A History of The Church of The Holy Family

Transcription

1 A History of The Church of The Holy Family artwork by Michael Evangelista Auburn, New York

2 Sources for this history were: The Parish Archives and personal recollections of current and former staff members, including: Bernadine Bearsch, Ron Boulerice, Laura Harrington, Adelaide Hutson, Margaret Lepak, Mary Madden, Edward Schell, Deacon John Tomandl The memories and memorabilia of the parishioners, past and present The Archives of the Sisters of Mercy "The Achillean", Holy Family High School Yearbook "The Life and Letters of Bishop McQuaid" by Rev. Frederick J. Zwierlein "Some Cross Bearers of the Finger Lakes Region" by Rev. Bernard Leo Heffernan "The Diocese of Rochester " by Rev. Robert F. McNamara Cayuga County Archives INDEX INTRODUCTION 3 THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY 5 HOLY FAMILY S JOURNEY TOWARD THE NEW MILLENNIUM 17 THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY 26 HOLY FAMILY S JOURNEY TOWARD LIFELONG FAITH FORMATION 27 THE BUSINESS OF CHURCH 30 A NEW MILLENNIUM 35 APPENDIX A 37 APPENDIX A SUMMARY 39 Page 2 of 40

3 INTRODUCTION This history of The Church of the Holy Family in Auburn, New York has been undertaken so that future generations of Catholics might appreciate to some degree the prayers, efforts and sacrifices of those who came before them. The facts presented here are, as far as can be determined, accurate and trustworthy. In so far as this represents, to a high percentage, the collection of memories, experiences and feelings of the contributors, it may contain some nuances that could be challenged by others who also experienced an event. However, as much as possible, we have tried to verify information or present a story as just that, a story, whenever doubt about the facts exists. When we began the effort to compile this history a plea was sent out to the members of the parish and community to bring forth pictures, data, personal recollections and other memorabilia. Should you, in reading this account, recall other facts or find reason to dispute the information contained herein, please do so as this information can be kept with this record and a future editor may incorporate this new information in any revisions. I would also like to take advantage of the fact that, as editor, I can say anything I want to and it will get into the book. I have been part of the Holy Family parish since the mid 1980 s. Our family has found in Holy Family a true and lasting feeling of just that: FAMILY. It has been said that corporate institutions take on an identity of their own that transcends the people who are part of it. That is true of this parish. The nature of being family has outlasted those who have left over the years, whether by journeying home to the Lord or due to job relocation or simple dissatisfaction with the pastor of the moment. The family nature and feeling that are embodied here is evidenced in many ways: youth group activity, sacraments, worship, community involvement, and charitable action both into the community and the world. Holy Family has supplied the Church of Jesus Christ with many workers for the fields. More than 61 people have pledged their lives to service of the Church in ordained or vowed ministry over the years. Within the Auburn community, Holy Family has always taken a role of leadership and camaraderie second to none. In the days when it seemed almost as much a sin to go to another Catholic church as to a Protestant church to worship, Page 3 of 40

4 Holy Family opened its doors to students from any parish who wanted a Catholic High School education. (NOTE: Happily those days of parochialism seem over. Let us pray they never return.) Today we contemplate the future of ministry within the Auburn area. The Pastoral Planning for the new Millennium process is well underway and it seems that the future will hold more adjustment and compromise in the ways ministry is experienced by the People of God in Auburn. Holy Family pledges to be in the forefront of efforts to find new ways to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In that effort Holy Family looks to continue to be a family of faith ready to nurture families as well as individuals in their walks of faith on the journey to the Kingdom. I hope that you enjoy this look into the past and I offer my personal blessings and prayers to all who read this booklet. God bless and peace. Deacon John D. Tomandl, editor, 1988 (updated, November 2000) (addendum, 2009) Page 4 of 40

5 THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY A HISTORY OF THE PARISH The very first Holy Family Church came into being when Father Francis O'Donaghue, the first pastor, bought the Methodist church - a frame building on Chapel Street in 1834 when the Methodists moved to a new building. This building later became Holy Family School and the sum paid for the lot and building was $1,200. Acting for the Church were Hugh Ward, Patrick Carberry, Thomas Fanning, Joseph Watson and Matthew Walpole, "trustees of the Catholic Church of Auburn." The church was dedicated on October 23, 1834 and served the Catholics of Auburn and vicinity until 1861 when Bishop John Timon of Buffalo dedicated the present church on July 7 of that year. The cost of this building was $35,000. This was by no means the first evidence or trace of Catholicism in the area. Heroic Jesuit Missionaries, such as Fathers Claude Dablon, Joseph Chaumonot, Simon LeMoyne and Rene Menard had carried the message of the Gospel to the Indians nearly 200 years before. In the year 1816 John O'Connor and Hugh Ward offered to defray the expenses of Father Michael O'Gorman to come from Albany to Auburn. During this visit "to the four or five Catholic families in Auburn" Father O'Gorman celebrated Mass, preached in the courthouse and baptized several children. The Mass is reported to have been said in the O'Connor home on Water Street. Page 5 of 40

6 St. John's Church in Utica was established in 1819 and Father John Farnan was named its pastor, which meant that he had custody of the western part of the state. In that same summer he made his first missionary trip west stopping in Auburn to celebrate Mass in the courthouse on July 11. Father Farnan was a true missionary and in 1820 on July 12 formed the "Third Roman Catholic Church of the western District", St. Patrick's at Rochesterville. On his return trip he held a similar meeting in Auburn for the same purpose. The Auburn group chose as trustees: Hugh Ward, John Conner (sic.) James Hickson, Thomas Hickson and David Lawlor and they purchased a parcel of land for the sum of $5.00 to be used for a church and burial ground. The deed provided that the land should be used for such purpose within five years or reverts to its previous owners. Unfortunately, the building was begun but never completed and the property reverted. Auburn's first Catholic Church, Holy Family, was thus not dedicated until The Erie Canal and New York Central Railroad (a later corporation which included the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad) explained the migration that came Auburn's way. The Canal was in operation from 1825 and the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad was chartered and built from Auburn to Syracuse and began operation in Many of the men who had labored on these projects settled in and near Auburn and these means of travel provided access for more families coming to the village each year. Between 1820 and 1834 visiting priests ministered to the Catholics of Auburn. Father Patrick Kelly was listed in the Catholic Almanac for 1822 as "Pastor of Auburn, Rochester and other districts in the western part of the State." The first Bishop to appear in Auburn was Bishop Dubois of New York City who visited here in 1828 and John O Connor, in whose home he celebrated Mass, gave him hospitality. He visited here for the last time in Page 6 of 40

