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CATHEDRAL    OF    THE   SACRED    HEART,    .NEWARK. 


CatJjoltc  CJjurcI)  m 


JOSEPH  M.  FLYNN,  M.  R.,  V.  F. 

Rector  of  the    Church  of  the  Assumption    of  the  B.   r.   M. 
Morristown,  N.  f. 


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MORRISTOWN,    NEW  JERSEY 
MDCCCCIl^ 


Copyright,    1904 
By  JOSEPH   M.    FLYNN,  M.  R.,  V.  F. 


PRESS  OF 

THE   publishers'    PRINTING  CO 

32  AND  34  LAFAYETTE    PLACE 

NEW    YliKK 


OUR   FOREFATHERS    IN    THE    FAITH— 

"The  Dumbly  Brave  who  did  their  Deed,  and  Scorned  to 
Blot  it  with  a  Name" 

— -?3i£(I)op£(,  IJncBtB,  anH  Laitp ; 

AND   TO   THEIR 

Successors,  in  Garnering  the  Harvest  and  Reaping  where  they 

have   Sown  ;   and  to  their  Children  reflecting  all  the 

V^irtues  of  their  Forefathers — Guarding  well  the 

Sacred  Deposit  ot  Faith — Illustrious  by 

Righteousness   and    Good    Works, 

tbi»  \Jolumc  irf 

MOST  LOVINGLY   DEDICATED   BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


PREFACE. 


In  presenting  to  the  Catholics  this  chronicle  of  the  planting 
and  developing  of  the  seed  of  Catholic  faith  in  the  State  of  New 
Jersey  by  their  forefathers,  most  of  whom  have  long  since  slept  in 
the  Lord  and  passed  to  the  reward  of  their  sacrifices  and  their 
constancy,  I  would  apologize  for  the  imperfections  of  this  volume, 
which,  owing  to  the  short  time  allotted  for  its  completion,  were 
inevitable.  It  is  lamentable  that  this  work  was  not  undertaken  at 
an  earlier  date,  when  the  facts  might  have  been  gathered  from  the 
lips  of  the  actors  and  witnesses  of  this  mighty  and  heroic  struggle, 
and  entrusted  to  an  abler  pen  than  mine.  But  the  project  was  a 
flash  which  the  approaching  Golden  Jubilee  created,  and  the  hope 
was  cherished  that  this  volume  might  appear  on  the  anniversary 
of  the  instalment  of  our  first  bishop.  There  is  a  limit,  however, 
to  human  efforts,  and  to  gather  all  the  facts  connected  with  the 
progress  of  religion  in  our  State  from  the  close  of  the  seventeenth 
century  to  the  present,  to  cull  the  authentic  from  the  fabulous, 
to  verify  apparently  conflicting  statements,  and  embody  the 
whole  into  the  present  work,  has  required  the  constant,  unremit- 
ting efforts  and  labor  of  the  author  for  the  last  three  months. 
Proprio  tnotii  he  would  have  shrunk  from  the  task,  as  he  did  when 
asked  by  the  late  Archbishop  Corrigan  to  write  the  history  of  the 
Diocese  of  Newark.  Yielding  at  length  to  the  solicitation  of  es- 
teemed brethren  in  the  priesthood,  and  unaware  of  the  magnitude 
of  the  work,  which  grew  on  his  hands  day  by  day,  at  last  he  is 
able  to  present  it  to  a  kind  and,  he  hopes,  an  indulgent  public, 
who,  in  the  full  light  of  the  above  facts,  will  overlook  any  remiss- 
ness or  shortcoming  in  its  pages.  Not  the  last  in  his  encourage- 
ment to  take  up  this  work,  nor  the  least  in  his  efforts  to  assist  by 
every  means  in  his  power  to  make  a  complete  and  finished  record, 


IV 


PREFACE. 


was  our  worthy  bishop,  the  Rt,  Rev.  John  J.  O'Connor,  D.D.,  who 
was  kind  enough  to  write  the  following  letter : 

Bishop's  House, 
552  South  Orange  Avenue, 
South  Orange,  N.  J. 
September  12th,  1903. 
Very  Rev.  dear  Dean  Flynn: 

I  most  cordially  approve  of  your  undertaking  to  vYrite  a  his- 
tory of  Catholicity  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey  for  the  Golden 
Jubilee  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark  which  we  are  preparing  to  cele- 
brate, and  I  beg  the  rectors  of  the  various  churches  and  the  su- 
periors of  the  different  religious  communities  to  supply  you  with 
all  the  information  which  you  may  desire  from  them,  in  order  that 
this  history  may  be  as  complete  as  possible. 
Believe  me 

Very  sincerely  yours  in  Christ, 

♦  John  J.  O'Connor. 

To  this  an  almost  general  and  immediate  response  was  made, 
not  only  by  the  priests  of  the  diocese  of  Newark,  but  by  a  great 
number  of  the  priests  of  the  diocese  of  Trenton.  It  was  deemed 
only  fair  to  incorporate  the  history  sent  by  them,  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible, verbatim,  both  as  a  recognition  of  the  labor  involved,  and  at 
the  same  time  shifting  upon  them  the  responsibility  of  the  details. 
Furthermore,  the  varied  style  adds  an  additional  charm  to  the  nar- 
rative. But  to  none  are  we  more  obligated  than  to  the  venerable 
Bishop  of  Rochester,  nor  will  the  pleasant  memory  soon  pass  away 
of  the  delightful  evenings  spent  in  his  rural  home,  amid  his  vines, 
with  the  forest  at  our  feet,  dipping  down  to  the  placid  crystal 
waters  of  Hemlock  Lake,  and  the  melody  of  his  voice  ringing  in 
our  ears,  as  his  marvellous  memory  recalled  events  and  faces  and 
facts  of  fifty  years  agone.  Most  of  the  early  history  is  his  nar- 
rative, and  for  many  of  the  facts  of  the  last  score  of  years  does  he 
stand  sponsor.  To  Mr.  Stephen  II.  H organ  are  we  indebted  for 
the  admirable  illustrations,  many  of  which  would  have  been  unat- 
tainable without  him.  With  reluctance,  where  all  have  been  so 
kind  and  so  painstaking,  do  I  single  out  as  specially  deserving  of 
my  grateful   recognition  the  Rev.  Charles  J.  Kelly,  D.D.,  who 


PREFACE.  V 

not  only  supplied  me  with  valuable  sources  of  information,  but 
assisted  me  greatly  in  the  onerous  and  responsible  work  of  proof- 
reading, and  the  composition  of  the  index;  to  the  Rev.  George 
W.  Corrigan,  M.R.,  who  placed  at  my  disposal  his  collection  of 
memorabilia ;  also  to  the  Rev.  Joseph  C.  Dunn,  and  the  Rev. 
Patrick  J.  Hayes,  the  Secretary  of  the  Archdiocese  of  New  York, 
and  the  Very  Rev.  Dean  Mulligan,  M.R.,  for  important  docu- 
ments and  generous  aid. 

The  cover,  perhaps,  requires  some  explanation :  the  seal  in  the 
upper  left-hand  corner  is  that  of  Archbishop  Bayley ;  and  that  on 
the  opposite  right-hand  corner,  of  Archbishop  Corrigan ;  the  one 
in  the  lower  left-hand  corner  is  that  of  Bishop  Wigger;  and,  in 
the  lower  right-hand  corner,  of  Bishop  O'Connor;  all  grouped 
around  the  seal  of  Seton  Hall,  which  has  been  the  one  institution 
upon  which  all  have  lavished  their  tenderest  care  and  solicitude. 
The  seal  on  the  reverse  cover  is  that  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 
The  cover,  as  well  as  the  histor}',  has  been  copyrighted. 

Great  pains  have  been  taken  with  the  clergy  list,  which,  never- 
theless, is  incomplete ;  but  it  is  hoped  in  a  second  edition  to  fill 
the  lacunae  and  correct  whatever  errors  have  crept  in.  The  Cath- 
olics of  our  State  have  just  reason  to  be  proud  of  their  history; 
and,  while  they  are  thrilled  with  the  tale  of  the  sufferings,  priva- 
tions, and  generosit)^  of  those  who  have  gone  before  them,  they 
may  take  the  assurance  that  they,  too,  are  deserving  of  a  large 
measure  of  praise,  for  the  sacrifices  they  have  made  and  are  mak- 
ing, and  for  the  splendid  example  they  are  giving  to  the  world  of 
virtue,  and  loyalty  to  Church  and  country,  helping,  on  their  part, 
to  make  the  diocese  of  Newark  peerless  among  all  the  dioceses  of 
the  country.  May  this  volume  give  to  all  the  same  pleasure  in 
reading  it  as  the  author  found  in  writing  it. 

MoRRiSTOWN,  N.  J.,  Januarj'  7,  1904. 


HEMLOCK   LAKE,   N.   V. 


SOURCES  OF  INFORMATION 


The  following  have  been  consulted  and  have  proved  valuable 
sources  of  information : 

Narrative  and  Critical  Historj'  of  America Winsor. 

England  in  the  Eighteenth  Century Lecky. 

Smith's  History  of  New  Jersey,  a  Reprint Sharpe. 

Historical  Collections  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey Barber  and  Howe. 

Old  Order  Book  Morristown  Headquarters 

H  istor}'  of  New  York Brodhead 

Laws  of  the  Colony  of  Nova  Ca?sarea 

H  istory  of  New  Jersey Rauni . 

New  Jersey  as  a  Colony  and  as  a  State ....  Lee. 

Persecutions  of  Irish  Catholics Moran. 

The  Battle  of  the  P'aith  in  Ireland O'Rourke 

The  Story  of  Ireland Sullivan. 

A  Child's  History  of  Ireland Joyce. 

Irish  Settlers  in  America McGee. 

The  Catholic  Church  in  the  Ll^nited  States DeCourcy-Shea. 

The  Catholic  Church  in  the  United  States Shea. 

The  Life  and  Times  of  Archbishop  Carroll Shea. 

History  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  New  York Bayley. 

Life  of  Montalembert Lecanuet. 

Principles  and  Acts  of  the  Revolution Niles. 

Account  of  Negro  Plot Horsemanden. 

Life  and  Times  of  Archbishop  Carroll Campbell. 

History  of  Wyoming Miner. 

Field  Book  of  the  Revolution Lessing. 

Life  of  Mother  Margaret  Seguier 

Records  of  American  Catholic  Historical  Society,  Phil- 
adelphia     

Historical  Records  and  Studies,  United  States  Catholic 
Historical  Society,  New  York 

American  Catholic  Historical  Researches Grififin. 

History  of  Sus.sex  and  Warren  Counties,  N.J 

History  of  Jersey  City 

A  Century  of  Catholicity  in  Trenton,  N.J Fox. 

History-  of  Mercer  County 

Story  of  a  Pari.sh Flynn. 

Life  of  Madame  D'Youville Ramsay. 

Register  of  Clergy  (2  vols.).  Diocese  of  Newark 

vii 


viii  SOURCES    OF    INFORMATION. 

Letter  Book  of  Arclibishop  Bayley 

Letter  Book  of  Archbishop  Corrigan   

Diary  of  Archbishop  Corrigan 

Church  and  State  in  the  United  States Spalding. 

Essays  of  History  and  Literature Fiske. 

Historical  Records  of  Morris  County,  N.J    Green. 

Memorial  Address,  the  late  Rev.  John  Rogers ...  O'Grady. 

Historical  Address,  Sesqui-Centennial  of  Sussex  County  Swayze. 

Various  Parish  Chronicles;  History  of  Catholic  Church  in  Paterson, 
Schreiner;  Sketch  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Svvedesboro,  Leahey ;  St. 
Mary's,  Berth  Aniboy,  Leahey;  Story  of  Our  Parish,  Boonton;  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  Church,  Salem;  A  Half  Century  of  Catholicity  in 
Phillipsburg,  McCloskey  ;  St.  Nicholas's,  Atlantic  City;  Brief  History 
of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross.  Jersey  City;  History  of  Catholic  Church  in 
Bloomfield  ;  History  of  St.  Agnes's,  Paterson;  History  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church,  Chatham;  and  St.  Leo's,  Irvington,  N.  J.,  Dunn;  Catholicity 
in  Bound  Brook;  Seton  Hall  College:  A  Memoir;  St.  Mary's  Church, 
Plainfield ;  History  of  Catholicity  in  Lakewood ;  and,  through  the 
courtesy  of  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  Stafford,  the  Records  of  the  Seminary 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception  from  1868  to  the  present. 

And  newspaper  files  of  The  Truthteller.  Metropolitan  Magazine,  London 
Tablet,  New  York  Freeman's  Journal,  Catholic  World,  Catholic  Mis- 
cellany, United  States  Catholic  Magazine,  Boston  Pilot,  Catholic  Ex- 
positor, Sussex  Register,  Newark  Advertiser,  Newark  Evening  News, 
Jersey  City  Journal,  Daily  Times,  New  Brunswick;  Catholic  Messen- 
ger, Elizabeth  ;  Irish  Ecclesiastical  Record,  and  Catholic  Directory  (40 
vols.),  and  various  documents  in  the  Newark  Library  and  that  of  the 
New  Jersey  Historical  Society,  Newark. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


CHURCHES 


Cathedral  of  Sacred  Heart. Fro7ttispiece 

PAGE 

Atlantic  City,  St.  Nicholas's 331 

Avondale,  Our  Lady  of  Grace 459 

Bayonne,  St.  Mary's 358 

"         St.  Mary's 357 

St.  Henry's 543 

Belleville,  St.  Peter's no 

Bloomfield,  Sacred  Heart 465 

Boon  ton,  Mt.  Carmel 191 

Butler,  St.  Anthony's 461 

Camden,  Immaculate  Conception 333 

Chatham,  St.  Patrick's 415 

Cranford,  St.  Michael's 441 

East  Orange,  Help  of  Christians 514 

Elizabeth,  Holy  Rosary 527 

"  St.  Mary's 141 

Sacred  Heart 414 

St.  Patrick's 356 

"  St.  Michael's 257 

Gloucester,  St.  Mary's 195 

Greenville,  St.  Paul's. 366 

Guttenberg,  New  Church 395 

Old  Church 393 

Hackensack,  Newman  School 372 

Harrison,  Holy  Cross 373 

Hibernia,  St.  Patrick's 370 

Hoboken,  St.  Francis's 532 

"  St.  Joseph's 436 

"  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul's 534 

"  Our  Lady  of  Grace  (Interior) 171 

Our  Lady  of  Grace 169 

First  Catholic  Public  School 158 

Hohokus.  St.  Luke's 378 

Irvington,  St.  Leo's 456 

Jersey  City,  St.  Nicholas's 522 

"         "       St.  Lucy's 520 

St.  Anthony's 519 


X  LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Jersey  City,  St.  John  Baptist 517 

St.  Bridget's 408 

St.  Peter's 99 

First  St.  Peter's  Church 96 

"      St.  Peter's 96 

St.  Aloysius's  School 547 

"      St.  Patrick's 411 

"      St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 405 

"      St.  Boniface 380 

"         "       St.  Mary's 363 

"      St.  Michael's  (Interior) 345 

"         "       St.  Michael's  (Exterior) 344 

"         "      All  Saints' 545 

St.  Joseph's 337 

Kearney,  St.  Cecilia's 541 

Lakewood,  First  Church 237 

Lodi,  St.  t>ancis  de  Sales's 3-4 

Macopin,  St.  Joseph's 462 

Church 35 

Madison,  .St.  Vincent's 115 

Mendham,  St.  Joseph's 355 

Montclair,  Tegakwita  Hall 310 

Morristown,  All  Souls'  Hospital 223 

St.  Margaret's 217 

"            Assumption 214 

"             P'irst  Church 213 

New  Brunswick,  St.  Peter's 89 

Netcong,  St.  Michael's 475 

New  York,  Old  St.  Peter's  Church 50 

Newark,  St.  Bridgit's 531 

"         St.  Mary's  Academy 594 

"         Blessed  Sacrament 582 

St.  Michael's 467 

"         St.  Aloysius's 473 

"          St.  Antoninus's 454 

"          St.  John's 73 

"         St.  John's  First  Catholic  Church 68 

St.  Mary's 136 

"         St.  James's 305 

"         St.  Augustine's 452 

"         St.  Columba's 445 

"          St.  Philip  Neri's 551 

Convent  of  Good  Shepherd 427 

"         St.  Joseph's 39S 

"         St.  Benedict's 350 

St.   Peter's 329 

"         St.  Mary  Magdalen's 542 

"         St.  Rose  of  Lima 539 

"         St.  Lucy's 53S 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS  xi 

PAGiL 

Newark,  Mt.  Carmel 537 

St.  Stanislaus's 535 

St.  Patrick's  Pro-cathedral 199 

Newton,  Old  Church 314 

Present  Church 317 

Orange,  Our  Lady  of  the  \'alley 448 

Mt.  Carmel 576 

St.  John's 323 

Passaic,  St.  Nicholas's 327 

"         First  Church 326 

"         St.  Joseph's 575 

"         Assumption 474 

Paterson,  St.  George's 511 

"  St.  Bonaventure's 460 

St.  Mary's 435 

"  St.  Joseph's 401 

St.  John 's 76 

"  St.  Boniface's 254 

Philadelphia,  Old  St.  Joseph's 23 

Plainfield,  First  Church 249 

St.  Mary's 250 

Princeton,  St.  Paul's 182 

Rahway,  St.  Mary's 187 

Ridgewood,  House  of  Divine  Providence 596 

Rockaway,  St.  Cecilia's 369 

Roselle,  St.  Joseph's 444 

Salem,  First  Church 179 

St.  Mary's   180 

Shadyside.  Sacred  Heart 446 

Stony  Hill,  St.  Mary's 189 

South  Orange,  Our  Lady  of  Sorrows 529 

"  "         Seton  Hall  College 599 

Summit.  St.  Teresa's 370 

Swedesboro,  Second  Church 339- 

Trenton,  Sacred  Heart 387 

St.  Mary's  Cathedral 384 

St.  Francis's 234 

"         St.  Francis's 173 

Union  Hill,  St.  Augustine's 526 

"         "      Holy  Family 351 

Vineland,  Sacred  Heart 382 

West  Hoboken,  St.  Michael's 240 

"  "  St.  Joseph's 241 

Westfield,  Holy  Trinity 438 

Weehawken,  St.  Lawrence's 524 

Whippany,  Our  Lady  of  Mercy 325 

Wyckoff,  St.  Elizabeth's 379 


xii  LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

MISCELLANEOUS 

PAGE 

Academy  of  Madame  Chegarry  (Old  Seton  Hall) 278 

Academy,  Old  St.  Elizabeth's 285 

Bayley,  Most  Rev.  James  R 266 

Brownson,  Orestes  A 147 

Bulger,  Father 37 

Carroll,  Archbishop 39 

Cauvin,  Rev.  Anthony 151 

Corrigan,  Most  Rev.  M.  A 207 

Consecration  Procession  of  Bishop  O'Connor 554 

U'Arcy,  Rev.  James 120 

Doane,  Rt.  Rev.  George  H 198 

Dubois,  Rt.  Rev.  John 79 

Farmer,  Father 25 

Geiger's  House ; 178 

Hogan,  Rev.  John in 

Howell,  Rev.  Isaac  P   14- 

Hughes,  Most  Rev.  John 84 

Jubilee,  Golden. 201 

Kilpatrick,  (ien.  Judson 319 

Kelly,  Rev.  John 97 

Kraus,  Rev.  D 381 

Mother  Mary  Xavier  Mehegan 591 

Mass  in  the  Woods 117 

Mackin,  Rev.  John 61 

Madden,  Rev.  Michael  A 119 

Messmer,  Most  Rev.  S.  Ci 497 

McFaul,  Rt.  Rev.  J.  A 177 

McGovern,  Rev.  P 2 16 

McGorien,  Rev.  Francis 174 

McKay,  Rev.  James 322 

McQuaid,  Rt.  Rev.  Bernard 202 

O'Connor,  Rt.  Rev.  John  J 553 

O'Connor,  Consecration  of  Rt.  Rev.  John 200 

O'Farrell,  Rt.  Rev.  Michael  J 95 

O'Reilly,  Rev.  C 360 

Pardow,  Rev.  Gregory  Bryan 68 

Pitcher,  Molly •    44 

Power,  Very  Rev.  John,  D.D 49 

Prieth,  Rev.  Gottfried 330 

Revere,  Gen.  J .  W 232 

Rogers,  Rev.  John 91 

Senez,  Rev.  Louis  D 83 

Shea,  John  Gilmary.  LL.D..    149 

Sheppard,  Rt.  Rev.   J .  A   346 

Sisters  of  Charity,  Mother  House 589 

Sister  Mary  Catharine  Nevin 592 

Sister  Mary  Agnes  O'Neill 593 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS  xiii 

PAGE 

Smith.  Rev.  Anthony 385 

Tighe,  Rev.  John  J 192 

\'enuta.  Rev.  A 338 

\'on  Schilgen,  Rev.  Albert 258 

Ward,  Old  Mansion  (Newark) 274 

Wigger.  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M 87 

Wimmer.  Arch  Abbot 138 

Women  of  Elizabeth  Defend  Church 145 

Young,  Rev.  Alfred,  C.S.P 183 


THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN 
NEW  JERSEY 


Colonial  Period. 


The  Cross  erected  by  Columbus  on  one  of  the  Bahamas,  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord  1492,  was,  under  the  Providence  of  God,  to 
be  the  harbinger  of  blessings  to  countless  generations,  driven  by 
the  mighty  forces— even  at  that  time  shaking  Continental  Europe 
to  its  very  centre — to  seek  a  refuge  and  a  home,  free  from  tur- 
moil and  conflict,  in  a  virgin  land.  The  fifteenth  century  wit- 
nessed kingdoms  and  the  church  of  the  living  God  tottering  to 
destruction.  The  spirit  of  revolt,  emboldened  in  its  successful 
attack  by  Luther  and  his  colleagues  on  the  sacred  deposit  of 
dogma,  was  soon  to  assail  in  its  citadel  one  of  the  most  cherished 
of  Christian  traditions — the  divine  rights  of  royalty — and  the  head 
of  a  Charles  I  was  to  fall  under  the  executioner's  axe  by  the 
order  of  the  Protector  of  the  Commonwealth.  In  France,  a  sect 
was  to  feel  the  mailed  hand  of  power,  and  after  paying  with  tor- 
rents of  blood,  the  best  testimony  of  their  good  faith,  was  driven 
forth  to  seek  in  foreign  lands  that  freedom  denied  them  in  their 
own.  Fire  and  sword  had  swept  over  fair  lerne,  and  the  discov- 
ery of  a  new  world  saw  a  nation  prostrate  and  a  people  in  chains. 

Let  us  turn  again  to  Columbus  and  his  crew,  clustered  around 
the  Cross — the  wondering  natives  standing  afar — with  what  fervor 
from  a  heart  overflowing  with  gratitude  went  up  to  heaven  the 
prayer  of  the  saintly  captain,  which  has  come  down  to  us :  "  O 
Lord,  Eternal  and  Almighty  God,  who  by  Thy  sacred  word  hast 
created  the  heavens,  the  earth,  and  the  seas !  May  Thy  name  be 
blessed  and  glorified  everywhere!  May  Thy  majesty  be  exalted, 
who  hast  deigned  to  permit  that  by  Thy  humble  servant  Thy 
sacred  name  should  be  known  and  preached  in  this  other  part  of 
the  world ! " 

And  forth  from  their  hearts  burst  the  great  Ambrose's  hymn 
— "Te  Deum  Laudamus,"  i.e.,  We  praise  Thee,  O  God — forget- 

I 


2  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

ful  of  their  past  dangers  and  perils  on  the  broad  and  trackless 
waters  of  the  Atlantic — whose  echoes  were  again  to  be  taken  up, 
like  a  theme  in  music — to  be  borne  along  the  ages  in  full  and  fer- 
vent harmony  by  the  sons  of  the  Cav^alier  and  Roundhead,  by  the 
impulsive  Celt  and  sturdy  Saxon,  by  the  children  of  mighty  Rome, 
and  by  the  sons  of  the  fierce  Goth,  who  had  spoiled  of  all  its 
glory  the  city  of  the  Caesars. 

Was  it  chance  or  was  it  providential  that  among  the  crews  of 
Columbus  were  to  be  found  both  a  Saxon  and  a  Celt,  representa- 
tives of  two  races  through  whose  activities  the  new  world  by  its 
progress,  ingenuity,  political  complexion,  and  industrial  initiative 
were  later  on  to  startle  and  amaze  the  older  world  ?  Winsor, 
Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America,  says :  The  list  of  the 
companions  of  Columbus  in  his  first  voyage  to  the  new  world  in 
1492  shows  among  them  an  Irishman,  "Gulliermo  Ires,  natural 
de  Galwey,  en  Irlanda " — that  is,  William  Herries,  a  native  of 
Galway,  Ireland  (ii.,  p.  11). 

The  story  of  the  acquisitions  of  the  different  sections  of  the 
newly  discovered  land  by  exploration  or  by  conquest  has  been  so 
often  told  that  it  does  not  come  within  the  scope  of  the  present 
work.  Although  the  voyage  of  Cabot,  in  1497,  had  established  the 
English  claim,  yet  it  was  not  until  Sir  Humphrey  Gilbert,  in  1759, 
and  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  in  1584,  had  landed  the  one  as  far  north 
as  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec,  and  the  other  in  Virginia,  that 
any  serious  attempt  was  made  by  Raleigh  to  establish  a  colony  in 
the  new  possessions. 

Notwithstanding  the  patent  Queen  Elizabeth  had  given  Ra- 
leigh and  his  heirs,  to  discover  and  possess  forever,  all  such  coun- 
tries as  were  not  then  possessed  by  any  Christian  prince,  King 
James,  in  1606,  granted  a  new  patent  of  Virginia,  in  which  was 
included  what  is  now  known  as  the  New  England  States — New 
York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and  Maryland — to  Sir  Thomas 
Gates,  Sir  George  Somers,  Richard  Hakluyt,  Clerk,  Edward  Maria 
Wingfield,  Thomas  Hanham,  Richard  Gilbert,  Esqs.,  William 
Parker,  George  Popham,  Lord  Chief  Justice  of  England,  and 
others.  The  land  extended  from  the  thirty-fourth  to  the  forty- 
fifth  degrees  of  north  latitude,  with  all  the  islands  within  one 
hundred  miles  of  the  coast.  This  patent  was  divided  into  two 
districts,  called  North  and  South  Virginia,  the  latter  vested  in  the 
Company  of  the  London  Adventurers ;  and  the  former,  granted 
to  Thomas  Hanham  and  his  associates,  was  called  the  Plymouth 
Colony. 


IN    NKW    JERSEY  3 

But  the  Dutch,  although  proverbially  slow,  in  that  day  swept 
with  their  fleet  the  waters  of  the  globe,  and  one  of  their  vessels, 
the  Half  Moon,  manned  by  an  English  captain  and  fitted  out  by 
the  East  India  Company,  entered  Delaware  Bay,  August  28th, 
1609.  On  account  of  the  shoals  navigation  was  difficult,  and 
Hudson  set  sail  again,  hugging  the  eastern  shore  of  our  State,  and 
anchored  September  3d,  1609,  within  Sandy  Hook.  He  sent  a 
boat  ashore  for  the  purpose  of  exploration  and  of  taking  sound- 
ings. His  men  penetrated  some  distance  inland,  in  the  woods  of 
Monmouth,  where  the  Indians  they  met  received  them  kindly 
and  offered  them  green  tobacco  and  dried  currants. 

Heaving  anchor,  Hudson  continued  his  voyage  up  the  noble 
river,  buttressed  by  the  Palisades,  to  which  was  given  his  name. 
Claiming  to  have  purchased  the  chart  Hudson  had  made  of  the 
American  coast,  and  having  obtained  a  patent  from  the  States,  in 
1 614,  to  trade  in  New  England,  the  Dutch  founded  a  settlement 
on  the  island  of  Manhattan,  which  they  called  New  Amsterdam. 
They  built  many  forts  in  their  new  possessions,  among  them  one 
near  Gloucester,  N.  J.,  which  they  called  Fort  Nassau;  and  made 
a  settlement  in  Bergen  in  161 7. 

King  Charles  I,  however,  regarded  this  occupation  as  an  inva- 
sion of  his  territory  and  an  intrusion  on  the  part  of  these  early 
Knickerbockers,  and  determined  to  dispossess  them. 

Charles  I,  in  1632,  granted  to  Sir  Edmund  Plowden  a  grant 
of  land  embracing  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  and  Mary- 
land, and  this  despite  the  grant  of  Maryland  to  Lord  Baltimore 
two  years  previously.  Under  this  charter,  in  1634,  Plowden 
granted  10,000  acres  to  Sir  Thomas  Danby  on  condition  that  he 
would  settle  one  hundred  planters  on  it,  but  not  to  suffer  "  any  to 
live  there  not  believing  or  professing  the  three  Christian  creeds, 
commonly  called  the  Apostolical,  Athanasian,  and  Nicene." 

The  Earl  Palatinate  visited  his  vast  domain  personally  in 
1642,  sailing  up  the  Delaware  River — which  two  other  adventurers 
had  named  the  Charles — and  found  at  Salem  City,  N.  J.,  a  settle- 
ment of  seventy  persons  who  had  come  hither  from  New  Haven  to 
continue  their  avocation  as  whalers.  Their  officers  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  swear  allegiance  to  him  as  governor. 

Owing  to  his  retirement  to  Virginia,  the  execution  of  Charles 
I,  and  the  advent  of  Cromwell  with  his  Commonwealth,  he  lost 
grip  of  his  possessions  which  fell  into  other  hands,  and  although 
his  grandsons,  Thomas  and  George  Plowden,  came  to  America  to 
assert  their  claims  to  New  Albion  in  1684,  little  seems  to  have 


4  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

come  of  it.  One  Charles  Varlo  purchased  one-third  of  the  char- 
ter, and  in  1784  came  with  his  family,  as  he  says,  "invested  with 
the  proper  power  as  governor  to  the  Province,"  going  even  so  far 
as  to  enter  suit  in  chancery,  but  defeat  sent  him  back  to  England, 
and  the  claim  of  the  Plowdens,  and  the  name  New  Albion,  passed 
into  oblivion. 

The  region  between  the  Hudson  and  the  Delaware  rivers,  of 
which  little  was  known  beyond  the  few  hamlets  near  Manhattan, 
was  called  "Albania."  It  offered  the  greatest  attraction  to  emi- 
grants, because  it  was  "  the  most  improveable  part  of  the  province, 
in  respect  not  only  to  the  land,  but  to  the  sea-coast  and  the  Dela- 
ware River,  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  the  neighborhood  of  Hudson's 
river,  and,  lastly,  the  fair  hopes  of  rich  mines." 

Charles  H  issued  a  patent  to  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  York, 
in  which  were  included  among  other  lands  the  provinces  of  New 
York  and  New  Jersey.  The  Dutch,  totally  unsuspicious  and  un- 
prepared for  war,  capitulated  to  Sir  Robert  Carre,  after  articles 
of  agreement  had  been  mutually  accepted  which  secured  them  in 
the  possession  of  their  property  and  in  the  practice  of  their  relig- 
ion. The  Duke  of  York  on  his  part,  thus  having  secured  posses- 
sion of  this  vast  territory,  in  consideration  of  a  competent  sum  of 
money,  granted  and  conveyed  unto  Lord  Berkeley,  baron  of 
Stratton,  and  Sir  George  Carteret,  of  Saltrum,  "  all  that  tract  of 
land  to  the  west  of  Manhattan  Island  and  Long  Island,  and 
bounded  on  the  east  part  by  the  main  sea,  and  part  by  Hudson's 
river,  and  hath  upon  the  west  Delaware  bay  or  river,  and  ex- 
tendeth  southward  to  the  main  ocean  as  far  as  Cape  May,  and  to 
the  northward  as  far  as  the  northermost  branch  of  the  said  bay  or 
river  of  Delaware,  and  crosseth  over  thence  in  a  straight  line  to 
Hudson's  river,  which  said  tract  of  land  is  hereafter  to  be  called 
Nova  Csesarea,  or  New  Jersey." 

This  document  bears  the  date  of  June  23d  and  24th,  1664. 
Berkeley  and  Carteret,  being  now  sole  proprietors  of  New  Jersey, 
agreed  upon  a  constitution,  which  by  its  broad  liberality,  especially 
in  the  matter  of  religion,  was  calculated  to  attract  settlers.  Article 
seventh  declares:  No  person  qualified,  as  aforesaid,  shall  at  any 
time  be  molested,  punished,  disquieted,  or  called  in  question,  for 
any  difference  in  opinion  or  practice  in  matters  of  religious  con- 
cernment ;  but  that  all  and  every  such  person  and  persons  may, 
from  time  to  time,  and  at  all  times,  freely  and  fully  have  and 
enjoy  his  and  their  judgments  and  consciences,  in  matters  of 
religion,  throughout  the  said  province,  etc.,  etc. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  5 

While  the  Dutch  were  in  power  in  New  York,  no  laws  adverse 
to  Catholics  were  enacted,  the  bigotry  afterward  dominant  being 
of  English  origin. 

The  laws  promulgated  by  the  Duke  of  York  in  1664  required 
the  establishment  of  a  church  in  each  parish.  This  was  inter- 
preted by  Governor  Andros  and  his  council  as  requiring  all  per- 
sons to  contribute,  whether  belonging  to  the  congregation  or  not, 
and  he  asserted  that  this  was  not  an  infringement  of  the  liberty 
of  conscience,  "as  some  pretend."  This  last  was  aimed  at  the 
Dutch,  in  the  minority  in  some  parishes,  who  complained  that  the 
articles  of  capitulation,  August  7th,  1664,  guaranteeing  to  the 
Dutch  "  liberty  of  their  consciences  in  divine  worship  and  church 
discipline,"  were  thereby  violated. 

Colonel  Dongan,  a  Catholic,  afterward  Earl  of  Limerick,  suc- 
ceeded Andros  in  1683.  One  of  his  first  acts  was  to  summon  a 
provincial  assembly,  thus  giving  to  the  people  of  the  colony  what 
they  had  not  hitherto  enjoyed,  a  voice  in  the  framing  of  the  laws 
and  the  administration  of  the  government.  This  was  the  conces- 
sion of  a  Catholic  proprietor,  and  was  carried  into  effect  by  a 
Catholic  governor,  at  the  very  time  when  the  colonists  of  New 
England  were  deprived  of  their  charter.  The  first  act  of  the  first 
assembly  of  New  York  was  the  "charter  of  libertys,"  passed 
October  30th,  1683,  and  reads  as  follows:  That  no  person  or 
persons  which  prof  esse  ffaith  in  God  by  Jesus  Christ  shall,  at  any 
time,  be  any  wayes  molested,  punished,  disquieted,  or  called  in 
question  for  any  difference  of  opinion,  or  matter  of  religious  con- 
cernment, who  do  nott  actually  disturbe  the  civil  peace  of  the 
province,  butt  thatt  all  and  every  such  person  or  p'sons  may,  from 
time  to  time,  and  at  all  times,  freely  have  and  fully  enjoy,  his  or 
their  judgements  or  consciences  in  matters  of  religions  through- 
out all  the  province,  they  behaving  themselves  peacefully  and 
quietly,  and  nott  using  this  liberty  to  licentiousness,  nor  to  the  civil 
injury  or  outward  disturbance  of  others."  Another  provision  was, 
that  whereas  all  the  Christian  churches  then  in  the  province  seemed 
to  be  privileged  churches,  they  were  thereby  secured  in  their 
property  and  discipline,  and  the  like  privileges  were  guaranteed 
to  other  Christian  churches  coming  into  the  province,  in  regard 
to  divine  v\Aorship  and  church  discipline. 

Some  years  anterior  to  these  events  are  discerned  the  first 
traces  of  Catholicity  in  New  York.  In  1622  there  were  two 
Catholic  soldiers  in  Fort  Orange,  now  Albany ;  and,  when  Father 
Jogues,  the  saintly  apostle  of  the  Indians,  escaped  from  the  Iro- 


6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

quois,  in  1642,  he  found  "a  Portuguese  woman  and  a  young  Irish- 
man on  the  Island  of  Manhattan,  whose  confession  he  heard 
{Bay ley,  C.  C,  on  Island  of  N.  V.,  I/)."  The  young  Irishman  is 
said  to  have  come  from  Virginia. 

When  Dongan  arrived  in  New  York,  he  was  accompanied  by 
an  EngUsh  Jesuit,  Father  Thomas  Harvey,  who  remained  there 
seven  years.  He  was  joined  by  Father  Henry  Harrison,  S.  J., 
Father  Charles  Gage,  S.  J.,  in  1685-86,  and  two  lay  brothers. 
There  was  a  Catholic  chapel  in  Fort  James,  just  south  of  Bowl- 
ing Green ;  and  an  attempt  was  made  to  open  a  classical  school 
on  the  King's  Farm,  near  or  on  the  site  of  Trinity  Church. 

We  are  informed  "  that  Papists  began  to  settle  in  the  colony 
under  the  smiles  of  the  Governor."  Even  at  that  day  Wood- 
bridge,  N.  J.,  was  known  for  the  fine  quality  of  clay  found  there 
— "the  finest  in  the  world."  This  attracted  many  settlers,  and 
among  them  some  Catholics,  since  we  find  Fathers  Harvey  and 
Gage  visiting  both  Woodbridge  and  Elizabethtown,  the  capital  of 
East  Jersey,  settled  by  Carteret,  and  named  for  his  own  wife. 
The  old  records  show  Hugh  Dunn,  John  and  James  Kelly,  to  be 
in  Woodbridge  in  1672,  and  Robert  Vanquellen,  or  La  Prarire,  a 
native  of  Caen,  France,  in  1668,  and  Surveyor-General  of  that  sec- 
tion of  New  Jersey,  1669-70.  The  documents  connected  with 
Leisler's  usurpation  give  us  another  glimpse  of  the  presence  of 
Catholics,  for  "they  allege  that  the  Papists  on  Staten  Island  did 
threaten  to  cut  the  inhabitants'  throats  and  to  come  and  burn 
the  city ;  that  eighty  or  a  hundred  men  were  coming  from  Boston 
.  .  ,  several  of  them  Irish  and  Paptists;  that  a  good  part  of  the 
soldiers  in  the  fort  already  were  Papists;  that  M.  de  la  Prearie 
(the  same  Vanquellen,  whose  name  was  pronounced  and  spelled 
out  of  all  semblance)  had  arms  in  his  house."  One  of  the  most 
prominent  Catholics  in  New  York  in  that  day  was  Major  Anthony 
Brockholes. 

After  the  reconquest  of  the  province,  King  Charles  appointed 
Andros  governor,  specifying,  at  the  same  time,  that  in  case  of 
the  death  of  Andros  Lieut.  Anthony  Brockholes  was  to  succeed 
him  in  his  office.  Brockholes,  of  an  old  Catholic  family  of  Lan- 
cashire, England,  was  known  to  be  a  Papist,  and  would  have  been 
excluded  from  holding  office,  were  it  not  that  the  "  Test  Act "  of 
March  23d,  1673,  did  not  apply  to  the  British  American  Plantations. 
Brockholes  was  an  efficient  officer  and  served  the  colony  well, 
until  the  Leisler  usurpation,  when  a  price  was  set  upon  his  head, 
and  he  and  Arent  Schuyler  sought  in  New  Jersey  refuge  from  the 


IN    NEW   JERSKY  7 

storm.  In  1696  they  together  bought  five  thousand  five  hundred 
acres  of  land,  and  large  tracts  m  other  parts  of  the  State,  extend- 
ing in  part  from  Paterson  to  Pompton,  where  Brockholes  passed 
to  the  end  of  his  days  a  very  retired  life.  He  entered  a  matri- 
monial union,  so  often  fatal  to  the  heritage  of  faith,  espousing 
Susanna  Maria,  daughter  of  Paulus  Schrick,  a  member  of  the 
Dutch  Reformed  Church,  in  which  their  children  were  all  bap- 
tized. They  were,  of  course,  brought  up  Protestants,  and  his  son 
Henry  made  a  gift  to  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  of  Paterson 
"  for  one  acre  of  land  I  give  to  the  good  will  I  owe,  and  the  regard 
I  have,  for  the  low  duch  (sic!)  Reformed  Church  of  Holland." 
Pew  No.  I  of  that  church  belongs  to  his  heirs  forever.  Henry 
Brockholes,  or  Brockholst,  as  the  family  later  pleased  to  spell  the 
name,  was  a  member  of  the  New  Jersey  Legislature  in  171 7. 
•Thus,  the  faith  that  resisted  unto  blood  the , persecution  of  Ed- 
ward and  Elizabeth,  collapsed  utterly  through  an  unfortunate 
union  with  one  of  alien  faith. 

In  the  ship  Philip,  which  brought  Carteret  to  this  country, 
there  were  thirty  emigrants,  several  of  whom  were  Frenchmen, 
skilled  in  making  salt,  which  was  evidently  intended  to  be  the 
staple  of  New  Jersey.  They  were,  doubtless,  Alsatians,  since  in 
that  province  extensive  works  of  that  kind  were  found;  and  this 
conjecture  is  supported  by  the  fact  that  they  were  Catholics  whom 
Fathers  Gage  and  Harrison  visited  at  the  close  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  and  other  priests  at  a  later  period. 

The  peace  of  Westminster,  which  concluded  the  war  between 
the  Dutch  and  the  British,  unsettled  the  position  of  the  proprie- 
tors in  the  colonies.  In  the  opinion  of  many  jurists,  who  were 
consulted,  the  old  patents  were  void,  and  on  the  strength  of  this 
opinion  Charles  again  granted  to  his  brother  James,  Duke  of 
York,  all  that  he  had  previously  conveyed.  James  did  not  regret 
this  decision,  as  he  was  anxious  to  recover  the  territories  he  had 
squandered  on  Berkeley  and  Carteret.  But  these  wily  courtiers 
had  learned  well  their  lesson,  and  were  able  to  parry  the  blow. 
Berkeley,  on  his  return  from  the  lieutenancy  in  Ireland,  was  made 
ambassador  to  France. 

Shortly  after  the  treaty,  in  consideration  of  ^1,000,  Berkeley 
sold  to  John  Fenvvick,  an  old  Cromwellian  soldier,  in  trust  for 
Edward  Byllinge,  a  broken-down  London  brewer,  his  undivided  half 
of  New  Jersey,  together  with  such  "franchises,  liberties,  govern- 
ments, and  powers  as  had  been  granted  to  him  in  1664."  This 
deal  was  concluded    before  Charles  made  his  second  grant  to 


8  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

James.  As  for  Carteret,  he  finally  succeeded  in  wheedling  James 
into  confirming  his  grant  in  severalty  of  that  portion  of  New 
Jersey  extending  south  as  far  as  Barnegat,  and  west  as  far  as 
Rankokus  Kill,  or  Delaware  River. 

