Stories of tragedy, loyalty and generosity lie behind the walls of Convent of the Sacred Heart.
The Lower School reading room, the science wing and the theater are dedicated to members of the Sacred Heart community who are remembered for their contributions to the school. Their names are inscribed on plaques, but students may not know who they are or why these locations are dedicated to them.
Alice Millerchip ’15
The Nora Falk Reading Room is a place for all students, especially Lower School students, to spend time reading and enjoying the bright murals painted on the walls. This unique space commemorates Nora Falk, a joyful and vibrant Sacred Heart student who died of cancer in 2004. Her sister, sophomore Miranda Falk, likes how the room keeps her sister’s memory present.
“Because her grade graduated and Sister Magnetti left, it is nice to know she is still here after she is gone,” Miranda said.
Miranda’s favorite part about the Nora Falk Reading Room is the mural of different characters from different books. The girl depicted under the tree represents Nora, while Toto, the dog from The Wizard of Oz, is the character Nora performed as in the school play.
Up the stairs and out of the library, the theater is a location dedicated to Lennie de Csepel and her husband John, members who greatly influenced the Sacred Heart community.
Mrs. de Csepel graduated from Sacred Heart 91st street and then became a Lower School music teacher at Sacred Heart in Greenwich. Sacred Heart archivist, Mrs. Vicky Allen, knows Mrs. de Csepel personally.
“Lennie is a very accomplished pianist,” Mrs. Allen said.
Mrs. de Csepel was an active participant in the community, as she was once Head of the Arts Department.
She is also “an active patron of the Greenwich symphony,” according to Mrs. Allen.
Mrs. de Csepel’s passion for music and her role in the Sacred Heart community is remembered by the theater, a location that she and her husband generously donated for future generations to enjoy.
From the Arts Department to the Science Department, another place students have the opportunity to excel in is the science wing, dedicated to Mrs. Eileen Dealy Gillespie, who graduated from Sacred Heart Greenwich in 1949.
“Science was not taught at the time and I don’t think she had any particular interest in it,” Mr. Gillespie said.
Because of her generosity, however, students today have the opportunity to succeed in science.
Mrs. Gillespie became chairwoman of the fundraising committee for Sacred Heart and made a generous donation to the school. Former Head Mistress Sister Magnetti asked for this contribution to be used to build the science wing and asked Mrs. Gillespie for permission to dedicate it to her.
Nora Falk, Lennie and John de Csepel and Mrs. Eileen Dealy Gillespie have all made a mark at Sacred Heart. Due to their magnanimity and their active role in the Sacred Heart community, future generations of students are able to enjoy the countless benefits of the Nora Falk Reading Room, the theater and the science wing.
– Alice Millerchip, Staff Writer
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Legacies within the walls
April 5, 2013