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ONE HUI^TDRED YEARS OF PROGRESS 5 A GRAPHIC, HISTORICAL AND PICTORIAL ACCOUNT OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND: ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
James S« Sullivan, M. D,, ed.
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRP^R'^
Boston & Portland Illustrated Publishing Company- Henry O'Brien 1895
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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
VERY REV. WILLIAM BYRNE, D. D., V. G.
BOSTON puinc immm
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. 17
contents upon him. His Grace may be deeply moved and yet not give outward expression to his emotion. On this occasion, however, he yielded to it in a way that revealed an intenseness of feeling not generally expected. It was characteristic of his unselfish nature that, joyful though the occasion was, the expression should take the form of indignation for hurt inflicted upon the most defenseless of his assistants. This was manifested in his speech made at the reception given him by the Boston Catholic Union, and which next day thrilled the city. Referring to the anti-Catholic demonstrations evoked by the protest of a priest against the teaching of false history in the public schools, he said among other things: "It is not the accusations that were made against us, not the revilings even, not even the insults that I find fault with, but the attacks which were made on the virtue of our ladies in religious societies. The revilers attacked the clergy, but to that we were less sensiti\^, because we are men. But when they attacked women who had devoted their lives to virginity, spouses of Christ, and kept up the attack ; when placards were placed on our walls and not torn down- by the authorities of the city — then it was almost time to resent the injuries. And yet, you remained quiet. F<5r 'tliis I gi\-e you credit, and for this I am proud to-day. It was a time, indeed, for every one to mutter..arfcl gnash Ijis teeth as he went through the streets. For myself I knew that the trouble came not from the l^etter part of , the coramimity. It was only a storm that was passing over. What affected'me most- — and I will give- vent to jt to-night^ was not the insults, nor the accusations, nor the revilings, but I was ashamed for Bosto'ri that air this did not com- mence with those who expressed them openly, but came in cold blood from hidden leaders for political effect." "In the twenty-five years preceding this celebration, missions of more or less importance were established by the Redemptorists, Marists, Franciscan, Oblate, and Augustinian Fathers. There were introduced, for the teaching of schools and the care of asylums and hospitals, the Xaverian Brothers, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, Sisters (If St. Joseph, School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, the Gray Nuns of Montreal, Halifax Sisters of Charity, Madison Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Providence, Sisters of the Third Order of St. Dominic, Sisters of St. Anne, School Sisters of the Good Shepherd, and the Montreal Brothers of Charity.. Immediately after the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, parochial schools began to multiply at a ratithat gave a phenomenal increase. Perhaps the most important institution established w.is that of St. John's Tl5i::,ological Seminary at Brighton, founded in 1884. According to the Catholic Directories of the present year theriL^'-e now 176 churches, 400 priests, 99 parochial schools, 7 female academies, 3 colleges, i theological seminary,^'33,ooo pupils in Catholic schools, 122 ecclesiastical students, 10 orphan asylums with 1,000 orphans, and 7 hospitals, while the Catholic population is about 575,000.
In the Ecclesiastical Province of Boston, which includes the whole of New England, on the territory which first comprised the Diocese of Boston, there are now, to quote the same authority : i Archbishop, 8 Bishops, 1,150 priests, 287 seminaries, 738 churches, 154 chapels and stations, i theological seminary, :^o academies, 296 parochial schools, 55 charitable institutions, 98,260 pupils in parochial schools, and the Catholic population is estimated at 1,363,000 souls. "^
AUXILIARY BISHOP OF THE ARCHDIOCESE.
Bishop Br#y was born in the County Cavan, Ireland. Having completed his studies for the priesthood at All-HalloweS College, Dublin, he received Holy Orders in 1S65. The field of his mission was the Diocese of Boston. On arriving here he was assigned as curate at St. Vincent's Church, on Fort Hill.i Not long after, he was transferred to Newburyport, where he was when called to the pastoral charge of Amesbury in 1868. He served in this capacity for twenty-three years. In that time he replaced the little wooden structure that had been used as a house of worship by a fine brick church, capable of seating 1,200 persons; he built a brick school-house where the Catholic children of the parish have been receiving a grammar and high-school education; he built a convent for the teachers, the Sisters of St. Joseph; and last of all he erected a comfortable rectory. Father Brady had been permanent rector three years when he was elevated to the episcopate. He was consecrated in the Cathedral of Holy Cross, Boston, August 5, 1891. At the ceremonies His Grace, Arch-
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. 19
bishop Williams, was the consecrator, with Bishop O'Reilly, of Springfield, and Bishop Harkins, of Providence, as assistants; Very Rev. William Byrne, D. D., V. G., was assistant priest; Rev. Thomas H. Shahan and Rev. Joseph H. Gallagher were deacons of honor to the Archbishop; Rev. Denis O'Callaghan and Rev. M. T. MacManus, deacons of the Mass; Rev. James Talbot, D. D., master of ceremonies; and the sermon was preached by Bishop Bradley of Manchester. Besides the prelates and clergymen already mentioned, Bishop de Goesbriand, of Burlington, and about 200 priests were present in the sanctuary.
VICAR- GENERAL OF THE ARCHDIOCESE.
The Very Rev. William Byrne, D. D., is the present vicar-general. High executive ability has distin- guished the performance of his official duties. He was born in 1835, in Kilmessan, County Meath, Ireland, not far from the birthplace of the late John Boyle O'Reilly. He came to this country at the age of nineteen, and had engaged in teaching a school near Baltimore, when, urged by a feeling that his true calling was the priesthood, he threw up all to prepare for that. His theological studies were made at Mount St. Mary's College, Emmittsburg, and he was ordained priest for Boston, December 31, 1864. For some time before his ordination and after it he was professor of mathematics and Greek in the college. He was called to Boston late in 1865. In the following year he was appointed chancellor of the diocese. He was assigned to the pastoral charge of St. Mary's Parish, Charlestown, in 1874. In this capacity it fell to his lot, June 6, 1875, to be the first Catholic priest permitted to hold divine service in the Charlestown State Prison. Upon the death of Father Lyndon, in 1878, Father Byrne was appointed to the office of vicar-general. Appealed to in behalf of Mount St. Mary's College, whose affairs had fallen into disorder, he accepted the presidency of that institution in 1880, and in three years succeeded in placing it upon the stable footing it has since maintained. Pie received the degree of Doctor of Divinity, in 1880, from Georgetown College. On returning to Boston he went to the Cathedral, where he acted as administrator of the Archdiocese during the absence of the Arch- bishop, until February i, 1884, when he was appointed pastor of St. Joseph's, West End. He served in the same capacity in 1S87, and represented the Archbishop in Rome at the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Pope Leo XIII., in 1888. As a writer, the vicar-general is master of a terse, clear style. Among his productions are the account of the Catholic Church in Boston in the Memorial History of Boston; his recent book on "Catholic Doctrine," which has received commendation from the highest authorities in the country, and articles contributed to Donahot s Magazine on the school question and other topics.
CHANCELLOR OF THE ARCHDIOCESE.
The office of chancellor of the diocese has been filled with marked ability by the Rev. Richard Neagle since July, 1886. Previous to his appointment he had spent nine years as assistant at St. Mary's Church, Charlestown. Born July 19, 1854, at Bradford, Mass., and graduated at Holy Cross College, Worcester, when nineteen years old, he was ordained priest, at St. Joseph's Seminary of Troy, by Cardinal McCloskey in May, 1877. He is the spiritual director of the Young Ladies' Charitable Association, of Boston, an organization that has become remarkable for the large amount of good it has accomplished in the few years of its existence. In 1891 he spent several months visiting in Europe and the Holy Land.
20 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
REV. RICHARD NEAGLE, Chancellor Archdiocese of Bosto
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
Catbebral of tbe IfJol^ Cross.
T the close of the RevoUition, a few Spaniards and Frenchmen, with thirty Irishmen, comprised the Catholic community of Boston. Abbe Claude Florent Bouchard de la Poterie, an ex-chaplain of the French fleet, formed them into a congregation. Having procured authority from the Rt. Rev. John Carrolh Bishop of Baltimore, it is alleged that he offered his first Mass in the residence of a Mr. Baury, on Green Street. In lygo a little Huguenot meeting- house on School Street was hired. After making some alterations in it, and naming it the Church of the Holy Cross, Abbe Poterie celebrated in it the first public Mass, November 2, 1788. The Abbe, who left for the West Indies, was succeeded in 1790 by the Rev. L. Rousselet, or Roussclot, as Mr. John Gilmary Shea calls him, also a French priest. Tliis clergyman did not remain long as, by Bishop Carroll's appointment, the Rev. John Thayer took charge of the New England mission June 10, 1790.
The lot on which the Huguenot Church was erected was bought in 1704, for "one hundred and ten pounds current silver money of New England," on which "to erect and build a church for the French conTeoation." It was situated about midway between the present site of the Parker House and Washington Street; the dimensions of the lot being 43^^- feet on " School House Lane," as School Street was then called, 36 feet on the side towards what is now Washington Street, 88^- feet on the side towards Tremont Street, and 35^ feet on the rear line. The small brick church was not erected for about ten years from date of purchase of the land. In 1748, the congregation had dwindled down to about seven male communicants, and was then sold to the trustees of a new Congregational Church for "three thousand
pounds of good bills." This society continued to use the Q CZJ^ ^ /Ij n0
building for a meeting-house for some years, when it was Q^'Vi^ J^<^'*^'^^^ sold to private parties who leased it to Father Thayer. C/
During the year 1791 Dr. Carroll paid a visit to Boston and was most cordially received and entertained, as would appear from a letter he sent to Governor Hancock after his return to Baltimore. This letter is dated August 28, 1791, and in it Dr. Carroll warmly e.xpresses his gratitude to the Governor and his lady, also to Mrs. Jaffray, Mr. Sheriff and his sister, the Rev. Mr. Thatcher, and Judge Sullivan for their civilities and politeness.
Father Tha}'er w.is the first Enghsh speaking pastor, and is regarded by some authorities as the first legitimate pastor of the Church of the Holy Cross. He was a convert to Catholicity. Born in Boston, of Protestant parents, he was brought up in all the prevailing misconceptions of the Catholic Church and its followers. After serving two years in Boston as a Congregationalist minister, he yielded to a secret desire to travel by going to Europe in 1 78 1 . His stay in France and Italy disabused him of his misconceptions. In Rome, he made a study of the Catholic religion, as he might have of the Koran, had he been in Constantinople. To do this the more completely, he obtained the assistance of a Jesuit Father and an Augustinian Friar. His investigation ended in convincing him that only the Catholic Church taught the true religion of Christ. In Rome, on May 25, 1783, he publicly abjured Protestanism and announced his purpose to enter the Catholic Church. Subsequently, deciding to become a priest, he studied at the College of St. Sulpice, in Paris, and in due time was admitted to Holy Orders.
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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS,
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. 23
On entering upon his pastoral duties in Boston, in tlie year 1790, lie found that tlie number of his flock did not exceed one hundred. In order to secure himself and them from possible molestation, he made it his first care to procure a lease of the School Street building. Then he took up his missionary work with enthusiasm. He made special efforts to convert his Protestant fellow countrymen. Through the newspapers, he offered to preach on the evenings of week days in any of the neighboring towns, provided a room or hall was furnished him for the purpose. Also, in the month of January, 179 1, he began a course of controversial lectures in the School Street Church, delivering two each week, for the benefit of the same people. Numbers of Protestants went to hear him and many conversions resulted, but considerable antagonism was aroused.
On August 20, 1792, he received from Bishop Carroll an assistant, in the person of the Rev. Francis Anthony Matignon, D. D. Dr. Matignon was one of four distinguished clergymen who, driven from France by
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the Revolution, landed in Baltimore June 24, 1792. He laad been Regius Professor of Divinity in the College of Navarre. Born in Paris, November 10, 1753, his youth was devoted to study and the practices of religion. Having completed the course of St. Sulpice, and taken the degree of Doctor of Divinity, he was ordained priest September 10, 1778. He has been described as an accomplished Christian gentleman. Constantly studying the wants and anticipating the wishes of all he knew, he was a scholar of wide range, and was gifted with a sound judgment and a rich imagination. He was just the sort of man needed to relieve the tension of the situation in Boston at that time. His learning and piety caused him to be widely respected, while his unfailing courtesy, gentleness, and patience disarmed hostility. His assistance enabled Father Thayer to carry the gospel to other parts of New England.
In 1799 Bishop Carroll found it necessary to send Father Thayer to Kentucky. While engaged in this mission he conceived the plan of establishing a convent school for girls, such as he had often seen in Europe, in his native city. To collect funds for this object, with the permission of the Bishop, he went to Europe a few years later. In Limerick, Ireland, death put an end to his pious work, February 15, 1815. His project had been condemned as foolish and impracticable, but he was able to bequeath Dr. Matignon from eight to ten thousand dollars with which to begin its execution.
Dr. Matignon succeeded Father Thayer in the charge of the New England mission. The Rev. John
Cheverus, who had been recalled from Maine a short time before, was his assistant. The united labors of
these two ideal priests were rewarded with the happiest results. Not the least gratifying of these was the
allayment of the animosity which many of their Protestant neighbors had come to entertain against the
^atholics again.
Another of these results was the increase of the congregation to such a number as to make apparent the need of a larger place of worship in the near future, the Catholic population at this time being estimated at 1,300. The lease of the church on School Street was about to expire, and they had to decide whether to renew the lease or select another place. Under these circumstances a suggestion to build a church was favorably received. At a meeting held in the church on Sunday, March 31, 1799, Don Juan Stoughton, the Spanish Consul, John Magner, Michael Burns, John Duggan, Patrick Campbell, Owen Callaghan, and Edmund Connor were appointed a committee to consider the matter, and report at another meeting to be held on the following Sunday. At the second meeting, in accordance with the committee's report, there was opened a subscription list, which, by a preamble, bound each signer to pay half the sum promised immediately, and the other half within six months from that time. In this way, after a few days, $3,202 was pledged by 212 persons. This was a large sum for people in the circumstances of these pioneer Catholics. It surpassed expectation and greatly encouraged the promoters of the enterprise. So great was the zeal awakened, that some of the poorest members of the congregation gave all the money they had, while others promised to contribute half their earnings by monthly payments until the object was attained.
Contributions poured in steadily after this. The project seems to have awakened general interest in Boston. About 140 persons of Protestant creeds, headed by John Adams, President of the United States,
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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
25
sent in donations. Also, from the South, came more subscriptions, in response to Dr. Matignon's appeal. The total amount collected before the building was finished was $16,153.52. Protestants contributed $3,433.00 of this sum. Of the remainder, $10,771.69 was given by members of the congregation, and $1,948.83 by other Catholics. At another meeting, held. October 28, 1799, it was decided to buy from the Boston Theatre Corporation a lot situated at the foot of Franklin Square, as a site for the proposed church, for $2,500. This done, the property was made over to P)ishop Carroll and Dr. Matignon in trust for the congregation. The plans of the church were gratuftously furnished by James Bulfinch, who also superintended the erection with- out remuneration. Subsequently, in testimony of their gratitude, the congregation presented Mr. l-julfinch with a beautiful silver urn valued at $165.
(jround w.\s broken for the foundation of the church on St. l^atrick's Day, in the year 1800. More than three years elapsed before it was ready for dedication. 'J'he ceremony was performed September 29, 1S03, by IJishop Car- roll, assisted by Dr. Matignon, Father Cheverus, and two other priests. Having robed in the house of the Spanish Consul, on Franklin Square, they went in ]irocession to the cliurch, attended by a few acolytes. Here a large assemblage, partly drawn by curiosity and partly by devotion, awaited them. The building was blessed in con- formity with the prescribed forms, under the name of the Church of the Holy Cross. Then followed a Pontifical High Mass, also celebrated by Bishop Carroll, and Father Cheverus preached an appropriate sermon. The collection taken up on this occasion amounted to $286.
The church was a brick structure of Ionic design, built over a stone basement, and meas- ured 60 feet front by 80 feet depth. Besides a gallery for the choir, it had one running along- each side for the use of worshipers. Prominent among the interior furnishings was a striking altar-piece, representing the crucifixion, painted by Lawrence Sargent, a Boston artist of that day. A bell was presented to the church, some time later, by General Hasket Derby, a Protestant, and grandf.ither of the present Dr. Hasket Derby, the well known Boston oculist. The total cost of the church was $20,000.
When New England was constituted the Diocese of Boston in iSoS, it was by Dr. Matignon's request that
his assistant, Father Cheverus, was made Bishop, so little influence with him had mere considerations of self.
O ^ /^ „ Te'i years later, on September 19, after having
■+- ia^Lx^ /^>W^ ^, ^ ^^^-$ labored unremittingly in the New England mission
tx *'*''*'Xi»-c,t^ ^V.« t-" •* / for twenty-six years, he passed to his reward. His
body was first taken to the Granary burying-ground and deposited in the vault of John Magner. Soon after Bishop Cheverus purchased the land for St. Augustine's Cemetery. After it was prepared for its purpose and dedicated he had the remains of his friend re-interred there. They now rest in a vault within the little Mortuary Chapel near the altar, and a memorial tablet, set in the w.ill on the epistle side, bears eloquent testi- mony in gilded lettering to the respect and affection in which he had been held by Bishop and people.
The Rev, William Taylor was the next clergyman of note who served as pastor of the Cathedral. Bishop Cheverus, who had previously appointed Father Taylor his vicar-general, when leaving for France in 1823, entrusted the affairs of the diocese to his administration. Upon the arrival of Bishop Fenwick, Father Taylor
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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOvSTON. 27
resigned with tlie purpose of going to Europe. This left the Rev. Patrick Byrne the only priest at the Cathedral.
The enlargement of the Cathedral was one of the first objects to receive Bishop Fenwick's attention. With the exception of St. Augustine's Mortuary Chapel in South Boston, there was no other place of worship within the city limits. The congregation had largely increased in the first twenty-five years, and was then too numerous to be accommodated in the Church of Holy Cross. In accordance with a plan drawn by the Bishop, another building, 72 feet wide by 40 feet in depth, was added at the rear gable. Begun in 1827, the work was completed in the following year. Besides increasing the capacity of the auditorium, it furnished much needed space for school-rooms in the basement story. Here was kept a school which, taught by ecclesiastical students, became a nursery for still more ecclesiastical students. 'Among its pupils was John J. Williams, destined afterwards to ' become the Archbishop of Boston. The first ordination in the Cathedral took place in the Ember Days of December, 1827, when the Rev. James Fitton and the Rev. William Wiley were admitted to the priesthood. On August 13, 1834, two days after the destruction of the Ursuline Convent in Charlestown, a guard of armed citizens held at bay a mob that came to wreck the Cathedral. Occasionally afterwards, parties taken from the congregation were obliged to take turns in watching it lest it should fall a prey to the Know-Nothing incendiaries.
After serving its purpose for nearly threescore years it was at length resolved to abandon it. Once more the congregation had outgrown its capacities. Its timbers were weakening with age. Owing to the encroach- ments of business the locality had become most unsuitable for a church. A strong desire for a Cathedral worthy of the diocese had developed. Influenced by these considerations, Bishop Fitzpatrick disposed of it in Sep- tember, i860, to Isaac Rich at the much enhanced price of $115,000. The last services were held on the i6th of the same month, when Bishop Fitzpatrick, assisted by the Rev. James Fitton and the Rev. Michael Moran, celebrated a Pontifical. High Mass. So deeply affected by the occasion was the Bishop, that he distrusted his ability to preach the sermon without giving way to his feelings and he substituted a letter.
A site for the new Cathedral, situated at the South End, had been purchased in 1859, but for sufficient reasons work was not begun before the Bishop's death, in 1866. In the interval the episcopal residence was established in South Street, and, for a time, a hall on Washington Street, called the Melodeon, was used for Sunday services, while Sunday-school was held in the Chapel of the Holy Family on Beach Street. In 1862 the Unitarian Church at the corner of Washington and Castle Streets was purchased, and, beginning December 10, was thereafter used as a pro-Cathedral.
Almost the first act of Bishop Williams, upon assuming episcopal charge of the diocese, was to appoint the Rev. P. F. Lyndon vicar-general and rector of the Cathedral. He did this in order that the erection of the new Cathedral should be supervised by Father Lyndon, who had shown remarkable business capacity in other positions. On April 29, 1866, ground was broken, and on September 15 of the following year the corner-stone was laid with impressive ceremonial. In response to Bishop Williams' first appeal for funds to carry on the work, 5^36,000 was at once subscribed by a number of Boston Catholics. Further contributions and the earnings of fairs held at sundry times greatly augmented the fund later. When the building reached its present condition work on it was suspended, and it was decided to dedicate it. This was done December 8, 1875, in the presence of all the Bishops of the Boston Province, priests to the number of about one hundred and fifty, and an assemblage of the faithful that overflowed through the portals into the neighboring streets. Archbishop Williams, who in the preceding May had received the pallium in the same place, was celebrant; Bishop Lynch, of South Carolina, preached the sermon, and the musical service was rendered by the Catholic Choral Society of Boston and the Cathedral sanctuary choir, composed of young men and boys.
The Cathedral is built in the style of the early English Gothic, in conformity with the designs furnished by the celebrated architect, P. C. Keely, of Brooklyn, N. Y. Its form is that of a cross somewhat broken in the external outline by a chapel attached to the northern arm. It covers 46,000 square feet of ground, sur- passing in that particular the Cathedrals of Salisbury, Strasbourg, and Venice. Its length, including that of the chapel, is 364 feet; without the chapel, 300 feet; general width, 90 feet; across the transept, 170 feet; and its height to the ridge-pole, 120 feet. The front, facing Washingtoii Street, comprises the gable pierced by the main portal, and two flanking towers, massively buttressed, entered, respectively, by the right and left
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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
29
portals. The towers are of unequal dimensions and are still without the spires called for by the architect's drawings. With these, the northwest tower will be 200 feet in height, and the southwest tower 300 feet.
From the spacious vestibule,, entrance to the interior is obtained beneath an arch constructed of bricks, taken from the ruins of the Ursuline Convent of Charlestown, burned by a mob in 1834. The enclosure consists of nave, aisles, transept, and clerestory. The view is uninterrupted from end to end, save by the two rows of
ALTAR OF ST. PATRICK, CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS.
clustered pillars supporting the central roof, and an elaborately carved pulpit, stationed at the junction of the transept and the southern aisle. Over the front vestibule is the choir gallery, 40 feet square, containing the great organ, and capable of accommodating a choir of more than 300 members. On either hand is a choral tribune with projecting balcony. The interior is yet unfinished, as a closer view reveals. Empty niches remain to be filled and much ornamentation to be added. The ceihngs are simple, yet graceful, designs in wood. That
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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
of the transept shows a large cross of inlaid wood, while that of the chancel is decorated with figures of angels painted upon a surface of gold. A large sculptured figure of an angel in prayer rests upon the capital of each of the four pillars, marking the intersection of nave and transept. From these, and all the rest of the pillars, spring two bands of gas-jets, which illummate the church at night.
The high altar, erected in an octagonal apse off the sanctuary, is a beautiful design in variegated marble. To the left of it, on the gospel side, is the Bishop's chair, the presence of which entitles the church to be called a Cathedral. On the extreme right of the transept, in a recess, facing the southern aisle, is a chapel of the Virgin, having a costly altar, the gift of Tobias Boland and wife. On the extreme left, in a corresponding
ST. JOSEPH'S Al.TAR, fAlII lOI iRA L (IF Til , llolA CROSS.
situation to that of the Virgin, is the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, much larger in size and considered a master-work of architecture. Then there are two side altars nearer to the central altar, that on the right being dedicated to St. Patrick, and the one on the left to St. Joseph.
Most of the windows are costly works of art. The largest are two transept windows, measuring 40 feet by 20 feet — that in the south wall representing the finding of the true cross, the gift of the Confraternity of the Holy Cross; and that in the north wall, representing the exaltation of the cross by Emperor Heracluis, the gift of E. F. Boland, in memory of Bishop Fitzpatrick. Lighting the organ gallery is a large rose window of unique design. Over the main altar in the chancel wall are five beautiful windows, the central three of which
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
31
— severally donated by the Rev. A. S. Healy, A. E. S. in memory of Bishop Fitzpatrick, and the Rev. P. F. Lyndon — illustrate the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ. The clerestory of chancel and transept contain twenty-four smaller windows, showing full-length figures of the twelve Apostles, the four Prophets, the four Evangelists, and the four greatest divines of the church. The subjects of the remaining windows in the north wall are St. Augustine, gift of Rev. J. P. Gilmore, 0. S. A.; St. Francis of Sales, gift of Rev. H. P. Smyth; St. Thomas of Canterbur3^ gift of Rev. T. B. McNulty; St. Michael, gift of Michael Gleason; Memorial of Pius IX., gift of the Catholic Union, St. John the Baptist, gift of Rev. J. J. Gray; St. John, Apostle, gift of Revs. Michael and James Masterson ; Holy Family, memorial of Joseph" lasigi ; St. James, gift of James Collins ; St. Edward, gift of Rev. James E. O'Brien. The subJL-cts of the other southern windows are: Mother of Mercy, gift of Rev. Michael O'Brien ; St. Rose of Lima, gift of Rev. James McGlew ; St. Bridget, gift of Rev.
ALTAR OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN, CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS.
William Halley ; St. Patrick, memorial of Patrick Treanor; Confession of St. Thomas, memorial of Thomas Dwight ; St. Vincent de Paul, gift of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul ; Mary Magdalen, gift of A. J. Teeling; St. Cecelia, memorial of Rev. A. Sherwood Healy; St. Agnes, gift of the Young Ladies' Sodality; and St. William, gift of Patrick Denvir.
The auditorium is heated by steam, conveyed from two boilers in the basement to pipes running along the walls behind an ornamental screen-work which completely hides them. In addition to the three portals in front, there are two others, one for each extremity of the transept. The pews will seat from 2,500 to 3,000 people, and as many more can find standing space. In the basement is a chapel for children, containing the altar of the first Cathedral in Frankhn Street. In addition to this and the boiler rooms, there are eight school rooms, capable of seating three or four hundred pupils each. Back of the altar, in the chapel, is the crypt, where repose the remains of Bishop Fitzpatrick, the projector of the Cathedral, and Father Lyndon, the moving spirit of its erection.
32
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
KliV. I.. M, A. CORCORAN, Rector Cathedral of the Holy Cro
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. 33
Two remarkable events, namely, the conferring of the pallium on Bishop Williams and the dedication of the building, had already distinguished the history of the new Cathedral. Both were joyous occasions, and likely to be recalled with pleasure for many years afterwards. The next was likewise a memorable event, but a sad one. The great auditorium was crowded again, but the sentiment which pervaded the assemblage was grief for an esteemed pastor. The occasion was the obsequies of Father Lyndon, who had died at St. Joseph's, April ig, 1878. Referring to his decease, The Pilot said : "As a pastor and remarkable worker for Catholic progress in New England for so many years, as the faithful friend and co-worker of the Most Rev. Archbishop in bearing much of the archdiocesan toil, bringing all the energy of unusual business capacity to the service of religion, and blending with it the love and zeal of a pastor of souls, he has filled so large a place that his loss cannot be truly known until the void is to be filled."
Patrick Francis Lyndon was born in 1812, in the parish of Crossmaglen, County Armagh, Ireland. Encouraging the studious disposition he manifested in his earliest years, his parents gave him all the educa- tional advantages they could afford. Under the tutorship of a priest, at Newry, he made rapid progress in the classics and acquired a desire to enter the ministry. He came to this country when scarcely more than a boy, and having made known his wishes to the Bishop, was, by that prelate, sent to Montreal to prosecute the studies necessary to prepare him for the priesthood. After spending four years there, he accompanied John J. Williams, the present Archbishop, to Paris, in order to finish his studies at the Seminary of St. Sulpice. This was the beginning of a friendship between the two men which only death could interrupt. He was only two years at St. Sulpice when he was ordained priest. On returning to Boston he was assigned to duty at the Cathedral. When Father Tyler was made Bishop of Hartford, Father Lyndon succeeded to the rectorship of the Cathedral. Subsequently, he served as pastor of St. Mary's Parish, Charlestown, SS. Peter and Paul's, South Boston, and St. Joseph's, West End, handling the affairs of each congregation with marked success. He was at St. Joseph's when called upon by his friend and Bishop to direct the great work of build- ing the new Cathedral. Having earned the gratitude of the diocese by ably performing this service as far as it was possible, he returned to St. Joseph's, and, once more, had nearly cleared the church property of debt when he died. .As before stated, his body was interred beside that of Bishop Fitzpatrick in the Cathedral crypt, an honor usually reserved for those who had borne episcopal dignity. He left the bulk of his property to be applied to the object of finishing the Cathedral. His house on Allen Street he bequeathed to the parish of St. Joseph; while his clothing and all the rest of his personal property were, by his wish, sold and given over to the poor.
The present rector of the Cathedral, the Rev. L. M. A. Corcoran, is filling with great acceptance to the people the position which has been filled by a long line of eminent men who were distinguished alike for fine abilities and exalted piety. His dignified yet gentle manners and kind heart have won the love of his parish- ioners and the high regard of all with whom he associates. Father Corcoran is a Boston boy, having been born in the parish of which he now has charge in 1849. He was educated in the Quincey Grammar School and the Boston Public Latin School. After graduating from the latter institution, he took a course at the seminary at Montreal, from which he graduated in 1879, receiving the degree of B. S. T. He then came to the Cathedral as assistant priest, and in 1892, on the death of Father Boland, he was made permanent rector. Father Corcoran is blessed with good health and spirits, and it is sincerely hoped that he has before him a long career of usefulness in his exalted calling.
The most memorable of all the events with which the Cathedral has been associated down to the present day was the celebration of the Archbishop's Silver Jubilee, March 12, 1891. Over five thousand persons had obtained admission before the services began. In the procession which emerged from the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament at ten o'clock A. M., besides the students of St. John's Theological Seminary, and over two hundred priests, secular and regular, were Rt. Rev. Matthew Harkins, Bishop of Providence ; Rt. Rev. P. T. O'Reilly, Bishop of Springfield ; Rt. Rev. D. M. Bradley, Bishop of Manchester ; Rt. Rev. James A. Healy, Bishop of Portland; Rt. Rev. L. S. McMahon, Bishop of Hartford; Rt. Rev. L. DeGoesbriand, Bishop of Burlington; Rt. Rev. B. J. McQuaid, Bishop of Rochester, N. Y. ; and Rt. Rev. John J. Conroy, Bishop of Curium. In the rear of all came the venerable prelate, erect and serenely dignified, whom they had come to honor. The
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scene was deeply impressive. The officials of the Pontifical High Mass, which ensued, were: Archbishop Williams, celebrant ; Very Rev. William Byrne, D. D., V. G., assistant priest ; Rt. Rev. Mgr. P. Strain and Rev. Thomas Shahan, deacons of honor ; Rev. Leo P. Boland and Rev. L. M. A. Corcoran, deacon and sub- deacon of the Mass ; Rev. James F. Talbot, D. D., Rev. Hugh Roe O'Donnell, and Rev. George Patterson, masters of ceremonies. Bishop Healy was the orator selected to give verbal expression to the feelings which
ARCHBISHOP'S RESIDENCE, BOSTON
filled the hearts of all present. None there knew so well the theme. He had been the friend and co-laborer of the Archbishop since the time when both were obscure curates and could speak as one who testifies. It was an easy and grateful task to him, while it would have been impossible of accomplishment to any one else. Few listened to that memorable address who failed to carry home a vivid recollection of its eloquence and power.
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St. /Iftar^'8 Iparisb, Cbavlestown,
MARY'S CHURCH, Charlestown, was the second Catholic church erected within the limits of what is now called Boston, and St. Mary's Parish was the first set off from the extensive territory attended from the Franklin Street Cathedral. Having enlarged the Cathedral, Bishop Fenwick, for the greater convenience of the workmen employed at the navy yard in Charlestown, and at the glass works in East Cambridge, he being especially desirous that their children might receive instruction more frequently, decided to build a church for them. On August 15, 1828, he examined and approved a site, and suggested that a meeting of the people interested be held August 25. This was done, and a plan for building a church capable of containing 120 pews was adopted. By selling half the number of pews in advance, $6,000 was obtained. With this sum in hand, a lot was bought from Amos Binney for $1,569, and the work of erecting the church was begun October 3, 1828, when the corner-stone was laid. The ceremony was performed by Bishop Fenwick, assisted by the Rev. Patrick Byrne, Rev. William Wiley, Rev. W. Tyler, Rev. John Mahony, and Rev. R. D. Woodley. They assembled and robed at the house of a Protestant gentleman, named Robertson, and went in procession to the site of the proposed church on Richmond Street. After the ceremonies Bishop Fenwick preached a sermon appro- priate for the occasion. The church was finished in the following Spring, and was dedicated under the patronage of the Virgin Mary, on May 10, by Bishop Fenwick, assisted by the Rev. James Fitton and Rev. William Wiley. The High Mass was celebrated by the Rev. W. Tyler, assisted by Fathers Fitton and Wiley, and Bishop Fenwick, as on the former occasion, preached the sermon. The building measured 80 by 45 feet, and showed no effort at architectural display.
It was attended by the priests of the Cathedral until 1830, when the Rev. Patrick Byrne was appointed pastor, and territory that extended to Reading was assigned to him as a parish. After spending thirteen years at St. Mary's, Father Byrne was sent to New Bedford in response to the requests of the Catholics in that district for a resident priest. He died September 4, 1844, and was interred at St. Augustine's Cemetery in South Boston. Father Byrne was one of the first priests ordained within the diocese by Bishop Cheverus. He came originally from Kilkenny, Ireland.
The Rev. George F. Goodwin, a convert, succeeded Father Byrne. His pious example and zealous labors were enjoyed by the congregation but for three years, when death removed him. His successor was the Rev. Patrick F. Lyndon, who, in the six years of his pastorate, enlarged the church and remodeled the parochial residence. The next pastor, the Rev. George A. Hamilton, built the Church of St. Francis de Sales on Bunker Hill, besides a new parochial residence. The Rev. William Byrne, who succeeded Father Hamilton, was the first Catholic priest permitted to offer Mass within the precincts of the State Prison in Charlestown. Father Byrne was made vicar-general of the diocese in 1878, and his pastorate terminated with his acceptance of the presidency of Mt. St. Mary's College, Emmittsburg, Md., in 1880. Then came the present rector, the Rev. John W. McMahon, D. D. In May, 1879, the golden jubilee of the parish was celebrated by clergy and people.
The need of a larger church, and one more in consonance with the times, had been felt before this. To build a church that would supply this need immediately became a primary object with Father McMahon. Circumstances, however, obliged him to move slowly in the matter. He soon became convinced that it would
36 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
OLD ST. MARY'S CULRLH, CHARLESTOWN.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
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ST. MARY'S CHURCH, CHARLESTOWN.
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be the work of years. Bearing this in mind, he modernized and otherwise improved the existing church. In the course of time, he bouglit out all the pew owners, whose rights were derived from the absolute sale of the pews in earlier times. Having cleared the old church of debt, he purchased a lot fronting on Warren Street, and bounded by Winthrop and Solay Streets, for $30,000. Considerable progress had been made with the building when the corner-stone was laid. This ceremony was performed October 29, 1887, by Archbishop Williams, the Rev. A. V. Higgins, O. S. D., preaching the sermon for the occasion. Among the ecclesiastics present was the Rt. Rev. Lawrence S. McMahon, Bishop of Hartford, the brother of the rector. The dedication took place October 2, 1892. Archbishop Williams officiated on this occasion also, with the assistance of the Very Rev. William Byrne, D. D., V. G. The Pontifical High Mass was celebrated by the Rt. Rev. Matthew Harkins, D. D., Bishop of Providence, with Vicar-General Byrne as assistant ; Rev. P. A. McKenna and Rev. J. E. Millerick, deacons; Rev. W. J. Millerick and Rev. J. W. Allison, masters of ceremonies; while the
sermon was delivered by the Rev. Henry A. Brann, D. D. Bishop McMahon of Hartford, Auxiliary Bishop Brady of Boston, and nearly one hundred priests were present in the Sanctuary.
The church is a design of P. C. Keely, of Brook- lyn, in what is known as the Tudor Gothic style. At present, its exterior gives the impression of massiveness and strength. The chief cause of this is the absence of the spire with which the tower, forming the most conspicuous feature of the front, is to be completed. Another is the prevalence of Rockport granite in blocks, with uncut outer surfaces, somewhat relieved by brick trimmings. It seems to be one of those archi- tectural problems which needs but one touch of the artist's wand to transform it into something entirely different and satisfying. The form is that of a rectan- gle, measuring on the external dimensions 81 by 152^- feet. The tower is now 90 feet high, but the top of the spire will be double that distance from the ground. The interior is one of Keely's most effective designs. Unprepared for the absence of pillars, or other obstruc- tions of the view, a sense of spaciousness combined with suggestions of wholeness and oneness give a pleasurable surprise. After this comes the effect of the light and color, both abundant and intense enough, and no more. The details do not thrust themselves out beyond the main features, and yet are seen without effort when looked for. The ceiling, supported by carved trusses, is a fine display of panel work, finished in gold, terra cotta, and gray. The walls, gracefully wainscotted in hardwood below, are finished in water colors harmoniously graduated as they approach the eaves. Over the vestibule and projecting a few yards into the auditorium, where the only two pillars in the church support it, is the choir gallery, with its splendid organ. A generous space is given to the sanctuary, but not more than seems in keeping with the general arrangements. The pews will seat from twelve to thirteen hundred persons. The high altar is an integral part of the church, being built up from the basement floor, through the floor of the upper church, and is privileged with indulgen- ces for those in whose behalf Masses are offered at it. It is 22 feet wide by 27 in height, and composed of Rutland and Carrara marbles and onyx, blended in a beautiful design. The side altars, or rather shrines, are also constructed of marble, that on the Gospel side being dedicated to the Sacred Heart, while the one on the Epistle side is dedicated to St. Joseph. All the windows in the church are of stained glass, and, in accordance
W MlMahciN, JJ. D.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
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INTERIOR ST. MARY'S CHURCH, CHARLESTOWN.
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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
HGIH ALTAR, ST. MARY'S CHURCH, CHARLESTOWN,
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. 41
with the admirable idea of the rector, tell in marvelous pictures the story of the Virgin Mary as the agent of the Redemption. They number twenty-three, and were all made to order in Munich. The three over the high altar were the joint gift of the rector and his brother, the late Bishop McMahon, in memory of their parents. Others were donated by Mrs. M. McCarthy, as a memorial of Dr. McCarthy; Mrs. D. Donovan, memorial of her deceased husband; Mrs. Charles Burcham, memorial of her son, and Mrs. D. Crowley, memorial of her husband. The stations of the cross are the exact and only copies of those in the Hartford Cathedral, having been made from the same models, which were then destroyed. The basement of the church is high and roomy, and capable of seating i.ooo persons. The ground beneath the floor having been bricked, concreted, and rolled with thoroughness, the atmosphere of the church is entirely free from dampness and can be easily heated.
Other property of the parish is the lot on the opposite side of W'inthrop Street, corresponding in situation, and nearly in size, to that on which the church is built. Besides other houses, it contains the present parochial residence. The debt on the church is relatively small, the parishioners having seconded the rector's efforts with generous contributions. To procure the funds so far received, no fairs were held, and the rector made a house to house canvass but three times. When he recovers his health, which was much impaired by his unremitting labors in carrying the church to completion, he will probably transform the old church into a parochial school.
Dr. McMahon, was born of Irish parents, in Charlestown, February 14, 1847. He entered Holy Cross College in 1863, and graduated in 1867. Then he went to the American College in Rome for his theological course. This finished, he was ordained priest by Cardinal Patrizzi, on May 25, 1872. Upon his return to Boston he was assigned as assistant to St. Stephen's Church at the North End. Here, his familiarity with the Italian language enabled him to be of great assistance among the Italian population of the district. After spending nine years at St. Stephen's, he was appointed pastor at St. Mary's, Charlestown, where he is stationed at present. His health gave way about two years ago, when' work on the church was suspended, thereby giving indication of the cause. He has been in the physician's hands since, much against his will. When in good health his sermons and lectures were marked by an eloquence that gave him an extended reputation as a speaker. His degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him by Georgetown College.
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St, /Iftar^'s Iparisb, Boston,
HEN the old Cathedral was enlarged, in 1827, it was supposed to be capable of accommodating all who should seek to worship there for a long time to come. Yet, in less than ten years afterwards, it was found necessary to build two additional churches. One of these was the church of St. Mary. The land for it was procured with much difficulty in 1834. Four lots on Pond Street, now Endicott Street, each 20 by 85 feet, were purchased. So anxious was Bishop Fenwick to supply the needs of his people that he personally superintended the erection of the church. By Octo- ber 1 4, in the following year, the walls were ready to receive the roof. The first Mass was celebrated in the basement on Christmas Day of the same year, and at Pentecost, May 22, 1836, the edifice having been previously completed, it was dedicated to the service of God under the patronage of the Virgin Mary. Its first pastor was the Rev. William Wiley. His successors for the ensuing ten years were the Rev. P. O'Beirne, Rev. Michael Healy, Rev. Thomas J. O'Flaherty, Rev. John B. Fitzpatrick, and Rev. Patrick Flood. St. Mary's was used as a succursal church during this time. In 1847 it was given into the charge of the Rev. John McElroy, a member of the Society of Jesus. This order has had the pastoral care of the parish ever since.-
When Father McElroy left to build the church of the Immaculate Conception and found Boston College, the Rev. Bernardine J. Wiget, S. J., succeeded him at St. Mary's. This priest's name is inseparably associated with the establishment of the first parochial school for boys in Boston. The circumstances attending the event form a most interesting episode in the history of the parish.
In the public schools at that time Catholic children were obliged to sing- Protestant hymns, recite passages from the Protestant version of the Bible, and repeat the Lord's Prayer, together with the concluding doxology, according to the Protestant form. Objection was made to these practices in the Spring of 1859, and a warm discussion of the subject ensued. On March 14, Thomas L. Whalli aged ten years, a pupil of the Eliot School, refused to read the Decalogue from the Protestant Bible when requested so to do by McLaurin F. Cooke, the sub- master. Thereupon, Mr. Cooke declared his intention to spend the forenoon in the effort to make the child obey, and began to strike him with a rattan on the hands. The boy held out for thirty minutes, when his hands were swollen badly ^''' ''"'>'''^''"'"'' ■ ■ and bleeding. At this time somebody entered the room and stated that the child's father had given him per- mission to read the Bible as directed. On being told this he submitted, and Mr. Cooke wiped and put away his rattan. Nearly four hundred boys followed Whall's example; but Mr. Cooke's sense of justice was not equal to the task of punishing them in the same way. These were only suspended from attendance until they should agree to conform to the rules. This was the proper course to have followed in the case of the child, Whall. Considering that his father had taken the responsibility of the boy's act, the punishment, brutal in itself, was a shameful outrage on the little victim, and a most mischievous invasion of parental rights. When the matter was brought to the attention of Bishop Fitzpatrick, he advised submission under protest until an effort should be made to have the school rules amended. He then sent to the school committee the following letter, in which he states the objections to the practices complained of, and urges their abolition :
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
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ST MA.R\ b CHURCH, BOSTON
44 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
To the President a7id Members of the School Cotnmi(/ee of Boston :
The undersigned has learned that a meeting of the school committee for the city of Boston is to be held this afternoon, and doubts not that the unpleasant difficulties which recently have sprung up between the teachers and Catholic pupils in certain schools will form part of the matter for deliberation, which on the occasion will be brought before the members of that honorable board.
He also thinks and hopes that it will not be regarded as an act of presumption or obtrusiveness on his part to offer some few remarks upon the subject, and to set forth as clearly as may be the nature and foundation of the objections which Catholics feel and make against certain articles of the regulations which govern the exercises of our public schools. He is persuaded that the committee desire to know and weigh all the considerations which may have a reasonable bearing on the question at issue; and he even thinks that his testimony as to what regards Catholics in. the case may be to them more satisfactory than would be that of some others. These reasons induce him to write.
The undersigned would, therefore, first state, in general, that the objections raised by the Catholic pupils, and by their parents, are not affected scruples — are not, as some one would seem to think, fetches or pretenses, devised simply for the purpose of creating a difficulty. They are serious and solid objections founded in the individual conscience and individual faith. To show this it may be well to divide the matter and set apart for consideration three particular points, out of which and against which, mainly, those objections arise.
These points are: ist. The enforced use of the Protestant version of the Bible. 2d. _ The enforced learning and reciting of the Ten Commandments in their Protestant form. 3d. The enforced union in chanting the Lord's Prayer and other religious chants.