Dongan  was  removed  from  office  in  1691,  and  the  Assembly  of 
New  York  passed  a  resolution  that  all  laws  made  by  the  late 
Assembly  were  null  and  void ;  and  thus  the  first  anti-Catholic 
legislation  was  enacted,  to  be  the  more  fully  exploited  by  the 
law-makers  of  July  31st,  1700. 

This  is  the  preamble:  "  Whereas,  divers  Jesuits,  priests,  and 
papist  missionaries  have  of  late  come,  and  for  some  time  have  had 
their  residence  in  the  remote  parts  of  this  province,  and  other  of 
his  Majesty's  adjacent  colonies,  who,  by  their  wicked  and  subtle 
insinuations  industriously  labored  to  debauch,  seduce,  and  with- 
draw the  Indians  from  their  due  obedience  unto  his  most  sacred 
Majesty,  and  to  excite  and  stir  them  up  to  sedition,  rebellion,  and 
open  hostility  against  his  Majesty's  Government."  It  then  enacted 
that  every  priest,  etc.,  remaining  in  or  coming  into  the  province 
after  November  ist,  1700,  should  be  "deemed  and  accounted  an 
incendiary,  and  disturber  of  the  public  peace  and  safety,  and  an 
enemy  to  the  true  Christian  religion,  and  shall  be  adjudged  to 
^v&QX  perpetual  tviprisomnent."  In  case  of  escape  and  capture  to 
suffer  death.  Harborers  of  priests  to  pay  ;^200  and  stand  three 
days  in  the  pillory.     (Lazes  of  N.  Y.,  p.  38.) 

On  September  i6th,  i70i,a  law  was  enacted  by  which  "papists 
and  popish  recusants  are  prohibited  from  voting  for  members  of 
Assembly  or  any  office  whatever,  from  thenceforth  and  forever." 
{Col.  of  Lazvs,  i.,  p.  42.) 

How  truly  does  Lecky  remark  "  that  among  the  Irish  Catholics, 
at  least,  religious  intolerance  has  never  been  a  prevailing  vice,  and 
those  who  have  studied  closely  the  history  and  character  of  the 
Irish  people  can  hardly  fail  to  be  struck  with  the  deep  respect  for 
sincere  religion  in  every  form  which  they  have  commonly  evinced  " 
(England  in  the  Eighteenth  Centiny,  ii.,  423).  It  is  a  memorable 
fact  that  not  a  single  Protestant  suffered  for  his  religion  in  Ireland 
during  all  the  period  of  the  Marian  persecution  in  England  (ibid.). 

Leisler  was  a  religious  fanatic,  a  worthy  predecessor  of  the 
new  governor,  the  Earl  of  Bellomont,  whose  father.  Colonel 
Coote,  had  been  one  of  the  bloodiest  butchers  of  Irish  Catholics 
in  Cromwell's  time.  The  son  inherited  all  the  sanguinary  and 
fiendish  ferocit}'  against  the  Catholic  religion  of  his  father,  coupled 
with  the  shrewder  statecraft  of  the  unprincipled  politician. 

In  the  first  general  assembly,  held  at  Elizabeth  town.  May  26th, 
1668,  William  Douglass,  the  member  from  Bergen,  was  excluded 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  9 

because  he  was  a  Catholic ;  and  two  years  later  he  was  arrested  as 
"a  troublesome  person,"  sent  to  New  York,  whence  he  was  ban- 
ished to  New  England  and  warned  not  to  come  again  into  the 
Duke's  territories. 

A  little  incident,  in  1679,  gives  us  another  glimpse  of  the 
sad  condition  of  the  little  band  of  Catholics  in  Elizabeth  and 
near  by. 

Joseph  Bankers  and  Peter  Sluyter,  followers  of  Labadie,  an 
apostate  Jesuit,  came  to  America  in  search  of  land  for  a  settle- 
ment. In  one  of  their  letters,  under  date  October  ist,  1679,  they 
say: 

"At  Mill  Creek,  a  good  half-hour's  distance  from  Elizabeth- 
town,  N.  J.,  there  was  a  tavern  on  it  kept  by  a  French  papist, 
who  at  once  took  us  to  be  priests,  and  so  conducted  themselves 
toward  us  in  every  respect  accordingly,  although  we  told  them 
and  protested  otherwise.  As  there  was  nothing  to  be  said  further, 
we  remained  so  to  th^ir  imagination  to  the  last,  the  more  certainly 
because  we  spoke  French,  and  they  were  French  people.  We 
slept  there  that  night,  and  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  set 
sail." 

On  November  14th  they  again  "  reached  the  point  of  Eliza- 
beth's Kil,  where  we  were  compelled  to  anchor.  We  all  went 
ashore  and  lodged  for  the  night  in  the  home  of  the  French  peo- 
ple, who  were  not  yet  rid  of  the  suspicion  they  had  conceived, 
notwithstanding  the  declaration  we  had  made  accordingly." 

Under  date  of  January  ist,  1680,  they  were  on  Woodbridge 
Creek:  "We  landed  here  on  Staten  Island  to  drink  at  the  house 
of  the  Frenchman,  Le  Chaudronnier,  where  we  formerly  passed 
a  night  in  making  the  tour  of  Staten  Island.  He  related  to  us 
what  strange  opinions,  every  one  as  well  as  himself,  entertained 
of  us." 

Martin  I.J.  Griffin  claims  that  Elizabeth  Brittin,  daughter  of 
Lionel  Brittin,  the  first  to  arrive  in  the  Delaware  (1680),  father 
of  the  first  white  child  born  in  these  parts,  on  the  first  panel  of 
jurors,  and  the  first  convert  to  the  Catholic  faith  in  Pennsylvania, 
was  married  to  Michael  Kearne}-,  a  prominent  man  in  East  Jersey. 
Now  the  most  distinguished  man  of  that  name  in  this  part  of  the 
colony  lived  about  one  half  mile  from  Whippany,  where  he  had 
an  estate  of  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  acres,  called  the  Irish 
Lott.  Here  he  entertained  in  lordly  style,  and  his  hospitality 
won  for  him  hosts  of  friends.  His  tomb  may  still  be  seen  on  a 
charming  knoll,  with  pleasant  views  of  hill  and  woodland  on  every 


10  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

side.     When  last  seen  by  the  writer,  it  was  in  a  dilapidated  con- 
dition. 

The  inscription  on  the  huge  stone  is: 


t 


SACRED 

TO   THE   MEMORY   OF 

CAPTAIN    MICHALE    KEARNEY 

OF    HIS 

BRITTANIC   MAJESTY'S  NAVY. 

HE  DEPARTED  THIS  LIFE   AT 

THE   IRISH    LOTT 

THE  SEAT  OF   HIS   RESIDENCE  IN    HANOVER 

ON    THE    5   DAY   OF  APRIL  A.D.    1797 
Aged  78  Years,  6  Months  and  28  Days 


IN  THE   naval  SERVICE   HE  WAS  A  BRAVE   AND  INTREPID 

OFFICER   WHICH   SECURI:D  TO   HIM  SEVERAL 

MARKS  OF  DISTINGUISHED 

RESPECT   AND   CONFIDENCE. 

IN   PRIVAIE  LIFE   HE   EXERCISED   THE    VIRTUES  OF 

BENEVOLENCE,    HOSPITAI(«i:)ETY  AND 

GENTEEL  URBANITY. 

In  May,  1682,  an  attempt  was  made  by  the  Legislature  to 
secure  for  West  Jersey  a  separate  coinage.  The  necessity  for 
small  coinage  was  pressing,  and  Mark  Newbie,  a  Quaker,  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers  of  Gloucester,  was  empowered  to  supply  the 
demand.  The  act  provides:  That  Mark  Newbie's  half-pence, 
called  Patrick's  half-pence,  shall  from  and  after  the  said  eighteenth 
instant  pass  for  half-pence  current  pay  of  this  province,  provided 


A    PATRICK    PENCE. 


he,  the  said  Mark,  give  sufficient  security  to  the  speaker  of  this 
House  for  the  use  of  the  General  Assembly  from  time  to  time 
being,  that  he,  the  said  Mark,  his  executors  and  administrators, 
shall  and  will  change  the  said  half-pence  for  pay  equivalent  upon 
demand ;  and  provided  also  that  no  Person  or  Persons  be  hereby 
obliged  to  take  more  than  five  shillings  in  one  payment. 


IN    NKW   JERSEY  ii 

There  is  considerable  obscurity  as  to  the  manner  in  which  tliese 
coins  came  into  the  possession  of  Nevvbie,  and  hkevvise  as  to  their 
origin.  By  some  it  is  thought  that  they  were  struck  abroad  in  the 
reign  of  Charles  I,  or  that  they  were  minted  on  the  Continent 
and  authorized  by  the  Kilkenny  Assembly,  and  circulated  by  the 
confederates  when  other  money  was  scarce  in  Ireland.  There 
were  several  varieties,  but  the  most  common  shows  a  king  kneel- 
ing, playing  a  harp,  with  the  motto  "  Floreat  Rex  " ;  and  on  the 
obverse  side  is  a  figure  of  St.  Patrick,  with  one  hand  outstretched, 
while  the  left  clasps  the  archiepiscopal  cross,  and  on  the  extreme 
right  a  church,  with  the  motto  "  Ouiescat  Plebs." 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Mark  Nevvbie  secured  these  coins  in 
Ireland,  as  he  embarked  from  one  of  its  ports  on  the  19th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1681,  in  a  narrow-stemmed  pink  called  "  Ye  Owner's  Ad- 
venture," under  the  command  of  Mate  Daggett.  After  a  voyage 
of  two  months  he  arrived  "  by  the  grace  of  God,  within  ye  Capes 
of  De  La  Ware,"  and  after  spending  the  winter  in  Salem,  finally 
took  up  a  twentieth  share  of  land,  nearly  midway  between  Cooper's 
Creek  and  Newton  Creek  in  what  was  known  as  the  Irish  Tenth. 

When  Sir  Edmund  Andros  was  commissioned  captain-general, 
and  governor-in-chief,  in  1686,  by  James  II,  over  his  "Territory 
and  Dominion  of  New  England  in  America,"  i.e.,  Massachusetts 
Bay,  New  Plymouth,  New  Hampshire,  Maine  and  the  Narragan- 
sett  counti")',  to  secure  him  in  his  government,  two  companies 
of  regular  soldiers,  chiefly  Irish  papists,  were  raised  in  London, 
and  placed  under  his  orders  (Brodhead,  History  of  Nezv  York,  ii., 

450- 

In  1687  our  attention  is  called  to  the  woes  of  another  Catholic 

who,  despite  his  ability  and  the  conscientious  discharge  of  a  deli- 
cate office,  was  dismissed  in  disgrace  because  of  his  religion. 

Mathew  Plowman,  a  Catholic,  was  appointed  by  King  James 
II  "  Our  Collector  and  Receiver  of  our  Revenue  in  our  Province 
of  New  York  and  the  Territories  depending  thereon  in  America," 
so  that  the  sphere  of  his  jurisdiction  extended  from  Maine  to 
Delaware,  Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut  excepted.  He,  together 
with  Captain  Baxter  and  Ensign  Russell  of  the  fort  of  New  York, 
were  known  to  be  Catholics,  and  for  this  the  lieutenant-governor, 
on  the  accession  of  William  and  Mary,  "  to  avoid  jealousies,  sent 
them  out  of  the  Province." 

While  Catholics  in  America  were  thus  dismissed  from  office 
because  of  their  religion,  Lecky  writes : 

"  The  terror  that  was  excited  by  the  ambition  of  France  en- 


II  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

listed  a  great  part  of  the  Catholic  Europeans  on  the  side  of  Wil- 
liam. The  King  of  Spain  was  decidedly  in  his  favor,  and  the 
Spanish  ambassador  at  The  Hague  is  said  to  have  ordered  Mass 
in  his  chapel  for  the  success  of  the  expedition.  The  Emperor 
employed  all  his  influence  at  Rome  on  the  same  side,  and,  by  sin- 
gular good  fortune,  the  Pope  himself  looked  with  favor  on  the 
Revolution  "  (^England  i)i  the  EigJiteenth  Century,'^  i.,  p.  22). 

"  It  was  asserted,  though  probably  with  some  exaggeration, 
that  there  were  no  less  than  4,000  Catholics  in  the  army  with 
which  William  came  over  to  defend  the  Protestantism  of  Eng- 
land "  {ibid.,  p.  294). 

"The  penal  laws  against  Roman  Catholics,  both  in  England 
and  Ireland,  were  the  immediate  consequence  of  the  Revolution  " 
(p.  294). 

In  other  parts  of  King  James's  domain  Catholics  paid  the  pen- 
alty of  loyalty  to  their  faith. 

The  first  execution  for  witchcraft,  in  1688,  at  Charlestown, 
Mass.,  was  "an  Irish  woman  of  a  strange  tongue"  named  Glover. 
Her  daughter  was  accused  by  a  child  of  her  "master"  with  having 
stolen  family  linen.  The  "scandalous  old  hag"  Glover  was  "a 
Roman  Catholic;  she  had  never  learned  the  Lord's  Prayer  in 
English."  She  was  "condemned  as  a  witch  and  executed" 
(Bancroft,  iii.,  76,  ed.  1842). 

The  first  victim  of  the  Salem  witchcraft  of  1691  was  "Bridget 
Bishop,  a  poor  and  friendless  old  woman."  She  was  hanged  June 
loth,  1692. 

The  drastic  laws  enacted  in  New  York,  on  the  accession  of 
William  and  Mary  at  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  found 
an  echo  in  New  Jersey. 

The  law  of  1698,  declaring  what  are  the  rights  and  privileges 
of  his  Majesty's  subjects  in  East  New  Jersey,  directed  "that  no 
person  or  persons  that  profess  faith  in  God  by  Jesus  Christ,  His 
only  Son,  shall  at  any  time  be  molested,  punished,  disturbed,  or 
be  called  in  question  for  difference  in  religious  opinion,  &c.,  &c., 
provided  this  shall  not  extend  to  any  of  the  Romish  religion  the 
right  to  exercise  their  manner  of  worship  contrary  to  the  laws  and 
statutes  of  England." 

When  Lord  Cornbury  assumed  the  government  of  New  Jersey 
in  1 701,  his  instructions  directed  him  to  permit  liberty  of  con- 
science to  all  persons  except  papists.  Matters  remained  thus 
with  the  Catholic  Church  in  New  Jersey  until  the  end  of  the  Brit- 
ish rule. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  13 

In  her  "Instructions"  to  Lord  Cornbury,  November  i6th, 
1702,  Queen  Anne,  among  others,  directed  him  to  have  oversight 
that  no  man's  Hfe,  member,  freehold,  or  goods  be  taken  away,  or 
harmed,  otherwise  than  by  due  process  of  the  law ;  that  liberty  of 
conscience  be  allowed  to  every  one  "except  papists,"  and  the 
"test"  oath  be  administered  "for  preventing  dangers  which  may 
happen  from  papish  recusants." 

Early  in  the  eighteenth  century  almost  every  church  in  our 
State  had  a  school  attached  to  it.  "  By  the  side  of  the  log  church 
the  primitive  school-house  was  erected ;  and  schools,  supervised 
and  supported  by  the  church  authorities,  were  established  in  all 
the  larger  settlements  of  East  Jersey.  The  pioneers  in  West 
Jersey  were  Quakers.  To  them  school-houses  w^ere  scarcely  sec- 
ond in  importance,  and  were  usually  placed  under  the  same  roof 
with  their  place  of  worship  "  (Raum,  History  of  Nezu  Jersey,  ii., 
284).  Private  schools  were  also  established,  sometimes  in  a  pri- 
vate house,  sometimes  in  a  rude  building,  and  here  the  children 
were  taught  by  an  itinerant  school-master,  occasionally  a  college- 
bred  man,  and,  not  unfrequently,  a  Scotch  or  Irish  redeniptioner. 
This  leads  us  to  some  of  the  saddest  pages  of  the  history  of  the 
Irish  race. 

The  war  ended  in  Ireland  in  1652.  According  to  the  calcula- 
tion of  Sir  W.  Petty,  out  of  a  population  of  1,446,000,  616,000 
had  in  eleven  years  perished  by  the  sword,  by  plague,  or  by  famine 
artificially  produced;  504,000,  according  ta  this  estimate,  were 
Irish,  112,000  of  English  extraction.  A  third  part  of  the  popula- 
tion had  been  blotted  out,  and  Petty  tells  us  that  according  to 
some  calculations  the  number  of  the  victims  was  much  greater. 
.  .  Famine  and  sword  had  so  done  their  work  that  in  some 
districts  the  traveller  rode  twenty  or  thirty  miles  without  seeing 
one  trace  of  human  life,  and  fierce  wolves — rendered  doubly  savage 
by  feeding  on  human  flesh — multiplied  with  startling  rapidity 
through  the  deserted  land,  and  might  be  seen  prowling  in  num- 
bers within  a  few  miles  of  Dublin,  Liberty  was  given  to  able- 
bodied  men  to  abandon  the  country  and  enlist  in  foreign  service, 
and  from  30,000  to  40,000  availed  themselves  of  the  permission. 
Slave-dealers  were  let  loose  upon  the  land,  and  many  hundreds  of 
boys  and  marriageable  girls,  guilty  of  no  offence  whatever,  were 
torn  away  from  their  country,  shipped  to  the  Barbadoes  and  sold 
as  slaves  to  planters  (Lecky,  England  in  the  Eighteenth  Century, 
ii.,  188). 

The  archives  of  the  Ministry  of  War  of  France  show  that 


14  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

700,000  Irish  soldiers  gave  their  hearts'  blood  on  a  hundred  bat- 
tlefields under  \\\q.  fleur-de-lis  and  the  tricolor  of  the  French  mon- 
archy and  republic  {Life  of  Montalcinbcrt,  Lecanuet,  i.,  107). 

In  twenty  years  there  were  at  least  four  of  absolute  famine, 
and  that  of  1 740-1 741,  although  it  has  hardly  left  a  trace  in  history, 
was  one  of  the  most  fearful  on  record.  One  writer  states  that 
400,000  perished  this  year  through  famine  or  its  attendant  diseases 
(Lecky,  ii.,  238).  The  details  of  the  sufferings  and  deaths  are 
sickening  and  revolting.  Whole  parishes  were  desolate,  and 
whole  thousands  perished  in  a  barony. 

Newnham,  on  "Irish  Emigration,"  remarks:  "If  we  said  that 
during  fifty  years  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  average  annual 
emigrations  to  America  and  the  West  Indies  amounted  to  about 
4,000,  and  consequently  that  in  that  space  of  time  about  200,000 
had  emigrated  to  the  English  plantations,  I  am  disposed  to  think 
we  should  rather  fall  short  of  the  real  truth  "  (Lecky,  ii.,  284). 

The  Abbe  MacGeoghegan  says:  By  calculation  and  by  re- 
searches made  in  the  war  office  it  is  found  that  from  the  year  1691 
to  the  battle  of  Fontenoy,  in  1745,  more  than  450,000  Irish  soldiers 
died  in  the  service  of  France. 

Sir  William  Petty,  writing  in  1672,  states  that  six  thousand 
boys  and  women  were  sold  as  slaves  from  Ireland  to  the  under- 
takers of  the  Anierican  islands.  Bruodin  estimates  the  total  num- 
ber of  the  exiles  from  Ireland  at  100,000.  A  letter,  written  in 
1656,  cited  by  Dr.  Lingard,  reckons  the  number  of  Catholics  thus 
sent  to  slavery  at  60,000.  "The  Catholics  are  sent  off  in  ship- 
fuls  to  the  Barbadoes  and  other  American  islands.  I  believe 
60,000  have  already  gone;  for  the  husbands  being  first  sent  to 
Belgium  and  Spain  already,  their  wives  and  children  are  now 
destined  for  the  Americas "  {Persecutions  of  Irish  Catholics, 
Moran,  323). 

In  the  course  of  years  many  of  these  Irish  exiles  became 
proprietors  of  the  estates  on  which  they  labored,  attained  great 
wealth,  had  their  black  slaves,  who  assumed  their  names,  and  to- 
day one  may  meet  them,  black  as  ebony,  bearing  such  names  as 
T.  Kelly  Smith,  S.  M.  Burke,  Rachel  Dunn,  J.  Harris  Carr,  and 
speaking  English  with  a  rich  brogue. 

As  late  as  1785  the  trade  of  "soul  driver"  was  plied,  and 
human  cargoes  of  fifty  or  more  were  purchased  from  the  inhuman 
captains  of  the  ships  which  brought  them  over,  by  dealers,  who 
drove  them  through  the  country  and  disposed  of  them  to  the 
farmers.     Thus  were  the  shipmasters  compensated  and  enriched 


IN    NEW    JERSP'T  15 

for  the  expenses  of  the  immigrants'  passage  over-sea.  "  All  strata 
of  society,"  says  B.  F.  Lee,  "were  represented  among  the  redemp- 
tioners,  most  of  whom,  in  New  Jersey,  were  Palatinate  Germans, 
Scotch,  English,  Irish,  and  Scotch-Irish,  sons  of  good  families, 
street  waifs,  soldiers  of  fortune,  young  girls  fresh  from  farms,  dis- 
solute women  from  the  purlieus  of  London  and  the  great  cities. 
Some  in  search  of  a  new  home,  some  desiring  to  reform  wayward 
lives,  some  seeking  adventure,  were  huddled  upon  ships  and 
brought  to  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Salem,  Burlington,  and  Am- 
boy.  Once  landed,  they  v/ere  offered  to  the  highest  bidder,  placed 
on  show  like  cattle,  and  hurried  off  to  near-by  farms,  to  become 
assimilated  in  a  population  which  was  as  yet  shifting  and  hetero- 
geneous. The  advertisements  of  these  sales  crowd  the  columns 
of  the  newspapers  of  the  day.  The  boys  were  '  likely '  and 
'  willing,'  the  girls  '  hearty '  and  '  used  to  country  work.'  Here 
and  there  was  one  who  could  serve  as  a  school-master,  as  a 
'  taylor,'  or  as  a  shoemaker.  Others  there  were  who  had  trades, 
and  many  were  '  pock-fretten.'  " 

Once  in  the  hands  of  a  new  master,  the  life  of  the  redemp- 
tioner  was  more  distasteful  than  that  of  a  slave.  Some  owners 
recognized  that  their  tenure  over  the  life  and  liberty  of  the  redemp- 
tioner  was  brief  and  uncertain,  and,  moved  by  selfish  impulses, 
cruelly  overworked  their  bondsmen.  As  a  result,  the  redemptioner 
often  performed  more  degrading  work  than  a  slave,  and  was 
treated  with  greater  severity.  Under  such  circumstances  escapes 
were  frequent,  the  advertisements  in  the  newspapers  described 
with  great  particularity  the  personal  appearance  and  dress  of  the 
fugitive.  Rewards,  usually  proportioned  to  the  length  of  years 
the  redemptioner  had  to  serve,  were  offered,  and  from  time  to 
time  notices  appeared  in  the  public  prints  advising  those  inter- 
ested that  redemptioners  had  been  taken  up  and  were  held  in  the 
common  jails  awaiting  proper  proofs  of  ownership. 

In  the  mutations  of  fortune  the  position  of  master  and  redemp- 
tioner was  occasionally  reversed.  Upon  completing  his  time  a 
redemptioner  would  obtain  possession  of  land,  and,  by  successful 
ventures,  become  a  proprietor.  His  sons  would  marry  the  daugh- 
ters of  his  former  master,  and  families  in  the  State  trace  their 
genealogies  to  such  alliances.  Nor  was  it  uncommon  for  the 
redemptioner  to  secure  a  position  in  after-life  as  one  of  his  Maj- 
esty's justices,  although  he  seldom  aspired  to  a  seat  in  the  House 
of  Assembly,  or  hoped  for  a  place  in  council. 

These  redemptioners  were  made  up  of  the  Irish,  the  Scotch, 


i6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

and  some  from  the  German  Palatinate,  who  were  offered  for  sale 
at  the  docks  of  Philadelphia,  Egg  Harbor  City,  and  elsewhere  at 
from  sixty  to  eighty  dollars  each,  as  late  as  in  1831.  This  trade 
introduced  a  new  word  into  our  language — "  kidnapper."  Of  it 
Bailey,  in  his  dictionary,  has  this  to  say :  "  Kid,  formerly  one 
trepanned"  {i.e.,  entrapped)  "by  kidnappers;  now,  one  who  is 
bound  apprentice  here  {England)  in  order  to  be  transported  to 
the  English  colonies  in  America^  Kidnapper,  a  person  who 
makes  it  his  business  to  decoy  either  children  or  young  persons, 
to  send  them  to  the  English  plantations  in  America  {Historical 
Magaaine,  N.  Y.,  June  1871,  399). 

The  lowest  and  most  degraded  engaged  in  this  infamous  traffic, 
and  one  of  them,  Capt.  William  Cunningham,  before  suffering  the 
death  penalty  he  so  richly  deserved  for  his  many  and  fiendish 
crimes,  made  a  confession,  a  part  of  which  is : 

"In  the  year  1792  we  removed  to  Newry,  where  I  commenced 
the  profession  of  scowbanker,  which  is  that  of  enticing  the  me- 
chanics and  country  people  to  ship  themselves  for  America,  on 
promise  of  great  advantage,  and  then  artfully  getting  an  indenture 
upon  them  in  consequence  of  which,  on  their  arrival  in  America, 
they  are  sold  or  obliged  to  serve  a  term  of  years  for  their  passage  " 
{Principles  and  Acts  of  tJie  Revolution,  H.  Niles,  Baltimore,  1822, 

P-  274)- 

"  When  the  Irish  emigrants  landed  on  the  shores  of  Virginia, 
the  laws  against  Catholics  obliged  them  to  embark  again  and  set 
sail  for  Montserrat,  in  the  West  Indies,  long  known  as  an  Irish 
colony.  Sir  George  Calvert,  also,  was  excluded  from  the  native 
State  of  Washington  because  he  was  a  Catholic,  and  for  that  rea- 
son founded  his  colony  of  Maryland.  But  amid  their  persecu- 
tions some  Jesuit  Fathers  sought  to  extend  around  the  succours 
of  religion,  for  some  Catholics  were  even  then  to  be  found  in  Vir- 
ginia, chiefly  as  slaves  or  indentured  apprentices — Irish  men  and 
women,  torn  from  their  native  land  and  sold  into  foreign  bondage. 
After  the  struggle  of  1541,  and  the  Protestant  triumph  which  en- 
sued, the  Irish  Catholics  were  relentlessly  banished,  and  the  State 
documents  of  Cromwell's  time  enable  us  to  reckon  from  fifty  to 
one  hundred  thousand  forcibly  transported  to  America.  The  ma- 
jority were  given  to  the  Barbadoes  and  Jamaica,  but  a  great  num- 
ber of  women  and  children  were  also  sold  in  Virginia,  the  men 
having  been  pressed  into  the  Protector  s  navy.  In  1652  the  com- 
missaries of  the  Commonwealth  ordered  '  Irish  women  to  be  sold 
to  merchants  and  shipped  to  Virginia,'  and  th^se  ynfortunate  fe- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  17 

males,  reduced  to  the  condition  of  slavery  as  African  negroes,  sunk 
in  great  numbers  under  the  labors  imposed  upon  them  by  their 
masters"  (De  Courcey-Shea's  History,  p.  158). 

The  hatred  of  the  Virginia  colonists  toward  Catholics  was  in- 
tense, and  laws  were  passed  by  which  no  Catholic  could  hold 
ofifice,  or  vote,  or  keep  arms,  or  own  a  horse,  or  even  be  a  witness 
in  any  cause,  civil  or  criminal.  Papists  were  driven  out  of  the 
colony,  or  out  of  the  fold ;  and  when  the  Irish  emigrants  landed 
on  its  shores  their  reception  was  so  hostile  that  they  re-embarked 
for  Montserrat,  in  the  West  Indies. 

The  laws  enacted  by  the  first  proprietors  held  out  such  induce- 
ments that  it  was  to  the  interests  of  shipmasters  to  bring  over  as 
many,  and  of  the  colonists  to  buy  as  many  redemptioners  as  their 
means  would  permit,  as  it  meant  for  them  larger  concessions  of 
territory.  "  We  do  hereby  grant  unto  all  persons  who  have  al- 
ready adventured  to  the  said  Province  of  Nova  Caesarea,  or  shall 
transport  themselves,  150  acres  of  land,  English  measure;  and  for 
every  able  servant  he  shall  carry  with  him  150  acres;  and  for 
every  weaker  servant  or  slave,  male  or  female,  exceeding  the  age 
of  fourteen  years,  seventy-five  acres  of  land ;  and  for  every  Chris- 
tian servant,  exceeding  the  age  aforesaid,  after  the  expiration  of 
their  time  of  service,  seventy-five  acres  of  land  for  their  own  use 
(The  Concessions  and  Agreements  of  the  Lord  Proprietors  of  the 
Province  of  Nova  Caesarea)." 

In  the  press  of  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  may  be 
found  curious  advertisements  for  such  redemptioners  who  would 
from^time  to  time  take  French  leave. 

Forty  Sillings  Reward 

Little  Britain  Township, 

Lancaster  County,  June,  1769. 
Between  the  Sixth  and  Seventh  day, 
Mary  Nowland  ran  away; 
Her  age  I  know  not  but  appears 
To  be  at  least  full  twenty  years ; 
The  same  religion  with  the  Pope. 

Penn.  Gazette,  yuiie  2g,  Ij6g. 

Sept.  4,  1769. 
The  jSIorning  of  this  very  day, 
My  servant,  John  Stoge  ran  away, 
He  came  from  Limerick  the  last  fall, 
He's  five  feet  seven  inches  tall. 


i8  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

He  reads  very  well  and  writes  a  good  hand, 
And  arithmetic  does  well  understand, 
As  he  can  well  use  the  scrivener's  tool, 
He  will  incline  to  teach  a  school. 

Pcjin.  Gazette,  Sept.  28,  1769. 

About  three  thousand  Alsatians  came  to  Pennsylvania  by  invi- 
tation of  the  proprietors  in  1682,  who,  says  their  historian,  "while 
they  were  building  their  homes  dwelt  in  caves  and  rude  huts." 

Many  of  them  settled  at  Haycock  on  the  banks  of  the  Dela- 
ware, and  kept  the  faith  alive  across  the  river  in  West  Jersey. 
Their  descendants  found  their  way  as  far  north  as  New  Bruns- 
wick, and,  unlike  many  offshoots  of  sturdy  Catholic  stock,  are  still 
loyal  to  the  religion  of  their  forefathers,  and  among  thera  to-day 
are  the  Witts,  Hunridges,  and  others. 

A  great  deal  of  stress  and  an  exaggerated  importance  has  been 
laid  by  non-Catholic  writers  on  the  numbers  of  Huguenots  who 
came  to  this  country  after  the  revocatioii  of  the  edict  of  Nantes, 
1685,  and  some  claim  that  as  many  as  half  a  million  were  driven 
from  France,  and  most  of  them  found  shelter,  refuge,  and  a  wd- 
come  in  the  colonies  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Florida. 

"Weiss,"  says  Gilmary  Shea,  "exaggerates  beyond  all  limits 
the  importance  of  that  immigration,  and  draws  an  imaginary 
sketch  of  the  influence  exercised  on  America,  by  the  French 
Huguenots,  in  agriculture,  literature,  politics,  arts,  sciences,  civil- 
ization, and  so  forth.  We  shall  be  much  more  in  truth's  domain 
when  we  affirm  that  the  French  Catholic  families,  driven  from  the 
West  Indies  by  the  frightful  consequences  of  the  revolution,  and 
who  came  to  seek  peace  and  liberty  in  the  United  States,  far  ex- 
ceeded in  number  the  Protestant  immigration  of  the  previous  cen- 
tury. Nay,  more:  Misfortune  having  purified  their  faith,  these 
Creoles  were  distinguished  for  their  attachment  to  religion,  and 
often  became  models  of  American  congregations.  Without  count- 
ing Martinique  and  Guadeloupe,  the  French  part  of  San  Domingo 
contained,  in  1793,  forty  thousand  whites.  All  emigrated  to 
escape  being  massacred  by  the  blacks.  Many  mulattoes  followed 
them,  and  of  this  mass  of  emigrants  a  great  part  settled  in  the 
United  States "  (De  Courcey-Shea's  History  of  CatJiolies  in 
United  States,  p.  74).  Now  and  then  in  some  martial  achieve- 
ment, or  by  the  betrayal  of  some  racial  weakness,  or  an  outburst 
of  genius  and  learning — for  which  the  Celt  has  ever  thirsted,  and, 
possessing,  has  ever  been  eager  to  impart  to  others — there  flashes 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  19 

forth  from  the  gloom  a  name,  unmistakably  indicative  of  the  na- 
tionality and  religion  of  its  bearer.  Perchance  it  is  a  pursuit,  or 
an  exploit,  mayhap,  the  result  of  a  perverted  morality,  but  always 
a  pointer,  fixing  our  attention  on  the  many-sided  character  of  the 
sons  of  Erin,  whether  in  commercial  enterprises  or  in  the  ar- 
rested development  of  the  better  part  of  his  nature,  when  deprived 
of  the  help  and  aid  of  religion. 

Shortly  before  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution,  Brant  and  his 
savages  were  devastating  the  settlements  in  what  are  now  the 
counties  of  Warren  and  Sussex  with  fire  and  tomahawk.  The 
hardy  pioneers  rallied  together  in  common  defence,  and,  armed 
with  their  muskets,  marched  forth  to  meet  the  cruel  foe;  and, 
near  the  water  of  the  Minisink,  the  fierce  conflict  raged  long 
and  doubtful,  till  at  last  the  Indians  fled,  leaving  on  the  field  many 
of  their  dead  and  wounded.  The  settlers,  too,  suffered  severely, 
and  among  the  slain  was  one  Thomas  Dunn. 

We  read  again  that  Christopher  Beekman,  son  of  Col.  Ger- 
ardus  Beekman,  one  of  Leisler's  council— all  of  whom  were  pro- 
nounced guilty  of  treason,  their  estates  forfeited,  and  themselves 
sentenced  to  be  hung — a  large  land-owner  in  Somerset  County, 
was  united  by  marriage  to  Maria  Delaney,  in  New  York,  January 
28th,  1704.  Of  their  eight  children  four  were  daughters — Cor- 
nelia, Magdalene,  Maria,  and  Katherine. 

As  one  rides  from  Pluckamin  toward  Somerville  there  stands 
an  old  house  near  a  brook,  built  in  1756,  by  Squire  Laferty,  and 
known  in  the  old  surveys  as  the  "  Laferty  House."  Laferty  was 
an  Irish  emigrant  \\\\o  lived  there  with  his  wife  and  their  daugh- 
ter Ruth,  a  handsome  girl,  but  of  questionable  morals.  A  fellow- 
countryman  and  forn>er  friend  of  the-  squire  once  called  on  him, 
and  was  guilty  of  the  heinous  offence  of  wearing  his  hat  in  pres- 
ence of  the  august  upholder  of  tJie  law.  The  squire  commanded 
him  to  remove  it.  "  You  gray  lampreen,"  retorted  the  incensed 
visitor,  "  to  command  me  thus !  You  roa-sted  praties  many  a  time 
by  my  fireside  when  you  had  no  hearth  of  your  own." 

Ruth,  his  daughter,  brought  sorrow  to  the  family,  whe-n  the 
wild,  dissolute  offspring  of  an  illicit  union — handsome  and  way- 
ward as  his  moth-er — was  the  first  and,  to  1873,  the  only  white 
man  ever  executed  in  Somerset  County. 

The  jail,  a  rickety  affair,  was  in  charge  of  one  O'Brien,  over 
six  feet  tall,  a  strapping,  bold,  and  fearless  man  from  Virginia. 

In  this  neighborhood  lived  also  at  that  time  John  McBride, 
who  came  from  Ireland  late  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and  settled 


20  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

in  Lamington;  and  an  "old  "  Mr.  Boylen  kept  a  store  in  Pluck- 
amin.  Others  there  were  connected  with  tragedies  to  which, 
perhaps,  they  had  been  driven  by  their  cruel  taskmasters. 

In  1750  Daniel  O'Brien,  "who,"  according  to  the  N.  V.  Ga- 
settc  Review  in  tJie  Weekly  Post  Boy,  "put  up  at  Mr.  John 
Thompson's  at  the  Thistle  and  Crown,  known  by  the  name  of 
'Scotch  Johnney's,'  gives  notice  to  'Gentlemen  and  Ladies'  that 
he  conducts  a  Stage  boat  ...  if  Wind  and  Weather  permit  "  from 
New  York  to  Amboy  and  thence  by  stage  to  Bordentown,  where 
another  stage  boat  runs  to  Philadelphia.  The  rates  are  the  same 
as  between  New  Brunswick  and  Trenton  and  "  the  roads  gener- 
ally drier"  (Lee,  i.,  233). 

The  broad  liberality  of  the  Friends  tolerated  the  presence  of 
Roman  Catholics  in  West  Jersey.  Among  the  BVench  servants 
of  Dr.  Daniel  Coxe,  at  Cape  May,  earlier  than  1700,  there  were 
probably  many  Catholics. 

"  It  has  not  been  clearly  demonstrated  that  John  Tatham,  about 
whose  title  to  the  governorship  of  West  Jersey  there  was  dispute, 
was  not  a  Catholic.  Certain  it  is  that  his  library,  which  over- 
looked his  famous  garden  in  Burlington,  contained  books  of  Cath- 
olic theology,  a  rare  circumstance,  indeed,  considering  that  two 
centuries  had  elapsed  since  any  library  of  a  theological  partisan 
was  filled  with  volumes  dealing  only  with  one  side  of  the  question  " 
(Lee,  iii.,  319).  Tatham,  whose  name,  it  appears,  was  an  alias 
for  John  Gray,  was  not  only  Dr.  Coxe's  agent,  but  the  owner  of 
lands  in  Neshanning,  Pa.  Griffin,  in  his  Researehes,  says :  "  We 
are  now  satisfied  that  'John  Gray  ye  R.  C  was  John  Tatham 
whose  career  was  so  fully  told  in  October,  1888  (July,  1890,  p. 
109)." 

Of  his  title  to  be  considered  one  of  the  governors  of  New  Jer- 
sey, an  excellent  authority  says :  "  So  averse  were  the  opponents 
of  the  proprietors  to  the  re-establishment  of  their  authority,  that 
for  a  time  the  public  sentiment  was  in  favor  of  a  continuance  of 
this  state  of  comparatively  imperfect  organization  as  a  govern- 
ment. For,  on  the  arrival  of  Hamilton  in  England  and  the  death 
of  Governor  Barclay,  October  3d,  1690,  the  proprietors  appointed 
John  Tatham  to  be  their  governor,  and  subsequently,  in  1691, 
Col.  Joseph  Dudley,  but  both  nominees  the  people  scrupled  to 
obey,  on  what  ground  is  not  stated  (W.  A.  Whitehead,  Coll.  N.J. 
Hist.  Soe.,  i.,  2d  rev.  ed.,  p.  185). 

To  Tatham  belongs  the  credit  of  initiating  the  pottery  indus- 
try, as  he  built  the  first  pottery  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  21 

The  inventory  of  his  effects  includes,  among  other  things: 
"Church  Plate/'  i  handle  cup,  i  small  plate,  1  box  £10.  12;  i 
small  case,  ;^i.  2.  6;  1  universal  dial;  i  round  armed  silver  cruci- 
fix; I  plate  of  St.  Dominique,  i  small  silver  box  with  reliques,  i 
wooden  cross  with  image  of  Christ,  ^i.  12.  In  his  library  were: 
"  Pontifical  Rome,"  Sir  Thomas  More's  works,  "  Liturgy  of  Ye 
Mass,"  "Faith  Vindicated,"  "Theologia  Naturalis,"  "No  Cross, 
No  Crown,"  "  Consideration  of  Ye  Council  of  Trent,"  "  Necessity 
of  the  Church  of  God,"  "  Bibli  Vulgati,"  "A  Survey  of  Ye  New 
Religion,"  "The  Following  of  Christ,"  "Theologia  Moralis," 
"Office  of  Ye  Blessed  Virgin"  in  French,  "A  Mass  of  Pious 
Thoughts,"  "Ambrosia  Officia,"  "Defence  of  Catholic  Faith." 
There  v^-ere  four  hundred  and  seventy-eight  volumes  by  actual 
count,  mostly  with  Latin  titles,  treating  of  church  discipline,  com- 
mentaries on  the  Scripture,  law,  logic,  theology,  controversy,  hi.s- 
tory,  medicine,  music,  astronomy,  and  kindred  subjects. 

The  spirit  of  intolerance  outlined  in  the  Instructions  of  Queen 
Anne  was  not  soon  alla)'ed;  and  the  so-called  Negro  Plot  of  1741 
gave  the  fanatics  an  opportunity  to  show  their  spleen  against  the 
Catholic  Church,  and  to  accentuate  how  criminally  unjust  even 
educated  men  may  be  when  they  permit  themselves  to  be  swayed 
by  passion  and  bigotry.  All  this  is  evident  in  the  trial  and  con- 
viction of  John  Ury,  about  whose  priestly  character  there  has 
been  much  contention.  Despite  the  opinion  of  Bishop  Bayley  to 
the  contrary,  it  seems  to  be  about  certain  that  he  was  a  Catholic 
priest. 

John  Ury,  a  priest,  began  teaching  school  in  Burlington,  N.  J., 
June  1 8th,  1739,  and  remained  there  twelve  months.  After  a 
while  he  went  to  New  York,  engaged  again  in  teaching,  and 
received  his  board  gratis  (Horsemanden's  Account  of  N^cgTo  Plot, 
1744).  During  his  stay  it  appears  that  he  celebrated  Mass  pri- 
vately in  his  room,  first  locking  the  door  to  ensure  privacy.  There 
is  also  evidence  that  he  administered  infant  baptism.  In  April, 
1741,  he  was  engaged  to  teach  school  by  John  Campbell,  and 
resided  with  him.  In  Campbell's  house  he  had  a  private  room, 
in  which  Father  Ury  had  erected  a  temporary  altar,  and  in  it  he 
gathered  a  number  of  persons,  to  whom  he  preached,  and  for 
whom,  no  doubt,  he  offered  the  holy  Sacrifice;  but  he  was  ever 
careful  not  to  expose  himself  to  the  severe  legal  penalties  by 
appearing  in  the  garb  of  a  priest  or  noisily  exercising  his  priestly 
office.     He  lived  in  so  much  obscurity,  his  conduct  was  so  blame- 


22  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

less,  and  his  deportment  so  humble,  that  he  escaped  censure, 
although  he  was  known  to  not  a  few  as  a  Catholic  priest.  The 
so-called  Negro  Plot,  in  1741,  enkindled  the  passions  of  the  mul- 
titude and  gave  rise  "to  confusion  and  alarm,  to  folly,  frenzy, 
and  injustice,  which  scarcely  has  a  parallel  in  this  or  any  other 
country  "  (^American  Colonial  Trials,  Peleg  W.  Chandler,  Boston, 
1844).  The  result  of  this  delusion  was  the  hanging  of  four  whites, 
the  burning  of  eleven  and  the  hanging  of  eighteen  negroes,  and 
the  transportation  to  the  West  Indies  to  be  sold  as  slaves  of  fifty. 

