Commemorating 99 years that Sisters of Charity served on Mount Adams, the now combined parishes of Holy Cross-Immaculata dedicated a statue of St. Elizabeth Seton with her children on Sept. 12 during the celebration of the parish’s 150th anniversary year.
Sister natives of the ‘Holy Hill’ were invited, including Sisters Cookie Crowley, Grace Schwietering, Mary Carol Wintzinger, and S. Miriam Clare Glandorf, who was principal when Holy Cross was closed. Also natives, the Glutz Sisters – S. Gemma, who taught at Holy Cross, and Sisters Alice and Jean Ann – were unable to attend, but others, including three members of the SC Leadership team, were present.
“It was wonderful,” said S. Cookie Crowley, a lifelong parishioner, whose golden jubilee as an SC also was noted in the celebration. “It brought back memories of when we Crowley children could visit our dad (at Crowley’s Bar, now in its 73 rd year) from our home on Fuller Street without having to cross a single street!”
“I always enjoy going back, and today was very inspiring,” said S. Grace, who grew up on Hatch Street and celebrated both her 40th and50 th anniversaries as a Sister of Charity at Immaculata Church. “I always feel like I’m going home [when I visit Mount Adams].” Her sister, who still lives on Mount Adams, also attended the ceremony with her son, daughter and their spouses.
“It’s such a holy, holy place,” S. Mary Carol remembered. “For me the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes has a special place in my heart. I wanted to enter after high school, but when my dad died I had to go to work. I went there every day to the Shrine to pray that my vocation would stay.”
Note: The Sisters of Charity served at both Holy Cross and Immaculata parishes. They served at Immaculata from 1877 until 1976 where they conducted the elementary school from 1877 until 1946 and conducted Immaculata Commercial High School from 1946 until 1959. The Sisters served at Holy Cross from 1888 until 1976.