Assistant Editor
When Our Lady of Hope Residence in Latham celebrated its 25th anniversary last weekend, 80-year-old Pat Schovah was celebrating right along with it.
"If you put a million dollars in my hand, I wouldn't want to leave," declared the 19-year resident of the home for the elderly, run by the Little Sisters of the Poor. "I'm in the house with Our Lord and the Blessed Sacrament, and I'm with the Little Sisters -- and a good group of residents!"
The massive brick edifice of Our Lady of Hope was the result of a 1976 merger of two homes for the elderly poor run by the Little Sisters: Our Lady of Hope in Albany, founded in 1871, and St. Vincent's Home in Troy, founded in 1873. Both buildings were in such poor repair that the order decided to build one new home rather than renovate them. It was a time when the Little Sisters were opening other homes in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well.
Moving day
Residents of the Albany and Troy homes were bused over to see it under construction, and "moving day" was a bustle of activity. A prayer written for the building's dedication asked God, "May Our Lady of Hope Residence and all who live and work within its walls be a `luminous yet discreet' sign of Your Kingdom."
Our Lady of Hope, said current superior Sister Maureen Weiss, LSP, was to be a place where "we meet [residents] at the threshold of our front door and prepare them for the threshold of eternity."
However, many of the hundreds of residents who have passed through the home's doors over the years soon decide they're not there just to die, after all.
"Within a month or two, they change their attitude," laughed community member Sister Genevieve Marie Lanahan, LSP. Between daily Vespers services and a host of activities, she said, residents find much to spark their interest.
Staying busy
That was certainly true for resident Mary Bove. Coming to Our Lady of Hope six years ago, she joined a daily "coffee klatch" of residents who gather to chat about everything from their families to Mrs. Bove's curly hair, the envy of her friends.
She told The Evangelist: "We're happy. I'll stay here until God calls me."
What makes Our Lady of Hope unique, said Sister Maureen, is that it's more than a nursing home -- it's a real home. Twelve Little Sisters live in the building, along with about 70 residents. Another 30 seniors participate in an adult daycare program.
"It's a beautiful, big building, but it became a home when people moved in," Sister Maureen said. "It's not an institution -- it's home; it's family."
She noted that Our Lady of Hope specifically serves not just the elderly, but the elderly poor. "They have to be poor enough," she said. "We're anxious to reach out to the poor, make them feel loved."
Celebration
The home's anniversary was marked with a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, with a homily by retired Bishop Edwin B. Broderick, who dedicated the home 25 years ago when he was bishop of the Albany Diocese. Residents wore corsages and hundreds of people gathered for an anniversary dinner.
Among the guests were two architects: Edward Toole, who originally designed the building, and Len Angerame, who is currently renovating it. The Little Sisters plan to add two more floors of independent-living apartments, welcoming another 32 residents.
"It's going to be beautiful, really homey!" Sister Maureen declared. "It's been in the plans for a few years. The need is there for care for the elderly poor."
Hope and peace
After the Mass, the home was rededicated to Our Lady of Hope. Sister Maureen noted that prayers for hope and peace are especially needed now, as the U.S. recovers from September's terrorist attacks and struggles with being at war.
The Little Sisters have concerns closer to home, she said: Vocations to the order have followed the national decline, and the number of religious living at Our Lady of Hope is half what it was 25 years ago. But the sisters have faith.
"There'll always be Little Sisters here," said Sister Maureen. "The whole theme of this [anniversary] is, `Witness to Hope.' We have to be witnesses to hope."
Besides, at a time when healthcare staff are difficult to find and harder to keep, Sister Maureen noted that many of Our Lady of Hope's staff have worked there for decades.
"They wouldn't be here," she remarked, "if they didn't really care."
(Part of Our Lady of Hope's anniversary celebration is a play: "Therese, The Story of a Soul," a drama written and produced by award-winning actor/director Leonardo Defilippis. It will be presented at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 or two for $25 for adults, $10 for clergy and religious, and $5 for children 18 and under. For information, call 356-3439 or 437-9737. To contact Our Lady of Hope Residence, call 785-4551.)