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: Do You Have Remembrances Of St. Luke's & Post St. Lukes  ( 9262 )
Henry
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« : December 30, 2008, 09:44:54 AM »

Please let me know if you have some remembrances you would like to share about the Old St. Luke's Church or the renovation to a super market here in Town - We have someone in Town who is writing something up for The St. Albans Messenger.  Please send me your e-mail address or phone number and I will pass this on.  My e-mail address is

vtgrandpa@yahoo.com

Henry Raymond
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« #1 : January 03, 2009, 02:20:31 PM »



Seriously, not a single catholic in Fairfax has a memory of St. Luke's? Not a wedding, baptism, first communion, or confirmation? Not even a "Sunday Best" ritual?


I can't believe that there isn't someone out there with a tale to tell about a church bazaar, chicken BBQ, or or some other function associated with the church. Although maybe not as much in these modern 'bedroom community' times, I am sure that before microwave ovens when everyone still went to grandma's for Sunday dinner, that Fairfax had a very traditional community where the church(es) were an integral part of all that went on in town from the oldest to the youngest resident.

I know this has to be true. There are a number of families that are here in town that have a history with St. Luke's and must have something to say about something!

What about when the church was renovated  are there stories about that? What about when the church was deemed unsafe for Sunday Mass, but was safe enough to hold heavy coolers and an influx of patrons on a daily basis, did that create a controversy with the diocese? Or who over made that decision? What kind of emotions did it stir to see your church turned into a store? (This is not about Frank and Betsy as everyone knows they're great and were wonderful shopkeepers and are missed for sure) It's about the parishioners having to leave their actual church and move to the parish center, for what seems like questionable circumstances, because until Christmas eve, that  church stood on its foundation for over 130 years. I'm not a math whiz, but I would say it  had more people coming in and out its doors after it was considered unsafe, than before.

So what about you BFA students (and former)?  Where are your memories of going to the store after school? Who recalls the first ATM in town at the beginning of the electronic banking age--the EASY card (Staples didn't invent it, if you've forgotten) What do you remember about what you used to get there, what you did with your "buds?"

It's sad to see that historical building nothing but a burned-out shell, but it's even worse to know that it was a living, breathing, vibrant part of the community for so many years...many more than what can ever be chronicled now.

Please contact Henry for further information on how to contact me. I would really love to hear all that you have to say, but I need to know who you are and ask a few questions. That's best done through direct contact. THANKS, YOU'LL BE HAPPY YOU DID!!


If the world gives you melons, you might be dyslexic
Henry
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« #2 : January 03, 2009, 07:40:37 PM »

Some early memories of St. Luke's Church were Father Sawyer's Lawn Parties - Father Sawyer had tunnel vision, however, he overcame this handicap very well - He loved lawn parties and would attend any lawn party within a 50 mile radius.  Below is one of his own here at St. Lukes that was held on the lawn between St. Luke's Church and Boutin's.  As you can see from the crowd, it was very well attended:


Father Sawyer always had a celebrity guest and the year I was Chairman of the St. Luke's Bazaar was no exception.  Below you can see me when I was much younger (This was in the 1950s), I am toasting a glass of milk with The Vermont Dairy Queen who was our special guest that year.  Now I throw that word Chairman around very loosely, as the real Chairman at all of the St. Luke's Bazaars while Father Joe was here was really him.  By the way, looking on behind me & The Dairy Queen were Florence Magnan and Charlie Gillin:


It didn't make any difference whether you belonged to St. Lukes Parish or not, everybody was friends with Father Joe Sawyer.  Albert Rich took great pride in telling me how he was selected to sit at the head table with Father Joe Sawyer at his farewell party.  Below are a few of the people that participated in his going away party in 1959:




Henry Raymond
MikeF9
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« #3 : January 03, 2009, 07:43:41 PM »

I attended three weddings that I can remember in the old St. Luke's Church. One of which was my brother's wedding. I was an usher.
That was 1975.
I probably stopped into Steeple Market at least 3-4 times a week. If we were low on anything, I would stop in on the way home from the post office.

