LETTERS

Hey All, I just wanted to thank Robert for his heads-up on the upcoming event he referenced below. For those of you having trouble locating the website or article, here is a brief summary excerpt as written; St. Agatha's property renovation about 6 weeks from completion. Centennial Celebration: The Nanuet school district is celebrating its 100th year with a parade and gala festival on the grounds of the newly renovated St. Agatha's property. When: June 1. Parade from firehouse up Prospect Street to the property at 10:30 a.m., event ends at 6:30 p.m. Open: Anybody Cost: Free to get in, food vendors available on the grounds, end summary. For those of you willing and able to attend, it should be quite an interesting day, to say the least. I’m sure for many, the term “Celebration” understandably undermines the sensitivity of a great loss, and may be somewhat difficult to appreciate or digest. My hope is that this occasion (on location) will not only Celebrate a harvest of new beginnings, but offer a platform that communicates and commemorates the totality of our forever “Hallowed” grounds, St. Agatha!. I hope a worthy representative is speaking on behalf of the whole in preserving the memory of our Home; anything less in my opinion would be irresponsible and a dishonor to us all! Robert thanks again for your vigilance!

Hi Nancy! As always, it is great to hear from you ... I can vividly recall "slipping into" Camp Shanks on a Saturday afternoon with another St Agnes' boy to "scavenge" the Army "landfill dump" for anything we thought we'd like to posess. Most of the "dumped" items were personal affects which the Army mandated the overseas-bound soldiers to discard as hindrances to their combat-ready status.

We recovered personal items such as electric razors, flashlights, Ronson, and Zippo lighters, chromed and silver-plated cigarette cases, personal size stainless steel shaving mirrors and other items with reflective surfaces which would be banned in battlefield zones.

We also uncovered bunches of "Unit Insigna" removed from uniforms by edict to obscure unit identity; and uniform parts non-essential to a combat zone, such as dress uniforms, belts, neckties, etc, as well. An unexpected revelation regarding some off-duty precautions of some of the soldiers came to light when we came across scores of intact, unopened, packages of Trojans which we "girl-deprived", if not innocent, high school boys left on the heap because any opportunity for putting them to proper use had not yet been foreseen by us. TMI !! Blessings .. and Peace.

Robert

The e-mail distribution also includes David Kee's name, the younger brother of my classmate and fellow honor student at St Agatha, Louis. I would be happy to hear from Louis if he cares to e-mail me; I would understand if grade schoolmates are not as highly valued as friendships bonded during one's teenage highschool years; and bonds formed immediately preceding military service.

My sincere thanks again, Nancy, for the memories of a time that was long ago, yet not forgotten. We are what we have experienced and have endured... and life has been good to many of us. Thanks.

"Wags"

From: Maria Agosto Date: 11/26/07

Hi Nancy & Pete
Thanks for sharing my photoshow. Please continue to keep us posted on the Oprah thing - because if you ever get on her show EVERYBODY has to watch it - I will make sure that EVERYONE I KNOW will be sitting in front of their TV's recording the historical event - I get CHILLS just thinking about it!!! I will pray and pray for this to happen.

AgaLinks was just a tiny little seed planted - your hard work, nurturing, stick-to-it-ness, skills, determination and love is what made the garden we have now possible, including our fantastic website (our webmaster Pete is an angel! - I wonder if he knows how many lives he has touched?).

It's funny because just a few minutes before I got your email today I had started getting all my paperwork in order (tons of it!) and I came across the two AgaLinks and started reading them. I smiled and cried when I read your page telling the Homekids that you were thinking about writing a book about St. Agatha and your personal story. I also remembered the bouquet of flowers you had delivered to my door - It's just radically amazing how much has happened since then and how far it has all come - and we have yet to see MORE! Wow!

I would love to see the page you wrote on AgaLinks about writing the book appear somewhere on our website. What do you think? When you had asked me a few years ago about placing the newsletters on the website I had said no because I was going through heavy changes at the time and was angry at the world, but looking back I have to say I was wrong. So if you want to include ANY of that material on our website (even though it's a few years old), please feel free to do so, if you and Pete agree. I think the TRIVIA pages would be really interesting. I know there isn't room to put too much on the website, but maybe just a few? Give me your thoughts and Pete's ok? I hope I'm not overwhelming anyone with all my involvement, but I'm really psyched up about all this "connecting." (smile)

Love, Maria
my prayers go with the rose

Subject: Guest book entry
Date: 9/26/07
From: Fernando Seminario
To: Peter2469

TO whom it may concern,

My brother and I were at St. Agatha. We lived at 71 Duryea Lane.

