Part l: From the History of the Parish, written for the 75th anniversary in 1997

Part ll: was added for the 100th Anniversary of the parish in 2022

Why did Bishop Gibbons choose the name of "Our Lady of Victory" for our parish?

We've spoken about the historical significance of the title of "Our Lady of Victory" but why did Bishop Gibbons choose that title for the parish at the time of its founding? Did it have something to do with Lepanto in 1571? Probably yes and no. Before Bishop Gibbons had been named the sixth bishop of the Albany Diocese in 1919, the world was hit by World War l. Germany's brutal invasion of Belgium and France, its early victories, the fear for democratic governmental survival, and the propaganda success of the masters of propaganda (British intelligence), all led Catholics in the Allied camp to pray to Mary for success in the war. lt is not beyond comprehension that Bishop Gibbons saw Mary's hand in the Allied victory in November 1918, and when he was selecting names for the new parishes then  springing up all over the diocese, that he picked her ancient title from St. Pius V for the Sycaway parish. A Troy newspaper story on December 27, 1922 reported that a Christmas party for fifty children was held in the rectory of "the Sycaway Catholic Mission" - no  mention of OLV. The proper name for our parish was probably employed at its consecration in 1923 and thereafter.

The parish grows

As the parish grew, so did Father Greeley's responsibilities. More Masses had to be added to the schedule and Father needed  additional help. That help came in the person of Rev. Edmund J. Burns, principal of the newly established Catholic Central High School. Fr. Greeley would celebrate the 7 and 8 o'clock Masses while Fr. Burns would celebrate the 9 and 10 o'clock Liturgies. He was later joined by Fr. Martin T. McMahon, Fr. Harold B. Hinds, director of the parish youth organization, and finally, Fr. T. Gerald Mulqueen, who became the principal of CCHS in 1938 succeeding Fr. Burns. They all helped out at OLV on various Sundays, but no resident assistant was appointed until after Fr. Greeley's death.
While the pastor made do with the rundown rectory and makeshift church, the parish still needed money to survive. The first social affair was held in St. Peter's Lyceum and netted $1500. Card parties, fashion shows, strawberry festivals, whole steer roasts, and a string of successful musicals, written and directed by Joseph E. Galligan during the 1930's, provided fund raising sources for a growing parish. During the dark days of the Depression, Fr. Greeley asked that each adult give a quarter on Sunday and a dollar once a month. This would do much to solve the money problems of the parish. lt may come as a great surprise to our present-day parishioners that working persons were expected to pay a dime each Sunday as they entered the church. Many "older" parishioners remember the dimes and nickels, neatly stacked, as change for a quarter. This probably induced folks to part with the dime which otherwise might not have been done. But this did not mean that anyone would be barred from Mass for lack of a dime. There were parishioners who did not have the proverbial dime. Consider: one might buy a loaf of bread for eight cents and a quart milk for twenty-five. That dime was might important in those Depression years!

Early organizations

Parish organizations soon sprung up and contributed to the vitality of parish life. A Holy Name Society, an Altar-Rosary Society, an Ushers' Association, Boy Scout Troop #4, the St. Vincent DePaul Society, Camp Fire Girls and a Women's Club were, slowly but surely, emerging in the early years of the parish. These organizations did not spring up all at once but, little by little, parishioners became more involved in parish activities. This gave them a feeling of belonging, so important in the life of a Catholic parish. For example, all the altar boys were taken by Frs. Greeley and Burns on a sleigh ride to Watchel's Farm. There, they would enjoy games, boxing matches, a chicken dinner, and then a return sleigh ride to the parish's "Club House,,. The boxing matches may reflect on Fr. Burns' college days when he was a boxer himself, a skill that proved useful when he became principal of catholic central and some senior boy though himself tougher than the principal. off came Fr. Burns' collar and cassock and up went "the dukes".



 Scouting played an important part In the lives of the boys of the parish for a number of years. lt began in School 18 before the organization of the parish troop in the late 1930's. During the Second World War, scout leaders were very scarce, and scouting was suspended until 1946, when Troop 4 received a charter. The troop apparently ceased operations for several years until 1953 when it was reactivated as Troop 64 and continued so into Fr. Connolly's pastorate years later. These early scouts went on trips to Averill Park, Frear Park, Eagle Mills behind the blacksmith shop, and to the Armory on 15th Street, now part of RPl. However, these camp outs were far
from common practice; they occurred only once or twice a year, and the men of today's parish who took part in them as boys fondly recall the anticipation they felt when one of these scouting activities was upcoming. Thus, those former scouts and their dedicated leaders who remain today were happy to share with us their memories of their scouting days. For the girls, the parish also founded a group of "Bluebirds-Campfire Girls" which lasted for several years.

Religious instructions begin; other activities and events flourish.

