‘Three modern-day patron saints’

CHATHAM  Alison Pignatello smiles when she remembers “Ms. A,” her fourth-grade teacher at St. Patrick School here, who loved New Jersey history and kept a Guinea Pig in the class, named Squeaky, which her students loved.

Before that, Pignatello had difficulty with math word problems in second grade so her teacher, “Ms. D.,” stayed after school to help her. Later in seventh and eighth grades, “Ms. Rosa” gave out “star” stickers for good grades or behavior, which entitled students to a prize, said Pignatello, a member of the Class of 1988.

These three former teachers — Mari Jo “Ms. D” Dagostino, Catherine “Ms. A” Auriemma, and Judy-Ann Rosa — not only made a lasting impact on the school, but also shared a special bond — and distinction — rare today in the field of education. Now all in the arms of God in heaven, they each spent all — or nearly all — of their teaching days at St. Patrick. Pignatello’s two older daughters, Hayley, Class of 2018, and Katie, a St. Patrick’s seventh-grader, had the joy of being taught by some of those same teachers, she said.

“When I was a student, I remember these women as kind, smart, and dedicated to their students. They were young, fun, energetic, and filled with ideas,” said Pignatello, an assistant vice president for an insurance corporation, whose youngest daughter, Delaney, is a fourth-grader at the school. “As a parent, I want to give my girls the same roots I had at St. Patrick’s. For some of them to have the same teachers I did is a special experience,” she said.

The death of Auriemma on Dec. 31 at 66 — the last of these three teachers — ended an era at St. Patrick’s. The school was blessed with their passion and energy for, and “invaluable continuity of vision and tradition” of, Catholic education for 45 consecutive years. Dagostino, who died in 2018 at 60, taught reading in the primary grades for 35 years. Auriemma taught fourth grade for 42 years. Rosa, who died in 2019 at 66, taught middle-school social studies and science for 45 years. Not only close colleagues, this trio of teachers became lifelong friends, even pursing master’s degrees in education together, said Ann Tournoux, a former fellow St. Patrick’s teacher.

“The Girls,” as they were known, took on different roles that made an impact at St. Patrick’s. Dagostino “gently nurtured every student with love, having a known soft-spot for each and every one of them.” Auriemma “challenged her students to put faith into action, both by her example and encouragement of her students.” Rosa “possessed a wisdom sought out to guide the entire St. Pats community.” Often, they were the “go- to team” for many committees and leadership needs, said Tournoux.

“These three modern-day patron saints of Catholic schools have a treasured legacy. Joyfully, they are now on the roster of ‘those who teach others in goodness will shine like bright stars for all eternity,’ ” Tournoux said.

At St. Patrick’s, Auriemma — known as an animal lover and for her willingness to try something new — started and continued for many years, a “Grand Friends” partnership between her students and residents of a local nursing home. She organized fundraising activities for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. that netted more than $275,000. She moderated the Model United Nations and other academic enrichment teams, Tournoux said.

For many years, Rosa — known as a strong advocate for the best interest of her students — held “Holocaust Remembrance Day,” inviting Holocaust survivors to speak to seventh- and eighth-graders. She introduced and moderated the “Living Voices of Morris County” program in the middle school. She moderated student council and many eighth-grade activities, and coached and organized girls’ softball. A member of St. Patrick’s Class of 1966, Rosa was inspired by her mother, who taught here for 40 years. Rosa spent her first few years in Catholic education at other schools before coming to St. Patrick’s in 1974; she retired in 2019, along with Auriemma, Tournoux said.

Known for her sense of humor and faith in God, Dagostino guided preparation of First Holy Communion for St. Patrick’s second-graders. She researched, developed, and for several years, directed St. Patrick’s first Student Resource Room. She co-moderated student council and the yearbook, and assisted with the girls’ softball team. She retired in 2014, Tournoux said.

St. Patrick’s recognized the contributions of the three beloved teachers in 2018 by dedicating a STEM Makerspace — a free-flowing space for students to “gather and create.” It’s part of the school’s Genius Hour program, which sparks creative problem solving in all students at all levels and of all abilities by enabling them to grapple with engineering and design challenges to develop devices with real world applications, said Christine Ross, principal of St. Patrick’s, a national STEM-certified school and a U.S. National Blue Ribbon School.

“These three women were beloved faculty members who were good mentors to our teachers and support to the principals, and loved the students and the families,” Ross said.

Father Robert Mitchell, pastor of St. Patrick Parish, preached at the funerals of Auriemma and Rosa and praised the three teachers.

“They were proud women who were inspirations to their students and respected by the parents and their peers,” Father Mitchell said. “Each of them was single, which opened the door to them giving more to their families, the church, and school,” he said.

July Almgren, a first-grade teacher at St. Patrick’s and a member of the Class of 1981, had the three women as teachers and later as colleagues.

“Judy was fair, loved finding new ways of doing things, and was there for anyone who needed it. Mari Jo was loving and warm, and loved to teach reading. Cathy instilled us with a love of service, which continues still,” said Almgren, whose two grown sons also had the women as teachers. “These women had great love for God and what we believe in as Catholics. They lived their faith in the way they treated other people. They helped lay the foundation for what St. Patrick’s is today. They are greatly missed, but their legacy lives on,” she said.