7 Father Francis O'Donaghue was named pastor of Salina (now Syracuse) in 1831 and attended the missions of Auburn, Geneva, Oswego, Carthage and Sackett's Harbor. It was during his pastorate that our first church became a reality. The Methodists of the First Methodist Church of Auburn were moving to a new stone edifice on the corner of North and Water St. from their original church on Chapel Street. It was on the site which was later occupied by Holy Family school and was sold to "Hugh Ward, Patrick Carberry, Thomas Fanning, Joseph Watson and Matthew Walpole, trustees of the Roman Catholic Church of Auburn" for $1,200 on May 15, The building was remodeled and a belfry added and on October 23, 1834 Very Rev. John Power, pastor of St. Peter's Church, New York City, and Vicar General of the diocese of New York, delegate of Bishop John DuBois of New York, dedicated the church and preached the sermon at the Mass, which appears to have been celebrated by Father O'Donaghue. Three days later St. Francis De Sales Church was dedicated in Geneva on October 26, Early in 1835, after some difficulties among citizens of Auburn over the visits of Father O'Donaghue, an incident occurred that briefly threatened the future of the church. A young man set fire to the building while the congregation was assembled. The fire was discovered and extinguished quickly, the man was arrested, confessed his guilt and said he had been engaged to perform the act. Father O'Donaghue allowed the criminal to escape punishment. The first resident pastor of our parish appears from some sources to have been a Father Connolly who stayed only a few months, leaving at the end of 1838 and little is known of him. Second in the line of resident pastors was Father William Grace who had spent most of his life as a Jesuit teaching and doing pastoral work in Maryland. He withdrew from the Society of Jesus in 1839 joining the diocese of New York and received his first and only appointment as pastor of our parish, having as missions Seneca Falls, Geneva and other places. He died of consumption on April 9, Page 7 of 40

8 Father Patrick Bradley, ordained in New York City in 1834, and serving at St. Mary's, Albany when Father Grace died, was sent to succeed him and stayed until late in Rev. Thomas O'Flaherty was the fourth resident pastor who took charge of the parish about September According to a statement of his, he found sixty Catholic families here on his arrival. From 1845 to 1848 he attended missions in "Seneca Falls and other parts." Mass each Sunday became a reality for Holy Family parishioners in 1848 during his pastorate. It was a grave misfortune that Father O'Flaherty proved to be a source of trouble and even of scandal in the parish and the community. When Bishop McQuaid came to the diocese as its first bishop on July 1868 there were only thirty-nine priests within its boundaries. However small and unimpressive the diocese and the number of its priests and people, it was well on the way to not only area but national attention, thanks to the activities of none other than the pastor of Holy Family Parish, Auburn, Rev. Thomas O'Flaherty. He had not been a "run of the mill" type of priest compared to the mostly good, devoted priests of that time and had so misbehaved in his handling of the people and management of parish and personal affairs that he had been suspended by Bishop Timon of Buffalo and lived as a layman. He had also served as Pastor in Elmira, Rochester and Geneva after leaving Auburn in After his protestations of repentance and assurance of amendment for the future, Bishop Timon gave him another appointment as pastor of Holy Family in When he did this, he sent his own Vicar General, Father William Gleeson, to help reinstate Father O Flaherty because "there was an uprising of the congregation to keep O'Flaherty from becoming their pastor." Father O'Flaherty evidently made little effort at amendment and trouble continued in the parish, one faction of parishioners lining up behind him, the rest opposed to him. Page 8 of 40

9 He repeatedly harangued the congregation from the pulpit castigating publicly and abusively those who disapproved of him. He persecuted the new Sisters of Mercy and tried to drive them away from the parish school. Bishop McQuaid once summarized it thus: "Bad temper and public abuse of the laity in the church, wrong use of the church moneys, refusal to pay the Sisters of Mercy their salary as school teachers in the parochial school in the hope of driving them from the parish, and gross immorality." Bishop McQuaid knew of this serious trouble when he first came to the diocese but resolved to ignore the past and "to condemn, if necessary, only on the record he might make under my administration." The new Bishop made several concessions to O'Flaherty and his faction of parishioners and even formed, on August 20, 1868, a new parish, St. Mary's, for the benefit and care of the good people who disapproved of and were turned away by Father O'Flaherty. Bishop McQuaid later publicly reminded the people at Auburn of this: "You all remember the trouble in this city that met me when I came into your midst as Bishop. Fighting, contention, angry feelings, public meetings against the then pastor, persecuted Sisters of Mercy, disorder and disgrace in the place - these constituted my first welcome to Auburn. For months before, the story of your troubles, then as now, over telegraph and through the press, had traveled through the country, and my friends pitied me that I had been made Bishop over congregations that could rebel against their priests - for that was the character that the troubles had taken. I came here, therefore, trying to find the way out of the difficulty - the errors and blunders on every side of each and every one concerned in the trouble - covering over the mistakes of the pastor and seeking to give him a chance to enter again on a new career in his own church, removing his assistant, removing the Superior of the Sisters of Mercy, conceding almost everything I could, forming a new parish, saying to the injured laymen who claimed their right to their pews in the Church of the Holy Family, for peace's sake, go sacrifice your rights, and in your new church worship your God in peace." Page 9 of 40