One interesting story was one Saturday I attended a classmate's wedding. Dawn Groseclose married Phil Pelkey. The wedding was at St. Luke's and the reception was at the Parish Center.
That night, I went to the races over at Catamount Stadium. My brother's father-in-law is Hector LeClair, who raced in the Late Model series on the old NASCAR North Tour. Carl and I were on the pit crew. Well.....Carl was on the pit crew, I just kinda hung around.
Hector asked me if there was a weedding in town that day.
I said yes, that "Dawn Groseclose married Phil Pelkey."
Who? was his reply.
I repeated the names.
Hector gave me a look that had his head cocked and one eye half shut, as if to say, What the-?
 I realized his confusion.
"Dawn. D-A-W-N."
"Oh. Okay."

Back in 1968, the school was over-crowded. Four elementary classrooms were moved to the Parish Center. They took up the four equally sized classrooms downstairs. Dorothy King had 3rd grade in the 1st room on the left. Louise McArdle had a 2nd grade in the first room on the right. The back room on the left was Louise Hubbert Decker with a 4th grade, and a couple of different teachers had a 3/4 combined in the back room on the right. Marion Leach Webb was there one year. Her sister, Ruth Leach Ellsworth was there another time. I had Dorothy King in 3rd grade, and Louise Decker for 4th.
Back in those days there were 5 busses. Busses 1, 2, and 3 went north and picked up the north part of town. Busses 4 and 5 went down School Street and got the kids on Fletcher Road, River, and Goose Pond, and Georgia Hill Road and the rest of the south end of town. Busses 1,2,3 dropped the kids off at the Parish Center, then continued down to school. Kids on 4 and 5, and kids who lived near BFA, gathered at BFA, then were taken up to the Parish Center. The same set-up was done at the end of the day.
A bus used to come up and pick up the kids and take them down to the school for hot lunch. If you had a bag lunch, you could stay at the Parish Center. Once lunch was over, you could go out for recess. I remember a couple of kids that would wolf down their bag lunch and be out the door for recess before the the hot lunch bus had even left.
Music concerts and Christmas plays were held upstairs where the church is now.

May not be remembering the old St. Luke's, but remembering the old Parish Center.

"If women don't find you handsome, at least let them find you handy."-Red Green
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« #4 : January 05, 2009, 03:28:16 PM »

I have many fond memories of St. Luke's church located in what was most recently Steeple market.  As Mike has already pointed out Phil and I were married there in June of 1979 (we became Phil & Dawn not to be confused with the famous Phil & Don Everly) roughly where the meat counter was located.  Father Morgan performed the ceremony. A fact that at first appalled me, but as the years have gone by I find rather amusing.  While this is obviously the top memory, it is not the only one.  My family attended services there every week when we moved to Fairfax in May of my first grade year.  Over the years I made many friends in the parish.  Singing with Mary Jo Gillilan (then Pigeon) and her family who despite their superior musical abilities espoused the idea that any voice raised in hymn was a blessed voice.  I'm here to tell you that was a very generous interpretation of my vocal abilities!   Sometimes I confess there was a bit of teenage talking and lack of attention to the service since we were out of view in the balcony.  Some of those Westford kids might remember the balcony, you know who you are.  Most of the Westford kids my age did not attend BFA, but did attend St. Luke's for mass and religion class.  We got to meet another large group of our peers this way.  Several priests served St. Luke's, Frs. Hickey, Nugent and the aforementioned Fr. Morgan.  By far our favorite priest growing up with Fr. Giroux.  He really enjoyed the company of young people and was quite colorful as priests go.  There were definitely people who were not happy when we had to move our church.  As I recall it was the large amount of funding required to correct the structure and the diocese would not approve such an undertaking.  Others may remember more details than I do, it was a long time ago.  I'm sad to see my childhood church, the church where I launched my married life, gone.  Thankfully, no one was hurt and the memories can't be extinguished.
Dawn Groseclose Pelkey
mirjo
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« #5 : January 08, 2009, 10:49:23 AM »

Thanks for the memories guys! And Thank you Dawn for commenting that people were not happy to move the church. It's only logical that they wouldn't be, but no one has wanted to say that. Actually no one has wanted to say much of anything--even though I am sure there are many folks out there who have plenty to say. I'm going to have to knock on doors! :-)

I wish I had seen the church when it was a church. I remember Fr. Giroux, as Georgia was part of St. Luke's originally and he would say mass at our makeshift church (the school gym) Another aspect of this church story...the families who attended St. Luke's from Georgia, then left when the priest began saying mass there. No one has commented on how, if at all, this arrangement changed things at St. Luke's.

