Nazareth Academy - Lanthorn Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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TWENTY-ow lfwawvmfasesw The Name of Nazareth ACRED is the name of Nazareth, intertwined forever with two other names, the sublimest ever honored on the lips of men and angels. .lt was a little flower, Nazareth of old, almost lost in a hollow of the hills of Lebanon, untrampled by a mighty nation's armies and unsung by its poets and its prophets, still it lived in lowly loveliness unto the coming of the memoried Spring of prophecy fulfilled, when there came forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a fiower rose up out of his root, and the spirit of the Lord was upon Him. Then the pale beauty of the valley violet was miracled into the radiant splendor of a rose, beautiful forever in the eyes of Christian generations, and benisoned forever in their loving, grateful souls. Jesus of Nazareth, men called Him whom the Almighty Father called His Beloved Son. Mary of Nazareth she was whom the Almighty Father honored with the motherhood of His Son Divine made man. It was in Nazareth that Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and grace with God and men. It was in Nazareth that Mary kept many wondrous words in her heart, the while she mothered the sublimest Youth that ever thrilled to ecstacy the flaming splendor of a mother's love. The Nazareth of old is gone, the one that fills its place today in Palestine, save for the Shrine that marks its holiest spot, is naught, but the name of Nazareth fills all the Christian earth, and eve-rywhere is redolent with sweetest fragrance breathed from Life's sublimest Youth and Youth's sublimest Mother. They nobly dared who chose for our Academy the name of Nazareth 5 but they were wise and happy in their choice, perhaps inspired. They had no vision of a golden jubilee to come, or of the many more than golden jubilees that wait upon the future, revealing the fullness of the fruiting of the dream they dreamed what time they builded upon faith and hope and love and prayer their little school. They were not in any even noblest sense mere earthly dreamers. From their youth they had a vision more sublime and more inspiring than any ever imaged or imagined by the noblest artistry of earth, a vision limned by God's own power and love upon the imperishable canvas of their souls, wherein they saw the purposes sublime of God for man, the dignity and worth of human life endowed with immortality and destined for eternal happiness with God, and the power of human life sublimed by faith and sanctified by goodness, a vision panoramic of the life of man in God, a manger-cradle lifted to a place of glory beside the throne of God, God's perfect beauty shining in the eyes of a little Child, a maid of earth called unto motherhood of God, a humble home of earth set down among celestial mansions in the Father's House, a wooden cross enthroned upon a golden dais in the central Holy of Holies, earth-shadows fleeing from the light forth-streaming from the face of God, temples erected on the hills of time and earth with towers mounting unto God's eternal Heaven, graces descending from God's heart of inexhaustible love and souls ascending ever unto coronation days of endless life. And when God called them to a consecrated service in the education of His children on the earth, they studied deep their vision, to learn how best to serve. Then flashed before their eyes a Child advancing in wisdom and in grace with God and men, a Mother lovlngly and wisely guarding the advance, a little hillside village that the Child and Mother called their home through many golden years. And when they built their school, they called it Nazareth. -Rev. W. P. Ryan. Nine

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REV. WILLIAM P. RYAN Instructor in Religion

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feeifiseiswwl fwrf-wr-ow iafswd ees The Story of Nazareth E Year 1921 marks the Fiftieth Anniversary of Nazareth Academy, founded in 1871. But filled with interesting incidents as is the half century just closing, there is in the story of the Sisterhood itself a larger interest for the thousands who have come under the educational influence of the Sisters of St. Joseph in this city and diocese. The Community known as the Sisters of St. Joseph, was founded in France, in the Diocese of Puy, by a zealous priest of the Jesuit Order, Reverend Jean Paul Medaille, as the outgrowth of his own organized social work in Puy and the surrounding cities. The large works of charity, of which he was the director, were carried on mainly through sodalities of young women who were able to devote more or less time to these Works. It was, however, forcefully evident to this man of God that his organization lacked stability and permanence through the uncertainty of the services thus rendered, valuable as they were, and the thought of organizing a religious order for active charity presented itself to him. This, however, was a great departure from the time honored custom in the Church, for all religious orders for women were up to that time cloistered. The Bishop of Geneva, the gentle St. Francis de Sales, had before this time conceived a similar plan, but on account of the opposition of public and ecclesiastical opinion to the innovation, the order which he founded, the Sisters of the Visitation, remained cloistered. The approval and concurrence of the Bishop of Puy, Henry de Maupas, was secured, and the Sisterhood established for the work of education and charity. The establishment grew and prospered, extending its branches to other French towns, when the horrors of the French Revolution brought its suppression. When peace came to France the Community was reorganized by Mother St. John Fontbonne, and again it prospered. In 1836, at the instance of Bishop Joseph Rosati, six sisters, the nucleus of an American foundation, came to St. Louis. From this mother house missions were established in other cities, one in Canandaigua in 1854. From this house sisters were sent to Buffalo for a new foundation, and from Buffalo a band was brought to Rochester to care for the war orphans. On account of the character and adaptability of their constitutions they were chosen by Bishop McQuaid, the first bishop of Rochester, as the diocesan community for the various works of education and charity. The first establishment of the sisters was in humble quarters on South Street, which was called St. Mary's Orphan Asylum. In 1870 they were called to take charge of St. Patrick's Orphan Asylum on Frank Street near the Cathedral, where they also established a private school. In 1871 the sisters secured the well built and spacious residence of Colonel Williams on the corner of Frank and Jay Streets, for a convent and academy. In September of that year the school was opened for the education of girls. The initial number of pupils was of course small, but continued to grow. In the year 1871 the school was incorporated and in 1891 it was chartered under the Regents of the University of the State of New York. The Very Rev. James P. Kiernan was the iirst principal of the Academy and was succeeded by Rev. Thomas F. Hickey, afterwards consecrated Bishop of Rochester. Although several additions were made to the old school, it finally became inadequate and the new school on Lake Avenue was built on the property purchased from the Doud and Purcell families. The new building being near completion, the Commencement Exercises of 1916 were held there, and in the September of that year the school was formally opened in the beautiful, commodious, well planned and well equipped new building. The new school opened with a registration of nearly five hundred and has Ten