Scouting was not the only activity at OLV in those days. There were social affairs for adults, including holiday dances, teas and smokers, and Communion breakfasts with food prepared in the old kitchen of the Clubhouse. Religious instructions were provided on Sunday mornings by the sisters of Mercy as well as on Wednesday afternoon following dismissal from school 18. At a Confirmation Mass in the early 1940's, Bishop Gibbons found himself upstaged by the appearance of a favorite movie star of the era. Loretta Young and her husband, Troy native Tom Lewis, came to OLV to be present at the Confirmation of their niece, Mary Lewis, who was the daughter of a prominent Troy obstetrician, Charles Lewis and his wife, who were members of the parish. lf children were not attending religious instructions in the old church, they could see two movies rented from the Albany Public Library every Sunday from 1 until 4pM. Mothers made popcorn in the kitchen and there was an intermission for drinks, bathroom visits, etc. CYO dances were held on Friday nights in the Clubhouse. CYO basketball teams practiced in School 18 and games were played in the LaSalle Gym (CCHS) at the head of 116th street in Troy. The parish was far from quiet in the pre-world war ll years and early post-war.

Plans for expansion

By the fall of 1941, Fr. Greeley had directed Frank J. Morgan, the architect of the first church in 1923, to draw up plans for a "real" church for OLV. lt was to be built at Marshland and North Lake, with a ramp for disabled members and room for the still expanding parish. Older parishioners remember Fr. Greeley describing the church at all the Masses one Sunday. There are no known existent plans for the 1941 church. Dr. Frank J. Morgan, Jr. recounted that he remembers the plans in his father's office while he worked there in the summers from 1947 to 1952. When Frank Sr. died in the late 1960's, all of his plans were sent to a Latham architect's office and if not claimed, were, presumably, destroyed. There is no doubt that Fr. Greeley kept a set in the rectory, but they disappeared after his death. As a result, we may never know what the structure would have looked like upon completion. Older parishioners remember that, as children, they saw a rendering of a gray stone church hanging on the wall in the original office of the rectory facing Lake Avenue. When asked if the remembered rendering looked like the final structure, many replied: "No. lt looked like a real church." This was probably Frank Morgan's artist rendering of the proposed edifice.

A pioneer passes away

December 7, 1941 put the building plans on indefinite hold. Fr. Greeley could only dream of starting construction. His dream came to sad end on Sunday, March 2, 1942. Father had not been feeling well the previous days but, that Sunday, he celebrated the 8AM Mass and then started the 9AM Liturgy. As he started to read the Gospel in English, he slumped to the altar steps. Miss M. lrene Flaherty, longtime school nurse at School 18, rushed to his aid, as did his cousin, Fr. Augustus J. Hambrook. The Troy Police Department patrol wagon was summoned (a common occurrence in those days), and Fr. Greeley was taken to the Troy Hospital (later St. Mary's) where he passed away. lt was determined that he had suffered a stroke.

Fr. Greeley had seen his flock double and then triple in size from those early days of 1923. The church hall had become a center for community activities. Fr. Greeley was one of the founders of the Sycaway Community Association. Well aware that Our Lady of Victory was in no position at that time to operate its own education plant, he championed the building of a new public school, School 18, which opened in 1927. He supported the establishment of Troop 16, first at School 17, and later, upon its completion, at School 18. With his Methodist brethren, he was ready to take initiative in any project for the betterment of the community, so wrote The Troy Record upon his death. He was truly a unique man and a great spiritual force.

Father Heenan arrives

Someone had to be chosen to succeed our venerable founder and that was the Rev. Joseph M. Heenan, fifty-six at the time. He was appointed pastor on April 25, 1942 by Bishop Gibbons. He came to OLV from St. Patrick's Church in Athens where he had been assigned since 1924.  lf Fr. Greeley was "slow and steady", Fr. Heenan was somewhat of a "dynamo", prone to get things done-chop-chop! One of his first acts as pastor was to renovate the old farmhouse (the rectory) to bring it into the twentieth century. At the first Sunday Masses, the new pastor instructed the ushers to place the baskets before the altar rather than place them in the sacristy as had been the custom. This caused several of the gentleman to wonder if Father suspected them of having "sticky fingers", thus engendering irritation among the basket bearers. A reasonable explanation is that Father had done things in a similar manner at St. Patrick's and believed there was no reason why he should forego his routine after he arrived at OLV. Father was a very interesting person. Some parish members thought him still and unyielding, a priest of the old school. Others saw a light and warm side. When Greg and Margaret Cole were married in 1943, Fr. Heenan accompanied them to Union Station in Albany, got aboard the train with them and, in a stage whisper, told the conductor to take care of them because they were newlyweds, causing the whole coach to erupt in applause. Fr. almost went to New York City with the honeymooners.

