Allegany County Missions, 1970-72

Priest-in-Charge St. Philip's, Belmont, St. Paul's, Angelica, and Christ Church, Belvidere

The Rev. David Stanley had served this cure for 12 years before I arrived. He had the longest tenure of any priest in Allegany County, ever. He was a disabled war veteran who was faithful beyond measure. One parishoner told me that he used to call so often that people would hide when they saw him coming.

Christ Church, Belvidere only met for worship twice a year, once in the Spring and once in the Fall. Even though it had no heat, and no congregation we still had to prepare an annual report. Mr. Ernie Lyon was the churchwarden who arranged for the grass to be mowed. I still own a wooden screw and bolt he made for me, one of my most prized possesions.

One of the churchwardens at St. Phllip's, Belmont, Paul Brooks, who owned the liquor store and whose wife Pauline ran the beauty shop, was recently honored by the Diocese of Rochester for 53 years attendance at diocesan convention.

It was the custom in those days for the priest to teach released time church school on Wednesday afternoons. The children walked from school to church. It was good to get to know these children whose future was so very limited.

One year it fell to me to give the commencement speech at both high schools. My suggestion that the graduate's lives were beginning, not ending was not well received nor was it probably true.