St. Mary’s High School Principal Matthew Collins, students Jack Lamirande Joe Licardi and Paighton Ramos alumni Dr. Joyce Donohue and Anne Cressotti. (Photo by Robin Jensen)
WESTFIELD – For city native Joyce Donohue, St. Mary’s Parish School was a way of life for her and her six younger siblings.
The eldest of the seven children of Anna and Richard Morrissey, Donohue appreciates the education and experience she had at St. Mary’s. Her siblings feel the same way, and to honor their parents, they created the Anna & Richard Morrissey Tuition Assistance Award in 2017 to help families who sacrifice for their children to attend the school.
Two of the award beneficiaries will graduate this year: Joe Lucardi and Jack Lamirande. The family of Paighton Ramos, a junior, received the assistance for the past two years.
Donohue, who lives in Virginia, visited the school with her sister Anne Cressotti recently. The sisters met with scholarship recipients and offered them some advice on the next chapter of their lives: college.
“Don’t be afraid to ask many questions while you are in school to insure you understand the subject matter well and more importantly pick something you truly enjoying when thinking about your future career,” advised Donohue.
In Donohue’s case, it was chemistry. She now works as a health scientist for the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water in Washington, DC. Donohue could have retired several years ago, but said she stays because she likes the environment and the mental challenges. As long she has the financial means to do so, she will continue to help St. Mary’s students, she said.
“St. Mary’s provided me and all of my siblings with the academic foundation to have the lives we have today,” she said.
When her father died six months after she graduated from college, her education was crucial in her finding employment to help her mother care for her six younger siblings. Her first teaching job was at West Springfield High School.
Donohue said although she lives and works in the DC area, her ties to Westfield remain strong.
“My family (Morrissey) has been in Westfield since 1850,” she said. “I went to St. Mary’s from first grade to the fourth year of high school — that would be 1945 to 1957. My Father was a lawyer and the clerk of the District Court. After his death my mother taught at Fort Meadow school until her retirement.”
Donohue still appreciates her hometown and enjoys visits with relatives, including her siblings: Sr. Jane Morrissey of Springfield; Anne Cressotti of Southampton; Richard Morrissey of West Springfield, retired from the Springfield District Court; Mary Cressotti of Cheshire, Conn.; Sheila Spenser of Granville.
“My niece, Bridget Matthews Kane, lives in what was our family home on Court Street,” said Donohue. “My sister Dona Morrissey Kane has died but lived in Westfield until her death. My first cousin Mary Boscher also lives in Westfield.”
The “Support a Saint” program is a new initiative at St. Mary’s that gives any individual, group of individuals, alumni class, or business an opportunity to support Saint Mary’s students in all grades.
Principal Matthew Collins with 7 from 57 recipient Ben Richter and donors James Shea and Anne Marie Buikus from the Class of ’57 and alum Anne Cressotti. (Photo submitted)
Donohue felt so moved to support the Saints that she joined with a group of her classmates to create an assistance scholarship. Known as the “7 from 57” award, this will be the class’s second year to Support a Saint. Two “7 from 57” awards were given last year and one or two are anticipated for this year.
The 7 from 57 refers to seven members of the Class of 1957, including Donohue, James Shea, Anne Marie Bukus, Eileen Florek, John Daly, Gail Duso and Marion Moreau.
Director of Advancement Robin Jensen started in February and her top priority is to grow the St. Mary’s endowment for scholarship and tuition assistance.
“I know firsthand what an inspiration and foundation St. Mary’s provides through the experiences of our two children who have attended,” said Jensen. “Personally, I wish every child who would like to attend STM could be able to be at St. Mary’s Parish School without cost being a factor.”
Anyone interested in the Support a Saint program should contact Jensen at [email protected] or by calling (413) 568-1160.
Last year, $106, 525 was awarded. Jensen said she hopes to continue to increase this amount each year to $150,000 or $200,000.
“Thank you is not enough to Joyce, her siblings, and Class of 1957 classmates,” said Jensen. “Our students greatly appreciate your generosity. Thank you for blessing our students and most importantly for supporting, not just a Saint, but Saints!”
