The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-04-01
TWO new MONASTERIES
ON The HUDSON.
Aoyitiate of Society of Jesus and
and House of the Holy Cross
Order.
N. 7. Herald, March "a.

Two great new religious houses on
the banks of the Hudson River will
give touch of Old World color to the
region about Poughkeepsie next sum-
mer. These two large buildings will
be the new novitiate of the Society of
Jesus, at st. Andrews, on the east
side of the river, and the new monas-
terry of the Order of the Holy Cross,
at West Park, directly opposite, on the
west bank.
The former is already completed and
is now occupied by the novices of the
famous society of teachers and preach
ers formerly located at Frederick,
Md, while the latter has not yet ad-
vanced far enough toward completion
to render it fit for occupancy.
The Jesuit novitiate is built on a
high hill, at the very foot of which is
the great river. It is 800 feet long,
with depth of 1873 feet. 1t is built of
Harvard brick, with limestone trim
mings, and is four stories high. The
style is Colonial. The long line of the
facade is broken midway by project
ing portion, the massive white col
umns of which run up the three entire
stories.
There is one feature in the intern
al arrangements which is worthy of
special notice. Accommodations have
been made for other persons than
thoses who wear the cassock to spend
some days in prayer and seclusion. In
Catholic countries it is growing to
be a general custom for men who seek
and require more than the usual piety
that is availble in ordinary life to
engage for some days at time in what
is called a retreat, in order to pray,
to mediate and to lay plans for future
spiritul improvement.
In the present conditions at St.
Andrews those who desire to seek such
retirement for time will find every
thing requisite for their reception, as
the purpose was kept in view in the
construction of the novitiate. The
rooms for these prospective retreatants
make part of the house, but at the
same time are cut off from the portion
occupied by the community, an ar
rangement which will conduce to the
greater personal comfort of both.
On rocky ledge which overhangs the
river on the opposite bank OF the
stream, at place called West Park
stands the new monastery of the
Order of the Holy Cross, now making
it's home at Westminster, Md. The
building stands on side hill, so that
the floor of the basement is on level
with the ground to the east, but the
ceiling of the basement is on level
with the ground toward the west. The
structure rests on solid rock.
Tie Order of the Holy Cross is re-
ligious community consisting at the
present time exclusively of priests of
the Protestant Episcopal Church,
though the time may come when lay
men may be included in the order.
The community had it's origin in this
city in 1886. The first member to
take the vows was the present superior
of the order, the Rev. James O. S.
Huntington, son of the Bishop of Cen
trail New York. He was professed by
the late Bishop Horatio Potter No
vember 25, 1884. The order at present
consists of five professed members
the Revs. James O. S. Huntington,
Sturges Allen, Shirley Carter Hugh
son, Frederick Herbert Sill and Will
liam Francis Mayo.