Anyone else have anything to share?

If the world gives you melons, you might be dyslexic
Kathleen
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« #6 : January 08, 2009, 11:27:25 AM »

I remember most the red velvet hanging from the ceiling by 4 chains on each corner of the cloth over the altar. 

I was 5 years old when my older sister died while I lived in CT, but we brought her back to be buried in the Fairfax cemetery as this is the town my mother was from.  After the funeral, every time I went to church at St. Luke’s, I would see that piece of red velvet hanging over the altar and think that my sister’s spirit/soul was hiding up there looking down at me and it made me feel like she was still with me.  Once I was old enough to realize that my sister wasn’t in reality hiding up there, it still comforted me to remember that feeling I got whenever I saw that red velvet.  When they moved the church, I understood that it was because it was unsafe; but I have not been able to get that same feeling of comfort and peace back without that red velvet. 

I went in the building only a handful of times after the church became a store.  It just never felt right to me and have not been back in the building since.
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« #7 : January 08, 2009, 11:41:15 AM »

I have some memories, but they aren't really so much about the church as they are about the apartments upstairs.  I had been thinking about Fred Murray a lot recently and that was probably one of the last places he ever was.  I really miss him.  He was a wonderful person, and it was tragic to lose him at such a young age.  We were all young, and not very grown up.  The church would not have approved of a lot of the activities going on upstairs, I must admit.  Many of the young people in town used to hang out in the church parking lot when it was still a church, and once it became a store a lot of us migrated up to the apartments.  

I really hope the steeple can be rebuilt somehow.  I loved the way it stuck up above the rest of the town, and gave the village a quaint, charming appeal.  The fire left a gaping hole visually and emotionally (to me anyway)  I also loved the trees on either side of the entryway.  The photos JoAnn Wilkins took of the flowers in the front door brought tears to my eyes.  It does feel like someone died.  
Henry
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« #8 : January 08, 2009, 01:43:46 PM »

I have looked through my old photos looking for photos that would show more of the inside of the Church.  I did find the photo below taken outside the church.  It shows my middle daughter Sharon when she made her first communion in the early 70s standing in front of the Grotto that was built by one of our parishioners, Louie Brodeur.  If I remember right, Louie, who used to live up on the Buck Hollow Road used an old bathtub as a form.  When the church moved to the Huntville Road, the Grotto was moved up to the new location and still stands there. 


Henry Raymond
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« #9 : January 08, 2009, 02:01:01 PM »

The Baptismal Font in the old St. Luke's Church was located underneath the Choir Loft, just about where the cash register was in the Steeple Market.  In the picture below, which was taken in August 1961 at our oldest daughter Lynn's Baptism you will see the Baptismal Font in the background near the wall underneath the stairway that went up to the Choir loft.  Not sure if all of the stained glass windows were moved up to the parish center or not, but one can be seen at the left in this picture.  There is a small statue on a pedistal just to the right of the Baptismal Font and one of the 14 Stations of the Cross can be seen just behind the light.  My sister Theresa is holding Lynn as my proud Dad, Lynn's Grandfather tries to get the baby's attention.  My Mother is in the white dress and Maryann is in the plaid dress.  You will notice that all the women were wearing hats as back in those days it was required that women wear hats in church - If anyone has photos that would show more of the church, would be glad to scan them for them and put them up.

Henry Raymond
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« #10 : January 08, 2009, 02:05:27 PM »

I have many memories of when the building was St. Lukes as well. I'm Dawn's sister and needless to say was in her wedding. Several of us were baptized there, all of us I think made first communion and confirmation there, and Dawn got married there. Christmas and Easter meant everyone dressed up and increased the attendance as might be expected.

