Diocese dedicates print at CBA that honors Toomey’s life

Christian Brothers Academy hosted members of the Toomey family and representatives from the Albany Diocese in the school’s alumni library March 12 to honor William A. Toomey Jr., a member of CBA’s class of 1949. Toomey — a loving husband, father to nine children, grandfather to 11 grandchildren and great-grandfather to one — died Nov. 19, 2020, at the age of 88.

Father Jim Kane, director of ­the diocesan Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious ­Affairs, performed the ceremony and blessed and dedicated the print — titled “Christ the Teacher” — the commission had purchased in Toomey’s memory. The artwork was chosen to reflect family wishes for memorial gifts to be designated to CBA that honor the school; have the theme of “Jesus as rabbi;” reflect Jewish-Catholic relations that Toomey fostered during his life; and the artist be a religious brother (Brother Mickey McGrath).

Toomey was a devout Catholic — he sat on the first U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Advisory Council, was a past president of the U.S. Catholic Social Action Conference, represented the United States at the celebration of Rerum Novarum, and was the chair of the Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for the Diocese of Albany for over 25 years.

Toomey’s wife of 67 years, Joanne Skelly Toomey, and six of their children and their families attended the ceremony. Toomey was an incredibly proud CBA alumnus and a dedicated basketball fan. Dr. James Schlegel, president of the school, also presented a gift to Toomey’s wife following the dedication.