St Andrews Seminary - Mapav Yearbook (Rochester, NY)

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S A T 0 R

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1 9 3 9 The St. Wfilliam House We will try to provide a boarding house next year for the country boysf' fiBishop McQuaid to the diocesan clergy, Gctober 7, 1870. Among the first acts of Bishop McQuaid after coming to Rochester, was the foundation of a preparatory Seminary, first called Saint Pat' rick's, later Saint Andrew's. In the sentence quoted above, the Bishop showed his concern over the welfare of those students who came from outside Rochester to Saint Andrew's for their preparatory ecclesiastical education. He realized that living in boarding homes, no matter how good these might be, was not the ideal arf rangement. Although in 1870 he spoke of providing, in 1871, a boarding house under seminary manage' ment for the benefit of these students, so many problems in building up his diocese confronted him that he never realized his plan. In 1929, when Archbishop FumasonifBiondi, fthen Apostolic delegate to the United States and now CardinalfPrefect of the Propagandaj, visited Rochester, he strongly urged upon Bishop U'Hern the establismment of a dormitory such as Bishop McQuaid had dreamed of. Consef quently Bishop G'Hern appointed the Reverend Edward M. Lyons, then assistant at Saint Augusf tine's Church in Rochester, as Rector of the Saint Andrew House. A large dwelling was leased at 46 Grieg Street, which was opened in September 1929, with thirtyfthree students whose homes were outside the city of Rochester. This house was not built for the purposes of Seminary life and was inadequate in several respects. Although not the ideal situation, still the establishment on Greig Street was a vast improvement over the old system. At Saint An' drew House the boys had daily Mass and the other exercises of prayer and piety in their own chapel. Here, too, they had a wellfrounded schedf ule for prayer, study and recreation. They like' wise had the benefit of the supervision and guide ance of a seminary professor, their Rector, Father Lyons. A benefactress was found in the person of Mrs. Margaret Doud. Mrs. Doud was already known to not a few persons for her quiet, selffeffacing gifts to religion. In memory of her son, William, who lost his life in the wartime service of his country, Mrs. Doud had already given two marble altars and several stainedfglass windows to her parish church, she had generf ously contributed to the establishment of a little suburban chapel, she had made possible the imf provement of at least one other country church, her charity had supplied the means to send a sick priest to places where he regained his health. Nor did she forget the Sisters. During several summers she was most liberal in helping to defray the large expense attendant upon the extention courses of the teaching Sisters. These are but an outline of some of the benefactions of this humble, selffeffacing woman. In 1931, Mrs. Doud, desirous to have a mem' orial to her son, William, deeded to the diocese a Hftyfacre farm in the town of Gates, not far from the city line. It was her desire to see erected on this property an institution devoted to the training of candidates for the altar. Yet, although Bishop O'Hern was in sympathy with this idea, he had not the financial resources to bring such a building into being. Not till three years later, in 1935, were funds available, but in that year Mr. and Mrs. Doud themselves added to their previous gift of land, a sum of cash in excess of twenty thousand dollars. Without this princely benefaction the erection of Saint William House would have remained in the realm of wishful thinking. In tribute to the patron saint of William Doud, the name of the house was changed to Saint William. At present there are eighteen students making their homes in this modern, adef quate, wellfplanned dormitory. And each night, as they have done since the institution was founded, when saying their nightfprayers, the students pray for the deceased benefactors of their house. In the foreground of those whose eternal rest is prayed for is the soul of Margaret Doud. For in the Fall of 1938, after a period of illness, Mrs. Doud went to join the son in whose mem' ory she had helped to erect St. William House. Since it started its life as Saint Andrew House, and later as Saint William House, this institution has seen ten of its alumni ordained to the Priest' hood. Today, twentyffive of its former students are continuing their studies at Saint Bernard's, while two are enrolled in the North American College in Rome. Since the foundation of the House in 1929, four men who once studied here have died, It is the hope of the Seminary that, under the Providence of God, the Saint William House may continue to do its part in the preparation of men for the august office and sublime duties of the Priesthood. And whenever the story of Saint William House is told, what Margaret Doud's charity has accomplished in behalf of the House, we trust, will be told in memory of her. sixtyfone

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1 9 3 9 ST. First RowfLeft to Tight: ROBERT BISHOP JOHN MCCAFFERTY RICHARD NANOLE JOHN SHEPARD ROBERT KEATING - Second RowsLeft JOHN LATUCCA THOMAS LARKIN ANTHONY CALIMERI MARVIN LE FROIS to right: JOSEPH DAILEY f f Third RowALeft CORNELIUS DUFFY CHARLES SCHIAVI FRANCIS CONNER EDWARD REDDER DONALD CORCORAN GEORGE HYNES WILLI.AM CONRAD to fright: WILLIAM HOUSE f St. Ann's, Hornell f St. Stephens, Geneva f St. Alphonsus, Auburn St. Patricks Elmira f St. Patrick's, Mt. Morris St. Marys, Scottsville f St. Patricks, Mt. Morris f St. Erancis', Auburn f St. Thomas', Rochester f St. Patriclfs Elmira St. Thomas Aquinas, Leicester f St. Ar1thony's, Batavia Immaculate Conception, Ithaca f f St. John's, Clyde St. JOseph's, Oneida f St. Ann's, Rush St. Mary's, Bath Sixty-three