Nostalgia for Bishop McQuaid

Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid, the Jesuit high school's namesake, has been dead for one century. He was the first Bishop of Rochester, and made this diocese into a cradle for Catholicity. He opened scores of churches, schools, orphanages, and other Catholic institutions. He formed St. Bernard's Seminary, along with St. Andrew's, which was a minor seminary. He elevated Rochester's Catholic population from being small, weak, and almost priest-less, to something which was associated with the very fabric of the city.

But alas, his vision of Rochester has died. Below are some photographs, one showing Bishop McQuaid lying in state in St. Patrick's Cathedral in downtown Rochester, and others showing the funeral and the procession to his grave for burial. In the words of St. Thomas More, "Yes, death comes for us all. Even for kings does he come."

Click on the links to view the photos:


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Nostalgia for St. Patrick's Cathedral

No, not the one in Manhattan. I'm talking about Rochester's original cathedral, St. Patrick's, now a parking lot due to shifting demographics, Kodak's expansion, and the diocesan coffers.

This photo shows the consecration of Bishop Hanna in 1912. Note how the entire left hand portion of the image is filled to capacity with priests and seminarians in their cassocks, and how the lay people are dressed respectfully and in a dignified manner. No jean shorts and tie dye here.

Now any function at the cathedral, Sacred Heart, is accompanied with gay politicking and celebrations of "diversity" when there is no genuine diversity to be had.


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Nostalgia And St. Joseph's

I was browsing various sites for images not yet shared with you on this site. Below is one I particularly liked, showing St. Joseph's, now burned-down and turned into a park, as seen from East Avenue in downtown Rochester. You can really get a sense as to how grand that church was, as well as how beautiful and prosperous downtown was back then. Anyone that goes to Our Lady of Victory, Blessed Sacrament, Corpus Christi, etc. knows what a daunting prospect it is to launch oneself into the bowels of urban depravity for the sake of Mass. Note that above the street are the wires and guide-lines for the trolleys which once traversed Rochester. They were discontinued in 1936, and the subway followed suit in the late 50's.

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St. Thomas the Apostle Decision Expected Tomorrow

A very reliable source has informed us that the bishop has scheduled a meeting tomorrow with the various relevant priests (i.e. Fr.'s Horan, Tanck, Leone, Belligotti, etc.) to discuss the matter of the Irondequoit Suppression, as I call it. There is a strong chance that in 36 hours, we will know the fate of STA. At that time, we will either celebrate the reign of common sense, or mobilize against the forces of ignorance.

Pray for Bishop Clark, and for his priests, that they harden not their hearts, but that zeal for God's house may consume them.

Below are several photographs emailed to me by a friend of the blog and future staffer. They show the original "crypt church" used by the parishioners, the construction of the current majestic structure, and the solemn dedication of that same building. Note the following: many nuns in full habit, many servers in cassock and surplice, priests vested correctly and tastefully, piety on the part of the parishioners, and the clear and undeniable continuation of Tradition with a distinctly modern renewal. How beautiful this diocese once was, and imagine how beautiful it will one day be again!

Part 4 -- Bishop Sheen

The next day, Cardinal Spellman, more than forty visiting bishops, politicians, friends of the bishop, area clergy of all denominations, packed Sacred Heart Cathedral for the 90 minute installation ceremony. The installation luncheon was held at the old Manger Hotel. Four thousand people attended a civic welcome in the ten-thousand-seat War Memorial. Cardinal Spellman returned to New York immediately after the installation service.

Soon the new bishop was traveling throughout the diocese, visiting institutions and parishes. He traveled to St. Francis deSales Church in Geneva and had a pleasant conversation with assistant pastor, Father Michael C. Hogan. Sheen soon summoned Hogan to Rochester and named him his secretary. Hogan handled a variety of administrative chores and managed appointments, but he acted principally as the bishop's chauffeur. Sheen brought his personal cook with him from New York and played tennis twice a week and rode a stationary bicycle in his apartment.

Whenever Sheen traveled, he invited people to write to him. They did, and Hogan was overwhelmed with mail, so he and another priest devised form letters to handle the deluge. The people soon caught on.


SHEEN ON THE SCENE
On the very first day of Hogan's employment, a fire destroyed St. Philip Neri's parish, killing the 77 year old priest, Father George Weinmann, who had tried to rescue the Blessed Sacrament, and a 26-year old nun, Sister Lillian Marie SSND, who attempted to help him. Some students had committed arson. Hogan drove Sheen to the scene. The bishop was aghast to learn that the priest had left $7 million in stocks he had forgotten about and had not made out a ill. The state took most of the money. The tabernacle is today in the renovated Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Sheen offered a series of retreat talks at the Masonic Auditorium on East Main Street, very few people showed up and Fulton was furious. "The whole world comes to hear Fulton Sheen," he said privately, "except his own diocese."

