HAPPY NEW YEAR, my dear friends! Here we are in a month named after the Roman god Janus, an appropriate personification of the start of the new year. This particular Roman god had two faces so that he could look ahead toward the future and back at the past at the same time. As we get rid of an old year and look forward to a new one, we all try to be a little like Janus. We know through experience what we did wrong and what we did right, and hope to do better this year. Some of us make ambitious new year’s resolutions, and/or just take a deep breath and hope for the best. As the dawn breaks on a new year, let us give thanks for all we hold dear: our health, our family and our friends. Let us release our grudges, our anger and our pains, for these are nothing but binding chains. Let us live each day in the most loving ways, the God-conscious way. Let us serve all who are in need, regardless of race, color or creed. Let us remember that we are all one... embracing all, discriminating against none. May our year be filled with peace, prosperity and love. May God's blessings shower upon us and bestow upon us a bright, healthy and peaceful new year.

AS WE CELEBRATE CHRIST'S BIRTHDAY AND WELCOME THE NEW YEAR, PLEASE REMEMBER OUR FAMILY MEMBERS FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOM ~ so they may keep our Freedom Ringing. PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS: MONIQUE ALVAREZ ~ Deployed to Kuwait ~ Niece of Angella Alvarez-Forbes ~ Daughter of Pete Alvarez SSGT. GABRIEL (GABY) CAMACHO ~ Deployed to Afghanistan ~ Son of (Mr. & Mrs.) Dolores Indalecio and Frank Camacho. ~~~LORD, by the merits of your son Jesus Christ, through the intercession of our Virgin Mary, Most Holy and Blessed of Mothers, we ask your special blessings, guidance and protection for our children MONIQUE AND GABRIEL. Watch over them and keep them safe from harm. Lift their spirits when they despair, guide their bodies when their energy wanes, walk their footprints to ease their fears, bless their dreams that they be consoled, quell their thirst when they are parched, and bring them and their troops peacefully home, we ask this through the most Sacred Heart of Jesus...Amen.~~~ May our prayers echo. THANK YOU. UNDANKULU NA SI YU'OS MA'ASE'. Y Man ga'chong San Jude. ~ si ange.

Please pray for the family of DANNY PEREZ, an SJT alumnus -8th grade class of '59, who passed away November 21, 2011 in San Diego, CA from liver cancer. Eternal rest grant unto him oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him; may he rest in peace. Amen. May the family's faith and love in our Almighty Father sustain them in the days ahead. I met Danny last month at the St. Jude fiesta in El Cajon, Ca. and had not seen him since 1964! He is the older brother of my former SJT classmate, Bernadita Perez. I told him that I remembered how he and his brother, Robert, were the MOST loyal, dedicated and hardworking "lahen pale'" at our beloved parish of St. Jude in Sinajana, Guam. He served as an altar-boy, groundskeeper, janitor, and ran as many errands as the priests needed for the parish. I thanked him for the many sacrifices he made for the parish, and expressed how he will always have a special place in my heart. May he now live in eternal peace and glory with our loving and merciful Father.

TO OUR DEAR FRIENDS: I would like to pass on to you the news of the passing this past week of our brother Victor Taitano. Victor is the 9th of the 12 children of the late Jesus Taitano and Isabel Taitano ("Charot") of Sinajana, Guam. Most of you who grew up in Sinajana will remember our mom as being the village postal matron. I will give you the particulars when they have been finalized. Please pray for our brother Victor. that he be in his rightful place. next to our father and mother (Jesus and Isabel) in the Kingdom of God our Father, His Son Jesus, and our Holy Mother Mary. Thank and Si Yuos Masse Suzette Carmelita Quichocho Taitano

FRIENDLY REMINDER: July 17th.....08:30am.....St.Jude, Sinajana COME JOIN US FOR OUR 4TH Annual SJT Alumni Mass...Class 1956-1971 FAMILY AND FRIENDS WELCOMED! BRUNCH @ TOP O'THE MAR FOLLOWS.