 Old timers in the parish remember that Piazza's Tavern at the junction of Cooper and Mt. pleasant Avenues had a backside door, inside of which was a table and several chairs. Father would often enter through this door and partake of a few cold beers, out of sight of the other patrons. However, they were not blind, and it was not long before local ways christened the bar "the Vatican"! One Sunday, a well-known Troy pharmacist and parishioner, John Purcell, whose emporium was located at Hoosick and 9th Streets, was visited by Father at noon, just before closing. The proprietor was going to take his wife to the movies that afternoon, but Father stayed so long that things began to heat up at home. The pharmacist finally got out the door and up to Detroit Avenue, not realizing that Father had telephoned his wife from the rectory. "lt's my fault. He's on the way. Enjoy the movie," said the pastor to the patiently waiting spouse.

The War years

ln May 1942, Our Lady of Victory welcomed its first resident assistant pastor. At the Strawberry Festival that year, Rev. William H. Turner was introduced to the parish. He was young, tall and handsome, and the ladies of the parish made a great fuss over him. Fr. Turner was also assigned to teach at Catholic High while at OLV. ln the spring of 1943, he enlisted in the Navy and found himself on lwo Jima during that bloody February and March of 1945. ln fact, Father returned home with one of Joe Rosenthal's original pictures of the Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi. Fr. Slavin had suggested to Fr. Turner and also to Fr. Joseph T. Ryan (who later became Archbishop in Alaska), all of whom were on the faculty together at CCHS, that they join the Navy and see the world. Fr. Turner ended up on Iwo Jima ; Fr. Ryan in the Aleutian islands and Fr. Slavin at Pearl Harbor! History, at times, does strange things with human beings as its partners.

A new building plan

The annual reports of the parish for 1954-55 reveal that Fr. Heenan printed the contributions of all parishioners who used envelopes. This enraged some people who felt that what they gave to the church was their business and that of the pastor and should not be a matter of public knowledge. Perhaps Fr. Heenan was employing a little psychology in order to get the pledges for the building fund (mentioned below) paid off rapidly.
ln 1951, it became apparent that a new church had to be constructed and, while this was being executed, a school building should be built as well. Sycaway was in the midst of a building boom and the facilities at OLV were most antiquated. The brochure produced at that time stated: "There is reasonable assurance that the total cost will not exceed $250,000." At this point, Fr. Heenan's health began to fail and the daily responsibilities of running the parish were taken over by Fr. John D. Collins, the senior assistant pastor, who was named Administrator of the parish. Fr. Collins worked closely with Most Rev. William A. Scully, then coadjutor bishop of Albany, who was the prime mover in getting the fund drive started. By the time Bishop Gibbons laid the cornerstone on Sunday, June 8, 1952, the cost had climbed to $325,000, the parishioners' need for an adequate place for worship had been realized, and a new school had arisen for the proper education of Catholic young people in the parish and larger community. ln his remarks on that occasion, Bishop Gibbons is quoted as stating: "...the new church is a standby structure that will take care of the present needs of the still-growing parish." He suggested that the new structure, in time, would become the auditorium for the parish school when a larger church would take its place.

Fr. McGarrahan arrives at OLV

Sadly, a little over a year later, Fr. Collins succumbed to a long illness. As Administrator, he had aided Fr. Heenan in every possible way during the financial campaign for the new church and school that had been launched in 1951. Fr. Heenan was still ill, and a new hand was needed on the tiller. This came in the person of Rev. Michael McGarrahan, who served as Administrator from 1953-1957. Coming from St. Joseph's Church in Amsterdam, where he had been assistant pastor, he was an energetic man with a dry lrish wit, well-liked by parishioners.

Fr. McGarrahan was a sound businessman who recognized that the debt incurred in constructing the church and school had to be liquidated as soon as possible. Approximately $300,000 had been pledged in the 1951 campaign. The cornerstone had been laid in June 1952 and, in September 1953, the school opened with four grades. Each year thereafter, a grade was added. The first graduation took place in 1957.

When Fr. McGarrahan addressed the parishioners in January 1957, he contended that the church was already too small and the school too crowded. He announced on a Sunday in January of 1957 that the debt had been paid off and that Bishop Scully had sent him a letter of congratulations for paying it off so quickly. This quick retirement of a major sum would seem laudatory but, in 1957, some members of the parish grumbled that Father had paid the debt too rapidly and, despite his words that more construction was necessary, they felt some people would "lay back in the traces" and decrease the amount of weekly contributions, reasoning that Father did not need any more money or that he should have kept the retirement of the debt to himself.  But Fr. McGarrahan was a straight-shooter who dreamt of putting the new edifice on Fr' Greeley's chosen spot - Marshland court and North Lake Avenue so he told the parish the truth about the debt retirement and went on considering a new church. However, the plan for a new church was not fulfilled. on Friday, October 4, 1957, Bishop Scully announced that Fr. McGarrahan would become the pastor of the church of the precious Blood in Sourth Kortright, and that Rev' William P. Casey would be transferred from St. Helen's church in Schenectady to become our Lady of Victory's third pastor.  Fr. Casey was ordained in 1916 and began his first pastorate in 1923, the year that OLV sprang to life. He had served as pastor of st. Helen,s since June 1945.