10 On Sunday morning, February 21, 1869 in the midst of a tumultuous mobscene in the church Bishop McQuaid publicly suspended Father O'Flaherty from his priestly office. There were further troubles prolonged by Father O'Flaherty and his few followers, but the loyal people of the parish prevailed and by Sunday, April 11, 1869 the church was opened for Mass for an overflow congregation by the new pastor, Father Martin Kavanagh. The final public showdown was accomplished with the assistance of Mayor J. M. Hurd, the Auburn police and two companies of the National Guard. Bishop Timon first administered the sacrament of Confirmation in Auburn on January 23, Other Confirmations in the early years of Bishop McQuaid saw 126 persons Confirmed on October 18, 1868, 383 persons on July 13, 1873 and 285 adults on February 5, Father Martin Kavanagh remained for only a year and was succeeded by Father Michael Creedon in It was during his time that the present church was built at a cost of $35,000. Bishop John Timon came from Buffalo and dedicated the red brick edifice on July 7, Father James McGlew succeeded Father Creedon in 1862 and remained until Bishop Timon reinstated Father O Flaherty in It does not appear how long Father O Flaherty kept his promises to Bishop Timon, but there is no doubt that there again was trouble in an increasing way until it reached a fever pitch about the time Bishop McQuaid established the Diocese of Rochester in The Sisters of Mercy opened the first Catholic School in Auburn in In lasting tribute to their sturdy pioneer spirit and dedication to their commitment, let their names be recorded: Sisters Mary depazzi Kavanagh, Mary Gertrude Downey, Mary Angela Lynch, Veronica Corbett and Ursula Droogan. At first these sisters lived in a double house on Chapel Street, one side of which housed a "select" school under Sister Mary Gertrude. The "free school" was located in the old church building under the direction of Sister Mary depazzi. Page 10 of 40

11 Six years later, in 1873 a new brick school building was built and opened and by the year 1877 there were eight Sisters and 500 children in the school. Father William Seymour was appointed pastor in the year, 1877, and remained until his death in During this time Bishop McQuaid made two trips to the church for important dedications. It was during a Paulist Fathers' Mission, which began on November 8, 1885 that he dedicated the new marble altar, the gift of Daniel McGarr and in 1886 he dedicated the Stations of the Cross. Page 11 of 40

12 In the same year, on October 1, 1885, Patrick Mullin presented the great crucifix which adorns the sidewall at St. Joseph's Chapel and which has recently brought visitors back with cameras. (NOTE: This refurbished crucifix now adorns the back wall of the sanctuary.) A truly great era in the history of the parish began when Father John J. Hickey, a boy of the parish, was appointed on March 21, 1895 to succeed Father Seymour who died after eighteen good years as pastor. He began by purchasing the property on the corner of North and Chapel Streets, removing an old and unsightly house and barn and planting a beautiful lawn. Soon thereafter he built the twin towers, added the sacristy, painted the exterior and renovated the interior of the church. The brass and onyx pulpit, gift of William H. Moffitt of New York City, and a matching altar rail, gift of his mother, Mrs. Catherine O'Connor Hickey, were added in these times, as were the large full-relief Stations of the Cross. According to the parish archives the cost of the improvements was $30,000. The inscription on the pulpit is revealing of the faith as well as the charity of Mr. Moffitt: "Presented by Mr. & Mrs. William Moffitt to the Holy Family Church in memory of Anthony Reilly who taught Sunday school in this church for thirty years." The marble altar in the left side chapel of St. Joseph ( now the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.) bears the inscription: "Donors - J. J. Ackerman, Butler Bros., P. M. Herron, M. L. Keating." Mr. Moffitt in another very substantial and generous way contributed to the adornment of our church. The great bell in the tower bears the following inscription: "Donated to the Holy Family Church by William H. Moffitt in memory of his mother, Bridget Moffitt, 1906." Page 12 of 40

13 It was in 1912 that the twenty priceless stained glass windows*, produced by the famous artists of Munich, Germany, were installed. Individual members of the congregation donated these treasures. They are currently insured for over $500,000. * see Appendix A for additional comment on the Stained Glass Windows Early 1913 saw the installation of the quartered oak pews and in 1916 the building was extended twenty feet to the east. A new facade was added at this time and "the whole exterior of the edifice is made to imitate Indiana limestone." Having been in failing health for several months, Father Hickey died on April 30, 1923 in New York City. His remains were brought to Auburn and buried in the family plot in St. Joseph's Cemetery after solemn funeral services in the church. Bishop Thomas F. Hickey appointed Father John A. Conway pastor to succeed Father Hickey in the same year, transferring him from the pastorate of St. Vincent's Parish, Coming. Page 13 of 40

14 Father Conway's first large task was a new school. The old one "was in a very dilapidated condition and it had become very unsanitary. In the spring of 1924 the school was struck by lightning, a portion of the roof being destroyed. In early 1926 two parcels of property to the north of the church were purchased from Granville Corning and Peter Herron for $15,000 and $13,000 respectively and the work of clearing these sites was begun at once. In April 1927, ground was broken for the new school. The new school was solemnly blessed by Bishop Thomas F. Hickey in August 1928 and opened its doors in the September following. The cost of the new building was $244,300. Page 14 of 40

15 (Note: Many parishioners knew Father Sundholm as the Bird Man of Holy Family, but this picture appears to show that Bishop Byrne was somewhat of a Bird Man himself.) The most distinguished graduate of Holy Family elementary school was Patrick J. Byrne who, for reasons of health came to Auburn from his native Washington, D.C. to live with an aunt and uncle, Mr. & Mrs. Henry O'Neill at 79 Van Anden Street in 1895 at the age of 6 years. He spent his early school years going through Holy Family School and attending, but not completing, Auburn High School. He became a Maryknoll priest and missionary to the Orient - undertaking a new mission in Northern Korea in After different assignments including the Assistant Superiorship of the Society and rector of its seminary, he returned to the Orient as a missionary, this time to Japan in 1935, He spent the World War II years in house-detention in Japan. In 1949 Pope Plus XII appointed him Apostolic Delegate to Korea and consecrated a bishop. When the North Koreans invaded South Korea in June 1950 he decided to remain at his post in Seoul. In September he was taken prisoner and started the infamous death-march northward with other missionaries and American GI's. By November the tortures and ravages had taken their toll and he died along the road on November 25, He was memorialized on October 16, 1968 in our church at a concelebrated Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Dennis W. Hickey as principal Page 15 of 40

16 celebrant. The Bishop blessed the bronze commemorative plaque, which was later installed in the main corridor of Holy Family School. Attending the Mass and the dinner at Springside Inn was a large number of Maryknoll missionary priests and sisters including the Superior General, Father John J. McCormack, and Father William R. Booth, M.M. who had been secretary and companion to Bishop Byrne on the death-march, and who survived it. Fr. Booth preached at the Mass. Also present were Mr. Joseph Byrne a life-long Auburnian and cousin of the Bishop, Father Patrick Cleary, M.M. a native of Ithaca, New York and missionary comrade of the Bishop, Auburn Mayor Paul Lattimore, Congressman Samuel Stratton of the 35th District. Page 16 of 40