We would be there every week, and saw many of the townspeople from Fairfax, Westford and Fletcher come to mass. As Dawn pointed out, we met folks from the surrounding towns and made more friends that way. The Larsons and the Warners come to mind.

Mary Jo did a great job of getting us to sing. As a teenager I was involved in a folk group that included Henry's daughter Lynn, Bob and Kathy Bessette, Stephanie Ratte, and quite a few others. We would sometimes get out of school early to sing at Good Friday service. Imagine that now...

I have to agree with Dawn about Father Giroux. He was so wonderful to all of us. His sense of humor and friendly attitude were really neat. We lived close to the rectory and saw him frequently. As a matter of fact, when his car would pull in, all the kids in the neighborhood would run over to say hi.
Fathers Hickey, Nugent and Morgan were also all present prior to the church moving and were all very different in their approaches and well appreciated.

The social events like Bingo, bazaars and such were not held at the church so much. The current church used to be known as the Parish Center.

As teens we liked to sit in the balcony. We were still attending mass, but it made us feel like we were getting away with something.

We did feel sad when the Diocese thought it was too much to fix the church, but having the Berardinelli's be the one's to buy it took some of the sting out of it. There was no controversy WITH the diocese, because they decided, the church community abided by the decision.

The perception of "no one wants to say anything" about the church relocation may be explained by the face that you're talking about events of over 20 years ago. It was discussed and lots of folks didn't like it, but it's old, old news.  
This request was also put up during the holidays, so I would be patient in getting responses.
 

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« #11 : January 08, 2009, 03:34:35 PM »

I have several memories as a child of St. Lukes.  I was Baptized, made my first Confession/Communion there. The favorite memories were when I was too little for Communion I used to have to sit in the pew and be good while my family went up to the alter.  I would always watch for the nice old man (Mr. Peno I believe it was)  who would always have candy in his pocket to give me a piece as he walked by.  Oh did I look forward to that.

I also remember clear as day my oldest sister singing on the alter with the choir and how hot it got in there in the summer.

I loved how the sun reflected the colors off the stained glass windows and until they were installed in the new church that is was something I missed.

When they moved up to the new church, I did not understand really why back then.  I went to Bingo, Girl Scouts events, Kindergarten and Pre-school at the new church, how could that be a Holy Place? 

When Frank and Betsy opened the store in the church.  I remember the first time and saying how weird it was to get meat where the priest stood and that my mom and dad got married here.  They did a great job converting something so sacred to making it a local market.


« : January 08, 2009, 03:50:15 PM Henry »

"Life is too short, so love the one you got!"
Henry
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« #12 : January 09, 2009, 05:48:17 PM »

One more remembrance from the Old St. Luke's Church.  In today's world, you don't see women going to church all decked out or men either.  In the old days, you did not go to church, unless you were dressed in your so called "Sunday Best."  For the women this meant they would be wearing a hat and also in many cases high heeled shoes. 

Well, the old St. Luke's Church had a hot air register in the center of the Church, right in the middle of the center aisle.  Maybe a few of you younger people are not familiar with these, but it was usually a 3 foot square grid that produced heat for the building.  I suspect that that was once the grid for a wood or coal fired furnace down cellar, which in my day was an oil fired furnace.  Needless to say, many a woman has walked down that aisle in the old St. Luke's Church, only to find herself walking past this hot air grid with only one shoe on as the other shoe remained with the heel of the shoe pushed and stuck in one of the little square grids.  One such thing happened to at least one young bride as she marched down the aisle to meet her prospective husband.  Some kind soul I am told retrieved the shoe and brought it to her before the ceremony proceeded.

Henry Raymond
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« #13 : January 10, 2009, 10:40:57 AM »

More remembrances of The Old St. Luke's Church:

One of the things I remember about The Old St. Luke's Church is that when Father Morgan was here, between New Years and Easter, Daily Mass was said up at the Old St. Luke's Rectory.  There was a little room upstairs up in the back over the garage that was used for weekday masses.  It had about six chairs and an altar.  We would go in through the kitchen then down the hall and up the stairs to daily mass.