Fr. Casey builds a convent

Having had a large physical plant to deal with in Schenectady, Fr. Casey had a different priority at OLV than did Fr. McGarrahan. He felt that the sisters of Mercy, teaching at OLV and housed in St. Paul the Apostle's convent, should be nearer the school they served.  Thus, a year after assuming the pastorate here, Fr. Casey proposed building a convent and attached chapel in the rear of the existent church and school at an estimated cost of $46,000 and a completing date of about six months. On Friday, the Most Rev. Edward J. Maginn, auxiliary bishop of the Albany Diocese, laid the cornerstone and blessed the convent and adjoining chapel. lt was designed as a resident for eight Sisters and provided modern community living. (After many years of housing the sisters of Mercy, the convent was eventually converted to the parish,s office Building.)

Fr. Casey breathed a sigh of relief. The building program was, at that moment, complete. First the church, then the school and now, finally, the convent.  Fr. Casey might easily have been eyeing the corner of Marshland and North Lake for his next project but, we shall never know. ln 1959, after two years as our pastor, Fr. Casey retired and was replaced by the Very Rev. Msgr. William M' Slavin as the fourth pastor of our parish.  Msgr. Slavin held his post for nineteen years, one year shy of Fr. Greeley,s twenty years of service.

Msgr. Slovin begins his pastorate

"Father Bill" was ordained in May 1934 and began teaching religion at Catholic Central High School soon after. lt was the depths of the Depression and there was no federal agency to help the poor and the hungry. Father and the late Fr. Harold B. Hinds, who also taught at CCHS, established a food kitchen in a Grand Street building to assist those in need. They obtained meat from Hooley's Market and the Mohican Market and day-old bread from Freihofer's to feed the needy poor. Fr. Bill was active in the human rights' movement when it did not even have a name. ln 1936, he became the first resident Catholic Chaplain at RPl, a post he held until 1959, with five years out to serve as Navy chaplain in World War ll. He was named a Papal Chamberlain in 1959, the same year he was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Victory. Father had a full and active life as a teacher, chaplain and as a pastor. He served on over thirty boards, both diocesan and civic, involving him in affairs of local, state and national significance, so many, in fact, that it would be impossible to do them justice in this history.

Monsignor Slavin's community activities increased during his nineteen years at OLV but his pastoral zeal never lagged. The parishioners found the same zeal in their pastor as the students of RPI had known in their Chaplain. He was a man of elegant taste. This attribute, coupled with deep pastoral concern, led to the completion of the historic old rectory and the beautification of the parish grounds with many flowers and shrubs. Monsignor was proud to show visitors the historic rectory and to point out the furniture and artifacts that he had collected from around the world. The rectory definitely bespoke a pastor of good taste and breeding.

New asphalt paving was also an element of the improvements. Monsignor also refurbished the school, convent and Clubhouse. The church took on a simpler and more austere architectural style than the original of 1952. As part of this change, the corona was installed over the altar. Fr. Joseph Dworak, then assistant pastor under Monsignor, states that the corona, "Christ on the Cross", was commissioned by the pastor and crafted by a Schenectady sculptor and metal artist, Robert Blood. Monsignor felt that the presence of the crown of thorns in the sanctuary was a reminder of the death of the Lord and of Christ's self-sacrificing love for His people. This renovation remained unchanged until the building of the new church.

When he announced his resignation on July 9, 1978, he noted his health as the reason. As he stated: "...I dearly love this parish and people have made my stay here a very happy experience...I have enjoyed other pastoral responsibilities which were not closely identified with the parish but were part of our responsibilities as citizens of our community. The priest has an obligation to his parishioners, but he must also be sensitive to the needs of all the people in the community. All of God's children are our brothers and sisters and we must strive to do our duty to all who touch our lives." (This information about Monsignor was taken from the text of the eulogy delivered at his funeral in 1983 by his old friend Fr. Owen Bennett, OFM Conv., who assisted at Sunday Masses at Our Lady of Victory for over thirty years. His friendship with Monsignor dated to the 1920's when both were students at LaSalle.)

