April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
HOOSICK FALLS AND ALBANY
Two schools celebrate major anniversaries
Two schools celebrate major anniversaries
Both schools have exciting plans for the upcoming year.
St. Mary's Academy already hosted an alumni banquet with more than 170 people in attendance. At the event, Rev. Thomas Zelker, pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Hoosick Falls, was named an honorary alumnus of the school.
"We're very happy that we're still here after 125 years," declared Patricia Hayes, a 1969 alumnus who now works in administration at SMA.
St. Mary's Academy opened in 1891, staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph. The first graduating class, in 1894, was comprised of just eight children.
In 1959, St. Mary's added a new building for its high school, keeping the lower grades in its original building. The high school operated for almost three decades; since 1986, SMA has continued as a pre-kindergarten-through-eighth-grade institution.
"The spirit remains," said Ms. Hayes. "We forged ahead and continued [providing] quality education."
Current SMA students are a bit young to catch the excitement of the school's 125th anniversary. "It probably seems like prehistoric times to them," Ms. Hayes remarked.
Anniversary celebrations will continue through the school year, from commemorative shirts to annual fundraisers.
For the 100th anniversary of Blessed Sacrament School in Albany, there's a weekend of celebrations planned for Sept. 17-18: a Mass of Thanksgiving Sept. 17 for alumni and a reception at the school, with a display of old photos and memorabilia -- even the old school bell.
Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger will preside over a second Mass Sept. 18, with events for the school and parish community. On Sept. 19, students will have Mass and then get a chance to peruse the memorabilia themselves.
"I can't get everybody into one event," explained Rev. John Bradley, pastor of Blessed Sacrament parish. "It would be too big."
Blessed Sacrament School opened its doors in 1916. Its first group of students -- four girls -- met in the basement of the church. At first, they had to bring chairs from home, because there weren't any for the school.
"That's a humble beginning," Father Bradley laughed.
A few weeks later, the students were able to move into the new school building. In 1964, the current school was built; it has a gym and a library, which the original building lacked.
In 1982, the original school was taken down. Since then, the new building has had additions and improvements, including a science lab and a new multimedia room.
For the entire 100 years, Blessed Sacrament School has had a Sister of Mercy as the principal. Sister Patricia Mary Lynch, RSM, is keeping that tradition alive.
"It's a joy to be here every day," she told The Evangelist, noting that she feels honored to be the principal.
Sister Patricia has been hard at work lately, planning the anniversary celebrations. She said the first-floor hallway will be "Memory Lane" for the event, featuring a century's worth of photos of all Blessed Sacrament's graduating classes.
The principal also hopes to celebrate throughout the school year with current students, perhaps with a pizza party or an ice cream social.
"We'll be having them do different projects," she noted; she'd like to put together a video of sorts, with an older alumnus and a current student comparing the school from "way back when" to today.
Father Bradley has been at Blessed Sacrament parish for 40 years. He said the parish is made up of parents and alumni of the school, making for a strong and supportive community: "I've just enjoyed everything about the school all these years."[[In-content Ad]]
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