Priest remembers nickel movies, lifetime in parish

That was during the 1920s, when young Howard was growing up in Green Island, attending St. Joseph's Church and School. He would go on to become a beloved priest, serving primarily at St. Luke's Church in Schenectady, and would live through such 20th century events as the Great Depression, World War II, the advent of television and the Second Vatican Council.

The 81-year-old priest retired in 1994, but he remains active at St. Luke's and doesn't plan on slowing down in the new millennium.

"I haven't lost interest in what the priesthood means, and I think it's wonderful to have the opportunity to be a priest all these years," he said. "I have enjoyed being here. Everyone is like a relative, and they've been wonderful and cooperative."

Those days

Born in 1918, he lived on Hudson Avenue, just a block down from St. Joseph's. He looked forward to receiving a Catholic education, even if he didn't know it.

"I still remember someone coming to our door and asking if anyone was going to the parochial school next year, and I said, 'I don't want to go to a parochial school. I want to go to St. Joseph's,'" he said.

Fun times

For fun, he and his friends would play basketball on a hoop attached to a utility pole -- once the road was paved -- or ride scooters made from roller skates and two-by-fours. "You made your own recreation," he said.

On Saturday afternoons, Howard would catch a matinee for a nickel, watching silent movies about cowboys and Indians. But he had trouble understanding some of the big words on the screen. "You'd always say to someone older than you, 'What did it say there?'"

Listening to the radio involved using a battery that had to be recharged weekly, and wearing headphones to hear the comedy and mystery shows that were popular at the time. Tuning in required sitting pretty still, Msgr. Manny pointed out. "Someone would walk across the floor, and you'd lose the station," he said.

Telephones weren't in many homes, so people often would walk down to the store and use the phone there to make a call if the line wasn't tied up.

Poverty

"In those days, you didn't have welfare, but it didn't seem any great burden," Msgr. Manny said. "I never felt deprived, because you lived on what you had and you were satisfied."

Walking was the way he usually got around, since the trolley that ran through Troy, Green Island and Cohoes cost a whopping dime. In 1925, his father bought a new, black Model T Ford for $500. The car had a five-gallon tank, reached speeds of 30 mph and rode on tires that were always blowing out, but Howard didn't mind.

"Every Sunday afternoon, we could take a ride. My dad was so proud of it," he said.

Staying dry while driving in the open-air automobile also made things interesting. "You'd take curtains out from under the seat and put them up when it rained," he recalled.

War clouds

Pursuing the priesthood, he went to the North American College in Rome and was one of about 200 people on board the ship that brought him to Europe, a high number of passengers because "everybody was afraid of the war starting," Msgr. Manny said.

BY 1940, Benito Mussolini had risen to power, and the war forced the seminary to shut down. Howard returned to the United States on a ship "so loaded with refugees that the big rooms were used as dormitories," he said. "The ship came over blacked out for fear of it being torpedoed, but there were big American flags with spotlights on them so it wouldn't be bombed."

War years

World War II was on everyone's mind, especially when there were reports of men from the parish being killed in battle. Blackout wardens made their way up and down streets warning residents to turn off their lights; an air raid siren was in place atop the Freihofer's building on Albany Street in case of attack; ration books enabled people to get their allotted food.

Four priests served St. Luke's in those days: the pastor, Msgr. William Keane, and three assistants, including Father Manny. That community life is something Msgr. Manny misses in retirement, as he and Rev. Dominic Isopo are the only priests currently at St. Luke's.

Changing times

"We went down to Dr. Burns' office to see Joe Louis fight," he said. "People in the parish didn't have television sets, but Msgr. Keane bought a set for kids in the school of religion to watch in the evening."

Eventually, more people came to own TVs -- a black-and-white set with a 12-inch screen went for $200 -- and parish groups that once provided people with entertainment and socializing were infiltrated by the tube.

"You didn't watch much television in the beginning, but then it became hard to get everybody out of the house," Msgr. Manny said.

Serving Church

Father Manny became a monsignor in 1962, and he admired the two men under whom he directly served for much of his ministry, Msgr. Keane and Bishop Scully. The former was national president of Catholic Charities, founded St. Paul's Church in Schenectady, and served as pastor of St. Luke's for more than 30 years. Msgr. Keane was "a very outstanding man, and he had a great influence over me," Msgr. Manny said.

Bishop Scully led the push for Catholic education in the Albany Diocese, and Msgr. Manny "had a great respect for his tremendous ability to move things forward."

When Msgr. Keane died in 1964, Msgr. Manny returned as pastor to the parish where he had served as an assistant for 10 years.

Vatican Council

"Some people rejected English, but it made it easier for people," he said. "They didn't have knowledge of the Scripture readings."

The ministry of Msgr. Manny at St. Luke's goes back half a century, but his memory of those parishioners from his years as a young assistant remains fresh.

"I can look back on so many people in the parish who grew up with me," he said. "I can take the marriage records, go back 50 years and remember all of the couples."

Blessed life

"I think the people have been satisfied to have the same priest here for so long," he said. "You really do get to know people because you knew their mothers, fathers, grandparents. They're not strangers to you.

"I want to [continue to] participate if I'm well enough. I don't want to stop. It's nice to see Father Isopo running the parish, but I'm glad to still be able to participate and do things with him."

As 2000 approaches, Msgr. Manny isn't concerned about Y2K affecting the computer he bought 10 years ago. After all, he's lived through the Great Depression and World War II.

"I just think January 1, 2000, is going to be another day," he said. "I haven't given any thought to working with computers myself, and I'm too old to start something like that."

(12-23-99) [[In-content Ad]]