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THE FAXON FAMILY
- ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL
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“The closing of St. Joe’s School is very emotional for all families involved. Now we have to move ahead and look positively at the future.”
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Mary Faxon
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| When the 2011-2012 school year ends, St. Joseph School will close its doors for good. Established in 1876, the oldest Catholic school in Springfield has graduated thousands of students, many of whom are ardent supporters. Among them is Mary Faxon, whose family has a long history at St. Joseph. “There has been a student from my family at St. Joe’s every school year since 1959, except for two years. My parents began attending St. Joe’s Church when they moved into the neighborhood 62 years ago” says Mary. Mary and her husband Gary both grew up in Springfield and both work for the State of Illinois. Their son Ben, 14, is a member of St. Joseph’s last graduating class and will attend SHG next year. His favorite subject is Science. He runs track, enjoys going to mass and playing football during recess. Seventeen year-old Emily Faxon, spent her entire grade school career at St. Joseph School. She is soon to be a graduate of SHG, where her favorite class is Art. She also enjoys socializing with friends and attending Kairos retreats. Gary and Mary are actively involved parishioners at St. Joseph Church. They volunteer as greeters, help with the St. Joseph’s Table and decorate the church for Christmas. They also participate in all fundraising activities for the church and school. Mary serves as co-chair for the Parent Teachers Club and Market Day. Gary is president of the Men’s Club. “Our school parish is a small community of kind, faithful, welcoming people. We care about others and are active in many community projects. The Habitat House, [Springfield] Overflow Shelter (SOS), [Mini O’Beirne] Crisis Nursery, Kumler [Outreach Ministries] and Pregnancy Center are just a few places we minister to” states Mary. There are many reasons why Mary and her family support Catholic education. “Catholic education is important because it gives us an opportunity to grow daily in our faith and exposes us to beliefs that have an impact on the people we are or will become” explains Mary. She also says that it produces more compassionate, caring people -- the kind of people that she’s always known at St. Joe’s. Though soon-to-be graduate Ben is the last of Mary’s children to attend St. Joseph School, the closing still leaves her feeling sad. Her family, however, including her mother and her three sisters and their families, will continue to fill the pews for mass at St. Joseph Church every Saturday night as they have for many years. “While losing our school is not what anyone wanted, it has to be dealt with in a positive way. I hope our parish will remain strong and vibrant” Mary says. And somehow, you just know it will. |
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