~~~~~~INVITATION~~~~~~ 4TH ANNUAL SJT ALUMNI REUNION MASS SAINT JUDE THADDEUS CHURCH ~ SINAJANA JULY 17, 2011~~~~~08:30 MASS BRUNCH @ TOP O' THE MAR FOLLOWS. BIBA CLASS OF 1956 - 1970 BIBA SAN JUDE! CONGRATULATIONS EIGHT GRADE CLASS OF '61 ON THEIR GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY! PLEASE COME! BRING THE FAMILY! LETS CELEBRATE!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, my dear alumni friends and brothers! I pray: God our Father, in your wisdom and love you made all things. Bless those fathers, who have taken upon themselves the responsibility of parenting. Bless those who have lost a spouse to death ... or divorce, who are parenting their children alone. Strengthen them by your love that they may become the loving, caring persons they are meant to be. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Buenas maneluhu. I recently posted several photos of SJT alumni, who have been called HOME, and who are now receiving their heavenly reward! May, 2011, was a deeply sad one for us as we share the grief of our friends and family of: '67 alumnus, Anthony Guerrero - May 11th; '60 alumnus, Raymond Alvarez - May 14th; '61 alumnus, Rufo Tajalle - May 25th; and '60 alumna, Cecilia (Chilang) Delgado - May 31st. Please remember them and their families in your prayers. Eternal rest grant unto them, oh Lord, and may their families be sustained by their faith and love in our merciful and loving Father! Amen! Please note: the Class of 1961 photo album is two-pages; please click "NEXT" located on the upper right hand corner for more photos, including Rufo Tajalle's

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, my dear friends and sisters! We ask our Mother and role model, the Blessed Virgin Mary for her protection and for the grace to imitate her in her love of Christ, and Christ in His love of her. As the Mother of Christ, she is our mother, too, and we look to her for guidance as we look to our mothers on earth.

Thanks to the website it is so informative of the past and present. It brings back lots of memories during my school years from the 7th thru 10th grade. I grew up in Sinajana and I was one of those parishiner who took part in happy labor building the church and school. I am originally from Sinajana and now residing i Monterey, CA

It would be remiss of me if I failed to utter a few remarks to Lole and her class of "56 (the very first graduating class of SJT!). You all have been so cooperative, accomodating, and enthusiastic about revitalizing the commaraderie we all shared in our very youthful days! Thank you all for your participation and willingness in joining as we move forward in our collective efforts to ensure a more memorable SJT Reunion, our very 4th reunion, and, with God's grace, many more gatherings to come! And to all our other alumni, we look forward to seeing you, embarking new friendships while renewing old ones. After all, we are no longer just friends, but, more importantly, we have all become an SJT family! Si Julie

Hafa Adai Polly, what you have done here is just wonderful. Going through the website has brought back some of the best memories of my life ~ life back then was not complicated nor dangerous, just lots of good, clean, fun. You can't imagine what this website means to all of us - it keeps us connected and in touch with each other and you can't put a price tag on that (it's Priceless). My thanks and appreciation go out to you and I'm sure I am speaking for many, many others who feel the same way. I will share this with my Malie, Loling Delgado Blaz since she doesn't have an email address at the moment. Look forward to seeing everyone at our July reunion mass. Esta later, Dolores (Lole) Muna SJT Class of 1956 (The First Graduating Class)

...lord have mercy!!!...the last time i was on this website was MAY 2010!!!...how did this happen???...dementia, perhaps???...anyway, the reason i got on this website in may 2010, was due to a query i had for ms. polly wolly, which was never answered...hafa, polly, do you remember what i asked for, doll???...anyway, warm regards to all and KUDOS to polly wolly for this absolute wonderful website...i have to remember to get on this webside OFTEN!!!...():-0)

POLLY~~~~~WHAT WONDERFUL MOUSE OVERS!~~~~~I'M ALWAYS GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE UPDATES YOU BRING TO US! SI YU'OS MA'ASE!! UN DANKULU! DOS DANKULU! YAN MEGAI!!!...........:)

Those new mouse-overs you did on the Cool Spot page are absolutely adorable--great job, Mali Polly! Amazing how so many of the alumni haven't changed much throughout all these years--just softer, wiser looks!

