A golden opportunity

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Amidst gasps of recognition, bouts of laughter, hugs and kisses and plenty of smiles, they were together again and it seemed as if nothing had changed.

The women of St. Maria Goretti High School’s class of 1958 — the first to graduate from the all-girls Catholic school — reunited to celebrate the five decades since their departure from 10th and Morris streets.

"Do you remember me?" Rosalie Vitale Bowman asked Sister Margaret Rogers, a nun who taught at the school.

Once known as Mother Mary Cosmas, Rogers’ face lit up in recognition after she looked at Bowman’s name tag that boasted her senior picture. The two embraced and exchanged tidbits of life happenings.

The scene was repeated dozens of times throughout the day.

"Just that encounter shows you why it’s good to be here," Rogers, 80, said.

Now living in the Bronx, Rogers taught geometry for one year at Goretti before leaving on a mission to Africa.

Bowman, of Pine Hill, N.J., recalled fond memories of high school.

"It was a golden era that we grew up in. Our values were all good and strong," the former resident of Fifth and Hoffman streets said. "There was a class about us as being ladies."

Seeing old classmates was wonderful, she said over a medley of tunes like The Monotones’ "Who Wrote the Book of Love?"

"All this music brings back memories," the 68-year-old added, as she talked about school functions. "That was an era when we were all into dancing."

And that was the only time the students weren’t a same-sex group (the school combined with all-boys’ St. John Neumann High School in 2004). The dances also sometimes provided more than a place to let loose a bit.

"We went to the sophomore hop together," Marie Amadio Catanese said pointing to AnnaMarie DeBlasio Postiglione, formerly of 17th and Reed streets, "but I married my date!"

The two women kept in touch over the years, with Postiglione serving in her friend’s bridal party and as godmother to her daughter. Still, getting together that Oct. 19 afternoon was a delight.

As she took in the bustling scene at Galdo’s Catering and Entertainment, 20th Street and Moyamensing Avenue, Postiglione said, "It’s like we’re 17 years old back in the corridors of St. Maria Goretti High School between classes."

According to reunion coordinator Postiglione many of the girls attended their freshman year in an annex of St. Thomas or St. Peter. When they entered Goretti in ’55, there were only two grades — sophomore and freshman.

As the inaugural class to graduate from the city’s first Catholic girls high school and the most senior members for three years, the class of ’58 was instrumental in the school’s beginnings.

"We were initiating everything from scratch," Gloria Cipollini Endres of 10th and Tasker streets said. "We entered as sophomores, there was nobody ahead of us, nothing was established. If there was a need for it, we did it."

The class of about 500 founded a newspaper (The Crown) and yearbook (The Diadem), chose the mascot (a lamb) and formed many groups, including the Latin club, glee club, orchestra and basketball team.

They were enrolled in one of two courses of study — academic or commercial. Both included a core curriculum, but academic took all seven periods with subjects like calculus and trigonometry, while commercial had one study period and classes in stenography, typing and office practice.

"The main thing is, I think our academics cannot be compared to today," Endres said. "None of the courses were watered down."

And the girls thrived in the environment.

"The culture of the ’50s for women was one of benign oppression. We weren’t oppressed; we were secure. We knew who we were, where we were going. We didn’t have a whole lot of choices so we didn’t have a whole lot of issues," Endres said. "I think in many ways we were fortunate. We had friendships that lasted a lifetime, strong families. In a lot of ways it will never be the same way again. The value of single-sex education is indelible. We couldn’t have done what we did if there had been boys around. We were empowered, there were no distractions, we were able to do it without [boys’] help or competition."

They became leaders, the women agreed — nuns, doctors, teachers, wives and mothers. They moved away from their beloved South Philadelphia to California, Virginia and Florida, each carrying with them fond memories, instilled values and pride. Although there were reunions in the past, and half a century later they may look a little different, what’s inside is the same.

"I haven’t seen so many of the girls since graduation," Postiglione said of the attendees, more than 100 total. "Half of them I didn’t even recognize. You never consider yourself as getting older until you see someone you graduated with and you think, ‘Wow!’"