The  examinations  and  trial  had  gone  on  for  three  months 
without  any  attempt  to  connect  Father  Ury  with  the  plot.  On 
the  flimsiest  kind  of  testimony,  all  the  accused,  together  with 
John  Ury,  whose  principal  offence  was  his  "  being  a  priest,  made 
by  the  authority  of  the  pretended  See  of  Rome  " — "the  heinous- 
ness  of  this  prisoner's  offences,  and  of  tJie  Popish  religion  in  gen- 
eral''— were  condemned,  and  Ury  was  hanged. 

Campbell,  who  wrote  the  Life  and  Times  of  Archbisliop  Car- 
roll, is  of  the  opinion  that  Ury  was  a  Catholic  priest,  but  Bishop 
Bayley  differs  from  him  and  thinks  that  he  was  a  non-juror  {Hist. 
C.  C.  on  Island  of  N.  Y.,  p.  46). 

In  the  centennial  sermon  preached  by  Father  Clarke  at  St. 
Joseph's  Church,  Philadelphia,  the  preacher  stated  Mass  had  been 
celebrated  in  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love  as  early  as  1686,  but 
there  is  no  evidence  that  any  chapel  was  built  there  prior  to  1733, 
when  its  Catholic  population  amounted  to  forty  persons.  The 
summer  of  1732  was  very  hot,  and  the  winter  of  1732-33  very 
severe.  In  the  spring  of  1733  Father  Greaton,  who  had  been 
visiting  the  Catholics  of  Philadelphia  as  early  as  1720,  was  sent  to 
build  a  chapel  and  take  up  his  permanent  residence  within  its 
limits.  Although  the  land  was  bought  from  John  Dixon  and  his 
wife  Mary,  there  is  no  other  name  than  that  of  "  Mary  "  on  the 
legal  transfer  from  the  original  patent  in  1701-02;  and  thus  it 
happened  that  the  first  Catholic  church  in  Philadelphia  was  erected 
on  Mary's  land,  and  placed  under  the  patronage  of  St.  Joseph. 

A  certain  Jacob  Duche  gives  the  following  pen  description  of 
the  chapel :  Mr.  Harding  was  so  obliging  as  to  invite  my  friend, 
the  merchant,  and  myself  to  spend  an  hour  with  him  in  his  little 
Carthnsian  cell,  as  he  called  it.  This  small  apartment  adjoins 
an  old  Gothic  chapel,  and  together  with  another  opposite  to  it 
(which  is  occupied  by  an  assistant  German  priest,  viz..  Father 
Farmer)  forms  a  kind  of  porch,  through  which  you  enter  the 
chapel  (January  14th,  1772). 


IN    NEW   JKRSKY 


n 


Father  Greaton's  congregation  was  made  up  of  twenty-two 
Irish  and  the  rest  Germans.  This  good  priest  labored  among  his 
httle  flock,  with  occasional  assistance  from  Maryland,  until  1741, 
when  the  Rev.  Henry  Neale  arrived  from  Maryland  in  the  month 
of  March,  having  been  prevented  from  coming  earlier  by  the  deep 
snows  of  the  winter.  He  fonnd  the  good  repute  of  the  Catholics 
somewhat  exaggerated,  yet  "  the  congregation  a  growing  one  " ; 
but  that  one  priest  was  as  yet  suflficient,  an  assistant  being  needed 


OLD   ST.  JOSEPH  S    CHURCH,  PHILADELPHIA. 

"  Whence  radiated  the  living  streams  of  grace  "  (page  23). 

for  the  country  Catholics,  some  of  whom  lived  sixty  miles  away. 
They  "were  very  poor  and  most  of  them  are  servants  or  poor 
tradesmen." 

St.  Joseph's  was  the  first  parish  house  of  Catholicity  in  Penn- 
sylvania, New  Jersey,  and  New  York  for  at  least  fourscore  years. 
This  was  the  centre  whence  radiated  the  living  streams  of  grace 
to  wherever  a  faithful  child  of  the  Church  was  found,  and  by  its 
faithful,  saintly  priests  was  fostered  and  nourished  the  little  mus- 
tard seed  now  grown  into  so  noble  and  stately  a  tree.  The  old 
church  is  a  shrine  worthy  of  our  veneration,  for  underneath  its 
altars  are  buried   the  carthlv   remains  of  those   "  who  sowed  in 


24  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

tears,  that  we  might  reap  with  joy."  Father  Greaton  remained 
at  his  lonely  post  until  1750.  His  successor,  the  Rev.  Robert 
Harding,  came  to  this  country  from  England  in  1732.  When  he 
arrived  in  Philadelphia,  August,  1749,  it  was  a  city  of  two  thou- 
sand homes. 

*  Father  Harding  "  is  the  first  priest  to  have  visited  New  Jersey, 
whose  labors  could  not  have  been  prior  to  1762"  (De  Courcey- 
Shea).  This  is  hardly  accurate,  for  we  have  seen  that  other 
priests  had  visited  and  exercised  their  sacred  ministry  in  Eliza- 
bethtown  and  Woodbridge  at  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury, and  very  likely  at  a  much  later  period.  Father  Harding  died 
September  2d,  1772,  in  the  seventieth  year  of  his  age,  and  is 
buried  under  the  altar  of  St.  Mary's. 

The  priest  of  that  venerable  sanctuary  most  closely  identified 
with  Catholicity  in  New  Jersey  was  the  Rev.  Ferdinand  Farmer, 
whose  family  name  was  Steinmeyer.  This  truly  apostolic  man 
and  devoted  and  indefatigable  missionary  was  born  at  Swabia, 
Germany,  October  13th,  1720.  He  entered  the  Company  of 
Jesus  at  Landerperge,  September  26th,  1743,  and  was  selected  for 
the  China  Mission;  but  the  "finger  of  God"  intervened  and  the 
young  priest  was  sent  to  this  country.  No  picture  of  him  is  ex- 
tant ;  but  we  are  told  that  he  was  "  of  slender  form,  having  a 
countenance  mild,  gentle,  and  bearing  an  expression  almost 
seraphic." 

It  appears  that  he  arrived  in  Philadelphia  in  1758,  and  from 
that  time  until  he  was  called  to  his  reward,  August  17th,  1786,  he 
was  untiring  in  his  labors  for  the  salvation  of  souls. 

Every  spring  and  every  autumn  saw  him  starting  off  on  his 
journey  along  the  Delaware  River,  across  country  to  Long  Pond 
(now  Greenwood  Lake),  Mount  Hope,  Macopin,  New  York  City, 
Basking  Ridge,  Trenton,  and  Salem. 

While  good  Father  Farmer  was  one  of  the  first  apostles  who 
spent  himself  in  carrying  the  comforts  of  religion  to  the  little  com- 
munities scattered  over  New  Jersey,  he  was  by  no  means  the  first 
missionary  priest,  nor,  after  his  death,  were  the  Catholics  totally 
abandoned.  The  names  of  these  zealous,  godly  men  are  blotted 
out  with  their  heroic  deeds,  but  they  are  graven  in  the  Book  of 
Life.  It  is  nigh  impossible  for  us  to  realize  the  perils,  discom- 
forts, and  risks  they  encountered  in  their  journeyings. 

The  roads,  at  best,  were  only  paths  and  Indian  trails,  of  which 
one  led  from  Philadelphia  to  Delaware  Falls,  now  Trenton,  north- 
easterly to  Indian's  Ferry,  now  New  Brunswick,  thence  to  Eliza- 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


25 


FATHER  FARMER. 

One  of  "  these  men  of  God,  sometimes  on  horseback,  .  .  .  trudging  through  the  forests 
.   .  .  welcomed  as  an  angel  sent  from  God  "  (page  26). 


26  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

bethtovvn,  where  wayfarers  were  carried  by  boat  to  New  York, 
From  a  point  near  Rahway  another  trail,  starting  from  Navesink, 
on  the  Shrewsbury  River,  led  to  Minisink  Island,  in  the  extreme 
north,  in  the  Delaware  River.  In  West  Jersey  a  road  extended 
from  Trenton  to  Crosswicks,  thence  to  Burlington,  to  Trenton,  to 
Salem,  and  later  to  Cohanzy  Bridge,  now  Bridgeton.  But  be- 
tween New  Brunswick  and  Trenton  lay  a  narrow  waste  of  thirty 
miles  of  country,  which,  owing  to  the  unpleasant  relations  between 
the  two  sections,  remained  for  a  long  time  a  barrier  which  barred 
communication.  Through  this  wilderness  was  an  Indian  trail, 
along  or  near  which  the  Legislature  of  1795  ordered  a  road  to  be 
constructed.  Picture,  then,  these  men  of  God,  sometimes  on 
horseback,  sometimes  afoot,  with  their  sack  strapped  across  their 
back,  containing  the  altar-stone,  vestments,  chalice,  and  wine  for 
the  Sacrifice,  trudging  through  the  forests,  over  mountains,  cross- 
ing streams  and  rivers  in  the  rude  "dugouts,"  picking  their  way 
through  the  swamps,  at  times  wet  to  the  skin  by  the  tempests 
which  overtook  them,  again  almost  prostrated  by  the  intolerable 
heats,  resting  under  the  shelter  of  the  trees  or  in  some  rude  cabin, 
perhaps  of  one  hostile  to  their  faith,  or  in  the  humble  home  of  an 
exiled  child  of  the  Church,  who  welcomed  them  as  an  angel  sent 
from  God.  "  I  remember,"  said  Bishop  McOuaid,  "  one  of  my 
visits  to  Franklin  Furnace.  While  driving  along  the  wretched 
road  I  remarked  a  dilapidated  stone  house,  and,  hearing  the  noise 
of  my  buggy,  a  woman  came  to  the  door.  I  greeted  her,  as  I 
always  did  those  I  met,  and  I  suspected  from  her  accent  that  she 
was  Irish.  I  soon  learned  that  she  was  both  Irish  and  a  Catholic 
and  that  she  kept  boarders.  There  were  three  rooms  in  the 
house — a  kitchen,  and  two  others  which  served  as  bedrooms.  After 
I  saw  that  my  horse  was  cared  for,  I  asked  if  she  could  accommo- 
date me  for  the  night.  She  showed  me  a  room  in  which  were  two 
beds,  and  pointing  to  one  she  informed  me  that  I  could  sleep  in  it, 
and  her  sister  and  herself  would  sleep  in  the  other.  For  supper 
we  had  some  soggy  bread .  Afterward  I  heard  confessions,  and 
then  went  to  the  bed  assigned  to  me ;  but  the  odors  were  too 
much  for  me,  and  I  returned  to  the  kitchen,  saying  that  I  would 
read  my  office.  I  was  a  long  time  at  that  office,  and  meanwhile 
the  tallow-dip  was  growing  smaller.  A  thought  flashed  across 
my  mind.  I  went  out  to  my  buggy,  and,  wrapping  myself  in  the 
horse-blankets,  passed  the  night  tolerably  well.  Morning  came, 
bright  and  early,  I  heard  more  confessions,  began  Mass,  preached 
a  sermon,  as  I  always  did,  rubbing  it  into  them  that  though   iso- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  27 

lated  from  their  priests  they  must  remain  staunch  to  the  Church 
and  Hve  up  to  its  laws,  gave  holy  Communion,  and  then  sat  down 
to  breakfast.  But  again  that  soggy  bread,  together  with  a  very 
much  salted  mackerel,  swimming  in  grease.  It  was  too  much  for 
my  stomach,  so  bidding  them  Godspeed  I  started  again  on  my 
journey,  and  did  not  break  my  fast  till  evening." 

But  this  is  modern  history,  and  the  discomforts  of  the  priests 
of  that  day,  grave  enough  indeed,  were  as  nothing  compared  with 
their  earlier  brethren  in  the  missionary  field. 

Some  time  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  three 
brothers,  Sebastian,  Ignatius,  and  Xavier  Waas,  fled  from  their 
native  country,  Germany,  to  avoid  the  military  conscription  so 
tyrannically  exercised  at  that  time,  and,  landing  at  Philadelphia, 
crossed  over  into  West  Jersey,  and,  taking  up  an  Indian  trail, 
through  moor  and  morass,  across  streams,  and  through  the  for- 
ests, made  their  way  to  the  north  side  of  a  beautiful  stream  of 
water,  known  now  as  Clark's  or  O'Neill's  branch,  in  Waterford 
Township,  Gloucester  County,  and  there  built  a  square  and  com- 
fortable cabin  of  cedar  logs.  This  rude  dwelling  they  called 
Shane's  Castle,  but  the  Celtic  aroma  that  lingers  about  the  name 
of  the  adjacent  stream  would  lead  one  to  believe  that  some  lone 
wanderer  from  Erin  had  preceded  them,  and  seeing,  perhaps, 
some  resemblance  to  another  dear  spot  far  over  the  great  ocean, 
gave  it  a  name  which  even  the  Indians  respected,  and  which  clung 
to  it  after  he,  like  so  many  others  of  his  countrymen,  had  passed 
into  oblivion.  However,  by  that  name  was  it  known  and  enshrined 
by  tradition. 

The  memory  of  one  of  the  brothers,  Sebastian,  is  hallowed 
with  a  pretty  romance.  Before  his  flight  from  fatherland  he  had 
plighted  his  troth  to  a  plucky  Gretchen  who  vowed  to  follow  after 
him  whithersoever  he  went.  She  escaped  the  vigilance  of  her 
parents,  and  before  they  could  overtake  her  she  was  safe  aboard 
a  sailing-vessel,  bound  for  Philadelphia. 

Sebastian's  vigil  was  a  long  one,  but  his  faith  in  his  spouse 
was  unshaken,  and,  at  last,  after  a  long  voyage,  the  ship  landed 
her  human  freight  safe  on  the  Delaware's  shores.  But,  alas ! 
Sebastian  was  unable  to  bring  her  to  his  home  and  brethren,  for, 
having  no  money  wherewith  to  pay  her  passage,  she  was  to  be 
sold  as  a  "  redemptioner."  This  did  not  disconcert  Sebastian,  for 
with  his  trusty  gun  he  soon  secured  pelts  sufficent  to  defray  all 
expenses,  and  with  his  loved  one,  now  doubly  cherished  because 
of  his  efforts  to  save  her  from  temporary  serfdom,  went  to  a  priest 


28  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

in  Philadelphia,  who  blessed  their  union.  The  brothers  welcomed 
their  new  sister,  and  another  charm  was  added  to  their  sylvestral 
home.  Furthermore,  they  were  to  erect  a  shrine  where  the  mys- 
teries of  their  religion  were  to  be  celebrated,  and  thither  came, 
not  once  but  often,  good  Father  Farmer,  who  kept  alive  in  their 
and  their  neighbors'  hearts  the  fire  of  faith.  There  is  scarcely 
any  doubt  that  holy  Mass  was  offered  for  the  first  time  in 
Shane's  Castle,  the  home  of  the  Waas.  Here  the  little  seed 
was  cast  that  was  destined  to  grow  into  a  mighty  tree.  His 
records  show  that  Father  Farmer  christened  five  children  of  this 
union.  Two  daughters  survived,  married,  and  inherited  the 
estate ;  but  the  memory  of  the  old  castle  has  almost  entirely  faded 
away. 

It  seems  that  time  did  not  soften  the  asperity  or  hostility  either 
of  the  ruling  powers  abroad  or  of  their  subjects  in  these  colonies 
toward  our  religion.  George  II  in  1753  proclaimed  an  ordinance 
which  was  not  only  not  less  bitter,  but  more  provocative  than  the 
instructions  of  William  and  Mary. 

"To  the  Governor,  Council,  and  General  Assembly  of  our 
Province  of  New  Jersey,  13th  day  of  October,  1753. 

"  Oath  prescribed  for  all  civil  and  military  officers. 

"  I,  A.  B.,  do  swear.  That  I  from  my  heart  abhor,  detest,  and 
abjure,  as  impious  and  heretical,  that  Damnable  Doctrine  and 
Position,  that  Princes,  excommunicated  or  deprived  by  the  Pope 
or  any  authority  of  the  See  of  Rome,  may  be  deprived  or  murdered 
by  their  subjects  or  any  other  whatsoever. 

"  I,  A.  B.,  do  solemnly  swear  and  sincerely  in  the  presence  of 
God,  Profess,  Testify,  and  Declare,  That  I  do  solemnly  believe 
that  in  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  there  is  not  any  Tran- 
substantiation  of  the  Elements  of  Bread  and  Wine  into  the  Body 
and  Blood  of  Christ,  at  or  after  the  Consecration  thereof  by  any 
person  whatsoever.  And  that  the  Invocation  or  Adoration  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  or  any  other  Saint,  and  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  as 
they  are  now  used  in  the  Church  of  Rome,  are  Superstitious  and 
Idolatrous,  etc.,  etc." 

With  this  as  a  cue,  we  need  marvel  not  that  in  his  Instructions, 
in  1758,  Gov.  Francis  Bernard  orders,  "You  are  to  permit  a 
Libert}'  of  Conscience  to  all  persons  (except  Papists)."  Lest  he 
should  forget  it,  Father  Farmer  had  this  slip  pasted  on  the  fly- 
sheet  of  his  register.  The  forbears  of  our  present  non-Catholic 
brethren  had  thus  the  spirit  of  intolerance  and  hostility  to  Cath- 
olics so  rubbed  into  them  that  an  occasional  ebullition  of  this 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  29 

same  spirit  in  our  day  may  be  pardoned.     Of  all  human  weak- 
nesses, fanaticism  dies  the  hardest. 

And  withal  these  protagonists  of  pure  religion  were  exceedingly 
superstitious.  Ghosts,  witches,  phantoms,  and  papists  haunted 
their  imaginations  and  confused  their  thoughts.  The  witch  scare 
which  disturbed  the  Puritans  of  Charlestown  and  Salem  in  the 
seventeenth  century  seems  to  have  disturbed  the  ecjuanimity  of 
the  Quakers  living  in  Burlington.  A  noble  buttonwood  tree 
standing  on  beautiful  Green  Bank,  the  former  residence  of  William 
Franklin  when  governor  of  New  Jersey,  was  known  as  "The 
Witches'  Tree,"  and  around  it  was  woven  a  legend  of  spectral 
dames  astride  of  broomsticks,  soaring  to  the  stars  with  the  speed 
of  forked  lightning.  This  is  one  of  the  verses  of  the  song  they 
were  heard  to  sing : 

First  Witch. 
I  saw  Dame  Brady  sitting  alone, 
And  I  dried  up  the  marrow  within  her  hip  bone. 
When  she  arose  she  could  scarcely  limp. 
Why  did  I  do  it?     She  called  me  foul  imp  ! 

About  this  same  time,  1765,  a  tragic  event  occurred  in  Bur- 
lington by  which  two  of  our  co-religionists  paid  the  penalty  of  a 
crime  which  to-day  would  have  been  punished  with  a  term  of  im- 
prisonment. On  Wednesday,  August  28th,  1765,  at  Gallows  Hill, 
Burlington,  John  Grimes  and  John  Fagan,  Catholics,  were  exe- 
cuted for  burglary  and  felony,  committed  at  the  home  of  Joseph 
Burr.     Grimes  was  twenty-two  years  old,  Fagan  twenty-eight. 

The  chronicles  of  Burlington  contain  a  sketch  of  a  singular 
and  mysterious  character.  "  Four  miles  from  hence,  a  recluse 
person,  who  came  a  stranger,  has  existed  alone,  near  twelve  years, 
in  a  thick  wood,  through  all  the  extremities  of  the  seasons,  under 
cover  of  a  few  leaves,  supported  by  the  side  of  an  old  log,  and  put 
together  in  the  form  of  a  small  oven,  not  high  or  long  enough  to 
stand  upright  or  lie  extended ;  he  talks  Dutch,  but  unintelligibly, 
either  through  design  or  from  defect  in  his  intellects,  'tis  hard  to 
tell  which ;  whence  he  came  or  what  he  is  nobody  about  him  can 
find  out ;  he  has  no  contrivance  to  keep  fire,  nor  uses  any ;  in 
very  cold  weather  he  lies  naked,  stops  the  hole  he  creeps  in  and 
out  with  leaves ;  he  mostly  keeps  in  his  hut,  but  sometimes  walks 
before  it,  lies  on  the  ground,  and  cannot  be  persuaded  to  work 
much,  nor  obliged  without  violence  to  forsake  this  habit,  which 
he  appears  to  delight  in,  and  to  enjoy  full  health;  he  seems  to  be 


30  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

upward  of  forty  years  of  age ;  as  to  person  rather  under  the  mid- 
dle size;  calls  himself  Francis"  (Smith,  N.  J.,  495). 

Another  account  is : 

"  With  several  friends  in  a  couple  of  light  wagons  went  to  see 
the  hermit  in  a  wood  this  side  of  Mount  Holly. 

"  He  is  a  person  thought  to  have  travelled  along  from  Canada 
or  Mississippi  about  ten  years  ago.  He  talks  no  English,  and  will 
give  no  account  of  himself"  (Diary  of  Hannah  Callender,  1762, 
6th  mo.,  5th  day,  Pa.  Mag.,  January,  1769,  p.  456). 

Burlington,  January  28th,  1778. 

On  the  19th  inst.  died  Francis  Furgler,  the  hermit,  in  the 
sixty-sixth  year  of  his  age,  who  existed  alone  twenty-five  years,  in 
a  thick  wood  four  miles  from  Burlington,  through  all  the  inclem- 
encies of  the  season,  without  fire,  in  a  cell,  made  by  the  side  of  an 
old  log,  in  the  form  of  a  small  oven,  not  high  or  long  enough  to 
stand  upright  or  lie  extended.  It  was  supposed  he  intended  this 
mode  as  a  penance  for  some  evil  done  in  his  own  country.  He 
was  a  German — a  Catholic,  and  was  buried  in  the  Friends' 
Ground  at  Mount  Holly  (Watson's  Annals,  ii.,  292). 

Francis  Furgler,  age  sixty-six,  a  hermit  who  had  existed 
twenty-five  years  alone, died  January  19th,  1778.  "He was  found 
dead  in  his  cell  with  a  crucifix  and  a  brass  fish  by  his  side " 
(Moore's  ''  Diary  of  Rev.;'  ii.,  8). 

"  The  earliest  account  that  we  have  of  Catholics  in  New  Jer- 
sey is  in  1744,  when  we  read  that  Father  Theodore  Schneider,  a 
distinguished  German  Jesuit  who  had  professed  philosophy  and 
theology  in  Europe,  and  been  rector  of  a  university,  coming  to 
the  American  provinces,  visited  New  Jersey  and  held  church  at 
Iron  Furnaces  there.  This  good  missionary  was  a  native  of 
Bavaria.  He  founded  the  mission  at  Goshenhoppen,  now  in  Berks 
County,  Pa.,  about  forty -five  miles  from  Philadelphia,  and  minis- 
tered to  German  Catholics,  their  descendants  and  others.  Hav- 
ing some  skill  in  medicine,  he  used  to  cure  the  body  as  well  as  the 
soul;  and  travelling  about  on  foot  or  on  horseback  under  the 
name  of  Doctor  Schneider  (leaving  to  the  Smclfnnguscs  to  dis- 
cover whether  he  were  of  medicine  or  of  di\inity),  he  had  access 
to  places  where  he  would  not  otherwise  have  gone  without  per- 
sonal danger;  but  sometimes  his  real  character  was  found  out,  and 
he  was  several  times  raced  and  shot  at  in  New  Jersey.  He  used 
to  carry  about  with  him  on  his  missionary  excursions  into  this 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  31 

pro\'ince  a  manuscript  copy  of  the  'Roman  Missal,'  carefully- 
written  out  in  his  own  handwriting  and  bound  by  himself.  His 
poverty  or  the  difficulty  of  procuring  printed  Catholic  liturgical 
books  from  Europe,  or,  we  are  inclined  to  think,  the  danger  of 
discovery  should  such  an  one  with  its  unmistakable  marks  of 
'Popery '  about  it  (which  he  probably  dispensed  with  in  his  manu- 
script) fall  into  the  hands  of  heretics,  must  have  led  him  to  this 
labor  of  patience  and  zeal.  Father  Schneider,  who  may  be  reck- 
oned the  first  missionary  in  New  Jersey,  died  on  the  eleventh  of 
July,  1764.  Another  Jesuit  used  to  visit  the  province  occasionally 
after  1762,  owing  to  the  growing  infirmities  of  Father  Schneider, 
and  there  still  exist  records  of  baptisms  performed  by  him  here  " 
{The  Catholic  World \\\  1875). 

In  his  Life  and  Times  of  Archbishop  Carroll,  Campbell 
writes  of  one  of  the  oldest,  if  not  the  oldest,  Catholic  settlement 
in  New  Jersey : 

"It  is  known  that  Rev.  Mr.  Harding,  who  was  a  priest  in 
Philadelphia  in  1762,  occasionally  visited  New  Jersey,  and  Rev.  ¥ . 
Farmer  for  many  years  performed  missionary  duty  in  that  State  at 
several  places.  In  his  baptismal  register  the  following  among 
other  places  are  named:  Geiger's,  1759;  Charlottenburgh,  1769; 
in  the  year  1776  Morris  County,  Long  Pond,  and  Mount  Hope; 
and  in  1785  Sussex  County,  Ringwood,  and  Hunterdon. 

"  In  his  semi-annual  visits  to  New  York,  which  were  continued 
to  the  year  of  his  death  in  1786,  Father  Farmer  visited  an  inter- 
esting Catholic  settlement  known  then  and  later  as  Macopin  (now 
Echo  Lake).  Macopin  was  settled  by  a  colony  of  Germans  from 
the  Rhine,  near  Cologne,  who  came  to  New  Jersey  to  engage  in 
the  iron  industr}-,  which  opened  up  about  the  middle  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century." 

The  following  notice  appeared  in  the  Freeman's  Journal,  New 
York : 

"  One  of  the  oldest  and  most  interesting  Catholic  congrega- 
tions in  the  whole  country  is  to  be  found  in  Macopin,  this  wild 
little  place,  fifteen  miles  distant  from  Paterson.  The  first  settle- 
ment was  made  here  by  two  German  families  some  time  before 
the  American  Revolution.  They  were  a  long  time  without  seeing 
a  priest,  till  at  length  a  Mr.  Langrey,  from  Ireland,  paid  them  a 
visit.  After  this  the  Rev.  Father  Farmer  from  Philadelphia 
visited  Mount  Hope,  in  the  vicinity  of  Macopin,  twice  a  year 
He  continued  doing  so  for  ten  years,  during  which  time  the  Revo- 
lution took  place.     These  semi-annual  visits  were  afterward  con- 


32  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

tinned  by  Mr.  Malnix,  Mr.  Katen,  and  Mr.  Kresgel.  The  last- 
named  priest  was  a  German,  and  visited  them  first  in  1775." 

Some  years  ago  the  duties  of  his  sacred  ministry  brought  the 
writer  to  Mrs.  Littell,  then  ahiiost  a  nonogenarian,  but  intellectu- 
ally bright  and  radiantly  reminiscent.  As  she  talked  of  the  old 
times  her  eye  would  kindle  and  the  color  come  to  her  wrinkled 
cheeks,  and  a  cheery  laugh  would  accentuate  the  humorous  inci- 
dents which  now  and  then  would  sparkle  through  her  narrative. 
On  my  return  to  the  rectory  I  jotted  down,  as  far  as  I  could 
remember,  the  salient  points  of  her  story,  clothing  it  as  far  as 
possible  in  her  own  language,  and  gave  it  to  the  first  number  of 
the  Sacred  Heart  Union  for  publication  under  the  title  "  Grand- 
mother's Reminiscences."  Care  was  taken  that  she  received  a 
copy,  and  as  she  read  it  for  the  family — that  was  her  self-imposed 
task  and  office — she  cried  out  to  her  daughter :  "  Why,  Mary,  this 
is  what  I  was  telling  Father  Flynn  the  other  day ! " 

As  it  gives  a  vivid  portrayal  of  that  ancient  stronghold  of 
Catholic  faith — stronghold  is  used  advisedly,  for  such  it  has  proven 
to  be,  since  the  generations  of  that  sturdy  stock  are  all  stanch 
Catholics  today — it  is  here  reproduced: 

"  I  came  from  a  little  town  in  the  County  Cavan,  adjoining 
Fermanagh  and  Monaghan,  to  this  country  in  181 6.  I  will  pass 
over  the  long  and  stormy  voyage  across  the  Atlantic,  and  begin 
my  story  with  my  arrival  in  New  York.  In  those  days  two  sail- 
boats served  as  a  ferry  to  convey  passengers.  One  w^ent  to  Paulus 
Hook,  now  Jersey  City,  and  the  other  to  the  Elysian  Fields,  Ho- 
boken.  We  crossed  over  to  Paulus  Hook,  and  hiring  a  wagon  we 
started  out  on  our  journey  to  Caldwell.  There  was  only  one 
street  then  in  Jersey  City,  and  it  was  called  the  Rope  Walk. 
After  riding  all  day  long  we  arrived  in  the  evening  at  Caldwell. 
There  was  not  a  single  Catholic  in  the  neighborhood.  You  may 
imagine  how  strangely  we  felt,  and  you  will  not  be  surprised  that 
in  a  few  months  we  moved  to  Macopin,  where  we  heard  there 
was  quite  a  gathering  of  Catholics.  A  year  or  two  before  our 
arrival  Charley  O'Brien  diqd  in  Newfoundland,  some  miles  distant 
from  Macopin.  He  went  there  as  a  school-teacher,  saved  his 
money,  bought  his  land,  built  factories,  and  soon  was  the  wealth- 
iest man  in  that  section.  He  owned  as  far  as  he  could  see,  and 
was  the  first  to  build  bark  factories  and  an  iron  mill.  Charley 
took  sick  and  sent  to  New  York  for  a  priest.  The  priest  came 
all  the  way  on  horseback,  and  the  close-fisted  man  gave  him  five 
dollars  for  his  trouble.     He  left  him,  however,  fifty  dollars  in  his 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  23 

will,  but  his  heirs  never  executed  the  wish  of  their  father,  and 
the  priest  never  received  his  legacy.  But  his  possessions  melted 
away,  and  eventually  his  own  son  died  in  the  poor-house. 

"John  Gormley  arrived  there  four  or  five  years  before  we  did, 
but  his  children  intermarried  with  Protestants,  and  one  of  his 
grandsons  is  now  a  Methodist  minister.  Oh,  yes,  there  were  the 
McGees  of  Wynockie ;  but  they  clung  to  the  faith,  and  although 
their  descendants  have  experienced  many  ups  and  downs  in  life, 
they  are  all  stanch  Catholics.  Then  there  were  the  Littells,  a 
family  who  came  from  Ireland.  Mr.  Littell  was  a  cooper  and  the 
most  influential  man  in  the  settlement.  To  him  was  deputed  the 
duty  of  examining  the  credentials  of  the  visiting  priests  so  as  to 
secure  the  faithful  few  from  impostors,  and  to  his  house  they 
always  came  and  partook  of  the  old-fashioned  hospitality.  Not 
only  priests,  but  every  poor  exile  from  Erin  was  directed  thither, 
and  scarcely  a  day  passed  that  some  stranger  did  not  accept  of  a 
generous  meal  and  comfortable  bed,  under  the  roof-tree  of  the 
Littells.  I  remember  one  night,  coming  in  from  his  shop,  Mr. 
Littell  met  a  poor  fellow  warming  himself  at  the  log  fire.  He 
began:  'Well,  my  man,  where  do  you  come  from.?'  'From 
County  Cavan,  sir.'  'Ah,  and  perhaps  you  know  William  Lit- 
tell?'  meaning  his  cousin.  'Troth,  I  do.  Bad  luck  to  him!  for 
if  it  wasn't  for  him  I  wouldn't  be  here.' 

"The  topic  was  immediately  changed. 

"  Thirty  years  before  we  came,  a  Father  Farmer,  from  Phila- 
delphia, had  visited  Macopin,  and  not  a  priest  had  the  Catholics 
seen  since.  I  remember  one  day  seeing  a  man  coming  up  the 
road  in  short  coat  and  knee-breeches ;  as  soon  as  he  spoke  I  knew 
he  was  an  Irishman,  and  thought  he  was  a  school-teacher.  He 
inquired  for  the  Littells.  He  turned  out  to  be  a  Father  Langan, 
and  he  said  Mass  in  our  house  two  or  three  times.  This  was 
about  1 819.  I  must  not  forget  to  mention  the  Seehulsters,  the 
Merrions,  and  the  Strubles.  Old  Mrs.  Seehulster  was  a  remark- 
able woman — a  regular  missionary ;  every  Sunday  she  would  gather 
the  Catholics  in  Dominick  Merrion's  house,  say  the  rosary,  dis- 
tribute holy  water,  and  teach  the  children  catechism.  God  re- 
warded her,  for,  obeying  a  secret  impulse,  Father  O'Reilly,  then 
pastor  of  St.  John's,  Paterson,  came  out  to  Macopin,  saw  that 
this  valiant  woman  was  very  ill,  gave  her  the  last  rites  of  the 
Church,  and  an  hour  after  she  was  a  corpse.  Then  there  was  old 
Anthony  Merrion,  who  died  about  1822,  having  reached  the  good 
old  age  of  one  hundred  and  five.  I  remember  well  when  Mass 
3 


34  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

was  said  lor  the  first  time  in  Macopin.  Many  of  the  young 
Catholics  who  had  never  seen  Mass  celebrated,  and  Protestants 
who  viewed  the  whole  thing  as  witchcraft,  crowded  and  hustled 
the  old  folks  who  were  kneeling  around  the  priest.  The  altar 
was  a  chest — we  had  no  bureaus  in  those  days.  After  Mass, 
when  we  were  going  home,  old  Anthony  straightened  his  tall 
form,  closing  his  fists  and  rapping  them  sharply  together.  'Oh,' 
said  he, '  I've  seen  the  day  I  could  rap  their  heads  together.'  John 
Reardon  was  another  of  the  old  settlers,  who  with  a  few  others 
and  their  families  numbered  about  one  hundred  Catholics  all  told. 

"Our  next  priest  was  Father  Bulger,  a  native  of  Ireland,  a 
tall,  handsome  man,  but  with  a  beardless  face.  He  was  ordained 
by  'little  Bishop  Connoll)','  as  he  was  called,  and  came  to  us  about 
1820.  Mr.  Littell  had  been  notified  to  e.xpect  a  priest,  and  vainly 
looked  among  the  passengers  of  the  mail-coach  for  his  Reverence. 
The  driver  told  him  that  a  passenger  had  booked  for  Macopin 
the  night  before,  but  had  failed  to  put  in  his  appearance. 

"  Later  that  afternoon  a  stranger  drove  up  to  the  shop  on 
horseback,  and  thus  addressed  Mr.  Littell:  'Did  you  expect  a 
visitor,  sir .? '  'I  did,  sir.'  'How  did  you  expect  him.?'  'By  the 
mail.'  'Might  I  ask  whom  you  expected.?'  'Well,'  said  Mr. 
Littell,  somewhat  nettled  by  this  cros.s-examination,  'I  expect  a 
Catholic  priest.'  'Well,  suppose  you  take  me  for  a  Catholic 
priest.'  Surveying  the  beardless  youth  from  top  to  bottom,  Mr. 
Littell  tartly  replied :  '  Go  back  to  your  wooden  college,  sir,  before 
you  come  to  jialm  yourself  off  on  me  as  a  Catholic  priest.'  'Per- 
haps,' thought  Mr.  Littell,  'I  may  after  all  be  mistaken;  he  may 
be  a  priest ' ;  and  giving  him  another  searching  look,  he  inquired : 
'Am  I  talking  to  P"ather  Bulger.?'  'You  are,' said  the  young 
P'ather,  smilingly;  and  his  laughter  drowned  the  apologies  and 
put  to  flight  the  discomfiture  of  good  Mr.  Littell.  Father  Bulger 
was  a  regular  apostle ;  he  travelled  through  Hudson,  Passaic,  and 
Sussex  Counties.  I  remember  he  was  once  invited  to  preach  in 
Newton,  and  the  Presbyterian  Church  was  offered  to  him.  But 
when  the  day  came  for  the  lecture  the  'blue-lights'  feared  to 
admit  the  papist  into  their  sanctuary.  So  to  the  dismay  of  the 
most  prominent  member  of  the  congregation — an  Irishman — they 
gave  a  point-blank  refusal  to  allow  him  to  preach  in  their  church. 
Chagrined  but  undaunted,  the  Irishman  went  to  the  judge  who 
was  then  })residing  over  the  Sussex  Circuit,  related  to  him  all  the 
circumstances,  and  asked  him  to  adjourn  the  court  so  that  the 
priest  might  give   his   lecture,     The  court  was   adjourned;   the 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


35 


The  Catholics   gathered    at    Dominick    Alt-rriun-s    house,  .Macoiuu,   biiying    the 

rosary  (page  33). 


2,6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

judge  and  a  host  of  legal  fledglings,  who  have  since  risen  to  fame 
and  honor,  listened  to  the  young  priest's  masterly  handling  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  Real  Presence.  '  I  did  not  believe,'  said  an  ex- 
United  States  senator — Frelinghuysen — 'that  the  Catholics  had 
such  solid  proofs  for  their  doctrines.' 

"  Returning  on  foot  one  cold  wintry  day,  with  the  snow  inches 
deep  on  the  road,  from  Hohokus,  where  he  had  been  saying  Mass, 
a  farmer  and  his  wife  invited  him  into  their  sleigh.  Of  course, 
the  farmer's  curiosity  made  him  forget  the  world's  politeness  and 
institute  a  series  of  leading  questions.  Are  you  a  peddler  1  No. 
Perhaps  you  will  open  a  store  in  town }  No.  A  physician  ?  No. 
A  lawyer .?  No.  Then,  may  I  ask,  what  do  you  do  for  a  living } 
Thus  driven  to  the  wall  by  the  persistent  questioner.  Father 
Bulger  was  obliged  to  confess  that  he  was  a  Roman  Catholic  priest. 
The  good  wife  was  horror-stricken,  and  commanded  the  dutiful 
Benedict  to  stop  the  horse  and  put  the  papist  out ;  and  out  he  went, 
and  he  was  obliged  to  trudge  through  snow  and  cold  all  the  way 
to  Paterson.  Another  night  an  attempt  was  made  to  set  fire  to 
the  house  in  which  he  was  living  in  Paterson. 

"He  offered  Mass  for  the  first  time  in  1816,  in  Mr.  Gilles- 
pie's house,  the  grandfather  of  Sister  Genevieve,  now  a  Sister  of 
Charity  in  St.  Elizabeth's  Convent,  Madison.  There  were  present 
the  Grifiiths,  Karrs,  Burkes,  Plunketts,  Bradleys,  Wades,  Mahans, 
and  Levasquez.  Ground  was  afterward  bought  and  a  church  built 
in  1822.  He  did  not  live  many  years,  and  is  buried  in  St.  Pat- 
rick's church-yard,  New  York.  Fathers  Conroy,  O'Gorman,  and 
Shanahan  used  to  come  out  occasionally  to  say  Mass.  Then  came 
Father  Donohue,  who  determined  to  build  a  church.  There  was 
a  great  dispute  as  to  whether  it  should  be  of  logs  or  boards.  The 
'log'  partly  carried  the  day,  and  Father  Donohue  called  on  Mr. 
Littell  for  his  contribution.  'What  is  it  going  to  be,  Father.?' 
'Logs,'  said  he.  'Then  Fll  give  $10  to  pull  it  down  as  soon  as 
built.'  So  the  matter  was  reconsidered,  and  finally  'planks'  pre- 
vailed. In  1830  it  was  dedicated.  The  night  before,  a  furious 
rain  storm  set  in,  and  Father  Donohue  and  Father  Ffrench  were 
drenched  to  the  skin.  We  had  a  great  time  finding  dry  clothes 
for  the  poor  Fathers,  but  could  find  none  big  enough  for  Father 
Ffrench.  -I  can  see  tjiem  now  sitting  before  the  big  fire,  drying 
their  clothes  and  saying  their  office.  The  children  had  great  fun 
with  Father  Ffrench,  who  amused  them  with  his  ventriloquism. 
Father  Duffy  next  succeeded  Father  Donohue ;  and  he  used  to 
stop  in  Paterson  with  Dr.  Binsse,  who  was  a  celebrated  French 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


37 


"The  good  wife  was  horror-stricken,  and  commanded  the  dutiful  Benedict  to 
stoD  the  horse  and  put  the  papist  "  (Father  Bulger)  "  out  "  (page  36). 


38  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

doctor  and  lived  on  Main  Street,  opposite  Congress  Hall.  Then 
good  old  Father  Raffeiner  came  and  spent  one  winter  with  us. 
After  him  came  the  Redemptorist  Fathers  Mailer  and  Tabert. 
Father  O'Reilly  succeeded  Father  Duffy  in  Paterson. 

"Then  came  Father  Ouin,  and  the  troubles  which  Bishop 
Hughes  came  out  to  queh.  Then  Father  Senez,  Father  Beau- 
devin,  Father  Callan,  and  Father  McNulty.  Now  you  know  as 
much  about  the  present  as  I  do ;  but  when  I  look  back  to  the  day 
when  there  was  not  a  single  church  in  New  Jersey,  nor  a  single 
resident  priest,  I  feel  God  has  blessed  the  fidelity  of  the  old  folks; 
and  I  begin  to  feel  lonesome,  for  almost  all  have  gone  home." 

Grandmother  many  years  ago  joined  her  compeers  in  the 
blessed  reward  of  the  saints. 

