Sister Kathleen Corbett and Sister Mary Margaret Murphy

[00:03] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: My name is Mary Margaret Murphy I'm a Sister of Loretto. I'm 76 years old. Today's date is January 29, 2023. I am in El Paso, Texas, and my partner here is Kathleen Corbett assister of Loretto, also. And we have known each other for all of our religious life almost. I guess I entered one year before you did.

[00:35] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Two.

[00:35] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Two. Okay.

[00:38] KATHLEEN CORBETT: My name is Kathleen Corbett I'm a Sister of Loretto. My age is 74. Today's date is January 29, 2023. We're here in El Paso, Texas. My interview partner is Mary Margaret Murphy also a Sister of Loretto. And when I entered the community, she was a novice and opened the door to welcome me. Okay, Mary Margaret as a board member for Loretto Academy, have you had an opportunity to have any interaction with students?

[01:21] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Oh, Kathleen I really like that question, because most of the board meetings are. We meet on Sunday when school isn't in session, and it's really the board members with the president of the academy. But some very special times I've had is the students do what's called service learning. And from the little ones all the way up to the seniors in high school every year, they are required to really extend beyond the school community to show concern for other people. Like the littles have done pictures for the nursing home, little programs at the nursing home. The ones I've been most involved with with service learning are the high school students when I worked at Villa Maria, a shelter for women who are homeless. And those students would come, like, at Halloween and decorate the doors of the rooms where the women were, each of the women's rooms where they were staying, and they would bake cookies and bring Halloween treats. One year, they organized a dinner where they actually invited the women to come with them. And the students were there with their families to have dinner at night over at the cafeteria at Loretto Academy, and they arranged transportation. They did a potluck dinner. And so we had our 22 women and staff go over for dinner, and the girls were so dear. And boys, it was the fifth grade, and they have boys in the fifth grade there at the academy, and they arranged it that each one of the students, it wasn't like all the students sat together, because that was their comfort level. You know, they actually had them greeting the women, and one or two of the students really accompanied each woman, went and got the food that she wanted on her behalf. It was such a wonderful evening and time, but I'm always so struck by the service learning that the students do their commitment and the wonderful, creative ways they reach out and help others in the community.

[03:42] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Wonderful.

[03:43] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: So, Kathleen you were one of those students. You were a student at Loretto. Just wondering what was it like for you when you were a student there?

[03:56] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Well, it was a wonderful experience. I did not go to kindergarten, which was open, and I think was open also to boys, but the rest of the school was totally girls when I went there. And because I lived not very far away, about half a mile, as I was a little girl, I started walking to school, and I didn't walk every single day, but most of the time, I walked, and I would come in through that front kind of opening and up the little path, and I didn't walk up the stairs to the next floor. I would go under, if you can picture where I'm saying, and down to my classroom. And I loved going to school at Loretto. And for the first four years, I was there. First grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, I was in that main building, and the high school girls were upstairs, and I'd see them going up and down stairs, but we had our classrooms on that floor. And then I think it was around the end of third grade, there was this big building construction plan, and it was starting about that time with the, you know, digging and throwing out the first spade of dirt and that kind of thing. Where they built the cafeteria?

[05:20] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Oh, yeah.

