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Rev. Leo Gerald O'Haire City of Troy |
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Rev. Leo Gerald O'Haire City of Troy |
Father O'Haire was born at Watervliet, New York, and is a son of Sylvester and Sarah (Cleary) O'Haire, of that community. He first attended St. Bridget's School, (Watervliet Academy), after which he entered St. Andrew's College, at Rochester, New York, from which he was graduated in due course. It was with the apostolic spirit so evident throughout his career that he entered St. Bernard's Seminary, in Rochester, from which he was graduated in the class of 1902. Ordained in the same year, his first appointment was as assistant at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, of Troy, the duties of which position he took up in June of that year. He had remarkable success in boy work and planned and built St. Joseph's Camp, at Crooked Lake, New York. He remained as assistant at St. Joseph's until the year 191 3, when he was appointed pastor of St. Patrick's Church, at Cohoes, New York. His work in that parish led the congregation through a period of spiritual and material progress covering about nine years, the most important of his material achievements being the building of the convent for the Sisters of Mercy, the enlarging of the school and rectory, and the erection of the Church of St. Leo's, a summer mission of St. Patrick's parish, and Dunsbach Ferry, in 191 5. In April, 1922, he was appointed to his present pastorate, the Sacred Hearth Church, of Troy. Taking up his duties here immediately. Father O'Haire found the great need of the people to be a new church edifice, and he plunged at once into the work of raising funds for its erection. The new church is already in course
of construction, although Father O'Haire has not yet been with this people for a year. Its beautiful design and stately, massive form reveal to the world a fitting house of worship for this prosperous and progressive congregation, and inspire the people of the parish to loftier attainments
in the spiritual life. A new parochial school, rectory and convent, in keeping with the beauty of the church, are also in course of erection, and with the beautifying of the grounds contemplated by Father O'Haire when the construction operations are completed, the property of the Sacred Heart Parish will be counted among the finest of the church properties of Rensselaer County.
REV. LEO GERALD O'HAIRE�In the work of the church in Rensselaer County, New York, Rev. Father O'Haire has for many years been a noteworthy figure, and his present activities as pastor of the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart, at Troy, New York, are doing much, not only for the parish and its people, but for the dignity and honor of the church in the community, and for the advancement of the general good. Devoted to his work, and gifted with the large administrative ability which counts so definitely for the welfare and progress of the parish, he is indeed a leader of the people and an apostle of the church.