Bishop  Bayley  has  this  to  say  of  Macopin : 

"  Three  German  families  settled  at  this  place  some  years  be- 
fore the  Revolution.  They  were  from  Baden  (Silva  Nigra)  ;  their 
names  were  Marion,  Schulster,  and  Stobel.  Stobel  was  a  Prot- 
estant, but  most  of  his  descendants  became  Catholics.  They 
form  still  a  little  Catholic  colony,  remarkable  for  their  fervent 
piety.  The  son  of  the  founder  of  the  colony,  Marion,  who  was 
but  four  years  old  when  he  came  to  this  country,  lived  to  be  up- 
ward of  a  hundred  years  old.  In  the  notice  of  the  blessing  of  the 
church  in  the  TrutJiteller  of  December,  1849,  he  was  spoken  of 
as  being  one  hundred  and  five  years  old,  and  in  good  health  " 
(Bayley,  121). 

The  Catholic  Press,  October  30th,  1830,  published  a  letter  con- 
taining additional  items  of  interest : 

•'  Seventeen  miles  west  of  Paterson,  at  Mocassin,  there  is  a 
highland  ridge  in  Bergen  County,  where  there  are  at  present  more 
than  one  hundred  Catholics,  descendants  of  one  common  stock, 
Mr.  Meriam,  who  is  yet  living.  He  came  from  Germany  to  this 
country  before  the  Revolution,  and  settled  with  his  little  family 
at  Queen  Charlotte's  in  the  northern  part  of  New  Jersey.  He 
has  lived  to  see  his  descendants  to  the  fifth  generation,  who  unite 
a  zeal  for  liberty  with  a  firm  attachment  to  the  holy  Catholic  faith 
of  their  ancestors.  They  were  for  many  years  attended  by  Cath- 
olic clergymen  from  Philadelphia,  among  whom  they  frequently 
mention  the  Rev.  Mr.  Farmer,  whose  memory  among  them  is 
recollected  with  benediction.  When  a  bishop  was  sent  from  the 
Holy  See  to  New  York,  the  Jerseys  were  divided  according  to 
the  old  division  line  (which  runs  from  Easton,  Pa.,  to  Little  Egg 
Harbor)  between  the  dioceses  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia;  so 


IN   NEW   JERSEY 


39 


that  Mocassin,  falling  within  the  district  of  Paterson,  was  fre- 
quentl)'  visited  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bulger,  and  it  is  pleasing  to  state 
that  a  church  has  been  lately  erected  in  this  last-mentioned  town." 

The  Revolutionary  Period. 

The  thread  of  our  narrative  brings  us  now  to  a  stirring  period 
in  the  history  of  our  country  and  our  religion,  when  the  day-star 
of  religious  toleration  begins  to  dawn,  and  the  plenteous  stream 


A 

^^^^■k^               ^  m 

m 

WSm 

"   ^ 

^^       ^P 

jA' 

ARCHBISHOP    CARROLL 


of  blood  flows  from  Irish  hearts  and  from  Catholic  veins  to  sanc- 
tify the  soil,  and  knit  indissolubly  the  bonds  of  the  children  of 
freedom.  Republics  are  proverbially  ungrateful,  and  ours  is  no 
exception.     The  Irish,  both  the  laity  and  the  priesthood,  from  the 


40  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

beginning  gave  to  the  struggling  republic  their  most  earnest  moral 
and  physical  support.  Ours  might  have  been  Canada,  and  these 
children  of  St.  Louis  our  allies  and  brothers  in  the  conflict,  had 
John  Jay  and  his  stripe  been  at  least  more  tactful,  if  not  politic. 

When  Archbishop  Carroll  was  engaged  by  General  Washing- 
ton to  induce  the  Canadian  clergy  to  join  in  the  Revolutionary 
struggle,  his  mission  totally  failed  from  the  lavish  abuse  of  popery 
in  which  the  old  colonies — from  New  England  to  Georgia — 
indulged. 

"  Now,"  they  said,  "we  believe,  as  you  do,  our  religion  to  have 
been  established  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  those  good  men  and 
their  forefathers  in  leaving  our  body  made  an  innovation  upon  the 
unchangeable  institutions  of  our  Saviour.  They  complain  of  the 
King  of  England  as  guilty  of  tyranny  for  observing  the  treaty 
which  secures  to  us  our  religion,  and  which  he  appears  disposed 
to  observe.  If  it  be  tyranny  to  permit  us  to  follow  the  dictates  of 
our  consciences,  and  that  those  gentlemen  wish  to  destroy  tyranny, 
we  must  give  up  our  religion  in  joining  their  union;  we  prefer, 
sir,  to  abide  under  the  government  of  a  king  who  is  complained  of 
for  his  justice  to  us,  than  to  trust  to  the  friendship  of  men  who 
tell  us  that  we  are  idolaters  and  slaves  and  dolts,  and  yet  invite  us 
to  aid  them  against  him  whom  they  have  abused  for  protecting  us 
in  our  rights ;  neither  do  we  forget  the  zeal  which  they  manifested 
in  hunting  and  shooting  Father  Rasle  and  others  of  our  mission- 
aries upon  their  borders." 

Thus  was  the  aid  of  Canada  lost  by  the  abuse  of  popery  (Eng- 
land, Works,  iii.,  223),  and  the  mission  of  Franklin  and  Bishop 
Carroll  a  failure. 

On  Bishop  Carroll's  return  from  his  fruitless  mission  to  Can- 
ada, he  passed  his  time  pleasantly  in  Philadelphia  with  Fathers 
Ferdinand  Farmer  and  Robert  Molyneux.  "  These  reverend  gen- 
tlemen were  then  engaged  in  laborious  duties  among  the  numerous 
Catholics  in  that  city,  as  well  as  several  other  congregations  at  a 
distance." 

"  Father  Farmer  extended  his  visits  to  New  York,  and  organ- 
ized the  first  Catholic  congregation  in  that  city,  in  which  there 
was  no  resident  priest  before  1785"  ("Memoirs  of  Archbishop 
Carroll"  in  U.  S.  CatJiolic  Maga.zinc,  April,  1844,  p.  248). 

Notwithstanding  the  bitter  hostility  of  many,  if  not  most,  of 
the  founders  of  the  republic,  the  money,  the  services,  and  the 
blood  of  Catholics  were  placed  on  the  altar  of  our  country's  lib- 
erty, and  never  did  they  once  swerve  from  their  allegiance  in 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  41 

defeat,  hunger,  and  cold.  Of  the  foreign  officers  of  our  faith  may 
be  mentioned  Lafayette,  Du  Coudray,  Rochambeau,  Roche  de 
Fermoy,  Kosciusko,  de  la  Neuville,  Armand,  and  Uuportail. 

From  Bunker  Hill  to  Yorktown,  whether  in  Dillon's  old 
brigade  of  the  French  allies,  or  in  the  Pennsylvania  or  Maryland 
line,  Irish  hearts  throbbed  to  the  music  of  the  drum,  and  never 
faltered  on  land  or  sea,  whether  under  Saucy  Dick  Barry,  or 
Moylan,  or  Fitzgerald,  to  display  the  traditional  bravery  which 
has  won  for  them  the  laurel  of  victory  on  the  battlefields  of  every 
nation  except  their  own. 

Montgomery,  Sullivan,  Knox,  Wayne,  Irving,  Thompson, 
Stewart,  Moylan,  Butler,  all  Irish  by  birth  or  by  descent,  whose 
very  names  awaken  memories  of  glorious  deeds,  by  which  our 
liberties  were  achieved  and  the  colonies  made  one,  free,  and  inde- 
pendent. And  every  child  knows  the  services  rendered  to  the 
republic  by  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrolton,  and  his  illustrious  cousin 
the  first  bishop  of  Baltimore.  None  was  more  conscious,  more 
appreciative  of  these  services  than  the  Father  of  his  Country — 
the  immortal  Washington. 

"  I  presume  that  your  fellow-citizens  will  not  forget  the  patriotic 
part  which  you  took  in  the  accomplishment  of  their  Revolution 
and  the  establishment  of  their  government,  or  the  important  as- 
sistance which  they  received  from  a  nation  in  which  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith  is  profes.sed  "  ("  Reply  of  Washington  to  Address 
of  Roman  Catholics  ").  Hodnett  says  that  next  to  George  Wash- 
ington Bishop  Carroll  rendered  the  most  valuable  services  to  the 
colonies.  It  was  Carroll  who  induced  the  Pope  to  use  his  influ- 
ence with  the  French  King  in  behalf  of  the  colonies.  Franklin 
was  in  Paris,  as  an  envoy  from  this  country,  to  enlist  the  services 
and  financial  aid  of  France  in  the  struggle  which  was  becoming 
desperate.  His  success  was  meagre,  and  he  was  in  despair.  One 
day  the  papal  nuncio  roused  him  from  his  stupor :  "  Mr.  Franklin, 
Mr.  Franklin,  I  have  good  news  for  you.  I  have  just  secured  the 
promise  of  the  King  to  send  over  a  French  army  and  navy  to  aid 
your  countrymen."  Franklin,  astonished  and  delighted,  clasped 
the  hand  of  the  nuncio.  "  Oh ! "  said  he,  "  convey  to  his  Holi- 
ness, the  Pope,  my  thanks  in  the  name  of  the  American  people. 
We  shall  never,  no  never,  forget  Rome." 

"Mr.  Franklin,"  replied  the  nuncio,  "you  must  thank  Father 
Carroll,  for  he  it  was  who  induced  the  Pope  to  send  me  here  in 
the  interest  of  the  American  people." 

Of  Bishop  Carroll,  Washington  said :  "  Of  all  men  whose  influ- 


4i  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

ence  was  most  potent  in  securing  the  success  of  the  Revolution, 
Bishop  Carroll,  of  Baltimore,  was  the  man."  So,  too,  thought 
King  George  of  England,  who  called  Bishop  Carroll  "  Washing- 
ton's Richelieu,  who  got  the  Pope  of  Rome  to  use  his  influence 
with  the  French  court  for  the  Americans."  When  William  Pitt 
asked  the  King  to  sign  the  Emancipation  Bill  in  favor  of  Ireland, 
the  King  replied :  "  I  will  sign  no  bill  granting  Catholic  Emanci- 
pation, after  the  action  taken  by  the  bishop  of  Baltimore.  He 
detached  America  from  my  dominion  by  aid  of  the  French  army 
and  navy,  and  the  force  of  Irish  Catholics.  No,  no,  Mr.  Pitt,  you 
need  not  stop  to  argue  the  question  with  me ;  my  mind  is  made 
up  on  that  point."  So  innocent,  helpless,  prostrate  Ireland  was 
punished  for  Bishop  Carroll's  patriotism  and  her  children's  devo- 
tion to  the  cause  of  freedom,  and  had  to  bear  the  yoke  of  slavery 
for  twenty  years  longer. 

Meanwhile,  John  Wesley,  the  founder  of  Methodism— the  sect 
which  claims  to  possess  the  only  true  brand  of  patriotism — was 
denouncing  the  colonists  for  their  treason ;  and  the  Presbyterians 
anathematized  our  Constitution !  In  the  light  of  future  events,  it 
is  well  to  keep  these  facts  to  the  forefront.  The  stream  of  emi- 
gration began  again  to  set  toward  America  from  Ireland,  France, 
and  the  West  Indian  islands  of  Guadeloupe  and  Martinique. 

The  Maryland  Journal,  published  in  Baltimore,  August  20th, 
1773,  has  the  following: 

"New  York,  August  12th. — Within  this  fortnight  3,500  pas- 
sengers have  arrived  at  Philadelphia  from  Ireland." 

"Philadelphia,  August  nth. — Since  our  last  arrived  here,  the 
ship  Alexander,  Captain  Hunter,  with  500  passengers;  and  the 
ship  Hannah,  Captain  Mitchell,  with  550,  both  from  Londonderry. 
The  ship  WalwortJi,  Captain  McCausland,  sailed  from  London- 
derry for  South  Carolina  about  June  ist,  with  300  passengers  and 
servants,  who  were  obliged  to  leave  their  native  country,  not  for 
their  misbehavior,  but  on  account  of  the  great  distress  among  the 
middle  and  lower  classes." 

It  would  seem  that  Ireland  even  at  that  time  was  sending 
more  than  her  quota  of  emigrants  to  people  America.  Philadel- 
phia then  could  not  have  had  more  than  20,000  of  a  population, 
and  this  addition  of  3,500  was  equal  to  one-sixth  of  its  population 
{CatJi.  Family  Aim.,  i?>77,  p.  77). 

The  unhappy  Acadians,  torn  from  their  homes  most  cruelly,  in 
1756,  were  scattered  along  the  coast  from  Maine  to  Carolina,  but 
in  a  few  years  almost  every  trace  of  them  was  lost.     But  the  emi- 


IN   NEW  JERSEY  43 

gration  of  the  French  took  place  at  various  periods,  mainly  at  the 
negro  insurrection  in  San  Domingo  and  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
French  Revolution.  A  great  number  settled  in  different  sections 
of  New  Jersey,  and  later  on  will  be  seen  their  influence  on  relig- 
ion in  these  respective  localities.  "We  affirm,"  says  Shea,  "that 
the  French  Catholic  familes,  driven  from  the  West  Indies  by  the 
frightful  consequences  of  the  Revolution,  and  who  came  to  seek 
peace  and  liberty  in  the  United  States,  far  exceeded  the  Protest- 
ant immigration  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Without  counting 
Martinique  and  Guadeloupe,  the  French  part  of  San  Domingo  con- 
tained in  1793  forty  thousand  whites.  All  emigrated  to  escape 
being  massacred  by  t lie  blacks;  many  mulattoes  followed  them, 
and  of  this  mass  of  emigrants  a  great  part  settled  in  the  United 
States"  {Hist,  of  CatJi.  ChurcJi,  p.  74).  Of  all  these  strangers 
coming  to  our  shores  at  this  period,  it  may  be  said  that  it  was  the 
initial  impulse  of  that  tide  of  sturdy,  sterling,  adventurous  spirits 
— sufficiently  daring  to  hazard  the  perils  of  the  deep,  the  horrors 
and  uncertainty  of  a  long  voyage,  stout-hearted  enough  to  cut 
away  from  the  dearest  ties  that  hold  a  man  to  his  native  land  and 
kindred,  possessed  of  those  virtues  which  promote  the  best  results 
in  the  sphere  of  civics,  commerce,  and  religion,  and  destined 
eventually,  like  bread  cast  upon  the  waters,  to  leaven  the  older 
world  with  the  fruit  of  these  triple  blessings.  In  the  dark  and 
trying  days  of  our  struggle  many  instances  might  be  cited  to 
illustrate  the  devotion  of  the  impulsive  Celt,  too  ready  to  resent  a 
wrong,  but  always  willing  to  forgive  it.  When,  in  July,  1778, 
the  Americans  met  in  Wyoming  with  a  crushing  defeat,  among 
the  captured  was  an  old  man  named  Fitzgerald.  He  was  placed 
on  a  flax-brake,  and  told  he  must  renounce  his  rebel  principles  and 
declare  for  the  King,  or  die.  "  Well,"  said  the  patriotic  old  fellow, 
"  I  am  old,  and  I  have  little  time  to  live  anyhow,  and  I  had  rather 
die  now  a  friend  of  my  country,  than  live  ever  so  long  and  die  a 
Tory."  The  British  were  magnanimous  enough  to  let  him  go 
(Miner's  Hist,  of  Wyoming,  p.  200).  But  our  own  little  State 
was  the  theatre  on  which  is  written  in  ineffaceable  lines  the  hero- 
ism of  our  ancestors,  not  only  men,  but  women.  The  son  of  an 
Irish  emigrant,  James  E.  Kelly,  the  sculptor,  a  genius  whose 
name  is  little  known  in  our  day,  but  is  destined  to  be  ranked 
among  the  masters  when  future  generations  will  think  less  of 
pelf  and  more  of  art,  has  carved  in  eternal  bronze,  on  the  battle- 
field of  Monmouth,  the  heroism  of  the  Irish  lass — Molly  Pitcher, 
or,  before  her  marriage,  plain  Mary  McCauley.     Of  her  Lossing 


44 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


says:  "She  was  a  sturdy  young  camp-follower,  only  twenty-two 
years  of  age,  and  in  devotion  to  her  husband,  who  was  a  cannoneer, 
she  illustrated  the  character  of  her  countrywomen  of  the  Emerald 
Isle.  In  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  while  her  husband  was  man- 
aging one  of  the  field-pieces,  she  constantly  brought  him  water 
from  a  spring  near  by.  (The  day  was  intensely  hot.)  A  shot 
from  the  enemy  killed  him  at  his  post ;  and  the  officer  in  com- 
mand, having  no  one  competent  to  fill  the  place,  ordered  the  piece 
to  be  withdrawn.  Molly  saw  her  husband  fall  as  she  came  from 
the  spring,  and  also  heard  the  order.  She  dropped  her  bucket, 
seized  the  rammer,  and  vowed  she  would  fill  the  place  of  her  hus- 
band at  the  gun  and  avenge 
his  death.  She  performed 
the  duty  with  a  skill  and 
courage  which  attracted  the 
attention  of  all  who  saw  her. 
On  the  following  morning, 
covered  with  dirt  and  blood, 
General  Greene  presented 
her  to  General  Washington, 
who,  admiring  her  bravery, 
conferred  upon  her  the  com- 
mission of  sergeant "  {Field 
Book  of  the  Rcvolutioii). 

She    is   described   as  "a 
stout,     red-haired,    freckled- 
faced  young  Irish  woman,  with  a  handsome,  piercing  eye." 

On  this  same  battlefield,  a  son  of  an  Irish  Catholic  father  and 
mother  distinguished  himself,  and  the  story  deserves  to  be  told. 

Somewhere  in  1750  a  young  couple  who  belonged  to  rival 
families  were  the  actors  in  a  runaway  match,  and  immediately  em- 
barked for  Philadelphia. 

The  young  man,  whose  name  was  John  Mullowney,  invested 
his  money  in  a  few  ships,  and  carried  on  a  lively  and  lucrative 
trade  between  Philadelphia  and  various  foreign  ports.  Six  chil- 
dren were  born  to  the  Mullowneys,  all  of  whom  died  in  their 
infancy.  The  seventh  child,  a  son,  was  robust,  and  filled  his 
father's  heart,  who  gave  him  his  own  name,  with  great  hopes. 
The  Revolution  broke  out  when  the  boy  was  eight  years  old,  and 
his  father  at  once  espoused  the  cause  of  the  patriots. 

At  this  time,  their  pastor,  a  Catholic  priest,  visited  the  family, 
and  urged  that  young  John  be  dedicated  to  the  priesthood,  and 


MOLLY   PITCHER   AT   THE   BATTLE   OF 

MONMOUTH. 

(Tablet  on  Princeton  Monument  by  J.  E 

Kelly.) 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  45 

that  his  preHminary  studies  begin  at  once.  In  the  privacy  of 
their  chamber  the  proposition  of  the  priest  was  earnestly  discussed 
by  the  anxious  father  and  mother,  and  the  boy,  who  slept  in  an 
adjoining  room,  overheard  all  that  was  said  with  bated  breath.  In 
the  early  dawn  of  the  next  day  he  put  into  execution  a  sudden  im- 
pulse to  flee  beyond  the  power  of  priest  and  parents.  Dressing 
himself  hastil}',  he  stole  away  from  his  luxurious  home,  and 
thr  jugh  difficulties  which  might  have  chilled  the  enthusiasm  of  a 
strong  man  (for  Philadelphia  was  then  in  possession  of  the  Brit- 
ish), reached  Washington's  army,  near  Germantown. 

He  arrived,  it  is  said,  at  his  ilestination,  with  bleeding  feet  and 
ragged  clothes,  thoroughly  beaten  out  with  exhaustion  and  hunger. 
He  stoutly  maintained  that  he  wanted  to  share  a  soldier's  life, 
adding  that  he  knew  how  to  "drum."  So  a  drummer  boy  he  be- 
came, not  as  John  Mullowney,  but,  with  a  wisdom  beyond  his 
years,  under  an  assumed  name.  In  the  following  summer  came 
the  battle  of  Monmouth.  At  a  certain  point  in  this  hotly  con- 
tested battle,  a  scjuad  of  infantry  was  ordered  to  hold  a  vital 
point  upon  which  the  enemy  was  marching.  The  redcoats 
charged  furiously  and  the  Americans  gave  way,  whereupon  John 
seized  his  drumsticks  and  pounded  out  "  Yankee  Doodle  "  with  so 
much  spirit  and  force  that  the  retreating  Continentals  took  heart, 
returned  to  the  charge,  dro\'e  off  the  British,  and  held  the  stategi- 
cal  position  to  the  end  of  the  battle.  A  few  weeks  after  the  tire- 
less search  of  the  father  for  the  truant  was  rewarded.  John  was 
recognized  by  a  birthmark  on  the  right  shoulder,  but  his  plead- 
ings, united  with  those  of  the  officers,  prevailed,  and  the  parental 
consent  was  reluctantly  given.  John  remained  with  the  army 
until  peace  was  declared.  He  then  entered  the  navy,  and  ren- 
dered efficient  services  in  the  war  of  181 2  and  in  the  capture  of 
slavers.  Not  only  did  he  rescue  the  poor  Africans,  but  placed 
them  in  good  homes  in  Philadelphia  and  adjacent  cities.  On  his 
retirement  from  the  na\'y.  Captain  Mullowney  was  made  consul 
to  Tangier  by  President  Monroe,  a  difficult  post,  in  which  he 
maintained  the  honor  and  dignity  of  our  country  for  seven  years. 
Many  years  afterward  his  daughter  visited  a  grizzled  veteran, 
more  than  ninety  years  of  age,  and  asking  him  if  he  remembered 
John  Mullowney,  he  exclaimed :  "  Remember  John  Mullowney ! 
That  I  do;  he  was  just  a  slip  of  a  lad  when  he  used  to  beat  that 
old  drum."  At  the  battle  of  Princeton  scores  of  the  Pennsylvania 
line  shed  their  blood,  defending  Princeton  Seminary,  the  strong- 
hold of  Presbyterianism  in  New  Jersey. 


46  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Another  of  our  faith  deserves  mention  in  this  connection : 

Patrick  Colvin  was  the  only  CathoHc  hving  in  Trenton  at  the 
time  of  the  Revohition.  He  sheltered  Father  Farmer  and  often 
ferried  him  across  the  Delaware  on  his  semi-annual  visitation  of 
his  scattered  Catholic  flock  in  New  Jersey. 

Colvin,  a  Catholic,  and  McConkey,  an  Irish  Presbyterian, 
furnished  the  boats  which  transported  Washington  and  his  army 
across  the  Delaware  on  that  bitter  cold  Christmas  night,  1776, 
and  thus  enabled  him  to  win  the  battle  of  Trenton  on  the  26th. 
When  the  Father  of  his  Country  journeyed  to  New  York  to  be 
inaugurated  President  of  the  republic  he  had  fought  to  make,  it 
was  Patrick  Colvin  who  took  charge  of  the  presidential  party  and 
personally  ferried  them  across  the  river. 

The  Trenton  Monument  Association  selected  a  site  but  a  few 
paces  from  Father  Farmer's  headquarters  when  visiting  that  city. 

As  New  Jersey  was  the  battle  ground  of  the  great  conflict  of 
the  Revolution,  the  number  of  Catholics  at  various  times  in  the 
State  must  have  run  into  the  thousands.  With  the  troops  priests 
have  doubtless  traversed  the  State.  We  read  of  the  presence  of 
one,  the  Rev.  Seraphin  Bandol,  who  was  sent  from  Philadelphia 
to  Morristown  in  April,  1780,  to  administer  the  last  sacraments  to 
a  distinguished  Spanish  nobleman,  then  a  guest  of  Washington. 
Don  Juan  de  Miralles,  a  Spanish  agent,  arrived  in  camp,  April 
19th,  1780,  accompanied  by  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne,  Minister 
of  France,  and  was  almost  immediately  stricken  down  with  pul- 
monary trouble,  which  ended  fatally  on  the  28th.  The  chaplain 
of  the  French  Ambassador,  the  Rev.  Seraphin  Bandol,  hurried  on 
from  Philadelphia  and  administered  the  last  sacraments  to  the 
dying  Spaniard  in  the  Ford  house,  now  Washington's  head- 
quarters. 

It  was  by  P'ather  Bandol,  very  probably,  that  the  holy  Sacrifice 
of  the  Mass  was  first  offered  in  Morristown,  and  most  likely  in 
headquarters,  where  Washington  then  lived. 

The  journal  of  Dr.  James  Thatcher,  surgeon  to  the  Revolu- 
tionary army,  contains  a  very  graphic  account  of  this  the  first  pub- 
lic Catholic  funeral  in  Morristown: 

"29th  April,  1780.- — I  accompanied  Dr.  Schuyler  to  headquar- 
ters to  attend  the  funeral  of  M.  de  Miralles.  The  deceased  was  a 
gentleman  of  high  rank  in  Spain,  and  had  been  about  one  year 
resident  with  our  congress  from  the  Spanish  court.  The  corpse 
was  dressed  in  a  rich  state  and  exposed  to  public  view,  as  is  custo- 
mary in  Europe.     The  coffin  was  most  splendid  and  stately,  lined 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  47 

throughout  with  fine  cambric,  and  covered  on  the  outside  with 
rich  black  velvet  and  ornamented  in  a  superb  manner.  The  top 
of  the  cofifin  was  removed  to  display  the  pomp  and  grandeur  with 
which  the  body  was  decorated.  It  was  in  a  splendid  full  dress, 
consisting  of  a  scarlet  suit,  embroidered  with  rich  gold  lace,  a 
three-cornered  gold-laced  hat,  and  a  genteel  cued  wig,  white  silk 
stockings,  large  diamond  shoe  and  knee  buckles ;  a  profusion  of 
diamond  rings  decorated  the  fingers,  and  from  a  superb  gold 
watch,  set  with  diamonds,  several  rich  seals  were  suspended.  His 
Excellency,  General  Washington,  with  several  other  general  offi- 
cers and  members  of  Congress,  attended  the  funeral  solemnities 
and  walked  as  chief  mourners.  The  other  officers  of  the  army, 
and  numerous  respectable  citizens,  formed  a  splendid  procession, 
extending  about  a  mile.  The  pall-bearers  were  six  field-officers, 
and  the  coffin  was  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  four  officers  of  artil- 
lery in  full  uniform.  Minute  guns  were  fired  during  the  proces- 
sion, which  greatly  increased  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion.  A 
Spanish  priest  performed  service  at  the  grave  in  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic form.  The  coffin  was  enclosed  in  a  box  of  plank,  and  all  the 
profusion  of  pomp  and  grandeur  were  deposited  in  the  silent  grave 
in  the  common  burying-ground,  near  the  church  at  Morristown. 
A  guard  is  placed  at  the  grave  lest  our  soldiers  should  be  tempted 
to  dig  for  hidden  treasure.  It  is  understood  that  the  corpse  is  to 
be  removed  to  Philadelphia.  This  gentleman  is  said  to  have 
been  possessed  of  an  immense  fortune,  and  has  left  to  his  three 
daughters  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  sterling  each.  Here  we 
behold  the  end  of  all  earthly  riches,  pomp,  and  dignity.  The 
ashes  of  Don  de  Miralles  mingle  with  the  remains  of  those  who 
are  clothed  in  humble  shrouds,  and  whose  career  in  life  was 
marked  with  sordid  poverty  and  wretchedness"  (p.  193). 

The  body  of  this  distinguished  nobleman  was  exhumed  and 
sent  to  Spain,  but  in  what  year  the  most  careful  investigation  has 
failed  to  ascertain. 

In  Morristown,  also,  was  the  first  official  recognition  of  St. 
Patrick's  day,  as  will  appear  from  the  following  order,  copied  from 
the  order  book  still  preserved  at  Washington's  headquarters : 

MoRRiSTOWx,  N.  J.,  March  i6th,  1780. 

The  adjutants  are  desired  not  to  detail  for  duty  to-morrow  any 
of  the  Sons  of  St.  Patrick.  On  the  17th  the  parole  is  "Saints," 
the  countersign  "  Patrick  "  and  "  Sheelah." 

Marbois,  the  charge  at  Philadelphia,  writing  to  Vergennes, 


48  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

March  25th,  1785,  gives  the  number  of  CathoHcs  in  New  York 
and  New  Jersey  as  1,700  (Bancroft's  Hist.  Form,  of  Constit., 
i.,  420).  If  this  estimate  be  approximately  correct,  it  is  more  than 
Hkely  that  the  greater  part  was  in  New  Jersey  {Am.  CatJi.  Hist. 
Researches,''  April,  1888). 

Be  this  as  it  ma}^,  no  attempt  was  made  at  that  time  by  the 
Catholics  to  build  a  church ;  but  we  find  the  Catholics  of  New 
York  City  obtaining  an  act  of  incorporation  from  the  legislature 
of  the  State  in  1785.  Much  earlier,  however,  1763,  1765,  1767, 
1768,  and  as  late  as  1786,  Father  Farmer  had  gathered  together 
the  little  flock  and  offered  for  them  the  consolations  of  religion. 
It  is  true  he  entered  the  city  by  stealth  and  in  disguise,  for  the 
odious  proscriptive  law  of  1700  was  still  not  repealed.  It  is 
known  that  he  offered  the  holy  Sacrifice  in  the  house  of  Don 
Thomas  Stoughton,  the  Spanish  consul,  and  also  in  that  of  Don 
Diego  de  Gardequi,  the  Spanish  ambassador.  A  Capucin  Father, 
the  Rev.  Charles  Whelan,  a  chaplain  in  De  Grasse's  fleet,  resigned 
in  order  to  devote  himself  to  the  little  band  of  Catholics  in  New 
York  City  and  near  by.  Of  him  Archbishop  Bayley  writes: 
"  Father  Whelan  was  the  first  regularly  settled  priest  in  the  diocese 
of  New  York.  He  found  only  twenty  communicants  in  the  city, 
but  "  plenty  of  growlers."  During  his  pastorate  the  trustees  pur- 
chased from  the  trustees  of  Trinity  Church  the  site  of  the  present 
St.  Peter's,  and  erected  a  church.  There  were  then  about  two 
hundred  Catholics  in  New  York.  Father  Whelan  was  more  at 
home  in  French  than  he  was  in  English,  and  gave  little  satisfac- 
tion as  a  pulpit  orator ;  so,  when  a  rival  appeared,  more  gifted  with 
eloquence  and  intrigue,  the  Rev.  Andrew  Nugent,  O.  M.  Cap., 
good  Father  Whelan  had  to  retire,  and  died  in  Maryland,  1809. 

On  the  4th  day  of  November,  1786,  the  first  Catholic  church, 
and  the  thirteenth  of  any  denomination,  was  opened  for  divine 
service,  and  Mass  was  publicly  celebrated  in  presence  of  a  large 
congregation  of  persons  of  different  religious  belief.  A  second 
charter  was  obtained  in  1787.  Among  the  first  Catholics  of  the 
future  great  Catholic  city  are  found  the  names  of  Sieur  de  St. 
Jean  de  Crevecoeux,  consul  of  France ;  Don  Diego  de  Gardequi, 
plenipotentiary  of  Spain;  Jose  Roiz  Silva;  Thomas  Stoughton, 
consul  of  Spain ;  Dominick  Lynch,  James  Stewart,  Henry  Duffin, 
Andrew  Morris,  Gibbon  Burke,  Charles  Naylor,  William  Bryson, 
William  Mooney,  George  Barnwell,  John  Sulliv^an. 

In  1788  the  Rev.  William  O'Brien  succeeded  Father  Nugent 
as  pastor,  and  continued  until  May  14th,  1816,  when  God  called 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


49 


him    to   his    reward.     His    remains    are    interred    lieneath    the 
church. 

An  examination  of  tlie  structure,  April  8th,  1836,  revealed  its 
unsafe  condition,  and,  June  5th,  it  was  determined  by  the  pastor 
and  trustees  to  rebuild  it.  Mass  was  celebrated  for  the  last  time 
in  the  old  church  August  28th,  1836.  The  corner-stone  of  the 
new  church  was  laid  by  Bishop  Dubois,  October  26th,  1836,  as- 
sisted by  the  Very  Rev.  John  Power,  who  delivered  an  e.Kcellent 
address  on  the  occasion.     On  the  first   Sunday  of  September, 

1837,  mass  was  celebrated  in  the  basement;  and  February  25th, 

1838,  it  was  solemnly  dedicated 
by  Bishop  Hughes.  The  Very 
Rev.  Father  Power  preached 
a  most  eloquent  sermon  to 
an  audience  of  more  than 
four  thousand  persons,  who 
thronged  the  sacred  edifice 
from  pew  to  organ-loft. 

The  French  refugees  from 
the  revolution  and  the  insur- 
rections in  Martinique,  Guad- 
eloupe, and  San  Domingo  set- 
tled in  considerable  numbers 
in  Elizabeth  and  along  the 
highway  from  that  town  to 
Bottle  Hill,  now  Madison. 
Thither  came  the  Van  Schalk- 
wick  Beauplands,  the  Boisau- 
bins.  Cornet  de  St.  Cyr,  Blan- 
chets,  Lavielle  Duberceau,  and  Thebauds.  The  Beauplands  were 
descended  partly  from  the  Dutch  Van  Schalkwick,  who,  expelled 
from  Holland  for  harboring  Catholics,  was  excluded  from  Mar- 
tinique because,  coming  from  an  heretical  countr}',  he  was  not 
regarded  as  orthodox  in  faith,  and  was  obliged  to  proceed  further 
and  settle  in  the  more  hospitable  island  of  Guadeloupe.  He  was 
accompanied  in  his  wanderings  by  a  French  relative,  a  married 
woman,  who,  although  only  thirty  years  of  age,  was  at  that  time 
the  mother  of  thirty-one  children.  This  matron  would  certainly  de- 
serve an  honorable  mention  from  our  present  distinguished  chief 
executi\e.  The  Rev.  Peter  Vianney,  an  assistant  in  St.  Peter's, 
1804-09,  it  is  said,  celebrated  the  first  Mass  in  Madison  in  the 
home  of  Mr.  Lavielle  Duberceau,  whose  house  was  for  a  long  time 
4 


VERY   REV.  JOHN   POWER,  D.D., 

Pastor  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  Barclay- 
Street,  New  York.     (1819-1849.) 


50 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


the  only  sanctuary  in  that  portion  of  the  State.  A  certain  Father 
Tissorant  remained  with  the  CathoHcs  in  EUzabeth  from  1805  to 
1806.  The  Rev.  John  S.  Tissorant  was  simply  on  a  visit  to  this 
country,  and  in  his  zeal  he  determined  to  give  his  services  tempo- 
rarily to  his  compatriots  in  Elizabeth.  Bishop  Cheverus  says  "  he 
was  a  most  amiable  and  respectable  man,"  "equally  conspicuous," 
adds  Dr.  White,  "for  his  learning  and  piety."  In  or  about  1795, 
several  French  families  from  Belgium  and  the  West  Indies  set- 
tled in  Princeton,  and  bought 
farms  in  and  around  Cedar 
Grove  and  Cherry  Valley. 
They  were  men  of  character, 
intelligence,  and  refinement, 
some  of  them  men  of  wealth, 
and  others  had  occupied  posi- 
tions of  prominence  in  their 
own  country.  It  is  doubtful 
if  some  were  Huguenots,  and 
certain  that  most,  if  not  all, 
were  Catholics.  Among  their 
names  were  Viennet,  L' Hom- 
me, Tulane,  Joubert,  Boissinot, 
Pothier,  Lejoy,  Ancellein, 
Hurage,  Teisseirs,  St.  John, 
St.  Louis,  Malou,  La  Rue, 
Chielon,  Bona,  and,  strangest 
of  all,  the  Rev.  Anthony 
Smith,  whose  grave  is  in  the 
Presbyterian  cemetery.  He 
evidently  accompanied  these 
families  in  their  exile,  which 
was  not  at  all  unusual.  Among  them  one  demands  our  atten- 
tion. Pierre  Malou,  a  general  in  the  army  of  the  Belgians, 
resident  in  Princeton,  1795-99,  purchased  five  hundred  acres  of 
land  in  Cherry  Valley,  three  miles  from  Princeton,  and  erected 
a  mansion  whose  magnificence  is  still  a  tradition  among  Prince- 
tonians.  There  was  a  chapel  attached  to  the  house,  with  altar, 
stations  of  the  cross,  etc.,  etc.  He  returned  to  Europe  for 
the  purpose  of  bringing  his  wife  and  two  sons  to  their  new 
home ;  but,  on  the  voyage  back  to  America,  his  wife  was  stricken 
with  a  mortal  illness  and  died  before  reaching  port.  He  sold  his 
property  in  Cherry  Valley,  returned  again  to  Belgium,  disposed  of 


OLD   ST.   PETER'S   CHURCH, 
Barclay  Street,  New  York  Citj'. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  51 

all  his  possessions,  and  journeyed  to  Russia,  where,  finding"  a  house 
of  Jesuit  fathers,  he  entered  under  an  assumed  name  as  a  lay 
brother.  One  day  some  visitors  were  walking  through  the  gardens, 
and  one  of  them,  an  ex-officer,  recognizing  his  old  general  laboring 
among  the  flowers  in  the  garb  of  a  Jesuit  brother,  ga\-e  him  the 
military  salute.  The  fathers  were  astonished,  and  the  more  so 
when,  on  returning  to  the  house,  he  told  them  the  history  of  their 
distinguished  subject.  He  was  transferred  at  once,  and  took  up 
the  study  of  theology,  and  in  time  he  was  raised  to  the  priesthood. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  Jesuit  Fathers 
opened  a  school  on  the  corner  of  Fiftieth  Street  and  Fifth  Ave- 
nue— a  portion  of  the  present  site  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral — 
which  was  called  the  New  York  Literary  Institution.  Father 
Pierre  Malou  was  one  of  the  staff.  But,  after  a  time,  his  health 
broke  down,  and  as  it  was  thought  that  there  was  no  prospect  of 
his  recovery  and  that  he  would  be  a  burden  to  the  community, 
efforts  were  made  to  induce  him  to  return  to  Europe.  This  he 
refused  to  do. 

Father  Malou  afterward  left  the  societ}-,  and  was  attached  to 
St.  Peter's.  He  visited  Madison,  and  was  the  first  priest  to 
reside  there  permanently,  living  upstairs  in  the  old  frame  rectory, 
the  lower  apartments  of  w^hich  were  used  as  a  church.  He  was  a 
lo\-able  character,  and  idolized  b)'  the  children,  to  whom,  when 
they  were  \ery  good,  he  would  show  a  miniature  of  his  children. 
Cardinal  McCloske}',  who  was  in  his  catechism  class,  used  to  say 
that  the  children  often  marvelled  how  he,  as  a  priest,  could  have 
children. 

One  of  his  sons  was  John  Baptist  Malou,  a  senator  of  Belgium  ; 
and  of  his  grandsons  one  was  Minister  of  Finance,  and  another 
John  Baptist  Malou,  bishop  of  Bruges. 

Father  Malou  died  in  New  York,  October  13th,  1827,  and  is 
buried  under  St.  Peter's  Church. 

Of  Father  Anthony  Smith  there  does  not  appear  to  be  a  single 
record,  and  the  fact  that  he  is  mentioned  here  is  due  to  the  cour- 
tesy of  the  Rev.  Robert  E.  Burke,  the  present  pastor  of  the 
University  town.  Over  his  grave  is  a  stone,  which  bears  the  fol- 
lowing inscription : 

IN    MEMORY 

OF     THE 

REVEREND   ANTHONY   SCHMIT 

WHO    DIED 

ON  THE   12TH  OF  FEBRUARY.   1S07. 
Aged  75. 


52  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


The  Formative  Period. 

The  various  industries  opening  up  in  different  parts  of  the 
State  of  New  Jersey  invited  skilled  artisans  to  leave  the  scenes  of 
conflict  and  carnage  in  their  own  country  to  settle  in  the  new  land 
where  they  might  live  with  their  families  in  peace  and  security. 
Before  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  glass-works  were 
opened  near  Salem,  N.  J.,  and  a  number  of  German  Catholics 
were  among  those  employed.  Thus  was  Father  Schneider  induced 
to  run  the  risk  of  arrest  and  visit  them  in  August,  1743.  He  was 
skilled  in  the  art  of  healing,  and,  in  the  guise  of  a  physician,  he 
was  able  to  exercise  his  priestly  ministry.  He  celebrated  holy 
Mass  in  the  home  of  Maurice  Lorentz,  and  in  the  month  of  Octo- 
ber, 1743,  at  the  Glass  Home,  about  ten  miles  from  Salem.  The 
next  year  he  repeated  his  visits,  and  in  the  month  of  June  admin- 
istered baptism  in  the  house  of  Matthew  Geiger.  This  name 
occurs  frequently  in  the  records  of  Father  Farmer,  and  this  house 
for  nearly  half  a  century  was  the  rallying  point  of  the  Catholics 
in  South  Jersey. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  State  the  iron  industry  was  begin- 
ning to  attract  the  attention  of  capital,  and  laborers  began  to 
flock  thitherward  from  Pennsylvania  about  1750. 

"The  Irish  and  the  Scotch-Irish  came  into  Warren  County, 
and  many  of  them  early  worked  their  way  into  Sussex.  .  .  .  As 
travel  increased,  taverns  became  a  necessity,  and  within  six  years 
after  the  county  seat  was  fixed  at  Newton  (by  act  of  1753),  a 
tract  of  land  of  three-tenths  of  an  acre  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
the  green  was  conveyed  by  Jonathan  Hampton  to  Martin  Delaney, 
evidently  for  a  tavern,  and  a  public  house  was  kept  on  that  spot 
until  within  the  last  fifty  years. 

William  Kirby,  a  deserter  from  the  British  army  during  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  passed  through  Sussex  County  in  1762, 
stopping  at  Sussex  Court  House,  where  he  sold  a  pair  of  stock- 
ings for  seven  shillings.  "There,"  he  says,  "we  bought  a  bottle 
of  rum,  and  on  our  march  we  met  an  old  woman  and  gave  her  a 
dram."     He  went  from  the  Andover  Mine  to  Ringwood. 

He  tells  how  the  men  tried  to  cheat  each  other.  The  wood 
chopper  piled  his  wood  so  as  to  cheat  the  collier.  The  collier 
put  his  charcoal  into  baskets  in  such  a  manner  as  to  deceive  the 
iron  master;  and  the  iron  master,  not  to  be  outdone,  sold  his 
provisions  to  the  men  at  an  extortionate  price.     As  a  consequence, 


IN    NKW   JERSEY  53 

"  when  they  had  worked  six  months,  if  they  had  anything  coming, 
they  ma)'  perhaps  get  a  few  rags  to  cover  their  nakedness  at  a 
very  dear  price,  but  as  for  money  they  will  get  none  though  they 
have  ever  so  much  need  of  it."  ' 

From  1750  to  1772  we  find  mines  and  furnaces  in  operation 
at  Mount  Pleasant,  Denmark,  Dickerson  Mine,  Mount  Hope, 
White  Meadow,  Ringwood,  Greenwood  Lake,  Hibernia,  and 
Dover.  These,  doubtless,  brought  a  number  of  Irish  and  Ger- 
man Catholics,  who  formed  the  little  flocks  so  faithfully  attended 
by  Father  Farmer. 

