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As two schools with illustrious pasts join together to create All Saints Catholic Academy, each brings with them a history rich in memories and academic excellence.  Here are the stories from their past.  The future is yet to be written.

The Story of Holy Cross

 Our story begins 159 years ago in 1850 when the cornerstone was laid for a church that was to serve the needs of the 7000-strong German population living in Albany at the time.  The church, located at the corner of Philip and Hamilton St. was the Church of the Holy Cross and was completed just prior to the Civil War in 1859.  Holy Cross remained at this location for the next 100 years.

 The first Holy Cross Grammar School then referred to as Holy Cross Academic School. Was started in 1861 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet.  At that same time Abraham Lincoln was being inaugurated as the sixteenth president of the United States.

 The school’s population grew and the original building expanded through the years.  The Sisters of St. Joseph were eventually replaced by the Sisters of Christian Charities who started a Holy Cross High School in 1896, which lasted 24 years until a historic event occurred in 1919.  The event was The Influenza Pandemic of 1919, which dramatically decreased the student and religious teacher population in the Academic School and caused the Sisters of Christian Charities to withdraw.  The Pandemic is believed to be a contributing factor to the closing of the High School.

 Struggling through the Great Depression and World War II, Holy Cross Academic School became the smallest school in the Diocese by the 1950s.  As a result, the school was closed, and in 1959 was demolished along with the church.  This same year, the Diocese purchased land at the corner of Brevator and Rosemont Streets for a new Holy Cross Church, and eight months later, the first mass was celebrated at the new location.  Thus comes the birth of the new Holy Cross Grammar School on the land next to the church, which is the present location.  While John F. Kennedy was starting his presidency in 1960, Holy Cross was opening its doors for grades Kindergarten to 4th grade.  There were 189 students and Sister Mary Veronica was principal.

 One grade level was added to the school each year and in June 1965; Holy Cross Grammar School had its first Graduating class of 24 children.  The school had a total of 372 students with five Sisters of Mercy and three lay teachers.  The school thrived and in 1989 a new wing was added, which includes the Family Center.  The basement was renovated to add the Art room, Music room, nursery and library.  Another wing was added in 2002, giving us the computer room, new faculty room, and new administrative offices.

Here is where our story ends.  The current Holy Cross Grammar School is closing at the end of the 2009 academic year, and is reopening as the All Saints Catholic Academy.  Though the name, the paint colors and the configuration of the classrooms may change, the memories we have of Holy Cross Grammar School will last forever.  The things we’ve learned and the friends we’ve made will stay with us for many years to come.

 Let’s join together and celebrate a new beginning in the unity of all Catholic Schools.  Wonderful things, and great memories are sure to come!

        Angela Mextorf

        Mrs. Peg Doellefeld

St. Teresa of Avila’s Story

St. Teresa’s story begins back in 1920 when Bishop Gibbons chose the name St. Teresa of Avila for the new parish on New Scotland Avenue.  The bishop believed that the parish would grow around the church.  The church was actually designed so a school could be built above it.  The 20’s was a time of lawn parties and fund raisers.  Everyone enjoyed these gatherings especially the children when they could “fish” for surprise packages from the fish pond booth. As the 20’s was drawing near a close a grammar school was opened in the farmhouse, on the grounds of the present church, for grades one through four.  The Sisters of Mercy began to educate the youth of the area.  By the time the Great Depression began, New Scotland Avenue had undergone major development due in part to improved public transportation.  The 20’s was a time for community building and good will among all of their neighbors, no matter the faith.  The pastor even became known as the Mayor of New Scotland Avenue.

The 30’s has been described as the “Best of times, and the worst of times.”  New Scotland Avenue was finally paved as a WPA project replacing the brick road.  Most of New Scotland past Manning was still woods and fields leaving room for more development.  Below that there were area meat markets, pharmacies, pastry shops and barber shops.  It was a thriving neighborhood.  Due to the depression times were hard, but the community was still growing.  So much so that in 1930 an eighth grade was added with 300 children enrolled in the school.

In the 40’s the present rectory was built.  The pastor, Father Kelly, thought that since the church was paid for the time was right to begin building.  Thanks to Father Kelly’s foresight, the rectory was completely paid for by 1943 just before private construction was banned due to WWII.  Now the parish block was complete.  During this time many of St. Teresa’s boys went off to war and some never returned.  Many parish activities were curtailed at this time due to the war. 

Making it through the difficult era of the forties, we marched on to the 50’s.  St. Teresa’s Parish began to grow rapidly again.  New life poured into the parish.  We now had about 1,200 families in the parish and the school was overcrowded.  Many times there were more than 50 in a classroom.  Most of the teaching was done by Sisters of Mercy, but there were a few lay teachers. The auditorium had its floor raised and was converted into classrooms.  They began making plans for a new Junior High and Social Center.  In 1957 the first junior high school in the history of the diocese opened.  The junior high school was accredited by The Catholic University of America and chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York.  We then went as high as ninth grade.  Monsignor Hart purchased a new station wagon for the sisters with the license plate, SAM, for Sister Agnes Mary, who was the principal at the time.  We were privileged to have her with us until 2007.  This was a time of many activities.  Most of the boys served as altar servers, Stations of the Cross every Friday during lent, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops were started.  The Home School Assoc. was started and there were many teas to meet the teachers, dances for parents, and open houses for the parents.

 The 60’s brought the Second Vatican Council bringing about an updating of the church.  The 60’s also brought the death of Monsignor John G Hart the second pastor of the church.  Monsignor James G Hart was appointed pastor.  It was during this time we mourned with the nation when President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963.  Home and School flourished, parish dances were held.  Joe Guido made dinner for about 250 men serving his famous spaghetti sauce.  Children in the school participated in the polio vaccine by lining up to receive the sugar cubes marinated in vaccine.  The experimental Junior High ended with a double graduation for the eighth and ninth grades in 1967.  The following September the 6th grade was departmentalized and moved to the middle school building followed by the 5th grade in September 1992. The "Grammar School" building housed a nursery class of 3 year olds, a pre-kindergarten as well as grades K-4. The "Middle School" building continued to house grades 5-8 which were departmentalized.

During the 90’s and early 2000’s we again experienced change as many families began moving to the suburbs.  Many Filipino families began to come to the US to begin working at Albany Medical Center.  The neighborhood was changing and so was the school.  We welcomed many Filipino  families to our school and we were enriched by their presence.  We had several Filipinianas and learned about the culture and care of this new community.  Change has brought about uncertainty and a little trepidation, but what we have realized is that change has brought about a new awareness of similarities and a celebration of differences.  Change is a constant.  It has, in the past, included great growth and a downsizing of the neighborhood, but a deepening commitment to community.  We look forward to the change ahead to bring a greater growth as these two illustrious schools join hands to create a new school where there will be amazing results.  Imagine, just imagine, the future is in our hands.

Adapted from St. Teresa of Avila 75th Anniversary Book.