The history runs deep at St. Agatha’s
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- August
- 9
Earlier this week, I visited St. Agatha Home in Nanuet moments after the bell tower was removed from the top of the Little Flower House, which was one of the first buildings built on the campus. It was an emotional moment for many, like Kevin Donahue, who has been working on the campus for 31 years. After all, the he and many members of the alumni association had been working to save bits and pieces of their former campus ever since they found out it was going to be sold to the Nanuet school district. I wrote a short story on it.
While there, I took a ride with Donahue to a grassy plot of land on Duryea Lane where the group hopes to construct a museum from the bell tower. On that bare hill, Donahue and another member, Victor Castro, shared fond memories of adolecent mischief. They reminisced about the former dump where they would find interesting knick-knacks and the adjacent grassy slope on which they would roll down in garbage cans. And that’s not all.
“There were many a clandestine meeting with members of the opposite sex near this dump,” Castro said with a chuckle.
In the coming months, members said they planned to restore the bell tower and that they would prepare to move it to the top of the hill once other buildings on the campus were demolished. Many well-known people who live in Rockland County grew up at St. Agatha’s, according to members, and they hope those people will preserve and share those memories on their web site’s guestbook, which can be found at www.stagathahome.org.
After the story ran on August 7, I received an e-mail from a woman named Anne, who said she will greatly miss St. Agatha Home. She said:
“I spent 7 yrs. at St. Agatha’s from 43 to 50 and I must say my only place of solace while there was the chapel. For awhile I even worked in the dormatory [sic] where the cables held the bell so it’s a very sad thing to know that the home is no more but I’m so happy the bell could be saved. It was a symbol of peace for me and for many of us who were raised there, our spirits will always be with what was good about the home.”
This entry was posted
on Thursday, August 9th, 2007 at 8:04 pm by Amy Padnani. 
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Category: Nanuet, Nanuet schools, St. Agatha
I am surprised that these “boys” had clandestine meeting on the hill. Boys were in a seperate part of the “home” and did not have contact to my knowledge. I lived there as long as Anne in your story, but I lost contact with the “home” after 1950 when I was released to a “relative” of my deceased Mother, when she discovered the Welfare system. I was very sad to leave the only home I’d really learned to love, and my many siblings. No one ever contacted me about reunions either. I had written the Principal of the school in 1990 and was told that they didn’t do reunions…...sad. I will always miss St. Agatha’s. especially the sisters who put up with us rowdy kids….! Annmarie
Greetings: I was there with four siblings in the early part of the 1930s. These brothers and sisters are dead now. I have a lot of good memories and a few bad ones. Now, I probably am one of the few alumnae still living, at age 90. Another one is Larry Viernstein. I talked on the phone with Larry just this morning. I believe Louis Andretta is still with us, but I lost his address. Let’s have a contest to determine who is the oldest living St. Agathaen. I commend the people who administer the Website for the school. I recently sent them my photo.
March 27, 2008
from:
Walter O’Rourke (aka “Rip”)
response to Bill Lawson comment:
Resume:
Some time in the 1920’s I won a full time scholarship to St. Agatha’s Acadamy, Nanuet, NY. I spent the next 12 years studying and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1932. Sister Thomasina told me to get lost and don’t come back.
My 3 brothers (all younger) and sister (older) are all gone. I believe your sister Julia was a classmate of mine in H.S.
I was born October 1917 and as a 90 year old love to play blackjack each week at the local casinos.
I would like to talk to Nancy Canfield who is also a resident of San Diego.
email: borour02@hotmail.com
I was gratified to see these responses, and answered the 3rd one, requesting I do so. Waiting for a reply. I think I’m the leading authority on St. Agatha, not only as resident, but as author of the comprehensive book, Home Kids, the Story of St. Agatha Home for Children, which I published in 2005-6. I donate all the profits to the children of SAS, and am trying to get the book on Oprah’s Booklist, so I can build an endowment for children who term out of fostercare at 18, and have no where to go. We also have the great website referenced above, and many people find each other there and in the guestbook. There is a simple answer to response #1 above: in the early half of the century, boys and girls did not mis, but in the 50’s on, they did. School became coed, and kids mixed at the olympics, pool, certainly chapel, etc. All responses welcome.
To Whom It May Concer:
I was so sorry to hear that St. Agatha’s Home was closed. I had the opportunity to work at this origanization during 1999. I was working part-time with the residents and also did the monthly newslatter called “St. Agatha News” with the participation of the residents, and the colaboration from Elaine Hopkins and Michael Roy. (staff). At this time I have not idea where are they located, but I would like to have their address. Any information please e-mail me. I would appreciate it. Thank you. Manny Guevara
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