Alan Morrell: Rochester D&C St. Bernards Seminary was a medieval-looking place that educated thousands of men for the priesthood for more than 75 years before it closed its doors in 1981. The magnificent structure still stands at 2260 Lake Ave., near Holy Sepulchre Cemetery and now used as housing for senior citizens. The seminary segued into a similarly named school that moved across town and focused on educating men and women for lay ministry. Declining enrollment and mounting costs led to St. Bernards denouement. For decades, though, the seminary on Lake Avenue affectionately known as The Rock had quite a history. Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid was the driving force behind the establishment of St. Bernards. McQuaid, the first bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Rochester, first came up with the idea in 1879. The place opened in 1893 on a 20-acre parcel overlooking the Genesee River. St. Bernards made an immediate and lasting impression. The main sanctuary building and adjacent chapel-dining room have long been considered by many to be among Rochesters most significant architectural structures, Karen Heller wrote in a 1982 Democrat and Chronicle story. The distinct look came from burnt-red Medina stone mined from a quarry at nearby Hansfords Landing (near present-day Maplewood Park).
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 01:15:19 +0000