Saint Catherine’s Convent and Academy

St. Catherine’s High School and Convent

The more I read about Racine history, the more I’m interested in the St. Catherine’s convent which was originally built “off in the woods”, many blocks away from the main part of downtown.

I grew up very near to where the convent used to be, but for most of the time I lived in Racine, I knew the location as the practice football field for the St. Cat’s high school football team. I can remember how sad people were in the neighborhood when the convent was torn down in 1972, and how the adults talked about when the wrecking ball started the demolition by knocking the bell tower down.

St. Catherine’s Academy

However, I didn’t really get interested in the convent and academy until I found a copy of the book Rooted in Hope: The Story of the Dominican Sisters of Racine, Wisconsin. This book is by Sister Mary Hortense Kohler, O.P., and starts at the very beginning of the founding of the Dominican convent in the 1860s. Most of the story has to do with what was going on within the walls, but also offers wonderful glimpses of Racine life in the 19th century. I liked the passage when the author talks about the nuns taking the girl students from the convent school out for a walk past the boy students at Racine College (Dekoven Foundation). The convent also took in orphans and abandoned children.

Rooted in Hope

The book is well worth two readings. It’s a little dense with religious asides for the layman, but the history is there — the kind that’s fascinating and makes you think about particular episodes for days afterwards.

Here is Sister Mary Hortense Kohler’s masters thesis which led to the book: kohle_m_1936

Rectory on same block as St. Catherine's Convent

Rectory on same block as St. Catherine’s Convent

 

2001_06_30_st_cats_2

Rectory on same block as St. Catherine’s Convent

 

1887 St. Catherine's Female Academy

1887 St. Catherine’s Female Academy

 

Politeness, 1913, by the Dominican Sisters

Politeness, 1913, by the Dominican Sisters

politeness-1913

Beautiful excerpt from Rooted In Hope from a student’s point of view.

Barbara Ann: Took piano lessons in the convent one summer…took the city bus. I remember walking into the foyer, up @ 12 steps, slightly dark inside, cool, and smelled clean, like starch. On the landing, look to the left, and right, long hallways, with creaky hard wood floors, many rooms. I don’t recall really what was in front of me. The room I took lessons was down the hall, right of the landing. The door I entered was on the west side of the building. I imagine the east side was nice and sunny in the morning, I was on the west side.

Looking back: Bows were part of a girl's attire on important events earlier this century. This photo of the 1914 eighth grade class at St. Catherine's Academy was submitted by Dorothy Reischl of 2908 Douglas Ave., whose mother Pearl Weber Smollen is seated at far left. Others seated are Edna Stilb, center, and Helen Plein. Standing, from left, Irene McCleary, Catherine Becker, Margaret Mura and Estelle Anderson. The all-girl St. Catherine's Academy was located in St. Catherine's Convent on the east side of Park Avenue across the street from the present St. Catherine's High School. The convent, also known as Aquin Hall, was razed in 1972. St. Catherine's Academy, operated by the Dominican Sisters, opened in 1864 as a day and boarding school for girls. It closed when the new coeducational St. Catherine's High School opened in 1924.
This photo is from the Racine Journal Times, December 16, 1995, and shows the 1914 eighth grade class at St. Catherine’s Academy.
Racine Journal Times, November 20, 1972, the demolition of Aquin Hall, former convent of the Sisters of St. Dominic at 1200 Park Ave.

5 thoughts on “Saint Catherine’s Convent and Academy

  1. I’m in the process of composing a life profile of Rev Fr John M Bach – born in 1865 and spent the last 10+ years of life as Pastor at St Catherine’s Convent. I appreciate this article and reference information on its history to supplement my biography on rev Bach. I’ve been putting together historical profiles of the earliest clerics in Wisconsin and this on is more complex than most. Any assistance with Rev Bach’s involvement with St Catherine’s would be appreciated and
    added to his story..

  2. Greetings

    My Mom attended the convent from around 1949-1954, give or take. Is there any place I can get info about her time there? She has just passed and never spoke to me about it. I am her son and found some old pictures…

    Thanks for your help!

    Dominic
    XL

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