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The lights that come up on the story of the Our Lady of Victory Institutions are bright ones indeed. For the story begins in the mid-1850s, a time when the City of Buffalo was a shining example of what was right with America. The entire region was booming. In the
few years since the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, the city's
population grew a staggering 145 percent (from 2,412 residents
in 1825 to 18,213 in 1840). The city, and its hard-working populace,
prospered. On the wings of wheat, grain, and steel
industries which were the envy of the country, Buffalo became
a destination for immigrants from all over the world, eager to
make a life for themselves in the "Land of Opportunity."
As the country's "Melting Pot" began to simmer, each
new immigrant brought with him/her a new set of beliefs and customs.
Among the most important of these was religion. This idea of
"cultural borrowing" meant that as Buffalo grew as
a center of commerce, it was evolving into a deeply spiritual
community. Countless churches, meeting houses and synagogues
were built throughout the countryside. A sharp spike in the number of Irish,
Polish and German Catholics arriving in the area led to a significant
event in the history of the region. On April 23, 1847, the Roman
Catholic Diocese of Buffalo was established and Bishop John Timon
took on the monumental task of overseeing its growth. At his
induction, the Diocese consisted of only four schools, 16 priests
and 16 parishes. Within the decade, those numbers would explode. One of the parishes formed in this era
of ecclesiastical expansion was St. Patrick's in what was then
known as Limestone Hill, N.Y. A southern suburb of the city,
Limestone Hill was experiencing a steady influx of immigrant
workers as it became known as a hub for the steel industry. Although Buffalo's rapid growth granted
thousands of men their dreams, it dashed the hopes of just as
many. The "Buffalo Boom" had its dark side, for as
society descended on the once sleepy Lake Erie town, so, too,
did society's ills. Crime and violence grew to become significant
problems. Local newspapers were rife with stories of gruesome
murders, ethnic riots and tragic robberies. Another pitfall faced
by the multiplying masses was illness. Often, dreaded diseases
such as influenza and cholera would spread geographically, coursing
down the Erie Canal like a poison. On several occasions during
the pre-Civil War days, widespread epidemics ravaged the Western
New York area, leaving thousands dead in their wake. These societal ills created yet another
issue that was just as difficult to deal with: orphaned and abandoned
children. In the early 1850s, it was estimated that the number
of youths that were deserted or left parentless was in the thousands,
rather than the hundreds. Community leaders across the region
grappled with the problem of dealing with these children. Bishop
Timon was quick to lend a hand. Responding to the pleas for assistance,
the Bishop commissioned the building of orphanages and homes
for youths-in-need throughout the Diocese. The first such home
was built and opened in Rochester, N.Y. (then a part of the Diocese
of Buffalo). But, unfortunately, one was simply not enough. With
too many children to place and not enough facilities, Bishop
Timon chose Limestone Hill to be the site of two of the area's
largest sanctuaries, St. Joseph's Orphan Home and St. John's
Protectory (for the care of boys described as "willful and
hard to manage"). In 1854, the Limestone Hill Institutions
were born. When the question of who was to care
for the children of Limestone Hill came up, Bishop Timon turned
to the Sisters of St. Joseph for assistance. They answered the
call (a call which they heed today, a century and a half later),
and, within months, St. John's and St. Joseph's were filled to
capacity. As the Institutions took on more youths
and parishioners, the Bishop looked for a strong man to lead
the organization. In 1857, Rev. Thomas Hines was chosen to serve
as the Pastor of St. Patrick's Parish and the Superintendent
of the Limestone Hill Institutions. Under Father Hines' watchful
eye, the organization grew. As the steel industry continued to
flourish, more workers settled down in Limestone Hill. A large
majority of them were Catholics, and, in no time, little St.
Patrick's Church was bursting at the seams. In 1870, Father Hines established a
Catholic elementary school to work in conjunction with the parish.
And, five years later, he announced that St. Patrick's would
be expanded and rebuilt from a wooden, single-frame building
into a more spacious, red-brick building. At that time, though, the steady influx of children requiring placement at the orphan-age and protectory continued. The aging Father Hines admittedly began to strain under the weight of the responsibility of tending to the needs of an expanding parish community as well as a charitable entity which served hundreds of boys. With so much need and so few means, the organization fell deep into debt. Father Hines' closest advisors pleaded with him to seek a helping hand. A call to the Bishop's office yielded the name of a young priest who appeared to be the perfect solution. This man was said to be blessed with not only a devout dedication to the Catholic faith, but a sharp business sense. In addition, this Rev. Nelson Baker had been an old acquaintance of Father Hines, someone the elder priest knew to be a good and able man. Surely, thought Father Hines, this young priest would be able to assist the now ailing Limestone Hill Institutions. |
In 1854, this population growth
spurred Bishop Timon to create the new parish, which featured
a tiny, wooden church, St. Patrick's. It would remain the only
Catholic church in the township until 1883.