July  3d,  1776,  the  Provincial  Council  of  New  Jersey  asked  the 
Committee  of  Public  Safety  of  Philadelphia  to  send  troops  to  Mon- 
mouth Court  House  to  check  the  Tories  and  defend  the  approaches 
to  Staten  Island. 

Three  battalions,  although  ill-equipped  and  uniformed,  were 
ordered  there  in  reply  to  this  appeal.  The  women  of  Philadelphia 
hastened  to  prepare  lint  and  bandages,  awnings  and  sails  were 
made  into  tents,  and  clockweights  were  cast  into  bullets.  Thomas 
Fitzsimmons  was  captain  of  the  Third  company,  composed  almost 
entirely  of  Irish  and  Catholics.  Their  tour  of  duty  brought  them 
to  Elizabeth,  Woodbridge,  and  vicinity.  In  December,  1776,  they 
were  at  Trenton,  and  on  the  twent)--eighth  of  the  same  month 
they  were  in  Burlington,  where  some  of  them  have  taken  care  to 
record  that  they  were  regaled  with  mince  pies.  In  January,  1777, 
they  arrived  and  were  encamped  on  the  Jockey  Hollow  road  near 
Morristown.  Thomas  Fitzsimmons  was  not  only  an  ardent  patriot, 
but  a  man  of  exceptional  ability.  With  Alexander  Hamilton  he  was 
associated  in  establishing  the  financial  policy  of  our  government, 
and  he  is  acknowledged  by  both  Madison  and  Webster  to  be  the 
father  of  that  political  principle  and  dogma  of  the  present  Repub- 
lican party  known  as  the  "protection  of  American  industry." 

When  P'ather  Farmer  visited  the  little  flock  in  New  York  he 
not  only  administered  to  them  spiritually  the  consolations  of  relig- 
ion, but  it  is  beyond  doubt  that  he  built  for  them  a  church  some 
time  before  the  Revolution.  Its  exact  location  is  not  known,  and 
it  was  swept  away  by  the  conflagration  which  followed  the  evacua- 
tion of  the  city  by  the  Continental  troops,  after  their  crushing 
defeat  by  the  British  at  the  battle  of  Brooklyn.  In  1787,  Bishop 
Carroll,  then  the  very  reverend  Prefect,  appointed  the  Rev.  William 
O'Brien,  a  Dominican,  pastor  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  New  York, 

'"Semicentennial  Address  of  Judge  Swayze,"  Newton,  N.  J.,  Sept. 
2d,  1903. 


54  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

and  of  him  it  is  said  "  that  he  had  ah-eady  done  parochial  work  in 
New  Jersey." 

Just  where  he  labored  is  not  known,  but  no  doubt  he 
visited  the  field  which  the  intrepid  Father  Farmer  had  culti- 
vated with  so  much  labor  and  in  the  face  of  so  many  perils  and 
dangers. 

The  large  share  Catholics  had  in  the  formation  of  the  republic 
and  in  wresting  from  a  powerful  nation  their  liberties  cannot  be 
gainsaid.  Still,  with  the  dawning  of  a  new  order  of  things,  our 
coreligionists  did  not  reap  the  immediate  fruits  of  religious  equal- 
ity, or  the  full  measure  of  the  reward  which  their  sacrifices  seemed 
to  deserve. 

In  1788,  in  a  pamphlet  entitled  Rcviaj-ks  on  the  Origin  of 
Govenuncnt  and  on  Religions  Liberty,  ascribed  to  Governor 
Livingston,  in  speaking  of  liberty  of  conscience  and  contrasting 
the  prevailing  condition  in  our  State  "  with  the  spiritual  tyranny 
in  England,"  the  writer  goes  on  to  say  "  how  beautiful  appears  our 
Catholic  Constitution  (of  New  Jersey)  in  disclaiming  all  jurisdic- 
tion over  the  souls  of  men,"  "that  no  Protestant  inhabitant  of  this 
State  shall  be  denied  the  enjoyment  of  any  civil  right  merely  on 
account  of  his  religious  principles,"  and  that  "all  persons  profess- 
ing a  belief  in  the  faith  of  any  Protestant  sect  shall  be  capable  of 
being  elected  to  any  office  of  trust  or  profit,  or  being  members  of 
either  branch  of  the  legislature."  These  sentiments  drew  forth 
from  the  well-known  Catholic  publisher  of  Philadelphia,  Matthew 
Carey,  a  reply  in  which  he  said :  "  This  clause  falls  far  short  of  the 
divine  spirit  of  toleration  and  benevolence  that  pervades  the 
American  Constitution:  'Every  Protestant  is  eligible  to  any  office 
of  profit  or  trust.'  Are  Protestants,  then,  thereby  capable  or 
upright  men  in  the  State  ?  Is  not  the  Roman  Catholic  thereby 
disqualified }  Why  so  1  Will  not  every  argument  in  defence  of 
exclusion  tend  to  justify  the  intolerance  and  persecution  of  Eu- 
rope } "  '  And  later  on  he  voiced  the  indignation  of  his  church- 
men in  a  spirited  protest,  which  appeared  in  the  General  Adver- 
tiser. "  The  greatest  wonder  of  all  is  that  at  the  close  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  among  the  enlightened,  tolerant,  and  liberal 
Protestants  of  America,  at  the  very  instant  when  the  American 
soil  was  drinking  up  the  best  blood  of  Catholics,  shed  in  defence  of 
her  freedom,  when  the  Gallic  flag  was  flying  in  her  ports  and  the 
Gallic  soldiers  fighting  her  battles,  then  were  constitutions  framed 

'  A;jierican  Ahiscitiiu  vol.  iv. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  55 

in  several  States  degrading  those  very  Catholics  and  excluding 
them  from  certain  offices.  O  Shame !  where  is  thy  blush  ?  O 
Gratitude !  if  thou  hast  a  tear,  let  it  fall  to  deplore  this  indelible 
stigma !  "  '  When  the  convention  met  at  Philadelphia  in  May, 
1787,  to  amend  the  articles  of  confederation  and  to  draft  our 
present  Constitution,  the  question  of  religion  did  not  come  up 
until  the  sixth  article  was  reached.  Charles  Pinckne}',  of  South 
Carolina,  proposed  that  a  clause  should  be  introduced  preventing 
any  religious  test.  North  Carolina  was  the  only  State  that  voted 
against  it.  When  the  people  were  called  upon  to  appro\-e  the  Con- 
stitution, New  York,  strongly  anti-Catholic  in  its  organic  law, 
reluctantly  approved  it;  Rhode  Island  and  North  Carolina,  where 
Catholics  were  practically  unknown,  rejected  it  absolutely.  It 
has  been  charged  that  Catholics  were  instrumental  in  having 
enacted  the  First  Amendment  to  the  Constitution:  Congress 
shall  make  no  law  establishing  religion,  or  to  prevent  the  free 
exercise  thereof,  or  to  infringe  the  rights  of  conscience.  There  is 
not  the  slightest  proof  for  any  such  contention.  Dr.  Schaff  says: 
"The  credit  of  the  Amendment  is  due  to  the  first  Congress,  which 
proposed  it,  and  to  the  conventions  of  the  States  of  New  York, 
Virginia,  North  Carolina,  New  Hampshire,  and  the  minority  of 
Pennsylvania,  all  of  which  suggested  it,  directly  or  indirectly,  in 
substantially  the  same  language."  °  Of  it  Bishop  Spalding  writes : 
"  There  is  no  foundation,  we  think,  for  the  opinion  which  we  have 
sometimes  heard,  that  the  First  Amendment  to  the  Constitution 
was  intended  as  a  tardy  act  of  justice  to  the  Catholics  in  the 
United  States,  in  gratitude  for  their  conduct  during  the  war,  and 
for  the  aid  of  Catholic  France.  It,  in  fact,  made  no  change  in  the 
position  of  the  Catholics,  whom  it  left  to  the  mercy  of  the  differ- 
ent States,  precisely  as  they  had  been  in  the  colonial  era.  Various 
causes  were,  however,  at  work,  which  by  modifying  the  attitude 
of  the  States  toward  religion  tended  also  to  give  greater  freedom 
to  the  Catholic  Church.  The  first  of  these  was  the  rise  of  what 
may  be  called  the  secular  theory  of  government,  whose  great  ex- 
ponent, Thomas  Jefferson,  had  received  his  political  opinions  from 
the  French  philosophers  of  the  eighteenth  century.  The  State, 
according  to  this  theor}',  is  a  purely  political  organism,  and  is  not 
in  any  w^ay  concerned  with  religion ;  and  this  soon  came  to  be  the 
prevailing  sentiment  in  the  Democratic  party,  whose  acknowl- 
edged leader  Jefferson  was,  which  may  explain  why  the  great  mass 

1   1792.  ^  The  C/nirr/i  and  State  in  the  United  States^  ii.,  4. 


56  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

of  the  Catholics  in  this  country  have  ahvays  voted  with  this 
party."  ' 

CathoHcs  have  many  times  since  the  foundation  of  the  repub- 
Hc  been  made  to  feel  the  sting  of  ingratitude,  but  they  have  alvva)s 
found  among  them  a  skilful  pen  or  an  eloquent  voice  to  resent  it. 

"Tell  me  not,  in  the  beautiful  fiction  of  the  poet,  of  the  Pil- 
grims of  Massachusetts : 

"'  They  left  untouched  what  here  they  found, 
Freedom  to  worship  God  ! ' 

Tell  me  not  of  the  liberal  principles  of  Roger  Williams,  under 
whose  rule  of  nearly  a  half  century  at  Providence  the  Rhode 
Island  ordinance  excluded  the  Catholic  from  the  franchises  of  his 
own  asylum  from  Puritan  persecution  !  Tell  me  not  of  the  char- 
ity of  Penn,  who  could  rebuke  his  officers  for  toleration  of  the 
Catholic  worship !  .  .  .  While  the  Puritan  of  the  East  was  perse- 
cuting the  Catholic,  the  churchman,  the  Antinonian,  the  Baptist, 
and  the  harmless  Quaker ;  while  Winthrop  was  recording  his  dis- 
content at  the  '  open  setting  up  of  the  mass  in  Maryland  ' ;  and  the 
law-established  church  in  Virginia  was  wielding  the  scourge  of 
universal  proscription — the  Catholic  of  Maryland  alone  was  found 
to  open  wide  his  door  to  the  sufferer  of  every  persuasion,  in  the 
sentiment  of  the  sweetest,  the  all  but  inspired  poet  of  antiquity, 
has  ascribed  to  the  injured  Dido: 

"'  Myself  an  exile  in  a  world  unknown, 
I  learn  to  pity  woes  so  like  my  own  ! ' 

"The  firmness  of  the  sons  of  Maryland,  marshalled  by  a  Small- 
wood,  a  William,  a  Gist,  a  Howard,  or  a  Smith,  under  every  aspect 
of  danger  and  every  form  of  privation,  from  the  frozen  plains  of 
Valley  Forge  to  the  svveltry  high  hills  of  Santee — while  their 
bones  were  whitening  every  field  of  Revolutionary  glory  or  her 
dashing  Barney  was  guiding  them  to  victory  on  the  ocean !  The 
talent,  the  learning,  the  patriotism  of  her  Chases,  her  Martins, 
her  Dulaneys  and  Pinckneys,  or  the  Wirts  and  Harpers  whom 
adoption  has  made  her  own,  these  and  the  thousand  incidents  that 
illustrate  them  must  be  told  by  a  more  eloquent  tongue  than  mine. 

"  But  there  was  one  on  whose  lustrous  character  even  I  may 
venture  with  friendship's  privilege  to  dwell.  I  need  not  name 
that  venerable  model  of  the  Christian,  patriot,  and  gentleman,  the 

'  Catholic  Church  in  United  States,  1 776-1876,  p.  23. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  57 

relative  of  the  first  American  archbishop,  and  his  associate  in  the 
estabhshment  and  support  of  American  Hberty.  I  need  not  name 
the  ardent  youth,  who,  at  a  time  when  his  rehgion  disfranchised 
him  in  his  native  province,  engaged  with  all  the  energies  of  a  vig- 
orous and  accomplished  mind  in  successful  conflict  with  the  legal 
dictator  of  his  age,  for  the  violated  rights  of  that  very  country.  I 
need  not  name  the  man  who  threw  into  the  scale,  where  the  pa- 
triots of  '76  staked  '  life  and  fortune  and  sacred  honor,'  more 
brilliant  earthly  expectations  than  all  perhaps  beside  him;  and 
who  lingered  among  us,  an  exemplar  of  their  virtues,  till  the  whole 
immortal  band  had  passed  away.  He  lived  till  the  controversial 
title  of  '  first  citizen,'  by  which  the  early  gratitude  of  his  admir- 
ing patriots  addressed  him,  was  literally  realized.  Even  he  so 
much  his  junior,  like  whom 

"'  This  earth  that  bears  him  dead 

Bears  not  alive  so  stout  a  gentleman,' 

the  hero '  of  Cowpens  and  Eutaw,  who  nourished  witlT  his  blood 
the  tree  of  liberty  that  Carroll's "  hand  had  helped  to  plant,  and 
who  upheld  it,  with  strong  arm  and  unwavering  heart,  when 
shaken  rudest  by  the  storm  of  war,  the  pride  of  the  Maryland  line 
had  struck  his  tent,  and  gone  forth  on  his  march  of  eternity,  and 
the  survivor  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  without  a 

peer. 

"'  He  lived,  till  age  his  brow  with  snows 

Had  crowned, — but,  like  the  Syrian  hill, 
Amid  the  waste  of  life  he  rose, 
And  verdure  clasped  his  bosom  still.'  " 

(Speech  of  William  G.  Read,  Esq.,  at  first  Commemoration  of  the 
landing  of  the  Maryland  Pilgrims.) 

To  James  Madison  more  than  to  any  of  the  early  statemen  be- 
longs the  credit  of  removing  religious  disabilities.  An  attempt 
was  made  in  the  Virginia  legislature,  in  1784,  to  lay  a  tax  upon 
the  people  "  for  the  support  of  teachers  of  the  Christian  religion." 
Madison  saw  the  danger  which  lurked  behind  this  attempt  to  erect 
a  state  church.  He  wrote  a  Memorial  and  Rcmojist ranee,  set- 
ting forth  its  dangerous  character,  and  labored  industriously  to 
obtain  signatures  for  it.  In  the  election  of  1785  the  question  of 
religious  freedom  was  the  issue. 

'  John  Eager  Howard,  died  October  12th,  1827. 

'■*  Charles  Carroll,  of  Carrolton,  died  November  14th,  1832, 


58  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

The  odious  bill  was  defeated,  and  in  its  stead  was  enacted 
"  that  no  man  shall  be  compelled  to  frequent  or  support  any  relig- 
ious worship,  place,  or  ministry  whatsoever,  nor  shall  be  enforced, 
restrained,  molested,  or  burdened  in  his  body  or  in  his  goods,  nor 
shall  otherwise  suffer  on  account  of  his  religious  opinions  or  be- 
lief; but  that  all  men  shall  be  free  to  profess,  and  by  argument 
to  maintain,  their  opinion  in  matters  of  religion,  and  that  the  same 
shall  in  no  wise  diminish,  enlarge,  or  affect  their  civil  capacities."  ' 

It  was,  indeed,  becoming  that  Virginia,  with  its  hideous  past  of 
religious  proscription,  should  be  the  standard-bearer  of  religious 
equality  in  the  States. 

To  be  done  with  this  painful  question  of  intolerance,  suffice  it 
to  say  that  not  until  1 844  was  the  clause  excluding  Catholics  from 
office  in  New  Jersey  abolished. 

Among  the  first  converts  in  this  State,  if  not  the  very  first, 
was  the  Rev.  Calvin  White,  who  from  1791  to  1795  was  pastor  of 
the  first  Presbyterian  church  built  in  Morris  County,  at  Whippany, 
in  171 8.  After  "  exercising  a  useful  ministry  of  four  years  "  in 
this  congregation  he  resigned  and  attached  himself  to  the  Episco- 
pal Church,  becoming  eventually  rector  of  St.  James's  parish, 
Derby,  Conn.  Although  he  became  a  Catholic  he  did  not  enter 
the  priesthood,  but  by  his  edifying  life  and  intelligent  grasp  of  the 
teachings  of  the  Catholic  Church  was  a  veritable  confessor  of  the 
faith  in  Connecticut.  He  was  a  Tory  and  just  escaped  hanging 
at  the  hands  of  a  mob,  because  he  refused  to  shout  "  property  and 
liberty."  It  is  said  that  he  was  first  led  to  examine  the  doctrines 
of  the  Catholic  Church  by  the  correct  life  and  intelligence  of  an 
old  Catholic  soldier  in  the  Continental  army.  He  was  the  grand- 
father of  Richard  Grant  White,  the  distinguished  art,  literary,  and 
dramatic  critic.  He  died  in  Derby,  Conn.,  March  28th,  1853,  in 
his  ninetieth  year,  fortified  by  the  sacraments  of  holy  Church. 
Much  of  the  progress  of  Catholicity  in  Connecticut  was  due  to  his 
efforts  and  example. 

The  yellow  fever  in  Philadelphia,  in  1793,  and  the  massacre  of 
San  Domingo  filled  the  little  town  of  Mount  Holly  with  a  surplus 
population,  many  of  whom  were  Catholics.  The  gaiety  and  volu- 
bility of  the  P"rench  imparted  a  lively  tone  to  the  little  community, 
in  strong  contrast  to  the  staid,  sober,  but  no  less  happy  Quakers. 
About  this  time  Stephen  Girard,  "famous  for  his  riches  and 
gifts,"  landed  at  Egg  Harbor,  came  across  the  country  on  a  ped- 

'  Fiske's  Essays,  History  and  Literature,  i.,  194. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  59 

dling  tour,  and  took  up  his  residence  in  the  village.  He  lived  in 
Mills  Street,  where  he  opened  a  cigar  store,  and  sold  raisins,  by 
the  penny's  worth,  to  the  children.  He  is  said  to  have  been  "a 
little  unnoticed  man,  save  that  the  beauty  of  his  wife,  whom  he 
married  there,  worried  and  alienated  his  mind." 

In  1793,  September  19th,  we  find  the  last  record  of  Father 
Graessl,  "the  worthy  bishop  elect,"  who  celebrated  the  marriage 
of  Julia  Vinyard  to  John  Philip  Seeholzer  at  Charlottenburg. 

In  1795  there  came  to  our  State  a  man  of  brilliant  mind,  a  dis- 
tant relative  of  Archbishop  Carroll,  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Jesus  until  its  dissolution  by  Clement  XIV,  but  an  apostate  from 
the  faith  after  twenty  years  in  the  ecclesiastical  state.  The  Rev. 
Charles  Henry  Wharton,  D.D.,  became  principal  of  an  academy 
in  Burlington,  N.  J.,  and  three  years  later  became  rector  of  St. 
Mary's  Episcopal  Church,  a  position  he  held  thirty-five  years. 
He  was  twice  married,  but  he  had  no  children.  He  died  at  Bur- 
lington in  his  eighty-sixth  year. 

"  The  great  lights  of  the  Church  of  Rome  he  regarded  with 
unaffected  reverence.  Of  Archbishop  Carroll,  his  antagonist  in 
controversy,  as  he  was  his  kinsman  in  the  flesh,  he  spoke  to  the 
very  last  with  warm  affection.  'It  was  a  remarkable  trait  in  his 
character,'  says  Bishop  White,  'that  from  the  beginning  to  the 
end  of  my  acquaintance  with  him,  he  was  a  decided  advocate  of 
Jesuits,  with  the  exception  of  the  tenets  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
creed'  "  (  Wharton's  Remains,  G.  W.  Doane,  i.,  66). 

It  is  said  of  him  that  when  a  servant  of  his  household  was 
stricken  with  a  mortal  illness,  and  realizing  the  impossibility  of 
getting  a  priest  from  Philadelphia,  for  she  was  a  Catholic,  Wharton 
said  to  her,  "  Although  I  am  a  parson,  I  am  also  a  Catholic  priest, 
and  can  give  you  absolution  in  jv;//' case."  She  made  her  confes- 
sion to  him,  and  he  absolved  her,  thus  giving  her  that  little  com- 
fort before  she  died.  Wharton's  nephew,  a  good  Catholic  and  a 
magistrate  in  W^ashington,  is  responsible  for  this  story. 

Not  long  after  Bishop  Carroll  returned  from  England,  where 
he  had  been  consecrated,  to  take  possession  of  his  vast  see,  De- 
cember, 1790,  there  came  to  this  country  a  priest,  who  as  an  officer 
under  Rochambeau  had  taken  part  in  the  struggle  for  our  inde- 
pendence, the  Rev.  John  Rosseter.  On  his  return  to  his  country 
with  the  French  forces  he  entered  the  Augustinian  order,  but  his 
eyes  turned  toward  the  country  he  had  helped  to  free,  and  his 
heart  thirsted  for  other  victories  more  glorious  and  more  stable — 
the  conquest  of  souls. 


6o  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Bishop  Carroll  gave  him  a  warm  welcome,  and  located  him 
about  thirty  miles  from  Philadelphia,  probably  at  Wilmington, 
Del.  In  1795  he  was  joined  by  the  Rev.  Matthew  Carr,  from  St. 
Augustine's  Convent,  John  Street,  Dublin,  whose  purpose  in 
coming  was  to  found  a  house  of  the  Hermits  of  St.  Augustine. 

In  1796  the  Augustinian  Fathers  secured  a  site  on  Fourth 
Street,  below  Vine,  in  Philadelphia,  and  immediately  started  to 
collect  funds  to  build  a  church.  Washington  and  many  other 
Protestants  were  among  the  contributors. 

By  an  indult  granted  May  27th,  1797,  they  were  given  the 
necessary  authority  to  establish  convents  of  their  order  in  the 
United  States. 

After  the  death  of  Father  Farmer,  the  Augustinians  took  up 
missionary  work  in  New  Jersey,  and  the  Catholics  of  this  State 
must  ever  hold  the  members  of  this  order  in  grateful  remem- 
brance. Among  the  missions  founded  by  them  in  the  early  part 
of  the  nineteenth  century  were  Cape  May  Island,  x'isited  about 
1803  by  the  Rev.  M  Hurley;  Trenton,  by  the  Rev.  Dr  Matthew 
Carr  in  1805  ;  and  Paterson,  first  visited  by  the  Rev.  Philip  Lariscy 
about  1 82 1. 

This  brings  our  narrative  to  the  establishment  of  the  first 
regular  Catholic  parish  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  and  this  credit 
belongs  to  Trenton. 

Sacred  Heart,  Trenton, 

Formerly,  St.  John's  Parish. 
1799-1899. 

It  is  impossible  to  say  when  Mass  was  first  said  in  this  city. 
Dr.  John  Gilmary  Shea,  in  his  History  of  the  CatJwlic  CJinrcJi  in 
the  United  States,  writes  that  in  October,  1799,  Rev.  D.  Boury, 
a  Catholic  priest  from  Philadelphia,  officiated  in  Trenton.  Bishop 
Carroll,  of  Baltimore,  in  a  letter  dated  September  8th,  1 803,  wrote 
that  he  was  called  to  Trenton  because  of  some  trouble  that 
had  arisen  in  the  congregation.  "Next  Monday,  12th,  I  will 
leave  this  place  (Philadelphia)  for  the  neighborhood  of  New  York. 
The  devil  is  always  busy  to  raise  obstacles  in  my  way.  He  or  his 
agent  has  made  a  disturbance  at  Trenton,  where  I  did  not  expect 
any  business,  which  will  perhaps  cause  me  some  delay — so  that  I 
expect  to  cross  Hobuck  ferry  before  Wednesday."  (Letter  of 
Bishop  Carroll  to  Jas.  Barry,  Esq.,  N.  Y.,  September  8th,  1803.) 
In  the  following  year,  1804,  services  were  held  in  the  printing- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


6i 


office  of  Isaac  Collins,  which  stood  on  the  corner  of  Broad  and 
State  streets,  but  then  called  Queen  and  Second  streets.  From 
the  year  1811  to  1814,  Mass  was  said  at  intervals  in  the  house  of 
John  D.  Sartori,  a  Catholic  gentleman,  who  lived  on  Federal 
Street.  The  priests  who  officiated  were  Fathers  Carr  and  Hurley, 
of  St.  Augustine's  Church,  Philadelphia,  and  the  Dominican 
Father,  Rev.  William  Vincent  Harold,  also  of  Philadelphia.  In 
1 814  Mr.  Sartori,  Capt.  John  Hargous,  and  some  other  Catholic 
gentlemen,  with  the  approval  of  Rt.  Rev.  Michael  Eagan,  Bishop 
of  Philadelphia,  purchased  ground  at  the  corner  of  Market  and 
Lam  her  ton  streets,  and  erect- 
ed thereon  a  small  brick 
church,  which  was  dedicated 
by  Bishop  Eagan,  in  the  same 
year,  and  called  St.  Francis'. 
It  was  attended,  more  or  less 
regularly,  by  priests  from  Phil- 
adelphia until  about  1830, 
when  Father  Geoghen  became 
its  first  resident  pastor.  He 
remained  about  two  years, 
when  on  account  of  failing 
health  he  was  obliged  to  give 
up  the  parish.  Between  that 
time  and  1 844,  when  the  Rev. 
John  P.  Mackin  took  charge, 
the  parish  had  no  less  than 
seven  different  pastors. 

Father  Mackin,  finding  his 
church  too  small  for  the  growing  congregation,  bought,  in  1844, 
ground  on  Broad  Street,  the  site  of  the  present  Sacred  Heart 
Church,  and  erected  quite  a  large  brick  church,  which  was  dedi- 
cated to  St.  John  the  Baptist.  The  congregation  increased  so 
rapidly  that  it  soon  outgrew  the  capacity  of  this  church,  which 
in  1853  was  considerably  enlarged.  Father  Mackin  continued 
to  labor  faithfully  for  the  good  of  the  parish  until,  his  health 
failing",  he  was  obliged  to  suspend  his  labors  and  go  abroad.  Dur- 
ing his  absence  Fathers  O'Donnell  and  Young,  in  succession, 
had  charge  of  the  parish.  In  May,  1861,  Rev.  Anthony  Smith, 
who  was  afterward  to  become  so  important  a  factor  in  the 
religious  and  secular  life  of  Trenton,  was  appointed  pastor  of 
St.  John's.     In   the  following  year  he  opened  an  orphan  asylum 


REV.  JOHN   MACKIN, 
Pastor  of  St.  John's  Church.     (1843-1873.) 


62  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

on  Broad  Street,  and  brought  the  first  Sisters  of  Charity  to 
Trenton. 

When  the  Rev.  Anthony  Smith,  in  January,  1871,  resigned 
St.  John's  parish  to  assume  charge  of  St.  Mary's,  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Father  Mackin,  who  some  years  before  had  been  pastor 
of  St.  John's,  but  was  compelled  to  leave  on  account  of  ill  health. 
Father  Mackin  died  March,  1873,  and  Rev.  Patrick  Byrne  was 
appointed  his  successor.  Father  Byrne  saw  at  once  the  necessity 
of  better  school  accommodations  for  the  children,  and  in  1874 
began  the  erection  of  St.  John's  school  on  Lamberton  Street. 
This  is  a  large  brick  building  with  sixteen  rooms  and  a  large  hall 
on  the  top  floor.  The  Sisters'  house  adjoins  the  school.  After 
five  years'  zealous  and  successful  labor.  Father  Byrne  resigned 
charge  of  the  parish  and  was  succeeded  by  the  present  rector. 
Rev.  Thaddeus  Hogan,  in  the  autumn  of  1878.  On  Sunday  even- 
ing, September  30th,  1883,  St.  John's  Church  was  destroyed  by 
fire.  Father  Hogan  began  immediately  to  prepare  plans  for  a 
new  church  to  be  erected  on  the  same  site.  The  corner-stone 
was  laid  while  Bishop  O'Farrell  was  in  Rome  on  his  visit  ad 
liniina  on  August  3d,  1884,  by  Bishop  Shanahan,  of  Harrisburg, 
Pa.  It  was  nearly  five  years  in  the  course  of  erection,  and  was 
solemnly  dedicated,  on  June  30th,  1889,  by  Bishop  O'Farrell. 
This  was  a  notable  occasion ;  Archbishop  Ryan,  of  Philadelphia, 
celebrated  pontifical  mass,  and  Archbishop  Corrigan,  of  New 
York,  preached  the  sermon.  The  new  church  was  called  the 
Sacred  Heart,  and  while  it  could  not  have  been  dedicated  to  an 
object  more  holy,  many  people  regretted  that  the  old  name  St. 
John's  was  not  retained.  The  church  is  a  massive  stone  structure 
in  the  Roman  style  of  architecture,  with  two  dome-shaped  towers 
in  front.  The  interior  decorations  and  furnishings  are  in  keeping 
with  the  building.  The  altars  are  made  of  white  marble  and  onyx. 
Besides  the  church  proper,  there  is  a  large  basement  which  is 
used  for  week-day  services.  The  stone  rectory  and  club  house 
were  also  built  by  Father  Hogan.  These  grand  structures  are  an 
evidence  of  P'ather  Hogan's  zeal  and  activity.  The  population  of 
the  parish  is  about  three  thousand,  and  the  number  of  pupils  in 
the  school  about  four  hundred  and  fifty. 

Allusion  has  frequently  been  made  to  the  causes  which  brought 
so  many  French  to  different  parts  of  the  United  States  and  to  so 
many  localities  in  our  own  State.  The  French  settlement  at 
Madison,  formerly  Bottle  Hill,  was  important  not  only  in  point  of 
numbers,  but  on  account  of  their  wealth,  lineage,  and  refinement. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  63 

The  Rev.  Peter  Vianncy,  stationed  at  St.  Peter's,  New  York, 
1804-09,  is  said  to  have  celebrated  the  first  Mass  in  the  house  of 
Lavielle  Duberceau,  and  for  some  time  it  continued  to  be  cele- 
brated there  and  in  the  old  academy  which  stood  on  the  corner  of 
the  Convent  Road  and  Ridgedale  Avenue. 

P'athers  Vianney,  Malou,  Powers,  Kohlman,  Bulger  Donohue, 
from  Paterson  attended  successively  to  the  needs  of  this  little 
mission. 

It  is  related  of  Pather  Power  that  once  on  his  way  to  Madi- 
son, after  having  landed  at  Elizabeth,  the  carriage  which  was  to 
have  conve)ed  him  to  Bottle  Hill  broke  down,  and  he  was  con- 
strained to  accept  the  invitation  of  a  passing  farmer  to  ride  into 
the  village,  seated  on  a  load  of  hogs. 

In  1789,  Washington,  then  occupying  the  presidential  chair, 
by  a  proclamation  ordered  Thiu'sday,  November  26th,  to  be  ob- 
served for  the  first  time  by  the  citizens  of  our  country  as  a  day  of 
thanksgiving,  in  these  noble  and  memorable  words :  "  I  recom- 
mend and  assign  this  day  to  be  devoted  by  the  people  of  these 
States  to  the  service  of  that  great  and  glorious  Being,  who  is  the 
beneficent  Author  of  all  the  good  that  was,  that  is,  or  that  will  be, 
that  we  may  then  all  unite  in  rendering  unto  Him  our  sincere 
and  humble  thanks  for  His  kind  care  and  protection  of  the  people 
of  this  country  previous  to  their  becoming  a  nation,  .  .  .  for  the 
civil  and  religious  liberty  with  which  we  are  blessed."  He  prays 
"  God  to  promote  the  knowledge  and  practice  of  true  religion  and 
virtue." 

We  are  straying  far  afield  from  these  lofty  principles,  built  on 
the  only  solid  foundation  which  can  afford  permanency  to  the 
cause  for  which  the  Eather  of  his  Country  fought  and  pleaded. 

The  visit  of  Bishop  Carroll,  before  alluded  to,  brings  to  our 
notice  two  important  cities  in  our  diocese  hardly  distinguishable 
in  their  ancient  vocable.  "  I  am  advised  to  go  to  Hoebuck's 
ferry,  two  miles  above  Powles'  hook,  to  cross  over  in  a  boat 
always  ready  to  the  wharf  of  the  new  state  prison  "  (Letter  of 
Archbishop  Carroll  to  James  Barry,  August  25th,  1803). 

Hoebuck's  ferry  has  developed  into  Hoboken,  and  Powles' 
hook  has  become  our  important  seaboard  mart — Jersey  City. 

The  steady  growth  of  Catholicity  made  it  necessary  for  Bishop 
Carroll  to  apply  to  the  Holy  See  for  a  division  of  his  immense 
diocese,  as  it  would  be  for  the  best  interests  of  religion,  and  would 
best  promote  good  order  and  discipline. 

April  8th,  1808,  Pius  VII.  divided  the  see  of  Baltimore,  and 


64  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

erected  the  sees  of  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Boston,  and  Bards- 
town.  The  learned  Dominican,  the  Rev.  Richard  Luke  Con- 
canen,  was  chosen  for  New  York,  and  consecrated  with  great 
pomp  in  the  church  of  the  nuns  of  St.  Catharine,  Rome,  April 
24th,  1808. 

He  was  unable,  because  of  war  between  the  French  and 
English,  to  embark  until  June  17th,  1810,  when  his  preparations 
to  start  for  his  new  diocese  seemed  complete.  But  an  unexpected 
embarrassment  with  the  civil  authorities  at  Naples,  on  the  pretext 
that  his  papers  were  not  satisfactory,  thwarted  him  in  his  purpose. 
A  sudden  attack  of  illness  carried  him  off,  and  on  the  20th  of 
June  he  was  buried  in  the  church  of  San  Domenico  Maggiore,  in 
Naples. 

Through  the  interference  of  Archbishop  Troy  of  Dublin  and 
other  Irish  bishops,  who  busied  themselves  overmuch  in  American 
affairs,  the  Hcly  See  was  led  into  the  blunder  of  appointing  as 
successor  to  Bishop  Concanen  a  worthy  man,  but  a  subject  of 
Great  Britain,  then  at  war  with  the  United  States.  Another 
country  would  have  resented  this  as  an  insult. 

The  Rev.  John  Connolly  was  appointed  bishop  and  consecrated 
November  6th,  1814.  The  relations  between  himself  and  the 
archbishop  and  the  other  prelates  seem  to  have  been  of  a  strained 
nature.  He  arrived  in  the  ship  Sn/Iy,  December  2d,  181 5,  un- 
announced and  without  a  single  one  of  his  priests  to  greet  him. 

In  the  division  of  the  diocese  of  Baltimore,  Hunterdon,  War- 
ren, Burlington,  Gloucester,  Salem,  Cumberland,  and  Cape  May 
counties  in  New  Jersey  were  assigned  to  the  Philadelphia  diocese ; 
and  Sussex,  Morris,  Essex,  Bergen,  Somerset,  Middlesex,  and 
Monmouth  counties  to  the  diocese  of  New  York. 

For  almost  half  a  century,  then,  the  bishops  of  New  York  and 
Philadelphia  must  look  after  Catholic  interests  in  the  respective 
divisions  of  our  State,  and  this  will  explain  to  the  present  gener- 
ation the  presence  in  New  Jersey  of  priests  who  are  to  be  found 
later  on  laboring  and  honored  in  the  great  metropolis  of  our  coun- 
try and  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love. 

Industrial  schemes,  meanwhile,  were  in  an  active  stage  of 
development,  and  the  little  drops  of  that  mighty  flood  of  emigra- 
tion were  beginning  to  fall  in  various  parts  of  the  State.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  Morris  County  alone  was 
able  to  supply  all  the  iron  ore  needed  in  the  United  States. 
There  were  in  the  county  two  furnaces,  two  rolling  mills,  two 
slitting  mills,  and  thirty  forges^to  say  nothing  of  the  iron  mines. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  65 

The  Morris  Canal  and  Banking  Company  was  chartered,  Decem- 
ber 31st,  1824,  to  build  a  canal  from  the  Delaware  River,  near 
Easton,  to  Newark,  and  in  1828  was  authorized  to  extend  it  to 
the  Hudson  River. 

In  1 81 5,  February  6th,  the  legislature  granted  what  was  per- 
haps the  first  railroad  charter  ever  granted  in  the  United  States, 
by  an  act  creating  a  company  "  to  build  a  railroad  from  the  river 
Delaware,  near  Trenton,  to  the  river  Raritan,  at  or  near  New 
Brunswick,"  and  thus*  inaugurated  that  vast  system  of  commer- 
cial highways  which  has  so  promoted  the  prosperity  of  our  State. 
In  the  furthering  of  these  enterprises  and  the  construction  of 
these  works  labor  was  needed.  Unavailable  at  home,  it  had  to 
be  sought  abroad,  and  in  the  main  these  men  of  brawn  and  muscle 
were  English,  Irish,  and  Scotch.  The  first  emigrants,  coming 
from  a  condition  of  peonage,  cowed  by  oppression,  warped  to 
duplicity,  if  not  lack  of  veracity,  by  the  too  human  effort  to  shield 
themselves  from  the  iron  hand  of  the  oppressor,  be  he  the  land- 
lord or  his  agents,  made  suspicious  of  everybody  and  everything 
by  the  swarms  of  spies  set  upon  them  by  a  harsh  government,  no 
sooner  did  they  breathe  the  air  of  freedom  than,  intoxicated  by 
it,  they  cast  off  all  restraint,  which  often  led  to  disorders,  fraught 
with  scandal  and  annoyance,  and  disastrous  to  the  faith  of  not  a 
few. 

In  the  first  fifty  years  of  our  history  there  was  scarcely  a  par- 
ish which  did  not  suffer  from  these  evils,  and  the  heart  of  many  a 
worthy  priest  was  broken  and  his  spirit  crushed,  and  the  flock 
torn  by  dissension  from  precisely  these  causes,  which  were  inevit- 
able then,  but  now  have  happily  passed  away.  The  culprit  was 
not  the  Celt  alone,  but  his  Gallic,  Germanic,  and,  at  a  later  period 
and  in  a  lesser  degree,  his  Slavic,  Polish,  and  Italian  brother. 
With  these  remarks,  the  unpleasant  memories  of  their  past  mis- 
deeds may  sleep  with  the  dust  of  the  victims  and  promoters,  of 
whom  these  lived  to  regret  and  the  others  hastened  to  forgive. 

From  the  moors  and  glens  of  old  Ireland,  from  its  valleys  and 
mountains  they  came,  their  hearts  filled  with  sad  memories  of 
stately  ruins  of  the  grandeurs  of  that  old  faith  for  which  they 
together  with  their  sires  had  sacrificed  so  much,  and  mindful  of 
the  desolation  that  had  swept  over  their  fair  land  in  the  stubborn 
effort  they  had  made  to  uphold  the  glory  and  integrity  of  their 
national  honor.  And,  as  they  strained  their  eyes  with  one  long, 
lingering  look  at  the  bold  headlands  of  Kerry's  coast,  and  saw  the 
mad  waves  leap  in  fury  and  dash  their  crested  foam,  helpless  and 
5 


66  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

impotent,  against  the  eternal  hills,  the  tears  veiled  from  their  gaze 
a  land  they  never  hoped  and,  most  of  them,  were  never  destined 
to  see  again. 

And  the  Sassenagh,  the  ripened  fruit  of  the  bloody  Hengist 
and  Horsa,  of  the  cruel  Dane,  of  the  freebooting,  pitiless  Norman 
and  the  unconquerable  Briton,  met  again  the  old  foe  of  their  fore- 
bears, met  them  with  that  instinctive  hatred  which  so  often  has 
characterized  nations,  clans,  and  families,  and  perpetuated  feuds, 
enmities,  and  bloodshed  for  no  other  reason  than  a  traditional 
pledge  of  mutual  antagonism.  Hence,  the  odious  laws,  the  out- 
breaks, which  go  echoing  along  the  cycles,  bursting  forth  again 
and  again  into  those  unjust  and  cruel  manifestations  of  Know- 
nothingism  and  Apaism.  Even  then  this  addition  of  a  new  ele- 
ment in  our  population  did  not  fail  to  excite  the  alarm  of  many, 
and  to  them,  when  the  question  of  emigration  was  discussed  in 
Congress,  in  1790,  Representative  Lawrence  had  this  to  say:  "If 
the  immigrant  bring  an  able  body,  his  labor  will  be  productive  of 
national  wealth,  an  addition  to  our  national  strength." 

These  Irish  lads  and  lasses  distributed  themselves  over  our 
State,  as  faith  cultures,  some  settling  in  the  larger  towns,  where 
employment  might  be  had  as  laborers  in  factories  or  at  service  in 
families ;  others  trudged  through  the  country,  finding  occupation 
on  farms;  or  others  still  along  projected  lines  of  railroad  and 
canal.  And  the  priests  were  on  their  trail,  and  did  not  fail,  even 
if  there  were  no  church,  to  build  an  altar  of  logs  and  stones,  and 
under  the  shadow  of  God's  own  Gothic  temple— a  widespreading 
oak  or  chestnut  tree — to  offer  the  holy  Sacrifice  while  the  kneel- 
ing throng,  bowed  in  silence,  their  hearts  filled  with  consolation, 
and  their  memories  carried  back  beyond  the  seas  to  other  shrines 
and  other  SoggaitJis,  not  less  loved  and  reverenced  than  the  priest 
before  them,  whose  language  they  could  hardly  understand,  rever- 
ently adored  their  Eucharistic  God. 

"  I  will  never  forget  the  Mass  I  once  heard  in  a  country  chapel. 
I  happened  one  day  at  the  foot  of  a  lofty  eminence.  It  was  crested 
with  fir  trees  and  oaks.  Up  its  sides  I  climbed  until  I  found  my- 
self in  presence  of  a  man  on  his  knees.  Soon  I  saw  others  in  the 
same  posture ;  and  the  higher  I  went  the  more  numerous  was  the 
throng.  As  I  reached  the  summit  I  saw  a  humble  building  in 
the  form  of  a  cross,  built  of  stones  without  mortar,  and  with  a 
thatched  roof.  All  around  were  crowds  of  big,  brawny  men,  on 
their  knees,  with  uncovered  head,  despite  the  pelting  rain  and  the 
liquid  mud  under  them.     A  stillness  as  of  death  hung  over  them. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  67 

It  was  the  Catholic  chapel  of  Blarney,  and  the  'Soggarth'  was 
saying  Mass.  I  reached  there  just  at  the  Elevation,  and  one  and 
all  bowed  down  to  the  very  earth. 