Fr. Dworak succeeds Msgr. Slavin as pastor

Rev. Joseph Dworak succeeded Msgr. Slavin as pastor in the fall of 1978. By the time he took the helm, major changes had taken place in the parish. The sisters of Mercy, lacking vocations, as did most religious orders, found it necessary to make personnel changes. The recall of our sisters, in turn, precipitated the withdrawal of a number of students who enrolled in School 18. This was of great concern to Fr. Dworak who believed in the great value of catholic elementary education, and he set out to reverse the trend. He was greatly aided by sister Margery Halpin, the last sister of Mercy sent to OLV as principal. she and Father set out to hire qualified lay teachers., revise the curriculum and renovate the physical plant. These measures brought back a number of students from the public school system. This boded well for the future existence of OLV school. Father was also assisted by sister Jane McCullough, who was the pastoral associate and coordinator of Faith Formation.

Fr. Dworak was a gentle, soft-spoken priest who, according to those who know, undertook the corporal works of mercy which he kept to himself. Father carefully weighed his decisions against what was good for the spiritual and physical welfare of the day-to-day activities of the parish family. After re-invigorating the school, he turned to the spiritual life of the parish. Thus, he decided to extend Eucharistic ministry to the sick and home bound and asked dedicated laity to bring Holy communion to those who wished to receive the Lord at home. prior to his time, the role of the laity was limited, so that Fr. Dworak and Fr. Edward Kacerguis, now his assistant, or sister Jane, were the ones who usually performed this important service. Father also had sister Jane inaugurate a Bible study course for those who wanted to learn more about the Scriptures. Father was deeply committed to deepening the spiritual lives of parishioners. During his pastorate, lectors were trained and became readers of the word at Mass. prior to his time, the clergy alone proclaimed God's Word at our Masses.

ln accord with the teaching of the second Vatican council, lay men and women were asked to step forward in active ministry at this time. Fr. Kacerguis, the associate pastor, encouraged and trained parishioners for these emerging and important roles. Two women and six men became the first group of Lectors, the basis for our large group of present-day Lectors. Father also began a "Folk Group' which provided music for the noon Sunday Liturgy giving parishioners a choice of traditional organ music or a modern blend of sound to accompany the service. (Later, during Fr. Connolly's tenure, the Folk Group disbanded.)

The spiritual life of the parish received an unwelcome jolt in January 1979 when loud cracking noises drowned out the organ during a Sunday Mass. Fr. Dworak rushed over from the rectory to find the parishioners gathered in the rear of the church. After dispensing the group from their Sunday Mass obligation, Father called the proper city and diocesan officials and, after inspection, it was determined that the bearing beam in the church was failing. Heavy snow, freezing rain and cold temperatures had led to the build-up of heavy ice that was causing the beam to fail. A steel beam was later installed and boxed in plywood, thus guaranteeing that no such failure would occur again in the foreseeable future. Thus, the parish had, once again, successfully escaped a crisis and solved a menacing problem. Rev. Roger Day, pastor of Memorial Methodist Church, came over that very afternoon to offer his facilities to OLV. The Commissioners of Brunswick Fire District also came to offer advice and support. Masses were celebrated in both locations until scaffolding was erected to support the roof and until the church was deemed safe to gather again.

Fr. Dworak's main thrust in ministry was not only parish work but hospital chaplaincy. He had been involved in it previous to coming to OLV and he deeply desired to return to this ministry full-time. Acceding to Father's wishes, Bishop Howard Hubbard relieved him from his duties at OLV and appointed Fr. John F. Connolly to succeed him. Fr. Connolly became the sixth pastor of our parish in 1984.

Fr. Connolly's tenure at OLV

Fr. Connolly had served many years as a Chaplain in the National Guard. Perhaps his experience developed in him the organizational skill he brought to OLV.  Father cared deeply for his parishioners and offered counsel, warmth and understanding when needed. When Sister Jane, and later Sister Margery, left OLV, Mrs. Marcia Brady became the first lay principal of our school. She was followed by Mrs. Karen Snyder. Fr. Connolly had the convent converted into a parish office building and a library for the school. He also had a playground constructed for pre-schoolers. Father believed in the utilization of any available space for practical purposes. These new developments reflected his "get it done and get it done right" attitude. ln the same vein, he ordered a new altar frontal, brought the American and Papal flag into the church, and placed a fiber glass statue of "The Risen Christ" on the back wall at the rear of the sanctuary. He did the latter "to brighten up" a rather drab sanctuary and invoke the remembrance of the victory of the Lord over sin and death.

A "Bereavement Committee" was begun in 1991 and, since that time, it has assisted countless families experiencing the loss time of a loved one. Members meet with grieving families to help them prepare funeral Masses and to choose suitable liturgical music, Scripture readings and to help family members who will participate in the ceremony. They also act as ushers and altar servers at Mass. Pam Wobrock currently coordinates this critical ministry.

