The History of the Homes: Father Baker's Story
The Homes of Charity is the evolution of a charitable enterprise which began more than 145 years ago. In the 1850s, the citizens of Buffalo, N.Y., grew increasingly concerned about the number of orphaned and abandoned children and the lack of facilities for troubled youngsters. The Limestone Hill Institutions, as they were known at the time, were built in 1854 and included a parish (St. Patrick's), an orphanage, and a protectory for young boys. Without the luxury of today's state and federal funding, however, finances became a major concern, and within years, the institutions fell deeper and deeper into debt.
By 1882, the situation around Limestone Hill was bleak indeed. Upon his arrival in February of that year, the institutions' newest superintendent, Father Nelson Henry Baker, learned of a debt which had exceeded $56,000, and saw first-hand buildings which were in desperate need of repair. Without a word, Father Baker, once a successful business man himself, emptied his personal savings and used his good name to keep creditors at bay for the time being. But, the humble priest knew that a long-term solution was needed if the important work being done at Limestone Hill was going to continue. Father Baker, who had begun his lifelong devotion to Our Lady of Victory after a trip to the Basilica of Notre Dame des Victoires in Paris in 1874, asked his patroness for help.
His prayers were soon answered
in the form of a most ingenious idea -- the Association of Our
Lady of Victory. Father Baker wrote to postmasters in cities all
over the country, asking for names and addresses of Catholic women
who may be sympathetic to his most important cause. He then sent
letters to these people, asking them to help him care for the
dependent and helpless children by joining the Association for
25 cents a year. Little did the humble priest know that he had
pioneered the concept of direct-mail fundraising. Very quickly,
his idea caught on, and in little time, the creditors had been
paid in full. Shortly after, the Limestone Hill Institutions,
once in desparate financial trouble, now looked to expand.
And expand they did. By the turn of the century, the number of children receiving care at the Institutions had more than tripled. Responding to news reports of infant bones being dredged out of the Erie Canal by the thousands, Father Baker embarked on a new (and controversial) project -- the building of the OLV Infant Home. Once completed, the facility would provide pre-natal care and adoption services to teenage or unwed mothers. To help him accomplish this critical mission, Father Baker turned to the generous members of his Association. And they responded. In 1908, the $100,000 structure was completed and immediately filled with those in need. Within years, the Infant Home was credited with saving thousands of lives.
Although the "Padre of the Poor" and his Association had done much good throughout the years, no one could have expected their most ambitious venture to be as big a success. When a fire destroyed a majority of old St. Patrick's Church in 1916, Father Baker used the crisis as an opportunity. He unveiled plans for a wondrous European-style Basilica to be built! Before embarking on the project, however, the business-savvy priest knew he would need assistance. He wrote of his plans in the Association's newsletter, the Annals, and offered per-brick sponsorships for only $10.Within weeks, donations -- monetary and material -- flooded into Lackawanna. In 1926, the shrine was completed at a cost of over $3 million (equivalent to about $30 million today) -- debt-free! In fact, the role the donors played was so prevelant in the building of the OLV Shrine that it was singled out by Pope Pius XI in his Apostolic Decree conferring the title of "Minor Basilica" to the shrine. It read: "... there is no debt on the whole, a remarkable sign of unstinting charity, and a testimony to its faithful."
The role played by the organization's thousands of donors continues to be a critical one to this day. Although social needs, programming and giving vehicles have changed much over the years, the need for generous souls remains. Decades ago, Father Baker recognized the importance of reaching out for assistance. Today, that act is no less important.
