The bus and its driver were deserted, the passengers obtaining rides from other faculty members, only to learn that some of them would have to find still other transportation back to Smithtown. One of the Sisters, who had planned to use the bus trip for arts and crafts, stood at the graveside singing Salve Regina, with pink knitting tucked under her arm.
Another set of legends surrounds the early days of sports, when Brother Pascal was asked to organize teams, but wasn’t given money for equipment because money was in short supply during the Depression. Or the year players were in short supply, because there were only eleven boys in the school. They fielded a baseball team anyway.
Kings Park Psychiatric Hospital
In the early years of the day school, basketball and baseball were played at the Kings Park Psychiatric Hospital, the former in York Hall, the latter on Tiffany Field. During practice, the teams became accustomed to having patients as spectators, and soon learned that erratic behavior involved no threat. Visiting teams, however, were intimidated when a patient took the basketball from a player’s hands, or sat on third base to watch the game.
Christmas Eve Mass
In the mid 70’s, the custom was initiated of inviting alumni, seniors, juniors, and their families to attend a nine p.m. Mass in the gymnasium on Christmas Eve. The adult chorus, which dates from about the same period, joins the boys in singing the Mass. It has become a cherished part of the holiday season.
Communion Breakfast
Other annual functions which help to bind members of the school community are the Communion Breakfast at which academic awards are distributed, and the dinner of Champions, at which athletes are recognized. The two functions, run by the Fathers’ Guild, bracket the school year. The Mothers’ Guild Boutique and the Fashion Show, the parties at Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day, the breakfasts following the Graduation Mass and the Ring Day ceremony, the pancake breakfast on Homecoming Day – all are part of the rhythm of each succeeding year, and help to express and to fortify that intangible something known as school spirit, and re-create each year a sense of what St. Anthony’s means.
The Black Brothers
Sept. 1948 to Sept. 1950
Although the black brothers had no direct relationship to St. Anthony’s, their presence on the Juniorate property is a little known chapter, re-created here by Brother Aquinas, who wrote this account.
The most Rev. Bartholomew Eustace, first bishop of Camden, undertook to establish a Religious congregation of Black Brothers to serve the growing needs of his diocese. To fulfill a canonical requirement in this matter, he came to Brooklyn and met with Most Rev. Thomas E. Molloy, Bishop of Brooklyn. Brooklyn’s Bishop graciously agreed that the planned novitiate for the Black Brothers could be at the Franciscan Brothers’ property in the Smithtown area. That is, if the Brothers wished to undertake this responsibility. Thereupon Bishop Eustace came to our Generalate to meet with Brother James. Brother agreed to place the matter before his Consultors. As Bishop Molloy stipulated, a term of two years was fixed for the Brothers to remain in the Brooklyn Diocese.
The Franciscan Board of Consultors approved the request and Brother Aquinas Lanahan was appointed to be the Novice Master and Superior. On September 14, 1948, the official beginning of the term began. The Shevis House was fitted for the young men. It was self-contained: Chapel, Kitchen, showers and toilets, bedrooms. Most of the Brothers could cook. The Camden Bishop supported us. The man who was the leader and who interested the Camden Bishop in this venture was Charles Luanga. The others were Gabriel, Eustace, Michael, Leo, Herbert, and John.
This undertaking had no connection with the Novitiate or the Juniorate. However, we used the Juniorate chapel for the Holy Mass. Their own chapel was used for the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Crown (the Franciscan rosary), and for meditation.