Annals of St. Ann's Hermitage: 1912
On January 1, gathering for the traditional New Year wishes presided over by Bro. Ptolomeus, Provincial. That morning announcement of the results of the December exams for the Scholastics, Novices, and Juniors and proclamation of the diplomas.
May. The 13th of this month, Bro. Cesidius, Provincial of Canada, visited us. He is going to Grugliasco with our dear Brother Provincial. The Juniors offer them a little reception, wishing them "Bon Voyage" and honoring Brother Cesidius in an address filled with filial affection; the music is well executed. Brother Cesidius talks and congratulates them on their beautiful singing.
June 1: Solemnity of the feast of the Most Holy Sacrament. After Vespers, for the first time we had the procession of the Blessed Sacrament on the Juniorate property. The repository put up in the Juniorate yard overlooking the Hudson gracefully rose high under the shade of the tall trees. The hymns and chants sung lustily by the whole Community echoed along the way and raised our hearts towards Jesus Who was blessing us.
Some faithful from the neighborhood followed behind the Blessed Sacrament.
July. The first of this month some 60 Brothers arrive to follow summer courses.
On the 26th the Novices' retreat ends; it had been followed by a few Brothers as well. It was preached by Rev. Father Butler, S.J.
That same day 15 Postulants take the Holy Habit and 11 Novices pronounce their First Annual Vows.
August. On the 28th end of the big annual retreat preached by the Rev. Father McCoughlin, S.J. Brothers Leon Adolphe and Dioscoride take their Vow of Stability.
September. On the 5th 14 Juniors enter the Novitiate.
November. On the 24th visit of His Eminence Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
His Eminence came to Poughkeepsie for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of St. Peter's Church, the first Catholic church in the city.
That morning Brother Provincial and Bro. Zepheriny go to St. Andrew's to pay their respects to His Eminence, who had gone there on the eve, and to solicit a visit to St. Ann's Hermitage. We received that visit at 2:30 p.m.
The front of the Juniorate had been decorated and banners hung. The Juniors, lined up on the porch and each one holding the Papal flag or the flag of the United States, greeted the worthy Prelate at his arrival, accompanied by Father Lewis, his secretary, then everybody went into the reunion hall where the Brothers and Novices had already gathered.
Two speeches, one read by a Postulant and the other by a Junior, and the songs for the occasion told him our joy and feelings of gratitude, to which he answered paternally and blessed us.
A half-hour later His Eminence left for another appointment in New York.
His Eminence visited us while a fierce storm raged over the area.
On the 25th 16 Juniors and 1 Postulant are confirmed in St. Peter's Church by Bishop Cusack.
Projects.
In the Fall improvements are made to the Provincial tailor shop area, which had originally been a barn: skylights, ceiling, divider, etc., then a skylight in the tailor shop itself to give more light.
December. The New York Central Railroad Company, needing land to widen its tracks, buys about 6 acres of land from us along the two properties for $20,000 and has two iron bridges built for us, one at the Novitiate and the other at the Juniorate, linking these properties to the land located along the Hudson.
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