Fr. Hayes becomes the new pastor

ln April 1995, Bishop Hubbard transferred Fr. Connolly to Our Lady of Fatima Church in Delanson. ln June of that year, Fr. Thomas H. Hayes arrived at OLV from St. Helen's Church in Schenectady, the second pastor to come to OLV from that church. Father's tenure at OLV was short - from June 1995 to April 1996. During that time, he proved to be a superb liturgist who sang the Canon of the Mass, accompanied by a piano he installed in the sanctuary. Father sang with such depth of feeling that he succeeded in convincing the congregation to sing more surely and securely, not an easy feat for any priest at OLV. After ten months with us, as our seventh pastor, Father was transferred to sacred Heart church in North Albany. OLV celebrated a happy event on June 24, 1995, when parishioner Anthony Ligato was ordained a priest for our diocese. This "native son" celebrated his first Mass in OLV on the following day, June 25th.

Fr. Patterson becomes our 8th pastor

Fr. Randall Patterson was appointed our eighth pastor in 1996. Father was serving as the chancellor of our diocese at the time of his appointment. The duties of his position kept him from assuming full responsibility for the parish until the late summer, although the pastoral council had met with him in June 1996. soon after he arrived, Father and the pastoral council began planning for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the parish. This memorable event was celebrated with a Mass and a dinner dance at the former sunset Banquet House in north Troy. Father then had to come to grips with a major problem that had confronted previous pastors, namely, the space limitations of the then parish church.

The last major building constructed had been the convent (now the parish office building) and that was completed in 1959.  As a result of space constraints, the Faith Formation and other youth activities were severely limited. Gatherings after Mass or in the evening often over flowed and sometimes were held in hallways. Dinner dances could not be held on premises nor could adult education programs and other large gatherings. The parish had grown significantly over the years much larger than it was in 1952. Approximately 1000 families were registered at the time of Father's arrival. lt was becoming clearer and clearer that plans for a bigger church needed to begin.

ln 2000 we were advised that the old club House located behind the rectory was beginning to fail. The most pressing problem was a leaking roof. Following a professional engineering analysis, we were advised not to put any money into the building because the foundation itself was weakening' The entire building would need to be replaced. Father called a meeting of the parish at large to determine if there would be support for building a new structure for the club House.  The meeting was held in what was then the parish worship site (now the gym). At that meeting, the late Charlie Quinn pointed out that that we ought to be considering building a new church on the property along North Lake Avenue, since the gym was never intended to be a permanent worship site. This suggestion was immediately supported by the attendees. The rest is history. A parish building committee was soon set up and met each month. Its first step was to announce a building campaign.  We found that the parishioners enthusiastically supported this project, and we slowly realized our goal of $1,350,000. As we crept toward our goal we were providentially assisted by the legacy of Catherine Smith, who left the parish $250,000. This generous gift immediately guaranteed the success of our campaign and earned the approval of the diocese to proceed with a plan. ln May 2000 we held a groundbreaking ceremony at which Bishop Hubbard and Mayor Mark Pattison were present.  ln his remarks Bishop Hubbard pointed out that the day was long in coming because this was the intention of those who oversaw the construction of the school and church 50 years ago. ln his remarks and to the amusement of everyone present, the Mayor observed that such a long time table truly made government look good.

An architect was hired, the ground was broken, and the construction began after. The diocesan Architecture and Building Commission assisted us throughout the two years of construction. Paul Mays of Butler, Roland and Mays Architectural firm in Ballston Spa accepted our offer and designed the new church that we now have. Our goal was to build a church that was simple and elegant. Over the years, many visitors have complimented us on the design and appointments of our church, using the same words - it is simple and elegant. The building committee agreed that the altar appointments from the old church (i.e., the altar, presider's chair, and ambo) should be used in the new one because they were deemed to be precious and were designed and crafted by the late George Nakoshima, a renowned wood crafter, from New Hope, Pennsylvania. They are valued at upwards of $200,000. The new organ that serves us well was built by Carl Hackert, an accomplished organist in our diocese. The organ cabinet came from a church in Long lsland and refinished by Hudson Refinishing Firm in Troy. The Stations of the Cross were a gift from St. Joseph's Church in Little Falls, now closed.

The new church was consecrated and blessed by Bishop Howard Hubbard at the 10:30 AM Mass on May 5, 2002. Consecration-day was a festive and happy occasion for clergy and parishioners alike as they saw their dream come true. All were astounded by the simplicity, beauty and practicality of the church and new gathering area. All shared the joy over their collective accomplishment! At the service, the Bishop stated: "l pray God will continue to shed his bountiful blessings on this parish family of Our Lady of Victory so that it may continue to be in the 21'st century as it has been for the past 80 years, a beautiful and effective instrument of personal, social, educational, cultural and spiritual center of growth in the community." A handful of government leaders were on hand for the event as well as local clergy from other denominations and faith traditions. ln his homily at the Mass, Father Patterson said that a church was much more than a building: "Like stones that form a building, we make up the church...what makes a building a church is all of us together living in the word of Jesus Christ."

