St Anthony of Padua High School - Siquaeris Yearbook (Watkins Glen, NY)

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IN RETROSPECT St. Anthony of Padua Minor Seminary and Preparatory School is located in Watkins Glen, N. Y. The massive white building, situated on the side of a beautifully wooded hill, overlooks the scenic Seneca Lake. The region surrounding the southern tip of Seneca Lake abounds in Indian lore and historic interest. The name, Seneca, traces its origin to the Seneca, “Great Hill People”, Indians. Under Queen Catherine Montour, the Senecas had developed a high degree of civilization and were the most powerful of the Six Nations. South of the village of Montour was found the town of Chequaga, surrounded by cultivated fields and orchards. It flourished until 1779, when it was destroyed by General Sullivan. One still can see the Painted Rocks, covered with Indian inscriptions, rising from the lake over a hundred feet; Hector Falls and Sullivan Falls, which mark the path which General Sullivan and his men trod. Seneca Lake, the “Gem of the Finger Lakes”, is thirty-six miles long and from two to five miles wide. It is over 600 feet deep in some spots and the coldest lake in North America, maintaining an average temperature of seven degrees above freezing throughout the year. Because of the springs which supply its water at a constant pressure and because of its great depth, Lake Seneca has frozen but three times in the last century. Its open waters have made this region a year round resort, for it is cool in the summer and mild in the winter. Bordering the grounds of Padua Preparatory School, is the famous gorge.

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SIQUAERIS (seekwe’ris) are the first words of a hymn, “If Thou Seekest”, written many cen- turies ago. This Latin piece of poetry, sung today in all Franciscan Friaries, exalts St. Anthony of Padua, the Great Miracle Worker. SIQU AERIS, if thou seekest miracles, you will not read of any spectacular events or sudden transformations. But, you will see how young men, in the course of four years, are trained and transformed into Christian gentlemen. SIQU AERIS, if thou seekest an education of high standard, through which a young man is trained, not only in the arts and sciences, but also in the art of carrying the burden of responsibility... SIQU AERIS, if thou seekest a well developed body and a soul rich in virtue, you will learn from the pages of this annual, how boys, seeking much, found what they sought—A Catholic, Franciscan education.

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1870 Watkins Glen. Its natural beauties, geological formation, arcades, galleries, pools, grottoes, rocky heights and waterfalls make this region a mecca for tourists. Winter with its frost, autumn with its colors, and spring with its fresh foliage transform the gorge into a wonderland. St. Anthony of Padua, who is the patron saint of the school, was a nenowned Franciscan preacher of the 13th century. His fame as a herald of Christ’s message and as a miracle worker, spread throughout the whole of Italy. After spending his life in furthering God’s glory, he died in the convent of Ara Coeli, near Padua. However, judging by the many blessings showered upon the school which bears his name, one is convinced that the Great Wonder-worker still lives on and is interceding for the brown Friars and the students here at Padua. Saint Anthony of Padua Minor Seminary and Preparatory School, formerly known as the Glen Springs Hotel, was once a place where many great people came to rest and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and surrounding beauty. Among the guests who visited this famous resort were John D. Rockefeller, Sr., Prince Otto, pretender to the Hapsburg throne, General John J. Pershing, Frances Perkins, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Alfred E. Smith and James E. Farley. Today, one can almost visualize the fashionable carriages and luxurious automobiles that were driven up to the hotel’s impressive entrance. One can almost hear the spirited conversation and laughter of the guests who gathered within its spacious rooms and halls. The register which contains the names of the visitors who stayed here, is a silent witness to the days when the Glen Springs Hotel was in its glory. The first floor contained a spacious lounge with an open fireplace, music room, offices, lobby, card rooms, billiard and pool rooms. A broad veranda afforded a promenade for more than three hundred feet. Over a hundred rooms