IN THIS ISSUE - McQuaid Jesuit High School

6
How the Carmelites came to McQuaid
Since McQuaid’s founding in 1954, the Jesuits and
Jesuit ideals have been at the forefront of a
McQuaid education, which is why so many
prospective families, alumni, and others often ask,
"How many priests are there these days?" It is
important to prospective families to see the Jesuits
present and for alumni, it’s important to see that
Jesuit educators are still present. But there is more
than one order of priests working at McQuaid. Since
1970, the Carmelites have had a presence within
McQuaid. How did they come to be at a Jesuit school,
founded in the Jesuit tradition?
Mount Carmel High School in Auburn, NY, opened
its doors in the fall of 1955. While mainly a
co-institutional high school, boys and girls did share
some classes. With 17 Carmelite priests and 15 Sisters
of St. Joseph among its faculty and staff, the school
was run as a mission of the Carmelites. In the spring
of 1970, however, the three area public schools
combined into a new state-of-the-art public school.
This led to a significant drop in enrollment for Mount
Carmel, forcing the provincial of the Carmelite order
for New York to close the school.
When the Most Rev. Joseph Hogan, Bishop of the
Diocese of Rochester at the time, received word that
Mount Carmel would be closing, he requested that
some of the Carmelites be allowed to stay within the
Diocese. The provincial agreed and sent six
Carmelites to Rochester: one to Bishop Kearney High
School, two to Nazareth Academy, two to McQuaid
Jesuit, and one to finish his sabbatical and then be
assigned to a location.
In the fall of 1970, Rev. Colman Logan, O. Carm., and
Rev. Daniel Lynch, O. Carm., became the first
non-Jesuit priests to teach and work at McQuaid
Jesuit. In the fall of 1971, McQuaid welcomed Rev.
Fr. Daniel Lynch
1970 - 1973
Carmelites
Fr. Colman Logan
1970 - 1975
Fr. Brian Murphy
1987 - 2001
Joseph DeMaio, O. Carm. who had recently finished
his sabbatical. Fr. Logan, an English teacher and
debate team coach, spent five years at McQuaid.
Fr. Lynch taught Math and Theology for three years
before departing. Fr. DeMaio has taught Latin,
French, and Theology and is still teaching at McQuaid
today. He is joined by Rev. Jack Healy, O. Carm.
Fr. Healy came to McQuaid in 1980, serving as a
Theology teacher. Rev. Brian Murphy, O. Carm.
joined the McQuaid faculty in 1987 as a Religion and
Latin teacher. He remained at McQuaid until 2001.
Fr. DeMaio and Fr. Healy are still present at
McQuaid.
The Carmelites date back to the 12th century and their
founding on Mount Carmel. Three main elements
characterize the Carmelites and their beliefs: prayer,
fraternity, and service/ministry. Prayer is at the heart
of their lives. In personal and communal prayer, the
Carmelites are united with Christ and transformed by
the Holy Spirit. Their belief in fraternity calls them to
a shared common life of prayer, work, and
relationships that challenge and strengthen them as
they strive to love and serve one another. Finally,
they believe that Christ calls them to witness to the
kingdom by caring for others through service and
ministry. Carmelites share a contemplative spirit and
thirst for the living God in the midst of the people.
Since 1970, the Jesuits and Carmelites have worked
together at McQuaid striving for the same goal, which
is a dedication to the Greater Glory of God. It is a
blessing for McQuaid to have the Carmelite presence,
and the school looks forward to many more years of
their presence and teachings.
So the next time someone asks how many priests are
at McQuaid, the correct answer as of this publication
is: five Jesuits and two Carmelites.
Fr. Joe DeMaio
1971 - Pres.
Fr. Jack Healy
1980 - Pres.