Before construction on the church began, the school building was renovated with replacement windows, administrative offices, a library, classroom painting, new carpeting and efficient overhead lighting. The former worship space was converted into a gymnasium, as it was intended to be at when the school was built. The corridor bathrooms were renovated years later.

For twenty-five years, Father Patterson faithfully and effectively guided OLV and, upon his retirement in May 2021, a real loss was felt by our parishioners and community. Father decided to live in the rectory of St. Clement's church in Saratoga in his retirement and assist there on a limited basis as needed. since his retirement, Father continues to come back to his beloved OLV to celebrate weddings, baptisms and, sadly, many funerals.

During his tenure, our Lady of the snows (formerly St. John Regis church) in nearby Grafton, became a mission of OLV. Father and the leadership of OLS worked hard to unite both in faith and mission. A happy sense of unity now exists between both communities. Julie Darling, the current site coordinator of OLS, and many dedicated volunteers continue to work in conjunction with OLV to ensure effective coordination of events and services between the two communities. During his tenure, Father was assisted by retired priest Fr. Joseph Barker who lived in the rectory, and was once assistant pastor here, and by parochial vicars Fr. Tony Childs (now pastor of St. Michael's church in south Glens Falls) and Fr. Sam Bellafiore. Former assistant priests assigned here over the years include Fathers Francis Husselbeck, William Turnbull, Gregory Weider, A. Crucetti, J. Morrell, David Berberian, Winn Bath and peter Pagones.

The closing of our school

The closing of OLV school took place in 2009, to everyone's disappointment. At the time of the closing of the school, faculty members were Karen Snyder (the principal), Erin pettit, Ann Shaw, Ella Gallagher, Pat Lynch, Sue Fiore, Cherrie Edwards, Laura Clayton, Kathy Dayton and Rhea Kakule' Seismic shifts in Catholic education had been taking place across the country since the !970's' Teaching Sisters were no longer available to staff parochial schools and the salaries of lay teachers and administrators were needed to be adequately met. OLV School suffered because of these changes, among other challenges, and the student population slowly began to decline. As the number of students waned, the 7th and 8th grade classes were moved to nearby catholic central High school in 1986. over the years, in order to maintain a professional lay staff and new competitive programs, the annual school budget grew steadily. A significant portion of the the parish's annual parish budget was designated to subsidize the school so that tuition could be kept at a reasonable cost to parents. ln the late nineties and early two thousands, teacher,s salaries and benefits had to be increased to remain competitive with the Troy city school District. costs of overhead and supplies also increased. Tuition had to be raised to offset cost increases. Between the years 2007-2009, enrollment dropped precipitously and the parish contribution to the school was raised dramatically. After many months of meetings and countless brainstorming sessions with parents, Diocesan school officials and parishioners, it was determined that school would have to close at the end of the 2009 school year, a situation that almost everyone regretted.  ln subsequent years, a successful pre-K program was established in the parish, and it now puts our classrooms to good use. Under the able leadership of Fily Fitzgerald and Debbie Clements, it has been a great blessing to many families and children in the parish and community.

An active parish

During Fr. Patterson's tenure, the parish continued to grow, and varied ministries blossomed to serve our needs. ln September 2004, eighteen parishioners began a "Visitation Ministry" to reach out to shut-ins (either at home or in a facility) and to see that they are visited by a member of the parish on a regular basis. Anne Marie James, the parish nurse, and Kathleen Hoag, were the fire behind the effort. To this day, Christmas and Easter gifts, prayer shawls made by the OLV Knitters' Group, and other gifts, are delivered regularly to those who cannot join us for regular Masses. ln September 2014, parishioner and retired nurse Anne Prezio was appointed Coordinator. Since then, it is not uncommon for members to visit 80-90 parishioners in over ten facilities each month. ln 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person visits were suspended but members of the team kept in-touch by way of the phone and snail mail.

ln 2003, parishioner Ray Dozois started a Knights of Columbus Council at OLV. Ray approached Carl Williams to be the first Grand Knight and the official Charter was awarded on October 23, 2006. (The Charter now hangs in the foyer of the church.) Other Grand Knights were David Nagy, Thomas Hardy, Ray Dozois, Vincent Sadowski, David Bonesteel, Keith Purcell and Fred Hemeon.
The Knights sponsor dinners, breakfasts and other events to raise funds for the parish and community groups. Their mission includes providing needed funds to seminarians studying for the priesthood, the local Boys' and Girls' Clubs, Roarke Center, Joseph's House and Ukraine relief. Associated with the Knights is a woman's organization "the Columbiettes". Founded in 2010, they sponsor similar programs and events for the benefit of the parish and local community. Both groups continue to be invaluable to the parish.

ln 2016, a project began to enable parishioners to honor loved ones, deceased and living, in a permanent way on parish grounds. A "Memory Garden" was created around the statue of Our Lady of Victory which now contains over 200 engraved memorial bricks. The project was begun by Don Lambert and Pam and Fred Wobrock; the bricks are provided by Grethen-Cahrenger Memorials and landscaping by Gavin Landscaping. This garden is a lovely oasis on our parish grounds and it remains a special place of memory, solitude, prayer and peace.