17 HOLY FAMILY S JOURNEY TOWARD THE NEW MILLENNIUM The feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, September 8, 1930 was the day on which Holy Family High School opened its doors to thirty-two freshmen. Father Conway was its first principal and the Sisters of Mercy its faculty. Chartered by the State of New York and the state Board of Regents, the school was intended by Bishop John Francis O'Hern as a forerunner for a central Catholic High School in Auburn. From its very beginning, this small school made and left its wholesome mark on the religious, scholastic, cultural and athletic life of the city and far beyond. It offered academic and college entrance courses to students who were mostly from Holy Family Parish but also to some others from all the city parishes and to a few non-catholics. Father William E. Davie became principal at the beginning of the school's third year, September 1932, and directed it throughout its life. A true educator, a lover of youth and a true priest of Christ, he gave influence and leadership of the highest kind to every student who passed through its halls. It remains common place in the city of Auburn, and far beyond, that whenever conversation, among a very few or a large group, turns to school days, his name rings out on all sides in a way which attests to the place he still occupies in the minds and hearts of Holy Family alumni. "Year after year the various charters were obtained, and in May 1935, the final charter was granted. By this act, the Regents of the State of New York declared that the school in its training of faculty, equipment and curriculum met all the requirements of the Board of Regents." In its 27-year history it graduated 906 students, twenty-four of whom won state scholarships and sixty-two won scholarships to various colleges. Nine of its alumni entered the priesthood and twenty-nine the convent. Nine died in World War II, may their memory never fade nor their glories ever cease to glow: S/Sgt. William J. Burns, Pfc. Edward Cullen, Pfc. William P. Donnelly, FI/c James F. Keegan, S/Sgt. Paul A. Laurin, S/Sgt. William J. Page 17 of 40

18 McKeon, Pfc. Theodore Miskell, S/Sgt. John J. Poole and Pfc. Thomas Watkins. The Sisters of Mercy who served on the faculty through the years were: Sisters Mary Martha, Mary Julia, Mary Columba, Mary Hilary, Mary Amadeus, Mary Evangelist, Mary Gregory, Mary Joanne, Mother Mary Camilla, Mother Mary Antonia, Sisters Mary Constance, Mary Cyprian, Mary Carmella, Mary Jonatha, Mary Borromeo, Mary Mercy and Mary Gratia. The priests who served in the parish and on the faculty were: Rt. Rev. Msgr. Donald M. Cleary, Rev. Leo E. Hastings, Rt. Rev. Msgr. John S. Randall, Rev. Francis W. Harding, Rev. John J. Healy, Rev. John W. Brill, Rev. William Lammers, Rev. Alfred J. Horr, Rev. Eugene McCarthy, Rev. Edward J. Tolster, Rev. James P. Collins and Rev. John P. Norris. During the late 1950 s, the final years of the life of Holy Family High School, the parish joined other parishes in the city in contributing to the new Mt. Carmel High School established and conducted by the Carmelite Fathers who were popularly known as the White Friars because of the white dress cape of their habit. The total contribution to the new high school by Holy Family Parish in three successive gifts was $298, In anticipation and preparation for the celebration of the centennial of the parish much work was done on the church in The whole interior of the church was done over, the heating and lighting systems being replaced, the three altars repaired and the interior redecorated. 1934, the 100th year of the parish life, and the thirtieth anniversary of Father Conway's ordination, was highlighted by a Solemn Mass on June 25. With Archbishop-Bishop Edward Mooney, D.D. presiding at the throne, Father Conway was celebrant, Rev. Edward Dwyer and Rev. D. Edward Byrne, STD, both members of the parish, were deacon and sub-deacon respectively. The sermon was preached by Most Rev. Thomas F. Hickey, Titular Archbishop of Viminacium, retired Bishop of Rochester. - Page 18 of 40

19 The convent was extensively repaired in 1940 and attention began to be given to the rectory. Architects and contractors who were consulted advised that it would be a waste of money to repair it, the only proper thing being to erect a new building. Ground was broken in July 1941 and the rectory occupied by the priests in February On November 11, 1947 Father Conway, having been dean of the Auburn deanery since 1932, was elevated to the rank of Domestic Prelate with the title "Right Rev. Monsignor" by Pope Pius XII. It was in 1954 on November 11 that the distinguished career of thirty-one years as pastor came to a close for Msgr. Conway. On that morning he had gone to the church to prepare for the daily 8:00 a.m. Mass but was unable to undertake it and returned to the rectory where he died about 8:00 a.m. Bishop James E. Kearney, D.D., Bishop of Rochester, celebrated the funeral Mass in the presence of more than one hundred priests and an overflow congregation. Messages of condolence were received from, among many others, His Eminence Edward Cardinal Mooney of Detroit, and Thomas E. Dewey, Governor of the State of New York. Father William E. Davie, M.A., principal of Holy Family High School, was named to succeed Msgr. Conway as pastor on November 24, St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 1956 was a great day for the Sisters of Mercy who had been in the parish for nearly ninety years teaching both elementary and high school. For long years they had been living in conditions far short of the minimal comfort their station and their contribution merited. On this day ground was broken for their new convent. The trustees and auditors of the parish, Hugh Kimball, Thomas Delaney, John Leo and George Cuddy and the assistant pastors, Fathers Edward Tolster and James P. Collins assisted the Pastor, Father Davie, performed the ceremony in deep snow. Many priests also attended and were entertained - Page 19 of 40

20 at dinner in the rectory. Msgr. Frederick Straub, the new Dean of Cayuga County, wore his new Monsignorial house-cassock for the first time on this occasion. A month later, on April 18, 1956, workmen began to dig the foundation and on July 6 at 9:30 a.m. Father Davie assisted by Fathers James Collins and John Norris blessed the cornerstone. On March 13, 1957 the Sisters took up residence in their new convent and Father Davie celebrated the first Mass in the new chapel on the next morning, March 14, Most Rev. Lawrence Casey, D.D. blessed the new convent in June when he came for the final Holy Family graduation exercise. The cost of the convent was approximately $217,000. It may be not improper to note at this point a far less comforting fact: that only sixteen years later, on July 25, 1973, Sister Mary Faith Francione, R.S.M., the last principal of Holy Family elementary school, was the last Sister of Mercy to leave Holy Family parish service. Her departure marked the close of 106 years of capable and devoted service to the parish, the city of Auburn and beyond. One other Sister of Mercy, Sister Ellen Ward, who had been serving the city and county as Coordinator for Religious Education, remained in Auburn for one more year leaving the post in June and 1959 witnessed considerable activity in renovating school and church. The new south side door was added to the church, the high altar renovated, new confessionals installed and the church redecorated, a kindergarten added and the kitchen modernized at the school. On June 6, 1959 the second-ever ordination held in Auburn was held in Holy Family Church. Most Rev. Lawrence B. Casey, D.D, raised three young men of the parish, Paul Brennan, John Dillon and John Gormley, and Paul McCabe of Sacred Heart Parish, to the altar. On November 29, 1964 parts of the Mass were said in English for the first time and on March 7, 1965 the High Mass opening the Forty House was sung in English. On November 6 of the same year David Alexander and Linda Malter received Holy Communion under both forms during their Nuptial Mass, another first in our church. Page 20 of 40

