New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-15

Peters parish, jersey wv s"e Niv"H
as St. Aloysius Academy. ~ mas mad
n most fourishing existence up 70 tne
nresent time. the original buildings
HAVING been superseded by imposing
and commodious structures suited 70
the needs of the school. In 1859 the
Academy of st. Vincent, Newark, was
opened, and il, too, has made rapid
strides in the forty years that mark
its existence The parochial school
attached 10 st. Joseph's Church, how
ever. had been opened some time be-
fore the Academy Of 81. vincent vas
founded.
I'm 1870 St. Agnes, Paterson, was
begun. and later was closed 20
give Sisters for the greater needs Of
Darochial work Still later, however,
the academy was reopened, under the
name Of St. Aloysius, and continued IN
a fourishing condition until the great
Paterson fire Of 1908, when the
academy. together with the city's best
buildings. was entirely destroyed. In
1875 the Academy Of the Sacred Heart
Hoboken, was opened, and IN 1850 the
Star of the Sea Academy, at Long
Branch. All these institutions are sun
in prosperous condition, proving vaiu-
able subsidiary establishments Of the
beautiful Motherhouse, college ana
academy and providing an annual fund
Of pupils for the higher course OF
study az st. Elizabeth's.
The College Of st. Elizabeth.-ln
1899 the college course Of study was
formally adopted, with but four fresh
men TO inaugurate the work. In this
field Of work st. Elizabeth's stands as
the first Of the religious communities
TO open its doors TO higher education
and to provide for the advanced men
tai culture Of Catholic women A new
building with an arcade Of two floors,
TO be used as a music hall. and con-
Meeting the main buildings was erected
in 1900.
The RI. Rev Winand NJ Wigger,
d. d., then Bishop of Newark, named
this first group Of college buildings
Xavier Hall. after the venerable SUI
uerior, Mother Mary Xavier. The num-
bers in both academy and college in
creased from year to year until, in
1906, it became necessary 70 pro
vide also separate college dor
mitory for the college students, and
Santa Rita Hall was finished and ready
for occupancy in March, 1907. At the
time of the erection of Xavier Hall
new home for the Sisters was built on
the left wing of the main building,
and in March, 1907, ground was broken
for the erection of the beautiful new
chapel. which is TO be formally opened
in September, 1909, 70 commemorate
the Golden Jubilee Of the coming Of
the Sisters of Charity TO New Jersey.
In June, 1910, the Golden Jubilee OF
the school, including academy and col
lege, was celebrated
Meantime, also, the academy for
boys prospered and two beautiful
buildings were erected for their ex-
elusive use. With the transfer Of the
community and school 10 the new 81.
Elizabeth's at the top of the hill, the
old home was converted into a recruit
ing house for the sick or invalid Sis
tiers of the community, with the old
chapel reserved for their use and that
of the boys at st. Joseph's. When the
new chapel at St. Elizabeth's was well
under way the chapel formerly used
in the new buildings was transformed
into a magnificent dining hall for the
students, with additional floors of pri-
vate bedrooms above. All these i'm
provements, completed for the Golden
Jubilee celebrations of 1909-'l0, stand
as marvellous testimonies of the Wis
dom and prudent management OF the
venerable Mother Mary Xavier, a
woman of heroic spirit and gifted
with executive ability of uncommon
order. She is probably the only living
foundress in America, and IL has been
the proud boast of her large commu-
nifty Of over one thousand subjects that
they have known but one Mother since
their foundation, in 1889 This is phe-
nominal for though Mother Xavier
is now 81 years of age, she is most
o.Ai-rafv- appanaI tho ms
of her order and takes as great an
interest in the progress of the work OF
her Sisters in their several fields OF
labor, education, care of the sick, the
orphan, the destitute, the founding,
etc, as she did in the first years OF
her regime. She and but one other
Sister of the original band of seven
founders, Sister Mary Joseph Plunkett.
are still living, the others all having
passed away within the fourth decade
of the community's life.
After fifty years of faithful service
in New Jersey and with an order num-
bering more than a thousand subjects.
the venerable Mother Mary Xavier
may we'll look back with pride 10 her
humble beginnings and say, as is her
wont when words Of praise are spoken
of her work or her community: 1T
is Gods work, and Gods work does not
depend upon creatures for its begin
ming or its continuance Let US work
always for God alone, and the instru-
mentality which we become in His
hands will make us only more and
more humble, and more and more
grateful that He should choose us as
means of promoting His glory on
earth and of furthering the salvation
of souls"
As the Ri Rev. John Joseph o'Con-
nor, d. D., Bishop of Newark, said in
his baccalaureate address at the Col
lege of st. Elizabeth: "Only in the
Book of Life, inscribed by the invisible
spirits who have lowered in loving
guardianship over this institution.
have the records been preserved of the
heroic courage and self-sacrifice, tho
indomitable perseverance, the firm re-
lance on prayer, the unceasing co.
operation with grace, the firm deter
mination with Gods help to succeed,
which have rendered these fifty-two
years at st. Elizabeth's q source Of
Joy 20 this diocese and an honor 20
the Church, JOY and an honor which
we can fittingly acknowledge only b.
bowling in humble and heartfelt
thanksgiving to God. May the
great and good work long continue
May il enjoy the blessing Of God and
the praise and admiration of all good
men and women in the future as in the
past. Fifty years hence, when 81.
Elzabeth's completes a second century
of ever increasing usefulness, may
those who will then be here to felici-
tate its graduates, be constrained 20
acknowledge and feel il their duty 20
proclaim as we do to-day that nowhere