Note from a reader ... John Kelly

(Old St. Joes as it appear today)

Note from a reader:

Hi Ken:

I chanced upon the blog, and immediately a couple of hours were lost in a sentimental trip down memory lane. Thank you ever so much for the work that you put into documenting St. Joseph's High School and Oshawa Catholic High School.

Perhaps other than the teachers, the most memorable character was the custodian and crossing guard Mr. Kelly. He would stop the cars on Simcoe Street, and then start chanting "On you come and Over You go" in his Irish brogue. I often wondered what happened to him.

Thanks again for the memories.

Thanks for taking the time to drop me a note. I certainly do remember John Kelly, and his peculiar mantra that he sang out while we were crossing the road.

He was there the whole time that I was at St. Joes. He was a small man, and his clothes were rather loose on him, and he did have big galoshes in the winter time.

However, he once shocked me greatly. I became an altar boy, and one year the Archbishop came for Easter Mass. The weather was warm, and we had a procession that originated in the sacristy, wended its way outside the church, around to the front doors and through the church up the aisle.

The choir was belting out a hymn that could be heard for a few blocks away. The carillon was pealing its bells. The procession started with the crossbearer, then the acolytes, then came the legions of altarboys, followed by the retinue of the archbishop that included seminarians, priests, an actual Carmelite monk was in the mix, then came the Monsignors and finally ended with the Archbishop. In my surplice and soutane, I walked beside him. I was the thurifer. I carried a smoking thurible, hanging by its silver chains with the incense smoke perfuming the air. As we crossed the narthex of the church, the Archbishop handed me his crozier, so that he could bless the crowd.

At the entrance to the nave, stood the honour guard of the Knights of Columbus. They were magnificent in their black morning jackets, the heraldic baldric or sashes, their magnificent 4th degree Chapeaus with the shock of white feathered plumes coming from the top of these cavalier hats and their white gloves. As we passed they gave His Grace the salute with polished silver swords. As we crossed under swords, I looked closely at the Grand Knight, and it was none other than own our John Kelly. He looked magnificent and not at all like the little Irish gnome that crossed us every day with "On you come and over you go!".

Thanks again for the note and the memories that you triggered.