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PAGE 2—The Southern Cross, December 19,1974
A Short History of Saint Mary’s Home
BY TICKI LLOYD
As I put the pieces together, I write
this article for all the wonderful Sisters
of Mercy and the children both living
and dead who received such a home-like
atmosphere at St. Mary’s Home. And
also, for the benefactors of the Home
who played such an important part in
making dreams come true.
Probing one’s memory for the
personalities, characters and traits of the
many who have been part of the large
family at St. Mary’s requires much
thought. Through this writing, I find
myself being re-born. The flesh and
blood of the many I have known at St.
Mary’s in the past lingers through the
pages of this work begging to be loved
as I have loved them.
Some of the happenings at the Home,
which was originally called St. Mary’s
Orphanage For Girls and was located
between 32nd and 33rd streets, stand
out in my mind as vividly as the blue
for-get-me-nots on my mother’s freshly
scrubbed linoleum. Others I gathered
from members of my family. I was quite
a young child when I first became aware
that there was a Home for girls from all
over the state of Georgia, and it was the
first Catholic orphanage especially for
girls in the state.
It would be utterly impossible to
recount all of the names of the Sisters
who were stationed at the Home on
33rd street, but I heard my
grandmother say that Sister Cecelia was
the first administrator.
I shiver with emotion when I
remember how my dear mother and the
late Mrs. Margaret McBride, who lived
on the corner of Price and 33rd streets,
boarded the Habersham street car to
chaperone the girls to the doctor. But,
best of all, my heart leaps in my throat
when I remember the children in our
family attending picnics with the girls in
the summertime. And perhaps once a
year view an Our Gang Comedy.
The House Mother, Miss Mamie
Floyd, (my god-mother) realizing too
many girls would get under-foot of my
mother and Mrs. McBride, accompanied
the group. In those days, Sisters did not
attend picnics or movies. A blush would
have come to their faces just to think of
such a worldly move.
I distinctly remember a beautiful,
saintly lady with snow-white hair, Mrs.
Katherine Miles who was one of the
original lady collectors for St. Mary’s.
She made rounds each month collecting
twenty-five cents or a dollar or whatever
the individual could give. When she
died, her daughter, Miss Mary Miles
(who later became Mrs. Walter
Crawford) resumed the collecting. We
will hear more about Mrs. Crawford in
DCCW notes.
St. Mary’s Home had a very humble
beginning. Founded in 1834 by the
Sisters of Mercy of Charleston, S. C., it
was later moved in 1845 to St.
Vincent’s Academy on Liberty street in
Savannah, where the Sisters of Mercy
continued to pursue the guidance of the
girls who numbered twelve.
For many years homeless girls came
to live at the Home to share the love of
the Sisters. My grandmother often
related that on many occasions the
Sisters went without food in order that
the girls would not suffer deprivation,
particularly during several epidemics
and the War Between the States.
As the girls continued to come to the
Home, and the needs could no longer be
met, a small house was occupied in
1875 at White Bluff on the outskirts of
Savannah.
When so many girls were orphaned
during the outbreak of the Yellow Fever
epidemic in 1876, a group of leading
Catholic men formed the Female
Orphan Benevolent Society in 1877,
giving generously of their time and
talent. Besides Savannah, there were
many Lady Collectors in cities in
Georgia who helped to maintain the
Home.
Through the generosity of Captain
Henry Blun, an officer of the Society,
and under the leadership of Bishop
William H. Gross, the fifth Bishop of
Savannah, in 1880 the old St. Mary’s
Orphanage was built on property
extending from 32nd. street to 33rd.
street, bounded by Habersham and
Price.
Captain J. K. Reily, the first
president of the Benevolent Society,
was assisted by many Catholics and
non-Catholics in erecting the building,
which required enlargment several times
to be in a position to serve as many as
ninety-five girls at a time.
Many generous people were members
of the Society. A Miss Annie M.
Robinson, a public school teacher, for
thirty years collected money for the
Home. At her death, her modest estate
was bequeathed to St. Mary’s.