21 During the same year our parish pledged $74,519 toward St. John Fisher and Nazareth Colleges and Beckett Hall Seminary building. Mass was offered facing the people for the first time on the new altar provided for it on the Feast of Christ the King, October 30, On Christmas of the same year Midnight Mass was concelebrated for the first time by the Pastor, Father Davie, and Fathers Robert Donovan and John Glogowski, assistant pastors. The first Home-Mass in the history of our parish was offered in the home of Dr. and Mrs. John Donahue on North Park. Father Davie offered the Mass, Father John Glogowski assisted him in the presence of a large group of Sisters of Mercy and laypersons. On October 22, 1967 the English Canon of the Mass was used for the first time. The one hundredth anniversary of the Sisters of Mercy in Holy Family parish was solemnly observed on May 21st Present and former Sister faculty members and Sisters who had entered the communion from our parish were entertained at dinner at Springside Inn. Concelebrated Mass followed at 5:30 p.m. with Fathers Davie, Donovan and Glogowski concelebrating. The new rose window in the facade of the church donated by Father Davie in memory of his father, William H. Davie, was installed in November On January 22, 1968 Father Davie was stricken in the sacristy after the celebration of a second funeral Mass. He passed to his reward at 11:00 p.m. that same evening in Mercy Hospital. His death was as unexpected as it was sudden, a total shock to the parish and the city. He had given and given generously of himself to parish, school and community for all but a year of his life as a priest. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen appointed Rev. Msgr. Joseph J. Sullivan successor to Father Davie transferring him from the pastorate of St. Michael's parish Penn Yan and St. Andrew's parish, Dundee on February 14, In the summer of 1968 the balcony was removed from the auditorium of the school. The balcony had been unused for many years and it effectively Page 21 of 40

22 prevented any such things as good athletic activities particularly basketball. The children of our school had been playing as well as they might in this hall and in borrowed or rented public schools and other halls in the city. From that time onward the C.Y.O. program was able to develop and progress in a very satisfactory manner. The Holy Family Athletic Association has faithfully and consistently promoted and assisted this program financially, physically and morally, in addition to monetary help, arranging for coaching and other auxiliary help and giving generous moral support to our youth. The program each year finds an average of two hundred boys and girls throughout the city s parishes involved in its activities, the girls providing cheerleading teams to support the boys who played. In more recent years some of the young ladies have even lent their sports talents and skills to the teams as players. Both the players and the cheerleaders frequently distinguish themselves in final tournaments and competitions held locally and on the diocesan level in Rochester and Elmira as well as Auburn. In the fall of 1968 it became advisable to replace the sidewalk in front of the church, which had been in a progressive state of disrepair. It was replaced with a heated sidewalk, a thing which pleased and served our church-goers very well in winter months until the pipes and boiler were destroyed by the elements and removed about twenty years later. An outdoor playground was established on the space on the west side between the school and the convent yard. The children made good use of it for the remaining five years of the school's existence. A place for very honorable mention deservedly goes to the Home-School Association of the parish. Year after year the devoted members of this group, composed usually of parents of school children, gave incalculable assistance to the school and its educational program. Items of furniture and equipment were added year-by-year, extra-curricular activities and programs were sponsored and implemented which enhanced the education of the children and improved the school's program in a way and to a degree, which would otherwise have proven impossible. Large among its efforts was the operation of a bus to transport children to the school. Page 22 of 40

23 Since establishment in December 1959 the Queen of the Holy Family Praesidium of the Legion of Mary functioned in its traditional way - unheralded and unsung in assistance to the pastor in his care of the flock, providing transportation, hospital, nursing home and individual home calls, census calls, fund drives, CCD teaching, prison visits and served as extraordinary ministers of Holy Eucharist at Auburn Nursing Home, as well as varied other individual tasks. Today the work of the Legion has grown into a flowering of Lay Ministries. Included in these works are Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Altar Servers, Social Ministry Volunteers, Catechists and Youth Ministers. In the church, the old public-address system was replaced with the latest and best possible system in late 1968 and 1969, at a cost of almost $33,000. During Father Sundholm s pastorate, additional work was done on the P-A system, both before and after the major renovation of Father James Burke, the current ( ) administrator, further enhanced the sound system making it more compatible with the angelic tones of our women lectors and the less sensitive ears of our most venerable parishioners. An unseen but important piece of work was completed during the summer of 1968, the installation of new joists, steel beams and columns beneath the floor of the church, which had begun to sag rather dangerously. A Parish Board of Education was appointed pro tempore by the pastor in the fall of 1970 to concern itself with all educational activity of the parish. The members of this board were Dr. Donald Delahanty, M.D., Paul Ringwood, Dominic Padula, Robert Gallager, James Cuddy, Albert Nicolella, Dr. Nicholas DeSocio, John Ransick, Carl Festa, Lillian Donahue, William McKeon and Jack Hogan. This board functioned faithfully and well until the first board elected by vote of parishioners began to function in the fall of First steps toward the formation of a parish council were taken in 1971 with the appointment by the pastor of a steering or ad hoc committee for the purpose of outlining the scope and purpose of such a council and the drafting of a constitution for it. Page 23 of 40

