The gymnasium was built in an old aircraft hanger that was leftover from the Fourinier Institute. The playing surface
was actually raised up slightly off of the concrete floor that existed below. At each end of the gym were huge garage doors.
As I come across other information I will pass it along. Great site. I am always looking for information about St.
Vincent and was surprised I found it at your site."
"I attended St. Vincent's in the 60's and would have been in the class of 1968. After punching in the subject,
up comes the picture of the main building at the seminary. When I scrolled further, I was more than amazed to see the
photo of the basketball team. I enlarged the picture as best I could,(I am not really a big computer user, and almost
never use the internet) and was immediately flooded with memories of my time at St. Vincent's. I certainly recognized
most of the guys in the picture, and even though I could not really read their names, I pretty much knew who was who.
These guys were all in my class!
Of course I remembered Fr. Seghers. His nickname, almost all priests and most of the kids were
given nicknames, was Jet, or sometimes Jimmy Jet. His first name was James and the nickname, if I remember correctly,
came from the way he signed his initials that he put on the frequent notices he attached on the dormitory bulletin board.
Another priest who often left us notes was Fr. O'Brien. His nickname was R-job. This too from
his initials; R.J. O'b.. Richard J. O'Brien. My own nickname was Big John. Here I am almost 60
years old, I couldn't tell you what I had for breakfast today, but I know the nicknames of some people from over 40 years
ago.
My two years at St. Vincent's were just the best times any kid could have ever had. It was like having a couple
of hundred brothers. I vividly remember all of the buildings and the great priests and fellow seminarians. The
only reason I left was because I knew I really wasn't going to be a priest and I figured I was missing something better
by not going to a regular high school (GIRLS!!) Now I am a grandfather and realize that I could have at least stayed
on the full four years, had a great time, and not missed out on anything.
In the internet posting you asked for info on the seminary. I don't think there was any team names or anything.
When I was there, I don't even think we played too many other schools in any sports, We did have a great basketball
team that would play some other seminaries and I remember once we hosted a baseball game against, I think, Brother Rice High
School. What I do know is that the schools' colors were blue and white. We had a school song that mentioned those
colors but I don't remember all the words. The school's motto was "Prompt, Exact and Cheerful". All of the
students from Sophomore year on up wore a patch on the front of our blazer,
(received after enduring something called "patch day," the details of which I still feel duty bound to keep secret) that had
the motto spread out in a circle over the school emblem. This was in Latin, "Celeritas, Diligentia, Hilaritas".
My Latin is rusty, but I think that is correct.
The song had part that said "...glory to the blue, honor to the white...prompt, exact and cheerful, we hail St. Vincent
de Paul."
Anyway, I don't know who this note will reach. I hope it reaches someone. The internet article credited the
photo as coming from a Bernie Hannigan who had the picture in his yearbook (what I wouldn't give to
see that yearbook!). I didn't know a Bernie Hannigan but we (class of '68) had a Bernie O"Malley.
Bernard J. O"Malley, I still remember the laundry tags sown on all your underwear. I this is going
to him, Hi Bernie. As I remember, we just called you "O"Malley".
As I said, I'm not much of an internet user but I will absolutely keep checking my e-mails to see if I have gotten any
reply to this. And if anyone out there remembers me from St. Vincent's, I would love to hear from you. You were
all a great part of my life and I wish you all the best."