The Old St. Luke's Church was not insulated and quite hard to heat, especially with the high ceilings.  After the Parish Center was built, immediately after New Years, the Sunday Services were held at The Parish Center until Easter, thus allowing services for Christmas and Easter to be held in The Old St. Luke's Church.  Many of our talented parishioners, plumbers, carpenters, electricians and painters worked to renovate the church and one of the last renovations included putting paneling on the walls.  In 1955 we bit the bullet and did a major renovation with some professional advice and the following appeared in our Catholic Diocesan Newspaper:

"The interior of St. Luke Church of Fairfax has taken on a "new look" with the complete redecorating of the Church from the basement to the balcony. Louis Rocheleau of the Rocheleau Decorating Co. of Winooski recommended the color schemes that were followed throughout the Church.

The work was done by Wilson Howrigan and Francis Rooney, both parishioners of St. Luke's, together with the donated services of many parishioners of St. Luke Church.

"Painting Bees" were held on numerous evenings when as many as ten would be painting at the same time. Such freely donated services kept the cost of the decorating job within the budget of this small rural church.

At least two of the parishioners proved to have real artistic talent. One of these, Mrs. Wilson Howrigan, painted all the statues in the church.

Another, Mrs. Ralph McGue is touching up and refinishing a set of Stations of the Cross which were presented to St. Luke's from St. Francis Church in Windsor when a new set of Stations was installed there with their new church. These refinished Stations will be installed in St. Luke Church at a later date.

The ceiling of the main body of the church is peach in color with the walls in Nassau Green and the baseboard trip in Sandstone Buff. The white main altar stands out in bold relief because of a dark green sanctuary. The ceiling of the vestry is of light blue with the walls of peach.

The church hall has a ceiling of very light green with two toned side walls of a slightly darker green and Sandstone buff. New shelves have also been installed in the church hall."

Just about every parishioner that attended the church could walk in to church and find some piece or item that they themselves, or some member of their family, had taken particular pride in helping create or renovate.

Out of the blue on one Sunday Morning, Father Morgan announced that The Old St. Luke's Church was deemed unsafe and would be closed.  Well!!!  That didn't go well at all, as people sitting in metal folding chairs in what many still call "The Parish Center" envisioned the "Bingo Hall" as their new church.

After Mass that Sunday a group of men gathered together, with very strong opinions regarding the safety of the old Church.  A group of them got together and took a tour of the "Deemed Unsafe Structure" that had been weakened in the flood some 50 years prior.  They came up with some solutions such as putting cables across the structure where the roof began to keep the walls from spreading out and a number of other items that they felt would made the Church a safe place to worship.  The Diocese of Burlington, having hired an Engineer to check out the building, however had made up its mind that the Church was unsafe and would not be used again as a Church.  The new Church was to be The Parish Center.  Father Morgan, not a man of many words, stuck to his guns following the direction of The Diocese of Burlington, taking the brunt of the criticisms for closing the Church.  A number of parishioners left to attend what they reasoned for leaving as wanting to attend a real church, although some have now returned.

Although I believe the bitterness over the closing of The Old St. Lukes Church has long since passed, there are many fond remembrances of happy times with "Winter Card Parties" down in the old cellar, weddings, baptisms, confirmations, singing up in the "Old Choir Loft" and parishioners working together to maintain and upgrade the old Church, the summer lawn parties and street dances, youth group gatherings with other parishes, roller skating parties, etc.  I believe that none of us who attended the Old St. Lukes, can drive by there right now and not have a tear or lump in our throat as we look at what is now and think of what was.


"So Long Dear Old St. Lukes"
« : January 10, 2009, 10:59:05 AM Henry »

Henry Raymond
mirjo
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« #14 : January 10, 2009, 02:40:03 PM »

 A big THANKS to all who posted! I really appreciate your time and effort.

If the world gives you melons, you might be dyslexic
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