Chapel

it's such a shame that such lovely plaster work has been left to deteriorate. shameful shameful. lovely photo, i love the way the light plays on the colors.

The marble altars have all been smashed up as well.

must of been a beautiful place at one time

now THAT is a ceiling.

Here's a postcard showing how it looked at one time: http://www.jim-howe.com/goshen/property/

Jim H, thanks for the link. Seems hard to believe that such a beautiful building could quickly fall apart as quickly as it did.

EXCELLENT LINK, JIM H. THANKS!

far right seat of the front row was where I sat when my folks dropped me off in Sept. '63...I think they started vespers around 5ish...half-way into the service, I began blubbering like a baby...I was homesick. MY class had 61 members, but quickly dropped to 60, when on prospective student just took one look, and left!

Great link! Thanks Jim H!

Jim H, that is great!

Looks like they took out the altar too.

Hey Terry Donovan. If you got there in 63 It looks like you were a student here when another boy died in a fall from the tower. What were the rumors that undoubtedly ran through the students at the time? Wnat are your own opinions?

Also, if you know, why was the boy on the property in August? A little bit before the school term, no?

I am a teacher at a Salesian school and want to know why the school was closed. What beautiful details and property! Its upsetting to see it abandoned.

The school closed because of the decline in interest in the priesthood. This school was a Junior Seminary for those who were thinking about becoming priests. I was there in 76 and 77.

It was a high school seminary from 1961 until 1985 (when the enrollment was so low it was impossible to continue), after which it became a retreat center, mostly for youth retreats. The retreat center continued for only a few years. Salesians already run a very successful retreat center in West Haverstraw, NY.

its still beautiful to look at. Would love to restore it

Beautiful room! Sad to see how much it's deteriorated since the time the picture-postcard in that link was taken, though...

It's a beautiful shot but sad, too. I can't even describe what I'm feeling; looking at this picture.

What a treat to see what it really looked like.

...and what a treat to have lived, studied and even taught there between 1961 and 1977

John Black,
I was a student there in 68 and 69.The child who fell or was pushed off the roof was not a student but a summer camper.The case remains open and if you look at some links on other sites you'll see that there is still some interest in solving the mystery

John,
Also the boy fell off the roof of the dormitory
which had an entranceway from the dorm itself
He did not fall from the tower.

This pic looks like a painting

This reminds me of the theater in "A Clockwork Orange."

I served many Masses there, as an altar boy in 1952 -1954...It was a special place for me as a young boy. Edward Hannan , Pasadena, Ca. Email: sraheen @earthlink.net

when I visited the ruins in 1994 the two side altars were reduced by a sledge hammer to two huge piles of rock left on the chapel floor.The main altar was spotted by an alert non SDB priest who had it professionally removed and relocated to a very large parish where it tis now the main altar. This Salesian property was sold at a tax auction sale due to horrendous mismanagement by the Salesians.

the most haunted area IN this place by far! just walking in you don't feel right...

where is that chapel located on the property?

For Jim H.....Thanks for the refer to the photos of what the place used to look like. The chapel was beautiful! It's a custom that when a church closes the pews and religious artifacts are donated to parishes either renovating existing facilities or building new ones. I hope the materials from Salesian found suitable homes.

I have the honor of being in the last graduating class in 1985. I cannot believe what has happened to the school building. Lots and lots of memories. I was sacristan of this chapel, incharge of upkeep, cleaning and Mass prep. Breaks my heart to see it!

Just though I'd mention, that link now has a link back to this gallery.
:D

It's sad to see how much the chapel has deteriorated.

What a shame,,I cant believe that this is still the same chapel that we used to pray in. I was in the very last group of students to attend Salesian as a minor seminary..we left in December 1985..never to return. The school was closed sometime after. I was given a statue of St. Aloysius..my confirmation patron by Fr. Frank Kelley..was a great priest..I dont even know if he is still alive, but that statue is still with me and I will always remember the time I spent at Salesian!!

I was a camper there in 1960 and 1961.Learned to be an altar boy in this chapel. I remember sitting on the altar while the priest gave the sermon on a hot August Sunday and looking out the back doors to the gardens outside and the sunshine..how sad.