The parish's "Music Ministry" continued to grow during Father's tenure. For almost two decades, Marjorie Voytko has overseen this important ministry. Marjorie has worked hard to train cantors to lead congregational music at parish Liturgies and she has significantly bolstered the confidence of parishioners to sing-out their faith with joy!


OLV was, and is, fortunate to have two permanent deacons on the staff at the time of this writing - Brian Lewis and Willis Wolfe. These deacons regularly assist at Sunday Masses, deliver homilies once each month, celebrate baptisms and perform a number of other important tasks and services in the parish.

Fr. Morrette becomes pastor

After twenty-five years of service to our parish, Fr. Patterson retired in June of 2021. Fr. Thomas Morrette was subsequently appointed pastor, beginning ministry here on July 1, 2021.  Fr. Tom, a native of Schenectady, had previously been pastor of St. Mary's in Glens Falls. At the time of his appointment, the Diocese also sent newly ordained Fr. Nathaniel Resila as parochial vicar. He has brought his own special brand of youthful enthusiasm to our parish.  Both priests were sent here at a time when the COVID pandemic continued to cast an ominous shadow over everyday parish life. Gradually, throughout Father's first year here, the number of infections diminished in our area and many restrictions were lifted - so, for the most part, parish life seems to be getting back to normal.

Father Tom's first year here included undertaking several projects - the reorganization of the Pastoral Council; establishing offices for himself and Fr. Nathaniel in the parish office building; hiring a new Coordinator for the Faith Formation Program and new parish secretary; amplifying time for Confessions in the weekly schedule on Wednesday afternoons; and establishing Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Wednesdays.  Both Fr. Tom and Fr. Nathaniel have worked hard to establish "a pastoral team" which includes the chaplain of Christ, Sun of Justice parish, Fr. Larry Rice. These three faith communities (OLV, OLS and Christ, Sun of Justice at RPI) are yoked together by the Diocese in a plan of regionalization. Pastor-emeritus Fr. Patterson continues to assist here when needed. Fr. Robert Hohenstein, a retired priest in the Diocese, also joined the pastoral team. A highlight of the parish in 2022 was the First Mass of Fr. Russell Bergman in June. Fr. Bergman had been a seminarian-in-training here during his formation. ln 2021, longtime custodian, Tom Hardy retired, but to everyone's delight and relief, Tom decided to continue to oversee the parish plant on a part-time basis.

One of Father Tom's first and happiest tasks was to establish a "L00th Anniversary Planning Committee'to prepare for the parish's 100th anniversary in the fall of 2022. Pam Wobrock, Phyllis Raymond and Jack Gallagher were asked to Co-Chair the Committee. Meeting throughout 2021-2022, the Committee worked hard to plan for the parish's Anniversary Mass and Dinner at Franklin Terrace on October 9, 2022.  An updated version of the official "History of the OLV Parish" was also undertaken. A special centennial bench was dedicated October 9th, made possible by the gift of Kathleen Lowes and Zoltan Prohaszka, Townley & Wheeler Funeral Home.

Conclusion

Thus concludes the history of the first one hundred years of Our Lady of Victory parish in Troy, New York. This written history contains many highlights and mentions the names and contributions of just a few of many people who have claimed OLV as their parish, their home. Obviously, there were a great many others, and countless events, experiences and memories that are not included here. All of these - noted and not noted -- make up the rich and fascinating story of Catholic faith in the parish of Our Lady of Victory in Sycaway from 1922 to 2022.

As we celebrate our first Centennial, we thank God for His generosity to us. We also ask His continued blessing on all who have found OLV to be a supportive, spiritual home: those who have gone before us, those here and now, and those who will inevitably come after us. May the next generation of parishioners find what we have found in this beloved parish - a community where the teachings and love of Christ are preached without compromise, where faithful shepherds keep us united in faith and charity, and where true Christian love and support is felt by all. And now...we place the future of OLV, OLS and CSJ in Almighty God's care and into the hands of the Mother of Christ, Our Lady -- "the first lady" of our parish.

Our Lady of Victory, pray for us!

We lovingly dedicate this 100th year Anniversary History to Deacon Jerry Christiono who was ordained o permanent deacon on October 9, 7982 by Bishop Howard Hubbard. Forty years ago, Jerry was the first permanent deacon ordained for our parish. He subsequently served here with love, joy and dedication until his retirement. He and his wife Marjorie continue to worship here and remain o vital port of our community. Happy anniversary, Deacon Jerry!