24 In a series of meetings and discussions the committee prepared four successive drafts before finally settling on the proposed constitution. The committee completed its work and chose a nominating committee in January The first election of members of the parish council was held in April 1973 and produced the largest balloting on record in the parish. Parishioners to elect the following to the council cast over three thousand votes: Edward Burns, John Hayes, Miss Jeri Impaglia, Mrs. Raymond Riordan, Mrs. Thomas D. Stapleton and James Walker. Auxiliary Bishop John E. McCafferty solemnly installed the first parish council in a brief ceremony in connection with his ministration of the Sacrament of Confirmation to our children on May 23 of that year. The brief ritual of installation so pleased the Bishop that he asked for a copy of it to use for the installation of his own new council at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Rochester. Over a period of many months, even years, the future of our parish schools and of Catholic parochial education itself had occupied the attention and caused grave concern to the pastors and people alike of Auburn parishes. The progressive increase in the cost of operating such schools was due in large measure to the falling numbers of teaching-sisters and to the increasing need to hire and pay lay-teachers to staff them. The continuing effort to upgrade and improve staff, equipment and programs in these schools met with continuing decrease in their enrollment. From 425 pupils in 1968 the enrollment at Holy Family dropped to 261 at the time of the closing of the school in The School-busing situation in the public school system and attendant advantages as well as the cost of living and other factors contributed to this general decline. As an example in concrete terms, and for the record, the annual cost of the operation of Holy Family School for the last four years of its existence was: $108,039.64; $96,230.46; $104, and $121, Page 24 of 40

25 Much of those great sums was generously contributed year after year by the people who no longer had direct personal concern with the schools, but whose parents had built and who themselves had supported and maintained them over the many years. It became increasingly evident that the individual parish schools were in real danger of survival for more than another year or two and that the one possible solution was to consolidate as many of the schools as possible. Three parishes, Holy Family, St. Alphonsus and Sacred Heart, chose to merge their schools, and their pastors proposed the matter to their people for ballot in early They were told that it might not be possible to achieve the unification in 1972 and, if so, they were assured that their children would be given the same standard education for another year. The people of Sacred Heart and Holy Family parishes voted affirmatively for the effort to push forward, but St. Alphonsus voted negatively on the year, not the project itself, of unification. Thus, the parochial school picture remained the same until the move was made in the summer of Each school contributed whatever was needed from the best of its equipment to the new school. The children themselves were invited to choose a name for the new school, which, by agreement, would be located in the St. Alphonsus school building. Happily and appropriately they chose the name "Blessed Trinity School". The new school opened its doors in September 1973 with Sister Walter Anne, S.S.J. as principal. Within months the new school began to achieve various notices of distinction, one being its designation by the State Dept. of Education as one of five schools in the state, chosen on the basis of achievement, to be used for a test and demonstration for the ICEIT program. This program of Audio-Visual teaching - the initials meant: Improving Cost Effectiveness in Instruction Through Technology - was conducted at that time by the State Department of Education. Blessed Trinity was chosen because of the scores achieved by its pupils in the annual state-testing program and because of the general reputation the school had already gained with the State Department. It was the only Catholic School so chosen. Page 25 of 40

26 THE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY FAMILY Stained Glass Windows* * see Appendix A for additional comment on the Stained Glass Windows Left Side of Church, as you face the Altar, beginning in the Eucharistic Chapel and going toward the North Street entrance: Stained Glass Windows* * see Appendix A for additional comment on the Stained Glass Windows Right Side of Church, as you face the Altar, beginning in the Holy Family Chapel and going toward the North Street entrance: St. Margaret Mary Purgatory Pentecost Jesus before Pilate The Agony in the Garden St. Patrick St. Peter The Resurrection (over confessional) Decorative (on south side Choir Loft stairs) Jesus and the Children (at top of Choir Loft stairs, on the right as you face North Street entrance) Sanctuary St. Dominic (Rosary) The Coronation of Mary The Magi The Marriage Feast of Cana The Last Supper St. Cecilia St. Helena (Finding of the True Cross) Pope St. Leo the Great (over confessional) Decorative (on north side Choir Loft stairs) Mary Magdalene with Jesus (at top of Choir Loft stairs, on the left as you face North Street entrance) Highlighted by symbols of the sacraments behind the altar, the sanctuary is the focus area of each liturgical celebration of the community. The pulpit, set off to the north side of the sanctuary, boasts beautiful brass artistry highlighted by the classic symbols of the four evangelists in brass. Chapels The Eucharist Chapel features the tabernacle from the old High Altar dating from xxxx. The two Seraphim Angels were located one on each side of the triptych above the old High Altar. The beautiful oak woodwork highlighted a life size oil mural of the Holy Family flanked by the two-hinged panels of the triptych filled with the paintings of angels. The Holy Family chapel brings together two statues from the original church St. Joseph and Mary holding the child Jesus. It is the signature chapel of the Church of the Holy Family. Stations of the Cross The unique stations, which line the main body of the church, are three-dimensional castings in quarter life sized dimensions. Page 26 of 40

27 HOLY FAMILY S JOURNEY TOWARD LIFE LONG FAITH FORMATION (A reflection by Mrs. Adelaide Hutson, Christian Education Coordinator, November, 2000) The Great Jubilee 2000 began on Christmas Eve, 1999, with the opening of the holy door at Saint Peter Basilica in the Vatican. For all of us, the jubilee is a wonderful challenge and a great opportunity to make all things new. During the Jubilee Year the Church invites us to center our attention and our lives on our Lord Jesus Christ like never before. We celebrate 2000 years of Christ s entry into our human existence, and we also gratefully celebrate the benefits of his loving redemption. The support of the Faith of the people of Holy Family, as we enter this Jubilee year, has been and is still strong. The Lord Jesus Christ is strong in the hearts of many due to the education they received either in Parochial School or Religious education Program. The faith life of the young people and adults of our parish has been nourished and supported over the years by many faith-filled people. The Mercy Nuns taught many years in our Parish both in our Parochial School and Religious Education Program. The Sister of St. Joseph later took on the role with the consolidation to one Parochial School. Finally, the lay people had Religious Education entrusted to them with the departure and changing roles of Parish nuns and with the birth of Catechetical Programs as directed by the Holy Spirit through Vatican II. One of the first acts of Jesus public ministry was the gathering of individuals to help him. Jesus is still calling today. Our Parish has been blessed over the years with many gifted Faith-filled Religious Education Leaders. They have contributed to the growth of a solid Religious Education Program staffed with committed, competent teachers. We have a program built on strong moral values, sacramental values and a sense of community and the wider Church. In short, the goal of the program is to nurture Catholics who are willing to carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ into every aspect of their daily lives. This task has been assisted over the years through the efforts of a large compliment of dedicated Catechists (teachers). Page 27 of 40