We both got there on the 5 July 1973. My brothers name is Oscar Seminario and he now lives just down the street from me in Hampton ,Virginia. My name is Fernando Seminario We both attended Nanuet HS and went on to live in a group home in Haverstraw NY . We graduated from North Rockland HS. I went on to serve in the military (United States Air Force) for 22 years. Were 're both in our 40's

Sister Katherine's name was Sister James back in the 70's. She took great care of me
She was or is like my mom.

Hope to hear from you again,

P. S. I played football for My buddy Jim Bryant. I started QB for Jim (SAINTS) . I also Played for the Nanuet HS Knights and from there Played and Started QB in Europe. LIFE IS GOOD THANK YOU ST AGATHA

Fernando

Subject: RE: Guest book entry
Date: 8/30/07
From: Velez01
To: Peter2469

Hi Pete:

I was trying to post something I put together back in 2005 concerning the Reunion of 2005.

The Final Reunion

In pondering the pros and cons on whether to attend what might be the final reunion of our former home on October 15, 2005, I needed to look up the word “reunion”. Reunion is defined as a gathering of the members of a group who have been separated.

We were brought together not by choice. We lived together not by choice. Then we were scattered not by choice. And now the place we called our temporary home is no more.

Yet, some of us like migratory birds choose to return to the place that for most of us holds mixed memories. To relive those faded events that no longer holds true to the actual experiences. And yet, we return from year to year to recall those very memories.

We greet each other only after quickly glancing over the assigned name tab. We do this to assure ourselves that we were and will continue to be friends. Like the name tags that were sewed to our clothes. So we could separate them. Once they were returned from the main laundry room.

What hurts about reunions are those who do not attend. For whatever reasons that prevent them from attending, they continue to be missed by us who will call them friends and those we will continue to love and admire from afar.

The other hurts are those who do attend only to bring back those dark experiences that we have put away deep in our minds but never forgotten. And then the final hurt is not having anyone there to remember you at all.

Joseph (Chino) Velez
September 7, 2005
Joseph Francis Velez

From: Ronald (Ron) Lugo
To: Peter Feliciano (peter2469@aol.com)
Date: 7/25/07
Subject: Answer to your question:...

Hi Peter

It's funny you should ask about my recollection of all those names from my past at St. Agatha... My wife ask me the same exact question after going over my lists, prompting me to ask myself the same!...

After getting the confirmation email from you for my initial guestbook sign in, you asked "if there are kids that you can remember who are not listed yet, we would appreciate it if you could send us a list, even if you don't remember the exact dates they were there". That open a world in hibernation for over 30 years... I went to a few reunions since, but just reflected back with those brothers & sisters in attendance... Your website along with Nancy's book "Home Kids" actually stimulated a nerve that till now lie dormant, so I acted on it!... What a reward!

After signing in over the past weekend I just sat down and started coming up with names ... Names in association with friends, classmates, teammates, notable "tough guys & sweetheart" amongst others... I never had a prior data list of any sort... It just started coming to me, naturally at first... After recalling the names that came off the top of my head, I just started going though the alphabet A-Z... Time consuming but very effective!... I probably should note that my history rich tenureship at St. Agatha(1959-75,one of the longest) has a lot to do with my data recollection... I instinctively Embraced the institution as my surrogate parents, Not surprisingly, the data gathering process seemed natural and instinctive as well...

... answer to your question, ...

...."Not easy to ever forget, a playground of siblings"
...and never will!

Thanks Again Peter,
Ron
BTW, it is not MY website! Its YOURS, (the Alumni). I only maintain it.
Pete

From: Robert Wagner
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007
To: Peter2469@aol.com
Subject: re: Your enquiry.