Sadly, another SJT alumnus passed away - my beloved friend and classmate, Luis Villagomez from the Class of '62. His absence at our alumni gatherings will leave a large void, not so much because his physical presence is now gone, but more because of the way in which he shared himself. It was something that filled us all with the sense that we were someone special to him - as special as he was to us. May he now rest in peace and love with our loving God and Almighty Father, together with Mary our Blessed Mother.

What a moving tribute (Third SJT Reunion video) to the excellent and unforgettable experience of having been a part of the St. Jude Thaddeus school legacy. the love of learning and caring for others that were instilled in us by our beloved Franciscan sisters and lay missionaries can never be equalled by any other school -- ever! saina ma'ase for the heart-moving memories...I couldn't stop crying! selina blaz cruz castro, class of '65"

Hafa adai, Polly -- Magof yu lokui' yangin un na' saonao i tinige' hu put i bisitan miyu' nu i ma'estra'ta siha giya' Lacrosse. Words can never fully convey the depth of my gratitude to these unselfish, incredibly strong women who left behind all that was familiar and comfortable in order to share their gifts of themselves with a people and culture they knew nothing about. Throughout my thirty-six years of teaching, I, still, to this day, share anecdotes, inspirational poems, quotes and even some latin with my students... always with a tinge of nostalgia and longing for those memorable days from a by-gone era. The legacy of our mentors, both FSPA and lay missionaries, is one that lives on through each us who were so fortunate and blessed to have been taught by them...not only by words but, more profoundly, by example. I recall often and share with my young students the simple yet life-affirming poem learned from, I believe, Sister Optata: "If a job is once begun, never leave it till it's done; be it labor great or small, do it well -- or not at all." how it reminds me of each and every one of them! Best regards, si selina 8th grade/class of 1965

Merry Christmas, my beloved SJT alumni and friends! This time of year brings a flood of happy memories of our school Christmas pageants, caroling in our beloved village and learning Christmas hymns in Chamorro, in Latin (Panis Anglicus, Adeste Fedelis, etc.), the French Christmas carol, (Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella) and many, many more in English! My favorite was, is and always will be -"Silent Night." This song was not about night or darkness. It's about the Light! The third stanza says, " Son of God, love's pure light. Radiant beams from Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace." We sing at Christmas because we have something to sing about! Light has come in the world, and we don't ever need to walk in darkness! Yes, this is a Merry Christmas, one and all!

Buenas todos, HAPPY THANKSGIVING, as we pray: We thank you, Father, for the gift of Jesus your Son who came to our earth and lived in a simple home. We have a greater appreciation of the value and dignity of the human family because He loved and was loved within its shelter. Bless us this day; may we grow in love for each other in our family and so give thanks to you who are the maker of all human families and our abiding peace.

NEWSFLASH!!! We've just received our first milestone with the website... TEN THOUSAND (10,000) HITS, after just being online twenty-four months! BIBA SAN JUDE!

Buenas Polly and Dave, Thank you very much for inviting us into your beautiful home and taking time out to prepare a scrumptious meal. We really had a great time seeing you both and your family as well as Maria and James. Loved the bonelos, Maria. Look forward to visiting you all in near future. My son, Ryan and his family want me to relocate so who knows what Our Almighty has in store for me. It is not the same without Bo and wish sooo much he is still here though I'm sure he is looking down to make sure I'm safe and happy. Take care and God bless you all!! Edith

NOT A KEENEX DRY...Thanks you Pollywolly...Thank you for such a beautifully choreographed medley of photogs of our reunions past...MAY OUR ALUMNI FIND UNITY AND LONGING IN THE ASSEMBLAGE OF YOUR PRESENTATION...biba San Jude..hagu murekoheham todu..

