What was life really like for our ancestors in Hopewell a century ago? We have some of their writings (see post on Hopewell Booklets), and we continue to do oral history interviews to capture memories – even back to the 1930s (see post on Hopewell Grammar School Kids).
And now we can hear the songs and prayers of the children of St. Michael’s Orphanage in the 1930s, as remembered, recited, and sung by Cecille (“Cece”) Haggerty O’Brien, who was at St. Michael’s from 1933 to 1943 (almost age 3 through age 13).
Cecille and her three sisters were sent to St. Michael’s in August 1933 after the death of her mother. They had occasional visits from family members, but each stayed at St. Michael’s until completing eighth grade. Cecille continued her schooling at a Catholic girls high school while supporting herself with domestic work, and then went on to become a nurse, marry, and raise a loving family.
- See St. Michael’s – History, Presentation Video, Media, and References for more on the history of St. Michael’s, the associated presentation video, and additional photos and references.
Songs and Prayers of St. Michael’s Children
The video features the audio recording of Cecille singing and reciting the songs and prayers familiar to the girls of St. Michael’s. The transcript is from the oral history interview done last year, with her granddaughter, Rose Cecille O’Brien, and interviewers Doug and Connie Dixon. Each piece is illustrated by a photo as listed in the credits, mostly from the archives from the Sisters of St. Francis, the order that operated and staffed St. Michael’s.
“Dolly Dimple” / “Shirley Temple” – A rhyme used when jumping ropes with two ropes (Double Dutch) – with the girls saying “Shirley Temple” instead of the traditional “Dolly Dimple.”
“As we got older, we had lots of time to play, and we played Ring Around the Rosie, and Lay Sheepy Lay, and jump rope and hide and go seek, all those kids games. [When jumping rope] one of the little girls would jump into the Double Dutch and do some special move, some little special trick.”
“Welcome Bishop” – A song for the bishop when he visited St. Michael’s – an important event that also caused a lot of extra cleaning.
“We each had a little task to perform. … I would be responsible for sweeping down the back steps, say. A couple of stories of back steps. And then as I got older, I was more maybe presentable or reliable, and I could do the front steps, which were really very important part of orphanage. And I can remember sometimes the bishop would visit, and we would sing a little welcoming song to him from there. It was very important to have the bishop come.”
“The Girls of St. Michael’s” – Sung by the girls when proudly marching through Flemington on a special excursion to see a new Disney movie.
“Whenever Walt Disney would produce a movie like Bambi or Cinderella, or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, somehow we would be invited to see that movie at the theater. Which, I don’t know how that came about, but it was thrilling to us. I love all those movies. And at other times, the priest would have little movies that they would show from a projector somehow on the wall. We would occasionally see movies that way at the orphanage. But to go into town, to Flemington to the movie house and see it at the real theater was so special.”
“The Bullfrog In The Bay” – Harmony singing in round, done by the older girls after the younger ones have been sent to bed.
When I was middle age of the kids there, we used to have to go to bed at eight o’clock, which was in the summertime, too early. The sun was still out, I think at eight o’clock. Anyway, we would be in bed and I could hear the older kids out singing in harmony in round, in roundalays. … Now that would be done in a round, so that all these girls would be singing, and it was so lovely, and I would be wishing that I was down there with them instead of in bed.”
“Goodnight, Sweet Jesus” – A prayer song the children sang each night before going to sleep.
“I used to sing that to my kids too to get them to go to sleep when I was trying to put them down. … Every night.
“Prayer to the Blessed Mother“
An Irish night prayer recited each evening before bedtime.
“May Queen Verse” – Verse recited by Cece when she was May Queen at age 11 or 12, in 1941 or 1942.
Rejoice, rejoice oh children,
our queen of May is crowned
We’ve rushed to place a humble wreath,
upon her heavenly brow
Beside her heavenly diadem,
our wreath is plain and poor
But when we do our humble best,
thou dost demand no more
Our Humble Best: Cece’s Story
Cecille’s granddaughter, Rose O’Brien, has compiled her stories of St. Michael’s into a charming paperback to pass down the memories to her family.
The stories share the simple joys and tribulations of the simple life at the orphanage. The book is written in verse and in plain language, and illustrated by Rose’s father, Francis X. O’Brien. The title, “Our Humble Best,” comes from the May Queen verse.
- See Our Humble Best: Cece’s Story on Amazon
“The rousing true story of a spunky little orphan girl growing up in 1930s New Jersey. These whimsical poems relay Cece’s spirit, resilience, and life-long bond with her three sisters who were in the orphanage with her. This book is based on the amazing life of the author’s 92-year-old grandmother, and includes photos from her life and the history surrounding St. Michael’s Orphanage in Hopewell, New Jersey.”
Please contact us if you have additional photos, materials, or information about St. Michael’s to share
More on St. Michael’s Orphanage
St. Michael’s Orphan Asylum and Industrial School operated for three quarters of a century (1898 to 1973) just south of Hopewell, providing support and education for abandoned and neglected children.
Presentation
- Main page – St. Michael’s – History, Presentation Video, Media, and References
- Talk – St. Michael’s Orphanage: A Visual History – Wed., May 8, 2024
Posts – and History Briefs
- Post and Brief – St. Michael’s Orphanage
- Post and Brief – The St. Michael’s Cemetery – and Celtic Cross
Posts – Photos
- Post – Photos of St. Michael’s Kids
- Post – St. Michael’s Photos – Behind the Building
- Post – St. Michael’s Orphanage Photo Collection
Posts – Records and Documentation
- Post & docs – St. Michael’s Orphanage – Census Records (1900-1950)
- Post & docs – St. Michael’s School & Mission Annual Reports, 1940s-1973
- Post & docs – St. Michael’s Orphanage – Farm Report – 1914
- Post – Investigating History in Hopewell Maps – St. Michael’s Building
Resources
- St. Michael’s School pages from the Pennington Borough Historical Website
(History, photos, 1900 census, memories)
Media
- Images – View the 200+ St. Michael’s images on the History Project site
- Video – Songs and Prayers of the Children of St. Michael’s Orphanage – 1930s
- Video – A Home in the Country: The Story of St. Michael’s Orphanage, by Jack Koeppel, 2016 Hopewell Public Library presentation
