100 Years on Bohemian Hill
By Sister Carol Marie Wildt, SSND

On September 1, 1869, Mother Caroline Friess opened St. John Nepomuk in St. Louis, the first Czech Catholic school in America, in response to the request of the pastor, Rev. Joseph Hessoun. Sister Alfrieda Hager and Candidate Elizabeth Hoagemann began a century of education on “Bohemian Hill” in a newly constructed school. They taught in English while Rev. Hessoun taught the Bohemian subjects: religion, language, reading and writing, for the next seven years. Since there was no convent available for them, the sisters lived at Sts. Peter and Paul for 11 years and walked to school. In bad weather they were taken by horse and buggy.

In 1880, Rev. Hessoun procured a house for the community of five sisters and two candidates who were now teaching in the school. The property was originally purchased from the Soulard brothers by Herman Benson, a milk man, in 1848. He built a two-storied house, which became the sisters’ convent. Later, a third story was added.

St. John Nepomuk, the first Czech parish in America, began in 1854 in a wooden church. Lay teachers taught the children in the basement of the church. By 1864, circumstances forced the parish and school to close. Bishop Kenrick petitioned the Bishop of Bohemia for a priest. Rev. Joseph Hessoun responded. He became known as the “Apostle of the Slav people in the New World.” From 1865-1906, he served as pastor at St. John Nepomuk.

As the parish prospered, a second school building was constructed in 1884 to provide additional classrooms to accommodate the 500 students. In the six classrooms taught by SSNDs, four of the sisters were born in Bohemia; the other two born in America spoke Bohemian. The older boys were taught by a layman.

In 1879, the newly professed Sister Bonislava Hlavacek was missioned to her home parish. She remained as a teacher for 53 years. In 1894, Novice Joela Svetelsky came from Milwaukee. Her first teaching assignment was a class of 66 first grade students. She remained at the school for 46 years. Since her death in 1941, no more Bohemian was spoken in the school except for a few religious hymns.

St. John Nepomuk reached its peak of prosperity and growth around 1896. At that time there were a thousand families affiliated with the parish and the enrollment in the school numbered 800. On May 27, 1896, the parish was struck by the tornado that wrecked its terrible force on the city. The church was reduced to ruins, one school building was destroyed and the convent, hall and rectory seriously damaged. The sisters directed the older children to retrieve bricks, gather what could be saved from the sacristy and stack lumber still in good condition. Rebuilt, the parish continued to thrive until the 1920s. Gradually, enrollment decreased as families moved to better sections of the city, younger parishioners lost command of the Bohemian language and parishes of national origin were becoming extinct. In the 1950s, many of the surrounding homes were razed for the highway expansion causing more people to move.

St. John Nepomuk school closed for the last time on June 6, 1969, although no one was aware of the real finality. At the July 19 parish council meeting, it was learned that the Catholic School Office would allow it to remain open one more year and the SSND leadership would keep sisters there for one more year. The decision to close immediately was unanimous. St. John Nepomuk would join in the district school known as Compton Heights Regional Catholic School composed of St. Vincent, Immaculate Conception and St. John Nepomuk. In between summer school, retreats and home visits, the sisters closed the mission. On August 15, 1969, the final Mass was celebrated in the convent chapel by Rev. Albert Prokes, pastor. Almost 100 years to the day, SSNDs left the parish. During that century, 117 SSNDs had served at St. John Nepomuk, and almost 40 women from the parish entered SSND.

[Sources: St. John Nepomuk Chronicle; Souvenir to Commemorate 100 Years of Teaching by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, 1869-1969; The Soulard Family and Saint John Nepomuk Church, Rev. Albert Prokes.]

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