On these three points the undersigned respectfully begs leave to remark as follows:
I. Catholics can not, under any circumstances, acknowledge, receive, and use as a complete collection and faithful version of the inspired books which compose the written word of God the English Protestant translation of the Bible. Still less can they so acknowledge, accept, or use it when its enforcement as such is coupled expresssly with the rejection of that version which their own church approves and adopts as being correct and authentic. And yet, this is required of them by law. The law, as administered, holds forth the Protestant version to the Catholic child, and says, " Receive this as the Bible." The Catholic child answers, "I can not so receive it." The law, as administered, says, " You must, or else yovi must be scourged and finally banished from the school."
n. The acceptance and recital of the Decalogue, under the form and words in which Protestants clothe it, is offensive to the conscience and belief of Catholics; inasmuch as that form and those words are viewed by them, and have not unfre- quently been used by their adversaries as a means of attack upon certain tenets and practices which, under the teachings of the Church, they hold as true and sacred.
111. The chanting of the Lord's Prayer, of psalms, of hymns, addressed to God, performed by many persons in unison, being neither a scholastic exercise nor a recreation, can only be regarded as an act of public worship. Indeed it is professedly intended as such in the regulations which govern our public schools. It would seem that the principles which guide Protestants and Catholics in relation to communion in public worship are widely different. Protestants, however diverse may be their religious opinions — Trinitarians, who assert that Jesus Christ is true God, and Unitarians, who deny that He is true God — find no difficulty to offer in brotherhood a blended and apparently harmonious worship, and in so doing they give and receive mutual satisfaction and mutual edification. The Catholic can not act in this manner. He can not present himself before the Divine presence in what would be for him a merely simulated union of prayer and adoration. His Church expressly forbids him to do so. She considers indifference in matters of religion, indifference as to the distinction of positive doctrines in faith, as a great evil, which promiscuous worship would tend to spread more widely and increase. Hence the prohibition of such worship, and the Catholic can not join in it without doing violence to his sense of religious duty.
These three points the undersigned simply sets forth as facts as appertaining to the faith of Catholics and to their con- science in matters of religion. Any discussion or show of argument to show the reasonableness of such belief and of such conscience would seem to him out of place; inasmuch as the question to be solved is not why people believe, but what they believe, save always the laws of common morality, and the respect due to all such things as may be essential or integral to the Constitution under which the Commonwealth is governed.
The undersigned will not bring his communication to a close without disavowing the slightest thought of imputing to the gentlemen who framed the school regulations any design to disregard the rights or the feelings of Catholics. His per- sonal knowledge of several amongst them excludes such an idea from his own mind, and the bare inspection of the rules is, he thinks, enough to prove that good and just and honest intentions presided in their councils.
The undersigned begs leave to add one word more in conclusion. It has been supposed that because he was silent he was satisfied with the state of our public schools. This is not so. He has always entertained the sentiments which he now expresses. But whenever and wherever an effort has been made by Catholics to effect such changes as they desired, the question has been distorted from its true sense, and a false issue has been set before the non-Catholic community. It has been represented that the design was to eliminate and practically annihilate the Bible. This has never been true; and yet
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
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INTERIOR ST. MARY'S CHURCH, BOSTON.
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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
this has always been believed, and a rallying cry, "To the rescue of the Bible!" has resounded on every side. Angry passions have been aroused, violent acts have been committed, and almost invariably the last condition of things has been worse than the first. In the light of this experience, any attempt to bring about a change seemed calculated to cause much strife, but very little good, and therefore not advisable.
To-day, however, circumstances known to all seem to make it a duty for the undersigned to act and to speak. He does so without reluctance since it is a duty, and he hopes that what he has said will be received, as it is spoken, with a spirit of conciliation, and with a true disposition to promote good-will and charity amongst all classes of citizens. The undersigned has the honor to be, with most respect, gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
tJOHN B. FITZPATRICK, Bishop of Boston. Boston, Monday, March 21, 1S59.
The consideration of this letter was "indefinitely postponed" by the committee. Cooke was neither removed nor censured, and the charge of assaulting the boy, brought against him through a criminal suit, was dismissed by Judge Maine. The results were unquestionable evidence of the bitter anti-Catholic spirit still pervading New England at that late day.
The parents of the children under suspension took the only course open to them without sacrificing their self-respect and the respect of their children. In consultation with Father Wiget, it was decided to open a school that would be under his supervision. For this purpose, rooms in a brick building on Travers Street were hired until better accommodation could be procured. This became known as Father Wiget's School. The name was transferred to the school-house subse- quently erected beside the church on Endicott Street. A school for girls had been established in the parish prior to these events, so that thereafter none of the Catholic children of the district were under the necessity of attending a public school.
Father Wiget was succeeded by the Rev. John H. Barrister, S. J., after whom came the Rev. R. W. Brady. Father Brady became pastor a second time after his first successor, the Rev. D. O'Kane, and con- tinued in charge of the parish until he was made Provincial of his order in the East. In 1876, during his pastorate, the armory building on Cooper Street, part of which had been in use for a public school, was bought from the city and taken possession of by Father Wiget's School. These more commodious quarters were necessitated by the increased Rev. r. w. Bradv. number of pupils. A rather grisly association for a school-house is the
fact that, in the draft riots of 1863, the rioters were fired upon with cannon through the door-way of this building and several of them killed.
A short time before this the old church had been found insufficient for the congregation and the erection of a larger one determined on. With that object in view, the balance of the land necessary to extend the property to Thacher Street was purchased. This, together with the lot on which stood the old school-house, was selected as the ground for the new church. The corner-stone was laid in 1875. In August, 1876, the basement was ready for use, and the first Mass was offered therein. With the purpose of making room for a pastoral residence the demolition of the old church was begun in the same year. The church was finished in the following year, and on December 16, 1877, it was dedicated by Archbishop Williams. At the Pontifical High Mass the Archbishop, assisted by the Very Rev. P. F. Lyndon, V. G., was celebrant; the deacons of honor were the Rev. W. A. Blenkinsop and the Rev. William Byrne, and the sermon was delivered by the Rev. R. W. Brady, S. J.
So closed in by the houses in the locality is the church that there is no point of view from which an adequate idea of its exterior can be obtained. Judging from its drawings majestic simplicity is its charac- teristic. Its architecture is pure Roman, while its materials seem to have been selected with the object of
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
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avoiding strong contrast with the surroundings. The front on Thacher Street, with its flanking towers, rising to the height of 170 feet, is an imposing work. Three noble portals give admission to a vestibule, measuring 45 by 20 feet. Five additional doors are ready to facilitate quick egress whenever desired. Carrying still in the mind a picture of the dingy streets without, one receives a sort of shock upon passing the inner portal. A flood of beauty is poured on the eyes. The grand sweep of the auditorium towards the altars, the graceful columns, the soaring arches, the light, the color, the atmosphere, contribute to a bewildering effect, somewhat like that of a stage transformation scene, but unlike it in the power of holding and growing upon one's atten- tion. The extreme depth of the church is 186 feet, the extreme width is 74 feet, and seating capacity is 1,800. The paneled ceiling, 64 feet from the floor, is supported by bronze pillars, which, after performing their part in supporting triforium arcades, one on either side, descend to mark the limits of the nave and side aisles. Nine large windows, reaching to the arches beneath the arcades, admit the light from each side, and five smaller ones, serving as a coronal for the high altar, render a similar service in the chancel wall. The chancel win- dows, together with two of the side windows nearest the sanctuary, have been reset by the present rector, and now show scenes from the life of Christ and figures of saints and angels, beautifully worked out in stained glass. The reset window on the gospel side was the gift of Mr. Gilbride, a member of the congregation. The worshipers are admitted to the arcades, which are each lighted by twenty-seven windows. From the tesselated sanctuary floor, white marble steps lead up to a magnificent altar, built of differently colored marbles. The painting and statuary are master-pieces. In the choir gallery is a grand organ which cost $10,000. The basement, in which the church societies meet, would be considered an adequate auditorium for another church. The expense of erection exceeded $200,000.
Before the building was completed the Rev. William H. Duncan, S. J., succeeded Father Brady in the rectorship. Besides taking up Father Brady's work where it was dropped, and carrying it to a success- ful termination. Father Duncan erected, for the girls' parochial school, a splendid edifice on Stillman Street, which was dedicated June 29, 1S84. It is a five-story structure, with 65 feet front and 105 feet depth. The basement is constructed of granite. The superstructure is built of brick with freestone trimmings. Besides dressing rooms, etc., the first, second, and third floors contain eighteen class rooms capable of accom- modating 700 pupils. On the fourth floor is a fine hall designed to seat 1,375 persons. The plans and specifications were furnished by the celebrated architect, Charles J. Bateman, Esq., who was architect for the City of Boston for some time. When it was completed the girls' '*'^^' ^'^'"-"'^" ^- Duncan, s. j.
school, until then located on Lancaster Street, was moved in and has occupied it since. The site is in the rear of the boys' school, so that both schools occupy one lot, extending from Cooper to Stillman Street, while being no more than two or three rods distant from the church.
After Father Duncan, the present rector of St. Mary's, the Rev. M. F. Byrne, S. J., took charge in October, 1892. About twelve months after, St. Mary's Young Men's Catholic Association, taking for its motto '■'■Mens Sana in corpore sano," "A sound mind in a sound body," started out, under most auspicious circum- stances, upon a career which can hardly fail to be one of the highest usefulness. Father Byrne has been its creator, and remains its pilot. The object aimed at, as suggested in the motto, is the improvement of mind and body under the aegis of religion. In addition to a library, reading room, and recreation room, the asso- ciation commands a fully equipped gymnasium, in charge of an experienced trainer. At present there are 900 children attending the schools. They are carried through a full grammar course by seventeen lay teachers. The parish controls twenty scholarships in Boston College, enabling the rector to send three or four boys there every year free of charge. The church societies include, with the St. Vincent de Paul Conference, the Married Men's Sodality, numbering 700; Married Women's Sodahty, 600; Young Ladies' Sodality, 750; Young Men's
48
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
Sodality, 500; and a crowded children's Sodality. Six fathers reside in the parochial house at present, all being actively engaged in the work of the parish. The number was greater between 1877 and 1891, when St. Mary's was the chief house of the eastern province. During that period a band of mission fathers, generally numbering five or six, was held in readiness to respond to a call for a mission in any part of the province. The time when Father Maguire, the renowned preacher, resided there is still fresh in the memory of many persons.
Perhaps the parish has seen its best days as regards numerical strength. The present congregation is estimated at 5,000. The district being the oldest part of Boston is naturally the least improved. For some
KI'.W M. I'. l;\"KNK,
years there has been an outflow of the Catholic residents towards the suburbs. The counter inflow has been much greater, resulting in a denser population, but in a diminished percentage of Catholics. However, to the fathers this is no subject of regret. Assured that those who have gone will be adequately cared for, it is a matter of congratulation to them that the exodus results in an extension of their missionary field. In the past fifty-eight years their work in St. Mary's has conferred inestimable benefits on the City of Boston.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
49
St. patiich s Cbiucfx
N the north side of Northampton Street, between Washington Street and
Harrison Avenue, is a dingy brick building with gable to the front, that
often arouses the curiosity of strangers riding by in the street-cars. The
form of its doors, as well as its belfry, or the cross surmounting it, suggests
its purpose; but the almost palpable air of abandonment it wears induces
the conviction that the time when it served that purpose has long gone by. Yet its
appearance rather anticipates its destiny. Its days of worship are numbered, but not
finished. Divine service is still held within it every Sunday for the convenience of
the faithful living in the immediate neighborhood. It has, however, lost its original
importance, and the time can not be distant when it will be turned to other uses, or
disappear before the march of municipal improvement.
This was the first church of St. Patrick. It was erected in 1836 to accommodate the Catholic residents of Roxbury, Brookline, and Brighton. In the present day this looks like a blunder, as Tremont Street or Columbus Ave- nue certainly offers a much better location for the purpose. But the Back Bay district at that time was a veritable bay, the most of it being St. Patuick. under water, with here and there a rough cause-
way or hazardous mud-trail, liable to submergence at high tide. The site chosen was the most central that could be found. It was, more- over, the highest location in the vicinity, an important consideration when the waters of the South Bay formed its eastern boundary.
Two attempts to start a movement for the purchase of the land and the building of the church had failed before the successful one was made. The second attempt was a meeting in Daniel McLaughlin's house, situated at the corner of Washington and Northampton Streets, called by the Rev. John J. Curtin. So few attended it that Father Curtin abandoned the project as hopeless. Thereupon, the Rev. Thomas Lynch undertook it, with Bishop Fenwick's permission. He, likewise, called a meeting in Mr. McLaughlin's house, when seven persons attended. The names of only five are remembered. These were Daniel McLaughlin, Patrick Shar- key, James Wise, Patrick Cumiford, and Martin Lennon. Each of those present agreed to contribute $100. "This is noble," said Father Lynch. "There is nothing to stop us, and we will begin, in the name of God, to build the church." However, he had afterwards to seek help from friends in New York and to sell twenty-two pews in advance.
The lot, measuring 70 feet front by 90 feet deep, was bought April 24, 1835, at two shillings per foot. The foundation of the church was laid in the following October. Know-Nothingism being then rampant, its
NORTHAMPTON
50
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
followers made threats to prevent the erection of the church. These did not deter Father Lynch from prose- cuting the work. It went forward and was carried to completion, but it had to be protected, night and day, by armed parties of the men of the parish, who regularly relieved each other in mounting guard. When nearly finished, the Know-Nothing mob declared that no priest should ever celebrate Mass in the building. It was a frame structure, clapboarded in the usual manner, and such as could have been quickly reduced to ashes by the incendiary, granting him the opportunity to apply his torch. Under these circumstances, the insurance companies declined the risk unless the whole was sheathed in brick. This was done, the bricks having been made by Patrick Sharkey, already mentioned, in the forms called for by the surfaces they weie designed to cover. A frame parochial house was added later, and was used as such until 1859, when one of brick was built in the rear, with its front facing Chester Square, where it was numbered 33.
INTERKJR ST. PATRICKS CHURCH, ROXBURV.
The church was dedicated December 11, 1836, and well served its purpose for the following thirty-five years. Father Lynch remained pastor until his death, March 27, 1870. He was born in the County Cavan, Ireland, in 1800. He received his early education from his father. It included a thorough grounding in Latin and Gaelic. It is alleged that, at the age of eleven, he could translate long passages from Virgil and Horace into Irish. While a student at All-Hallows College, he volunteered for the American mission, and arrived here in 1830. He continued his studies, under the supervision of Bishop Fenwick, for three years longer, at the same time teaching school at the Cathedral. Then he was admitted to Holy Orders, and was the first priest assigned to regular duty at St. Augustine's Chapel in South Boston. In 1836 he was appointed St. Patrick's first pastor. He revisited his native land in 1845, leaving his parish in charge of the Rev. P. O'Beirne until his return in 1846. He is described as "large, strong, and strikingly handsome." It is also stated that he was, probably, the best classical scholar in New England at that time. A happy combination of
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
51
ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH, ROXBURY.
i \kni IIIAL KI'.^lliENCE, ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH, ROXBURY.
PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH, ROXBURY.
52 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
moral and physical courage specially adapted him for the position he filled. His most prominent characteristic was his intense sympathy for the poor. Numbers of his unfortunate fellow-countrymen, driven by famine to this country, were often sheltered in the basement of St. Patrick's while he sought out employment for them. His death was a grief to all who knew him. His remains are interred at St. Augustine's Cemetery, the scene of his earliest ministrations.
The Rev. Joseph H.' Gallagher, who on June 3, 1869, was appointed curate of St. Patrick's, succeeded Father Lynch. The proximity of the new Cathedral on Washington Street made it necessary to alter the parish lines about this time. By the new lines a section was cut off at the northern end, and new territory in the Highlands was added to the southern end. The need of a more commodious church had been felt before then. Now a demand for a more central location was heard. The result was that a lot for a new church, in the Mount Pleasant district, was purchased in the summer of 1872. The building was begun in the early part of 1873, and on July 12 Archbishop Williams laid the corner-stone. Mass was offered for the first time in the basement on the last Sunday of April, 1874, and the finished church was dedicated December 5, 1880. At the dedication ceremonies Archbishop Williams, assisted by the Very Rev. William Byrne, V. G., was celebrant; the Rev. W. J. Daly and the Rev. Michael Gilligan were deacons; the Rev. M. Moran and the Rev. P. Ronan were honorary deacons; and the Rt. Rev. P. T. O'Reilly, Bishop of Springfield, who had served as an altar boy in the old church, preached the sermon.
The church occupies a most desirable site, on elevated land, at the junction of Dudley and Magazine Streets. Several lines of street-cars meet at its doors. It is a neat sample of Gothic architecture. The basement is built of Roxbury stone, and the superstructure of brick trimmed with freestone. Over the main entrance is a handsome tower, which it is designed to finish with a spire. Close by the sanctuary end is the pastoral residence, well in keeping with the general exterior. The auditorium seats 1,200 persons. The three altars are constructed of marble, the high altar, made in Baltimore, being a remarkable work of art. Over the latter, on the sanctuary wall behind, is a grand painting of St. Patrick preaching the gospel to the Irish princes on the hill of Tara. The basement is high, airy, and capable of seating 1,000 persons.
In 1886 a splendid building for a girls' parochial school was erected within a few rods of the church on Mt. Pleasant Avenue. The school has been most prosperous. Beginning with 300 pupils, its registers now show 716, with an average attendance of 630. It is conducted by a community of the Sisters of Charity under the direction of Mother Superior Berchmans. Coming from Mt. St. Vincent, Halifax, they have taken up their residence in the convent provided for them by the rector on Perrin Street. The school offers a full grammar and high school course to its pupils. Special instructions are given in vocal and instrumental music. Gracefulness of action combined with physical development is imparted by a well-regulated system of calis- thenics. These exercises include fencing with foils and dumb-bell and wand drill. A novel feature of the school is a cooking class. Across the street, in another building owned by the parish, is a Kindergarten department, where the lives of forty little tots under five years old are made happy. A school for boys will be Father Gallagher's next undertaking. A lot for the purpose, situated near the girls" school, has already been purchased.
Father Gallagher is one of those men who seek to do good in secret. He would not have his left hand know what his right hand does. But it is well for the community and for Catholicity that the voice of his works cannot be stifled. His congregation know his characteristic and love him for it. He is of Irish birth. He was a child when he arrived in this country. After residing a year in Lawrence, Mass., he became a resi- dent of Amesbury. Here he attended a public school for a time, and then was sent to an academy where a more advanced course was pursued. In i860 he went to St. Charles College, Ellicott City, Md. Having graduated there in 1866, he took his theological course at St. Joseph's Seminary, Troy, N. Y., and received Holy Orders May 22, 1869. His first appointment placed him in St. Patrick's Parish, and the connection has remained unbroken for the past quarter of a century. He will shortly celebrate his silver jubilee.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
53
Cburcb of SS. peter anb Paul
ASS was first publicly offered in South Boston, at the little chapel erected by Bishop Cheverus in St. Augustine's Cemetery. This was in 1819. In 1833 it was enlarged by Bishop Fenwick, and was used as a church for ten or eleven years. Its last pastor, the Rev. Thomas Fitzsim- mons, at the end of the decade, was commissioned to organize a parish and build a church capable of accommodating the increased congregation. The co-operation of the people was readily yielded, and a site on Broadway, near Sea Street, now Dorchester Avenue, having been procured, the erection of the church was soon begun. By 1844 the basement was finished, and the holding of public services was transferred to it from St. Augustine's. The church was
completed in the following year, when it was dedi- cated under the invocation of SS. Peter and Paul.
No engraving or other drawing of it has been pre- served; but all accounts agree in describing it as one
of the handsomest churches in New England. It was
designed by Gridley F. Bryant in the Gothic style of
architecture. It was a stone structure, measuring 6ii-
feet front by 106 feet depth. Over the main entrance
rose a tower and steeple that were especially admired.
The interior was fitted with organ loft and side gal- leries, and was beautifully ornamented. A striking
object was a wax figure of the "Dead Christ'' placed
over the altar. The organ, which cost §3,000, was
considered a magnificent instrument at that time.
One of the reasons urged for building the church
of stone rather than of wood, had been the greater
security from Know-Nothing incendiarism that would
thereby be obtained. Yet, on September 7, 1848, it was
destroyed by fire. The first cause of the disaster has
never been learned. One theory ascribed the fire to
spontaneous combustion, and another to incendiarism.
The most probable explanation was that it originated
with burning material carried to the church from a
building on Sea Street, near the bridge, that had
previously caught fire. The flames were first seen
issuing from the belfry, according to one account, and
from the center of the roof according to a second. ^^ ' *■"' ^■"" P'^^'-' S"ith Boston.
The former seems to be corroborated by the fact that the roof was intact until the steeple fell and broke through
it. According to Simond's History of South Boston, the firemen were unable to go to the assistance of the
church because they were engaged at the fire on Sea Street. The same authority states that nearly every house
on A and B Streets took fire on the roof, and that the steeple of the Orthodox Church was badly burned from
54
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
INTERIOR OF SS. PETER AND PAUL'S CHURCH, SOUTH BOSTON.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
55
fire communicated from SS. Peter and Paul's. It is much more probable that all, or nearly all, these fires, including that of SS. Peter and Paul's, originated with the "large fire" on Sea Street, which was so large that it monopolized the services of the firemen. Within two or three hours nothing was left of the new church but the bare walls and a pile of smoking ruins. Some of the masonry of the belfry tower, which still stood, was pronounced dangerous and removed. With it were the spires of cut stone now sentineling the main entrance of the church on Broadway. As the building had been insured for #42,000, the loss did not fall entirely upon the parish.
Deprived of his church, the pastor took his congregation to a hall situated at the foot of Fourth Street, on Sea Street, for the parish Mass on Sundays. He also re-opened St. Augustine's Chapel for the celebration of another Sunday Mass. The work of restoring the church seems to have made but slow progress. It started with a transverse addition at the rear, which altered the form to that of the letter T. The basement of this
PAR0CHI.4L RESIDENCE, SS. PETER AND PAUL, SOUTH BOSTON.
part was ready for use by 1850. When, in the Spring of 1853, the pastor was superseded by the Rev. P. F. Lyndon, the interior was still unfinished. Under Father Lyndon's energetic superintendence, the church was freed of the workmen by the end of six months, and was re-dedicated by Bishop Fitzpatrick on Thanksgiving Day, November 24. The ceremonies were attended by the Bishops of Albany and Hartford and by about forty priests. The celebrant of the High Mass was Bishop Fitzpatrick, assisted by the Rev. J. McElroy, S. J.; the deacons of honor were the Rev. William Wiley and the Rev. John O'Donnell; deacons of the Mass, the Rev. Manasses P. Dougherty and the Rev. John J. Williams; chanters, the Rev. W. Blenkinsop and the Rev. Father Roche; masters of ceremonies, the Rev. N. J. O'Brien and the Rev. John T. Roddan; and the sermon was delivered by the Very Rev. Dr. Ryder, S. J. The Bishop of Hartford officiated at the evening services, when the Rev. Dr. Moriarty, of Philadelphia, preached the sermon.
56
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
The auditorium of the new or present church is about twice as large as that of the first church. A steeple of nearly the same design has replaced the one destroyed by the fire. The interior was finished by Mr. Keely, brother of P. C. Keely, the celebrated architect. It consists of nave, side aisles, and transept. This division is accomplished by graceful arcades of clustered columns with foliated capitals. Corbels of various designs support the principals of the roof. Over the altar is a large screen of elaborate design, showing monograms with emblematic figures and devices. The paneled ceiling is richly illuminated, while the windows and altars are worthy of a Cathedral.
A small number of the congregation manifested a disposition to resist Father Lyndon's assumption of the pastorate, but they quickly found out their error and sincerely repented the act. His unselfish devotion to his duties, joined to his open and clear-headed business methods, won the confidence and esteem of all the parish- ioners before he was among them a month. During his pastorate, which lasted about ten years, a parochial school for girls and a convent for the Sisters of Notre Dame in charge of it were established in the vicinity of the church, on the other side of Broadway. Also the Gate of Heaven Church was built, at the intersection of Fourth and I Streets, for the accommodation of the Catholic residents of City Point. One of the church organizations formed under Father Lyndon was SS. Peter and Paul's Library Association, started in 1857, and whose first officers were: John McDonough, President; Thomas Savage, Vice-President; William Peard, Secre- tary and Treasurer; John J. Fox and James Barrett, Librarians. There were, also, a flourishing Sundaj'-school and an active branch of the Young Catholic Friend's Societ)-.
When Father Lyndon left the par- ish to enter the Society of Jesus, the Rev. William A. Blenkinsop took charge. Under his administration the school accommodations were in- creased by the erection of another school-house, fronting on Athens Street, in rear of the first building. On November 24, 1866, the place of the Young Catholic Friend's Society was taken by the Society of St. Vin- cent de Paul, whose first officers were: Rev. William A. Blenkinsop, Spiritual Director; Patrick Barry, President; John McDonough, Vice- President; James Wright, Treasurer, Patrick A. Collins, now United States Consul-General at London, Secretary. , In the same year the Sisters of Notre Dame were given entire charge of the Sunday-school. The church sodali- ties, now to be found in most parishes, were established by Father Blenkinsop. His recent death is still mourned by many to whom his admirable characteristics had endeared him. The government of the parish was next undertaken by Rt. Rev. John Brady, titular Bishop of Alabanda and auxiliary Bishop of Boston, who still directs its affairs, and although not three years yet in charge of SS. Peter and Paul's Parish, Bishop Brady's management of its finances has already won the hearty commendation of his parishioners.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
57
IC^ansb of St, Dincent be IPaul
mi
first parish of St. Vincent de Paul comprised the district of old Fort Hill, leveled by the city in the sixties. The old church of St. Vincent stood at the corner of Purchase and Congress Streets, until April, 1872, having been one of the last buildings to be razed. It was a granite structure, capable of accommodating from five to six hundred people, and was originaly the meeting-house of the Purchase Street Unitarian Society. It was bought May i, 1848, in behalf of Bishop Fitzpatrick, by Andrew Carney, for $30,000. The sellers repented the transaction, upon learning that the building was to be used for Catholic worship, and, doubtless, would have recalled the sale had it not been guaranteed by a bond for $10,000. They, however, offered $3,000 to be freed from the obligation of completing it. The offer was refused, and the church opened for Catholic services on May 14. Bishop Fitzpatrick officiated at the dedication, after which, Demonti's Mass in C was sung by the Rev. Nicholas O'Brien, supported by a choir exclusively composed of boys and girls, and the sermon was delivered by the Bishop. It was attended as a succursal church, by the priests of the Cathedral, until December, 1S62, when the district was set off as a parish and the Rev. Michael Moran, now of St. Stephen's Church, appointed its pastor. His successors were the Rev. John McShane, and the Rev. E. J. Sheridan, now of Taunton.
The congregation was practically dispersed when the residents of Fort Hill were compelled to move elsewhere. The portion left comprised the parishoners who resided in the immediate vicinity of the hill. These were accommodated for a time in the Chapel of the Holy Family on Beach Street, and then were assigned to the parish of St. James. Of the hill residents, the larger number took up their homes in South Boston, and speedily made the erection there of still another church a pressing necessity. It was, there- upon, decided to perpetuate the old parish in the peninsula. In 1872 the requisite territory was set off from the parish of SS. Peter and Paul, the Rev. Michael Lane was appointed its pastor, and the records, furniture, and other property belonging to the Purchase Street Church, were given to him for use in the new parish.
Parochial Masses were first held in a hall at the intersection of C Street and Broadway. A site for the church was chosen as soon as practicable. The lot was situated at the corner of E and Third Streets, and then but one block removed from tide water. The water has since receded before the march of improvement, and several blocks now intervene. The church was finished in about two years after building was begun. It was dedicated on the festival of St. Vincent de Paul, July 19, 1874. The ceremony was performed by Bishop Williams. The Rev. William A. Blenkinsop offered the Solemn High Mass, the Rev. M. Supple and the Rev. Richard Barry being the deacons, and Father Wissel, C. SS. R., delivered the sermon.
58
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
Although the design of the church is simple, its exterior is pleasing to the eye, especially when clad in its summer garb of foliage. It looks older than it is because two of the walls are built of the granite blocks that formed the walls of the Purchase Street Church, while a third wall is composed of Roxbury stone harmonizing in color with the granite. Over the front is the belfry in which hangs the bell that formerly called the faithful of Fort Hill to church. Inside, a Fort Hill resident is reminded of old times at every turn. The holy-water fonts, the images, the altars, are those he remembers to have seen in old St. Vincent's; yes, and the grand old picture of the crucifixion, over the tabernacle of the high altar, which is shown so plainly in our illustration of the church interior, is the same that often fascinated his gaze while engaged in the devotions of his inno-
ST. VINCI'.NT'S (_'H|:kCH, M)U'ri-| r.i isI'dN.
cent youth. The striking oil-painting visible over the top of the altar, on the sanctuary wall, is of more recent date, being a conception of the present rector, executed by the deft brush of Muller. An interesting fact con- nected with it is, that the original of the sister of charity in the composition was Sister Ann Alexis. The main dimensions of the church are 72 by 148 feet, and its seating capacity is 1,200. Very recently a beautiful statue of St. Vincent de Paul has been placed in the niche in the church front, a fine picture of which appears at the head of this article.
Father Lane was succeeded by the Rev. W. J. Corcoran, the present rector, in 1878. The church organ- izations include the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Married and Single Ladies' Sodalities, the Men's and
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
59
INTERIOR OF ST. VINCENT'S CHURCH, SOUTH BOSTON.
6o
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
Junior Sodalities, the Society of the Sacred Heart, the Society of tlie Rosary, a well-trained sanctuary choir of sixty-two voices, and a most creditable altar society.
Father Corcoran was born in Ireland, and received his early education partly in the national schools of his native land, and partly in the public schools of Boston. He was graduated from Holy Cross College, Worcester, in 1867, receiving his diploma from the hands of Massachusetts' war governor, Andrew. After concluding his theological studies at the Seminary of St. Sulpice, Paris, he was ordained a priest by Mgr. Maret, coadjutor to
Rev. Michael Lane, J{J^, William J. Cokcokan, .St. Vincent's Church.
First Pastor St. Vincent de Paul's Church, South Boston.
Mgr. Darboy, and returned to begin his missionary labors in Boston. His first Mass was celebrated in the pro-Cathedral on Castle Street. He was assigned to a curacy at St. James Church, under the pastorate of the Rev. James A. Healy. Thence he went as pastor to Hyde Park. Here he had nearly finished the erection of the Church of the Epiphany, when it was burned down. Afterwards he purchased the site now occupied by the Church of Precious Blood. At the death of Father Lane, in 1878, he was transferred to St. Vincent's where he is now continuing the good work of his predecessor.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
6i
Uhc parish of St, S^amee,
OR some years previous to the formation of tliis parisli, the Catholic people of the district had all the unity of a congregation. The earliest manifestations of this fact were their meetings for Sunday-school and other religious objects. These were first held in a building known as the Albany Block, which has long since disappeared. Subsequently, in 1849, ^ey were held in the old Turn Hall, on Washington Street. Here the attendance increased so rapidly that, in 1850, it became necessary to seek more commodious quarters. They were found in a dis- used theatre on Beach Street, which, when the necessary alterations were made, was named the Chapel of the Holy Family. In this place thereafter, until the first church of St. James was erected, divine service was regularly offered for the accommodation of the people. The spiritual wants of the little flock were supplied by the priests attached to the Cathedral on
Franklin Street. The Rev. Dr. Manahan was first
assigned to this duty. The Rev. John J. Williams, the
present Archbishop, succeeded him January 4, 1852.
When Father Williams took charge, the congrega- tion had largely outgrown the capacities of the chapel.
As a consequence, it was soon after decided to build a
church. This step was taken at a meeting held in the
chapel April 5, 1852, under the presidency of Bishop
Fitzpatrick. A site was selected at the junction of
Albany and Harvard Streets, and the land was bought
February 18, 1853. The corner-stone was laid July
22, of the same year, by the Rev. David Walsh, the
Rev. Nicholas J. O'Brien delivering the sermon appro- priate to the occasion. In the following year the
district was set apart as a parish, and given into the
charge of Father Walsh as its first pastor. The first
Mass was celebrated in the basement of the new
church on Christmas Day, 1854. On September 23,
1855, the finished structure was dedicated by Bishop
Fitzpatrick, under the invocation of St. James the
Greater. The sermon for this occasion was delivered
by the Rev. Thomas Mullady, S. J., and that for the
evening services by the Rev. John J. McElroy, S. J.
The church was a fine brick edifice, built in the Gothic
style, from plans furnished by Architect P. C. Keely,
of Brooklyn, N. Y.
1 1 ■ ^1 4, 1 I Rev. Damd Walsh, First Pastor.
Father Walsh was succeeded m the pastoral charge of the parish by the Very Rev. John J. Williams, then vicar-general of the diocese. Under Father Williams' management the financial difficulties which had come upon the parish were so ably met and handled as to leave but a hght burden for his successor. His pastorate'had lasted nine years when he was elevated to the episco- pate and assigned as coadjutor to Bishop Fitzpatrick.
62
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
This occurred in 1866, wlien the Rev. James A. Healy was appointed pastor. "Father James," the name b)' which he was affectionately known to his flock, was in the front of every Catholic movement in Boston during his administration. He delivered many addresses before state and municipal committees to gain some rights withheld from his co-religionists. His words always had weight, for he had previously measured his ground, and he stood close behind his facts. Although gratified by the dignity conferred on him in 1875, when he was raised to the See of Portland, the parishioners were deeply grieved to lose him.
OLD ST. JAMES' CHURCH, ALBANY STREET.
Two years before his departure Father Healy disposed of the church property on Albany Street to the Boston and Albany Railroad Corporation, whose train yards abutted on the parish lot. The corporation needed the property to meet the increased business of the road, and the congregation desired to go elsewhere in order that they might worship undisturbed by the noise of constantly moving trains. The transfer was effected to the satisfaction of all concerned, and a much more suitable site for another church was found on Harrison Avenue. This land was purchased in February, 1873, and on November 10 the corner-stone of the present church was laid. The last High Mass was held in the Albany Street Church August 30, 1874, when the officiating clergymen were the Rev. James Donegan, celebrant; and the Rev. Michael Ronan and Mr. Joseph Colbert, deacons. Although the impending change was a source of gratification to all, yet many of the parish-
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
63
ioners on this occasion were moved to tears ; and after the services had terminated several lingered in the aisles, sadly prolonging their last look at a place that had become intimately associated with their dearest memories. Services were first held in the basement of the new church September 7, 1874. Father Healy had so vigorously pushed the work that the building was nearly completed when he left for Portland. What remained
ST. JAMES' CHURCH.
to be done was accomplished in the ne.xt few months, under the direction of the new pastor, the Rev. A. S. Healy. Then, on July 25, 1875, *he feast of St. James the Apostle, the church was solemnly dedicated by Archbishop Williams, assisted by the Bishops of Springfield, Providence, and Portland.
St. James has been pronounced one of the finest churches in the city. It is built in the style of the Roman Basilica. The clerestory, from which it is lighted, is composed of solid masonry supported by pillars of polished Scotch granite The interior, with its wide nave and lofty paneled ceiling, is admirably adapted for public worship. Measuring 75 feet in height, and 155 feet by 75 feet on the floor, its seating capacity is easily 1,500.
The parisTi did not long enjoy the paternal guidance of Father A. S. Healy. An illness contracted in the discharge of his duties resulted in his death, October 11, 1S75. The next pastor was the Rev. Thomas H. Shahan, who established an excellent school for girls under the efficient charge of the Sisters of Notre Dame. Failing health obliged Father Shahan to resign in 1884, and the Rev. Matthew Harkins was appointed to take
64 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
his place. Three years later, Father Harkins was consecrated Bishop and given the See of Providence, left vacant by the death of Bishop Hendricken. This was the third time, within the space of twenty-one years, that a pastor of St. James' Parish was the recipient of episcopal honors. The present esteemed pastor, the Rev. William P. McQuaid, was Father Harkins' successor.
The parish has always been remarkable for the practical and vigorous character of its religious life. Its congregation is reputed for generous contributions to general charities, recommended by the pastor. Its con- ference of St. Vincent de Paul is one of the best sustained and most active in the archdiocese. The church sodalities for both sexes have each a large membership, and manifest a most edifying degree of earnestness at their meetings : while a senior and a junior temperance society take a most creditable part in the crusade against liquor drinking.
McQnAiD, , Harrison Ave
Father McQuaid occupies a high place in the affections of his people. Since he became pastor he has erected a much-needed parochial residence beside the church. He was educated at Holy Cross College, Wor- cester, where he was graduated in 1864. After this he went to Ireland and took his theological course at All Hallows, Dublin. Here he received ordination June 24, 1870. He then returned to Boston, and was appointed assistant to the pastor of St. Francis de Sales' Church, in Roxbury. In 1876 he was made pastor of Abington, where he remained until May i, 1887, when he assumed charge of the Parish of St. James.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
65
Right Rev. James Augustine Healy was born near Macon, Ga., April 6, 1830. He came North at an early age and attended the Quaker schools on Long Island and New Jersey. At the age of fourteen he had com- pleted algebra, trigonometry, and the science of surveying, and was prepared to go into the field as a surveyor. He was one of the first students at Holy Cross College, Worcester, Mass., whence he graduated in 1849. He then attended the Sulpitian Seminary at Montreal, as a theological student, for three years. Thence he went to Paris, where he spent two more years in perfecting himself in theology and increasing his proficiency in French, of which language he became a very fluent speaker. Here he was ordained priest in the Church of Notre Dame in 1854. Called to the Diocese of Boston, Bishop Fitzpatrick chose him for his private secretary and rector of the Cathedral. He occupied these important positions for twelve years to the great satisfaction of his Bishop, who then transferred him to St. James' parish. He was rector here for ten years, when, on the death of Bishop Bacon, he was chosen ns his successor, and was consecrated Bishop of Portland, June 2, 1875.
Rt. Rev. James A. He.\lv, Bishop of Portland,
FOR.MERLV P.\STOR St. JaMES' ChURCH
ew Harkins, Bishop of Pro\ Pastor St. James' Church.
Right Rev. Matthew Harkins, D. D., although Bishop of Providence, and not directly connected with the Archdiocese of Boston, is by no means a stranger in this diocese, as all of the early days of his ministry were spent laboring in several parishes here. He was born in Boston in 1846, and received his elementary education in the public schools here. After a successful classical course in Holy Cross College, Worcester, he entered the Seminary of St. Sulpice, Paris, where he received his theological course. He was ordained at Rome in 1869. In November, 1870, he was appointed second assistant of the Immaculate Con- ception Church, Salem, where he remained for almost six years, and acted as temporary pastor from July, 1873, until Father Hally's return in May, 1874. In May, 1876, he was made pastor of St. Malachi's Church, Arling- ton, remaining until April, 1S84, when he came to St. James', where he labored until he was consecrated Bishop of Providence Diocese, April 14, 1887, succeeding Rt. Rev. T. F. Hendricken, D. D., who died June 11, 1886.
66
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
St, Joseph's IPaiisb, Boston,
N the western section of Boston, about the year 1S50, there were so many CathoUc chil- dren that during inclement weather it was far from convenient for them to go to St. Mary's Church, on Endicott Street, for the purpose of attending Sunday-school. Therefore, a small hall over a grocery store, situated on the corner of Garden and Phillips Streets, was rented, and, for fully a year, the regular Sunday meetings of the children were held there. Then the assembly room was changed to the hay-loft of a stable on Bridge, now North Anderson Street, where divine service was first offered in public by Dr. Ambrose Mana- han, to whose efforts the organization and maintenance of the school were due. By 1854, the number of regu- lar attendants had greatly increased, consequently Dr. Manahan went in search of larger quarters, which he eventually found at the corner of North Grove and Cambridge Streets, on the lower floor of an organ factory. He was soon enabled to lease the entire building, and, by cutting away the upper floors so as to form galleries, besides making other alterations, he transformed the edifice into a miniature chapel, which was subsequently
called the Chapel of the Guardian Angel. A side _
altar from the old Cathedral, Franklin Street, was con- veyed hither and re-erected. After that, besides being used as a place for the Sunday-school, Mass was cele- brated therein every Sunday for the convenience of those Catholics who resided in this district. The priests from the Cathedral were most constant and regular in attending to the little chapel, and particu- larly worthy of mention is Rev. John J. Williams, the present Archbishop. Rev. Hilary Tucker afterwards gave this newly organized congregation considerable attention, and, in fact, continued to visit here until the humble structure was abandoned. Among the teachers of the Sunday-school were, Andrew Cassidy, John N. McDevitt, William Burke, and Thomas Gargan. At present the old chapel is used as a trade school.
The present St. Joseph's Church formerly be- longed to the Twelfth Congregational Society, and was purchased, in 1862, by Father Williams, who was then the administrator of the diocese. It was erected in 1824, when, with the land on which it stands, it cost $34,000. In the autumn, its transfer to the Catholics, together with the good organ, was effected for the sum of $27,000. Rev. Patrick T. O'Reilly was then placed in charge, and, consequently, became the first pastor. To help defray the debt incurred by the purchase of the property, a concert was given in the church on
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. 6^
Sunday, October 26, 1862, at which the cathedral choir, under the direction of Mr. Werner, assisted. The church was finally dedicated, on November 9, 1862, by Rev. J. J. Williams, High Mass being celebrated by Rev. Hilary Tucker, and the sermon delivered by Rev. J. Boyce, of St. John's Church, Worcester.
Rev. Patrick Thomas O'Reilly was born on December 24, 1833, at Kilnaleek, County Cavan, Ireland. His parents were poor, and, as he displayed a studious disposition, he was sent to America, where a rich uncle resided. He studied classics in St. Charles' College, EUicott City, Md., and, after graduating therefrom, in 1853, when 20 years old, he entered St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, where he studied philosophy and theology. With the late Rev. Michael Hartney, Salem, and the late pastor of St. Stephen's parish, Boston, he was ordained, on August 15, 1857, in the old Cathedral on Franklin Street by the Right Rev. David W. Bacon, D. D., late Bishop of Portland. Another classmate of his in the seminary was Right Rev. Lawrence S. McMahon, late Bishop of Hartford.
Father O'Reilly's first mission was in St. John's Church, Worcester, where he was sent to assist Father Boyce, who not only distinguished himself by his diligence as a pastor, but also in the literary field. Under such a learned superior, the young priest was well schooled in the manner of ministering to souls. It was not long before he won the favor of all, and most especially of the younger portion of the parish, for, seemingly, like his great sacerdotal Prototype, he said : "Suffer little children to come unto me." In 1862 he was pro- moted to the pastorate of St. Joseph's Church, Boston. There he remained until January, 1864, when he was appointed pastor of St. John's Church, Worcester, in the place of his old superior, Father Boyce, who had died. The many good works accomplished by him will never be related, for, indeed, mostly all his time was spent after the manner of a vigilant and model pastor, who loved his God, his country; and his people.
He was consecrated Bishop of the newly created Diocese of Springfield on September 25, 1870. At this service. His Eminence, John Cardinal McCloskey, presided, and he was assisted by Right Rev. John J. Conroy, Bishop of Albany, and Right Rev. Bishop Williams. Bishop Bacon, who ordained him to the priesthood, preached the sermon on the occasion of his consecration. The new diocese covered considerable territory, and extended over five western counties of the State. There were about eighty thousand souls ministered to by forty-three priests. As this section over which the Bishop was to preside was somewhat remote from Boston, it was not as thoroughly organized as it might have been. There was hardly a Catholic school within his province. By no means discouraged, he set to work, and, after twenty years, his diocese was second to none in organiza- tion, as well as in religious and educational matters. There was scarcely a person in his flock, be he priest or layman, who did not have deep regard for Bishop O'Reilly; to know him was to love him, to hear him was to obey him. No wonder, then, that such a general wail arose, when, on Saturday, May 28, 1892, it was announced that he was dead. The day before his death he received a cablegram from the Holy Father, and, with tears coursing down his pallid cheeks, he gave thanks to God for His goodness. Springfield was in mourn- ing for him, the flags at half-mast, and business-houses closed, for all recognized the fact that they had lost an exemplary man and a good citizen. The grief was not limited to the people in the Springfield Diocese alone, for not a few of the parishioners of this parish remember his amiability and benevolence, and down their cheeks trickled many a tear, whilst from their hearts they wished him eternal rest.
On Wednesday, June i, 1892, a solemn Pontifical Mass of Requiem was celebrated by His Grace, Arch- bishop Williams. The deacon was Rev. P. J. Garrigan, D. D., vice-rector of the Catholic University of America; sub-deacon. Rev. P. J. Phelan, of Holyoke; master of ceremonies. Rev. John F. Fagan, of Spring- field, and assistant. Rev. Louis Leduc, of North Adams. The general arrangements of the funeral devolved upon Rev. Bernard S.-Conaty, rector of the Cathedral. The sermon was preached by Right Rev. James A. Heal)', D. D., Bishop of Portland, who took for his text, "The ancients, therefore, that are among you, I beseech, who am myself, also, an ancient and a witness of Christ. . . . Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking care thereof not by constraint, but willingly, according to God; neither for the sake of filthy lucre, but voluntarily; neither as domineering over the clergy, but being made a pattern of the flock from the heart; and when the Prince of Pastors shall appear, you shall receive a never-ending crown of glory." The panegyric, a masterpiece of this able prelate, was listened to by thousands of mourners.
After the first pastor had been transferred to Worcester, Rev. P. J. Canny was appointed to take charge of
68
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
the congregation, and his administration lasted from January, 1864, to July, 1865, when he was succeeded by the Rev. P. F. Lyndon, a sketch of whom may be found on page 33. With the purpose of enlarging the church, Father Lyndon, April 17, 1866, purchased the Lane estate in the rear, consisting of two houses and the land they stood upon, for $16,500. Withdrawn from the parish, June 14th, to superintend the erection of the Cathedral, Father Lyndon was obliged to leave the execution of his project to his successor. This was the Rev. Bernard O'Reilly, who carried it out with the result of adding about one-third more space to the church. Father Lyndon returned to the parish September 5, 1870, after having practically completed his great work of con- structing the Cathedral. During his second pastorate, he purchased a parochial residence, beside the church on Allen Street, further enlarged and improved the accommodations of the church, and reduced the debt from $50,000 to $22,000. Father Lyndon died April 19, 1878. His obsequies were a memorable event in the history of the parish. His remains were honored with Episcopal interment within the Cathedral.
His successor was the Rev. W. J. Daly, under whom the basement was enlarged, the floors renewed, modern pews substituted for the old-fashioned ones transferred with the church by the Congregationalists,
Rev. p. F. Lyndon, Rev. W. J. Daly,
Former Pastor St. Joseph's Church, Boston. Former Pastor St. Joseph's Church, Boston.
and a new organ purchased. Father Daly's pastorate ended with his death, abroad, while visiting Rome with Archbishop Williams.
"Father Daly is dead" was the sad news that came over the deep to the people of St. Joseph's parish. "Father Daly is dead" was echoed throughout the streets of Boston, and many a sigh was heaved and many a tear shed at this sorrowful announcement, for he was loved as few priests are loved. To mention the many kind and generous acts of this model priest would require pages of this volume. We need only refer to the unfortunates whose misdeeds bring them to the Police Court, among whom he was a constant visitor. Where the payment of a fine would, in his opinion, turn the wayward one from his evil path, his pocket-book was always open, and his generosity and benevolence have converted many a hardened criminal and led him to seek a better life. The poor were always to him a special care, and their appeals received ready assistance. We may refer to an old cripple, who was so infirm that he was unable to work, and he was asked how he was able
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
69
to support himself and wife. "Oh! Father D?ly, God bless him, pays my rent, and sees to it that we do not want for food or clothing." This is but one of many cases. In all his parish, he looked for folks whose very exist- ence seemed to be dependent upon him, and all his charity to them was given unassumingly. The children were his constant delight, and it sickened his large heart when he would meet any who were insufficiently clad, and soon after clothing would come, shoes would cover their bare feet, and hampers of provisions would find their way into their homes. In Newburyport, whilst assisting Father Lennon, he acted in the same manner, and sorry indeed were the people there, when he was appointed pastor of St. James' Church, Salem. Creed made no difference, his energies being directed to save all he could. He would say to a prisoner : " Now tell me your story, and tell it truthfully. The truth will always stand strongly in your behalf." It is also related of him that one day some unfortunate was being tried and had no one to defend him. Father Daly interested himself in the case, and actually acted as his attorney, for he knew he was innocent, and, consequently, the
ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, CHAMBERS STREET, BOSTON.
man was discharged. To the jail-keeper he said : " If you have a person, sick or well, who would speak with a Catholic clergyman, why, send for me, no matter what the hour is."
In December, 1883, the Archbishop went to Europe, and Father Daly accompanied him. On Friday, December 14th, he died in the Consolazione Hospital, in Rome. The post mortem examination revealed ulcer- ations of the stomach and internal hemorrhage. The body was embalmed, and was placed in the receiving chamber of the Cemetery of San Lorenzo. On the following Sunday a solemn High Mass of Requiem was cele- brated by Archbishop Williams in the Church of the Consolazione, at which many Americans assisted. A High Mass of Requiem was also celebrated in St. Joseph's, at which Bishop McMahon, of Hartford, was celebrant ; Rev. Thomas H. Shahan, of Salem, deacon ; Father Moran, of St. Stephen's, sub-deacon, and Father Gilligan, master of ceremonies. A beautiful and touching eulogy was delivered by Father Shahan. The body was interred in Rome.
70
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
Very Rev. William Byrne, D. D., V. G., whose portrait and sketch appear on pages i8 and 19, respectively, of this work, was appointed pastor on February i, 1S84.
On January 12, 1885, Dr. Byrne increased the church property by the purchase of a lot at the corner of Charles and Poplar Streets for a school site. It measures 15,000 square feet, and, with the houses upon it, cost $37,250. It is the rector's purpose not to build until the land is clear of debt. So far, the rental of the houses has paid the taxes and the interest of the mortgage. The mortgage is now reduced to $8,000. W'hen ready for building. Dr. Byrne means to retain the houses on half the land, with the view of having their income to aid him. Fronting on the Charlesbank, unless the proximity of the Massachusetts Hospital be considered a drawback, the location must prove an excellent site for a school-house.
Associated with Dr. Byrne in his labors are Rev. John F. Keleher, William H. O'Connell, Joseph G.
INTERIOR ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, BOSTON.
Anderson, and P. J. Walsh, each of whom, by strict attention to their sacredotal functions, are gaining the esteem of the members of the congregation and the approval of their learned pastor.
St. Joseph's Church is a brick structure erected somewhat after the Romanesque style of architecture. The trimmings are but sparingly distributed, and consist of wood and brown stone. The building is admirably situated, facing on Chambers Street, with entrance to its basement on Allen and McLean Streets. The limit to the grounds on Chambers Street is well defined by a large iron fence. Two heavy, fluted, wooden pillars support the roof over the narrow veranda on the front. Five large, double doors, two of which are at the side terminals of the veranda, give access into a long and narrow vestibule, from which, by three portals, entrance is effected into the auditorium. Whilst many other edifices, as far as architectural display, frescoing, and orna- ments, might be considered far more attractive than this humble auditorium, nevertheless there are but very few which inspire more devotion and awaken greater reverence of the people towards the Almighty. Yet, St. Joseph's interior is far from being plain, for, indeed, the sparing decorations are so dispersed as to merit
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
71
approval. The ceiling over the centre aisle has a few religious symbols, and through it, also, do the two venti- lators penetrate. Not in consonance with the present style of churches are the galleries on the sides and front, the latter one of which is furnished with a large, melodious organ. Six heavy, plain, round columns support the gallery on either side, as well as the semi-circular arches, which uphold the roof. The five windows on either side of the auditorium are large and old-fashioned, and are entirely of plain glass. They admit a flood of light, which can be excluded when occasion demands by the aid of folding blinds. Besides the paintings of the stations of the cross, there are other pictures on the walls in and around the sanctuary, the most striking one of which is the Crucifixion, which hangs above and behind the altar. The auditorium and sanctuary are separated only by a small railing, which does not extend the entire width of the church. The wall in this enclosed part is especially decorated and frescoed. The altar is most beautiful, and looks very ornamental with its white color, and trimmings of gilt and rich candelabra. On the flanking pedestals are the adoring angels. A little to the right is a large and beautiful statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whilst on the left is one of St. Joseph with the Infant, and a little to the left of that, on a separate pedestal, is a statue of the Immaculate Conception. As it stands to-day, with its galleries, the church will seat about 1,500 persons. Starting with about 4,000 souls, the congregation now numbers about 8,000. Originally a part of St. Mary's parish, the parish of St. Joseph is being depleted in much the same way as that parish. It is, however, likely to suffer more from the encroachments of business in the future.
The basement is very spacious and somewhat plain. The wood-work, pews, and altar railing are all quartered oak; The large altar is profuse with gilt, and, in consequence, looks very rich and attractive. On the epistle side is a statue of St. Joseph; on the gospel side one of the Blessed Virgin; and, upon a pedestal near it, is a statue of the Sacred Heart. In the front is a small space reserved for the choir. To the right of the sanctuary is a small vestry where the St. Joseph's Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society meets, and to the left is a larger vestry which contains the vestments and other things connected with the altar. St. Joseph's Church truly reveals its age, yet the casual itinerant cannot look upon it and gaze upon the small, shining cross that surmounts its ridge and read the apt inscription on its base, I. H. S., without being moved to reverence. Many a soul has communed with the Almighty therein, and many a body has there received the final benediction. Its mission in the past has been most successful, and, whilst s.uch an able rector as Dr. Byrne continues in charge, we need not be solicitous about the future, for his name is veritably synonomous with success.
72
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
St ©regor^'6 parish, ©orcbeeter.
|T GREGORY'S CHURCH was commenced in 1863. The corner-stone was laid August 23d of that year by tlie Right Rev. Jolm B. Fitzpatricli, Bishop of Boston, in the presence of a very large concourse of people. The sermon was by the Rev. George F. Haskins, a lecent convert to the faith. In November, 1864, the church, being finished, was dedi- cated to St. Gregory, the Rev. Sherwood A. Healy preaching the sermon.
Previous to 1853, the Catholics of Dorchester and Milton went to church when and where they could. Some went to West Quincy, some to Roxbury, but the greater number went to South Boston, as all this district was a part of the parish of SS. Peter and Paul, on Broadway, South Boston. At that time the southwestern boundary line of the parish in South Boston stretched away even beyond the limits of Dorchester and Milton, including in its territory Hyde Park, Can- ton, Stoughton, and Sharon, and was about twenty miles from headquarters. All this territory was attended by the devoted clergy resident in South Boston.
In 1853-4 a church was built in Dor- chester, on Washmgton Street, nearly oppo- site the end of Richmond Street, by the Rev. Father Fitzsimmons, and when nearly finished was blown up and destroyed on the morning of July 4, 1854. This was at a time when the Know-Nothing party was in power, and the few Catholics of the dis- trict were not able to protect their church against overwhelming numbers. From that time up to 1861 Mass was celebrated in a small hall which stood near the end of the bridge dividing Dorchester from Milton. On that same spot now stands the magnifi- cent pile of buildings owned and occupied by the Walter Baker Chocolate Company. Rev. Thomas McNulty was selected by Bishop Fitzpatrick as pastor of the new and growing parish, and continued to
administer its affairs with fervor and zeal Rev. W. H. Fitzpatrick, Pastor St. Gregory's Church, Dorchester.
up to the time of his death, in 1875. The two last years of his life he was ably assisted by Rev. James O'Doherty, now permanent rector and pastor of St. James' parish in Haverliill. At that time St. Gregory's
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
73
parish included all of Dorchester and Milton and that part of Quincy now called Atlantic and Squantum. In 1870 Dorchester was annexed to Boston and is now known as Ward 24.
The parish increased in numbers rapidly, and St. Gregory's Church, with a seating capacity of nearly 800, soon became too small to accommodate the people. In 1870 Hyde Park, a new town, made up from parts of Milton, Dedham, and West Roxbury, was made a separate parish. In 1S71 Atlantic was added to the Quincy parish. In 1872 the northern half of Dorchester was set off as a new parish, with Rev. Peter Ronan as pastor, and the elegant St. Peter's Church and parochial house adjoining show at once that he was the right man for the place. Long may he live !
ST. GREGORY'S CHURCH, DORCHESTER— Fb.nt Elevation.
During the early part of 1875 Father McNulty's health began to fail. He took a trip to his native land, thinking the healthy air of the North of Ireland would bring back his once rugged constitution; but it was otherwise decreed, and he returned to lay down his life in the midst of his flock. This happened on the 8th of October, 1875. His funeral was attended by an immense crowd of people and a very large number of the clergy. The Mass was celebrated by Rev. John Flatley, then his neighbor in Canton. Archbishop Williams presided.
74
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
October 12, 1875, Rev. W. H. Fitzpatrick was appointed as successor to the late Father McNuIty, and at once entered into the work so well begun. His first work was to purchase a suitable site for a parochial house, and he succeeded in getting about an acre of land adjoining the church, on which he erected a rectory in 1878. This building did good service for twelve years as a residence, but the growing parish demanded larger accom- modations, and in 1890 Father Fitzpatrick remodeled and greatly enlarged it so that now the house contains in all twenty-four rooms. The accompanying cut shows it to be, as it really is, one of the handsomest, most commodious, and best appointed parochial dwellings in the Archdiocese. Later he purchased about an acre of land on Dorchester Avenue, directly opposite the church. This he holds as an excellent site for the future St. Gregory's school.
ST, GREGORY'S CHURCH, DORCHESTER— Pkospective View.
In April, 1878, the church was struck by lightning and damaged to the extent of about $1,000. The beautiful tower, about 130 feet high, suffered to such an extent that it had to be taken down. The tower was not rebuilt, as the pastor contemplated a change in the construction of the church and an enlargement of the seating capacity at some future time. In 1880 Father Fitzpatrick purchased a lot of nearly 40,000 feet of land in Neponset, a growing village in Dorchester about one and a half miles northeast from St. Gregory's Church. Here he commenced a church, and cheerfully did the people of that section aid in the good work. The outside of the church was finished and the basement made ready for occupancy in December, 1881. About this time Rev. David J. Power was appointed to assist the pastor in the many duties that belong to a large and scattered congregation.
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In July, i88g, St. Anne's Church, Neponset, was made a separate parish, and His Grace, tlie Archbisliop, appointed Rev. Timothy J. Murphy as first resident pastor. Father Murphy found his church and grounds entirely out of debt, and at once set to work to finish the church and erect a parochial house, in both of which he succeeded admirably.
In 1889 Father Fitzpatrick purchased a fine lot of land on Norfolk Street, in Dorchester, about one mile and a half northwest of St. Gregory's Church. Here, in the summer of 1891, he built a temporary church, with a seating capacity of 500, and on Christmas Day ot that year it was opened under the patronage of St. Matthew. In less than one year it was found neccessary to have two Masses on Sundays in order to accommo-
PAROCHIAL RESIDENCE, ST. GREGORY'S CHURCH, DORCHESTER.
date the people. Rev. Fathers Smith and Wallace, of the Society of Jesus, gave a mission there in February, 1892; and in one week gave communion to 700 people. Two sisters of Notre Dame from South Boston, assisted by a number of young ladies of the parish, are doing excellent work among the children in the Sunday-school.
The work of the parish was now too much for two priests to perform, and in July, 1892, Rev. John A. Degan was appointed to assist in the work. To him was assigned the Sunday-school, and the work being congenial to him, he entered at once into it, as he did in all other parish duties. Two Sisters of Notre Dame from South Boston come to St. Gregory's every Sunday (and have done so for twelve years) to assist the pastor
76 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
and his priests in the Sunda3'-school ; these, with a well-drilled corps of j'oung lady teachers, are doing their work well. St. Gregory's Sunday-school numbers nearly 400, and St. Matthew's about 150.
The erection of another church within the limits of St. Gregory's parish will soon become a necessity, and with this end in view the pastor purchased, in January, 1894, a very valuable and centrally located site on the corner of Dorchester Avenue and Rosemont Street, about one mile from St. Gregory's Church. The lot contains nearly forty thousand feet, is in the vicinity of the Ashmont district, and is just the shape for a church, rectory, etc.
Father Fitzpatrick's desire is to have a school for the children of his parish as soon as practicable. At present there are eighteen public schools within the limits of St. Gregory's parish ; consequently the children are so far away from any central point that it would not be advisable to commence a parochial school for some time yet.
In 1894 the long contemplated enlarging and finishing of St. Gregory's Church was begun, and before the year ended the beautiful front, as shown in the accompanying engraving, was completed. When finished, the seating capacity will be 1,100 upstairs and about 1,000 in the basement. A large -vestibule and choir gallery is now obtained by the addition of the new front, and when the transept is finished, much better sanctuary facilities and more vestry room will be the result.
St. Gregory's parish is yet scattered over a very large extent of territory, including, as it does, the southern part of old Dorchester (Ward 24, Boston) and all the town of Milton, in which may be seen the beautiful range called the Blue Hills, where about four thousand acres have recently been taken by the State Park Com- missioners. To appreciate the growth of the Church in this section, it is only necessary to say that now there are three priests at St. Gregory's, three at St. Peter's, two at Neponset, two in Canton, two in Hyde Park, two in Stoughton, one at St. Margaret's, and Atlantic is attended from Quincy ; all this territory was attended to by one priest at St. Gregory's from 1861 up to 1870.
Father Fitzpatrick was born in Earltown, Colchester County, N. S., November 21, 1832. His father was an Irishman, while his mother, named Jane Jardine before marriage, was a native of Ayr, Scotland, having been born next door to the cottage in which Robert Burns first saw the light. Having been educated in his native place, he taught school for a time. He came to Massachusetts at the age of twenty, and was variously employed in Billerica, Bolton, and Dedham for the next five years. He had saved sufficient of his earnings by this time to enable him to enter Holy Cross College, Worcester, which he did in the class of 1856. He took the classical course and graduated in 1862. Thence he went to the Sulpitian Seminary in Montreal where, after completing the necessary theological studies, he received Holy Orders, May 26, 1866. His first appoint- ment after his arrival in Boston was that of assistant to Father Cuddihy, of Milford. From here he was transferred, at short intervals, to the Cathedral, thence to East Boston, and later to Stoneham. He was appointed pastor at Stoneham in 1868. At that time Wakefield, Reading, and Melrose were attended from Stoneham. Here he remained seven years ; purchasing the Universalist Church in Stoneham and the Baptist Church in Melrose, he transformed both into convenient Catholic chapels ; lately, both have been replaced by elegant and commodious churches. He also built the first part of what is now a large and beautiful church at Wakefield. Father Fitzpatrick is loved and respected by his Protestant as well as by his Catholic neighbors. " Tolerant, broad of mind, and large of heart," he never tires of preaching and practicing the gospel of good- will to all men.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
n
(3ate of lOeaven parisb, South Boston,
VER mindful of the spiritual welfare of his people, Father Patrick F. Lyndon, when pastor of the parish of SS. Peter and Paul, erected the Gate of Heaven Church for the convenience of the Catholics residing in the portion of the South Boston peninsula called the City Point. Its corner-stone was laid May i, 1862, by Bishop Fitzpatrick, and it was dedicated March ig, 1863. The latter ceremony was performed by Bishop McFarland, of Hartford, in the absence of Bishop Fitzpatrick, and the Rev. Bernard A. Maguire, S. J., preached the dedication sermon. The church, situated at the intersection of I and Fourth Streets, is a brick structure of pleasing exterior, though simple in design, and is capable of accommodating about 1,500 persons. There are three entrances into a small basement vestibule, from which, by means of flights of stairs, approach is afforded to the main vestibule. The interior is very bright and large, and is laid out and furnished in almost perfect consonance with the old style of churches. There is but little attempt at decora- tion ; in fact, the walls are mostly plain. Most attractive, indeed, are the altar and stations ; perhaps on account of the general simphcity and lack of ornament that pervade every- thing else. The basement is scarcely ever used for services, as it has been so divided and furnished that it is almost entirely used for school pur- poses. At first the parish was attended from SS. Peter and Paul's, and Father Blenkinsop, who suc- ceeded Father Lyndon, besides or- ganizing the schools, did much toward making this a permanent parish.
Rev. W. A. Blenkinsop was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1819. In early life, in fact, in 1826, he, with his de- vout parents, came to America and settled in Baltimore, Md. In 183 1 he, with his brother Robert, entered St. Mary's College, Maryland, from which he graduated in 1839. He then went-to-St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, where he was ordained, in 1843, by the Most Rev. Samuel Eccleston, D. D., the late Archbishop of Baltimore. Right Rev. John J. Chance being his intimate friend, he persuaded him to go to Natchez, Miss., where he labored most assiduously until 1850, when he came North and was accepted by the Right Rev. Bishop Fitzpatrick, late Bishop of Boston, who assigned him to the pastorate of the p.irish of the Holy Name, Chicopee. While in charge there, he had fully sixteen dependencies to attend to.
South Boston.
78
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
which included at that time Springfield, Holyoke, and Northampton. ^ Whilst pastor at Chicopee, he succeeded in erecting a church and parochial residence there. In 1864 he was appointed pastor of the Church of SS. Peter and Paul by the Right Rev. Bishop Fitzpatrick, and he remained there until his death, which occurred on January 8, 1892. Whilst pastor of that church, he erected the present St. Joseph's Parochial School, the magnificent rectory, and the large, substantial church, all of which are admirably located on Broadway. The people of South Boston never had greater cause to mourn than when Father Blenkinsop's death was announced to them. " None knew him but to love him, none named him but to praise." Indeed, he was a model pastor, full of zeal, full of charity, and full of pity. No wonder, then, that so many were anxious to pay respect to his remains. On Monday, January 11, 1892, he was buried. Both sides of the main aisles were reserved for the pall-bearers. Sisters of Charity from Carney Hospital, Sisters of Notre Dame connected with the parish, and the immediate friends and relatives of the deceased. The Pontifical Mass was celebrated by His Grace, Archbishop Williams. The assistant high priest was Very Rev. William Byrne, V. G.; deacons of the Mass were Rev. Robert J. Johnson, and Rev. W. H. Duncan, S. J.; deacons of honor. Rev. P. Cuddihy, of Milford, and Rev. Thomas H. Shahan, of Maiden ; masters of ceremonies. Rev. Hugh Roe O'Donnell and Rev. William J. Powers. In the sanctuary were Right Rev. Denis M. Bradley, D. D., Bishop of Manchester, N. H.; Right Rev. Matthew Harkins, D. D., Bishop of Providence, R. I., and Right Rev. John Brady, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston, and Rev;"' Peter Blenkinsop, S. J. There were over loo priests present to assist in the office of the dead. The panegyric was delivered by Rev. Denis O'Callaghan. During the funeral all the stores were closed, and business was generally suspended. The pall-bearers were Hon. Joseph D. Fallon, Dr. Michael F. Galvin, Jerome S. McDonald, Denis Collins, Francis Supple, Michael Moore, Thomas Kiley, James Doherty, Edward Tracey, Thomas Cuddihy.
The funeral procession was made up as follows: Detail of police, 100 clergymen as escort, hearse, flanked on either side by pall-bearers ; carriages for Sisters of Charity from Carney Hospital and St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum. Clergymen in carriages, SS. Peter and Paul's Conference, SS. Peter and Paul's Lyceum, SS. Peter and Paul's Temperance Society, South Boston Charitable Institute, SS. Peter and Paul's Young Men's Sodality, SS. Peter and Paul's Mar- ried Men's Sodality, St. Augustine's Temperance Society, St. Augustine's Lyceum, City Point Catholic Associa- tion, hacks containing 'mourners.
Very Rev. William Byrne, V. G., assisted by the several prelates and priests, officiated at the grave. After the Archbishops, Bishops, and priests deposited a shovelful of clay upon the casket, the grave was covered, and the cortege moved away from the final rest- ing-place of a devout pastor, with the
parting wish: " Requiescat in pace." St. Agnes' Convent, Sou™ Hoston.
Rev. James Sulhvan was appointed the first resident pastor of the newly created Gate of Heaven parish, in 1865. He erected the present parochial residence, which is situated to the left of the church, on Fourth Street. It is a brick structure with granite trimmings, and its three stories are capped by a mansard roof.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
79
The house is so divided that it affords ample and spacious rooms for the clergy. Standing behind a green lawn and beautiful shade trees and flower bushes, its ivy-covered walls look most attractive, and give the whole place the appearance of a shady retreat.
Rev. Emiliano Gerbi, O. S. F., became pastor in i868, and diligently performed his duties for five years. Father Gerbi was born in Azzano d'Aste, in Piedmont, Italy, in 1826. He entered the Order of. St. Francis in 1840, studied theology in Turin, where he was ordained in September, 1846. In 1856 he came to America, first going as president of the Franciscan College in Alleghany, Penn. He came to Lowell, where he spent two years, and later he was three years at St. Mary's, Charlestown. He was at the Cathedral for a short time, and from which, in 1868, he was sent as pastor to the Gate of Heaven Church, where he labored most faithfully until the time of his death, which occurred June 28, 1873, near his forty-seventh birthday. He did much for the cause of religion while in this diocese, and was known as a ceaseless worker, his zeal never relaxing under the most trying circumstances. His last sermon was preached at St. John's, Quincy, a short time before his death.
The next rector was Rev. Michael F. Higgins, who built St. Agnes' Convent and Academy, a brick building with granite trimmings. It is situated on the parish property directly in front of the church, on I Street. It is the home of the Sisters of St. Joseph, who teach the children in the parochial school, as well as those who pursue the more advanced course of studies offered by the academy, which has part of the building. After a most successful pastorate Father Higgins died at the pastoral residence, on Friday evening. May 7, 1886, after a few weeks' sickness, of pneumonia. He was a zealous and energetic priest, and did good work in the establish- ment of schools and for the welfare of the people. He was born in the County Galway, Ireland, and came to this country in early life. His age was forty-two years. His funeral took place from Gate of Heaven Church on Tuesday, May nth, and was attended by a large number of priests, sisters, chil- dren, and the parishioners. The remains were interred in the family tomb at Amesbury, Mass.
Father Higgins' successor was the Rev. Theo- dore Metcalf, of whom there is a short sketch and a portrait on pages 492 and 493 of this work. His short pastorate, beginning in 1886, was made memorable by his simple protest against the use in the public schools of text-books containing misstatements regarding the Catholic Church. This protest was the innocent cause of the strongest manifestation of an anti-Cathohc spirit in Boston since 1834. Ill health obliged Father Metcalf to retire in 1890, when the present rector, the Rev. Robert J. Johnson, was appointed to succeed him.
Besides the usual Sunday-school and sodalities, the parish organizations include the City Point Catholic Association, together with branches of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Society of the Holy Name, and the League of the Sacred Heart. There are about 600 girls attending the academy and parochial school, and the congregation numbers about 10,000 souls. Although the present church seems sufficient for the needs of the congregation, yet, in view of the future developments expected to result from, the public improvements going forward in the district, the rector intends, at an early day, to erect another church, near the location of the present one, that will be the finest and costliest in South Boston. The designs, as furnished some years ago
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So THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
by P. W. Ford, the Boston architect, provide for a building worthy to be a Cathedral. The site has for some time been in the rector's possession, and some preparatory work has already been done upon the foundation, and it is sincerely to be desired that Father Johnson will, in the near future, see his way clear to vigorously push the construction of the building to a rapid completion. The fact that the population of this section of South Boston is increasing quite rapidly, a considerable portion of which are of the Catholic faith, makes it rea- sonable to indulge the hope that we may soon see this enthusiastic priest's long-cherished plans fully perfected.
For some reason or other, Father Johnson did not give the new project the attention he did at first, yet, early in the present year, the old church edifice was partially destroyed by fire, and he then importuned his parishioners to be more generous in their contributions, so that work on this new edifice might be pushed with rapidity. Whilst the building was being repaired, the congregation was assembled in the parish hall, which is a small, one-story building, almost directly in front of the parsonage. The old church was, in the meanwhile, being refitted, and, from April 25, 1895, when the altar was blessed by Archbishop Williams, the people went regularly to services in the old edifice, and the school was again started.
The warm affection with which Father Johnson has inspired his parishioners may in part be attributed to that personal magnetism which a genial and courtly manner is apt to e-xcite. Constant as the law of gravity is his regard for the convenience and feelings of all he meets. Boasting no progenitor in the cabin of the May- flower, nor yet in the Norman Conqueror's battalions, his characteristic is not the symbol of distinguished ancestry, but the outcome of a kindly heart. Born in Ireland, it is a subject of self-congratulation to him that he belongs to the missionary race that has carried the gospel to the ends of the earth. He speaks the old Gaelic tongue with precision and fluency. Among many other accomplishments is his ability to deliver a lecture characterized by erudition and research. Much is expected of him at the Gate of Heaven Church, and it can not be reasonably doubted, by those familiar with his earnestness of purpose and with his fine abilities, that he will fully meet these great expectations.
Father Johnson, previous to assuming charge of the local parish, ended a most successful pastorate in St. Mary's parish, Dedham, over which he commenced to preside in August, 1878. He erected St. Raphael's Church for the Catholics residing in East Dedham, which was destroyed by fire in 1879. To his successful endeavors, also, must be attributed most of that beautiful Church of St. Mary, the worthy boast of Dedham Catholics. When the announcement came that he was to be transferred to the local parish, the Protestants and Catholics alike of Dedham were sorry on account of the change, for to them all, as he has since to the people in South Boston, he proved himself to be a staunch and exemplary friend, whose every action seemed worthy of imitation and deserving of the greatest and most lasting respect.
Father Johnson is ably assisted in his administration of the affairs of the Gate of Heaven parish by Rev. David J. Herlihy, Rev. Nathaniel J. Merritt, Rev. Michael F. Murphy, Rev. Patrick J. Supple, and Rev. Thomas F. Brannan. Each of these priests is a most faithful worker in this large parish, and it is in no inconsiderable degree due to their zeal arid untiring efforts to promote the spiritual and material progress of the parish that it has attained such large proportions and become so powerful and prosperous, The Gate of Heaven Church is rightfully exerting a great influence for good among the people of the Peninsula City.
St. Agnes' Convent is most pleasantly situated, and is a most commodious and a very handsome structure, as the fine engraving which we herewith present amply shows. The sisters teach the primary classes in the basement of the church, which furnishes quite comfortable school rooms, all of which are well equipped and furnished for the convenience and comfort of both teachers and pupils. The sisters are also doing good work among the older students of the parish, for at the convent there are classes of young ladies in the more advanced studies. The convent is a most valuable adjunct to the parish.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
TLhc pamb of St. Hugustine.
LTHOUGH this parish is comparatively of recent formation, its history reaches back to the pioneer clays of Catholicity in Boston. It takes its name from the oldest religious edifice in the city owned by Catholics. This is the mortuary chapel of the Catholic Cemetery in South Boston. On December 9, 18 18, Bishop Cheverus bought the land for the cemetery from Zachariah G. Whitman, for $680. The lot was an irregular quadrangle, with a frontage of 120 feet on Dorchester Street. The other three sides measured respectively 115 feet, 81 feet, and 117 feet. The chapel, a humble little brick structure, 30 by 20 feet, was erected early in the following year. The Bishop designed it as a mausoleum for the remains of his friend and co-laborer, Dr. Matignon, who had died in September. The necessary funds, amounting to $1,500, had been collected by the Rev. Philip Lariscy, an Irish Augustinian. Apparently in gratitude for this, and to show his esteem for his zealous assistant, the Bishop bestowed on the building the name of St. Augustine. Referring to it in a letter the Bishop wrote, " It is the fruit of the zeal of good Father Lariscy, and I have given the church the name of the founder of his order, St. Augustine." As the Cathedral on Franklin Square was a considerable distance by way of Dover- Street Bridge, and the Catholic population of the district was increasing, public services came to be held in the chapel. To further facilitate its use in this way, it was enlarged in 1833, and a priest was assigned to attend it regularly. The priests so appointed were: The Rev. Thomas Lynch, in 1833; the Rev. John Mahony, in 1836; the Rev. Michael Lynch, in 1839; and the Rev. Terence Fitzsimmons, in 1840.
The first interment in the chapel was that of Dr. Matignon, whose burial was a notable event of that day. The remains of this sainted priest were tenderly borne to their final resting place, accompanied by a great pro- cession of people and by robed acolytes with lighted candles. The body of Father Matignon was first interred in the old Granary burying-ground, but was removed to the chapel early in 18 19, where it was laid at rest on the episcopal side of the altar, marked by a marble memorial slab fixed in the wall. On the gospel side of the altar reposed the remains of Bishop Fitzpatrick until they were transferred to the crypt in the Cathedral.
Outside the sanctuary rail in separate brick vaults, suitably marked, lie the bodies of some twenty priests who, in their day, were very influential in promoting the growth of Catholicity in Boston. Their names are Rev. Hilary Tucker, died March 15, 1872; Rev. John W. Donohue, pastor of St. John's Church, East Cam- bridge, died March 15, 1873; Rev. John B. Purcell, died March 24, 1873; Rev. Emiliano F. Gerbi, pastor of the Gate of Heaven Church, South Boston, died June 28, 1873; Rev. G. A. Hamilton, pastor of St. Mary's Church, Charlestown, died July 31, 1874; Rev. Bernard O'Reilly, pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Boston, died May 21, 1875 ; Rev. Stanislaus Buteux, died June 14, 1875 ; Rev. Alexander Sherwood Healy, brother of Bishop Healy, of Portland, and pastor of St. James' Church, died October 21, 1875; Rev. Nicholas J. O'Brien, died April 25, 1876; Rev. Michael Lane, builder and first pastor of St. Vincent's Church, South Boston, died February 2, 1878; Rev. J. S. Dennehy, of St. Mary's Church, Randolph, Mass., died October 26, 1878; Rev. A. I. Conterno, died August 10, 1881 ; Rev. John B. F. Boland, of St. Francis de Sales' Church, Charlestown, died November 30, 1882 ; Rev. WilUam Walsh, died July 9, 1883; Rev. John B. O'Donnell, pastor of the Church of St. Mary's, Star of the Sea, East Boston, died August 22, 1884; Rev. John Wall, of St. Joseph's Church, Somerville, died March 5, 1886; Rev. William A. Blenkinsop, the beloved pastor of SS. Peter and Paul's Church, died January 8, 1892; Rev. Leo P. Boland, rector of the Cathedral, died January 19, 1892; Rev. Denis J. O' Donovan, died September 24, 1892, and Rev. Michael Moran, the lamented pastor of St. Stephen's Church, who died July 11, 1894.
82
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
In the rear of the chapel in the cemetery grounds is buried Rev. John Mahpny, curate of the Church of the Holy Cross, died December 29, 1839. Near his remains lie those of Rev. Patrick Byrne, ordained in Bos- ton in 1820, and later the first pastor of old St. Mary's Church, Charlestown. He died in 1844. Near the grave of Father Byrne is buried Rev. Thomas J. O'Flaherty, D. D., of Salem, a physician and a learned priest, the divine who held a famous rehgious controversy with Rev. Lyman Beecher in 1831. Doctor O'Flaherty was for some time pastor of St. Mary's Church, Endicott Street, Boston. His death occurred March 29, 1846. At
ST. AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH, SOUTH BOSTON.
the left side of the chapel is interred Rev. Thomas Lynch, the first pastor of old St. Patrick's Church on North- ampton Street, who died March 5, 1850. The parents and sister of Bishop Fitzpatrick lie buried here, as do also the parents of Archbishop Williams. Among the many noteworthy people buried here is Robert Magner, who was one of the earliest Catholics in Boston. The deceased members of Patrick Donahoe's family lie in one of the larger lots of the cemetery.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
83
In 1892 the St. Augustine Cemetery Association was formed, especially for the care and preservation of the grounds and monuments, and much has already been done in this direction. The association is composed of the descendants of those who lie buried there and is supported by assessments and contributions. Rev. Denis O'Callaghan is president, J. A. Mullen, treasurer, and Misses L. D. Mullen, Nellie Murtagh, and Maggie Crowly, secretaries.
The seventy-fifth anniversary of the dedication of the chapel and cemetery was most appropriately com- memorated September 27, 1894. A solemn requiem Mass was given, and an able discourse, pertinent to the occasion, was delivered by Rev. Denis O'Callaghan, rector St. Augustine's Church. At the conclusion of the discourse the Archbishop blessed and incensed the graves of the departed clergy within the chapel. His
ST. AUGUSTINE'S CH.4PEL AND CEMETERY, SOUTH BOSTON.
Grace in a few words emphasized the affection and veneration in which the old cemetery should be held .by all. The services were attended by Archbishop Williams, Very Rev. William Byrne, D. D., V. G., and many promi- nent clergymen and laymen; among the latter was Mrs. Shackford, of Syracuse, N. Y., who attended the dedi- cation of the chapel seventy-five years ago.
The number of CathoHc residents in the peninsula increased so rapidly after 1840 that the chapel be- came totally inadequate to their religious wants, and a larger church was called for. As a result the church of SS. Peter and Paul was built, and services at St. Augustine's Chapel were discontinued in 1844.
The need of another church was not felt until nearly a quarter of a century later. The task of providing it, and of organizing a parish around it, was given to the Rev. Denis O'Callaghan, then a curate at SS. Peter
84 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
and Paul's. With a stout heart and the blessing of God, he started out upon his work August 22, 1868. It occurred to him that the old mortuary chapel might be used as a place of worship again until the proposed church would be available. He found it in a ruinous condition, but he had it repaired, and offered there the first parish Mass on Sunday, September 6. There also, on November i, the first High Mass was celebrated. Father O'Callaghan had no trouble in disposing of the pews. By his suggestion, a church debt society was formed in February, i86g. The organization virtually comprised the entire congregation, each member of which seemed to be inspired with the enthusiasm and self-sacrificing spirit of the pastor. A Sunday-school, organized May 9, i86g, opened with 400 children; the first temperance society, named the "Father Matthew, No. 2," was established May 23 ; the earliest first communion class received the eucharist on the festival of Corpus Christi in 1870 ; and the parish conference of St. Vincent de Paul was formed in May of the same year. At first, it was designed to build the church on the site now occupied by the new St. Augustine school
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on E Street. The land for the purpose had been already purchased by Bishop Williams at the time the parish was set off. A lot parallel with the cemetery, though not adjoining it, and extending from F Street to Dor- chester Street, offered a much superior location. After due consideration, it was decided to abandon the first site for this one, and the lot was bought from the city. The property containing the abandoned site was sold to advantage some time after.
The work of erecting the church was begun soon after the land was acquired. The first stake was driven by Henry W. Wilson, between ten and eleven o'clock in the forenoon of April 21, 1870. Father O'Callaghan, in person, formally broke ground, April 26. The corner-stone was laid September 11, when Bishop Williams officiated, and the Rev. Francis E. Boyle, of Washington, D. C, delivered the sermon. The first Mass was offered in the basement of the new church, July 2, 187 1, and confirmation was administered for the first time on the sixth of the same month. Since then, the chapel in the cemetery has been used for mortuary purposes
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. 85
only, and is chiefly interesting because of its associations with tlie past. Tlie marble tablet, previously spoken of, aflixed to the wall on the gospel side of the altar, bears an inscription which was composed by Bishop Cheverus, and tells that there, among the remains of other pioneers, lies the dust of his dear friend, the saintly Aiatignon.
The church, with its bell tower, was practically finished in the summer of 1S74. It needed but the spire to complete the structure when ij_was dedicated. The ceremony was performed August 30, 1874, by Bishop Williams, and the sermon for the occasion was preached by Father Boyle, the same priest who had rendered a similar service at the laying of the corner-stone. By this time, the pupils in the Sunday-school had increased to 946. St. Augustine's Mutual Relief and Total Abstinence Society, composed of the older men of the parish, was organized November 15, 1S74. The establishment of St. Augustine's Young Men's Temperance Society followed, December 20. A hall, open every evening, afforded the members of this organization the means of entering into agreeable intercourse with each other. In 1875, a literary societ)', that became widely known
for its beneficent influence on the young men of the district, was founded under the name of St. Augustine's Lyceum; and, in 1876, a sewing circle, designed to furnish the poor of the parish with clothing, was formed and successfully started upon its charitable enterprise.
Endowed with so much vitality, the parish quickly cleared the church of debt. Of the two hundred thou- sand dollars expended in its erection, not a cent remained unpaid in 1884. As a consequence, it was finally consecrated August 31, of that year. This was a memorable day in the history of the parish. The ceremonies were of the most impres'sive character. The rites of consecration were performed in the morning by His Grace, Archbishop Williams, assisted by a number of visiting and local priests. Those enacted without the church walls were witnessed by thousands of spectators, who thronged the streets in the locality, and occupied every possible vantage point. When the hour for beginning the Grand Pontifical High Mass arrived the worshipers
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
87
filled the church to the doors. The celebrant was the Most Rev. John J. 'Williams with the Very Rev. William Byrne, V. G., for assistant ; the deacons of honor, the Rev. J. J. Gray and the Rev. Thomas Griffin ; the deacons of the Mass, the Rev. J. J. McDermott and the Rev. James N. Supple, and the masters of ceremonies, the Rev. John J. Keegan and the Rev. P. M. O'Connor. Among the clergymen present in the sanctuary were Bishop Kane, of Wheeling, and Bishop Healy, of Portland. The sermon, which was delivered by Bishop Healy, was worthy of the preacher's renown. A number of the best vocalists and instrumentalists of New England, together with a chorus of one hundred trained voices, all under the direction of Mr. J. J. Carew, the organist of the church, rendered Hummel's Mass in E Flat with a perfection and an effect rarely heard. At the even- ing services, the celebrant was the Very Rev. J. E. Barry, V. G., and Bishop Kane delivered a sermon that was an eloquent tribute to the devo- tion of the pastor and people.
Well situated on rising ground, and fronting on one of the principal thoroughfares of South Boston, St. Augustine's, with its tower and spire, is, perhaps, the most striking object presented by the peninsular district to the distant observer. It is built in the Gothic style of architecture. The basement is of Roxbury stone dressed with white granite, while the superstructure is of red brick trimmed with freestone. Besides a clock, the tower contains two bells, one for the usual church uses and the other for ringing the Angelus, which is accom- plished automatically by a connection with the clock. A fine parochial resi- dence, harmonizing with the appear- ance of the church, adjoins its rear extremity. The general effect of the interior elevates without distracting the mind of the worshiper. The or- namentation is suggestive without garishness. Clusters of fluted iron columns divide the nave from the side aisles. From the foliated capitals rises the groined and vaulted ceiling admirably decorated for the motive of inspiring devotional feeling. The dimensions of the auditoriums are 117 feet by 63 feet; those of the chan- cel, 34 feet by 18 feet, and the seating capacity is 1,400. The side altars were presented by the Young Ladies' Sodality and St. Augustine's Lyceum respectively. The star window back of the high altar is the gift of the pastor. Three of the large stained glass windows in the side walls are memorials respectively of Patrick Connor, John Finnegan, and Christopher Connor, deceased members of the congregation. The rest of the side windows, as well as those lighting the choir gallery, were donated by living members of the congregation, whose names were: John Lally, Andrew Spence, James Power, Winnifred Folan, James Maguire, Michael Fitzgerald, Daniel Sweeny, Jeremiah Collins, John T. Driscoll, William Cavanagh, Patrick Nolan, George Cavanagh, John Scott, Bartholomew Oaks, Patrick Cain, James T. Tighe, and P. F. Mullen.
Denis O'Callaghan, St. Augustine's Church.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
It would not have been characteristic of Father O'Callaghan, or of his devoted flock, to rest satisfied with what was accomplished at this time. The parish history for the last ten years is marked by the same zeal for the glory of God and the good of his parishioners, on the part of the rector, and by the same self-sacrificing devotion and enthusiastic co-operation, on the part of the parishioners. The present church organizations include the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Children's Relief Society, Children of Mary, Boys' Sodality, Young Ladies' Sodality, Married Ladies' Sodality, Married Men's Sodality, Cadet Corps, St. Augustine's Brass Band, the Temperance Society, andThe Young Men's Catholic Association.
Since 1884, besides the parish hall, erected at an expense of $25,000 in 1886, the rector has built a grand school-house, costing over |ioo,ooo. In 1892 he bought back the lot on which it was first proposed to build the church, together with the houses that have since been placed upon it. In 1893 he began the erection of the school-house, now completed. It is built of brick, with freestone trim- mings, over a substantial granite base- ment. The main door -ways give entrance to a spacious vestibule with tiled floor, from which a pair of broad staircases sweep upwards to the other floors. The pupils are received in sixteen large class rooms. On the third floor is a remarkably fine hall, of excellent acoustic qualities, fur- nished with stage and scenery, and capable of seating 1,400 persons. Fittings are laid so as to make it possible to light the building by either gas or electricity. The heating, ven- tilation, and sanitary requirements are provided for according to the most advanced ideas. It is expected that the school will start with 1,200 pupils. The boys will be taught by the Xaverian Brothers, and the girls, by the Sisters of Notre Dame. Six houses, included in the purchased estate, are being fitted as residences for the teachers. A fine view of the
school building and teachers' resi- Parochial Residence and Vestry, St. Augustine's Church, South Boston.
dences is given in the full page illustration on the preceeding page.
Father O'Callaghan's light is too large to be hidden under a bushel. Loved by his flock, who have felt the benefit of his labors, the public at large, from whose observation it could not have been kept, hold him in the highest regard. They recognize in him a man of a broad and progressive mind, spurred by keen sympathies and an exalted idea of his sacred calling. Born in Ireland, in 1841, he was brought at an early age to this country by his parents, who settled in Salem, Mass. His first steps on the road of knowledge were taken at St. James' parochial school in that town, then under the pastoral care of the Rev. Thomas H. Shahan, now his dear and venerated friend. Thence, he went to St. Charles' College, in Maryland, and later, to St. Mary's Seminary, in Baltimore, where he completed the studies necessary to fit him for the priesthood. He was ordained June 29, 1865, by Archbishop Spalding. After ordination he went to Boston, and was appointed assistant to Father Blenkinsop at the Church of SS. Peter and Paul. The rest of his life story is the history of his parish.
