Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception - Annual Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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St. ,Iohn's Chapel, Site of Cathedral's First Classes In the Spring of 1914, His Excellency, Most Rev. Charles E. McDonnell, D.D., Bishop of Brooklyn, seeing the need of fostering and cultivating the grace of a voca- tion in a young man, entrusted the building and direction of a diocesan minor seminary to his Auxiliary, Most Rev- erend George W. Mundelein, D.D. To help raise the necessary funds, Msgr. john Fitz- gerald succeeded in gaining the interest of Mr. George Duval, who generously donated fifty thousand dollars toward the purchase of property on the S.A.R. Moses estate. lastic year of old Sai in its temporary quarters in the vestry building nt john's Chapel on Vanderbilt Avenue near Greene Avenue, the site where Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School now stands. The faculty consisted of Dr. Anthony J. Reichert, . teaching Latin, Greek, and Christian Doctrine, Rev. Francis J. Healy, English, and Rev. Francis A. Woods S.T.L., mathematics and history. The Rev. Thomas E. Molloy, la ter Ordinary of the diocese, was appointed as Spiritual Director, assisted by Rev. joseph W. Sweeney. Aiding the faculty were three modern language professors The first class, consisting of 110 students, ranging for Italian, German, and Polish, and a music professor. in age from eleven to twenty-four, began its first scho- WHTZT., ' fwmil' -'I'T'- .1 'fT'tQ?.' '-Wai?-E-x,F'f'ff'5-'-14 frf,j'-3'f.f:r:1a3's'af' airs--ffi?'1'..--n-.njqrf z- --'--- V . lg 5 D ,gJar,:,,.:,. V :i,'l,12-,',. Y- ' bg 3.51, ,.,.L.U, ll, if, t -. 1 , 4 N J l ,rH1,59-. .... 5 r 'i3','yfLA ,n.f,.'fQ.-,V'l' w ,-EZFQ' Q 'fx-511-1fts ?12'? .fl5f i:iw'.f.f?fQ?. -4.f-.E5'QlSEffHj'Z-dw,'7-4 .'-- I, ' f',gf.w'. ?'f,E1'f3l'ifftT ifit' '-U ' ff '-3f?f,17'- lj' if iff! Q'?45'f.J1.- ' ' ,' 4 .135.Gf.T.fQgZ:,-L.g j,jQ--Jig, -3'-Q ,3.4:1.4.,1-'irifrg,fi '15, VE- , J lfailfll J ,F if-' gt- :'5F5,Q-ELI'-,fljQ4 I , L' Q-Li' A- U.-'fl'f:'W1s.::L1ig-lffvggggfi.f-11.Q 5gg:QL:.fL!5f.l 1' ' - Q. iv S 7 M Nr' I ,t A L-.-.-,Q 1, Zf1 '.I all '

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1914-Cathedral Collegefl964 Rarely has a diocese undertaken a work of greater importance and of more splendid promise. Its future suc- cess rests entirely with the clergy, whom it aims to serve and assist. And its success is assured, for the priests of the diocese have prayed for its coming 5 they will welcome its establishment , they will co-operate with its work. Long after we have been called to receive the vineyard laboreris wages, may it be a source of blessing to this diocese, pro- ducing zealous and loyal priests, laboring solely for the glory of God and the salvation of countless souls. - George Cardinal Mundelein

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Classes in major subjects lasted an hour. The students reported at 8 :15 A.M. to attend Mass. The day included six one-hour classes, one .recreation and lunch period, and a study period from four to five as a prepara- tion for homework. Thursday was theoretically a holiday, but it was often sacrificed to finish the second book of Caesar before the end of the first year. On December 8, 1914, the feast of our patroness, Mary Immaculate, in the presence of the first Rector, Bishop Mundelein, the faculty and student body, ground was broken at the junction of Washington and Atlantic Avenues. In September of 1915, Bishop McDonnell blessed the first section of the building. In the Flemish-Gothic structure, which comprises the main wing of the present building, the first and second classes commenced their studies. In November of that year, His Holiness, Pope Bene- dict XV, honored Bishop Mundelein with the Arch- Mr. George Duval George Cardinal Mundelein bishopric of Chicago. The following March, Rev. james J. Higgins, D.D. from St. Anne's Parish assumed the Rectorship of the College. Upon the entry of the United States into the First World War, in response to the Bishop's call for chap- lains, two members of the faculty volunteered and saw active service. Several students joined the armed forces and two were called upon to make the supreme sacrifice. In October of 1918, the College suffered the loss of its Rector, Father Higgins, in a tragic automobile accident. Father Reichert, a member of the original faculty and then Prefect of Studies, was designated Pro-Rector of the College. At this point the College was confronted with the problem of providing classrooms for the ever-increasing number of students. Accordingly, in September, 1920, ground was broken for a new wing fronting on Atlantic Avenue. The original enrollment moved upward to 248 students.