THE ALTAR WAS DECORATED in the school’s plaid. Students lectured and sang in the choir. And families, many of them alumni, attended Mass.
Wednesday, April 30, was a special day at St. Pius V Catholic School in Buena Park.
ST. PIUS V CATHOLIC SCHOOL WHEN IT FIRST OPENED IN 1954. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. PIUS V CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Not only was it the Feast Day of St. Pius, the Dominican friar and pope (1566-1572) known for his tireless quest to renew the Church, but it also was the school’s 70th anniversary.
Located on Orangethorpe Avenue a few blocks north of Knott’s Berry Farm, the school was established shortly after St. Pius V Parish was founded in 1948, when Buena Park had a population of about 5,000 and still was largely agricultural. Originally staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, today the school staff consists of lay faculty plus instructional aides who accommodate 265 students in grades TK through 8.
Both staff members and families celebrate St. Pius V Catholic School for its tightknit community.
COLLECTION OF PHOTOS WHEN ST. PIUS V CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS BEING REBUILT IN 1994. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. PIUS V CATHOLIC SCHOOL
“The absolute thing I love about our school is the relationships I’ve created with the students and their families, the positive rapport I maintain with them, and the feeling that this community has given me for the last 11 years,” said Christine Adams, director of student support.
Adams has been associated with St. Pius V Catholic School since 1989. She was a kindergartener and graduated as Student Council president in 1998.
CHRISTINA ADAMS WAS A KINDERGARTENER AT ST. PIUS V CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND GRADUATED IN 1998. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTINE ADAMS
“I can name all of my teachers from kindergarten to eighth grade and can recall vivid experiences from my elementary years,” said Adams, who joined the school as a first-grade teacher in August 2014 and has been in her current administrative position for two years.
“I have watched with absolute pride several of the eighth-grade classes grow up as kindergarteners and graduate as eighth graders,” shared Adams. “I have ‘looped’ with several classes, having taught them in first grade, fourth grade and now middle school math. Having this experience is unique and special in that I literally am part of their academic, spiritual and Adams can’t wait for her son to attend St. Pius V Catholic School in a few years.
“I’m excited to see him in his uniform walking the hallways I walked 35 years ago as a kindergartener,” she added.
CHRISTINE ADAMS IS THE DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SUPPORT AT ST. PIUS V CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN BUENA PARK. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTINE ADAMS
The gift of Jesus Fr. Angelos Sebastian, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Orange, celebrated the Feast Day Mass and school event. During his spirited homily, he rallied the students to shout, “Happy feast!” and “Happy anniversary!”
Reflecting on the Gospel reading, Fr. Angelos said the day was a beautiful occasion to give thanks to God.
“By giving us Jesus, God is showing us how much he loves us,” Fr. Angelos said. “And through Jesus, we can all be safe. Now we are all here to give thanks to God for the 70 years we’ve been blessed to have this beautiful school.”
He gave a shout out to St. Pius V Catholic School teachers.
“Thank you for what you do for our children,” Fr. Angelos said. “Thank you, above all, for teaching them who Jesus is, for helping them to love Jesus, helping them to know Jesus, helping to grow in their faith.
“That’s the mission of our Catholic school. For a Catholic school, Jesus is the very center of everything we do, because he’s the greatest gift God gave us.”
Fr. Wayne Adajar, the parish administrator who will become pastor in July, said of the occasion: “It is a great honor to be a part of St. Pius V Catholic School as we celebrate 70 years of Catholic education.
“I salute all the teachers and school principals and staff, parents and alumni who have been a part of this great institution and continue to shape our students to be respectful and responsible individuals.”
‘Hard to put into words’
Amber and Joseph Escudero, longtime members of the St. Pius V Catholic School family, have continued the tradition with their four children. Son Mason is in the eighth grade and Weston is a seventh grader. Another son, Joe, graduated in 1995 and daughter Amber is a member of the Class of 1997.
“Celebrating the 70th anniversary of this incredible school fills our hearts with joy and gratitude,” said Amber, who attended the school for four years. “Watching our boys walk the same halls we once did — learning in the same classrooms, guided by the same spirit of faith and family — is a blessing that’s hard to put into words,” Amber said.
Shared Joseph, who graduated from St. Pius V in 1995: “There’s something incredibly special about seeing your children grow in the same village that helped raise you. It’s a full-circle moment that reminds us of the strong foundation this school continues to build for generation after generation.”
He added: “St. Pius V has never just been a school — it’s a community, a family, and a home. Through the years, we’ve seen the unwavering commitment of the faculty, the deep bonds between families and the powerful presence of the Lord at the center of it all.”