Occasional Papers 60
When Gregory Smith was
the prior of Saint Albert=s
Junior Seminary (1949-52), he wrote the
founder and first prior of Saint Albert=s,
Albert Robert Melcalfe, requesting details
concerning the opening of the school. This
is the reply he received from Metcalfe
printed exactly as it was written.
Incidentally, Metcalfe is supposed to have
named the institution Saint Albert=s
using the patron of his religious name,
Albert.
Alfred Isacsson, O.
Carm.
The Priory
Whitefriars=
Street
Dublin
March 16, 1952.
Dear Father Smith,
Only a few days ago, I came across a
misplaced letter; it was sent by your Rev.
to me Sept 18,
>50. I regret very much that I
should have seemed so discourteous in
failing to acknowledge receipt of your
letter. I am very glad, however, that I
have been fortunate enough to re-discover
it, I gladly send you the info requested.
I was appointed by Fr. Finbarr O=Connor
(Prior of 29th St.) Early in August 1917 to
take charge of the new foundation.
We took possession on August 15, 1917. We opened on
the first Monday of Sept. 1917 with five
>hopefuls=.
(The Rev. J. Maher is the only one who went thru
out of the five.) I remained in charge until
Sept. 1919 when Fr. Gab. Cleary was appointed by
the Provincial Chap. held in Dublin in the
autumn of 1919. He never came to the U.S.A. I
returned to 29th St. Meanwhile there was no
Carmelite directly appointed to take up the
position, but there was a Secular priest (Fr.
Fagan) living there; he had been sent up by Fr.
O=Connor
in Summer of 1919 to give a helping hand, we
were pretty short on spare parts. (No
irreverence intended.) Of course the community
in Mt. Carmel - Middletown - was helping, as it
had been in my time, with the teaching.
Early in 1920, Fr. Raphael Doran, from Mt.
Carmel, took over & he remained only a ferw
months (about six I should say) & in fall of
same year (abt. Sept) Fr. Dominic Hastings was
appointed (by Fr. O=Connor)
& he remained until the second week of the
following January (1921) when I took over again
& remained in St. Albert=s
until end of July 1922. Fr. L. D. Flanagan then
took charge. (Fr Fagan=s
services had been dispensed with shortly after
Xmas 1920.) Hoping this info will be of some
help & wishing self and community Every
blessing,
I am dear Father,
Fraternally yours in Carmel,
Robt. Albert Metcalfe O. Carm.
P.S. Fr. John Hickey was the only one of the
1918-20 group to be ordained.
|
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR