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'Alumni' remember St. Vincent's

As published in the Catholic New World September 17-30, 2006   By Kerry Lester/Contributor

    St. Vincent DePaul is remembered around the world as the patron saint of charities, helping the impoverished and sick attain a better quality of life.

    In Chicago, the name "St. Vincent" carries special meaning.  St Vincent's Orphanage, located at 721 N. LaSalle St. from 1931-1972 touched thousands of lives forever.

    "For 16 years I missed nothing and I was never late," he joked.  "It was a wonderful place-we were able to help a lot of the children there."

    From 1931-1972, many young women came to work at the orphanage as part of a student-nursing program.  "We came out of there with a LPN-Licensed Practical Nurse in child care technicians," program alumna Kathleen Heenan said.

    Student nurses took up residence in close quarters on St. Vincent's fourth floor.

    "You could hear a number of different accents-they came from all over the Midwest," Coughlin said.

    Coughlin remembers instances where certain floors of the orphanage were quarantined due to chicken pox.  Often at its capacity of 200 children, "we tried to keep (germs) from spreading like wildfire," he said.

    Comparing St. Vincent's nurses to veterans of a war, "I will always remember how rough their hands were from washing them so much," he said.

    Many young women "had favorites-they instinctively doted on one child or another," Coughlin said.

    Though most children only stayed at St. Vincent's for a few months, "the girls truly made them feel loved," he said.

    After graduation, many student nurses went on to work in area hospitals.  "It was unbeatable practical experience," Heenan said.

    Heenan, along with program classmates Rita McKenna and Maureen Roches, authored "St. Vincent's: The Orphanage that Shined."

    "It is truly a living memory and testimony to the continued work of the archdiocese for babies, children and mothers at risk," she said.

    Many excerpts of the book can be found on St. Vincent's new Web site, www.stv721.org.

    "We're hoping many alumni will be able to add new stories about St. Vincent's (through the Web page)," she said.

    This year's Mass is another vital component in keeping St. Vincent's memory alive.

    "We hope to have a record number this year," Heenan said.

    The place, "forever changed those who passed through its doors.  It was the beginning of a life," she said.