Over the years legacies and trust
funds were left to the Home. Captain
and Mrs. Charles R. Herron willed
practically their entire estate to the
orphans of Georgia.
Other generous persons were Captain
John McMahon, the Feeley family,
Captain John Flannery and many
others.
There were a group of men who
preferred to be remembered only as
Friends of the Orphans, who raised
money for the entertainment of the
children. They remembered birthdays,
Christmas and other celebrations.
One gentleman we must pay homage
to is Mr. John W. Gleason, who was not
only a great benefactor, but each year
he gave the children a pair of new shoes.
He was like a father to the girls.
Another man to be remembered is Mr.
Charlan Fox who outdid himself with
his generosity.
By presenting the philanthropy of the
lay people, no attempt is made to
overlook the wonderful work of the
Sisters of Mercy, who were first to
respond to the needs of the children.
For over twenty-five years Sister Patrick
was Superior of the Home. Under her
tender guidance and charity, the
characters of many children were
formed.
When the late Bishop Gerald P.
O’Hara came to Georgia he planned a
modem, fireproof building to replace
the home on 33 rd street.
St. Mary’s Home, Savannah
support of St. Mary’s.
When my mother heard this news
about the Sisters and girls leaving, but
for the grace of God, I believe she
would have had a heart attack. Many
times my father wanted to move his
large brood to more adequate living
quarters, but each time the subject was
approached, the answer was, “As long as
the dear Sisters and children live across
the street from us, I will never move.”
And move she did not. However, the
occupants across from the Moore family
moved, and that was a sad day.
As God would have it, in 1937
construction was begun on a lovely new
St. Mary’s Home (no longer called an
orphanage) on high ground on Victory
Drive which boasts of the longest
avenue of palms in the world. Tall,
stately pines sing soft songs in the gentle
breeze, and buttercups and dandelions
crowd the grass, and the grounds are
alive with beautiful azaleas in the spring.
In 1958, at the invitation of Bishop
Thomas J. McDonough (now
Archbishop) a meeting was called at St.
Mary’s Home on Victory Drive to
organize a new group to continue the
splendid work begun by the Female
Orphan Benevolent Society.
I had the privilege of attending this
first organizational meeting which
developed into the present St. Mary’s
Home Guild. Some of the functions of
the Guild are to solicit membership; to
stimulate interest of Catholic and
non-Catholic women in the operation of
St. Mary’s; to offer to the Sisters
assistance in supplying the needs of the
children who reside there; to assist the
Diocese of Savannah in the financial
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Time and people change, and in June
of 1967 the Home for Boys in
Washington, Ga. was closed. The
children from there and those from St.
Mary’s who came from the Atlanta
Diocese moved to a Home in the
Diocese of Atlanta, and the boys from
the Savannah Diocese came to live at St.
Mary’s Home on Victory Drive.
the past, today’s client is more complex
and consequently, while we are proud
of our historical tradition, we must
move forward and meet the needs of
our youngsters and their families today.
“A social work program involving
Child guidance, casework services and
family therapy is provided by the staff
for the children who reside at St. Mary’s
as well as for their immediate and
extended families.
“The program has been developed to
meet the needs of those youngsters who
have been adjudicated delinquents,
those who have drug problems and
those who, for one reason or other, Find
it difficult to live at home. Our program
has also encompassed brain-damaged
and mildly retarded children and even
one boy with partial cerebal palsy.
“To help us in these undertakings, a
part-time psychiatrist was added to the
staff in 1970. We have also held group
therapy sessions. At present, there are
38 youngsters living at the home ranging
in ages 6 through 19. Twelve boys and
twenty-six girls. Not only is our child
population integrated, but also our
board and staff. We are proud that we,
at St. Mary’s are among the first in the
state to have achieved this.
“However, our services are not
confined to those at St. Mary’s and
there are many times when we have
been called into the community on
emergency calls involving any act from
potential suicide to those children
‘stoned’ on drugs.
“At this point, staff members are
trained in psychology, special education
and/or counselling. An in-service
program has also been set up, both at
the institution and on various college
campuses. Every effort is made to keep
the child involved in the community.
