Syracuse landmark destroyed: ‘It was our Notre Dame’

Photos submitted by Sister Norise Kaiser

In 1864, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities purchased property located on the north side of Syracuse, where they worked and lived for 150 years. The property included Maria Regina College, St. Anthony’s Convent (built in 1896), and its chapel. Before the Motherhouse was built, the Sisters occupied two small houses on the site.

On Friday, March 21, a fire heavily damaged the fourth floor and part of the third floor of the historic Motherhouse. The building, designed by renowned architect Archimedes Russell, featured handcrafted fireplaces, high ceilings and ornate staircases. Handpainted murals depicting the lives of St. Francis and St. Claire graced the walls and added to the celestial atmosphere. Mosaics, created by Sister Francis Agnes Ryan, adorned the main hallway of the convent as well as the two altars in the chapel. The craftsmanship and artistic details reflected the superior work done by Russell throughout Syracuse.

Fr. Dan O’Hare: Father Dan O’Hara was on the scene at the fire. He serves as the Syracuse Fire Department’s chaplain. Photo submitted by Sister Norise Kaiser

Alumna reflection

Maria Regina Catholic Junior College for women was open from 1961 to 1988. After graduating from Bishop Ludden High School, Laura Broader Gorton attended Maria Regina, earning an associate’s degree in paralegal studies in 1984. “I was very sad to hear that the college and the campus, which was such a historic icon on the northside, was ravaged by fire,” she said. “Historic buildings are an important part of our history and religious buildings are especially noteworthy. They remind us to appreciate the beautiful architecture in Syracuse while providing a revered structure where the faithful join together to worship.”

‘Our Notre Dame’

Sister Norise Kaiser has been part of the Franciscan community for 63 years. She served as a teacher, principal and associate director of religious education across the U.S. and Hawaii. Sister also served as vice president for mission integration for the St. Francis Healthcare System in Hawaii and managed the Franciscan Community’s Pensione (bed and breakfast) in Rome, Italy.

Sister lives at Our Lady of Hope Convent, located across the street from the Maria Regina campus. “I first entered the front door of the Motherhouse in 1962,” she said. “I spent my postulancy and canonical novice year there and attended summer classes and annual retreats,” she said. As the fire raged, neighbors and fellow sisters came together to reflect and share memories of their connection to the campus.

Sister noted the parallel to the fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. “This was our Notre Dame,” she said. “It was a gathering place, a place of faith and a place of holiness. When the cupola and the cross fell into the fire, it brought back images of Notre Dame. Not just a visual and emotional connection, but all the things that Notre Dame stood for. That was what the St. Francis community stood for on the north side.”

A chapel, a shrine

The Convent chapel was used for daily Mass, celebrations and funerals. It also served for a time as home of the remains of Mother Marianne Cope, the Franciscan nun who was canonized a saint in 2012.

For decades, Sister Mary Laurence Hanley, OSF, director of Mother Marianne’s Cause, conducted exhaustive research, documenting and petitioning the Vatican for Mother Marianne to become a saint — all in the deepest recesses of the Motherhouse. She is credited with Mother Marianne’s elevation to sainthood.

Mother Marianne worked, lived and was buried on the Island of Molokai, Hawaii, where she and five other Franciscan sisters cared for leprosy (now known as Hansen’s Disease) patients for 30 years (1883 to 1918). In 2005, her remains were brought to Syracuse and enshrined at the Motherhouse. When the property was put up for sale in  2014, Mother Marianne’s remains were returned to Honolulu and are enshrined at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. First Class relics remain at the St. Marianne Cope Museum and Franciscan House locations.

End of an era

The Sisters put the property up for sale due to a steady decrease in the number of nuns joining the order. Developer Mark Congel purchased the property in 2015, with plans to turn the campus into affordable housing for senior citizens. For the past decade, the grounds have slowly deteriorated due to vagrancy, vandalism and neglect. Neighbors complained of the poor maintenance of the buildings, the unsafe conditions and the accumulation of garbage. While the other structures were saved, the Motherhouse will be demolished due to the severity of the damage. To date, plans are still in place to build affordable senior housing on the premises.

Hope for the future

“Rising from the ashes, there is hope for new life — as we await the construction of senior citizens housing,” said Sister Norise. There is an opportunity to continue to serve the people of our community in a new way.”