Being Xaverian - Our Lady of Good Counsel High School

A HIStORICAl ANd
SACRed AddItION
The Kane Center is utilized in so many different
ways—as a game arena, a gym to hold PE classes,
a place to assemble our student body for Large
Community, and a sacred gathering place for
all-school Mass. And while it is a place where
we commune as a school, we realized that there
was nothing on the walls of the Kane Center
representing our Catholic identity.
Longtime plant staff maintenance director, Jorge
Gonzalez, suggested a creative and thoughtful
idea. During the demolition of the old campus in
Wheaton, Jorge salvaged and stored floor planks
from the old gym floor. Utilizing his incredible
creative talents, Jorge built a beautiful new
cross using the old wood.
During a school Mass, and with the assistance of
the students and faculty, the cross was blessed
by our chaplain, Father Barry Gross. It is now
hung in its permanent location on the center
wall of the Kane Center, as a symbolic reminder
of our identity as a Catholic school, while also
reminding us of our roots and extended
community at Our Lady of Good Counsel
High School. ✦
PRESERVING OUR HISTORY
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School is taking a big step towards
documenting its history. Greg Wood, retired Good Counsel French teacher,
is back on campus to help the school preserve its history. Wood is starting
the archives by documenting the names, subjects and years of all of the
faculty and staff who worked at the school. Wood enjoys the challenge,
but archiving 54-years of history is an immense task for one man. Such an
undertaking is daunting, but Wood is a seasoned archivist. He has written two
history books and has documented his own family history, which amasses to
200 pages. Wood also worked at Good Counsel for 37 years starting in 1974.
Greg Wood, former French Teacher
and now GC archivist.
The main issue that Wood is facing in his work relates to one of the traits
that make the Xaverian Brothers so inspiring—they were extremely humble.
During their years shortly after opening of Our Lady of Good Counsel High
School, this humility translated to a lack of documentation until the yearbook
was printed in 1962. Wood is working tirelessly with long-time faculty and
alumni to try to piece together all of the holes in Good Counsel’s history.
His diligent and tenacious efforts will ensure that our history will be
preserved.
If you would like to reach out to Mr. Wood to share stories or other school
history, you can email him at gwood@olgchs.org. ✦
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aLumnI