How did that parish get its name?

Little is known about the selection process that led to the 1874 naming of Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Albany.

One thing is fairly certain, however, according to Rev. Robert Hohenstein, pastor: Those responsible for the unusual church name surely never imagined it would one day cause their parish to be mistaken for everything from an interdenominational clearinghouse to an agency for Christians in crisis.

"One lady called years ago and announced: `I'm a Christian and I need help.' I guess she saw our listing in the telephone directory and thought we were some kind of hotline," he explains. "Others have contacted us thinking we're a referral agency for churches in the area."

The church also receives letters addressed to such non-existent parish names as "Help A Christian" and "Our Lady of Help."

German origins

Even those whose German-Catholic ancestors helped to found the parish nearly 125 years ago have their own special way of referring to the church. Says Father Hohenstein: "They call it 'Our Lady Help,' which, as I understand it, comes from the German words 'Maria Hilfe.'"

What Father Hohenstein does know for certain is that Our Lady Help of Christians was the title of Our Blessed Mother that was promoted by St. John Bosco, a Salesian priest with a great devotion to Mary. Indeed, the "Help of Christians" reference dates back to the time of the Crusades.

A prayer card in Father Hohenstein's possession includes a quote from St. John Bosco decreeing: "Spread devotion to Mary, Help of Christians, and you will see miracles."

Angels and queens

Father Hohenstein's own boyhood parish was Our Lady of Angels in Albany. That church, which dates back to 1867, was originally called Holy Queen of Angels. Why or when the name was changed is not certain.

Like Our Lady Help of Christians Church, early parishioners of Holy Queen of Angels were predominantly German.

While German immigrants were busy naming new parishes in one part of the Diocese, those of Irish, Italian, French and other national origins were doing likewise elsewhere.

Churches named in honor of Ireland's beloved St. Patrick include those in Watervliet (1840), Johnstown (1855), Cambridge (1856), Albany (1858), Catskill (1859), Cohoes (1886), Saint Johnsville (1887), and Ravena (1890).

French flavor

Parishes with distinctly French names are Notre Dame des Victoires in Whitehall (1844) and Notre Dame de Lourdes/Visitation (1889) in Schuylerville.

Those parishes with less familiar French names include the Church of St. Madeleine Sophie in Schenectady (1947) and St. John Francis Regis in Grafton (1912).

Born in Northern France in 1779, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat dedicated her life to "making known the revelation of God's love whose source and symbol is the Heart of Christ."

Exactly why her name was chosen for the Schenectady parish is not clear, but it is something the church plans to investigate as part of its research in conjunction with its 50th anniversary this year.

Triple name

Sister Mary Kenan McGowan, RSM, parish administrator of St. John Francis Regis in Grafton, believes the naming of that church was heavily influenced by the Jesuits who were once so dominant in the area.

Founded 85 years ago, the parish is named for a young Jesuit from Alsace, between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine in France.

"I can only speculate that since this is also a mountainous place, those responsible for naming the church did so in honor of the saint who came from the mountainous region of France known as Alsace," she says.

Italian touch

St. Anthony's Church in Albany is believed to be the first Italian "national parish" in the Diocese. Established in 1908, it was but the first of many named in honor of St. Anthony, a Portuguese-born priest who performed many miracles while working among poor families and indentured slaves in Padua, Italy.

It is interesting to note that one of the churches in the Diocese that mentions Padua in its name has a heavy Slovak congregation: St. Anthony of Padua in Johnstown.

According to Rev. Francis Dunbar, pastor, members of the Fulton County church took time during the parish's 75th anniversary four years ago to probe that very question: Why was a church frequented by Slovaks in 1914 named after a saint who was born and raised in Portugal and later ministered in Italy?

"We couldn't find anything in our records that made a historic link or any kind of connection, so we finally came to the conclusion that the Diocese must have chosen the name for us," says Father Dunbar.

Polish names

The first Polish-Catholic church in Albany was St. Casimir's, founded in 1893. Other church names in the Diocese that reflect the influence of immigrants from Poland include St. Stanislaus' in Amsterdam (1894) and St. Adalbert in Schenectady (1903).

The latter was named in honor of the saint who is credited with bringing Christianity to Poland. It is believed that Bishop Thomas Burke suggested the name because the parish, founded in 1903, consisted mainly of Polish immigrants. Mass is still offered there in Polish once a week.

St. Adalbert, the second bishop of Prague, is also highly honored in Hungary and the Czech Republic, according to Rev. Carl Urban, pastor of St. Adalbert's. This year marks the 1,000th anniversary of the saint's martyrdom; Father Urban will be among those who will concelebrate a Mass with the Pope at the saint's tomb in Poland during the pontiff's visit there in early June.

(05-29-97) [[In-content Ad]]