9°
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
IParisb of ®uv Xab^ of tbe IRosar^,
1 15 feet deep.
OUTH BOSTON is the most Catholic quarter of New England's metropolis. The increase of the Catholic population seems phenomenal when recalled. Fifty years ago the peninsula was comprehended in the parish of SS. Peter and Paul, and the church of the same name was more than ample for the congregation. Now there are five populous parishes, each having its own church.
The last to be detached from the parent parish was that of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Rev. John J. McNulty, then an assistant in Dedham, was notified of its formation, and directed to take pastoral charge of it June 8, 1884. On looking over the district, so thickly settled did he find it that he had much difficulty in selecting a site for a church. At length he made choice of a lot on which the owner was erecting a number of tenement houses. It was situated on West Sixth Street, between C and D Streets, and measured 100 feet front by Its cost, together with that of the buildings upon it, was $io,5oo. The buildings were cleared
OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, SOUTH BOSTON.
away as soon as possible, and the rector broke ground for the proposed church on September 3. For the ensuing six months he resided in the parochial house of SS. Peter and Paul's. During this period he offered
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
91
INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, SOUTH BOSTON.
92
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
Mass in SS. Peter and Paul's at half-past seven o'clock every Sunday morning for his own congregation. He also administered baptism, solemnized marriages, heard confessions, attended sick calls, and discharged all the other duties of his pastorate. Towards the close of the year the building was sufficiently advanced to be avail- able for divine worship, and Mass was offered in it for the first time on Christmas Day. The usual church societies were then organized. The Sunday-school opened January 4, 1885, with 364 children. The congrega- tion at that time numbered 1,800 members. By the beginning of the fall the church was completed, and on October 18, it was dedicated by Archbishop Williams. The ceremonies were attended by a large number of priests, and the sermon for the occasion was delivered by the Very Rev. C. H. McKenna, O. P.
The church, a pretty frame structure with brick basement, measures 60 by 100 feet, and is built in the style called "Perpendicular Gothic." The two rows of pillars supporting the ceiling divide the interior into centre and side aisles. There are three marble altars and two marble shrines. The high altar has for back- ground a large rose window bearing scenes from Holy Writ, worked out in striking colors. The stained glass windows in the side walls and sacristy are gifts from individual members of the congregation. Two are memorials of Catharine McCool and Thomas R. Keenan, Jr. ; the donors of the rest, as inscribed beneath each, were Hugh Giblin, William Dempsey, Margaret Foley, Thomas Stapleton, Patrick C. Bruen, James Sheridan, Edward Devin, Ellen McCarthy, Thomas Cuddihy, George Keenan, and Patrick F. Hanlon. The Stations of the Cross were presented in the same way by Michael O'Day, Edmund P. Maskell, Daniel Cotter, Patrick Keany, Hugh Giblin, Thomas Meaney, Michael Moore, Patrick Brady, John H. Reynolds (memorial), Mary Keefe, Ellen Christian, P. Doherty, and Margaret Nagle. An ingenious device makes it possible to open all the windows in the central uplift of the ceiling in less than half a minute, and effect a renewal of the atmos- phere within three minutes. The artificial light is supplied by electricity, with which the church, entirely or by sections, can be dimly, moderately, or brilliantly illuminated in a moment. It is also possible, by one or two movements of the hand, to set alight five hun- dred incandescent lamps upon the altar. When these are supplemented by the electric bouquets and other floral devices of the rector, the sanctuary be- comes an enchanting spectacle. The church is kept open all day, and is constantly visited by the work people going to and returning from their daily labor. Here, any evening, a parallel scene in city life for that depicted in "The Angelus," can be witnessed; the humble laborer, dinner pail in hand, clad in his overalls and soiled by his work, offering up a prayer to his Creator.
Confirmation was administered for the first time to 80 children, in May, 1886, by Archbishop Williams. The act has been repeated three times since then. Five missions have been given to the parishioners by the Dominican Fathers. The existing church organizations include separate sodalities for the married men, married women, young ladies, and young men. The children are enrolled in the Society of St. Aloysius, and that of the Children of Mary. There is a flourishing Sunday-school, numbering 530 pupils; while, practically, all the adult parishioners belong to the Rosary Society, whose membership amounts to 800. Father McNulty, assisted by a member of his flock, gives adequate attention to the poor. There is no temperance society, but
South Boston.
ARCHDIOCESE OE BOSTON.
93
the morals of the parish are good, and flagrant cases of intoxication are rare. The rector visits all the Catholic families in the parish, has a personal acquaintance with each member, knows what is going on among them, is the first to learn of misdeeds, and therefore in a position to deal with the misdoer with most effect.
The parish is small ; in fact, very small. It is possible to walk around it in seven minutes, and from the church to its remotest part in four minutes. But according to the last censuSj J;aken in October, 1893, the congregation comprises 2,960 souls. There are smaller congregations than this. The parent parish of SS. Peter and Paul could not have had that number when first designated. It is 1,160 greater than it was ten years ago. Yet the number is small and must remain so. There is not space enough for much further growth. The increase is partly attributable to an addition of territory made some time ago, but mainly to the devel- opment of the locality. Some persons say that a Catholic church depreciates property in its neighbor- hood. That may be, and yet be highly creditable to the church. But here real estate has risen fifty per cent, since the foundation of the church was laid. The advance, or the better part of it, can be fairly credited to the moral and civil improvement of the residents.
If the setting off of this parish be an experiment, as some people assert, it is a successful one. The chief factor of the success has been the able and zealous rector. Father McNulty was born in Armagh, Ireland, in November, 1850. His first collegiate course, lasting three years, was taken at All-Hallows, Dublin. At its termination, he came to this country and entered St. Joseph's Seminary, at Troy, N. Y., in
1869. On December 20, 1873, he was ordained by '^^^'■J"™ J- '^'^^'""^■- ''^=™« O"'' ''*"''' °''™'= ^°""^'' s°"™ ^°'™''- Bishop McNeirney, of Albany. His first appointment was that of assistant to the Rev. H. A. Teeiing, of Newburyport, Mass. From here he was sent to Hyde Park, in 1879. After a stay of a few months in Hyde Park, he was assigned as curate in the recently enlarged parish of Dedham, where the summons of the Arch- bishop to take charge of his present parish found him.
94
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
Cburcb of the /Iftost IDol^ IRebeemer,
East Boston.
HE histor)' of Catholicity in East Boston dates back to tlie tirst definite steps talcen to develop the commercial advantages of the island. In 1833 a number of moneyed men founded what was called the East Boston Company. To th"e enter- prise of this company is due the development of the section, and among the first to settle upon the island were a number of Catholic families. As East Boston grew in importance more settlers were attracted thither, a large proportion of whom were of the Catholic faith. The first child of Catholic parentage born on the island was Mr. Thomas J. Lavery, at present chief engineer of the East Boston ferries. He was born November 17, 1833. In the latter part of 1843, the Catholics of East Boston, with the approval of Bishop Fenwick, determined to build a church. This idea was not then carried out, for the meeting-house of the Maverick Congregational Church was purchased for $5,000, in January, 1844, by the Catholics, and the building was converted into a Catholic Church. February 25, 1844, the little church was dedicated under the patronage of St. Nicholas.
The first pastor was Father N. J. A. O'Brien. He remained in charge until March, 1847, when he was recalled to the Cathedral. He was succeeded by Rev. C. McCallion. Under him the church was lengthened 40 feet and the old brick dwelling, formerly the parochial residence, and now a part of the convent, was built. Father William Wiley succeeded Father McCallion as pastor in November, 185 1. He bought the land where the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer now stands and he laid the foundations and completed the basement wall of the present church. Father Wiley did not live to complete the church for death interrupted his labors April 19, 1855, in the 52d year of his age. It was Father Wiley's dying request that Rev. James Fitton should be his succes- sor. In response to this request and the wishes of Bishop Fitzpatrick, Father Fitton, who was then in the Hartford Diocese and had just completed the mag- nificent brown stone church at Newport, R. I., came to East Boston to take up the work of his deceased bosom friend. He and Father Wiley were ordained together in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, December 23, 1827, by Bishop Fenwick. It was Father Fitton's advice to Father Wiley that the church should be of stone and not of brick as was at first contemplated, and it fell to Fatlier Fitton's hands later to carry out the work, and the imposing edifice now standing is the result of his labors. The church was finished in 1857 and was dedicated by Bishop Fitzpatrick the 17th day of August of that year. It is built of Rockport granite, Gothic in design of the 13th century, and its architect was P. C. Keely. The solid masonry of the walls, the imposing built tower, and the heavy buttresses combine to form one of the finest specimens of architectural solidity and durability in New England. The tower, which is on the left hand corner of
Father N. J.
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96
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
the front, is capped by a spire whiclr rises to nearly 200 feet. The interior dimensions are: length, no feet; width, 62 feet; height of wall, 60 feet. Originally there were two sides galleries, but they were removed
The clerestory is supported by five columns and two pilasters on each side. Texts from Holy Scripture adorn the frieze of the nave and the aisles. Six lancet shaped windows of stained glass are in each of the side walls. The top of each window is circular and contains an emblematical representation. The first two on each side represent the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and others, such symbols as the Bible and keys, I. H. S,, lilies, pehcan, Agnus Dei ciborium, crossed swords, and Bible. A large rose window con- taining a picture of Christ blessing little children is over the chancel and in addition there are two lancet win- dows on each of the side walls. The chancel is 28 by 24 feet. The high altar is very beautiful. In the
center panel is an Agnus Dei. On the side panels are carved vine and wheat. The canopy of the exposi- tory niche rises like a spire. Over the epistle side of the altar is a statue of St. Joachim. On the gospel side is a statue of St. Anne. At each end of the altar base is a statue of a large angel bowed in adoration. On the left is a side altar to the Blessed Virgin and on the right an altar to St. Joseph. Over each side altar is a fine oil painting by H. Schupp; that over the Blessed Virgin's altar represents the Assumption; that over St. Joseph's altar represents the Resurrection. The wood-work of the church is chestnut and the seat- ing capacity a thousand. In the tower is a bell weigh- ing over a ton, presented by Mr. Daniel Crowley. Since 1844 the baptisms number over 10,000. The register records the baptism of the wife and children of the famous Dr. Brownson.
On the completion of the new church the old wooden church was devoted to Sunday-school, library, singing, and other religious purposes until 1859, when Father Fitton fitted up a part of it for a school for girls, and here three Sisters of Notre Dame began the work which has since then grown into august pro- portions. There are now over 1,400 girls in the three schools of East Boston, taught by some 35 sisters. In c . . ^ i860 was erected the fine brick building to which was
St. Aloysius Convent. o
attached the little chapel used by the sisterhood. The convent, as built in 1867, fronts on Havre Street 50 feet and is 40 feet deep.. Subsequently the mother parish of East Boston grew large and from it were formed the parishes of Our Lady of the Assumption, the Star of the Sea, and the Sacred Heart.
Father Fitton celebrated his golden jubilee on December 23, 1877. It was a noteworthy event in the Catholic history of the Boston Diocese, and on the following Thursday the entire clergy of the diocese assem- bled at the Cathedral to do honor to the venerable priest, and a solemn High Mass was celebrated with Father Fitton as celebrant. Three years later, on September 15, 1881, Father Fitton was called to his reward. His body lay in state in the church and was viewed by vast crowds from all parts of the archdiocese. Solemn Pon- tifical Requiem Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Williams and the sermon was delivered by Bishop Healy of Portland, Me. The remains were borne to Holy Cross Cemetery, Maiden, over 2,000 persons following in the procession. On the morning of the funeral business places were closed and dwellings and stores were draped in mourning and nearly all the bells in East Boston tolled while the funeral cortege passed.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
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INTERIOR CHURCH OF THE MOST HOLY REDEEMER, EAST BOSTON.
98 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
It would be impossible to give a just account of Catholicity in East Boston without giving a sketch of the life of the priest who filled a leading part in it for a remarkable period. Father Fitton was born in Boston, in 1805, in the house corner of Milk and Congress Streets, near the site of the present post-office. His father was a wheelwright by trade, of English birth. His mother was of Welch lineage and a convert. He was baptized in the small Huguenot church on School Street. He was educated by Bishops Cheverus and Fenwick and prior to his ordination as priest he was a teacher in the school attached to the old church on Franklin Street and among his pupils was John J. Williams, now Archbishop of Boston.
His labors as a missionary priest embraced all New England. In 182S he was sent to the Passamaquoddy Indians in Maine and then to the scattered Catholic families of New Hampshire and Vermont. He labored as far west as Long Island and established the first Catholic church in Hartford. In 1832 he was sent to Wor- cester and opened a Catholic boarding-school, which was the origin of Holy Cross College, and purchased 100
acres of land on Pakachoag Hill. He was the first priest to say Mass in the mother church in Worcester and he named the street on which the church now stands, "Temple" Street. In 1849 he removed to Newport, R. I., where he was stationed until 1855, when, as mentioned before, he came to East Boston. When he arrived in East Boston there was but the little old church and the foundations of the new one, and he himself was the only priest. Before he died he saw 17 of those who had served within the sanctuary of the Most Holy Redeemer become priests, and 15 of the young girls, once pupils in his parochial school, join the Sisterhood of Notre Dame.
Father Fitton was succeeded by Rev. L. P. McCar- thy, who was born in East Boston and was baptized by the Rev. N. J. A. O'Brien in the old church of St. Nicholas. He was ordained in 1870, and from 1874 to 1876 cared for the Sacred Heart parish as Father Fitton's assistant, and in 1877 was appointed its pas- tor. Since Father McCarthy has been pastor the splendid parochial residence on London Street has been built and the old parochial residence has been added to the school property in charge of the sisters. On the Feast of St. Patrick, 1892, ground was broken for a new school that would accommodate both boys and girls. This building, which was completed Ev. James itton. j^ ^.j^^ Spring of the following year, has a frontage on
Havre Street of 80 feet, with a depth of 75 feet. On the northerly side is an ell extending from the main building to London Street. The structure is of brick with granite and freestone trimmings, three stories in height, with gables and peaked roof. The interior finish is of ash, with hard pine flooring. The system of heating, ventilating, and sanitary arrangements is all that could be desired. The first floor, of seven rooms, is for boys ; the second floor, of the same number of rooms, is for girls, whilst on the third floor is the high school for girls. The pupils of the high school are the grammar school graduates of the Holy Redeemer, Assumption, and Sacred Heart Parochial Schools. On this same floor is the spacious school hall with a seating capacity of 1,200. On the Havre Street side of the hall is the stage with a full set of scenery, the artistic work of Hamil- ton and Story, of Somerville. As a tribute to the work of the pioneer of Catholic education in East Boston the building is called the Fitton School.
The boys of the grammar grade are taught by the Xaverian Brothers, a religious order entirely devoted to
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
99
teaching. It was founded at Bruges, in Belgium, about half a century ago. In 1854 the first branch of the Congregation in the United States was planted in Louisville, Ky., under the immediate supervision of the late lamented Archbishop Spalding, then Bishop of Louisville. They have houses at present in Baltimore, Rich- mond, and Norfolk, and five in the State of Massachusetts.
The sodalities of the church number upward of a thousand of the adult population of the parish, and the charitable organizations have done great good in materially aiding the worthy poor.
FITTON SCHOOL, EAST BOSTON.
The parochial residence in the rear of the church is a handsome and commodious structure, and is built of brick with freestone trimmings. The general design is plain, but the severity of its lines is softened and transformed into an aspect of beauty by a luxuriant growth of ivy in clinging festoons upon the front of the house. The roof is of Mansard style and slated. The interior is finished in chestnut and is heated by steam and well ventilated.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
PAROCHIAL RESIDENCE, CHURCH OF THE MOST HOLY REDEEMER, EAST BOSTON.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
OLD CHURCH OF THE MOST HOLY REDEEMER, EAST BOSTON.
I02 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
Cburcb of tbe Assumption,
Sumner Street, East JSoston.
N the year 1869 so greatly had the Cathohc population increased at East Boston, especially in the part called the first section, that the erection of a third Catholic church was deemed a necessity. Hence, through the efforts of the late Rev. James Fitton, the common founder of all the churches at present erected at East Boston, an eligible site for a church and parochial residence, near the heighth of Sumner Street, was secured and paid for, measuring 190 by 100 feet. This much accomplished, during the month of April, 1869, the Rev. Joseph H. Cassin, a nephew of Father Fitton and who had been an assistant to him for a number of years, was commissioned by the then Bishop, now the Most Rev. Archbishop Williams, to erect the much needed church for the parents and children of this section. July 5, 1869, the grand work he commenced forthwith, and, through his energy and zeal, on the 29th of the following month, which occurred on a Sunday, he had the corner-stone of the church blessed by the then Bishop Williams, assisted by a large number of the neighboring clergy and an immense concourse of a most enthu- siastic and devoted Roman Catholic people. The Romanesque style of architecture having been selected, substantial granite foundation laid, the brick walls were immediately commenced, and by the end of October the roof was on and slated. The church is 136 feet long and 63 feet wide, the side walls 48 feet high. At the southwest corner there is a substantial ornate tower, 126 feet high, which is an important feature of the building, its gilded cross, the sign of redemption, being the first and last point seen upon entering and leaving Boston Harbor. Located as the church is longitudinally, east and west, and the ground on the hill-side sloping to the north, gives, so to speak, a spacious basement church, airy and well lighted, all above the surface. The first four years after the erection of the church this served as a church for the congregation, and here it was the first Mass was offered, Christmas Day, 1869. It is now used for early Masses on Sundays and week days and for the Lenten and May devotions, also as a place of meeting for the various sodalities connected with the church. For want of funds, the upper portion of the church remained incomplete until 1873, when, feeling the need of more room and better conveniences, an effort was made, and by the generosity and assured assist- ance of the people the work of completion of this portion of the church commenced, and was finished by November 6th of that year and then solemnly dedicated to God under the title of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin.
During the first year, after the exterior completion of the church and the basement prepared for divine service, the pastor resided with Father Fitton. Greatly inconvenienced and unable to serve his people as he felt they should be, he set about the erection of a parochial house in close conjunction to the church, which being completed he took possession of during the month of October, 1870, and in that house he has resided ever since, taking a leave of absence but once, on account of ill health.
In addition to the erection of the church and parochial house, another great work accomplished has been the establishment and erection of parochial schools for both boys and girls of the parish. Indeed, we may say, the school has gone hand in hand with the erection of the church, for no sooner was the basement of the church prepared to serve as a church than steps were immediately taken for the religious and secular education of the children, under the devoted and efficient Sisters of Notre Dame, whose every hour of life in connection with their own salvation is dedicated to the education of youth. For this twofold work, as mentioned, the
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
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I04
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
services of three of these good sisters was obtained, temporary rooms liaving been prepared for them and their pupils in the upper unfinished portion of the church, and, inconvenient though they were, tlieir occupation was continued until the work of finishing this portion of the church began. In the meantime an additional lot of land on the east side of the church, measuring 114 by 100 feet, having been secured, a portion of the now completed school-house was erected, for on account of want of funds the school-house like the church was put up piecemeal. However, now completed, it forms a spacious building, embracing a beautiful exhibition hall 90 by 53 feet and ten lofty and well-lighted school rooms, bearing the name of the School of the Assump- tion, where, at this date, over four hundred girls and two hundred and fifteen little boys daily assemble and receive rehgious and secular instruction by eleven efficient Sisters of Notre Dame. Until 1889 the girls only of the parish had the school privileges. Feeling the importance of giving to the boys of the parish the same great advantages, arrangements were made with the sisters to take in hand the primary education of the small
-1 W11
SCHOOL OF THE ASSUMPTION, EAST BOSTON.
boys, their constitution forbidding the instruction and care, of boys beyond the age of ten years. So appre- ciative had the parents become of the parochial school and unwilling to deprive the boys of a continuance of the benefits already received, prompted the pastor to make further efforts -in this regard. Hence, in 1890, another lot of land on the south side of the church, measuring 150 by 125 feet, was secured and the erection of an imposing brick building was immediately begun, consisting of seven large school rooms, an exercise hall 40 feet square, and a recreation room of the same dimensions to be vised in winter and unpleasant weather. Previous to the erection of the building, the services of the Xaverian Brothers were engaged to continue the education -of the boys dismissed from the- sisters', schools. ■ January 15, 1891, the exterior of this building having been completed, and three of the school rooms finished and furnished with the necessary furniture, three brothers from Baltimore arrived and took up residence at a house provided for them adjoining the school building, and on the above mentioned date they with their pupils having assisted at the Holy Sacrifice of the
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INTERIOR CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION, EAST BOSTON,
io6
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
Mass began their holy and important work, and so acceptable that others than those who had been pupils of the sisters begged to be admitted to their instruction and care. This demand necessitated the finishing of additional rooms and an increase of more -brothers, both of which was accomplished in one year, and at this date there are six teaching brothers, their pupils numbering about two hundred and fifty.
The importance of erecting a church, therefore, in this section of East Boston may be learned from what has been thus briefly stated, as well as from the following facts : From the blessing of the corner-stone, in 1869, to the first of October, 1894, besides the free education of the hundreds of children who have attended the schools and who at this date number about nine hundred, there have been, as seen upon the register, embracing adults, converts to the church, as well as infants, upwards of 4,300 baptisms. Such has been the work, with Heaven's blessing, accomplished by the Reverend Rector and a devoted, generous people in this section of East Boston.
BOYS' SCHOOL, CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION, EAST BOSTON.
The history of this parish would not be complete without a sketch of its devoted and zealous pastor, whose life work has been the upbuilding of this fine church and large parish. His faithful and earnest services have won the admiration of a wide circle of friends and the love of all his parishioners. Father Cassin was born at Roxbury, a few weeks after which event his parents moved to Worcester and there with him took up their residence. There he passed his youth and acquired his elementary education. Returning again with his parents to Boston, he was then sent to make an academical course at Regiopolis College, Kingston, Ont., and afterward took a theological course at St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, Md.
After concluding his theological studies he was ordained, December 17, 1864, and returning to Boston was appointed assistant to his uncle, the late Rev. James Fitton, pastor of the Church of Most Holy Redeemer, East Boston, and after five years of service he was appointed to erect a church for the Catholics of that part
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
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of East Boston called the first section and to serve as their pastor. Shortly after he built a parochial resi- dence, in which he has resided to this date and where, in all probability, he will continue to reside until called to his eternal home.