[05:21] KATHLEEN CORBETT: They put in Hilton Young hall, the swimming pool, and the elementary school. The new elementary school was ready the following when I went into fifth grade that year. And so I think what I liked best was that other main building. But I had such a good education at Loretto Academy all those years. And then another thing that's really neat. As I look back, when I think of so many things in life where you might kind of imagine how something's going to be, and then it turns out kind of different. Well, I was always looking forward to high school, I think, from how I had experienced seeing those high school girls. And when I got to high school, that was really, really my favorite part of my entire education. I liked it better than college. I just loved being in high school. With almost all my classes, I really liked not all, but almost all a lot. And on the weekends, we would have sometimes dances, and sometimes I would go to the ball games of the boys high schools in town. And so high school was just a very fun time for me. So being a Loretto student, also one thing we did every single spring, the whole elementary school was a may procession where we would practice for days ahead of time, walking over, and they would select one student from each class. And when I was there, for the most part, there was only one class of every grade. By the time I got to 8th grade, I was in a 7th and 8th grade combination class, if I remember right. But for the most part, it was one class of every grade. And so there would be one girl who would be in a, like a court, and then there'd be an 8th grader who would crown the statue of the blessed mother. And some years we did it walking into the chapel. Other years, we would walk out to that statue that's out in the yard where some of you worked last fall or sometime, making it more presentable and clearing the ground. So that was a nice memory, but I just got such a good foundation. I learned to read in first grade from my first grade teacher, just continually building on that great foundation.

[07:56] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Kathleen have you been able to stay in touch with classmates?

[08:02] KATHLEEN CORBETT: You know, what happened with that? There was a few that I have been in touch with, but many years later, I was asked to work in the Loretto Academy alumni office, and part of that job was to help with class reunions. So when the time came for my 40th class reunion, I was on the planning committee for our reunion. And it was a really nice experience because most of, well, the chairperson and most of the other members of the planning committee were actually people I had not had very many classes with in high school. My class, class of 66, was the largest graduating class from Loretto Academy ever. There had never been as big a class, and there's never been as many since.

[08:54] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Do you remember how many?

[08:56] KATHLEEN CORBETT: 151. Wow. And I know that seems small to people who graduate from huge public schools, but for Loretto Academy, that was the largest class. And after we had our 40th reunion, then we, some of us kind of were more in touch because of that. And then later, when we came to the 50th, we had another really nice reunion. And whenever I'm with classmates, like recently, I did go to the funeral for Beto's Sister when she died, and there were at least four of us from the class because of his mother, Melissa, who was in our class. And it's just, it's such an interesting feeling that I really enjoy being with my classmates who I feel like, you know, I've worked with so many people who are younger and older and all around, but to be with people that I know we're the same age all through life as various world events have happened, and all, we've all been basically along at the same time. So that's kind of, there's a couple of friends that I'm mainly in touch with, but one, the person who chaired those planning committees, kind of sends out emails to the rest of us when there's someone has died. We had about at least two people who died from COVID a couple years ago, and she sends out notices asking for prayers and things like that. Okay, well, could you tell me how you overall view being a board member for Loretto Academy? Has that been a good experience for you? What have you enjoyed the most?

[10:45] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: What I really enjoy the most is the dedication of the people who are on that board and their real commitment to Loretto. Loretto Academy. Most of them have graduated from Loretto Academy or have their sons who, you know, are there in the little, in the early years and or daughters who are now in high school or in the school at whatever grade level. And again, they're so enthusiastic because of the quality of education and the opportunities they see their children getting, and so they are so willing. And many of them, as you said, many, you know, many of the are professional people who bring their legal expertise, their accounting abilities, even construction abilities. They're working in health areas, in development. It's just, it's amazing. And all coming together with one goal, and that is to do whatever is needed to enhance Loretto academy in whatever way. I mean, we don't have direct, we're not involved. We don't micromanage what the teachers are doing or anything like that. The president and the principals are the ones that really direct the day to day kinds of things, but ours is really a board to offer support, suggestions, whatever needs to be done to help the school. I mean, I'm just going to say one of the things right now is an elevator, and one of the board members really has been able to help. And her father, who was on the board previously, and now his daughter is on the board, and she graduated from Loretto Academy. But really helping with some of the plans and how to move forward with making the elevator and the elevator is something that will really be very helpful for everybody. I mean, there are teachers that have arthritis. There are kids every year that come in with a broken ankle or leg, and they have to have their classes all in the first floor, and the teachers have to go down on the first floor for the classes for them. But the real impetus for this was a young student who came to school, the elementary school, which is now on ground floor level, I mean, is one, one story building, and she is confined to a wheelchair. And in order for her to continue at Loretto Academy, an elevator is needed. And so just to see how that has become such a goal, and it's going to happen, and it will happen before she leaves the elementary school and needing to have an elevator to get to class. And that's going to just, it helps her. That's what really was. Let's do it and do it now. But it's just going to make it so much more available for many different students for different reasons and also much easier when for lots of the staff as well. So I guess it's just that kind of dedication. I have something else I would share, but I don't. But let's. I'll pick up on something else after we talk again about you as a student at Loretto Academy, and I'm going to take you away from the student into your adult life. Kathleen but more like, what were some of the foundations at Loretto Academy that really spoke to you and had something to do with your life choice?