Hafa Adai Polly. This is about the Cool Spot link. The San Haya side students of Sinajana prefered handing out at Jane Duenas or Tan Sario (Guerrero) stores. Ha Ha ....si Victor

Thank you sooo much for the website. I love the pictures of all the alumnis. I will be coming home with my husband Bill on Sept. 20 for two weeks. I heard from my brother Tony that his alumnis get together at least once a week and knowing him I might run in with some of my classmates from school. Maria

I just learned of the sudden passing of Rita P. Santos, the older sister of Class of '63 alumna, Rosalita Santos! Please remember Rita in your prayers. May she rest in God's love and eternal peace, and may Rosalita and her family be sustained by their fervent love and faith in our loving and merciful Father, and in Mary, our blessed Mother!

I just received emails from two of the Delgado sisters, Annie and Sid, regarding the sudden passing of their youngest sister, Janet Delgado-Pereira! She is the second alumna of the Class of '65 to pass away this month! Please remember Janet, her children and the entire family in your prayers. May she rest in God's love and eternal peace, and may her family be sustained by their fervent love and faith in God, our Father, and in Mary, our blessed Mother!

I am still in shock and utter disbelief over the sudden passing of Patricia Cruz (familian Lay)-Sayama of Yona, Guam on June 4th. She is the youngest sister of alumnae - Juanita, Rosita, Maria and alumnus, Juan. She is an SJT alumna of '65. She, like her sisters and brother, was an active participant/contributor in our SJT Alumni Society activities in Guam. Adios, Pat, ya si Yu'os pa'gu gajo-jong mu!

24 May 2010...hafa adai, polly doll...are you on-island???...if so, kindly give me a call at 482.1942...i have a query on a nun, whose photo is posted on this website...i think we were pen pals while i was at st. jude school...i'd be most appreciative if you can call...muchas gracias por su tiempo...():-0)

What a momentous event we missed by not being there for the Memorial Mass honoring all our beloved FSPA nuns and Capuchin priests! I could clearly visualize the procession of SJT alumni that brought those 29 lit candles up to the altar--enough to give me "goosebumps". I could even envision the inspiration gotten from listening to the beauty & harmony of the hymns that were sung during the Mass, and of them lifting up to the rafters of the church! What a wonderful family of alumni we are, especially those of you who were there and did all the selfless work as an offering and tribute to our mentors! God Love and Keep You In the Palm of His Hands...

Polly- Thank you for all the hard work that you and the rest of SJT alumni have done for the beautiful memorial mass honoring our Franciscan Community. We continue to pray for those that have gone before us and those still living in La Crosse, WI. BIBA SJT !!

Polly, kudos to you for all your efforts in keeping this website going and enabling all our alumni to connect us all. Most especially, thanks for calling me at home, it was great hearing from you and do look forward to seeing you soon. I'll forever cherish the fond memories of SJT school: hard labor of our Dads who gave their all to build the school; our Moms who cooked and fed the workers, and yes, us young folks back then who picked up rocks, trash, etc. on the school grounds and detention for gum chewing, etc. which ended in restroom detail. Hey, at the end of the day, we all turned out a-ok!! SJT and the wonderful Sisters of Franciscan Order (esp. Sisters Marda, Rosa, Optata, Jeremy, Wilhemine, Clementine, Gabriel, Ms. K as well) who profoundly have etched and molded our character and citizenry will forever remain in our hearts--I know in mine, they always will.