28 Our catechists are dedicated to nurturing the Faith of those individuals who are the future of our Church. They serve as role models in the way they instruct, live their lives and relish the importance of continuing to learn about their own faith. Many of our students have returned to take on this ministry due to the example of their mentors. Many more return with their young people asking for them what they received, namely good ground for nurturing the Faith of their young ones. The importance of our Sunday Religious Education Program is summarized in the Mission Statement of our Program. Holy Family Office of Religious Education Mission Statement Our Religious Education Program at Holy Family is dedicated to upholding the guidelines of Catechesis (Religious Education) as outlined by the Catholic Church. Through the endeavors of a staff of volunteer catechists, totally dedicated to our young people, we attempt to build on and deepen the seeds of Faith planted by the primary teachers of our young people, their parents. Regular ongoing catechesis, as well as Sacramental Preparation for the Sacraments of First Eucharist, First Penance and Confirmation, is at the heart of our childhood Religious Education Program - grades Pre-K thru 8. Through our Seasonal and varied classroom activities we attempt to stimulate these young peoples quest for God in all aspects of life. We stress their indispensable role as part of our faith community at Holy Family and the wider Universal Church, the Family of God. Our program is intent on giving guidance to our children during the Life Long Journey of Christian Education and Christian Life with Jesus as their model. The ultimate goal of this guidance and instruction is their eternity with God. To summarize our Mission we call on a quote from Pope John Paul II found in the opening statement of the New Catechism of The Catholic Church: May the light of the true faith free humanity from the ignorance and slavery of sin in order to lead it to the only freedom worthy of the name: that of life in Jesus Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Page 28 of 40

29 here below and in the Kingdom of Heaven, in the fullness of the blessed vision of God face to face. Once again we refer to the theme of Jubilee, which is to renew and make all things new. In the flavor of our Diocesan Synod and Vatican II our Religious Education Program has also endeavored in recent years to promote the importance of Life Long Faith Formation for all Catholics whether they are crib Catholics or those seeking to enter into our Faith anew. This year of 2000 has brought with it an increased interest of collaboration and growth in the Faith of our Adult Church. Again Holy Family does not shrug its call to Minister to all. We have an ongoing commitment to work hard in promoting the ongoing Faith formation of all the members of our Parish Family. In short the Religious Education Program is thankful for this Jubilee year to celebrate our predecessors and look forward with anticipation to a bright future for all along our Life Long Journey of Faith. The goal for all the members of our Parish Family, young and old, can be found in these words of St. Paul to the Ephesians: To make all people see what is the plan of the mystery comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (and be filled) with all fullness of God. Page 29 of 40

30 THE BUSINESS OF CHURCH Back in our parish for a brief look at some of the continuing items of repair and improvement, we find that we placed lightning rod protection on the towers and roof of our church for the first time in no one knows how many years in 1970 at a cost of $2,900. New lighting, including mercury-vapor lights, was installed in our auditorium in 1971 for $1,869. A new tile floor in the auditorium-gym came in In 1973 two partitions between classrooms on the ground floor and second floor were removed and folding doors put in their places providing for four normal size rooms or two double sized rooms for large meetings, at a cost of $11,132 for both projects. In the summer of 1970 necessary repairs to the shingles, the flashing and the crosses on the towers were made at a cost of $3,390. In a complete re-roofing job on the auditorium was done at a cost of $17,550 while roofing repairs to the church after ice and wind damage amounted to $15,000. The sale of the defunct Mt. Carmel High School property and buildings to the Auburn School District was completed in the spring of 1972 and the proceeds prorated to each of the parishes according to the contributions made toward the school building and expansion. Holy Family's share was $149, This money was used as far as possible toward the repairs and renovations of the school property, it being the basic idea to use the money as nearly as possible for the purpose for which it had been given, education. The sum of $99, was invested for the purpose of providing a continuing source of income toward the parish educational program, which by that time had come to involve the employment of professionally prepared coordinators or Directors of Religious Education. The parish convent, which had so recently and regretfully been left unused by sisters, was leased in August 1973 to the Cayuga County Chapter of the Association for Retarded Children to be used as a residence for such Page 30 of 40

31 persons. The same Association rented several classrooms in the school building while its new home on North Street was under construction. The rooms were so occupied for one year, the move to the new building occurring in January It was generally felt throughout the parish that, since these splendid properties were no longer being used for their original purpose, it was a very good thing to have them used for such a worthy cause, one that was truly a work of charity and a service to our community. Use of the vacated premises of the school has been constant if not complete. Meeting places have been provided for various organizations and committees, for conferences and lectures, for the C.C.D. program of Religious Education. The CEDAR office - Christian Education (Department) Auburn Region rented an office and library space in the school, thereby serving conveniently the CCD program throughout the city and county. In 1973 the Holy Family pre-school was opened and operated a continuing and successful educational program for as many as thirty children under the direction of qualified directors and assistants. The school was discontinued when Blessed Trinity (now St. Joseph s School) began offering pre-school programs. Today Holy Family School building is used for Religious Education classes, the Family Closet (like new clothing and other goods), the Catholic Shop, committee meetings, youth retreats and a number of other functions. Social events and public meetings as well as area and diocesan adult education presentations are also held in the school building, the gym being particularly useful for large gatherings. The Gym is frequently made available to other parishes, without charge, for use as a CYO practice facility as well as one of the sites for the weekly games and local tournaments. In the spring, it is also the site of one of the four diocesan CYO tournaments. Tenants are being sought to utilize those portions of the building not used by the parish. The ultimate fate of the building will be decided as the Page 31 of 40

32 millennium unfolds and its (the building s) adaptability to the needs of the parish becomes better known. A large source of trouble and expense developed in the early days of 1974 when several pieces of the imitation Indiana limestone fell from the facing on the upper reaches of the towers at the front of the church. This revealed a leakage problem hitherto unsuspected and called for corrective action as soon as possible. Competent steeplejacks were engaged to assess the damage and the extent of needed repair. Their preliminary estimate of the cost of the work, $30,000, proved to be far short of what was needed. Much more extensive leakage, seepage and the ensuing rotting of the supporting timbers and roof-boards, and the seepage through the shingles necessitated more extensive replacement and reinforcement of the timbers and the re-roofing of the two towers. Much new copper flashing was also used. Each of the fourteen cornices, which proved to be badly rusted, was replaced in galvanized metal and painted, the louver-boards and window casings also repainted, all at a cost of $40,000. This work was also redone in the late 1980 s due to further rusting and seepage problems with the result that most of the front half of the church s roof, all of the towers roofing and the metal cornices had to be replaced this time with copper and industrial shingles so that the work might not have to be done again any time soon. It was the universal opinion of all concerned that it was providential that the damage was discovered when it was and that whatever had to be done should be done in the very best way. In 1982 St. Aloysius parish was clustered with Holy Family and began sharing a single priest. The two parishes remained separate, fully functional parishes for more than 10 years, sharing a pastor but maintaining separate parish councils and staff. When St. Aloysius closed in 1995, the vast majority of the parishioners opted to join Holy Family as their new parish home. With the arrival of Father Conrad Sundholm came the realization that our Christian duty extended even to God s lesser creatures. Father Sundholm, Page 32 of 40

33 the birdman of Holy Family, brought birds and fish and a sense of love and respect for our cousin creatures. Between 1982 and 1984 first one, then two bird aviaries were constructed in the now unused extra rooms of the rectory. This being possible in light of the declining number of priests and the fact that Holy Family was now down to a pastor, Father Sundholm, and one assistant, Father Shatzel. A Fishpond was also built in place of the old rectory patio between the church and rectory. Bird feeders, enlargement of the pond, a third aviary and finally, salt-water tropical aquarium followed. Father s love of birds soon became known throughout the community and people would bring their birds to him for advice and assistance. The weekly priests luncheons, which had been so much a part of the parish for many years under Father Joseph Sullivan s tenure, now became weekly flight feather trimming parties or grooming parties involving staff and sometimes outside visitors who might have brought one of their birds in for help. The annual St. Francis blessing of the animals was always looked forward to by the entire community and Father s own dogs were always there to greet those dogs and cats and even birds, who were bringing their owners to see Father by the pond. Late in Father Sundholm s pastorate there came a horrible discovery: someone had put poison in the fish pond, killing all of the fish, some of which had been in the pond since its construction. Father filled in the pond and it now is a beautiful flower garden. Tragically gone are the fish and lily pads but the beauty of God s world is still reflected for those coming and going from the church in his flora and birds that still come to enjoy the feeders in the trees around the garden. The new north entrance and handicapped ramp was added to the church in Later, in 1988, when the major renovation was undertaken, public bathroom facilities were added to the north side ramp area. Beginning in 1986 a new roof was added to the Gym and the bricks were pointed and, in some cases, relayed around the top of the outer Gym walls. A new roof of a special vinyl material was also put on the lower roof of the Gym. Inside, work was undertaken to lay a new Gym floor of vinyl tile and the front walls were removed and relocated to provide more storage space and better access to tables and chairs. The south stair well leading up to what was once the balcony was remodeled and made into a Blessed Sacrament Chapel for use while the Gym took over the task of becoming the worship space for the parish during the major renovation. Page 33 of 40

34 During most of the winter of 1988 and into the late spring of 1989 the church was gutted, the pews, which had been on an elevated platform about 3 inches above the floor, were lowered. The stations were refurbished; plaster and decorative molding was refurbished or replaced, and the sanctuary was redesigned. The tabernacle now would reside in its own place to the south of the main altar and the north side altar became the Shrine of the Holy Family. Parts of the old main altar were preserved and used in the construction of the new altar. Perhaps one of the most notable changes was the removal of the painted backdrop from the sanctuary and the moving of the beautiful crucifix from the south wall to the center of the sanctuary. With great flourish the newly renovated church, the new altar and the new Schlicker tracker organ were dedicated to worshiping God by the People of God of The Church of The Holy Family on June 24 th, Bishop Matthew Clark came from Rochester to lead the worship and anoint the church and altar. One hundred three years and six months after Bishop McQuaid had first consecrated the then new marble altar of Holy Family church, the People of God once again reaffirmed their faith in Jesus Christ and their dedication to following His Gospel of love. Part of that first altar survives in the new altar sacramentalizing the nature of the People themselves to always be growing and renewed, yet remaining firmly grounded in the faith of our Fathers and Mothers. The Mother Church of our fair city still offers a joyous place and beautiful surroundings to inspire and remind us of God s love and grace. Concluding our view of the past, we turn our eyes and our hopes into the future. This glance reminds us that the Mother Church of Auburn has real material tasks to face as she continues her mission and ministry to the people of her "Family" among the People of God. She continues to hold her children in her maternal embrace teaching them to Worship God and care for their immortal souls as she has done for one hundred and sixty six years. Page 34 of 40

35 A NEW MILLENNIUM A look at the dawning of a new millennium of parish life, the Holy Family Millennium Dinner, November 5 th, 2000 the Holiday Inn Page 35 of 40

36 For future members of the Holy Family we have elected not to identify the people in these pictures of our family perhaps they are your grandparents or your grandchildren. They are all of us as we share and celebrate and live and pray. As time goes on, grant that they and we, all, continue to share and celebrate and live and pray, until one day, when our journeys of faith are through, we live with You, O Lord, forever. Amen. Page 36 of 40

37 Appendix A The window at the right is located in St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, 128 Pearl Street, Buffalo, NY. It is called Christ Delivering the Sermon and it was installed by Mayer & Company of Munich, Germany in The design, color and construction are virtually identical to the windows at Holy Family, installed in There can be little doubt about the origin and nature of the windows at Holy Family. Appendix 2009 The Church of the Holy Family, Auburn, New York Our 175 th Year This update takes us nine years ahead to our One Hundred Seventy Fifth year since the founding of the parish. The year 2009 Our pastor today is Father Dennis Shaw. Father Dennis came to us four years ago upon the retirement of Father Burke. Father had previously served inner-city parishes in Rochester and for a long time had been the pastor of a predominately Spanish-speaking parish. Father Dennis has said that when the bishop asked him to come to Auburn, he was very concerned that he would not find a good fit with people in a rural setting (those people from Rochester think that everyone whose address is south of the barge canal lives in the country.) He has since found that we are not just a butch of rural people but a diverse, rich mixture of people who work hard and pray as hard as we play. The good people of Holy Family were our typical selves; we were welcoming and enfolding we took him in and made him our own! Father Dennis has said to us on many occasions: You people are the best and I thank God that he asked me to come to Auburn. Page 37 of 40