"  I  managed  to  edge  my  way  within  its  crowded  walls.  No 
pews,  no  decorations,  not  even  a  floor.  Everywhere  the  damp 
and  pebbly  earth ;  oj^en  windows  and  tallow  dips  instead  of  wax 
tapers.  The  good  priest  made  the  announcement  in  Irish,  that 
on  such  a  da)'  he  would  hold  a  station  in  such  a  place,  where  he 
would  hear  confessions,  say  Mass,  and  visit  the  sick.  Soon  Mass 
was  over;  the  priest  mounted  his  horse  and  was  off;  little  by 
little  the  crowd  broke  up  and  trudged  off,  some  to  their  cabins, 
others  with  the  sickle  over  their  arm  to  the  harvest,  and  others 
lolled  along  the  road,  stopping  at  some  near-by  cabin  to  accept  its 
humble  hospitality,  not  as  a  charity,  but  as  a  right.  Others  with 
their  wives  mounted  behind  them  rode  off  to  their  distant  homes. 
Full  many,  however,  remained  praying  a  long  time  before  the 
Eucharistic  God,  prostrate  on  the  ground,  in  that  silent  spot  so 
dear  to  a  poverty-stricken  people,  but  so  faithful  in  the  hour  of 
persecution.  The  stranger  who  sees  such  sights,  and  on  his 
knees  side  by  side  with  these  poverty-pinched  creatures,  rises  up 
with  a  heart  overflowing  with  pride  and  happiness  at  the  thought 
that  he  too  belongs  to  that  Church  which  knows  not  death,  and 
which  at  the  very  time  that  unbelief  is  digging  its  grave,  feels  the 
throbbing  of  a  new  life  in  the  desert  places  of  Ireland  and  America, 
but  free  and  poor  as  it  was  at  its  cradle  "  (Montalembert,  Avcnir, 
January,  1831). 

Our  theme  brings  us  now  to  the  first  Catholic  settlement  in 
the  episcopal  city  of  the  diocese. 

St.  John's  Church,  Newark,  N.  J. 

This  beautiful  edifice,  located  on  Mulberry  Street,  is  a  land- 
mark, standing  in  an  atmosphere  of  interesting  memories.  Its 
architect  was  the  Very  Rev.  Patrick  Moran,  who  was  also  the 
architect  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  and  St.  Peter's,  of  Belleville. 
It  consists  of  the  original  church  with  a  facade  designed  by 
Father  Moran,  and  the  whole  structure  is  built  of  Newark  brown- 
stone  from  the  old  quarry  on  Eighth  Avenue.  A  rude  hickory 
cross  about  six  feet  high,  unstripped  of  its  bark,  surmounted  the 
gable  of  the  original  structure,  and  was  the  first  emblem  of  salva- 
tion reared  in  this  State,  spreading  its  arms  to  all. 

The  Rev.  Paul  McQuade,  ordained  in  Canada,  September  23d, 


68 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


ST,    JOHN'S   FIRST   CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

IN   NEWARK.      (1828.) 

Built  by  Rev.  Gregory  Brj'an  Pardow. 


1805,  lal)ored  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  1813  to  1817,  according"  to  tradi- 
tion, offered  the  holy   Sacritice  for  the   first  time  in  the  city  of 

Newark  in  an  old  stone 
house,  which  stood  for  many 
years  on  the  corner  of  High 
and  Orange  streets,  or,  ac- 
cording to  another  tradition, 
in  the  Turf  house,  corner 
of  Durand  and  Mulberry 
streets.  In  1829  the  Rev. 
Gregory  Bryan  Pardow  was 
named  first  pastor  of  the 
Catholics  of  Newark. 
Father  Pardow,  born  in 
Warwickshire,  England,  on 
November  9th,  1804,  of 
George  Pardow  and  Elizabeth  Seaton,  was  educated  in  Ston)- 
hurst,  entered  the  Society  of  Jesus,  but  left  and  went  to  Rome. 
His  father  came  to  this  country  later,  and  was  manager  of  the 
Truthteller,  the  first  Catholic  newspaper  in  this  country.  P^ather 
Pardow  was  ordained  by 
Bishop  Dubois,  and  after  his 
appointment  to  Newark  or- 
ganized the  congregation 
then  and  now  known  as  St. 
John's.  It  was  designated  St. 
John's  Roman  Catholic  Soci- 
ety of  Newark,  N.  J. 

"In  1829,  the  Rev.  Greg- 
ory Bryan  Pardow,  of  New 
York,  organized,  under  the 
patronage  of  St.  John,  the 
association  of  Catholics  who 
founded  St.  John's  church. 
The  first  trustees  were  Pat- 
rick Murphy,  John  Sherlock, 
John  Kelly,  Christopher 
Rourke,  Morris  Fitzgerald, 
John  Gillespie,  and  Patrick 
Mape.  Previous  to  the  build- 
ing of  St.  John's  church,  the  Catholics  of  Newark  had  met 
for  divine  service  at  a  house  on   Mulberry  Street,  occupied  by 


REV.  GREGORY   BRYAN   PARDOW, 
Born  Nov.  9th,  1804.    Died  April  24th,  iS 


IN    NEW    JKRSEY  69 

Charles  Durning.  The  trustees  set  about  erecting  a  suitable 
place  of  worship,  (jround  was  purchased  on  Mulberry  Street 
and  the  erection  of  the  church  was  begun  in  1827.  When  the 
foundation  was  laid,  the  trustees  found  that  their  funds  were  ex- 
iiaustetl,  and  they  decided  to  have  a  committee  wait  on  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Power,  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  New  York,  to  ask  him  to  assist 
them  in  their  work,  by  delivering  a  lecture  in  Newark  for  the 
benefit  of  the  struggling  parish.  He  cheerfully  consented,  and 
ad\'ised  the  committee  to  have  the  lecture  early  and  well  adver- 
tised. As  there  was  no  public  hall  in  the  town  at  the  time,  the 
committee  were  at  a  loss  how  to  proceed.  This  quandary  was 
answered  by  the  vestrymen  of  Old  Trinity  Church  in  the  park. 
At  the  suggestion  of  Rev.  Dr.  Power,  the  committee  called  upon 
them  to  ask  the  use  of  the  church  for  the  lecture.  After  due 
consideration  the  vestrymen  unanimously  granted  the  request. 
On  the  appointed  evening  the  lecture  was  given  to  a  large  audi- 
ence which  filled  the  church  and  was  about  three-fourths  non- 
Catholic,  as  at  that  time  the  Catholic  population  was  very  small. 
The  proceeds  netted  o\'er  three  hundred  dollars,  quite  a  sum  of 
money  to  realize  from  such  an  occasion  in  those  days.  The  liberal 
and  generous  action  of  Trinity  has  been  and  al\va}s  will  be  remem- 
bered by  the  Catholic  citizens  of  Newark.  But  through  the  base- 
ness of  one  individual  the  money  was  lost  to  the  struggling  parish. 
The  treasurer  of  the  committee  proved  himself  a  veritable  Judas, 
by  making  off  with  the  entire  receipts,  and  he  was  ne\-er  heard  of 
again.  Let  him  be  nameless !  Under  the  untiring  zeal  and 
energy  of  Rew  P^ather  Pardow  the  building  was  finished  and 
dedicated  to  divine  service  in  1828.  In  the  dedication  ceremonies 
the  Very  Rev.  John  Power,  who  represented  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
Dubois  on  the  occasion,  officiated. 

"  The  old  pioneers,  now  all  passed  to  their  reward,  used  to  say 
tliat  the  front  and  rear  ends  of  the  first  St.  John's  were  of  rough 
boards,  and  not  infrequently  the  rain  and  snow  were  blown 
through  the  crevices  on  the  worshippers  seated  on  planks,  raised 
on  big,  rough  stones.  The  cross  was  of  Jersey  hickory,  with  the 
bark  on  it,  six  by  four  feet,  and  no  doubt  was  the  first  raised  on  a 
sacred  edifiice  in  the  State.  Those  not  of  our  faith  looked  askance 
at  it,  for  it  was  then  regarded  as  superstitious  to  venerate  the 
cross,  as  it  had  not  yet  become  fashionable,  as  it  is  now,  to  place 
the  emblem  of  salvation  on  the  churches  of  Presbyterians,  Meth- 
odists, Baptists,  and  Episcopalians. 

"The  late  Rev.  Michael  J.  Holland,  St.  Columba's,   Newark, 


70  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

gave  a  pen-picture  of  places  and  persons  in  that  city  and  it  is  con- 
sidered worth  reproducing. 

"Just  about  the  time  of  the  erection  of  St.  John's  Church, 
Newark  as  a  city  had  begun  to  awake  to  quickening  impulses. 
The  Morris  Canal  was  being  completed,  and  work  had  already 
commenced  on  the  railroad,  which,  the  only  one  in  the  State,  was 
about  to  connect  the  city  with  New  York.  Statistics  give  the 
population  at  that  time  as  ten  thousand  white  Americans,  six 
hundred  Irish,  three  hundred  Germans,  and  three  hundred  and 
fifty  negroes.  The  central  portion  of  the  town,  still  unincor- 
porated, was  lighted  with  oil  lamps  sparsely  scattered,  and  pos- 
sessed few  buildings  of  any  importance.  There  were  but  four 
wards,  the  north,  south,  the  east,  and  the  west,  and  but  two  docks 
upon  the  river  above  Bridge  Street.  Where  now  stands  Clark's 
manufactory,  in  the  writer's  own  recollection,  was  an  old  frame 
iron  foundry,  and  above  nothing  but  the  marshy  river  banks. 
State  Street  on  the  north,  High  Street  on  the  west,  the  line  of 
the  Passaic,  and  thence  down  River  Street  and  Mulberry  to  Fair 
Street — the  extreme  southern  boundary — might  be  called  the  city 
proper,  though  a  number  of  outlying  habitations  existed  beyond. 
A  wide  and  swift-running  brook,  reaching  into  the  interior,  ran 
through  a  deep  valley  down  a  line  parallel  with  Eighth  Avenue, 
which  formed  four  large  and  picturesque  sheets  of  water  above 
Broad,  High,  Sheffield  streets,  and  the  woodland  district  above, 
each  of  which  supplied  as  many  mill-wheels  with  power.  This 
stream  formed  the  water-shed  of  a  wide  extended  territory,  and 
after  storms  frequently  rose  very  high.  But  two  bridges,  at  Broad 
and  High  streets,  spanned  its  current,  and  these  were  frequently 
overflowed.  On  this  account  many  at  times  could  not  attend 
Mass  from  the  North  Ward  and  Belleville. 

"As  early  as  1824  the  holy  Sacrifice  was  weekly  offered  in 
Newark,  where  thirty  or  forty  attendants  were  considered  a  good 
congregation.  It  was  for  some  time  continued  at  the  home  of 
Mr.  Burning  in  Mulberry  Street,  but  was  first  celebrated  at  the 
residence  of  Mr.  Sherlock,  below  Mulberry  Street.  Persons  from 
Orange,  Elizabeth,  Belleville,  Arlington,  Springfield,  and  Rahway 
came  here  for  divine  service. 

"The  original  church  was  constructed  in  a  very  primitive 
manner,  having  unplastered  walls  and  boards  arranged  upon  stone 
supports  for  seats.  Men  from  the  quarries  dug  its  foundations, 
contributed  the  material,  and  performed  most  of  the  work.  A 
graveyard  large  enough  for  the  wants  of  the  time  existed  in  the 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  71 

rear.  Some  of  the  bodies  were  removed  when  the  new  church 
and  its  several  extensions  were  built,  but  many  of  those  old  pioneer 
predecessors  of  ours  still  rest  beneath  the  shadow  of  old  St.  John's. 
The  first  offshoot  of  this  old  church  was  St.  Mary's,  High  Street, 
in  1842.  Then  followed  St.  Patrick's  in  1848,  which  became  the 
cathedral  of  the  diocese  in  November,  1853.  The  other  churches 
of  the  city  were  erected  at  varied  intervals  of  a  few  years  as  the 
demands  of  necessity  and  opportuneness  required.  The  growth 
of  our  faith  in  Newark  during  Father  Moran's  period  vvas  some- 
thing marvellous.  He  saw  its  first  church  and  welcomed  its  first 
bishop.  He  was  a  man  of  earnest  and  persevering  character, 
though  by  no  means  possessing  rugged  health,  '  His  body  fainted, 
his  heart — never ! ' 

"The  first  native  of  Newark  ordained  to  the  priesthood  was 
Daniel  G.  Burning,  son  of  Charles  Burning,  and  its  first  ladies  to 
embrace  a  religious  life  in  the  sisterhood  were  Winifred  and  Anna, 
daughters  of  Patrick  Hart,  then  superintendent  of  the  Mount 
Pleasant  Cemetery.  Of  the  latter,  all  are  still  living"  {Sacred 
Heart  Union,  March,  1881). 

As  the  cost  of  the  building  exceeded  the  estimate  by  a  con- 
siderable sum,  it  was  judged  advisable  to  put  the  pews  up  at  auc- 
tion. The  first  pew  to  the  right  of  the  middle  aisle  brought  forty- 
two  dollars,  and  the  other  pews  brought  smaller  but  respectable 
sums.  By  this  sale  a  handsome  fund  was  realized,  and  some  of 
the  more  urgent  bills  of  the  contractors  were  paid.  But  there  was 
still  a  large  balance  of  unpaid  indebtedness,  and  general  stagnation 
of  business  ensuing,  the  trustees  found  themselves  unexpectedly 
called  on  for  payment  and  the  church  in  danger  of  being  sold.  In 
this  emergency,  good  Bishop  Bubois  came  to  the  rescue.  Through 
his  friend.  Bishop  Brute,  he  secured  a  loan  of  22,960  francs  from 
the  association  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  with  which  the 
claims  were  paid,  and  from  that  time,  1829,  St.  John's  parish  pros- 
pered. The  Rev.  Gregory  B.  Pardow,  the  founder  of  the  church, 
labored  faithfully  with  the  parish  for  three  years,  and  through  his 
energy,  tact,  and  zeal  insured  its  success.  He  was  followed  by 
the  Rev.  Matthew  Herard,  October  7th,  1832,  and  the  Rev,  P. 
Rafferty,  October  13th,  1833. 

On  November  3d,  1833,  the  Rev.  Patrick  Moran  was  appointed 
pastor.  He  was  eminently  fitted  for  the  place.  He  possessed 
good  judgment,  a  refined  and  correct  taste,  and  an  educated 
mind.  Under  his  management  the  affairs  of  St.  John's  advanced 
rapidly,  despite  the  panic  of  1837,  and  the  sterling  qualities  of 


72  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

their  pastor  continued  to  win  for  the  congregation  the  confidence 
of  their  non-CathoHc  neighbors.  Father  Moran  soon  had  a  hbrary 
of  eight  hundred  and  fifty  vohnnes  in  circulation.  He  organized 
church  societies,  hterary,  temperance,  and  benevolent  associations. 
He  erected  a  school-house  and  arranged  for  the  free  education 
during  the  evening  of  such  as  could  not  attend  the  day  school. 
But  his  chief  source  of  pleasure  and  pride  was  in  his  Sunday- 
school,  which  he  raised  to  a  high  degree  of  excellence.  Connected 
with  the  Sunday-school  was  a  teachers'  association,  which  was  a 
model  of  its  kind. 

The  Puritan  element  in  those  days  confounded  Catholicity  with 
the  nationality  of  St.  Patrick's  children,  and  hence  to  show  their 
contempt  for  both,  on  March  1 7th,  they  were  in  the  habit  of  hang- 
ing a  stuffed  "  Paddy,"  a  string  of  potatoes  around  his  neck  and  a 
bottle  sticking  out  of  his  pocket,  from  a  tree  or  high  pole ;  and 
they  took  great  delight  enjoying  the  wrath  and  discomfiture  of  the 
Paddies.  This  kind  of  amusement  was  very  popular  all  over  the 
State,  and  sometimes  these  insulting  figures  were  hung  from  Cath- 
olic churches.  The  last  of  these  effigies  to  appear  was  about  the 
middle  of  the  fifties.  It  was  strung  across  Broad  Street,  near  the 
old  First  Church,  Newark,  from  a  noble  elm  to  a  house  on  the 
other  side  of  the  street.  That  night  a  good  number  of  stalwart 
Irishmen,  some  Orangemen  among  the  number,  armed  with  axes, 
marched  to  the  offensive  figure,  and,  plying  their  weapon  with 
lusty  blows,  the  noble  tree  soon  crashed  across  the  street,  carry- 
ing with  it  the  ignoble  sign,  and  blocked  all  trafificin  the  roadway. 
The  lesson  was  taken  to  heart,  and  insolent  bigotry  was  silent,  if 
not  extinct. 

When  the  late  Most  Rev.  James  Roosevelt  Bayley,  D.D.,  was 
appointed  first  bishop  of  Newark,  one  of  his  first  acts  was  to  ap- 
point the  Rev.  Patrick  Moran  his  vicar-general.  The  Very  Rev. 
Patrick  Moran,  V.  G.,  born  in  Loughrea,  Ireland,  in  1798,  edu- 
cated at  Mount  St.  Mary's,  and  ordained  November  9th,  1832, 
was  made  pastor  of  St.  John's,  Newark,  in  succession  to  the  Rev. 
P.  Rafferty,  November,  1833.  He  enlarged  the  church  several 
times,  acting  as  his  own  architect,  designing  the  facade  as  it  now 
is,  and  making  many,  if  not  all,  of  the  interior  ornaments  with 
his  own  hands.  Under  him  St.  John's  was  the  first  consecrated 
church  in  the  diocese.  During  a  long  pastorate  of  thirty-three 
years  he  labored  incessantly  with  his  own,  and  endeared  himself 
to  those  of  other  denominations.  Of  a  bright  and  cheerful  dispo- 
sition, he  imparted  the  glow  of  his  kindly  nature  to  all  those  with 


IN    NKW    JERSEY 


73 


whom  he  came  in  contact,  and  more  than  all  with  the  children. 
He  is  buried  in  old  St.  John's  cemetery,  in  the  rear  of  St.  Michael's 
Church.     He  died  July  25th,  1866. 

The  Fireman's  Journal  wrote  of  him,  August  4th,  1866:  "  No 
notice  we  could  write  would  do  justice  to  the  earnest  and  gentle 
character  of  Father  Moran.     He  was  sedulous  in  the  discharge  of 


ST.  JOHN'S    CHURCH,  MULBERRY   STREET,  NEWARK. 

his  duties  as  a  pastor,  watchful  of  what  might  promote  religion, 
and  fond  of  his  library  and  his  books.  Of  a  highly  cultivated 
mind,  he  had  a  most  playful  and  exquisite  wit,  but  it  was  of  that 
rare  kind  that  never  offends  charity."  Archbishop  McCloskey, 
Bishop  Bacon,  and  many  priests  attended  his  funeral.  Bishop 
Bayley  preached  amid  the  sobs  of  the  congregation,  the  tears 
streaming  from  his  own  eyes.     "  Father  Moran's  systematic  habits, 


74  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

the  care  and  devotion  with  which  he  recited  the  divine  ofifice,  the 
earnestness  with  which  he  prepared  children  for  the  first  recep- 
tion of  holy  Communion  and  Confirmation — his  reverence  for  the 
house  of  God  and  His  sanctuary — all  showed  what  an  influence 
that  saintly  man  (Bishop  Brute)  made  upon  his  disciples  "  (Diary 
of  Bishop  Bayley).  St.  John's  is  the  oldest  church  in  the  State, 
and  the  present  is  the  fourth  structure ;  and  it  was  consecrated 
May,  1858. 

After  the  death  of  Vicar-General  Moran,  which  occurred  July 
25th,  1866,  the  following  were  successively  rectors  of  St.  John's 
church :  Rev.  James  Moran,  nephew  of  the  deceased  rector,  No- 
vember, 1866;  Rev.  Louis  Schneider,  November,  1867;  Rev. 
Thomas  M.  Killeen,  who  built  the  new  rectory  adjoining  the 
church  and  did  much  for  St.  John's,  November,  1868;  Rev.  Pat- 
rick Leonard  was  rector  in  December,  1878;  Rev.  Louis  Gambos- 
ville,  who  personally  and  with  great  care  and  labor  rewrote  the 
church's  records  of  births  and  marriages  from  the  foundation  to 
his  time,  and  who  was  the  second  incumbent  to  die  (January, 
1892);  Rev.  Thomas  A.  Wallace,  administrator,  from  January, 
1892,  to  February  27th,  1892;  and  February,  1892,  Rev.  J.  P. 
Poels,  the  incumbent.  The  assistant  rectors  were  Rev.  Fathers 
Guth,  1837;  Farrell,  1838;  Bacon,  1838;  Donahue,  1845;  Hana- 
han,  1846;  Callan,  1848;  Senez,  1849;  Conroy,  1852;  McGuire, 
1853;  Tubberty,  1854;  Castet,  1858;  McCloskey,  i860;  Byrne, 
1 861;  Moran,  1863;  Wiseman,  1867;  Rolando,  1867;  Nardiello, 
1867;  Whelan,  1878;  Corrigan,  1879;  White,  1882;  McGahan, 
1892;  and  John  A.  Fanning,  D.D.  Rev.  Father  Poels  is  now 
rector  of  St.  John's,  and  his  administration  has  already  been 
signalized  by  a  marked  advancement  of  church  affairs  and  an 
entire  renovation  of  the  church  property. 

The  history  of  St.  John's  is  in  very  fact  the  history  of  Cathol- 
icity in  New  Jersey.  The  "mother  of  all  the  churches "  of  the 
diocese,  from  her  sanctuary  have  gone  forth  several  zealous  and 
exemplary  missionaries  to  propagate  the  faith,  and  among  these 
may  be  mentioned  Most  Rev.  Michael  Augustine  Corrigan,  D.D., 
Archbishop  of  New  York;  the  late  Very  Rev.  James  A.  Corri- 
gan, for  several  years  vice-president  of  Seton  Hall  College ;  Rev. 
George  W.  Corrigan,  of  St.  Joseph's,  Newark;  and  the  late  Rev. 
Martin  O'Connor,  of  Peoria,  111. 


IN    NEW    JKRSKY  75 


St.  John's  Church,  Paterson. 

The  first  priest  who  placed  his  foot  within  what  are  at  present 
the  corporate  hmits  of  the  city  of  Paterson  was  Father  Phihp 
Larriscy,  an  Augustinian  monk  who  spoke  Irish  well  and  came  here 
from  New  York,  probably  in  1822.  Just  what  year  he  came  here 
is  not  positively  known,  but  it  seems  to  be  tolerably  well  estab- 
lished that  he  was  here  for  some  years  previous  to  Father  Lajig- 
ion.  The  name  of  this  priest  is  generally  misspelled.  He  was 
the  Rev.  Arthur  Langdill,  and  was  given  faculties  throughout  the 
diocese  of  New  York  by  Bishop  Connolly,  October  22d,  181 7. 

The  first  Mass  in  Paterson  was  celebrated  in  the  residence  of 
Michael  Gillespie,  which  stood  in  Market  Street  on  the  site  of  the 
present  Ekings  building.  Father  Larriscy  was  a  missionary 
priest  who  travelled  between  New  York  and  Philadelphia  and 
visited  Paterson  every  few  weeks. 

Father  Langdill  was  the  second  priest  who  celebrated  Mass  in 
Paterson.  The  Gillespies  had  removed  to  Belleville,  and  so  a 
room  for  the  holding  of  divine  service  was  fitted  up  in  the  resi- 
dence of  Robert  McNamee  on  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Mul- 
berry Street.  Here  the  Catholics  attended  Mass  for  several 
years.  Father  Langdill  was  also  a  missionary  priest,  going  from 
New  York  to  Paterson,  to  Macopin,  Bottle  Hill,  and  other  places ; 
then  returning  to  Paterson,  which  was  a  more  important  Catholic 
settlement  than  any  in  this  part  of  the  State.  On  his  return  to 
New  York  from  Paterson  Father  Langdill  stopped  at  the  residence 
of  Mr.  Gillespie  at  Belleville,  and  after  celebrating  Mass  there  pro- 
ceeded to  Newark,  where  there  were  very  few  Catholics,  and  from 
thence  to  New  York.  This  seems  to  have  been  the  route  taken 
by  the  earlier  Catholic  clergymen,  for  even  Father  Bulger,  who 
was  not  ordained  until  181 5,  said  Mass  in  the  residence  of  Mr. 
Gillespie. 

Father  Richard  Bulger  was  educated  at  Kilkenny  College,  Ire- 
land, and  was  ordained  a  priest  in  181 5  by  Bishop  Connolly.  He 
was  for  some  time  the  assistant  pastor  of  the  Cathedral  in  New 
York,  but  spent  most  of  his  nine  years  of  priesthood  in  adminis- 
tering spiritual  consolation  to  the  Catholics  in  Paterson  and 
vicinity.  It  was  he  who  in  1820  erected  the  first  building  used 
exclusively  for  divine  service  by  Catholics  in  Paterson,  and  he 
was  the  first  parish  priest  in  this  city.  Previous  to  this  time  he 
followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his  predecessors  in  journeying  from 


76 


I  HE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


place  to  place,  preaching  the  word  of  God  by  the  way  and  saying 
Mass  and  administering  the  rites  of  the  Church  whenever  oppor- 


ST.  John's  church,  main  and  (jrand  streets,   paterson. 

tunity  afforded.     In   1821   Mr.  Roswell  L.  Colt,  in  behalf  of  the 
Society  for  Establishing  Useful  Manufactures,  offered  to  all  the 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  77 

\arioiis  denominations  in  Paterson  ground  on  which  to  erect 
houses  of  worship.  This  generous  offer  was  accepted  by  the  Cath- 
ohcs,  and  in  this  way  tliey  came  into  possession  of  a  piece  of  prop- 
erty situated  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Congress  (now  Market) 
and  Mill  streets.  The  deed  was  given  to  the  Catholics  "for  the 
purpose  of  erecting,  maintaining,  and  keeping  a  building  or  house 
for  the  jiublic  worship  of  (iod,"  a  clause  in  the  deed  providing  for 
reversion  of  the  property  to  the  donor  as  soon  as  the  propert}' 
was  used  for  any  other  purpose  than  that  of  divine  worship. 
There  were  at  that  time  onl}-  thirteen  Catholic  families  in  Pater- 
son, but  the  prejudice  against  the  Catholic  Church  which  charac- 
terized its  earlier  history  in  this  country  had  subsided,  and  the 
Catholics  received  aid  from  persons  of  other  denominations. 
This,  added  to  their  own  generous  gifts  of  money  and  labor,  pro- 
duced a  building  25  x  30  feet  in  size  and  one  story  high.  The 
room  was  furnished  with  a  j^lain  altar  and  a  number  of  wooden 
benches  without  backs,  which  serxed  as  pews,  and  the  attendance 
on  Sundays  did  not  exceed  fifty,  unless  there  was  an  influx  of 
Catholics  from  some  village  not  supplied  with  a  church.  Mass 
was  celebrated  every  Sunday  morning  and  vespers  in  the  after- 
noon. The  church  was  named  for  St.  John  the  Baptist,  and  the 
building"  still  stands  where  it  was  erected  in  1821,  although  it  has 
been  considerably  altered  Father  Bulger  was  taken  sick  in  1 824, 
while  assistant  pastor  at  the  Cathedral  in  New  York,  where  he 
died  in  November  of  that  year.  He  was  buried  in  front  of  St. 
Patrick's  Cathedral. 

Although   Father   Bulger's  years  as  a  priest  were  few,  the}^ 
were  devoted  to  the  cause  of  the  Ford  with  an  energy  and  faith 
fulness  which  made  him   so  prominent  a  figure   in  the  early  his- 
tory of  the  Church  in  Paterson. 

The  Rev.  John  Shanahan,  the  successor  of  Father  Bulger,  was 
appointed  missionary  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey — so  much  of  it 
as  was  included  in  the  diocese  of  New  York — from  Jersey  City 
to  the  neighborhood  of  Trenton — with  Paterson  as  a  centre  He 
had  been  educated  at  Mount  St.  Mary's,  and  ordained  in  1823  b}' 
Bishop  Connolly.  On  leaving  Paterson  he  was  associated  with 
Father  Moran  in  St.  John's,  Newark,  1846,  to  May  9th,  1848; 
thence  he  went  to  Utica,  and  afterward  to  California.  He  re- 
turned to  New  York  and  found  a  home  in  St.  Peter's,  where, 
although  deprived  of  his  sight,  he  led  a  cheerful  life,  edifying  his 
])riestly  penitents  by  his  resignation  and  serenity.  After  hear- 
ing their  confession,  the  penance  he  usually  gave  them  was ;  "  For 


78  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

your  penance  you  will  now  sit  down  and  read  this  book  for  me  for 
fifteen  minutes."  He  died  August  8th,  1870,  aged  seventy-eight 
years. 

Father  Charles  Brennan — or  Brannin,  as  it  is  printed  in  con- 
temporaneous newspapers — came  next.  He  had  been  educated  in 
Kilkenny  College,  Ireland,  and  had  been  ordained  by  Bishop  Con- 
nolly in  1822.  He  conceived  the  idea  of  erecting  a  new  church, 
as  the  Catholics  were  rapidly  increasing  in  numbers,  and  proceeded 
to  carry  his  design  into  execution.  He  made  a  number  of  tours 
through  the  surrounding  country  soliciting  subscriptions,  and  it 
was  while  thus  engaged  that  he  was  taken  sick.  He  went  to  New 
York,  where  he  died  in  March,  1826,  and  his  remains  were  in- 
terred by  the  side  of  Father  Bulger. 

While  P'ather  Brennan  was  lying  sick  in  New  York,  Father 
John  Conroy — uncle  of  the  late  Bishop  John  J.  Conroy  of  Albany 
— was  sent  to  Paterson  to  look  after  the  welfare  of  St.  John's  con- 
gregation. Father  Conroy  was  educated  in  Mount  St.  Mary's 
College  and  was  ordained  by  Bishop  Connolly  in  1825.  He  was 
subsequently  assistant  at  the  Cathedral  in  New  York  and  assist- 
ant at  St.  Lawrence's  Church  in  Eighty-fourth  Street,  New  York. 
He  died  chaplain  of  Calvary  Cemetery. 

Father  Francis  O'Donoghue  was  the  next  priest.  He  took 
up  the  work  left  unfinished  by  Father  Shanahan  and  collected 
money  for  the  new  church.  The  construction  of  the  Morris 
Canal  at  this  time  brought  to  Paterson  a  large  number  of  Cath- 
olic Irishmen,  and  it  was  found  that  the  congregation  of  St.  John's 
received  such  numerous  accessions  that  it  was  necessary  to  con- 
struct a  gallery  in  the  church  building  on  Congress  and  Mill 
streets.  Mr.  Colt,  in  behalf  of  the  Society  for  Establishing  Use- 
ful Manufactures,  showed  a  disposition  not  to  extend  to  the  Cath- 
olic Church  any  favors  he  had  not  shown  to  congregations  of  other 
denominations,  and  at  first  refused  to  give  the  church  any  more 
property  or  permit  the  sale  of  the  real  estate  on  which  the  church 
was  situated.  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Du  Bois  then  came  to  Paterson, 
and  he  and  Father  O'Donoghue  called  to  see  Mr.  Colt.  After  a 
conference  Mr.  Colt  was  induced  to  withdraw  his  objections  to 
the  sale  of  the  Mill  Street  property,  and  the  congregation  obtained 
from  him  the  tract  of  land  on  Oliver  Street  on  which  stands  the 
church  in  which  St.  John's  congregation  worshipped  nearly  a 
third  of  a  century. 

The  consideration  mentioned  in  the  deed  from  the  Society  for 
Establishing  Useful  Manufactures  to  the  trustees  of  St.  John's 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


79 


Chapel  is  j82,ooo,  but  this  amount  is  charged  to  Roswell  L.  Colt 
on  the  society's  journal,  folio  153,  so  that  the  Oliver  Street  prop- 
erty was  a  gift  from  Mr.  Colt  himself.  There  is  a  clause  in  the 
will  of  Mr.  Colt  by  which  his  executors  are  directed  to  donate  to 
charities  one-tenth  of  his  estate  unless  it  shall  appear  that  he 
during  his  lifetime  had  already  disposed  of  one-tenth  of  his  estate 
in  this  manner. 

Father  O'Donoghuc  was  greatly  assisted  in  his  work  by  a 
young  man  named  Ambrose  Manahan,  who  boarded  at  Mr.  Hugh 
Brady's  house  and  who  re- 
ceived his  instructions  for 
the  priesthood  from  Father 
O'Donoghue.  Mr.  Manahan 
was  a  young  man  of  brilliant 
genius ;  he  subsequently  went 
to  the  Propaganda  at  Rome, 
where  he  was  ordained  priest 
on  August  29th,  1 84 1,  by 
Cardinal  Franzoni  and  made 
a  doctor  of  divinity ;  he  sub- 
sequently returned  to  this 
countr}-,  where  he  became 
president  of  St.  John's  Col- 
lege and  pastor  of  St.  Jo- 
seph's Church  in  New  York. 
His  remains  lie  buried  in 
New  York. 

The  arrangements  for  the 
building  of  a  new  church  in 
Oliver  Street  were  made  in  1828,  the  year  in  which  the  trustees  of 
St.  John's  Church  obtained  the  grant  of  the  land  from  Mr.  Colt. 
Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Du  Bois,  who  had  so  generously  interested  himself 
in  the  welfare  of  the  congregation,  solicited  subscriptions,  and 
among  others  obtained  one  of  $2,000  from  a  Southern  gentleman. 
Father  Duffy  and  the  trustees  of  the  church  were  indefatigable  in 
their  efforts  and  in  1829  the  foundation  of  the  new  church  was 
laid.  It  was  intended  to  erect  a  church  fifty-five  feet  front  and 
one  hundred  feet  deep,  and  the  work  progressed  favorably  until 
the  foundation  wall  had  been  erected  and  the  lower  window  frames 
fixed  in  their  places.  Unfortunate  dissensions  among  the  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  then  arose,  and  to  this  was  added  the 
debate  of   the  question  whether  Church  property  in  the  State 


RIGHT   REV.  JOHN   DU   BOIS,  D.D., 

Third  Bishop  (1826)  of  New  York. 

Born  Aug.  24th,  1764.    Died  Dec.  20th,  1842. 


8o  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

should  be  held  by  trustees,  as  had  hitherto  been  the  case,  or 
whether  the  title  to  the  Church  propert)-  should  be  vested  in  the 
name  of  the  bishop  of  the  diocese.  The  result  was  that  the  work 
on  the  new  church  was  stopped  for  the  time  being'  and  the  con- 
gregation continued  worshipping  in  the  old  church,  on  Market 
and  Mill  streets,  which  had  been  somewhat  improved.  In  1832 
the  trustees  of  the  church  were  Charles  O'Neill,  John  P.  Brown, 
Joseph  Warren,  Andrew  Lynch,  James  D.  Kile}-,  and  Andrew 
Griffith.  There  was  no  question  that  the  church  on  Market  and 
Mill  streets  was  too  small  and  that  something  had  to  be  done  to 
accommodate  the  constantly  and  rapidly  increasing  congregation. 
So  in  the  early  part  of  1833  the  trustees  above  mentioned,  together 
with  a  number  of  other  gentlemen  prominent  in  the  church,  held 
a  meeting  in  the  yard  of  the  old  church  on  Market  and  Mill  streets 
and  deliberated  what  to  do.  It  was  soon  apparent  that  there  were 
two  factions.  The  one  faction  favored  doubling  the  size  of  the 
church  on  Market  and  Mill  streets  and  abandoning  the  Oliver 
Street  enterprise.  The  other  faction,  of  which  Mr.  O'Neill  was 
the  leader,  insisted  that  a  new  church  be  erected  on  Oliver  Street, 
and  Mr.  O'Neill  argued  strongly  in  favor  of  this  project.  The 
meeting  finally  adjourned  without  having  come  to  any  conclusion. 
The  friends  of  the  Oliver  Street  church  then  visited  their  oppo- 
nents at  their  residences,  and  by  dint  of  argument  and  persuasion 
finally  induced  them  to  give  their  consent  to  the  new  project,  so 
that  at  a  meeting  held  two  weeks  after  the  first  meeting  it  was 
resolved  to  go  on  with  the  work  on  Oliver  Street.  It  was  then 
discovered  that  some  of  the  trustees  and  a  portion  of  the  congre- 
gation favored  constructing  the  church  on  the  foundations  as 
originally  built  in  1829;  the  larger  and  more  conservative  ele- 
ment considered  the  limited  resources  of  the  church  and  finally 
prevailed.  Changes  were  made  in  the  plans,  a  poi-tion  of  the 
foundation  was  taken  clown,  so  as  to  bring  the  windows  nearer  to 
the  ground,  and  the  second  Catholic  church  in  Paterson  was 
erected.  The  church  on  Mill  and  Market  streets  had  been  sold 
for  $1,625.  Subscriptions  came  in  better  than  had  been  antici- 
pated and  the  church  was  compelled  to  borrow  but  little ;  that 
little  was  raised  on  the  individual  notes  of  prominent  Catholics, 
and  when  the  church  was  completed  there  was  very  little  debt. 

The  work  on  the  church  was  done  under  the  superintendence 
of  the  trustees  and  Father  Patrick  Duffy,  the  pastor  of  the  church. 
Father  Duffy  had  no  clergyman  to  assist  him,  but  his  energy  and 
untiring  zeal  were  equal  to  all  occasions ;  and  when  he  left  Pater- 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  8i 

son  in  1836  it  was  with  the  sincerest  regrets  of  all  the  members 
of  the  congregation,  and  the  most  hearty  wishes  for  his  future 
welfare  followed  him  to  the  new  scenes  of  his  labors,  Newburg, 
Cold  Spring,  and  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  Catholicity  had  not  as 
yet  taken  deep  root  iir  that  vicinity  and  Father  Duff}'  had  a  large 
field  but  a  small  flock.  With  the  increase  in  the  number  of  the 
Catholics  more  priests  were  needed,  and  Father  Duffy  confined 
his  labors  to  the  city  of  Newburg,  where  he  died,  June  20th,  1853. 

Father  Duffy  was  succeeded  by  Father  Philip  O'Reilly,  who 
still  lives  in  the  pleasant  recollections  of  hundreds  of  citizens  of 
Paterson.  He  continued  until  1845  as  the  sole  shepherd  of  St. 
John's  congregation.  He  was  a  large  and  powerfully  built  man, 
of  commanding  presence  and  very  social  qualities.  "  Mad  Phil  " 
he  was  called  by  his  brother  priests,  and  was  often  seen  walking- 
through  the  streets  with  a  string  of  game,  gun  over  his  shoulder, 
followed  by  his  hounds,  in  true  hunting  dress.  He  mixed  a  great 
deal  with  persons  of  other  faiths,  and  by  his  sociability,  brilliancy, 
and  powerful  arguments  succeeded  in  destroying  a  great  deal  of 
prejudice  which  had  previously  existed  against  the  Catholic 
religion. 

A  plate  was  always  set  for  him  at  Colonel  Colt's  table,  who 
was  to  the  end  a  most  ardent  admirer  of  the  bluff,  honest,  yet 
withal  devoted  priest.  It  is  related  of  him  that  summoned,  as 
well  as  the  leading  priests  of  the  diocese,  to  the  archbishop's  resi- 
dence in  Mott  Street,  and  displeased  with  the  nature  of  the  busi- 
ness they  were  called  to  discuss,  he  arose  to  take  his  departure. 
Bishop  Hughes  attempted  to  stop  him.  "Stand  aside,  sir;  this  is 
no  place  for  me,  when  my  people  are  dying  of  the  cholera,"  and 
off  he  went. 

Father  O'Reilly  belonged  to  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
respectable  families  in  Ireland.  He  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Scraba,  County  Cav^an,  a  county  which  was  once  called  O'Reilly's 
county.  He  traced  his  ancestry  back  to  beyond  the  time  of 
James  I.,  and  at  the  time  of  his  labors  in  Paterson  some  of 
his  kinsmen  were  still  in  possession  of  the  estates  which  had 
belonged  to  the  family  for  centuries.  He  was  educated  in 
Spain,  being  a  member  of  the  order  of  St.  Dominic,  and  trav- 
elled through  Italy,  France,  and  England.  For  some  years 
he  was  chaplain  to  the  Duke  of  Norfolk,  a  position  of  ease 
and  honor.  The  duties  there  were,  however,  not  enough  for 
the  restless  and  untiring  spirit  of  Father  O'Reilly,  and  so  when 
less  than  thirty  years  of  age  he  left  Europe  to  seek  for  sterner 


82  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

duties  in  this  country.  He  was  first  stationed  at  Poughkeepsie 
and  then  came  to  Paterson.  From  this  city  he  went  to  Cold 
Spring,  N.  Y.,  where  he  built  the  first  Catholic  church.  He  was 
then  removed  to  West  Troy,  and  afterward  placed  in  charge  of 
St.  Bridget's  Church  in  New  York.  As  pastor  of  this  church  he 
died  in  the  sixty-second  year  of  his  life  on  the  7th  of  December, 
1854.  His  remains  were  interred  on  the  9th  of  the  same  month 
in  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  the  funeral  being  attended  by  a  large 
concourse  of  admiring  and  sorrowful  friends,  both  of  the  clergy 
and  laity. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  pastorate  of  Father  O'Reilly  the 
congregation  of  St.  John's  had  so  increased  in  numbers  that  it 
was  found  necessary  to  enlarge  the  church.  Steps  were  accord- 
ingly taken  in  this  direction,  but  the  project  was  not  carried  into 
execution  until  some  time  after  the  advent  of  Father  James  Quin, 
who  came  to  Paterson  in  1845.  There  was  considerable  discussion 
concerning  the  plans  of  the  addition,  and  the  work  was  not  begun 
until  1846.  Instead  of  erecting  the  church  to  the  size  of  the  old 
foundation  walls — which  had  been  entirely  torn  down  and  used  in 
the  construction  of  the  first  part  of  the  church  in  1833 — the  build- 
ing was  made  thirteen  feet  longer,  so  that  the  present  size  of  the 
church  is  one  hundred  and  thirteen  feet  deep  and  fifty-five  front. 
The  original  plot  of  land  obtained  from  Mr.  Colt  would  not 
have  permitted  the  erection  of  a  building  of  that  size,  and  so  an 
arrangement  was  entered  into  with  the  county — which  at  that 
time  was  contemplating  the  erection  of  the  present  county  jail — 
by  which  the  congregation  deeded  to  the  county  a  gore  of  land  in 
return  for  another  gore  of  similar  size.  The  addition  to  the 
church  was  built  by  Col.  Andrew  Derrom,  and  resulted  in  a  vexa- 
tious lawsuit  which  was  decided  in  favor  of  the  congregation. 
Shortly  after  the  completion  of  the  addition  the  seating  capacity 
of  the  church  was  considerably  enlarged  by  the  erection  of  a  gal- 
lery on  the  sides  of  the  church.  The  seating  capacity  of  the  church 
was  about  thirteen  hundred.  As  was  the  case  with  the  first  half 
of  the  church  building,  the  moneys  needed  for  the  construction 
came  in  in  a  very  satisfactory  manner,  so  that  the  church  had  very 
little  debt  when  the  structure  was  accepted  from  the  contractors. 

