opened until 20th November 1885. This year 2005, will mark the 120th Anniversary of the church. In 2004 two priests of St John's Church, Fr Godfrey Carney and Fr Michael Reilly celebrated 120 years of priesthood. A special booklet about Fr Carney and Fr Reilly was produced by the Jubilee Committee of St John the Evangelist. Fr Carney was ordained by Bishop O'Brien in June 1934. Having volunteered to serve in the Liverpool archdiocese he arrived at the Pier Head in September 1934. He called in at St Mary's Highfield Streetwhere a kindly Benedictine gave him breakfast and put him on the right road to St Sylvester's - his first appointment. On his first Sunday is the parish he found himself offering a 'Missa Cantata' with J.P. Callaghan's famous choir in full voice. I serving at St Sylvester's abd later at St Brigid's, Fr Carney took part in the activities organised from "The Catholic Action Centre" on Scotland Road, including the Catholic Ramblers.

When Fr Carney joined his old friend Canon Hopkins at St John's in 1978 he immediately became a familiar figure in Kirkdale. In 1984 he celebrated an important milestone in his life and priesthood his golden jubilee.

Fr Michael Reilly's family moved to Liverpool from County Cavan (Ireland) when he was very young. He was ordained a priest in 1954. He moved to a number of parishes in St Helens, Wigan, Liverpool and Kirkby. Finally he came to St John's in 1981 and was the Parish Priest up until his death in 2004. The final draft of the booklet '120 years of priesthood' had already been submitted to the printer before his sad death. However, although what is written about him was done so whilst he was still at St John's the booklet serves to preserve the memories of him.

ST JOHN'S PUPILS 1924

We are most grateful to Frances Carrotto for providing this archive webpage with a photograph picturing pupils of St John's School in 1924. We welcome hearing from readers who may be able to add information about the photo and or provide us with similar photographs etc.

MEMORIES OF ST JOHNS

Our thanks go to Roy Lackey for providing this photograph taken in 1958 which pictures an Under 13s Football Team from St John's Junior Boys School North Dingle.

Pictured on the photo are

St John's

We would be interested to hear from readers who might be able to recognise faces on the photograph below. The photograph shows girls from St John's Infants School, Sessions Road, who took part in a procession in 1954.

ST JOHN'S

This webpage is dedicated to St John's Parish. On this page we will try to record the history etc of the Parish. We welcome hearing from past and present parishioners of St John’s Church (Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool 5) and/or former pupils at St John’s infant, junior and senior boys schools and St John’s girls school who may have photgraphs or memories they wish to share or who have any contributions they wish to make to this page.

Below we feature some past and present photographs that have been sent to us by parishoners

ST JOHNS CHURCH

We thank Jimmy Campbell for providing this webpage with some interesting information about St John’s church and parish.

In 1870 there was no Catholic church in Kirkdale, In 1871 a building which had been a Congregational Chapel was opened for Mass on February 12th. Father Moses Dawn was the first parish priest and he began the school in the basement of this little chapel. The Sessions Road school was opened in 1878.

In 1885 the present St John’s Church was opened. Father Power was the parish priest. The Presbytery was completed in 1892. In 1894 Father O’Byrne became parish priest. In August 1912, the Boy’s school was opened. In 1922 Father Martin Coady succeeded Dean O’Byrne. The church was extended in 1927 and can seat some 1,200 persons. In 1941, during the May Blitz, Canon Coady died and Father Hopkins said his first Sunday Mass in the Parish on May 18th 1941.

Father James E. Hopkins was born in Liverpool, and was educated in Ireland at Stangford, Co. Down, and in Liverpool at St Francis Xavier’s College. He went to the English College, Lisbon, in September 1919, and here completed his education for the Priesthood and was ordained on May 25th, 1929. On June 22nd 1929 he was appointed to Blessed Sacrament Parish, where he remained for the next 12 years. In May, 1941, he succeeded Canon Coady as Parish Priest of St John’s at the request of Archbishop Downey. Father Hopkins is pictured on the occasion of his Silver Jubilee as a Priest in 1954.

Father Hopkins is also photographed with Priest serving at St John’s church in 1954, namely; Father Whitaker, Father McEnroe, Father O’Sullivan and Father Songhurst.

Below we feature some photographs taken inside St John's church. These photographs highlight the beautiful stained glass windows and the magnificent altars we welcome hearing from anybody who knows about the history of the church and these features or indeed any aspects of Parish life past or present.

YOUR MEMORIES OF ST JOHN'S PARISH WANTED

Our thanks go to Tony Roberts for providing the Scottie Press website with a selection of St John's School Football Team photographs which we feel sure will bring back many a good memory Pictured are members of the school's Under 10s - Under 12s and Under 13s teams.

Tony has also sent us a photo of the St John's School Cricket Team, (Shown bottom right).

We welcome hearing from past and present parishioners of St John's Church (Fountains Road, Kirkdale, Liverpool 5) and or former pupils at St John's infant, junior and senior boys schools and St John's girls school.

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