Remember St. Clare's

1950s - The First Decade

1950s | 1st Anniversary | Rev. Msgr. Keane | Photos | News Clips | Headlines

St. Clare’s was in its infancy. It was a dream come true for Schenectady and its citizens who had long awaited the birth of the new hospital. From the public’s perspective, all that happened within the hospital’s walls was newsworthy. The media obviously agreed.

From an article on the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague in the main lobby and features on the hospital’s religious sisters, to the social columns that showcased weddings, teas and luncheons - the references to St. Clare’s and those within its circle were seemingly endless.

It was a time of continued growth; the opening of a new pediatrics unit and the new convent and chapel; the introduction of a two-year school of X-ray technology, the region’s first glaucoma detection clinic.

Contained within the program booklet commemorating the first 10 years of St. Clare’s service to the community are these words:

Ten years ago, the people of Schenectady built this hospital... these building do not rest upon a foundation of cement and sand, but upon the solid rock of love and faith. This community monument is not held together by rivets of iron and bands of steel but by the embracing arms of mercy and understanding and unselfish devotion to God’s suffering children...There is a soft and tranquil beauty in its pastel colored walls and the hush of peace about its business of healing.

1950s | 1st Anniversary | Rev. Msgr. Keane | Photos | News Clips | Headlines