When  P'ather  James  Quin  came  to  Paterson  to  take  charge  of 
St.  John's  congregation,  his  brother,  Thomas,  was  preparing  for 
ordination,  and  after  Father  James  Quin  had  been  here  about  a 
year  he  was  joined  by  his  brother,  who  came  to  Paterson  as  soon 
as  he  had  been  ordained.     Father  James  Quin  was  of  delicate 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


83 


health,  and  in  addition  to  the  assistance  of  his  brother  had  the 
occasional  services  of  Rev.  Dr.  Cummings,  who  frequently  came 
to  Paterson  from  St.  Stephen's  Church.  Father  James  Ouin 
died  on  the  13th  of  June,  1851,  being  at  the  time  pastor  of  the 
church.  He  was  the  only  priest  who  died  in  Paterson,  and  his 
remains  are  interred  in  the  cemetery  on  Sandy  Hill.  Father 
Thomas  Ouin  succeeded  his  brother  as  pastor  of  the  church  and 
remained  about  a  year.  He  was  educated  at  St.  Joseph's  Semi- 
nary, at  P'ordham,  and  was  or- 
dained by  Right  Rev.  Bishop 
Hughes  on  June  14th,  1849. 
His  remains  are  interred  at 
Rahway  in  this  State,  of 
which  place  he  was  pastor. 

Father  Thomas  Quin  was 
succeeded  by  Father  L.  D. 
Senez,  who  came  in  1853  and 
remained  until  1858.  In  the 
latter  part  of  his  pastorate 
he  was  assisted  frequently 
on  Sundays  by  Father  G. 
McMahon.  Father  Senez 
came  from  St.  Ann's,  New 
York  and  when  he  left  he 
went  to  Jersey  City,  where 
he  bviilt  St.  Mary's  Church. 
He  made  a  number  of  im- 
provements to  the  Oliver 
Street  church  in  this  city, 
and  it  was  with  the  greatest  regrets  that  the  Catholics  of  Pater- 
son saw  him  depart  for  other  fields. 

Father  Victor  Beaudevin  succeeded  Father  Senez  in  1858  and 
remained  until  October,  1861.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Society 
of  Jesus  and  was  ordained  a  priest  by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Hughes  on 
May  25th,  1850.  When  he  left  Paterson  he  rejoined  the  Order 
of  Jesuits.  He  was  assisted  by  Father  J.  Schandel,  who  was  sub- 
sequently the  first  pastor  of  St.  Boniface's  Church  of  this  city, 
in  the  erection  of  which  church  he  received  material  assistance 
from  Father  Beaudevin. 

Father  James  Callan  came  to  St.  John's  congregation  in  1861 
and  remained  about  two  years,  leaving  here  in  October,  1863.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  energetic  priests  that  ever  came  to  Paterson. 


REV.  LOUIS   DOMINIC    SENEZ. 

Born  June,  1815.    Died  P'eb.  nth,  1900 


84 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


He  was  quiet  and  unassuming,  but  continually  busy  with  projects 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Catholic  Church.  His  death  constituted 
one  of  the  most  romantic  episodes  in  the  history  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  this  country.     Some  time  after   he   left  Paterson  he 


MOST    RKV.  JOHN    HUGHES, 
Fourth  Bishop  (1838)  of  New  York.     Born  June  24th,  1797.     Died  Jan.  3d,  iS 


went  on  a  mission  to  California,  travelling"  thither  by  boat  from 
New  York.  While  going  from  San  Francisco  to  his  mission  in 
Santa  Barbara,  the  steamer  on  which  he  was,  was  discovered  to 
be  on  fire.  The  wildest  confusion  ensued  and  an  attempt  to  run 
the  vessel  ashore  failed.  While  most  of  those  on  board  were 
busy  devising  i^lans  for  their  j^iersonal  safet^•  and  resorting  to  all 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  85 

kinds  of  expedients  to  save  their  lives,  Father  Callan  busied  him- 
self giving  spiritual  consolation  and  administering  the  last  sacra- 
ments and  rites  of  the  Church.  He  had  ample  opportunity  to 
save  his  life,  but  the  poor  distressed  on  shipboard,  who  had  been 
injured  by  the  explosion  which  had  taken  place,  and  some  of 
whom  were  dying,  called  for  the  consolations  of  religion,  and 
Father  Callan  remained  to  dispense  them.  He  died  while  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duty — the  death  of  a  hero  and  a  martyr. 

In  1863  Father  William  McNulty,  the  present  pastor  of  St 
John's  congregation,  came  to  Paterson  and  took  charge  of  the  for- 
tunes and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  constantly  increasing  congrega- 
tion. The  Oliver  Street  church  had  become  too  small  and  could 
no  longer  hold  the  large  numbers  which  crowded  to  it  every  Sun- 
day for  the  purpose  of  attending  divine  worship.  Father  McNulty 
consequently  set  to  work  preparing  a  new  edifice.  It  was  his  in- 
tention to  pro\"i(le  a  church  which  should  be  large  enough  to  afford 
every  Catholic  in  the  city  all  the  conveniences  of  attending  Mass 
and  receiving  the  sacraments,  and  at  the  same  time  he  intended 
to  erect  a  structure  which  would  be  a  credit  to  the  liberality  and 
enterprise  of  the  congregation.  He  accordingly  entered  into 
negotiations  with  the  Society  for  Establishing  Useful  Manufact- 
ures, and  in  1865  purchased  from  it  sixteen  lots  on  the  corner  of 
Grand  and  Main  streets.  The  new  enterprise  seemed  to  infuse 
new  vigor  into  the  members  of  the  congregation,  and  the  full 
amount  of  the  purchase  money  of  the  real  estate  was  raised  in  two 
months.  Preparations  were  made  for  the  construction  of  the  new 
church,  and  on  September  loth,  1865,  the  corner-stone  was  laid. 

The  erection  of  the  walls  of  the  church  was  at  once  proceeded 
with.  The  stone  used  in  the  construction  of  the  church  was  brought 
by  canal  from  Little  Falls  and  dressed  on  the  ground  as  required. 
The  slate  used  in  the  roof  was  imported  from  England.  The  chime 
of  bells,  the  only  one  in  the  cit)',  which  had  been  used  in  the  Oli- 
ver Street  church,  was  transferred  to  the  new  edifice.  Before  the 
completion  of  the  main  building  a  neat  little  chapel  was  built  on 
the  northeast  corner  of  the  property ;  this  was  at  once  fitted  up 
and  is  at  present  used  for  confessionals  and  other  purposes.  The 
total  seating  capacity  of  the  new  church  is  1,750.  The  time  occu- 
pied to  build  the  church  was  fourteen  years. 

In  1 872  the  congregation  purchased  four  lots  of  land  on  Grand 
Street,  east  of  the  church  building,  from  the  Society  for  Estab- 
lishing Useful  Manufactures,  paying  therefor  the  sum  of  $10,800. 
The  property  was  bought  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  parsonage, 


86  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

and  work  on  this  was  begun  soon  after  the  acquirement  of  the 
real  estate.  The  parsonage  is  a  handsome  structure,  built  in  the 
same  style  as  the  church  and  of  similar  materials. 

The  congregation  retains  the  old  church  property  in  Oliver 
Street,  but  a  number  of  important  alterations  were  made.  The 
building  was  changed  into  a  hall  for  lectures,  concerts,  entertain- 
ments, and  the  like,  and  is  known  as  St.  John's  Hall.  A  portion 
of  the  building  is  used  for  school  purposes  to  relieve  the  parochial 
school  which  adjoins  it. 

On  September  7th,  1866,  Mr.  William  G.  Watson  bought  at 
an  auction  sale  of  the  estate  of  Cornelius  P.  Hopper,  deceased, 
24.92  acres  of  land,  on  the  east  side  of  Haledon  Avenue,  and  north 
of  East  Main  Street,  and  the  next  day  conveyed  it  to  the  same 
church,  for  $  10,770,  the  object  being  to  locate  a  cemetery  there.  A 
few  interments  were  made  in  the  new  grounds,  but  an  act  of  the 
legislature,  approved  February  26th,  1867,  prohibited  the  location 
or  establishment  of  "any  cemetery  or  burial  ground  within  the 
limits  and  boundaries  of  the  city  of  Paterson,"  and  further  pro- 
hibited the  use  "for  the  purposes  of  burial,"  of  "any  cemetery  or 
burial  grounds  established  within  one  year  within  said  city." 
May  I  St,  1867,  the  church  bought  of  Bartlett  Smith  and  wife,  for 
^15,500,  three  adjoining  tracts  of  land,  embracing  73.19  acres  in 
all,  at  Totowa,  just  west  of  the  city  line,  and  near  the  Lincoln 
bridge,  extending  from  the  river  back  to  the  Preakness  Mountain. 
Here  was  located  the  "  Cemetery  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,"  taste- 
fully laid  out,  containing  3,208  lots  (1,126  consecrated  and  2,082 
unconsecrated),  and  ornamented  and  improved  as  well  as  the  ex- 
ceedingly sandy  soil  will  allow  (Nelson's  History^. 

The  farmhouse  situated  on  the  property  purchased  from  Mr. 
Smith  was  changed  into  an  orphan  asylum;  since  that  time  a 
number  of  alterations  and  additions  have  been  made.  The  children 
in  the  institution  are  under  the  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity. 

The  children  of  St.  John's  for  more  than  half  a  century  have 
had  the  blessings  of  a  Catholic  teacher.  First  they  came  under  the 
hands  of  the  rough,  but  highly  competent  and  ubiquitous  Irish 
schoolmaster,  m  1845;  then,  in  1853,  the  schools  were  put  m 
charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  from  Mount  St.  Vincent's,  New 
York ;  and,  in  1 872  the  Christian  Brothers  were  brought  to  take 
charge  of  the  boys'  department. 

This  Catholic  training  has  borne  its  fruit,  as  is  evident  from 
the  many  zealous  priests,  children  of  the  parish,  taking  up  the 
work  of  the  early  missionaries  and  reaping  rewards  and  honors, 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


87 


the  recognition  of  their  zeal  and  success  in  the  ministry.  Among 
them  the  Rev.  James  McManus,  pastor  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  East 
Orange;  the  Rev.  John  A.  Morris,  Avondale;  the  Rev.  M.  A. 
McManus,  St.  Aloysius',  Newark;  the  Rt.  Rev,  Monsignor  John 
A.  Sheppard,  Vicar-General  and  pastor  of  St.  Michael's,  Jersey 


RT.   REV.  WINAND   M.  WIGGER,  D.D., 

Third  Bishop  of  Newark  (from  i88i  to  1901).     Born  Dec.  9th,  1841.     Died  Jan.  5th,  1901. 

City;  the  Rev.  Robert  E.  Burke,  Princeton,  N.  J.;  the  Rev. 
Alphonsus  Rossiter,  a  distinguished  member  of  the  Passionist 
congregation;  the  Rev.  William  McLoughlin,  Union  Hill,  and 
many  others  in  this  and  other  dioceses.  Others  have  joined  the 
Christian   Brothers;   and  others   still  have  entered  the  Society 


88  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

of  Jesus.  Among  the  early  recruits  of  the  nascent  Community  of 
the  Sisters  of  Charity  were  daughters  of  the  parish,  and  their 
example  has  been  followed  year  after  year  by  other  devoted 
women,  who  one  and  all  have  served  the  Master  in  serving  those 
who  are  dear  to  Him,  the  "little  ones"  in  the  school  and  the 
orphanage,  the  destitute  and  the  sick. 

Never  was  a  parish  so  blessed  in  its  children. 

On  the  29th  of  June,  1890,  the  last  gem  was  added  to  the 
diadem  so  queenly  worn  by  this  venerable  church.  On  that  ever- 
memorable  day  was  solemnly  consecrated  to  the  worship  of  the 
ever-living  God  the  magnificent  edifice  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Grand  streets,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Winand  M.  Wigger,  D.D. 

In  his  last  will  Charles  O'Neill  made  the  orphans  an  equal 
share  with  each  of  his  children,  and  Robert  Hamill  founded  a 
burse  for  the  education  of  an  ecclesiastical  student — examples 
that  others  equally  blessed  might  to  their  own  spiritual  profit  and 
the  edification  of  their  neighbor  imitate. 

St.  Peter's,  New  Brunswick. 

At  a  very  early  period  Catholicity  was  found  in  New  Bruns- 
wick. John  Phelan,  a  native  of  Queen's  County,  Ireland,  settled 
there  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  found  that 
other  families — the  Costigans  and  others — of  his  old  neighbor- 
hood had  preceded  him.  He  was  a  man  of  prominence  and  abil- 
ity, for  during  the  War  of  181 2-1 5  he  was  cashier  of  the  Bank  of 
New  Brunswick.  He  afterward  moved  to  Alabama,  and  his  son, 
John  Dennis  Phelan,  became  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  that 
State  {Irish  Settlers  in  NortJi  Autej-ica,  p.  172,  T.  D.  McGee). 
Then  arrived  another  colony  from  the  province  of  Ulster,  Ireland. 
They  did  not  number  fifty  in  all,  and  came  in  two  divisions,  the  first 
about  1 814,  the  second  in  1816.  Included  among  these  were  the 
McDede,  McConlough,  McGrady,  McShane,  Campbell,  Hagerty, 
Gillen,  Kelly,  De  Vinne,  Murphy,  Butler,  and  Hasson  families. 
These  children  from  the  Isle  of  Saints  form  the  original  stock  of 
the  present  Catholic  population.  For  years  they  met  in  the  house 
of  one  or  the  other  to  recite  the  rosary  and  keep  burning  the  light 
of  faith. 

The  first  priest,  concerning  whom  there  is  any  recollection, 
who  visited  New  Brunswick,  was  a  Father  McDonough.  He 
was  on  his  way  from  New  York  to  Philadelphia.  As  he  was 
going  up  George  Street,  Mr.  Butler  and  another  Catholic  were 


IN    NKW    JERSEY 


89 


coming  down.  The  pair  espied  the  stranger  and  surmised  from 
his  appearance  that  he  was  a  priest.  He  noticed  that  they  were 
comparing  notes  concerning  him,  and  stepped  over  to  interview 
them.  "  You're  Irishmen,"  was  his  opening.  "  We  are,"  was  the 
response.  "And  CathoHcs.?"  he  continued.  "And  you're  a 
priest,"  came  the  quick  half-question,  half-affirmative.  "I  am," 
was  the  answer,  which  settled  their  surmises  and  which  opened  for 


ST.  Peter's  church. 

Mgr.  O'Grady's  Church,  New  Brunswick. 

him  a  welcome  such  as  Irishmen  alone  could  give  to  the  first  priest 
they  had  seen  in  their  midst  since  they  landed.  The  priest  stayed 
at  Butler's  that  night,  and  preached  to  the  Catholics  who  gathered 
there  that  evening,  and  the  next  day  started  for  Philadelphia. 

Next  came  the  Rev.  Dr.  Power  from  St.  Peter's,  New  York, 
about  1825.  He  .said  the  first  Mass  ever  celebrated  in  the  town, 
in  a  house  occupied  by  Terence  Rice,  in  the  upper  end  of  Albany 


90 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Street.  The  first  baptism  administered  in  New  Brunswick  was 
to  Sarah  Butler  in  1825.  Later  on,  when  Rice  moved  to  the  old 
"  Bartle  Mansion  "  on  Church  Street,  where  Zimmerman's  store 
now  is,  Mass  was  said  there  once  a  month. 

In  1829  Father  Schneller  came  in  Dr.  Power's  place  every 
month.  He  suggested  and  urged  the  building  of  a  church.  The 
people  were  delighted  with  the  idea.  But  the  most  difficult  part 
of  the  plan  was  to  obtain  a  plot.  No  one  would  sell  ground  for  a 
Catholic  church.  In  this  difficulty  Father  Schneller  borrowed 
$600  from  a  Dr.  Springer,  of  New  York,  a  Protestant,  and  entrusted 
it  to  Robert  Butler,  with  instructions  to  try  to  buy  from  Dominie 
Jacob  Edmunds  the  plot  opposite  the  present  public  school  on  Bay- 
ard Street.  Butler  saw  the  dominie,  and  said  he  wanted  the  pro- 
perty for  himself  and  his  children — which  was  true  as  far  as  it  went. 
The  sale  was  successfully  consummated  in  the  name  of  Butler. 
But  when  the  transfer  was  made  to  the  priest,  there  ensued  great 
excitement  and  objection  on  the  part  of  our  separated  brethren ; 
nevertheless  the  church  went  up  just  the  same,  and  it  was  called 
SS.  Peter  and  Paul's. 

The  Rev.  Joseph  A.  Schneller,  an  Austrian  by  birth  and 
ordained  in  New  York  December  24th,  1827,  by  Bishop  Dubois, 
was  a  singularly  gifted  priest,  ever  ready  with  tongue  and  pen  to 
defend  the  Church  against  her  enemies.  When  sent  to  New 
Brunswick  he  set  to  work  with  energy  and  zeal  to  build  a  church, 
and  collected  funds  for  that  purpose  in  New  York.  To  him  be- 
longs the  credit  of  sowing  the  seed  of  faith  in  that  part  of  New 
Jersey.  He  remained  in  New  Brunswick  until  1833,  when,  con- 
jointly with  the  Rev.  Thomas  C.  Levins,  he  edited  the  New  York 
Wcek/y  Register  2ini\  Catholic  Diary,  October  5  th,  1833.  He  was 
for  long  pastor  in  Albany,  and  afterward  in  Brooklyn.  He  died 
September  i8th,  1862. 

The  church,  the  corner-stone  of  which  was  laid  by  Very  Rev. 
Felix  Varela,  V  G.,  and  erected  by  Father  Schneller,  was  a  plain, 
unpretentious  structure  of  brick,  with  but  two  windows,  and 
unadorned  in  any  part  with  paint.  It  was  blessed  by  Father 
Schneller  December  19th,  1831. 

Father  Schneller  came  once  a  month  and  said  Mass  till  1833. 
At  times  his  place  was  filled  by  Father,  afterward  Bishop 
O'Reilly  who  went  down  with  the  steamer  Pacific  some  years  ago. 

In  1833  Father  McArdle  came  and  took  up  his  residence  in 
New  Brunswick,  where  he  remained  until  1839,  when  he  was 
transferred  to  Belleville.     It  was  in  his  time  that  the  terrible 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


91 


tornado,  which  visited  New  Brunswick  with  such  sad  results  in 
1835,  tore  away  the  rear  end  of  the  church.  The  open  space  was 
closed  up  with  boards,  and  so  remained  until  1847. 

For  some  time  the  people  were  again  without  a  resident  priest, 
but  Father  Madranno  and  after  him  Father  Donaher  came  every 
two  weeks  and  said  Mass  and  ministered  to  the  faithful. 

In  1842  came  Father  McGuire,  who  took  up  his  residence  with 
Mr.  Boylan,  and  remained  until  1 846,  saying  Mass  every  Sunday  in 
the  little  brick  church. 

Father  McGuire  found  it  necessary  to  extend  his  labors  to 
South  Amboy  and  Somerville.  In  August,  1843,  h^  reported  the 
number  of  Catholics  in  New 
Brunswick  as  two  hundred 
and  fifty;  at  Albany,  fifteen 
miles  away,  sixty ;  and  about 
the  same  number  at  Prince- 
ton and  near  by.  In  1846  he 
was  transferred  to  Brooklyn, 
and  died  pastor  of  St.  John's, 
Gowanus,  October  25th,  1 872, 
aged  seventy-seven  years.  It 
is  related  of  him  that  Bishop 
Loughlin,  remarking  in  his 
financial  statement  a  very 
large  item  for  "groceries," 
inquired  what  need  the 
church  had  for  groceries. 
He  replied,  "  Brooms,  my 
lord,  brooms." 

And  in  1845  came  Father 
Rogers.  A  glance  at  his 
previous  history  will  be  in- 
teresting. 

He  was  born  in  County  Fermanagh,  Ireland,  and  was  well 
advanced  in  the  classics  when  he  met  Bishop  Dubois  at  his  cous- 
in's in  Dublin.  The  bishop  gained  the  good  will  of  the  young 
student,  who  soon  after  left  home  and  came  to  New  York  at  his 
lordship's  invitation.  Before  leaving  home  he  went  to  the  curate, 
between  whom  and  himself  there  was  a  warm  friendship,  to  seek 
his  blessing.  "God  bless  you,"  said  the  priest;  "and  maybe  I'll 
soon  be  after  you  to  the  big  land."  "Little  did  I  then  think," 
said  Father  Rogers  some  time  since,  "  that  I  would  ever  see  him 


^&iC^-'-    - 

^H 

1 

^:0 

g 

REV.  JOHN   ROGERS, 
Patriarch  of  New  Brunswick.    Born 
Died  1887. 


92  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

again,  much  less  that  I  would  one  day  succeed  him  here  as  pas- 
tor of  St.  Peter's."  The  curate  alluded  to  was  the  Rev.  Father 
McArdle,  the  first  resident  pastor. 

Having  finished  his  studies  at  Chambly  and  Montreal,  he  was 
ordained  priest  in  1834  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Lartigue.  For 
some  months,  on  request  of  Bishop  Lartigue,  he  remained  in 
Canada,  to  administer  the  sacraments  to  some  of  the  English- 
speaking  residents ;  but  his  own  superior.  Bishop  Dubois,  recalled 
and  appointed  him  to  the  parish  of  Onondaga,  N.  V.  As  a 
pioneer  in  this  section  of  the  country  much  hard  work  was  his 
share,  but  he  proved  equal  to  the  burden,  and  soon  a  new  church 
was  started,  and  by  his  untiring  energy  and  earnest  cooperation 
of  the  people  successfully  completed.  Indeed,  so  great  was  his 
zeal  that  it  nearly  cost  him  his  life,  for,  giving  all  the  time  possi- 
ble to  the  supervision  of  the  new  structure,  he  was  one  day  on  the 
ground  when  a  hod-carrier  was  taken  sick.  The  masons  were 
calling  for  mortar,  and  a  strong  effort  was  being  made  to  have  a 
certain  portion  of  the  wall  finished  at  a  fixed  time.  The  sun  sent 
his  fierce  rays  down  upon  the  workers,  yet  the  priest  seized  the 
hod  and  actually  carried  brick  and  mortar  till  he  was  sunstruck 
himself.  And  it  was  while  he  was  in  bed  under  this  stroke  that  a 
sick  call  came.  He  was  wanted  to  attend  a  man  fourteen  miles 
off.  The  doctor  told  the  priest  he  would  never  reach  the  place 
alive.  Nothing  daunted,  the  young  priest  ordered  a  bed  to  be 
put  in  a  wagon,  saying  to  those  around  him :  "  I  took  the  cross, 
and  I  am  not  going  to  throw  it  down  now  that  a  man  needs  my 
help  to  get  to  heaven.  If  I  only  reach  him — and,  please  God,  I 
will — and  administer  the  sacraments,  I'm  not  afraid  to  die  in  har- 
ness." And  so  he,  on  his  bed,  was  taken  to  the  man  in  his  bed. 
The  priest  prepared  the  sick  man  and  was  carried  home.  The 
doctor's  prophecy  never  got  a  more  li\'ing  denial. 

During  the  ten  years  he  i"emained  in  Onondaga  he  was  often 
known  to  attend  sick  calls  at  a  distance  of  fifty  miles,  and  on  one 
occasion  went  over  one  hundred  miles  in  a  sleigh  to  administer 
the  sacraments.  Yet  amidst  all  this  he  found  time  for  teaching 
the  children,  as  instanced  in  the  case  of  Bishop  Baltes,  who 
received  his  first  Latin  lessons  from  him  in  Onondaga. 

In  1844  he  was  sent  to  Jersey  City,  where  he  resided  with 
Father  Kelly,  and  went  every  Sunday  for  some  time  to  say  Mass 
in  Hoboken. 

In  1845  Bishop  Hughes  sent  him  to  New  Brunswick,  telling 
him  that  he  would  have  to  soak  the  rod  of  firmness  in  the  oil  of 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  93 

kindness,  and  with  it  whip  out  the  serpent  of  the  hateful  old 
trustee  system,  which  there,  as  elsewhere,  had  caused  much 
trouble.  And  the  priest  was  faithful  to  the  charge;  for  though 
the  serpent  raised  its  head  the  first  Sunday  he  came,  and  occa- 
sionally afterward,  he  then  and  always  beat  it  down  stoutly,  yet 
without  any  noise  or  commotion. 

The  year  before  he  came,  the  church  had  been  sold  under 
foreclosure  and  bought  in  for  the  congregation  for  ^600.  Mean- 
time Mass  was  said  in  Mr.  Boylan's,  on  Church  Street.  Father 
Rogers's  first  step  was  to  lift  this  debt,  and  this  he  soon  did  by 
extraordinary  work,  and  the  church  was  again  opened. 

In  1847  he  tore  away  the  boards  that  enclosed  the  back  of  the 
church  and  enlarged  the  edifice.  Next  he  built  a  school  and  had 
about  thirty  children  in  attendance.  Meanwhile  he  lived  in  a  lit- 
tle house  beside  the  church,  and  some  of  the  old  folks  laughingly 
tell  that  when  they  called  on  the  priest  he  would  in\'ite  them  in 
and  bid  them  take  a  chair,  seating  himself  on  his  trunk  beside  a 
little  wooden  table.  Then,  allowing  the  visitor  to  remain  in  per- 
plexity for  some  moments,  he  would  suddenly,  as  if  reminded  of 
the  fact,  apologize  for  the  absence  of  chairs  by  saying  in  a  very 
confidential  tone  that  he  had  loaned  them  out  the  night  before  to 
a  wedding  party. 

We  might  state  that  the  time  the  church  was  built  many  of  the 
remains  of  persons  buried  in  the  Episcopal  cemetery  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  plot  purchased  by  the  Catholics. 

Under  Father  Rogers  the  congregation  continued  to  increase 
with  great  rapidity.  New  Jersey  or  the  greater  part  of  it  was 
then  included  in  the  New  York  diocese,  with  Bishop  Hughes 
presiding,  and  the  priest  was  required  to  attend  to  the  spiritual 
wants  of  South  Amboy,  Woodbridge,  Somerville,  Princeton,  and 
Millstone,  in  addition  to  this  city.  He  would  have  Mass  at  eight 
o'clock  in  this  city  on  one  Sunday,  and  then  go  in  a  carriage  to 
Amboy  or  one  of  the  other  places  mentioned  and  say  Mass 
there  at  eleven  o'clock;  the  succeeding  week  going  to  either  one 
of  these  places  on  Saturday  evening  to  hear  confessions,  and  next 
morning,  after  having  Mass  at  eight  o'clock,  would  drive  to  this 
city  in  time  to  have  Mass  here  at  eleven  o'clock,  thus  alternating 
between  the  places. 

This  was  a  thriving  city  then,  but  more  in  a  commercial  than 
a  manufacturing  aspect,  the  first  thing  in  the  way  of  a  factory 
having  been  a  saw  mill,  which  was  started  in  a  deep  lock  by  either 
James  or  Schuyler  Neilson,  some  time  about  the  year  1838.     Dur- 


94  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

ing  the  summer  of  the  year  1836  the  railroad  bridge  was  built, 
and  subsequently  the  first  rubber  factory  was  started  here  by  Mr. 
Horace  Day,  who  when  a  boy  attended  a  private  school  in  this 
city  taught  by  Mr.  Jonathan  White,  a  "down-east"  Yankee,  and 
an  excellent  scholar.  Shortly  after  starting  the  factory  Horace 
sent  a  rubber  boat  as  a  present  to  the  Bey  of  Tunis,  and  received 
in  return  a  valuable  present  set  in  jewels.  He  afterward  removed 
to  Newark.  The  factories  increasing  brought  an  increase  of 
population,  principally  Irish,  so  that  with  those  already  here  and 
those  who  came  later  it  became  necessary  to  build  a  larger  church 
to  accommodate  them,  and  the  property  where  the  present  St. 
Peter's  Church  stands  was  purchased,  and  during  the  winter  fol- 
lowing, in  1854,  the  work  of  excavating  for  the  foundation  was 
commenced,  many  of  the  laborers,  out  of  employment  at  the  time, 
giving  their  work  gratis  to  help  the  enterprise  along.  It  was  not 
until  1865  that  the  building  was  entirely  completed,  although 
previous  to  this  both  the  basement  and  the  upper  church  had 
been  used  for  service.  In  1867  the  Rev.  Major  Duggan  was  ap- 
pointed assistant,  with  the  more  ample  power  of  administrator,  to 
relieve  the  burden  of  the  venerable  pastor.  Father  Duggan  con- 
verted the  old  church  into  a  school,  introduced  the  Sisters  of 
Charity,  and  founded  several  societies.  Under  his  administration 
the  George  Street  property,  later  used  as  a  school,  was  bought, 
as  also  the  present  rectory,  the  Sisters'  house  built,  and  the  chime 
of  bells  hung  in  the  tower.  His  successor,  September,  1873,  was 
the  Rev.  Patrick  F.  Downes,  who  continued  the  good  work  inaug- 
lu'ated  by  Father  Duggan,  who  was  transferred  to  St.  Mary's, 
Hoboken.  In  May,  1891,  the  Rev.  John  A.  O'Grady  was  trans- 
ferred from  the  parish  of  Our  Lady,  Boonton,  which,  owing  to  a 
collapse  of  all  the  industries  of  that  once  busy  town,  was  a  forlorn 
hope  when  he  was  assigned,  but  which  by  his  able  financial  man- 
agement and  persistent  effort  he  left  in  a  flourishing  condition. 
In  coming  to  New  Brunswick  a  heavy  task  awaited  him,  but  he 
courageously  faced  it,  rallying  the  congregation  to  his  assistance, 
and  inspiring  them  with  new  courage  and  greater  efforts.  The 
heavy  burden  of  debt  has  practically  disappeared,  the  church  has 
been  adorned  and  beautified,  a  new  sacristy  built,  and  one  of  the 
finest  school  buildings,  St.  Peter's  School  and  Columbia  Hall, 
erected.  He  has  raised  his  schools  to  the  highest  degree  of  effi- 
ciency, advanced  in  every  way  the  interests  of  his  people,  and  en- 
joys the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  classes. 

He  was  honored  by  Bishop  O'Farrell  with  the  dignity  of  dean ; 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


95 


and,  at  the  request  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  James  A.  McFaul,  D.U.,  he 
was  made  a  domestic  prelate  of  His  Holiness  Leo  XHI. 

The  venerable  Father  Rogers,  crowned  with  fulness  of  years, 
hallowed  by  the  affection  of  every  one  without  exception  in  the 
city  in  which  during  almost  fifty  years  he  had  labored,  answered 
the  call  of  the  Master  and  entered  upon  the  reward  of  a  well-spent 
life.  He  died  July,  1887.  In  his  panegyric  of  the  good,  modest, 
cheery  old  pastor,  to  whom 
he  had  been  more  than  a 
friend,  Monsignor  O'Grady 
said: 

"  If  I  were  to  single  out 
any  one  feature  as  prominent 
in  Father  Rogers's  long  life 
of  half  a  century  in  the  priest- 
hood, I  would  say  that  his 
characteristic  virtue  was  fidel- 
ity at  all  times  to  the  duties 
of  his  sacred  office.  To  de- 
vote half  a  century  to  the 
various  details  of  the  sacred 
ministry,  to  be  ever  at  his 
post,  in  season  and  out  of 
season,  requires  a  spirit  of 
self-sacrifice  which  reaches 
the  utmost  limit  of  moral 
heroism.  Another  trait  in 
the  life  of  Father  Rogers 
was  his  childlike  obedience  to 
ecclesiastical  authority.  He 
lived     under    five    different 

bishops,  and,  without  changing  his  residence,  in  three  successive 
dioceses,  and  through  his  long  and  varied  career  he  was  never 
known  to  be  in  antagonism  to  his  superiors.  This  is  saying  much 
for  him.  The  heart  of  man  is  prone  to  pride  and  rebellion.  Cor- 
rupt nature  finds  it  hard  to  bend  in  submission  to  the  sway  of 
authority,  and  it  is  no  mean  eulogy  to  say  of  Father  Rogers  that 
even  under  trying  circumstances  he  possessed  his  soul  in  peace 
and  always  graciously  deferred  to  the  dictates  of  his  superiors. 
'Better  is  the  patient  than  the  strong  man,  and  greater  is  he  that 
ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that  taketh  cities.'  " 

There  are  now  ten  flourishing  parishes  in  the  field  in  which 


RT.  REV.  MICHAEL  J.  O  FARRELL, 
First  Bishop  of  Trenton  (from  1881  to  1894). 


96 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Father  Rogers  first  came  to  labor;  and  where  he  found  less  than 
five  hundred  Catholics  there  are  now  fourteen  thousand  seven 
hundred. 

St.   Peter's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

The  early  history  of  Catholicity  in  Jersey  City  is  so  entirely 
lost  that  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  obtain  from  the  mass  of  con- 
flicting traditions  any  reliable  details.  Powles'  Hook  was  certainly 
visited  very  early,  not  only  by  priests  but,  as  we  have  seen,  by 
Bishop  Carroll.  The  few  Catholics  resident  there  either  went  to 
New  York  by  boat  to  St.  Peter's  or  were  attended  by  priests  from 
that  church.  It  is  said  that  Mass  was  first  celebrated  in  the  city 
in  1830. 

The  Associates  of  the  Jersey  Company,  incorporated  by  the 
legislature,  November  loth,  1804,  moved  by  a  desire  to  forward 
their  own  interests,  as  much  as  by  public  spirit,  decided,  1829,  to 
give  to  the  different  religious  bodies  land  for  the  purpose  of  erect- 
ing schools  and  churches.  They  were  convinced  that  the  differ- 
ent denominations  would  erect  edifices  whose  beauty  would  en- 
hance the  value  of  the  ad- 
joining properties,  and  their 
presence  would  advance  the 
moral  welfare  of  the  inhab- 
itants. Four  lots  were  deed- 
ed to  the  Catholics  on  Grand 
Street,  March  loth,  1831. 
At  this  time  it  seems  that 
they  were  under  the  spiritual 
jurisdiction  of  the  Cathedral, 
in  Mott  Street.  The  Rev. 
William  Byrnes,  the  first  pas- 
tor, accepted  the  gift  of  land 
from  the  Associates.  His 
flock  was  very  poor.  John 
Mclver  took  the  contract  to 
build  the  chinxh,  and  work 
was  begun  in  1837.  The 
site  was  on  the  edge  of  a 
morass,  and  as  the  gift  was 
coupled  with  the  condition 
of  erecting  a  stone  building,  sufficient  care  was  not  taken  to  drive 
adequate  piling.     The  building  had  not  advanced  far  when  it  col- 


FUIST    ST.    PETER  S    CHURCH, 
Grand  Street,  Jersey  City. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


97 


lapsed,  and  with  it  the  hopes  of  the  little  flock,  who  saw  their 
scanty  earnings  and  their  hopes  buried  in  the  ruins.  The  misfort- 
inie,  howe\er,  prox'cd  a  bless- 
ing. It  stirred  the  sympathy 
of  their  fellow-citizens,  who 
came  to  their  aid  with  money, 
and  moved  the  Associates  to 
modify  their  conditions.  In 
1836  Father  Byrnes  was 
obliged  by  ill  health  to  leave 
the  parish,  and  died  at  Platts- 
burg  in  1837.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  Hugh 
Mohan,  who  so  advanced  the 
work  that  services  were  held 
in  the  church  in  1837.  It 
was  dedicated  by  Archbishop 
Hughes  in  1839,  assisted  by 
Bishop  Fenwick  of  Boston. 
There  were  then  about  one 
hundred  Catholics  in  the  con- 
gregation. Then  began  the 
struggle  for  existence  which 

marked  the  genesis  of  each  new  parish,  disheartening  alike  to 
the  pastor  and  the  flock.  From  1831  to  1844  a  series  of  priests 
seems  to  have  ministered  to  the  wants  of  the  community.  We 
find  the  names  of  the  Rev.  Bernard  O'Reilly,  afterward  bishop  of 
Hartford,  who  went  down  at  sea  in  the  ill-fated  Pacific,  January, 
1856;  the  Rev.  Walter  Quarter,  who  removed  to  Chicago  when 
his  brother  was  made  bishop  of  that  See,  but  returned  to  New 
York  and  died  there  December,  1863;  the  Rev.  Patrick  Kenny, 
of  a  frail  constitution,  who  after  a  brief  stay  went  to  Charleston, 
S.  C,  where  he  died  in  1845;  the  Rev.  John  Rogers,  the  vener- 
able patriarch  of  New  Brunswick.  In  1844  came  the  saintly 
Father  Kelly,  who  offered  for  the  blacks  of  Liberia  the  sacrifice 
of  his  life,  but  which  the  Master  did  not  accept,  reserving  him  for 
a  greater  field.  If  his  was  not  the  martyr's  death,  none  that  bears 
the  martyr's  palm  in  Paradise  excelled  his  motive  and  his  charity. 
The  Rev.  John  Kelly  was  born  in  Trillick,  parish  of  Kiliskerry, 
County  Tyrone,  Ireland.  His  was  the  blessing  of  so  many  great 
and  holy  men — a  good  mother,  noted  for  her  gentleness  and 
amiability.  His  early  years  were  characterized  by  that  sincere, 
7 


REV.   JOHN    KELLY, 

Pastor  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  Jersey  City 
(from    1844   to   1866).      Born    1805.     Died    i86f 


98  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

earnest  piety  which  was  the  charm  of  his  manhood.  Every  good 
work  attracted  him,  teaching  catechism,  reciting  the  rosary,  visit- 
ing the  sick,  and  journeying  even  to  distant  Lough  Derg  on  pil- 
grimages. That  he  was  a  leader  in  the  Rosary  Society  at  the  age 
of  fifteen,  and  a  director  of  the  Way  of  the  Cross,  and  long  before 
he  entered  the  seminary,  at  the  request  of  his  pastor,  who  was 
very  infirm,  instructed  the  adults  of  the  parish  in  Christian  doc- 
trine, stamp  him  at  once  as  a  youth  of  rare  and  exceptional  piety. 
When  the  young  catechist  left  for  the  seminary  in  1823,  the  grief 
of  the  parishioners  was  as  great  as  if  they  had  lost  a  devoted  pas- 
tor. Father  Kelly  came  to  America  in  1825.  He  was  admitted 
to  Mount  St.  Mary's  in  1826,  and  joined  the  Jesuits,  in  Frederick, 
in  1828.  But  his  health  failed  him,  and  he  returned  to  the 
"Mountain,"  in  1830-31,  and  was  ordained  by  Bishop  Dubois, 
September  14th,  1833.  His  first  appointment  was  St.  Patrick's, 
New  York,  May  8th,  1 834 ;  but,  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year, 
he  was  sent  to  the  northeastern  part  of  New  York  to  assume 
charge  of  a  district  about  half  as  extensive  as  Ireland.  He  said 
the  first  Mass  in  Saratoga  in  the  house  of  John  Costigan.  In 
1836  Father  Kelly  was  at  Sandy  Hill  and  Saratoga,  and  pastor  of 
Albany  from  1837  to  1841,  when  he  set  out  for  Africa.  During 
the  Revolution  many  negro  slaves  had  sought  refuge  in  the  ranks 
of  the  British  army  and  returned  with  them  to  England.  Some 
London  philanthropists,  with  a  view  of  bettering  their  condition 
and  enabling  them  to  establish  their  own  government  and  to 
check  the  slave  trade,  restored  these  negroes  to  the  continent 
from  which  they  or  their  fathers  had  been  so  rudely  to^n.  Thus 
was  founded  Monrovia  at  Cape  Mesurado,  and  the  whole  country 
which  it  was  hoped  to  colonize  was  called  Liberia.  This  move- 
ment spread  to  the  United  States,  and  encouragement  was  given 
to  free  negroes  to  emigrate  to  Africa  and  a  powerful  society  was 
organized  to  promote  this  scheme.  A  separate  society  was  formed 
in  Maryland  with  a  view  of  colonizing  another  territory  in  Africa 
in  1833.  The  attention  of  the  Holy  See  was  called  to  the  sad 
spiritual  condition  of  these  unfortunate  colonists  by  the  fathers  of 
the  Second  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore,  and  as  the  Jesuits 
were  unable  in  1834  to  take  over  that  mission.  Propaganda  ex- 
pressed the  desire  of  the  Holy  Father  that  the  bishops  of  New 
York  and  Philadelphia  should  each  send  a  missionary  to  that  field. 
The  Rev.  Father  Kelly,  together  with  the  Rev.  Edward  Barron 
and  a  young  catechist,  Dennis  Pindar,  sailed  from  Baltimore, 
December  21st,  1841,  for  Mesurado.     It  is  impossible  to  exagger- 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


99 


ate  the  sufferings  this  Httle  band  endured  in  the  terrible  climate. 
Father  Kelly's  heroic  courage  and  faith  sustained  him  in  his 
fruitful  labors,  but  at  length  human  fortitude  was  forced  to  yield, 
and  Father  Kelly  was  carried  on  shipboard  in  a  dying  condition 
in  1844.  The  voyage  restored  him  to  health,  and  he  was  ap- 
pointed pastor  of  Jersey  City,  November  12th,  1844,  with  a  parish 
of  about  five  hundred  souls.     His  zeal  for  souls,  his  care  of  the 


ST.  Peter's  church,  jersey  city. 