Hail Fellow Sparkillian

! Yes... I am one of the boys who transferred from St Agatha, Nanuet, Class of 1944, to St Agnes, Sparkill, in July/ August of 1944. Started TZHS with the Class of '48 although I was sent to public school in Queens, NYC before the summer of '45. Some of my St Agnes residiency classmates at TZHS were Tom Quinn (John was his older brother), Malachy Murphy, Louie Kee (David was his younger brother), Hugh McAvinue, the Masterson brothers (Walter & Eddie); all of them went through all eight grades with me at St Agatha. Other classmates at Sparkill/Piermont were "Red" Rooney, Joe Antonacci , and Favre who grew up at St Agnes. Also several boys in my class of '48 who were transferred to St Agnes from St Dominic, Blauvelt, including my good friend, John Mueller, with whom I walked to Dumont, NJ, to visit his aunt several times. Another classmate who came from St Dom's was Jerry Merna. Sister William Vincent, O.P., affectionately referred to as "Sister Willie Vin" was our housemother up in the "garrett". Father Nash was our priest in residience. Coach Faulk headed up the football program while I was on the team in Fall '44 season. One of the rare regrets in my life is the fact that I was separated from my class of '48 classmates when I was transferred to live with a "boarding family" in Queens. I envy (gently) that my St Agnes classmates got to bond through the high school years while I was set adrift among "strangers" in Queens where I was sensitive about my convent/home background.

Oooops... I've gone adrift from your original question. Perhaps, my age of 78-1/2 yrs may justify some forgiveness (?). BTW, "Red" Rooney was born just five days after my birth. I don't know who might remember me from St Agnes, aside from Joe Antonacci, and the boys who were my classmates for eight years at St Agatha. John Mueller who was into boxing may remember if he is alive; or maybe Favre if he is alive, or Jerry Merna? Who knows, after being out of high school for almost sixty years ! Thanks for your enquiry and your invitation to share some semblance of memories from days of youthful "yesterdays".

Robert "Wags" Wagner.

I thought some of our viewers to the website might like some memories from the 80's to 90's. He gave permission to share this. (Nancy)

Thanks For The Memories

From: kenpauladams@juno.com [mailto:kenpauladams@juno.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2006
To: ncanf@san.rr.com
Subject:St Agatha Home

You have done much for the institution that was St. Agatha. Thank you.

Richard Royster was more of a legend than an individual when I worked there. It was he who took my photo for an ID badge. I cannot recall all the places

I also recall others who had their start there many years ago. Pearl Still was a woman I worked with at 71 Duryea. She started there in the 60's and didn't bat an eye to swat a kid with the soft end of a broom, to instill motivation. She was a very loving woman who gave over 35 years to the institution. She suffered a severe stroke and died in approximately 1993. She was a large Black woman with a thin scar down one side of her face, slicing into her chin. We went on many trips into the City with the kids, and she participated with great enthusiasm in any event enjoined.

Another woman who had been there easily that long was Pearl Morris. She lived down the street, just by where the NY State Thruway connected with the NY extension of the Garden State Parkway. She was another really nice Black woman who very kind hearted and loving. She did overnight shifts.

Sr. Katherine King was the nun who interviewed me for my job. I had been ill that day but did not want to cancel such an important appointment. I arrived and she called me in. We talked and she continued to ask if I was alright. I could never be certain if she was looking to ascertain if I was truly OK or if I was up to the responsibilities of the job. We arranged to go into the City with Sr.Katherine and she accompanied us with the kids to the performance of "Cats."

There was recognition of a multi-cultural day one year and I helped the children prepare for a play we presented. The kids enacted roles of different persons who had arrived on the shores of America and I 'interviewed' each one to determine who they were and why they came to America. There was Mr. Datsun Nissan, Mr. Won Ton Soup, and Ms Inga Swenson, to name a few, representatives from Japan, China, and Scandinavia. It was a riot for the audience to see Black and Latino children who had memorized lines acting like individuals from other ethnic origins. I recall rehearssing for the play in the weeks before it was to be produced, and I would query the children on their lines in the oddest places - on the play ground, before dinner, as they rode bikes.

I provided the children a number of refurbished bicycles and helped (with Richard Royster!) keep them in a state of repair. We also built an ecologically sound playground, with the help of the greater community, from old tires, 6 X 6's and 12 X 12's, and old telephone poles. It stood between 71 Duryea and the old in-ground pool.

Thanks again for the memories.

Ken Adams

From: Sellers-Robinson, Beverly
Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2006
To: Nancy Canfield
Subject: St. Agatha's Home for Children - 1975

Dear Nancy,

Everytime I go to the Saint Agatha's website, I always hope to see someone that I knew while I was there and recognize a name. The one name that really seems familiar to me is Melinda Reyes. If this is the Melinda that I think it is, then she lived in the house with me.

