Our Lady of Sorrows School in South Orange is celebrating 125 years of providing Catholic education and locals are taking notice.
A gala event is being held to mark the anniversary at the Maplewood Country Club on June 24 (tickets must be purchased by June 17!), and the South Orange Board of Trustees recently created a proclamation honoring Our Lady of Sorrows School (see below).
Although the cornerstone of the first OLS church was laid in 1888, the school itself was not dedicated until 1891 (on June 21 to be precise). The parish and school community thrived, growing to 250 students and 1,000 parishioners by 1904.
Growth continued apace, leading to the construction of a new school in 1921, plus a convent in 1926, the rectory in 1928, and a new church in 1931. As Maplewood and South Orange grew, so did the parish. In 1946, the church basement was converted to an auditorium, and in 1957 a new school wing was dedicated.
Amazingly, the Sisters of Charity of Convent Station have staffed the school since its inception, providing 125 of educational and spiritual continuity.
In a proclamation, the Trustees of South Orange Village called OLS “a monument to the vitality of Catholic life and culture in South Orange” that is “continuing to thrive by providing academic excellence in a Catholic school atmosphere to the South Orange Village community.”