[14:56] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Well, when I was at Loretto, we did have a few teachers who were not sisters of Loretto, but the vast majority of my teachers were sisters themselves, both in elementary school and in high school. And I liked their spirit. And from the time I was a first grader, I always say I don't remember a day or a moment, but I know that at some point in first grade, I thought I maybe I can be a Sister of Loretta someday. And then over the years, I would consider other possibilities, things that were sort of attractive, but I mainly would always come back to that. And I think it was because of seeing how their life was a life that seemed dedicated totally to God. And seeing also, I think, quite a bit of diversity, although wearing the same habit, but their own ways. They looked in the habit and their ways of teaching were unique for each individual. And so that was some of the foundation that attracted me. What do you enjoy most on the board?

[16:14] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: You know, I just think we had a board meeting last Sunday, and there was such energy at that meeting. We're looking at strategic planning, and really, we've been looking at strategic planning for a while, and every year, not every year, but there's a five year strategic plan, but the year before, we really develop it. For the next five years, we spent a lot of time really looking at what the needs are in every different area at the academy. And so when we got together last week, we chose what area we wanted to really be looking at. And so I chose, we now have a campus. It's more like campus ministry or chaplain. And so it was really looking at that and what the focus of that was was la date si, which is really where we look at care for the environment and care for people. And the ideas that surfaced, we already had lots of ideas in the past, but, like last week, it was kind of like the culmination of so much and just the concrete ways of involving the children, simple ways, you know, looking at what nutrition means for them, care of them, and what that that means then in the cafeteria, and what it means to them to realize, you know, that food is a gift, and not everyone has that gift of food. And to hopefully have them eat things that are very nutritious at the same time, to have them start composting and learn about composting. But the better thing is not to take too much food that you're not going to eat. You know, we don't want to build up the. We're not going to have a contest of which grade can get the most composting done. You probably ought to have a contest of which grade has the least amount of compost. But the awareness of the children along those lines also just ways of involving parents in the whole ladate see movement and thinking about how could there be a garden? I guess there was a garden at the elementary school at one point, and they have one at the junior that the junior high students are involved in. But what about doing some gardening with the little ones so that they really get an understanding of what that means? And would that help them eat some of the vegetables that they might not ordinarily choose to eat? But you watch them grow. You plant the seeds, you water them, you do some weeding. So there's a lot of talk in a lot of different ways. And you mentioned shortly after school started, there was an effort where staff, the whole faculty, was invited, parents and students to come. And all the plants that were planted are plants that grow well in desert areas. And so the kids helped, parents helped everybody with planting. The children, like, painted some little rocks that went around some of the plants. I worked with the seniors. That was another time I was involved with students directly. I went with the seniors and they weeded, but they were really good about it, you know, and I kept thinking, oh, my gosh, you know, this is all morning, they're going to be weeding out here. But they did it, and they were really proud of how nice it looked after they finished. And then everyone went out to the front to see what had been done out by the grotto area and the statue of Mary and the, the plants that were put out there. And so I think there's going to be another in the spring. Spring seems like it's going to be here any day now, but in the spring, there's going to be another work day like that, and it's going to be down at the elementary school.

