Cohoes parish marking its own sesquicentennial

Book in process about parish's founder

When you've been around as long as the Albany Diocese, there's a lot of history to pack inside the pages of a parish anniversary booklet.

At St. Bernard's Church in Cohoes, the gargantuan task of compressing 150 years of history into a keepsake publication has fallen on the shoulders of a committee led by Sister Margaret Totten, CSJ, parish minister.

When published, the memorial booklet will represent "a couple of years of work," according to Sister Margaret.

Telling the story

"We were able to draw upon some background information that was compiled for our parish's 100th anniversary in 1947, as well as an update that appeared inside a beautiful commemorative booklet that was published when the church reopened in 1957 after undergoing extensive renovations," explained Sister Margaret. "But that was roughly half a century ago. A lot has happened since then that needed to be included in the 1997 anniversary edition."

Trying to do justice to the developments of the last 40 to 50 years proved to be a mammoth undertaking that entailed scouring the church's archives for old news clips and photographs to help fill holes in the more recent parish history.

Rev. Lawrence McTavey, pastor, is credited with compiling the section of the new parish history book covering the period from 1957-1997.

Milestones

In an attempt to make history come alive, the 1997 version presents milestones in the parish's early history in conjunction with other significant events that were unfolding that same year.

For example, the history notes: "In 1847, James Polk was President of the United States, the Mexican War was recently ended, and we were 14 years away from the Civil War. The stage coach was the principal means of travel, the Erie Canal had been open for 22 years, and a man named Marx was planting the seeds of communism in Germany."

Having deftly painted that historical backdrop, readers learn that 1847 was also the year when the cornerstone was laid for what was to be the first Catholic church ever established in Cohoes.

Growth

Bishop John McCloskey, the first bishop of Albany, officiated at the cornerstone-laying ceremony on Nov. 18, 1847. The structure was not the current church building, but rather the site now occupied by the former Keveny Memorial Academy.

It was not until 1855, when Franklin Pierce was president and slavery was becoming a major issue, that a plot of land was secured by Rev. Thomas Keveny across the street from the original church, according to the book.

The first church had proved too small for the booming parish membership; on August 15, 1863, Bishop McCloskey returned to Cohoes to lay the cornerstone at the site of the present church building at Canvass and Ontario Streets. Father Keveny subsequently brought the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (the order to which Sister Margaret Totten belongs) to open a school in the old church building and to live in the former rectory.

Storms and art

The 150th anniversary booklet's detailed historical accounting includes:

* tales of a severe winter storm that swept the area in 1876, "taking with it the 200-foot spire of our church with its nine-chime bell, depositing the structure on the railroad track,"

* a section urging visitors to St. Bernard's to take time to truly savor the paintings of artist Vittorio Tojetti that have surrounded the sanctuary since 1898, and

* an explanation of how the church's stained glass windows, Carrara marble altar, and the railing of cast bronze and onyx came to be at St. Bernard's.

Later years

The 20th century saw, among other developments, the building of a new parish school and a major restoration of the church, carried out under the direction of the late Msgr. Mulqueen.

In 1972, Father McTavey made his debut at the parish; his silver jubilee as pastor will be celebrated this fall. Details of the many changes that have taken place since his arrival are contained in the booklet, together with many photos that help bring events to life.

The book concludes with a reflection on some of the other significant developments that have transpired since Rev. Bernard Van Reeth, a native of Belgium, came to Cohoes for the purpose of founding a mission church in 1847.

Specifically, the book observes: "The light bulb was invented, the automobile and airplane arrived, radio and television changed communication forever, computers appeared, moon landings took place, together with countless technological innovations....Our parish stands ready to face the turn-of-the-century, the arrival of The Third Millennium....Our programs are strong and are always evolving to meet new needs. Our beautiful church is ready for the generations who will follow us."

Additional anniversary celebrations planned...

In addition to the commemorative booklet prepared by Sister Margaret Totten and her committee, St. Bernard's Church in Cohoes is planning to observe its 150th anniversary in a number of other ways.

"We're in somewhat of an unusual position in that both St. Bernard's and the Albany Diocese are marking their Sesquicentennials this year," noted Sister Margaret. "For this reason, some of the events our parish will participate in are diocesan celebrations."

For example, St. Bernard's plans to send a busload of parishioners to the Shrine of the North American Martyrs at Auriesville on Sept. 14. The 3 p.m. liturgy there is being coordinated by the Diocese as part of its Sesquicentennial.

Other events include:

* Participation in a celebration at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany from noon to 3 p.m. on Nov. 15. In addition, the Cohoes parish will have a table of displays of memorabilia at the Empire State Plaza on that date.

* A liturgy for the parish's junior and senior high school students at St. Bernard's at 5 p.m. on Sept. 20. That will be followed by a social for the young people.

* A parish-wide Sesquicentennial Celebration on Oct. 5. The 3 p.m. liturgy will be followed by a dinner at the Century House in Latham.

Book in process about parish's founder

The commemorative booklet being prepared in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the founding of St. Bernard's parish in Cohoes isn't the only one being written on the subject this year.

Betty Peters, a British author, is reportedly in the process of writing an in-depth biography of Rev. Bernard Van Reeth, who founded the Cohoes church in 1847.

According to Sister Margaret Totten, CSJ, parish minister at St. Bernard's, Ms. Peters has been painstakingly researching Father Van Reeth's life story for some time.

"Her main effort in communicating with us was to see if we could find a picture of him, but to no avail," explained Sister Margaret. "However, she has information about his family dating back to 1790."

A native of Belgium, Father Van Reeth came to Cohoes when it was a tiny village that had been settled predominately by Irish immigrants. (AH)

(08-21-97) [[In-content Ad]]