Sunday, August 22, 2021

The parish “Together Forever” event on August 28 will give us an opportunity to bid farewell to the school and other parish buildings that have served us so well for so many years. There have been many farewells over the years. Here is one from over 30 years ago.

A Student’s Farewell to St. Austin’s School

St. Austin’s, the brick building which I have “grown up” in. St. Austin’s is not only a school, but a group of people, students, and teachers alike who share the same quest: to learn, not for school, but for life. This little building of ours has seen lots. It has watched many of the eighth graders grow up, physically and mentally. Also it has seen many of the teachers grow up—for instance, Mr. Wiggins. This man has been at this school longer than I have. I can remember (in K-1A) when he looked like Big Foot, and he had what I thought was an incredibly humongous beard.

But as I grew older, everything became very small. We used to have a little play area called the Susan B. Lucas play area. We also had a parking lot/playing field which went where the gym is now.

As I look back on it all now it all seems so distant, so incredible that our school was once so small, so helpless. I remember when I thought I’d never graduate from St. Austin’s, but now I must look for higher peaks to reach for.
 
Now it’s time to talk about my friends, my true friends from St. Austin’s. All I can truly say about these people, my longtime classmates, is thank you for the great times, the memories, the fun, the tears, the friendship. Good-bye, St. Austin’s—it’s been a lifetime. 

Ben Cannatti
Class of 1987
(Originally published in “The Spirit” June 1987)