[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 11, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  FIXTURE AMONG SCHUYLERVILLE CATHOLICS, REV. WILLIAM LeMOYNE RETIRES

                                 ______


                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 11, 1994

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, for many generations of Catholics in 
Schuylerville, NY, the Rev. William F. LeMoyne was the only priest they 
ever knew.
  Father LeMoyne has retired after 45 years in the priesthood. They are 
many things I could say about him, but they are already expressed much 
better in an article from my hometown newspaper, the Glens Falls Post-
Star. I place that article in today's Record.

                    [From the Glens Falls Post-Star]

   Schuylerville Says Goodbye to a Local Legend--The Rev. William F. 
           LeMoyne Retires After Decades of Clerical Service

                          (By Matthew Crowley)

       Schuylerville.--The town of Schuylerville gathered together 
     to say goodbye to a local legend last week, the Rev. William 
     F. LeMoyne.
       For two decades LeMoyne had stood behind the lectern at the 
     Notre Dame de Lourdes Visitation Church. Last Sunday, he 
     retired, ending 45 years of clerical service. More than 1,000 
     people attended special Masses and get-togethers in his 
     honor.
       LeMoyne, a French Canadian, grew up in Quebec, but he moved 
     to the northeastern United States for his pastoral training. 
     He attended Andrew's Minor Seminary in Rochester and ventured 
     to Mount St. Mary's in Emmitsburg, Md., before moving to the 
     Capital District in 1949. That year, he was ordained in 
     Albany's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
       LeMoyne then began developing his long local roots. He 
     served briefly at St. Luke's Church and St. John the 
     Evangelist Church in Schenectady before moving to Troy to 
     serve at St. Patrick's. He stayed there for nine years.
       Before moving to Schuylerville, LeMoyne served 5\1/2\ years 
     as the Roman Catholic chaplain at St. Peter's Church in 
     Albany.
       Many of Schuylerville's civic organizations, including the 
     fire department and General Schuyler Emergency Squad, joined 
     the farewell celebration with the American Legion, Ladies of 
     St. Anne-St. Rose Society, the Knights of Columbus, the 
     Catholic Daughters of America and the Greater Schuylerville 
     Youth Program.
       The village of Saratoga joined the villages of 
     Schuylerville and Victory in celebrating LeMoyne's 
     retirement. All three places declared April 30 ``Father 
     LeMoyne Day.''
       Since his ordination in 1949, LeMoyne has lived through 10 
     presidential administrations, men on the moon, the advent of 
     television and the arrival of personal computers. The 
     Catholic Church has tackled interrical marriage, 
     homosexuality, abortion and AIDS.
       The world may have swiveled around him, but LeMoyne said he 
     stayed--cheerful and unchanged.
       ``Things started changing virtually after I was ordained,'' 
     LeMoyne quipped. ``When I started, mixed-marriages couples 
     had to get married in the rectory. Then they changed things 
     so they could get married in the church. Then Vatican '65 
     came along and changed everything.''
       Vatican '65 the second Vatican Council organized by Pope 
     John XXIII, ran from 1959 to 1962. The council completed work 
     in 1965.
       Several decrees came from the council, including the 
     ``Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,'' which 
     counterbalanced previously monarchical papal power by 
     recognizing church hierarchy and granting bishops more 
     individual power.
       Another change, the ``Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,'' 
     established a greater role for laypeople, calling for them to 
     participate in Mass celebration.
       Vatican II also established ``The Pastoral Constitution on 
     the Church in the World of Today,'' which acknowledged 
     humanity's profound changes and tried relating the Church's 
     concept of itself to contemporary culture's needs and values.
       Though the church changed, LeMoyne didn't. Those who have 
     known LeMoyne for years say the priest remained open to 
     everyone.
       ``He has always been a man for all people, a man of 
     ecumenical philosophies,'' said longtime parishioner Lorraine 
     Thompson. ``I can never remember a time when someone asked 
     him to do something and he said no.''
       LeMoyne's openness, Thompson said, helped the church 
     establish a Youth Ministry and other programs.
       ``Father LeMoyne is easy to rally around. Whatever you can 
     do to help the parish is all he asks for,'' said Rolland 
     Fontaine, who's known LeMoyne for 30 years. ``He understands 
     people have talents and limits. He accepts that. And he's 
     certainly kept up with the changing times.
       ``He's open to everyone--young people, middle-aged people, 
     older people,'' Fontaine added. ``He's unpretentious.''
       LeMoyne said people are people, all deserving of love and 
     attention.
       Jim Clifford, an eight-year Notre Dame parishioner noted 
     the town, not only the church, loved LeMoyne. Several people 
     who weren't Catholic or churchgoers came to Sunday's special 
     reception.
       ``You can count on him the ways you can count on a mother's 
     love,'' said Chuck Cadwallader, who has known LeMoyne for 
     three decades. ``He's a wonderful, gracious man, a perfect 
     gentleman. Everyone in town knows him. He's always been 
     here.''
       A generation of Schuylervillians has grown up and started 
     families knowing no priest other than LeMoyne, said Jim 
     Clifford. He conducted their marriage ceremonies. He 
     christened their children.
       Although so many people know him, LeMoyne can remember 
     names and faces. Fontaine said LeMoyne always remembers to 
     speak French with him. LeMoyne spoke French before he could 
     speak English.
       Kindness and openness can carry people a long way. But 
     parishioners say LeMoyne has other important qualities.
       ``He's kept the parish running on all levels,'' Fontaine 
     said, ``especially as a spiritual leader of the people. He 
     gets people involved. He has community members acting as 
     lectors, children involved in youth ministry.''
       Bob Farell, a longtime Notre Dame parishioner, said LeMoyne 
     speaks to people with wit and whimsy. Delivering messages is 
     easier when people can laugh.
       ``He gets to the point and says a lot in not many words,'' 
     Farrell said, ``He has a nice, easy way of saying things.''
       For priests, retiring is relatively new, LeMoyne said. Like 
     Supreme Court justices, they served for life.
       ``Priests used to die with their boots on,'' he said 
     ``Retiring was unheard of. And the first priests who retired 
     didn't like the sound of it at all. But I have no doubts 
     about it.''
       Although LeMoyne said he welcomed retirement, he couldn't 
     have imagined himself doing anything else or quitting any 
     sooner.
       ``This is my calling in life,'' he said. ``I've been doing 
     this 45 years, and I'd be in trouble if I didn't like it.''
       This Sunday, church will seem different for Notre Dame's 
     parishioners. A new priest will take LeMoyne's place behind 
     the lectern.
       Fontaine and others say LeMoyne has cleared his successor's 
     path.
       ``Father really wants the new person to put both feet on 
     the ground and make the adjustments he needs to make,'' he 
     said. ``It will be an adjustment, but I think we'll both make 
     the adjustment, the priest and us as a parish.''
       The parish can best ease LeMoyne into retirement by 
     welcoming the new priest, Cadwallader said.
       ``He has talked to us all about the transition,'' he said. 
     ``He wants us to give the new person a chance. He doesn't 
     want to hear us say, ``Father LeMoyne wouldn't do that.'''

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