What a great site. Love to look at old churchs and church institutions. Glad the main altar made it out, sad aboutt he other two. Thanks all for sharing your memories. Any other sites like this one email me ilionstribe@aol.com

I have a picture of the alter with the crucifix and stable and part of the Blessed Mother, taken in 1975. My husband Michael and I visited the
school during our honeymoon.

To Jim (7/19/08) : I hope the holy artifacts went to other chapels, but the pews are dismantled and stacked against a wall. Not sure if it's all of them and whether or not they were taken apart or just fell apart/broken.

The link by Jim H is great, I never got to see the mansion standing, only parts of the foundation walls in what is now the park. But I've been inside the school building and chapel and it's a horrible mess. I wish kids didn't feel the need to destroy old things just because it's abandoned. There were still shelves full of books in one room that are now strewn across the floor.

@Heidi-I agree with you; it's a shame that people go in and vandalise abandoned buildings. It takes away the natural beauty of decay and betina. I especially despise the profane graffiti that exists on some of the walls.

Yes they had horses all the years I went there! I was in the National riffle Association at the range to the right of the tower when coming out of the main building there and got to Bar Three Sharpshooter. I was the best swimmer there in 1976 and also one of the best archers,we did a lot of arts & crafts in the cantina that red open air building going toward the lake. we use to change into our swim trunks in the old buses near the lake and have sleep outs with a camp fire there! On that Site that I got the picture they say they are tearing down all the buildings to build something and that its haunted! I just had a bad night trying to sleep after thinking about where I was an alter boy had swastikas painted on the chapel walls!

On Feb 7, 2011, at 6:25 AM, KEVMC44@aol.com wrote:


hi Mario, I read the comment you wrote about Camp Salesian
I never realized how weird the history was for the Goshen Camp, I was a camper from 69-76 at least 6 weeks! When Nixon resigned we heard it over that horn on the tower!<salesian tower 2.jpg>

Kevin McHugh
516 384-6517 cell
kevmc44@aol.com


=

It was an honor to have attended such fine school. I spent four glorious years as a student and learned so much. I was in charge of the chapel in my senior year, it was a beautiful place. The tapestrys on the ceilings were beautiful. St. Michael the Archangel was above the alter it was huge and gorgeous. When I retired from the Marine Corps I went to visit, I cried!

Jim Foley, you and I were there at the same time, and we also both retired from the Marine Corps as well. Semper fi, it would be great to hear from you. Terrence

This chapel was so beautiful, I used to go to mass here on Christmas eve and have cookies in the mansion. It was one of the most beautiful artworks you can think of, like a mini cistine chapel.
I was born in 1967 and lived in a house bordering the property on Coleman road and my mom worked here. My dad died when I was 8 and so this was where I went after being in St. John's for school I would come here afterschool as my mom worked there in the office in the mansion.
I will never forget this place some of my best memories of childhood are here. I was here like all the time from when I was 8 - 12 years and then I graduated Burke in 1985 so I didn't know this happened.
So sad.
Katherine Cadgene

Sad when these places are left to deteriorate.

When I was a seminarian there in the late 1960s, one of my most peaceful places was this chapel. During the Christmas holidays, the chapel was decorated in simple yet seasonally ornate regalia, making it extra special.

It breaks my heart to see the chapel in such a state ...

Hi James Foley, Terrence Oneill. I don't know if you guys remember me i was a freshman and sophmore, you guys were sophmores and juniors when I was there. I left and went to another salesian school midway into my sophmore year. i quickly lost contact with my classmates. I've read a lot about things that happened after i left on line. You might remember tall John Fitzgibbons. He told me some things. and i read about Father Mcormick. i have occasional random dreams about my good memories there. i Too am a retired military man. is it coincidense?

After the altar was destroyed, bricks of marble were strewn about. I have one at the entrance to my home's back walkway because I know it is blessed!!. Also walking in side the building and near the chapel after the place was in shambles, i found a small plastic manger in perfect shape on the floor. I grabbed it and know it is also a sacred item from the chapel from this wonderous place. I live in Goshen and walk here frequently in prayer.