The De La Salle Christian Brothers came to the United States in 1845 from France. In the 1861, Brother Clementian, with three assistants, became the Principal of the Boys Department of the new St. Mary’s School. The new school building consisted of two main floors, an attic and a basement. The residence of the Brothers was in the attic. There were 135 girls and 150 boys. The Brothers taught the boys in the upper grades (fifth to eight). The Sisters of Charity and lay teachers taught the girls and the younger boys in lower grades. We have no photos before the 1880’s. There are no photos of the Sisters of Charity because their rules of the Order prohibited it.
The first photo in our archives was taken in 1887. The boys were older than today’s eighth graders. Section 1 of the class of 1887 probably took advanced course preparing them for “college.” Our present division of eighth years of elementary school, four of high school and four years of college had not yet been mandated by the State of New York. Francis X. Donoghue, the youngest son of one of the lay founders of the parish, was born 1856 and was one of the first students in the Boys School. After graduation he attended the Jesuit’s Francis Xavier College on 15 ^th St in Manhattan. Xavier College was the early favorite of these advanced boys because the first pastor of St. Mary’s, John Ryan S.J. was its President. It also was easily accessible because of the new railroad along the Hudson River. After graduating from Xavier in 1875 he studied law in a law office in Manhattan and was admitted to practice in 1878. He became the first Catholic City Judge in Yonkers in 1892. He remained in public office for many years. He was a prominent member of the St. Mary’s Alumni Association whose members were influential in the political life of Yonkers.
Enrollment in the school shows the financial difficulties of the parents of the students. There were as many as a hundred students in the first year but often less than fifteen graduating. Students, especially the girls left after the sixth grade to work in the carpet, hat and silk factories in Yonkers to help support their families.
By the 1880’s the school was filled to capacity. In 1882 there were 370 girls for a total of 683. Fr. Corley, pastor (1877-1914), wanted to build a new school on the former property of Aaron Vark. Now owned by Sisters of Charity. When their boarding school for boys, St Aloysius Academy. Located on the same land, burnt down on New Year’s Day in 1887, the Sisters decided to use the property for a hospital, St. Joseph’s. Revising his plans, Fr Corley greatly enlarged and renovated the old school. It gircould now accommodate over a thousand students. The Brothers eventually moved into their own building in 1901 just to the west of the former church, now the Parish Hall. Below is a photo of this new school. It is taken many years later but it is the only we have of the entire building. The photo shows the new church build in 1892.
We do not have the names of all the Christian Brothers who taught at St. Mary’s but we do have the names of the principals. Their term of office was usually three years but some stayed only a year. Brother Augutus Pius, pictured in the photo, was the exception. He was principal for fifteen years (1899-1914). It was said of him that he was the backbone of the school and the Church. As Msgr. Charles Corley’s plan for creating Immaculate / St. Mary’s a Cathedral of a new diocese faded, so did the prominence of the parish. He suffered a minor stroke at the beginning of the century and was never quite the same. The parishes of St. Joseph (1871), and Sacred Heart (1991) seen to have the energy and vitality that once was St. Mary’s – except for the school. It thrived during this time.
The photo reveals a pivotal year, 1914. Msgr. Charles Corley, after thirty seven years as pastor, would be dead in a few months. St Mary’s convent was enlarged. World War I was about to start. Fr. Augustus, after fifteen years as principal, was leaving. The world was changing. But, thanks to Brother Augustus, the school was ready for the challengers ahead.
Fr. Murphy has been pastor since 1914. Brother Clementian of Jesus is principal. “Clementan seems to be a popular name. Three of our principals have taken this name (in honor of the first principal?). The other two brothers in the photo are Brother Ivan Ibar and Brother Ambrose of Mary who taught the two eighth grade classes. One had 25 students, the other had 22. But there are over 70 students in the photo. Some students seem much older than others. Was there a ninth grade? Or a number of students who needed another year to pass the final exams? At one time the principal taught a class – now its is recorded he doesn’t. Did these older boys get the principal’s attention? The records of the school state that there were three other classes. A seventh grade class of 51 taught by Brother Ambrose. A sixth grade class of 50 taught by Brother Amedy John and a fifth grade class of 57, taught by Brother Bernard John.
One of the earlier job description for a Brother is “cuisinier.” What is that? I just looked it up on the internet. It is French for a male chef or cook. Eventually they had a layperson doing the cooking. We even have a photo of one of these cooks whose name was Mrs. Minnie O’Leary.
Parents throughout Yonkers sent their boys to St. Mary’s because the Brothers gave them discipline, a good education and plenty of sports to absorb their energies. Here is a list of the winners of the Yonkers CYO Schoolboy Race from 1908 to 1972.
1948 was the 100 ^th anniversary of the parish of the Immaculate Conception / St. Mary’s. Among the many special activities was a visit by leaders of the Christian Brothers (Pictured here). Fr. Avard is now the pastor (1936-1953). The Catholic Church was enjoying its triumphal years. She had carved out her own separate world of schools, hospitals, social activities, athletics, etc. Even Hollywood was glorifying this Catholic world. Of the many movies of this era about Catholics, (“Boystown”, “Song of Bernadette”. “Joan of Arc”. “Going my Way”.) None was more popular than “The Bells of St. Mary’s, starring Bing Crosby as the parish priest and Ingrid Bergman as the nun. You can imagine how the students of St. Mary are identified with this movie. The theme song in the movie became the anthem of their school and parish. Even today the “Bells of St. Mary’s” is played at the end of the funeral Mass for all the former graduates of the school and any parishioner whose family requests it.
I chose these next two photos because they show the joy and confidence of the Christian Brothers in the 1950’s. They reflected the mood of the Catholic Church. During the 1950’s the Catholic population grew by 44% while the number of children in the parochial schools grew by 66%. In 1950 the number of priests was 43,000. Although I don’t have the exact figures for the Christian Brothers, I am sure their numbers were as high. The De La Salle Brothers taught in the high school of my home parish in the Bronx, St. Nicholas of Tolentine. My best friend, Tommy Reilly, entered the Novitiate in Barry town N.Y. after the eighth grade. I decided to become a priest and entered Cathedral College. My freshman high school class at Cathedral College in 1953 numbered 116.
Looking back I just remembered that the Brothers, whose residence was beside my apartment building on Andrew Ave., got me to help out in their garden. Is that where my love of Gardens began?
For the first time we have an official photo of the sisters of Charity with the Christian Brothers and other members of the staff at the school. Included are the parish assistants, Fr. Doyle and Pucci, and the pastor, Msgr. Fitzgerald. Msgr. Richard M. Fitzgeralde became pastor in 1953 and would retire in 1967. He had ambitious plans for a new school. Little did anyone realize that by the time the new school was built the Christian Brothers would withdraw from the School.
The official reason was the dwindling number of Christian Brothers. It was a valid reason. Vocations were not as numerous as before and there was steady stream of Brothers leaving the order.
That still doesn’t explain why St. Mary’s Boys School, founded in 1861, and about to build a new school building, was chosen. I think it had something to do with the tense relationship between the Brothers and Msgr. Fitzgerald. Our photo shows the last graduating class under the Christian Brothers. Brother Robert McCann was the last principal. He tried to persuade his superiors to reverse their position but it was too late.
Included is a photo showing the shock and anger of the parents to the withdrawal of the Brothers.
The school continued under the leadership of the Sisters of Charity for the next twenty-eight years.