IMPLEMENTATION OF VATICAN II
As part of his determination to implement the teachings of Vatican II, Sheen sought to create a curia, aboard of counselors to advise him, and he chose to be democratic by asking all the diocesan priests to nominate three priests. He appointed several priests to serve as vicars in administration or in geographical districts. A lay administrative committee had been named to handle financial affairs of the diocese. He appointed a vicar of pastoral planning, vicar of religious education and two territorial (with jurisdiction) vicars. Throughout the diocese, with Sheen's approval, parishes began founding lay boards of education and lay advisory councils. Sheen changed the name of the Rochester Chancery, which he thought bureaucratic and impersonal, to the "Pastoral Office." The new bishop meant what he said about democracy in the diocese. Or so it seemed.

SCHOOL CLOSING SANS CONSULTING
Without consulting anyone, Sheen announced the closing of the Most Precious Blood School in Rochester, attended largely by Italians. When Sheen appeared at the new Becket Hall to bless it, a crowd of Italians were waiting for him. Angry people pounded on his car and waved signs. Some shouted "You son of a bitch" and worse. Sheen locked his car doors and would not emerge until the vehicle was safely inside the institution's garage. The bishop was greatly shaken. He ordered the school reopened the following day.

SAINT BERNARD'S SEMINARY
Sheen had bold plans for the seminary. In time, a number of non-Catholic professors would be hired. At one point, the bishop wrote a letter to eighty of the world's leading theologians, inviting them to come to teach at St. Bernard's. A few responded and faculty were hired from Italy, England and Belgium. The regular faculty wondered where the money was coming from. Some faculty members were worried about retaining their jobs.

Later that year, Protestants were hired to teach pastoral and preaching skills. Psychological testing was employed in order to weed out seminarians who might be emotionally or otherwise unfit. A board of seven laypersons - four men and three women - was created to "assist the seminary authorities in the selection of fit candidates for the altar." The lay board, Sheen said proudly, was the first of its kind in a Catholic seminary in the United States. The seminary rector, Father Joseph P. Brennan and the faculty were not consulted in advance about the lay board. Brennan invited the bishop and the board members to a get acquainted dinner at the seminary. After dinner, Sheen made a few suggestions and then heard a polite rebuttal from faculty members eager to maintain their prerogatives. Sheen was disenchanted by the women during the first meeting, so he invited only men to the next meeting. He never called the board together again. Some clergy began grumbling about his lack of administrative skills.

Sheen changed the name of the faltering St. Andrew's Minor Seminary to King's Preparatory Seminary and made it a co-educational high school. Its aim would be the education of leaders, a "spiritual elite." These raised eyebrows throughout the diocese. Things did not work out, and King's Prep closed in 1970.

SPIRITUAL WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE
Sheen was vitally interested in the spiritual welfare of his people. He advised priests and seminarians to adopt his Holy Hour practice. He welcomed the Cursillo movement, urged families to read scripture and acts of self-denial. He initiated Home Masses, giving priests permission to celebrate Mass in private homes during evening hours on weekdays. Sheen took the lead himself, saying Mass in the homes of both blacks and Hispanics and afterwards visiting with attendees.

One day, as the bishop was in Wayland. He bought ice-cream cones for about twenty or thirty children when a little girl came up to him and asked him to visit her sister. "Yes, where is she?" asked Sheen. "She's dead; she is in the undertaker's parlor." Sheen and Hogan (his secretary) went to the funeral home and saw the little seven-year-old girl who had been hit by a car. Sheen wrote later, "She looked alive and appeared like an angel." Fulton consoled the family, telling them that a great good would come from the accident. In time, two conversions resulted from Sheen's compassion. He later made a special trip from New York to Rochester to baptize one of the converts.

Below is a 1967 picture of Sheen at the St. Joseph House of Hospitality.

More pictures of SSPP

One good piece of news is that the Egyptian Coptics want to put back the full altar rail. Why? To delineate the sacred from the secular. Seems to me, we as Catholics did this once upon a time. Has anyone notice how few changes any of the Eastern Catholic churches made after the Second Vatican Council.

Interior Pictures of Saint Peter and Pauls

This pictures are courtesy of Joe Delaney. They were taken on October 18th, the day of our tour. I will post more later, probably tomorrow. Enjoy!