THE CHURCH OF STARBUCKS?
While shoppers go through the check-out at Albertson's on 19th Ave and Northern, pop in to Blockbuster to grab a movie, or get a "Grande Frapuccino" at Starbucks, little do they probably realize that this was the site of "The Good Shepherd School For Girls". Albertson's was the location of "cottages"-a strip of dorms where the girls would get up at 0600, clean, make breakfeast, put on their uniforms, and off to classes (area behind Starbucks), past Sister Augustine's office (the principle) and dash up the stairs-NO TALKING! Church was every Sunday...IN STARBUCKS! Yes, with stained glas, wooden pews, and singing Sisters, gathered together in one place, never a clue that, one day, over-priced, bitter, coffee would be sold from that place.
Where the sisters living quarters once housed women dressed in white tent-like dresses with black habits covering their chopped locks, there is now an Allstate office, while the upstairs looks abandoned. On the lower floor, on this side also, was the administative office, where the sweet Sister Frances, with her heavy East coast accent, would take calls when "Flo" wasn't. Next to the huge solid wood doors was a plaque (which I have a photograph of), stating "Good Shepherd School For Girls". It was there for a while after the site was sold, but now is gone too.
There was much more that is gone from the site, including a pool, which I believe was about in the area to the west of Albertson's. It had several courts for volleyball and basketball, and a baseball field that made room now for stucco apartments. Toward the edge of the street, were separate "cottages" also. Boston Market sits on the site of one such cottage called "Princess" (it was pink). There are still remnants of some of the fountains where statues once were, though I'm not sure why they had to go.
The Sisters of the Good Shepherd are still active all over the world, but they are gone from Phoenix to the last drop.
