The legacy of Brother James Court
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for Brother James Court. Families of Trade School students used to remark that the brothers took boys and made them into men. Brother Anthony hopes that nurturing spirit has carried over into their work at BJC. “This place has been our entire lives, and that’s what the book represents. Our founders started working with orphans doing what they could, and then transitioned to custodial care, where we continue their work,” he explains.
Brother Anthony and Shadid spent more than six months compiling the book, for which they relied on old cabinets full of archival pictures. “The pictures sat in piles on the table for months and months while we combed through them, looking for all the stories,” says Shadid, a retired postal worker who serves on Brother James Court’s Development Advisory Council. Shadid started by researching the Tradesmen, the Trade School’s baseball, basketball and football teams. “They had to use employees when there weren’t enough kids to play,” he remarks. The book’s creators had some serendipitous help when tasked with identifying the subjects of each picture — another Franciscan, Brother Michael, made handwritten notations on several photographs when he retired at age 75. Many of the pictures came from Pete Bono, a freelance photographer who attended the school from 1933 to 1936.
Looking back, Brother Anthony says, has made him realize what an important family he has been a part of for the past 43 years. “It shows that we’ve spanned generations and that we have a lot of ties from one generation to the next,” he explains. Sammy Caruso was the first recipient of a St. James Trade School certificate. Upon graduation, he returned to the Alton Children’s Home and spent 30 years repairing shoes for nuns and 300 students with the knowledge he acquired from the Franciscans. Most recently, a beloved resident passed away after spending nearly 31 years at Brother James Court.
Landers says the book will be available in local retail outlets, but those interested in supporting Brother James Court can purchase it directly from the organization because direct sales provide more profits under BJC’s contractual agreement. BJC’s 16th Annual Benefit Auction and Dinner is Saturday, April 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel. Tickets are $75 and are available at 747-5905 or via brotherjamescourt.com. Thirty residents will join the Franciscan Brothers and BJC staff to greet the public.
The book, St. James Trade School and Brother James Court, is by Br. Anthony Joseph, FFSC, author, and Phil Shadid, coauthor, and edited by Br. Christian and Jay Landers. Photographs from the book are reprinted by permission. It is published by Arcadia Publishing and available for $21.99 from the publisher online at www.arcadiapublishing.com or by calling 888-313-2665.