It is funny that there is no mention of Cottage 150 that was on Convent Avenue. (I believe). There were approximately maybe 10 to 12 girls in that house and some of the names that I can remember are Michelle and Shiela Bobbit, Melinda Reyes, Myrna Betancourt, sisters named Dorea or Doreah and Grace, Nelly Rodgriguez, she had a sister named Vivian Rodgriguez and a girl name Cookie (I know that doesn't help much). The counselors there at that time that I can remember are James and Fred (They were brothers) Jim and Kevin, the cook was named Miss Virginia (A short woman who the girls loved so much...she was like our mother) a woman named Dee who actually took us to her home and taught us how to play backgammon. I know how to play today because of her.

I also remember there being a teen center and on Friday's we would go there and dance and have fun. This teen center was runned by a man named Donald Cooper. We had a talent show one evening where it was the girls of Cottage 150 against the girls at Depaul. I believe DePaul was a female cottage at that time. My first summer job was at St. Agatha's working with Donald Cooper. I am not remembering exactly what I did, but I remember receiving a paycheck. (Smile)

At night, we used to run around the grounds and have security chase us around campus. I know who Richard Royster is and he hasn't change much.

The school I went to was Nanuet High School, but I wasn't there for long before getting transfered to a group home in the Bronx in NYC.

I just wanted to pass my photo and some information along that I can remember. Maybe someone will remember those days.

Thanks,

Beverly Sellers-Robinson

To all my Nun's and home kids.
May God bless you all!

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all your prayer's. I don't know if I can finish this Email because it is so hard for me to explain. Anyway, I think I owe this email to all of you.

So sorry to say that Lisa left us last night. I stayed with her for the last two nights so her daughter wouldn't be alone. But thank all of you for your prayers; and let me tell all of you that Lisa's death was so beautiful. She didn't suffer and wasn't alone. There were a lot of people from her church there with us and they were singing hymns. Then Lisa started to breath little by little until she stoped breathing and left us. When they were singing Lisa was trying to sing too but she didn't have the strenth to sing. Her tears came out and we knew she understood everything that was going on. She just stoped breathing and left us. I am telling you guys all this, crying my head off, but we all know that she is with God and looking down at all of us.

Also, I want you to know that, all the email that I received from all of you, I went to the hospital one day with Eddie (Lisa's brother) and I read them to her and, yes, that did cheer her up. Especilly the home kid that wrote to me that had the red hair in those days. I forgot who it was but who ever it is and is reading this email let me tell you that Lisa put a real big smile on her face and said that she DID remember that girl.

Again, I thank you all so much and remember, each of you, that you have a home sis here in PR [Puerto Rico] that loves you all so much. My home family is so special to me. Take care all of you and thanks AGAIN and AGAIN !

Your home sister forever,

Blanca

NOTE: Lou is a St. Agnes Alumni But St. Agnes and St. Agatha websites are interlinked as were the institutions.

From: Nancy Canfield
To: David T. Feliciano
Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2004 9:41 AM
Subject: Question for you

Are there still children being cared for at St. Agnes? Lou DeBlasio wants to know.

I told you how he does not have a computer, and a friend looked up St. Agnes, and found my phone #. Probably on the website. Anyway, he lives not far from me, and we met, and have talked on the Phone. He was very young when he went to St. Agnes in 29 or 30 (could you see if his name is on the census?).

Anyway, yesterday, he drove to my house to drop off some of his prized avocadoes for me. I was out, so he left them with a note that said, "enjoy the Avocadoes."

When I got home, hours later, no-one was there, but the note was on my chair, where my husband left it between outings. The phone was ringing. It was Lou, did I get the avo's? They were nowhere to be found. While we were talking, my daughter came home and pleaded innocence. Likewise, my husband a little later. Lou hung up. We were all puzzled.

Then I looked at the note again. Below Lou's note, it said, "Nancy, thank you for the avocadoes." I carried it out and read it to my husband and daughter. The lightbulb popped on for all of us at once. The mailman mistook the avos, placed beneath the mailbox, as being for him. He is the one that wrote the thank you note, and is now enjoying the avos. After we got over that, the dilemma was, do we tell Lou the truth? I promised to call him with the solution to the mystery, but I thought the truth about his avos would be painful. I thought about fibbing, and telling him how great they were. Then decided the truth would be better.

He called a little later, and I told him. He was dismayed at first, then saw the humor in it. He promised to bring me the next batch, but call first!

He came back the next day with another bag of the biggest, best looking avos I've ever seen.

Nancy Canfield

FOOTNOTE: Monday, the mailman thanked me profusely for the avo's. When I told my neighbor the story, she said she often leaves little treats for him when she bakes, with a note, urging him to enjoy them. Small wonder he thought the avo's were his.