Saint Marguerite School is dedicated ahead of schedule

Intermountain Catholic

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Bishop John C. Wester cuts the ribbon to dedicate the new Saint Marguerite School in Tooele. IC photo/Christine Young

TOOELE — The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, dedicated phase II of Saint Marguerite School Oct. 30. The building houses classrooms for the third through eighth grades, a library and a science lab.

Phase I of the project was completed a year ago, "with the hope that in 10 years we would be able to complete Phase II of the school," said Father Sam Dinsdale, pastor of Saint Marguerite Parish. "However, here we are to dedicate this building with great joy in our hearts and joy in the students’ hearts that they have classrooms above ground, not only for them, but also for our religious education students."

Priests from the Diocese of Salt Lake City, some of whom were former pastors of St. Marguerite Parish, attended the celebration as did Tooele Mayor Patrick Dunlavy; Terry Linares, Tooele schools superintendent; and several city councilmen and commissioners.

"Without Mr. and Mrs. Sam Skaggs, Monsignor J. Terrence Fitzgerald (vicar general emeritus), Father Hernando Diaz, (a former pastor), Deacon Joe Cormier and Deacon James Garcia; we wouldn’t be here today, said Marcella Edwards-Burden, St. Marguerite principal. "This project was started eight years ago with a vision to bring us out from the basement and into the beautiful daylight. So many people have been on this journey with us for a very long time, including Janet Barbiero, who started the school in her basement."

She added, "As you go through the building, everything you see is a result of Mr.. Skaggs’ generous gift – the library and books, the science lab and equipment and soon to be technology equipment with the help of an ALSAM Foundation grant."

Edwards-Burden also thanked Holy Cross Sisters Catherine Kamphaus and Genevra Rolf, Utah Catholic Schools superintendent and associate superintendent, respectively, "for the faith they gave us and the push in the right direction as well and the support of Monsignor Matthew Wixsted (former pastor), who told us to go ahead and start a school. Six years ago the school had 35 students and today there are 160."

Bishop Wester congratulated the students for being the first to use the new school and said in his Gospel reflection that "the school is meant to assist their families, who are the first teachers of the ways of faith, to help them be a light to the world. Let that light burn brightly to be the salt of the earth to help people to do better."

He continued, "Some people say children are the Church of the future, but I think you are the Church of the present; we are already benefiting from your presence in our world and in our lives, and I think your parents would be the first to agree how special you are, so keep doing the good work you are doing."

Barbiero had a vision for the children when she started the school in 1978, she said. "I am so elated that this has finally taken place. I started it as a pre-school with 12 kids and it kept building from there. After two years, Monsignor (John) Sullivan came up to the house and said the sisters’ convent was empty and he wanted me to start a pre-school. Then we tried for a long time to get kindergarten and then 1st grade. Then we started the school; we made make-shift rooms to accommodate everybody wherever we could. Being out of the basement has really changed their attitudes and their morale."