Sisters Bernice Feilinger and Therese Marie Dougherty were recently surprised with an invitation to spend a weekend in Florida with a group of students they had taught at Madonna Academy in West Hollywood, FL in the 1960s.
It was wonderful to see how these girls from Madonna had grown into the great women they are today, having met and overcome so many challenges that life has offered them! They credit the values learned at Madonna.
In addition to reminiscing about high school adventures, stories were told of taking care of poor babies during mission trips to Haiti, teaching children of all ages how to care for the earth in a program that led to certification in farming, spreading the word of God, and even building churches in third world countries.
The group was housed in a mansion reminiscent of Downton Abbey and meals were catered by the granddaughters of the Madonnaite who hosted the gathering.
But the best part of the experience lay in reconnecting with these amazing women!
It was a joy to see that although Madonna Academy no longer exists in itself, but now as part of Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School, the hopes and dreams of Madonna’s pioneer years live on in these graduates and so many others
