Many of our readers, and even this Old Timer, were saddened to learn recently that one of Our Neighborhood’s most vaunted institutions of learning — St. Pancras School in Glendale — would be closing permanently at the end of this school year.
For 110 years, the school at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and 68th Street has helped grow young minds, build friendships that lasted forever and prepare generations of Catholics to receive three important sacraments (penance, communion and confirmation).
Like many Catholic schools around Brooklyn and Queens, St. Pancras came to life in 1908, just a few years after the founding of St. Pancras Church.
St. Pancras, by the way, is considered to be the patron saint of teenagers. According to church teachings, he lived in Syria or Phrygia in the late third century. He converted to Christianity after his uncle chose to become part of the faith. St. Pancras was executed in the 300s during the reign of Roman emperor Diocletian; Pancras, then only a teenager, had refused to offer a sacrifice to pagan gods.
The current iteration of St. Pancras School opened in 1950, the large campus accommodating the ever-growing population of Baby Boomers in the area. Over the next six decades, the school became an intricate part of the neighborhood, hosting an expansive youth sports program; scout meetings; civic groups; and various fundraisers for both the church and school.
Through the years, the Ridgewood Times covered an variety of school functions and events, and we thought we’d share with you just a few of them from our archives.
We also want to invite anyone who is or was part of the St. Pancras school community to share their memories and photos of the school with us.
Send an email to editorial[@]ridgewoodtimes.com (subject: Our Neighborhood: The Way it Was) or write to The Old Timer, ℅ Ridgewood Times, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. Any mailed pictures will be carefully returned to you upon request.
