Forgotten, then rediscovered

By Roger Gavan
WARWICK — Most Warwick residents know that Mount Alverno Center, located at 20 Grand St., is an adult home with an assisted living program on the Warwick campus of the Bon Secours Charity Health System/Westchester Medical Center Health Network.

In the beginning

But in 1923 it was home to the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, who had just moved to the campus, which originally served as a place of retreat from their healing ministry in various hospitals.
In 1938, they joined with two Warwick doctors to found St. Anthony Community Hospital, where they ministered to the sick.
The Franciscan convent, that shares the campus with Mount Alverno Center, now primarily houses retired nuns, women who have dedicated their lives in service.
A generation ago, their former devotional area with its quiet pathways, Stations of the Cross and grotto on the hill behind the present Mount Alverno Center, began to be underutilized and fell into disrepair.
And with trees downed during severe storms and the forest litter decomposing into a thick layer of soil, everything was hidden and forgotten.

Rediscovered

"Back in late February," said Brian McCabe, "I was asked, in my function as system director of security for Bon Secours Charity Health System, to investigate the high ground behind the Mount Alverno Center due to concerns that the overgrown area might be attracting people who had littered the area with beer cans and may have damaged a statue."
McCabe was also somewhat unfamiliar with the site, but when he looked into it, he determined that there had been no vandalism, although there were some empty cans strewn about.
"I came across Stations of the Cross, set in stone grottoes that were interspersed on the wooded hillside," he recalled. "At the bottom of the hill was a large grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes, from which the statues had been intentionally removed many years ago.
"The entire hillside, grottos and what we discovered as paved paths had been entirely buried by layers of soil and leaves, with tremendous timbers fallen haphazardly throughout the site," he added, "totally blocking the paths and hillside."
Stations of the Cross are 14 devotional panels, in stone grottos in this case, depicting Christ's passion from His condemnation through His crucifixion.
With the hospital administration's approval, McCabe organized an operation to reclaim and restore the site.

Word gets out

It was initially intended to be a project in which parents and children who were to be confirmed at St. Stephen's Church could provide a service in clearing the site.
"I was at a St. Stephen's basketball game and spoke to two other fathers, Hugh Connolly and Bob Nelson, and told them about the site in an attempt to enlist their aid," he said "I asked them to come up and take a look at the site, which they readily did. They immediately saw the worthiness of the project and needed no further convincing."
And, along with a friend, Robert Jennings, they began work in early spring. But it was a much bigger effort than originally thought.
Tim Cooper, an eighth-grade teacher from St. Stephen - St. Edward Elementary School, came in and made some strategic cuts through the fallen timbers that allowed them to access the hillside.
The paved path was then uncovered as each square inch was shoveled clear for a distance of almost 600 yards, mostly by Connolly and his sons.
Nelson, Jennings and McCabe, with family and friends, began clearing the brush and branches from the entire site. Mark Malocsay, grounds keeper for the Warwick campus, also volunteered.
The work was laborious, and went on for weeks through the spring and early summer.
As word spread of their efforts, a number of people asked if they could assist and were gladly welcomed.
The Knights of Columbus, Ancient Order of Hibernians and Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians were organizations that were particularly helpful.

Then ...

On Saturday, Aug. 13, many of those who helped and their families attended a Mass and rededication on site of the Stations of the Cross and the large grotto, now with statues, dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes.
The celebrant, Friar Peter Chepaitis, OFM, blessed the Stations of the Cross and the grotto.
He and Sister Anna Tantsits, IHM, of Bethany Ministries, were conducting a retreat at the Franciscan convent on the campus where Father Chepaitis had once been a resident.
Editor's note: Thanks to Brian McCabe, Director of Security for Bon Secours Charity Health System, for contributing much of the information used in this article.