Re\ . I. H. Cassin, Pastor Church of the Assumption, East Boston.
io8
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
parish of tbe Sacreb Ibeart,
East Boston.
N the month of October, 1869, land was bought for $2,755, o^ the East Boston Land Company, on which to erect this church, by Father Fitton, extending from the corner 130 feet on Brooks Street, and 100 feet on Paris Street. An additional lot was bought on Paris Street, 100 feet long, from G. B. Emerson, and the title deeded to Bishop Williams. On February 6, 1873, ground was broken and preparations made to commence the building of the church. Father Fitton intended at first to erect a church of stone, but the unstable quality of the ground made that idea not feasible. The church rests on 20 foot piles driven through a vein of clay varying from two feet, six inches, to four feet in thickness. When all the piles were driven into the ground, 28 tons of stone were placed on top and left there to settle the underpinning for fourteen days. It is related that in the digging Father Fitton came upon a great boulder at one corner of the foundation, and saying a Hail Mary and sprinkling it with holy water he denominated it as the church's corner-stone. Mr. Herman H. Drake, of Everett, was the builder, and J. H. Bessnick the archi- tect. The work was carried along until Christmas of the year 1873, when a temporary altar was erected and Mass was first said. The church was finished at Easter in 1S74, and was dedicated at the feast of the Sacred Heart of that year by the then Bishop Williams. Rev. Father Cassin, now of the Assumption, celebrated Mass; Father McGrath was deacon; Rev. A. J. Teeling, of Newburyport, now of Lynn, sub-deacon; and Father J. Delahunty, now deceased, the master of ceremonies. Among the clergy present were Father Wissel, C. SS. R., who delivered the sermon on the occasion; Fathers J. Hannegan, L. P. McCarthy, J. McGlew, Michael Clarke, D. S. Healy, W. J. Fitzpatrick, T. O'Brien, P Healy, then of Chicopee, and Father Joachim, O. S. F. The junior and senior branches of the East Boston Catholic Total Abstinence Society, wearing regalias, attended in a body. The church is of wood, resting upon a foundation of Somerville stone. The Sodality of the Sacred Heart was formed July 3, 1874. The parochial residence then consisted of a cottage which was originally a barn, and afterward made into a chapel on Deer Island, and later taken apart and moved to the Sacred Heart parish and formed into a house. Here Father Lawrence P. McCarthy, the first pastor, resided since 1870. The church is 125 feet long and 68 feet wide, with a handsome spire, and is of the Gothic order of architecture. The seating capacity of the church is about 1,000. Since the foundation of the parish down to 1879, December 31, the parish register records 884 baptisms. At present there are about 900 children attending the Sunday-school.
The interior of the church merits a detailed description. It was frescoed by a Mr. Brazer, now deceased, a convert to the Catholic faith. A striking feature of the interior are the magnificent paintings upon the walls of the nave. They are the work of a German, named Velper, who sold them for only $1,000 to the church, being in straitened circumstances at the time. The general effect of the interior, looking up to the roof of the nave, is a blue sky effect. Over the main altar is a splendid piece of art, representing the Roman soldiers transfixing the side of Christ hanging on the cross. On each side of the main altar are two of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Seven arches line each side of the nave, and the arches are supported by square pillars which sweep upward to the clerestory. Under the middle of each arch hangs suspended an electric chandelier. The pillars of the arches are surmounted by gilt Corinthian capitals. In
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
109
the clerestory above each of the six arches lining the nave on each side are three stained glass windows of the pointed arch style, and from each side of the clerestory two sets of trusses spring across the span of the nave to support the roof, and these trusses are supported by under trusses. On each side of the main altar are two statues, the Blessed Virgin on the left and St. Joseph on the right, looking toward the altar. On either side of the main altar is a side altar. On the epistle aisle is a painting of St. Joseph over the side altar, and on the gospel aisle is a picture of ("hrist revealing himself in a vision of the Sacred Heart to a holy nun. The arch spanning the sanctuary is of the pointed or Gothic style. The walls of the church are pierced by six
^i '-
h
I ^
f 2 5:
'i
CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, EAST BOSTON,
windows of stained glass. Over the choir is a large rosette stained glass window, and in the choir gallery is a fine sounding organ, built by Hook & Hastings.
Velper's paintings form the prominent feature of the interior. There are ten paintings in all, five on each wall. On the right, looking toward the sanctuary, are these paintings, in the following order, beginning from the sanctuary railing : "The Presentation in the Temple," "Christ Teaching the Doctors in the Temple, "Christ Changing the Water into Wine," "Christ Teaching the Woman of Samaria at the Well," "Christ Speaking in Behalf of the Sinning Woman," saying to the Pharisees, "Let him who is without sin be the first to cast a stone upon her." On the opposite side are these paintings: "The Burial of Christ," "Christ Taken
THE CATHOIvIC CHURCH OF NKW ENGLAND
INTERIOR CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, EAST BOSTON.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
Down from the Cross," "Christ Before Pilate,' to Life from the Tomb."
The curates now stationed with the pastor are two, Fathers McKone and Dwyer. .The present sexton, Mr. Michael Larkin, has held that post since January, 1892.
The first pastor was Father Fitton. Father McCarthy, now of the Most Holy Redeemer, assisted him in look- ing after the parish until his appoint- ment as pastor in 1877. When Father McCarthy succeeded Father Fitton, on his death, as the pastor of the Most Holy Redeemer, Father Michael Clarke was appointed pas- tor in 1 88 1. He is at present the pastor. Since his accession as pas- tor he has erected on Paris Street, in the rear of the church, a new and handsome parochial residence and a large and very commodious brick school-house. Mr. Herman A. Drake was the builder. The pupils are taught
'The Agony in the Garden," "Christ Raising the Dead Man
Residence, Church
East Boston.
community of Notre Dame Sisters, who reside at the convent in the Most Holy Redeemer parish. The school and the sodalities in the parish are in a flourishing condition, owing to the interest and untiring work of the pastor. To briefly de- ^ig^^ scribe the school, it is a brick build-
1 ^^ ^"S' three stories in height, with
granite trimmings, with a slate roof of the Mansard style. Two doors, one at each side, each covered with a small portico, give easy access to all parts of the school.
Parochial School, Church
Sacked Heart, East Boston.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
St /lftar^'8, Star of tbe Sea,
East JBoston.
OR twenty years, from 1844 to 1864, one church had to suffice for accommodating all the Catholic people of East Boston. The fourth section, as it was called, being the most distant part of the island from the mother church of East Boston, was the first to claim at the hands of that indefatigable missionary, Father Fitton, extra provision. So in 1864 he purchased for $4,400 four lots of land, comprising 40,000 square feet, and bounded by Moore, Saratoga, and Bennington Streets. The first step of Father Fitton's design was to furnish a Sunday-school for the children. To procure funds for this purpose he offered weekly Mass for the benefit of all those who would con- tribute toward the undertaking. Such was the response of the generosity and piety
of the people, that, in a very brief period, $2,800 was received, and with this nucleus Father Fitton erected a
little chapel, which later on was moved to the corner of Moore and Bennington Streets and used as a parochial
school. In this chapel Mass was first celebrated in the Fourth Section December 26, 1864, and the children
present numbered one hundred. One year later the census showed 200 children, 50 single men and women,
and 145 families. Whereupon, Father
Fitton was prompted to enlarge the
church accommodations, and August
16, 1868, his labors were realized.
The church of St. Mary's, Star of the
Sea, was completed and dedicated.
In connection with the church, Father
Fitton built a two-story frame house
which served as a parochial residence
until later years. Up to 1875 Father
Fitton himself had charge over the
church with the assistance of his
curates. Among them was the saintly
Father Lamb, who is still remembered
in the hearts of the people in that
locality. In 1875, however, the parish
was set off from that of the Most Holy
Redeemer and Father D. J. O'Far-
rell, later of Stoneham, was appointed
first pastor. For two years he ad-
. . , , ■ , rr ■ J .1, St. Mary's Star of the Sea, East Boston.
ministered the parish affairs and then
he was sent to take charge of a parish in Stoneham, and for the two years following the parish was in charge of Rev. Lawrence P. McCarthy, then pastor of the Sacred Heart. In 1879, Father Michael Clarke, now of the Sacred Heart, was appointed pastor and so continued until, in 1881, he was sent to administer the pastoral affairs of the Sacred Heart. Father John O'Donnell was the succeeding pastor, but poor health compelled him to resign his charge in the fall of 1883. His brother. Rev. Hugh Roe O'Donnell, took up the labor Father John relinquished, and he is the present pastor.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
113
INTERIOR ST. MARY'S, STAR OF THE SEA, EAST BOSTON.
114
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
The present church is a neat, though unpretentious building, 91 feet long and 47 feet in width, and the height to the hip of the roof is about 35 feet. A small tower surmounts the roof in front, and the aspect of the church is simple and attractive. The interior is in keeping with the exterior. The ceiling of the nave is frescoed in circular panels containing emblematic figures. The sanctuary possesses a marked degree of beauty. The altar is of Roman design, the base being handsomely ornamented in pillars and panels. The reredos is finely decorated. The altar piece is a striking painting of the Crucifixion, and at either side are the side altars. The choir possesses a good organ. The church as it now stands will, undoubtedly, prove in time inadequate for the parish needs and a new temple of God may take the place of the present one. There is ample ground whereon to build, for there is a vacant lot on the right facing the church and it extends to the corner of Saratoga and Moore Streets, and it extends in depth to the rectory on Moore Street. On the oppo- site corner stands a splendid brick, two-storied parochial school, St. Francis Xavier's, erected by the present pastor. The first corps of teachers were the Sisters of Notre Dame, but later the Sisters of Mercy were intro- duced and the community now numbers nine teaching and two lay sisters. The school compares favorably with the best of public schools, and it is always open to inspection by whomsoever wishes to see the work- ings of the institution.
In the fall of 1890 the pastor erected the convent on Moore Street, just beyond the school, where reside
Rev. John O'Donnell, St. Mary's, Star <
Former Pastor F THE Sea.
Rev. Hugh Roe ODonnell, Pastor St. Ma Star of the Sea.
the sisterhood. In May, 1893, ground was broken for the handsome and commodious pastoral residence, of three stories, and it was occupied, the work having been pushed on to completion, in December of the same year. Two curates at present assist Father O'Donnell. Father O'Donnell has charge of a mission church in Win- throp, St. John the Evangelist, which he erected at the cost of $7,000. He also has increased the parish property by the purchase, for $5,000, of five extra lots of land around the church for the future needs of the parish. The seating capacity of the church of the Star of the Sea is about 900.
Of the societies in the church may be mentioned the Young Men's Catholic Union, comprising 150 mem- bers. The spiritual director is the pastor. It has a pool room, library, gymnasium, and reading room. A requisite of membership is a membership in a sodality of the parish. The Sunday-school now numbers about
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
115
530 pupils. The Ladies' Aid and^^Sewing Circle and the Young Women's Sodality also deserve mention as parish organizations.
Father O'Donnell, the pastor, was the son of a Dublin physician, Constantine O'Donnell, and came to this country when one year old. He spent his early years in South Boston and was confirmed in SS. Peter and Paul's Church. He spent two years at Holy Cross, Worcester, and then went to Boston College. Thence he went to study at the Petit Seminary of St. Charles, Md., and next entered the Seminary of St. Sulpice, Balti- more, and was ordained at the Christmas ordinations of 1873. His first appointment was to Bishop Fitz- patrick's church, St. John's, in East Cambridge, where he was stationed eight years. He was next appointed
to SS. Peter and Paul's, South Boston, where he labored four years, and on the resignation of his brother. Father John O'Donnell, as pastor of the Star of the Sea, he was appointed pastor of that church. It may be mentioned that two sisters of Father O'Donnell joined the order of the Sisters of Mercy. Father O'Donnell has acquired the reputation of being an eloquent preacher and has labored with zeal, especially in the further- ance of temperance. Of his predecessor, Father John, it is worthy of mention that he was a native of Dublin, was educated in the Monaghan Petit Seminary, Ireland, and afterwards was educated at Maynooth and ordained under the Dunboyne establishment.
ii6
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
parieb of St. IRose of Xima,
Cbelsea.
OSE of everlasting bloom! Such indeed is the Catholic Church. In the storms of
persecution, in the frosts of hate, through all the years that mark the change of
times, peoples, governments, she alone preserves her beauty undecayed, for her red
bloom was
colored in
enduring
dyes by the
blood of
her divine
Master on the cross, and is ever renewed by the blood of martyrs as often as spring returns to the world. Her temples, too, partake of her divine quality, and once God's altar is erected in the midst of a community it never entirely perishes, no matter what bigotry or persecution may attempt to do. What more appropriate name, then, could have been chosen for the Catholic Church in Chelsea than St. Rose? The Catholic pioneers of that city selected wisely, in 1865, when they dedicated their temple to God under the patronage of St. Rose of Lima, the first American Saint.
The beginning of Catholicity in Chelsea, however, goes farther back, at least for twenty- five years. Tlic first Mass there was said in the house of Orestes A. Brownson, the famous convert, by Father O'Brien, at which a half dozen were present. The second Mass was celebrated, and others followed for some time afterwards, in a room measuring 14 x 14, in the house of Mr. Bernard Fanning, on Pine Street. This house is still standing. The first appointed pastor was a Father Radigan, who was sent to Chelsea by Bishop Fenwick. The priest boarded with Mr. Fanning,
ST. ROSE CHURCH, BROADWAY, CHELSEA.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
117
INTERIOR ST. ROSE CHURCH, BROADWAY, CHELSEA.
ii8
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
who was one of the oldest Irish Catholics in Chelsea. He was run over by a team one day in the streets of Boston, breaking his leg, and his pastorate was thereby ended. Father O'Bierne was the next pastor. He was succeeded by Father Smith. For a time Father Smith celebrated Mass in a hall on Winnisimmet Street, where the National Bank now stands. The first attempt to erect a church was made by Father Smith, with the assistance of Messrs. Fanning and Coyle, who went around among the few Catholics in the section and collected $400, which was the iirst payment to Mr. John Fenno, of the Winnisimmet Ferry Company, for 6,000 feet of land and a large double house on Cottage Street. The pastor occupied one side as a home, and Mr. Lanigan, a builder, transformed the upper part into a church, at a cost of about $2,000. Father Smith died while acting as pastor, after some years, and in 1865 Father Strain came to Chelsea. He sought to have a church larger, more commodious, and handsomer than the old one, and the work began as soon as he took charge, and he founded the present church of St. Rose of Lima, on Broadway.
The church is of Gothic design, and it was drawn by P. C. Keely, the celebrated architect. The land on which it stands was bought of the Winnisimmet Land Company, and the church, including land, cost upwards of $40,000. It was dedicated, in 1865, by Bishop Fitzpatrick. Catholicity has had no easy task to prosper in Chelsea. In the beginning the Catholics were few in number and poor in money. In addition it encountered
Parochial Residence St. Rose Church, Broadway. Che
a hostile spirit, which even went so far as to pull down the cross upon the church on Cottage Street in the days of the character dubbed the Angel Gabriel.
The body of the church is divided into three aisles by two rows of columns, six on each side, which sup- port seven arches. Six windows of stained glass are set in each wall of the nave. On the clerestory, which is painted in buff and yellow, are frescoes of the twelve apostles. There are two side altars, one to St. Joseph, and one on the gospel side to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Over the choir is a rosette window of stained glass. The organ is finished in oak, and on the oak railing of the choir is a medallion of St. Cecilia. Two stained glass windows illumine the choir, one window on each side. Within the sanctuary are six paintings: St. Rose of Lima, The Blessed Virgin, the Sermon on the Mount, St. Joseph, and St. Bridget of Kildare. Above the main altar is a rosette window of stained glass, and between the sanctuary and the side altars are two statues, one of Jesus on the gospel side, and one of the Holy Virgin on the epistle side. Two adoring angels are stationed on either side of the high altar. Just without the sanctuary railing, on the epistle aisle, is a
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
119
memorial tablet of marble upon the wall to Mrs. Mary Clarke. On the roof are frescoed symbols of faith. The pews are made of oak and seat about 1,100 people.
The next pastor of the church was the Rt. Rev. Mgr. Patrick Strain, later of Lynn. He'served as pastor from 1865 to 1867, when he was succeeded by the present "pastor, Rev. James McGlew. Father McGlew was born in County Meath, Ireland, in June, 1823. He was educated at a school in Navan, and pursued his theo- logical course in All-Hallows Seminary. He was first sent on a mission among the Hindoos. In 1850 he came to America, and was stationed in Buffalo and in New York prior to coming to Chelsea. The curates are Fathers Mulligan, Grady, and Sheerin.
The sodalities in the parish are numerous and comprise the St. Vincent de Paul, the Holy Name, League of the Sacred Heart, which numbers 3,000 members. Total Abstinence Society, and sodalities for the young men, young women, married men, and the married women. Also may be mentioned sodalities for the younger people and children.
The parish school is a fine building of brick, three stories high and with a slate mansard roof, surmounted by a cupola tipped with a cross. Twenty-five windows give light in front and the school is equally well lighted
itlLiHi
5
lAV.
Ski.j^ -tti
PAROCHIAL SCHUOL, ST. ROSE CHURCH, UROADWAV, CHELSEA.
on the other sides. Three doors give exit. On the front of the school is set a marble stone which states that the house was erected in 1887 by Rev. James McGlew. The Sisters of Notre Dame taught the school previous to the coming of the Sisters of Providence, five years ago. There are thirteen class rooms in the brick school and six in the convent itself, and the school is attended by about 950 pupils, boys and girls. The Sunday- school numbers 1,000. The sisters teach in the Sunday-school also. The course of study extends from that of beginners up to that of high school graduates. The course embraces sewing, embroidery, music, type-writing, book-keeping, and a thorough course in English. Seventeen of the sisters teach classes and three teach music. The superior of the convent is Sister St. Clement. The mother house of the order in the United States is at St. Mary of the Woods, St. Mary's Post-office, Indiana, and it was founded in this country October 22, 1840. The sisterhood originated in Ruielle, on the Loire River, in France. The sisters reside in the convent, a four-storied, brick building, erected in 1872 and standing somewhat back and between the church and school, fronting on Chestnut Street. Within the school is a chapel where the children attend Mass. There is a hall in the upper part of the school building which seats about 1,000.
I20 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
The parochial house is of wood, standing on a green terrace on tlie corner of Pleasant Avenue and Broadway, and is a handsome and very commodious residence. The growtli of the parish has been constant, the congregation now numbering fully 8,000 persons. The devoted and zealous pastor, in his nearly thirty years of service with this people, has well earned the gratitude and love which he receives from them in such abundant measure.
CUNVENT OF ST. ROSE, BROADVVAV, CHELSEA.
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.
St. Jfrancis be Sales* parish.
Cbarlestown.
rr is a matter of common knowledge that where the memorable battle was fought, June 17, 1775, was not on Bunker Hill, but on Breed's Hill. The veritable Bunker Hill is the hill now crowned with a temple of God, St. Francis de Sales' Church. In 1859, on the eve of the Civil war, Father George A. Hamilton began building St. Francis de Sales' on Charlestown Heights. In those days, when Catholicity was not fully understood and even hated in Massachusetts, the good people of Bunker Hill were horrified at the idea of a Catholic church rising on that classic ground, and Deacon Hunnewell, who sold the land, was reproached and argued with by the members of his church, but he carried out his agreement. There was even then talk of violence, and Father Hamilton placed a watchman to guard the building at night. When, September 11, 1859, Bishop Fitzpatrick laid the corner-stone, a stone of five tons' weight was placed on top so the corner-stone might not be disturbed, but there was no actual trouble. The church was solemnly dedicated June 17, 1862. Bishop de Goesbriand, who ordained the present pastor, celebrated Mass and Arch- bishop Spalding preached the sermon.
When Father M. J. Supple became pastor the debt was $69,000. Gradually it decreased until, in 1884, the church became free of debt. August 17, 1884, it was consecrated. It is the church consecrated first in the Boston Archdiocese. Archbishop Williams celebrated Mass, assisted by Vicar-General Byrne, assistant priest ; Father Barry, Vicar-General of Manchester, N. H., and Rev. T. J. Dowling, now Bishop of Hamilton, Ont., deacons; Father Thomas McGennis, of Jamaica Plain, and Rev. J. T. Canavan, of Milford, junior deacons, and Revs. W. H. Ryan, of Newburyport, and Garrett J. Barry, masters of ceremonies. Bishops Moore, of Florida, and Conroy, of Albany, were present and Archbishop Corrigan, of New York, preached. At the evening vesper services Father Maguin, S. J., who preached twenty-five years before at the laying of the cor- ner-stone, delivered the sermon.
The entire cost of the church is about $200,000. P. C. Keely was the architect, and this noble edifice designed by him is of Celtic architecture. It is built of blue stone and is 150 feet long, 71 feet wide, and the spire is 18 1 feet high, towering even above the monument of Bunker Hill. The church contains 294 pews. The interior is worthy of the exterior. Two galleries run from the choir loft along the walls, one on each side of the nave. On each side of the nave fluted pillars rise, sweeping into arches which support the clerestory. There are ten arches on each side. Under each gallery are seven stained glass windows, and there is one on each side of the vestibule. On a level with each gallery are twenty stained glass windows, long, arched, and narrow, and set in pairs, and over each pair is set a circular pane of stained glass. In the sanctuary above the altar is a large, round window of stained glass, picturing Christ. On the reredos of the main altar are three paintings. The middle piece represents angelic hosts adoring and en-\wapped in the effulgence of the God- head; the one on the epistle side represents the Annunciation and the one on the right, the Nativity. On the left side of the altar itself is a statue of the Sacred Heart and on the right, one of St. Joseph, and each statue rests on a pedestal fronted by a statue of an angel bearing a torch. On the epistle side is an altar to the Blessed Virgin and on the gospel side one to St. Francis de Sales. Over each side altar is a small, round
122
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF NEW ENGLAND
stained glass window, and beneatli each of these windows is a painting representing a sacred theme. The organ in the choir is black walnut in finish, with gilded pipes. Along the walls of the nave are the stations of the cross. The contour of the roof is a long, half cyclinder or tunnel formed arch. The general tone of the decorations is buff. The roof is pink in color with buff borders. The seating capacity of the church is about 2,000 and the congregation numbers upwards of 5,500 souls.
In 1881 a fine, commodious parochial residence of brick was built at the cost of $18,000. Nearly oppo- site the church, on Bunker Hill Street, crowning the very summit of the hill and overlooking the country for miles around, stands a great school-house. It is the parish school, and it towers apparently as high as the
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES' CHURCH, CHARLESTOWN.
monument on Breed's