For this reason, the older ones are
encouraged to get after school, weekend
and/or summer jobs. Many do volunteer
work at the hospitals, teach CCD classes
and play for Folk Masses and help the
less fortunate through tutoring.
Since Sister Mary Alvin,
Administrator of St. Mary’s Home has
done such a fine job on a narrative she
sent me, I shall quote it as written: “It
has been said, that change is a
permanent condition in America and I
shall attempt to re-vamp the high-lights
of change in the past five years or those
of my association with St. Mary’s.
“Because the whole face of child care
is changing and while “homeless
orphans” may have been our clients of
HELD AT ST. MARYS
“Some join the Boy Scouts,
Brownies; basketball, baseball and
football teams in the parish or civic
community. One of our little girls works
at the veterinarian’s on Saturday in
order to defray the medical expenses for
our five dogs.
“The youngsters who work are
provided with the necessary guidance in
the use of their money. For this reason,
almost all of the children at St. Mary’s
have a savings account.
“To provide for individual differences
as much as feasible the area of
education plays a tremendous role in
our child care program. In fact, we now
have children in nine different schools;
placed according to their emotional and
intellectual capabilities - St. Vincent’s
Academy; Cathedral; Nativity; Charles
Ellis; Hubert Junior High; Savannah
High; Thirty-seventh Street School;
Psyco-educational Center; Thunderbolt.
“The children are taught to ride the
city bus and the older ones (who do not
work after school) are responsible for
the younger ones; in getting them to the
dentist’s, doctor’s or taking them
shopping.
“For those children who need
“special” help after school hours,
tutorial services is provided under the
Title I Program as also in our summer
program.
“Also, we have children attending the
Speech and Hearing Clinic and Learning
Foundations.
“We depend quite heavily on St.
Mary’s Guild to provide the ‘extras’ for
the children. Not only do they see that
each child receives a birthday gift, but
they are always on hand when
transportation is needed. Through the
proceeds of the two successful art
auctions we have been able to purchase
a movie camera, movie projector and
slide projector. Also, we are in the
process of installing playground
equipment so much needed for the
“whole” family at St. Mary’s. These
good ladies are always willing to give of
themselves in any way possible.
“In the preceding explanations, there
has been an attempt to present
highlights connecting our past with our
present. We hope there has been a more
lucid understanding of our program and
how we hope to help the children and
their families of today.
“However, if anyone would like one
of the Sisters to present our slide
presentation of Saint Mary’s at a parish
meeting, in any part of the diocese, she
would be most happy to do so. Just
notify Sister Mary Alvin, Administrator
of Saint Mary’s in advance. The address
is 2170 East Victory Drive, Savannah,
Georgia, Phone 236-7164.”
Ticki Lloyd would like to say:
“Please don’t forget the annual
Christmas offering for St. Mary’s Home.
You’ll be generous, won’t you? You
always have.”
A BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
• C
Augusta Holy Year Celebration
BY JOYCE SCAVULLO
“We must love God for his infinite
beauty and goodness. We must love man
because of the dignity he receives from
sharing - however minutely - in that
beauty and goodness.”
And yet in “Love Story” the main
characters insist that two people in love
do not have to say “I’m sorry.”
Catholics, by the millions, over
centuries have held an opposite view.
They have felt that loving God they
wished to be reconciled with Him.
All of the parishes in Augusta joined
together at St. Mary’s Church at 7:30
p.m. Thursday, December 12th in a
Holy Year Celebration. The theme of
Reconciliation was featured throughout
the ceremony.
There was an opportunity to receive
the sacrament of Penance, with a large
number of priests available for hearing
confessions.
In a world divided by bickering and
bitterness, where war and violence can
be viewed on TV in the most sedate
livingroom, there is a desperate need for
reconciliation. The world, and the
human heart, needs the healing touch of
love and acceptance, forgiveness and
compassion.
The effect was evident on all the
participants of this very beautiful
ceremony that night.
Augusta Holy Year Celebration
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