Wall of Remembrance keeps memory of people of faith

By PAUL QUIRINI- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Deceased family, friends and loved ones live on at St. Francis de Sales Church in Loudonville, thanks to a Wall of Remembrance.

Hundreds of photos of people linked to St. Francis or its parishioners occupy space at the back of the church. There, black-and-white pictures of elderly couples from the turn of the century mingle with Polaroid snapshots of baby-boomers, and modern-day portraits of children and infants.

"It seems to be growing a bit, once people saw pictures going up," said Rev. David Noone, pastor. "Every week, there are a half-dozen or so people who go to the wall to see who is there."

Booming idea

The Wall of Remembrance began last month around the time the parish observed All Souls Day. Father Noone suggested the project to the parish Altar Guild. "They thought it was a great idea, and the idea took off," he said.

At the parish All Souls' service, parishioners were invited to bring candles into the sanctuary in memory of deceased loved ones. "It was really quite effective. Many of the people took the candles home with them," he said.

Parishioners also were asked to hang photos of deceased loved ones on the Wall of Remembrance, which has a logo in the middle, candles in front, and alpha and omega symbols at either end, designed by Father Noone's sister and brother-in-law.

Population

Photos of two former pastors of St. Francis', Revs. John Dignan and Donald Starks, are among the hundreds of pictures on the wall. There are also candids and portraits of St. Francis' parishioners or their family and friends.

People like Helen Dunn sitting in a rocking chair or a bespectacled Gregory P. Lieberman are more typical of the photos on the wall. Some pictures have the names written on them, and Father Noone knew many of the people. The wall includes parishioners who worship at the Maria Drive church in Loudonville and the Exchange Street church in Albany.

The Wall of Remembrance will stay up well into the new year, and there's still room for more photos. Judging by the number of people checking out the photos each week, the wall seems to be a popular and fitting tribute to the deceased among the St. Francis' community.

"It's amazing how many people stop and look at them every Sunday," Father Noone said.

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