Aggie Alumni

St. Agatha, Redford MI

Welcome to the Aggie Alumni Website.

Saint Agatha Alumni Association welcomes all former students, graduates, faculty and friends of Saint Agatha Elementary School, Saint Agatha High School and Saint Katharine Drexel Vicariate High School. We also welcome former parishioners and friends of St. Agatha Parish.

Saint Agatha was founded in 1948, with Fr. John Reid as the founding pastor; the schools opened soon after. Although many efforts were made to form an alumni association through the years, it wasn't until 2000 that the alumni association was formed with Judi Griggs-Dennis, Claudia Williams and Lisa Cece at the helm, with support from Aggies across the generations. We are grateful and forever indebted to all the Aggies who worked to get this going and growing with their selfless love and dedication to St. Agatha.

In 2003 St. Agatha High School closed to become a Vicariate high school. This meant that the financial needs and spiritual growth would no longer be St. Agatha's responsibility alone, but belong to all of the parishes in our vicariate. So the building we knew as St. Agatha High School became St. Katharine Drexel Vicariate High School. Sadly the dream to watch it become a school comparable to Notre Dame Prep was never realized, as the school closed the following year. With financial issues, an empty building to maintain, and other issues, the decision to close the doors to St. Agatha Elementary School also happened in 2004.

The final Mass at Saint Agatha Church was held on August 28, 2005- 57 years of love and service. Although her doors closed, there are "parts" of St. Agatha being shared with others. The giant crucifix that was behind the altar, the Tabernacle and the Baptismal Font are are at St. Andrew's Church in Rochester. The wall painting of Saint Agatha (painted by Mr. Williams, the father of Claudia and Gail Williams) that was in the back of the church on the outside of the chapel wall, is at Providence Hospital in their breast cancer research wing. The statue of Saint Agatha that was in front of the church in the fountain is at St. Robert Bellermine's, as well as the stations of the cross. Saint Priscilla's has made part of St. Agatha her home by using the large oriental carpet that covered the stairs to the altar, the marble side communion rails and the Stations of the Cross. The statue of St. Joseph that was in the high school courtyard is at St. Fabian in Farmington. St Valentine houses the St. Agatha statue that was in our chapel. In 2013, Evan Jeffries created a beautiful garden space to honor her, all are welcome to to sit and pray with her. As of April 2016, the organ and pipes are still in the church. The stained glass pieces from the chapel wall are still in storage at St Robert Bellermine's . The two pieces of art created by Marian Owczarski- the iron cross that hung in the school, and iron dragon with the words "St Agatha High" that hung above the school doors, are still Missing In Action, as we continue to locate their whereabouts.

With today's technology, the internet and the costs of publication and mailing, we've changed the way we communicate by doing everything online now. Our current president is Janice McLean and Lisa Cece maintains the website, created in 2001, and monitors our Facebook page. Our Facebook page was created in 2007 by Heather LaRocque. We hope you enjoy the site, use it, share and help us to continue to grow our Aggie Family. Remember to find us on Facebook!

Since 2009, every third Friday in October, there is an all welcome alumni night at Monaghan's Knights of Columbus.

It is important to note that although St Agatha was a small school, it housed talented, dedicated and brilliant students. Among our alumni we have doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers and detectives, teachers and professors, coaches, engineers, lawyers, judges, actors and musicians, published authors, and even Olympic participants!

(The buildings are now housing David Ellis Academy West, and are thriving in the community. There have been some changes, such as the Juliet Center is now gone)

♥ Once an Aggie, Always an Aggie. ♥

A special note of pride and interest is that President Ronald Reagan visited Saint Agatha on October 10, 1984.* Also note, many sources have misquoted the events of the day as President Reagan's Helicopter landing at the YWCA across the street. However, his helicopter landed in the field of Southfield Christian (originally Pearson High, currently Beech Elementary) at Olympia and Pembroke.

President Reagan's Visit Links:

In David Stanford Burr's book "Ronald Reagan, Quotes and Quips" a photo of President Reagan saying The Pledge of Allegiance at St. Agatha, with students behind him, is used.

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSttyh5aPaQ

Feast Day of Saint Agatha - February 5th