[20:16] KATHLEEN CORBETT: So many exciting things going on.

[20:19] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Yeah. And, you know, the people, the board members, just the ideas that surface were really exciting, and that's just a sample of a lot of the ideas. So is there a memorable one experience that sticks out in your mind, Kathleen when you think of your time at Loretto Academy as a student? As a student?

[20:50] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Well, when I was a junior, I think it was, and we had to do a project, some kind of chemistry project. I had this thing all lined up, and sitting there with my topic was catalysis, how things can be a catalyst for other things. And somehow I turned something too much or something, and the whole project burned up. And then Sister Marie Claire, who was the librarian, came around and she had some purple construction paper, and she cut out a heart. She put a Purple Heart by my project. So that's something I always have sort of remembered.

[21:36] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: That is great. I love it.

[21:41] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Yeah, that's. Yeah.

[21:44] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Just the sensitivity and care. Yeah, that's really, really memorable.

[21:55] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Do you have any other board member ideas to share.

[22:03] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Just how nice it is to be able to be back together and have meetings person in person? Because we had not had them until basically this school year. I think last year we might have had one or two. And so, and we also will always have members on Zoom because we do have people who are members who don't live in El Paso who join us on Zoom. So that's. But it's just good to really be together. And we always have breakfast, I mean, the most delicious breakfast burritos you'd ever want. But no, it's a privilege to be able to be part of the board. And anything else you'd like to share about being a student?

[23:00] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Not about being a student, but maybe about when I worked at Loretta.

[23:06] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Yes.

[23:07] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Well, actually, twice I came back to El Paso as a teacher, and it was, of all the schools where I've taught, when I taught at Loretto elementary with Sister Mary Emmerich was the principal and had invited me, it was just such a wonderful experience of getting to kind of put the philosophy of education that was going around at the time with lots of innovation and individualized learning and small group centers. And I tried to implement that pretty much in classrooms wherever I taught, usually, at least in the earlier years. But at Loretto Academy at the time with Sister Mary Emmerich. She had been to Britain and had come back with ideas from the british infant schools. And she, so we were on teams that had this same sort of vision and working with teachers who also were doing that kind of teaching and having the students learning in ways where there was a lot of self selection, working at their own pace. And that was so much fun. So I really enjoyed that. Yeah.

[24:25] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: What grade level?

[24:26] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Primary. I think the first year I taught a combination of first and second grade. By then the school had like two second grades, two first grades, and then I had that 1st, 2nd grade combination. And the next year I think I taught second grade, if I'm remembering back to them correctly. And after that I taught first grade for, I think, about three more years. So I loved the little children and that was my level usually. So that was fun.

[25:03] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Yeah. Wow. Yeah, I wasn't thinking of focusing on that. Thank you so much for mentioning that. Are there other things about teaching Kathleen at the school?

[25:22] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Well, I think that I was the one they asked to do the sacrament programs. Some of the other teachers were mostly Catholics, but they were glad to have me take that and we would bring the whole group together. And I did some of the implement some things that I had first learned in Denver at my first school for involving parents to some extent. I don't think we were able to do it quite as intensively as when I first started teaching, but I enjoyed having the whole group and then the other teachers would, since it was such a huge group of all, like all second graders, I guess they would stay in the room and so I didn't have to deal with a lot of discipline problems or anything because their teachers were right there too. And so that was, I enjoyed doing that.

[26:12] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Uh huh.

[26:14] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Yeah.

[26:17] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Wow. Kathleen this has been great.

[26:20] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Well, thank you, Mary Margaret I appreciate that you invited me to be your partner and talk with you and hear about your role.

[26:30] MARY MARGARET MURPHY: Well, and I appreciate sharing and learning about some of the things I didn't know about what it meant to you to be a student and also then the whole experience of being on the faculty.

[26:43] KATHLEEN CORBETT: Yeah.