Thanks Primo, Bert and everyone for your endearing sentiments and tribute to our beloved Sister Marda and the others who have gone before her, as well as the nuns who are still here - the only FSPA member in Guam, Sister Gloria Crisosotomo Aguon, and the many in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I'll always remember the very first time that I met Sister Marda, when I was eleven years old in the seventh grade at St. Jude School in 1960. An emigrant from mainland China, she spoke English quite well, however, I learned immediately that she masterfully communicated with her EYES...characteristically smiling - gentle, ever-patient, and loving. In her classroom, she commanded order, diligence and self-discipline from us; deviants were quickly redirected when she gave her "shape up or else" glare. In May of 2009, forty-five years later, I, and three other SJT alumnae, visited our most beloved teacher, mentor and friend at Villa St. Joseph in La Crosse, WI. Please read more about Sister Marda, and our visit to St. Rose Convent in the NEWS page of this website. Sister Marda entered the gate of heaven on that blessed morning on December 16th, 2009. Her body was laid to rest at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, the FSPA cemetery in La Crosse, Wisconsin!

Polly, thank you so much for the FYI regarding Sister Marda. I will never forget Sister Marda. Nor will I ever forget the other Franciscan Sisters who made such an impact during my two years (that is, seventh and eighth grades) at SJT: Sisters Optata, Clement Ann, Melissa, Gabriel. I also remember Miss Judy O'Brien. It was an absolutely wonderful learning experience in all the aspects of my youth! I cannot make it to the memorial mass. But I wish to tell them "Thank you," though I doubt I could ever fully express my thanks to such wonderful women and for the sacrifices they made for a little chamoru boy in a far-away island.

On behalf of my sisters (Maria Miranda Quichocho, and Regina Miranda Lee) who both attended St. Jude, thank you and Si Yuus Ma ase for a great website....I do recognized a lot of familiar faces...hoping to see them on Jan. 17th. Take care and may God bless you all! R. Miranda

HAPPY NEW YEAR- two thousand and ten!!! As the dawn breaks on a new year, let us give thanks for all we hold dear: our health, our family and our friends. Let us release our grudges, our anger and our pains, for these are nothing but binding chains. Let us live each day in the most loving ways, the God-conscious way. Let us serve all who are in need, regardless of race, color or creed. Let us remember that we are all one... embracing all, discriminating against none. May our year be filled with peace, prosperity and love. May God's blessings shower upon us and bestow upon us a bright, healthy and peaceful new year.

Hello to my fellow classmates. St. Jude was the best place in getting my educational foundation. Thanks to all the great teachers/classmates. Hi Lang, long time no see. Thanks to the '62 class for keeping up the SJT spirit...

Polly, God bless you for all the wonderful things you are doing on the wedsite....Reading the messages, connecting lost friends and renewing friendship, wow, thats awesome.....so hopefully, my old classmates from SJT will stay tune on the wedsite. Gee, I can't remember when we graduated from the 8th grade. Please, somebody out there (my classmates), lets get our lists going....my email address, annieduenas@yahoo.com, or call me at (671) 477-7078 (h) (671) 988-1020 (c). Thanks!

For over 45 years, Sister Marda Tsai has been my spiritual advisor, teacher, mentor and dear friend. As a student at St. Jude School, I used to write to Father James Chang in Hongkong to offer Masses for her Catholic parents who were imprisoned by the communists in China for their religious beliefs. Over the years, I have visited and corresponded with Sr. Marda and even attended her diamond jubliee at St. Rose Convent. Our visit recently to St. Rose was the highlight of our close relationship. (Please read about our visit on the NEWS page of this website). Her artistic talent and love of the Lord are illustrated in the painting and cards she gave me. These tangible memorabilia, as well as the pictures, will always be cherished. Adios Sr. Marda, my heart still aches but I know that God's Will be done, as you've always told me and that you are with the Lord. I miss and love you dearly.

I remember Sr. Marda as my 7th grade teacher. She always had such a humble and meek spirit. She had such a kind face and soft voice when she would teach. She would always paint pictures of birds and trees and would always sign them in Chinese. I will always remember the teachings that they contributed to our community. It was because of the Franciscan Sisters that I chose to go into teaching. Sr. Marda will always be remembered as she was taken by our Heavenly Father to her new home. You are in the great hands of our Heavenly Father. Memorias, Anita Lujan Saxton