As the south tower was removed last August some long time parishioners mentioned an old urban legend that stated the school children, here at Corpus Christ, wrote letters, which were then encased in the cross on top of the church. It was true!! Well, the letters are now back on Terra Firma. Unfortunately, all those decades of being heaven bound, have exposed them to the elements. Their condition is very, very poor and the prospect of reconstruction is non-existent. Also accompanying the letters on their long wait for retrieval were trinkets and small Holy Images. Those too are in poor condition.
The weather wore away the copper and small fissures allowed water to seep onto those precious articles, then heat, cold and time took their toll. They arrived like a wet sponge. (And almost looked like that.) These items will be available for viewing at a later time. First they have to dry, and a protective cover has to be made so they can be moved safely.
Now, please say a prayer for the good Franciscan Sisters of Saint Joseph, and the individuals who wrote those letters. They were the founders of this parish and their hard work and dedication should never be forgotten.
Michael Schiske
Hi
When I heard that the tower was going to be removed,I said to my wife I remember
one of my teachers either Sister Mary Judith,or Sister Mary Emmaline back in
app.1970 told the class that there was a time capsule in the cross on the
tower.The children wrote letters of things that were going on back then.And
watching the news I see that there was a capsule.It amazed me then and it amazes
me now that it fascinated me at the age of 10 and now Im 51 and it still
fascinates me.
Michael Schiske
Corpus Christi Parishioners to Fill the Church Tower With Messages of Faith and Thanksgiving : : Corpus Christi Church – Historic Polonia – Buffalo, New York
[…] Images of the recently discovered documents can be viewed on by clicking here—> […]
tom chrosniak
sister judith was my aunt and i also remember this story.
Bernadette Hartsough
My great grandparents were some of the first members of Corpus Christi. One of the letters was most likely written by my grandfather, Antoni Panek, who was baptized there around 1903. What a treasure-too bad they are not preserved.