Parish marks 100 years

On Jan. 25, Catholics at St. John the Evangelist Church in Schenectady noted its centennial with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard.

Said Rev. Richard Carlino, pastor: "The celebration of a parish's 100th anniversary is an unforgettable event. Parishioners can look back to their past and take justifiable pride in accomplishments made. They can look at the present and to the future, examining their ongoing relationship with the Lord and with one another. We thank the Lord for all His graces thus far, and we seek His abiding presence and strength now -- and in the years to come."

The parish church is unique in its circular design with one main, twelve-sided tower and four smaller ones. The structure was designed in 1892 by Edward W. Loth, a Troy architect, but construction was delayed. There are no columns in the church, and the floor has a slight rise that allows for an unobstructed view of the main altar throughout the church.

Laurence Rainey, parish archivist, said that the archives committee interviewed numerous Catholics about their memories.

"One person described the story of her grandfather's funeral and the 'long' journey the family had to take," said Mr. Rainey. "The man lived on the Troy Road, near the Colonie-Niskayuna line. When he died, the wake was at home, as was the custom. The funeral Mass was held at St. John's Church. The parish in those days stretched from the Mohawk River to Watervliet. Burial was to be in St. Patrick's cemetery, outside of Watervliet. In the days of mostly horse-drawn vehicles, this was a lot of mileage to cover.

"The Schenectady Railroad Company, the business that ran the trolley lines, had a car that they used for funerals. It was draped with black crepe. The family and the casket were placed on the trolley car at the family home in Niskayuna and proceeded to the church for Mass. After the church ceremony, the car took the deceased and family to St. Patrick's cemetery for the burial service and then returned the family to the Troy Road home."

Another story involves a letter to Msgr. John Reilly, the first pastor. The letter was written by hand, "in a neat script with black ink and a finely cut pen nib, by a ranking officer of a sheet metal works in the city," according to records.

While the church was being built, the pastor's three dogs, "Rab," a St. Bernard; "Argus," a pointer; and "Bijou," a fox terrier, harassed the workers. The letter appealed to the pastor to "keep those dogs of yours securely locked up....It is of more importance than you may think. One of our boys has been attacked and laid up and I will lose the others if you do not keep them securely confined."

(1/29/04)