Old  Parochial  school  on  the  left.     St.  Peter's  College  on  the  right. 


children,  instructing  them  in  simple  and  impressive  language — so 
that  to-day  these  children  grown  to  manhood  still  speak  of  his 
explanation  of  the  catechism — his  love  for  the  poor,  were  the  edi- 
fication of  all  and  the  inspiration  of  the  many  young  Levites  he 
raised  up  to  continue  his  work  in  the  Lord's  vineyard.  Mean- 
while the  circle  of  his  flock  enlarged,  and  to  meet  the  demands 
of  religion  he  built  churches  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the  new 
parishes  of  Hoboken,  Hudson  City,  Bergen  Point,  etc.  He  died, 
poor  and  in  debt,  April  28th,  1866.  He  was  succeeded  by  one  of 
the  children  of  the  parish,  the  Rev.  Patrick  Corrigan,  who  deco- 


loo  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

rated  the  present  St.  Peter's,  built  by  Father  Kelly,  and  handed 
over  to  the  Society  of  Jesus  the  new  and  the  old  churches,  four 
cottages,  and  the  parish  school,  representing  a  valuation  of  $250,- 
000.  Father  Corrigan's  desire  to  see  a  Catholic  college  in  Jersey 
City  was  realized  in  the  erection  of  the  present  imposing  college 
by  the  Rev.  V.  Beaudevin,  S.J.  Among  the  graduates  now  labor- 
ing as  priests  in  the  diocese  are  the  Rev.  Charles  Mackel,  S.T.L., 
professor  of  dogmatic  theology  in  the  diocesan  seminary,  and  the 
Rev.  Joseph  P.  A.  McCormick,  Ph.D.,  pastor  of  Netcong.  Among 
the  children  of  the  parish  raised  to  the  dignity  of  the  priesthood 
are  the  Rev.  H.  A.  Brann,  D.D.,  pastor  of  St.  Agnes',  New  York, 
and  the  late  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Toomey  and  the  Rev.  Walter  M.  A. 
Fleming.  The  old  St.  Peter's  was  sold  to  the  Sisters  of  Charity, 
and  on  its  site  was  erected  the  present  St.  Aloysius'  Academy 
and  Home.  A  fine  new  school  was  opened  in  1898.  The  follow- 
ing fathers  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  have  been  pastors:  the  Revs. 
V.  Beaudevin,  John  McOuaid,  Peter  Cassidy,  John  Harpes,  Joseph 
Zwinge,  and  John  \V.  Fox,  who  is  assisted  by  the  Revs.  Matthew 
McDonald,  Bryan,  Kearney,  and  Edward  McTammany,  of  the 
same  society. 

Among  the  old  reliable  chronicles  is  one  that  refers  to  a  lec- 
ture that  the  Rev.  Dr.  Pise  was  to  have  delivered  on  St.  Patrick's 
Eve,  1843.  The  learned  doctor  embarked  on  the  boat,  which 
usually  took  ten  minutes  to  cross  the  river,  but  owing  to  a  tre- 
mendous snow-storm,  which  heaped  the  streets  with  snow,  "it  was 
driven  down  by  the  strong  wind  and  tide,  in  such  a  manner  that 
after  laboring  for  nearly  two  hours  to  gain  her  destination,  she 
succeeded  at  length,  with  the  greatest  difficulty,  in  reaching  the 
shore.  It  was  then  too  late  for  the  service."  We  are  also  in- 
formed of  the  publication  of  "  Seven  Letters,"  by  James  Walsh, 
publisher,  Jersey  City.  "These  letters,  containing  much  useful 
matter  on  religious  doctrine,  have  been  published  by  Mr.  Walsh 
in  a  small,  cheap  volume.  His  undertaking  should  be  encouraged, 
especially  as  he  put  forth  his  book  under  the  patronage  of  the 
excellent  pastor  of  the  church  of  Jersey  City,  and  his  brother,  the 
pastor  of  St.  Mary's.  To  these  reverend  gentlemen  (Father,  later 
Bishop,  Quarter,  and  his  brother,  Father  Walter  Quarter)  the 
letters  are  dedicated  "  {^Catholic  Expositor,  March,  1843). 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  loi 

The  Early  History  of  Catholicity  in  Jersey  City. 

Bv  Mr    John  McGuigan,  Lately  Deceased. 

In  the  earl)-  days  of  Paulus  Hook  there  were  two  factories 
which  gave  employment,  the  glass  works  owned  and  conducted  by 
George  and  Phenice  Dummel,  and  the  American  pottery  works 
carried  on  by  Da\id  Henderson  &  Co.  Many  of  the  men  em- 
ployed there  were  Catholics  and  their  families.  As  the}-  had 
no  church  of  their  own  they  were  glad  to  go  to  New  York,  some- 
times to  St.  Peter's,  and  at  others  to  St.  Patrick's  in  Mott  Street. 
This  last  church  had  the  preference,  from  the  fact  that  my  uncle 
Philip  O'Brien  had  a  house  at  the  corner  of  Mott  and  Hester 
streets,  where  old  friends  and  acquaintances,  and  the  lately  arrived 
immigrants  were  wont  to  meet  after  Mass.  After  a  few  years 
the  men  went  to  their  masters  to  request  their  good  ofifices  in 
obtaining  for  them  a  site  for  a  church.  A  committee,  consisting 
of  Bernard  McOuaid,  Thomas  McGuigan,  and  Thomas  McCann, 
waited  on  the  Messrs.  Dummel  and  Henderson,  and  asked  them 
to  assist  them.  To  this  request  they  cheerfully  gave  their  con- 
sent, to  encourage  the  men  in  their  employ.  Application  was  at 
once  made  to  the  Associates  of  the  Jersey  Land  Company  for  a 
church  site.  Their  request  met  with  favor,  and  a  free  grant  of 
four  city  lots  was  given  to  the  following  denominations:  St.  Mat- 
thew's Episcopal  Church  on  Sussex  Street,  the  First  Reformed 
Church  on  Grand  Street,  Trinity  Methodist  Church  on  York 
Street,  and  St.  Peter's  Church  on  Grand  Street.  This  was  done 
to  avoid  giving  offence  to  any,  and  to  manifest  the  broad  and  lib- 
eral spirit  of  the  Associates.  When  this  was  made  known  to 
Bishop  Dubois  he  was  more  than  glad,  and  he  promised  to  give 
all  the  assistance  in  his  power  to  the  establishment  of  a  mission 
here.  He  determined  at  once  to  provide  a  monthly  Mass.  This 
arrangement  was  duly  announced  in  the  Cathedral,  and  the  Rev. 
John  Conroy,  uncle  of  the  late  Bishop  Conroy,  of  Albany,  was 
appointed  to  this  work.  Accordingly,  on  the  first  Sunday  in  Ad- 
vent, the  last  of  November,  1829,  holy  Mass  was  offered  for  the 
first  time  in  Paulus  Hook.  The  place  chosen  for  this  important 
first  step  in  the  onward  march  of  Catholicity  in  the  now  great 
Catholic  county  of  Hudson  was  an  unoccupied  back  room  in  the 
house  now  known  as  52  Sussex  Street,  Jersey  City.  [The  house 
was  the  home  of  Bishop  McQuaid's  father,  and  the  Bishop  re- 


I02  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

members  that  he  was  put  out  of  the  house  to  make  room  for  his 
elders,  to  his  great  wonderment  and  surprise,  as  he  then  did  not 
know  what  Mass  meant,  and  peeked  tlirough  the  shutters  to  see 
what  was  going  on. — The  Author.]  After  that,  Mass  was  said 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  at  No.  51,  the  site  of  the  Coyle 
buiklings,  in  the  home  of  Bernard  McQuaid,  the  father  of  Bishop 
McQuaid.  The  old  house  was  torn  down  some  forty-five  (1886) 
years  ago.  At  the  first  Mass  there  were  present  twenty -four 
adults,  and  their  names  were  as  follows :  Bernard  McQuaid  and 
Mary,  his  wife;  Thomas  McGuigan  and  his  wife  Ann;  John 
Bradley  and  Margaret,  his  wife;  John  Carr  and  Mary,  his  wife; 
Edward  and  Mary  Teague ;  Michael  McLoughlin  and  Katherine 
his  wife;  George  and  Mary  McAleer;  John  and  Ellen  Mclver; 
John  and  Mary  Hunt;  Thomas  and  Jane  McCann;  Thomas  and 
Ellen  Brophy;  Owen  McCann;  Bridget  McGuigan,  married 
shortly  after  to  Daniel  Slevin,  the  parents  of  ex-Alderman  James 
J.  Slevin,  New  York,  and  Ann  Mimm,  who,  with  three  exceptions, 
were  natives  of  the  county  Tyrone,  Ireland. 

As  the  number  of  Catholics  increased  a  larger  place  became 
necessary,  and  divine  service  was  held  in  a  part  of  an  unoccupied 
house  belonging  to  the  late  Michael  Lynch,  43  Morris  Street, 
now  occupied  by  the  Thomas  Goddard  Columbian  Iron  Works. 
The  old  building  disappeared  long  ago. 

The  old  boarding-house  of  the  apprentices  of  the  glass  works 
south  of  the  Morris  Canal  lock,  now  163  Washington  Street,  and 
at  present  a  portion  of  the  sugar  works  of  Matthies  &  Meickers, 
was  the  next  place  of  worship. 

A  fourth  move  was  made  to  the  house  of  John  Hunt,  where 
426  Grove  Street  now  is.  While  services  were  held  at  this  place 
a  movement  was  started  by  a  certain  faction  of  the  other  denom- 
inations to  induce  the  Catholics  to  exchange  their  church,  then  in 
process  of  construction,  and  its  site  for  the  old  carpet  factory  on 
Grove  Street  together  with  the  land  attached  to  it  for  a  cemetery, 
with  a  view  of  converting  the  church  into  a  court-house.  Then, 
like  David's  ark,  it  moved  again  for  a  short  time  to  the  hotel  of 
Michael  Hatch,  89  Railroad  Avenue,  near  Grove  Street. 

The  mission  next  removed  to  the  old  Town  Hall,  110-112 
Sussex  Street — the  old  church  edifice  occupied  by  St.  Matthew's 
congregation — from  which  they  moved  when  they  took  possession 
of  their  new  church.  They  very  kindly  allowed  the  Catholics  to 
use  it  until  St.  Peter's  Church,  then  building,  was  finished. 
When  the  building  was  enclosed,  and  nothing  more  than  bare 


IN    NEW    JKRSKY  103 

walls  greeted  the  vision,  possession  was  taken  of  it,  and  the  first 
Mass  celebrated  on  Christmas,  1835.  Here  for  a  generation  was 
the  faith  fostered  and  propagated,  and  only  when  increased  num- 
bers and  the  prosperous  condition  of  the  parishioners  demanded 
a  more  fitting  abiding  place  for  the  eucharistic  God,  was  the  site 
which  cost  the  early  Catholics  so  many  sacrifices  and  so  much 
effort  abandoned  and  sold  to  the  Sisters  of  Charity.  Upon  its 
site  they  reared  the  present  St.  Aloysius'  Academy  and  Home. 

The  priests  who  attended  this  little  flock  were:  The  Rev. 
John  Conroy,  St.  Patrick's;  the  Rev.  John  Powers,  St.  Peter's; 
the  Rev.  Michael  Moran,  St.  Ann's;  the  Rev.  Charles  Constan- 
tine  Pise,  St.  Peter's;  the  first  pastor,  William  Burns;  the  sec- 
ond, Father  Michael  Mohan;  the  third,  Father  Walter  C.  Quar- 
ters; the  fourth,  Father  James  Kenny;  the  fifth,  Father  James 
Murphy;  the  sixth.  Father  John  Kelly;  and  the  seventh.  Father 
Patrick  Corrigan.  Under  him  the  church  property  was  passed  to 
the  Jesuit  Fathers,  in  whose  care  it  has  ever  since  been. 

Schools. 

The  first  Sunday-school  was  organized  in  the  old  Town  Hall 
by  Morgan  Nowlan,  Michael  Ward,  and  Patrick  Powers  in  1836. 
The  first  parish  day-school  was  organized  in  the  basement  of  a 
house  on  Newark  Avenue  near  Warren  Street  by  John  Carr,  who 
after  his  death  was  succeeded  by  Patrick  Buckley,  and  afterward 
by  Morgan  Nowlan — all  passed  to  their  reward.  For  some  time 
the  school  was  as  migratory  as  the  church.  The  next  place  of 
assembly  for  the  children  was  the  basement  of  the  church,  thence 
to  the  old  Washington  Temperance  Hall,  under  the  care  of 
Timothy  McCarthy,  and  back  again  to  the  basement  of  the  church 
which  was  fitted  up  for  that  purpose.  After  the  passing  of  Mr. 
McCarthy  Mr.  James  Brann  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  school, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  some  lady  teachers  remained  in  charge 
for  some  years,  until  the  parish  school  was  built  on  the  corner  of 
York  and  Van  Vorst  streets,  when  it  passed  under  the  care  of  the 
Christian  Brothers  and  the  Sisters  of  Charity.  Many  thousands 
of  children  have  been  educated  within  its  walls,  and  much  money 
has  been  raised  for  the  support  of  schools  and  church,  by  means 
of  fairs,  picnics,  etc.,  during  the  many  financial  struggles  and 
strenuous  efforts  to  place  on  a  solid  foundation  Catholicity  in  this 
now  prosperous  city. 

There  are  many  incidents  of  interest  in  connection  with  the 


I04  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

foundation  of  the  church.  After  receiving  from  the  Associates 
the  free  grant  of  the  four  lots,  the  committee  was  informed  that, 
as  the  Company  was  chartered  by  the  State,  the  deed  would  have 
to  be  recorded  in  Trenton.  Mr.  Samuel  CoUody,  the  father  of 
one  of  our  late  County  clerks,  very  graciously  offered  his  legal 
services.  He  accompanied  the  committee  in  the  stage-coach  to 
Trenton,  had  the  deeds  properly  recorded,  and  gave  his  services 
gratuitously.  Both  the  gentlemen  of  the  committee  and  the  con- 
gregation were  much  gratified  with  this  act  of  kindness.  On 
their  return  the  committee  was  empowered  to  present  the  deed  to 
Bishop  Dubois,  who  showed  it  to  the  congregation  of  the  Cathe- 
dral at  the  ten  o'clock  Mass,  and  exhorted  the  people  to  assist  the 
nascent  parish  in  every  way  they  could.  Cheered  by  this  action 
of  good  Bishop  John,  the  Jerseymen  began  at  once  to  prepare  the 
ground  for  the  church  by  filling  in  the  lowland.  All  went  to 
work  with  a  good  will.  Mechanics  and  laborers  offered  materials 
and  labor.  As  the  land  was  near  the  meadow  it  was  low,  and  a 
number  of  horses  and  carts  came  across  the  river  daily,  and  gave 
their  services  free  to  the  priest  and  committee.  The  Associates 
also  gave  another  sign  of  their  good  will  by  granting  free  ferriage 
to  all  the  volunteers  night  and  morning.  God  seemed  to  smile 
with  favor  on  their  efforts,  and  the  work  progressed  from  day  to 
day.  The  good  priest  was  on  hand  every  day  encouraging  every- 
body by  his  presence  and  his  kind  words.  Nor  were  the  noble 
women  behindhand,  and  they  showed  that  they  were  not  to  be 
outdone  in  the  good  work.  The  good  priest  called  on  them  from 
day  to  day  to  provide  dinners  for  volunteers.  He  would  knock  at 
the  door  of  Mrs.  So-and-So  and  tell  her,  "  I  will  send  you  three, 
or  five,  or  ten  men  for  dinner  to-day."  And  they  went  to  work 
with  a  will  to  see  that  nobody  went  away  hungry.  The  cheer}' 
"  All  right,  Father !  "  greeted  his  request  everywhere.  High  sand- 
hills characterized  the  site  of  Jersey  City  at  that  period,  and  most 
of  the  property  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Associates,  who  were 
only  too  well  pleased  to  give  away  the  sand  that  the  lots  might  be 
graded.  While  the  work  of  grading  was  going  on,  the  Bishop  au- 
thorized the  committee  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  parish  and,  in 
accordance  with  the  deed  of  gift,  to  elect  a  board  of  trustees. 
Seven  trustees  were  chosen,  who  prepared  the  plans  which  the)' 
submitted  to  Bishop  Dubois.  Having  received  his  approbation, 
the  contract  for  the  stone  work  was  given  to  John  Mclver,  and 
the  carpenter  work  to  B.  Wooley.  Robert  and  James  McLough- 
lin  took  the  contract  for  the  tinning,  which  ended  disastrously  for 


IN    NEW    JKRSKY  105 

them.  They  put  a  Hen  on  the  building,  and  under  it,  it  was  sold 
by  the  sheriff.  It  was  bought  in  for  the  parishioners  for  $500  by 
Michael  Malone,  who  risked  his  money  for  the  welfare  of  the 
parish.  But  the  trustees  and  the  zealous  pastor  gave  themselves 
no  rest  until  they  had  raised  the  desired  sum  and  paid  back  ever}- 
thing  to  their  generous  protector.  Almost  double  the  amount 
was  raised  in  ten  days,  when  the  news  of  the  sale  became  known. 
I  have  already  mentioned  the  fact  that  the  land  had  to  be 
filled  in  on  account  of  its  proximity  to  a  morass ;  but  in  so  doing 
no  piling  was  used.  When  the  heavy  masonry  had  reached  its 
highest  hmit,  and  awaited  the  timbers  for  the  roof,  in  the  fall  of 
1834  there  occurred  a  furious  equinoctial  gale,  and  the  deluge  of 
water  caused  the  west  wall  to  fall  out  into  the  meadow.  This 
was  a  bad  set-back,  and  delayed  the  completion  of  the  building 
another  year.  You  will  understand  some  of  the  crosses  which 
the  early  pioneers  endured  in  stri\'ing  to  plant  the  seed  of  faith  in 
this  city.  Another  blow  was  the  removal  of  the  glass  works. 
Coal  began  to  be  introduced  and  used  as  a  substitute  for  wood ; 
and  on  this  account  the  numbers  of  the  parish  were  diminished  by 
about  one-half.  Many  were  forced  to  seek  employment  else- 
where. Then  came  the  financial  crash  of  1837.  Business  was  at 
a  complete  standstill.  No  work,  and  no  money,  and  a  great  deal 
of  suffering  were  for  our  people  some  of  the  consequences  of  the 
panic.  As  they  had  no  money  for  themselves,  they  had  nothing 
for  the  Church.  Hence,  everything  dragged  along  until  the  ar- 
rival of  Father  Walter  J.  Quarters  in  1840,  who  infused  new  life 
and  hope  in  the  breasts  of  the  almost  desperate  children  of  the 
Church.  Times  improved,  men  had  employment,  and  as  Father 
Quarters  had  already  considerable  experience  in  church  building 
in  New  York,  he  closed  a  contract  with  Hugh  Clark  to  finish  the 
church  and  have  it  ready  for  occupation  as  speedily  as  possible. 
Our  people  responded  generously  to  the  appeal  of  the  jovial,  light- 
hearted  priest,  who  made  friends  not  only  with  his  own,  but  with 
many  of  those  outside  of  the  Church.  His  New  York  friends, 
too,  gave  him  substantial  and  welcome  assistance.  He  began  to 
organize  a  church  choir,  opened  a  class  for  vocal  and  instrumental 
music,  and  started  a  catechism  class  to  prepare  the  children  for  first 
Communion  and  Confirmation.  And  on  June  7th,  1841,  many 
of  them  were  confirmed.  His  next  move  was  the  purchase  of  an 
organ,  and  James  Walsh  was  appointed  organist  and  choir- 
master. When  his  brother  William  was  chosen  for  the  Episcopal 
See  of  Chicago  Father  Walter  severed  his  connection  with  Jersey 


!o6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

City,  much  to  the  regret  of  all,  to  accompany  the  new  bishop. 
He  was  succeeded  by  that  saintly  man,  the  Rev.  John  Kelly,  who 
labored  so  fruitfully  and  zealously,  until  God  called  him  to  his 
reward  in  April,  1 866. 

If  I  may  be  permitted  I  will  tell  something  about  the  offshoots 
of  this  first  nursery  of  Catholicity  in  Jersey  City. 

The  second  church  erected  in  Hudson  County  was  St.  Mary's, 
Hoboken,  at  the  corner  of  Willow  and  Fourth  streets,  recently 
vacated  for  the  new  church  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace.  Mention 
should  also  be  made  of  St.  Joseph's,  a  little  frame  church,  on 
Monroe  Street,  and  the  magnificent  St.  Mary's  Hospital  on  Wil- 
low Avenue. 

The  third  church  built  was  what  was  known  as  St.  Mary's,  a 
brick  structure  on  the  corner  of  Erie  and  Tenth  streets.  This 
was  attended  by  Fathers  Kelly  and  Coyle,  and  while  the  building 
was  going  up,  Mass  was  said  in  the  house  of  Patrick  Gibney  on 
Ninth  Street. 

The  fourth  church  was  known  as  St.  Bridget's,  a  small  frame 
building  on  St.  Paul's  Avenue,  near  Palisade  Avenue,  and  was  in- 
tended for  the  accommodation  of  the  men  who  were  engaged  in 
building  the  tunnel  in  1856.  This  was  likewise  attended  from 
St.  Peter's,  until  it  was  handed  over  to  the  revered  and  much- 
lamented  Father  Aloysius  Venuta.  On  the  completion  of  the 
tunnel  he  sold  the  old  church,  and  built  the  new  St.  Joseph's  on 
Baldwin  near  Pavonia  Avenue.  After  a  few  years  the  old  gave 
way  to  the  magnificent  new  church,  a  monument  to  the  zeal  of 
the  pastor  and  the  devotion  of  the  flock. 

The  fifth  church  was  St.  Mary's,  Bergen  Point,  on  Evergreen 
near  Linnett  Street.  Mass  had  already  been  celebrated  in  the 
homes  of  John  Welch  and  James  Jackson  in  Centreville,  by 
Fathers  Kelly,  Venuta,  and  Neiderhauser,  and  perhaps  others, 
until  the  Passionists  took  charge  of  the  parish.  They  were  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  James  Dalton,  who  did  not  long  survive  his 
appointment. 

The  sixth  church  was  St.  Paul's,  Greenville,  on  Bergen  near 
Danforth  Avenue,  built  by  Father  Geissler  and  others.  Mass 
had  been  offered  in  the  house  of  Lawrence  Murtha,  who  served 
the  priest,  and  whose  good  wife  attended  to  all  the  other  essen- 
tials. The  names  of  Henry  Lembeck,  Monroe  Lignot,  Henry 
Stoecklin,  and  others  should  never  be  forgotten  by  the  Catholics 
of  Greenville. 

The  seventh  church  was  built  on  the  Andrew  Kerrigan  estate 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  107 

at  West  Hoboken.  The  land  was  granted  to  the  late  Archbishop 
Hughes  for  the  purpose  of  a  college  or  university.  But  the 
Archbishop  had  about  completed  his  arrangements  for  the  build- 
ing of  St.  John's  College,  Fordham,  and  ev^entually  this  grant  was 
turned  over  to  the  Passionist  Fathers. 

The  eighth  church  was  erected  at  the  corner  of  Erie  and 
Second  streets,  popularly  known  as  St.  Mary's,  although  the  title 
is,  I  believe,  that  of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  The  Rev. 
Louis  D.  Senez  was  the  zealous  pastor  who  built  up  all  that  the 
Catholics  in  this  parish  have  to  show  as  a  testimony  of  their  zeal 
and  faith. 

The  ninth  church  was  built  by  Father  Venuta,  on  the  corner 
of  Communipaw  Avenue  and  Bergen  Point  Plank  Road,  which 
eventually  fell  to  the  care  of  the  Rev.  Patrick  Hennessy.  It  was 
named  in  honor  of  Ireland's  patron  saint,  St.  Patrick. 

The  tenth  church  was  erected  for  the  Germans,  and  named 
for  their  apostle  St.  Boniface.  The  Rev.  Dominic  Kraus,  under 
the  auspices  of  Father  Kelly,  started  this  mission  in  the  frame 
building  in  York  Street,  between  Grove  and  Barrow  streets.  The 
Germans  were  growing  in  numbers,  and  up  to  this  time  had  no 
pastor  who  spoke  or  understood  their  language.  Great  credit 
belongs  to  the  Messrs.  Francis  Stoecklin,  John  Miller,  Adam 
Dittmar,  and  Herman  Heintze. 

The  eleventh  church  was  the  modest  frame  structure  on  the 
corner  of  Montgomery  and  Brunswick  streets,  built  by  Father 
Patrick  Corrigan,  and  named  for  the  virgin  saint  of  Erin,  St, 
Bridget. 

St.  Michael's,  on  Ninth  Street,  is  the  twelfth  church,  built  by 
the  intrepid  and  learned  Father  J.  de  Concilio. 

The  thirteenth  is  St.  Lucy's,  long  used  as  a  parish  school 
attached  to  St.  Mary's,  and  instead  of  the  old  frame  building  now 
rises  the  beautiful  brick  structure  built  by  Father  Boylan. 

The  fourteenth  is  St.  John  the  Baptist's  Church  on  the 
Boulevard.  Its  humble  beginning  was  on  the  corner  of  Nelson 
and  Van  Winkle  avenues,  and  the  credit  of  its  erection  belongs  to 
the  Rev.  Bernard  H.  TerWoert. 

St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  on  South  Street  and  Hancock  Avenue, 
is  the  fifteenth  scion  of  that  noble  stock  planted  with  so  many 
tears  on  Grand  Street.  Started  by  the  Passionists,  it  is  now  in 
charge  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Quinn. 

St.  Joseph's,  Guttenberg,  is  the  sixteenth ;  St.  Augustine's, 
Union  Hill,  the  seventeenth,  and  St.  Pius',  Harrison,  the  eigh- 


io8  THE    CAIHOLIC    CHURCH 

teenth  church.  Nor  is  the  roll  ended.  The  Germans  bought  a 
tract  of  land  from  the  General  Erwin  estate,  and  built  the  present 
St.  Nicholas'  Church,  making  the  nineteenth  offshoot  from  the 
original  St.  Peter's. 

[The  author  of  this  interesting  history  is  John  McGuigan,  born 
September  17th,  1826,  the  first  child  born  of  Catholic  parents  in 
Jersey  City,  and  carried  in  a  rovvboat  to  New  York,  and  baptized 
in  St.  Peter's  Church,  Barclay  Street.  He  died  in  Plainfield  a 
few  years  ago.] 

To  the  number  of  churches  on  Mr.  McGuigan's  list  must  be 
added  twenty  others,  so  that  in  the  field  covered  originally  by 
Father  Kelly  there  are  now  forty  temples  of  the  living  God, 
where  priests  and  sisters  are  laboring  with  their  respective  flocks 
for  the  advancement  of  God's  glory,  and  all  these  are  the  precious 
jewels  in  the  diadem  of  the  venerable  cradle  of  Catholic  faith — St. 
Peter's  Church. 

St.   Luke's,  Macopin. 
(Now  St.  Joseph's,  Echo  Lake.) 

The  light  of  faith  among  the  hills  of  Macopin,  although  the 
little  band  of  German  Catholics  was  often  deprived  of  the  consol- 
ing presence  of  the  minister  of  God,  was  never  once  dimmed. 

The  rude  plank  church,  erected  in  the  early  part  of  the  cen- 
tury, was  improved  and  enlarged  by  the  Rev.  Francis  Donaghoe, 
and  on  November  13th,  1829,  it  received  its  first  blessing.  This 
date  does  not,  indeed,  coincide  with  that  given  by  Shea  in  his 
third  and  fourth  volumes ;  but,  when  Archbishop  Corrigan  made 
his  last  visitation  as  Ordinary  of  Newark,  he  found  the  original 
attestation  of  the  blessing  by  Father  Ffrench,  and  hence  this  date 
is  presumably  correct.  The  Rev.  Charles  Dominic  Ffrench,  O. 
P.,  was  a  convert  to  the  faith,  and  a  member  of  the  order  of  St. 
Dominic.  He  was  granted  faculties  by  Bishop  Connolly,  January 
22d,  1 81 8.  He  afterward  became  the  first  resident  pastor  of 
Portland,  Me.,  and  received  into  the  Church  a  }'oung  printer, 
Joshua  M.  Young,  who  studied  for  the  priesthood,  and  later  was 
consecrated  Bishop  of  Erie,  April  23d,  1854  (died  1863).  Father 
Donaghoe  died  in  Lynchburg,  Va.,  in  1845. 

Fathers  Malou,  Kohl  man,  S.J.,  Powers,  and  others  attended 
this  mission  from  New  York  and  Paterson  until  1 845,  when  the 
Rev.  John  Stephen  Raffeiner  took  it  under  his  care.  The  tradi- 
tion is  that  he  built  a  sacristy  and  lived  in  it,  his  boy  occupying 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  109 

the  loft,  to  which,  as  there  were  no  stairs,  he  was  forced  to  ascend 
by  means  of  a  ladder.  This,  after  having  climbed  into  his  eyrie, 
he  would  pull  up  after  him,  and  in  the  morning"  let  it  down  again 
to  resume  his  duties.  Father  Raffeiner,  born  at  Walls  in  the 
Tyrol,  December  20th,  1785,  at  first  adopted  the  medical  profes- 
sion, but  abandoned  it  to  enter  the  priesthood.  He  was  ordained 
in  May,  1825,  and  received  by  Bishop  Dubois,  January,  1833.  He 
was  a  zealous  and  holy  priest,  whose  field  of  labor  extended  far 
into  the  State  of  New  York,  and  even  Massachusetts.  He  was 
appointed  Vicar-General  of  the  Germans,  and  died  in  Brooklyn  in 
1 861.  The  Redemptorist  Fathers  from  New  York  succeeded 
Father  Raffeiner  in  1848,  and  continued  in  charge  until  1855, 
when  the  mission  was  attended  from  Paterson.  In  i860  the  Rev. 
John  Schandel  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Germans  in  Paterson 
and  also  assigned  to  look  after  the  spiritual  interests  of  Macopin. 
From  i860  to  1870  it  was  attended  from  Boonton,  and  again  at- 
tached to  St.  Boniface's  Church,  Paterson.  When  the  Francis- 
cans took  possession  of  the  Carmelite  Church  and  Convent  on 
Stony  Road  they  were  charged  likewise  with  this  mission,  and 
from  that  time  to  the  present  they  have  been  assiduous  in  their 
care.  Many  descendants  of  the  old  confessors  still  live  there, 
and  are  just  as  loyal  and  as  fervent  as  were  their  forefathers  in 
the  faith. 

St.  Peter's  Church,  Belleville. 

Catholics,  among  whom  we  find  the  names  of  the  Elliotts, 
Barretts,  Doyles,  Gormans,  and  Keoghs,  settled  at  a  very  early 
date  in  Belleville.  Long  before  there  was  a  church  in  Newark, 
members  of  these  families  were  in  the  habit  of  walking  to  New 
York,  with  their  children  in  their  arms,  to  have  them  baptized,  to 
make  their  Easter  duty,  or  to  assist  at  Mass.  Their  first  resident 
priest  was  the  Rev.  Francis  Ferrall,  born  in  Longford,  in  181 2, 
and  made  his  studies  in  Mt.  St.  Mary's,  where  he  was  raised  to  the 
priesthood  by  Bishop  England,  in  1837.  His  health  compelled 
him  to  seek  a  northern  climate,  and  on  application  to  Bishop 
Dubois  he  was  sent  to  Belleville.  Previous  to  his  coming  good 
Father  Moran  had  given  the  Catholics  what  attention  he  could, 
helped  them  to  raise  money,  and  gave  them  the  plans  for  the 
present  church.  Father  Ferrall  devoted  himself  to  the  task  set 
for  him,  and  on  December  2d,  1838,  the  church  was  dedicated  by 
Bishop  Dubois.  In  1839  he  was  transferred  temporarily  to  St. 
John's,  Newark,  and  while  there  baptized  Archbishop  Corrigan, 


no 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


September  15th,  1839.  Father  Ferrall  died  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  De- 
cember 5th,  1840.  His  successor  in  Belleville  was  the  Rev.  Ber- 
nard McArdle,  born  1790,  in  county  Monaghan,  who  had  done 
apostolic  work  in  New  Brunswick,  Amboy,  and  near  by.  He  died 
in  Belleville,  August  30th,  1 840.  The  Rev.  David  William  Bacon, 
afterward  Bishop  of  Portland,  Me.,  exercised  his  ministry  here 
from  January  25th,  1841,  to  June  6th  of  the  same  year;  and  from 
August,  1845,  to  September,  1851,  the  Rev.  Peter  Gillick,  or- 
dained 1827,  discharged  all  the  duties  of  priest  and  pastor.  He 
died  in  i860. 

Previous  to  the  erection  of  the  church  Mass  was  said  in  pri- 
vate houses,  one  of  which  still  stands  at  the  southwest  corner  of 


ST.    PETER  S   CHURCH,    UKLLEVILLE. 


William  and  Bridge  streets,  the  property  of  William  Connolly. 
Peter  Keogh,  the  father  of  John  F.  Keogh,  of  Newark,  gave  the 
stone  for  the  foundation  of  the  church.     In  1853  the  Rev.  John 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


III 


Hogan,  born  1815,  in  St.  John's,  Newfoundland,  and  educated  in 
Stonyhurst,  England,  and  ordained  in  Canada,  was  assigned  to  the 
pastorate.  Before  the  creation  of  the  diocese  he  had  labored  at 
the  Cathedral.  Bishop  Bay- 
ley's  eulogy  of  him  is,  "  He 
was  a  good  and  faithful 
priest,  well-educated  and  gen- 
tlemanly." 

His  first  work  was  to  en- 
large the  church  and  to  erect 
the  bell-tower.  He  also  pur- 
chased the  McCabe  property 
adjoining  the  church,  and 
built  the  present  rectory. 
The  parish  limits  at  this  time 
included  the  township  of 
Bellevilleand  also  Bloomfield, 
Montclair,  Nutley,  Lynd- 
hurst,  and  the  part  of  Newark 
formerly  known  as  Wood- 
side.  Father  Hogan  built 
St.  Mary's  Church  at  West 
Bloomfield.  It  was  dedicated 
by  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  Roosevelt 
Bay  ley,  D.D.,  on  November 

29th,  1857,  and  remained  under  Father  Hogan's  care  until  Feb- 
ruary 7th,  1864,  when  he  resigned  it  in  favor  of  the  Rev.  Titus 
Joslin.  Death  claimed  Father  Hogan  on  October  25th,  1867, 
after  a  pastorate  of  fourteen  years.  He  is  interred  in  St.  Peter's 
Cemetery,  Belleville,  where  a  handsome  monument  has  been 
erected  by  his  former  parishioners. 

The  parish  had  been  incorporated  under  the  old  State  law 
until  April  i8th,  1868.  On  that  date,  under  the  pastorate  of  the 
Rev.  Hubert  DeBurgh  a  new  corporation  was  formed,  with 
Messrs.  Patrick  Smith  and  Timothy  Barrett  as  lay  trustees. 
Father  DeBurgh  remained  as  pastor  for  ten  years.  He  pur- 
chased the  site  of  the  present  school  and  built  St.  Mar}''s  Church, 
Avondale.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  J.J.  F.  O'Connor, 
August  26th,  1877. 

On  July  28th,  1879,  the  Rev.  William  H.  Dornin  was  ap- 
pointed pastor.  In  1887  Father  Dornin  enlarged  the  church. 
He  placed  the  school  under  the  care  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity 


REV.    JOHN    HOGAN. 
Died  October  25,  1867. 


112  thp:  catholic  church 

from  Convent  Station,  N.  J.,  and  in  1890  he  built  the  present  brick 
school  building.  In  connection  with  the  school,  mention  should 
be  made  of  Mr.  Patrick  Smith.  For  a  period  of  twenty  years  be- 
fore the  coming  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  he  had  charge  of  St. 
Peter's  School.     Mr.  Smith  died  November  4th,  1877. 

On  August  i6th,  1893,  Father  Dornin  was  transferred  to  St. 
Bridget's  Church,  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  and  was  succeeded  in  Belle- 
ville by  the  Rev.  John  J.  Murphy,  who  after  an  illness  of  nearly 
two  years,  died  on  June  6th,  1895.  The  successor  of  Father 
Murphy,  the  Rev.  Eugene  Farrell,  was  also  in  continual  ill  health. 
He  had,  however,  greatly  reduced  the  church  debt  before  death 
called  him  tni  September  14th,  1898.  On  October  4th,  1898,  he 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  James  P.  Smith,  who  with  Rev.  Rich- 
ard A.  Mahoney,  is  now  in  charge  of  St.  Peter's  parish. 

The  following  were  in  charge  of  St.  Peter's  Church  from  1838 
to  the  appointment  of  the  first  resident  pastor:  Rev.  Francis 
P'errall,  1838-39;  Rev.  Bernard  McArdle,  1839-40;  Rev.  James 
Dougherty,  1840;  Rev.  David  W.  Bacon,  first  Bishop  of  Portland, 
Me.,  1841;  Rev.  Patrick  Doneher,  1841;  Rev.  Daniel  McManus, 
1841-42;  Rev.  Bernard  McCabe,  1842-44;  Rev.  Francis  Coyle, 
1844-45;  Rev.  Philip  Gillick,  1845-51 ;  Rev.  John  Curoe,  1851-53; 
Rev.  John  Hogan,  1853-67. 

The  Catholics  of  Belleville,  N.  J. 

hitcrcstins^  Correspondence. 

We  have  been  furnished  for  publication  with  a  copy  of  the 
following  interesting  correspondence  between  the  Catholics  of 
Belleville  and  the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Bayley,  Bishop  of  Newark.  We 
desire  to  call  particular  attention  to  the  letter  from  the  people  of 
Belleville,  for  in  it  is  breathed  the  real  and  only  feeling  which 
should  actuate  Catholics  under  all  circumstances — implicit  obedi- 
ence to  the  doctrine  and  practices  of  the  Church,  and  respect  and 
love  for  the  pastors  under  whose  spiritual  control  they  are  placed. 

[Taken  From  the  American  Celt,  November  26th,  1853.] 

The   Catholic   Trustees   of   St.    Peter's    Church,    Belle- 
ville, N.  J.,  TO  Their  Pastor,  the  Rev.  John  Hogan. 

Rev.  and  Dear  Sir:  We,  the  undersigned,  trustees  of  St. 
Peter's  Church,  Belleville,  N.  J.,  hope  it  will  not  be  out  of  place  if, 
for  ourselves  and  the  rest  of  the  congregation,  we  respectfully 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  113 

solicit  you  to  express  to  our  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  the  joy  we  feel  at 
his  elevation  to  the  episcopal  dignity  over  us  and  the  entire  state 
of  New  Jersey.  We  are  also  full  of  gratitude  to  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff  for  having  made  us  the  spiritual  chikh-en  of  one  whom  we 
and  our  families  already  regard  with  veneration  and  love;  and 
whose  admonition  for  the  greater  glory  of  God,  and  the  welfare  of 
our  souls,  we  will  ever  obey  with  simplicity  and  alacrity. 

We  also  take  this  opportunity  of  declaring  to  you,  our  reverend 
pastor,  and  through  you  also,  to  our  Rt.  Re\^  Bishop,  that  from 
motives  of  conscience,  and  in  order  to  stand  in  complete  conform- 
ity with  the  laws  and  discipline  of  the  Catholic  Church,  as  lately 
explained  to  certain  trustees  in  Buffalo,  by  the  Nuncio  of  his 
Holiness,  we  divest  ourselves  of  all  super\'ision  over  the  local 
ecclesiastical  revenues  of  our  Church,  feeling,  as  the  Nuncio  has 
said,  that  "  nothing  can  be  more  exclusively  subject  to  the  eccle- 
siastical ministry  than  such  kind  of  revenue " ;  and  that  "  the 
offerings  at  Mass  and  contributions  for  pews  being  made  only  for 
the  carrying  on  of  divine  service,  such  revenues  are  but  the  direct 
result  of  the  sacred  ministry,  and  consequently  must  be  subject 
to  the  free  administration  of  ecclesiastical  authority." 

Too  well  we  know  as  Catholics  the  ruin  and  desolation  that 
have  fallen  upon  our  Church  properties  in  the  apostate  Protestant 
countries  of  Europe,  since  Henry  VHI,  Calvin,  and  the  others  of 
them  sacrilegiously  wrested  their  revenues  from  Catholic  ecclesi- 
astical management,  and  subjected  them  to  lay  control.  If  ever 
Protestant  laws  should  accord  us  any  sinful  privilege  of  this  sort, 
God  forbid  we  should  "  avail  ourselves  of  it  to  oppose  our  Bishop 
and  clergy  in  the  free  discharge  of  their  duty."  On  the  contrary, 
if,  from  some  civil  cause  or  other,  obliged  to  use  such  privilege,  we 
would,  in  the  words  of  the  Nuncio  of  the  Vicar  of  Christ  on  earth, 
"  make  it  a  duty  to  consult  the  principles  of  our  faith,  to  ascertain 
when  and  how  we  ought  to  use  it ;  and  would  ever  feel  bound,  in 
such  a  crisis,  to  make  our  action  harmonize  with  our  duty  as 
Catholics."  Indeed,  we  are  fully  convinced  that  to  act  otherwise 
would  not  only  be  to  deviate  from  what  we  owe  to  the  highest 
authority  of  the  Catholic  Church,  but  from  being  as  we  now  are 
her  faithful  children,  devoted  to  the  Right  Reverend  Prelate, 
whom  the  Vicar  of  Christ  has  sent  to  govern  us,  and  of  whom, 
through  you,  reverend  and  dear  sir,  our  immediate  pastor, 
We  remain 

Humble  servants  in  Christ, 

George  McCloskey, 

John  Graham, 

John  Conlin, 

Michael  Barrett, 

John  Finn, 

Patrick  Smith,  Secretary, 
Signed  the  Feast  of  the  Patronage  of  the 
Immaculate  Mother  of  God,  Belleville,  N. 
J.,  November  13th,  1853. 


-  Trustees. 


114  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Bishop  Bayley's  Reply, 

In  answer  to  this  address  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  sent  the  follow- 
ing letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hogan : 

Bishop's  House,  Newark, 

November  i6th,  1853. 

Rev.  and  Dear  Sir:  I  have  received,  and  read  with  pleasure, 
the  letter  addressed  to  you  by  the  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church, 
Belleville,  and  which  you  transmitted  to  me  for  my  perusal. 

I,  of  course,  regard  their  resignation  of  office  rather  as  a  mat- 
ter of  form  than  anything  else,  for  men  entertaining  such  senti- 
ments are  not  likely  to  abuse  the  trust  committed  to  them,  and 
under  some  other  name  you  will  no  doubt  find  them  useful  aux- 
iliaries in  the  management  of  the  temporal  affairs  of  your  parish. 

Still,  I  could  not  but  be  pleased  with  the  sound  and  correct 
views  which  their  letter  exhibits,  in  regard  to  the  important  mat- 
ter of  the  administration  of  Church  revenues,  and  the  reasons 
which  they  give  for  the  resignation  of  an  office  which,  I  regret  to 
say,  has,  on  account  of  the  abuse  made  of  it,  become  an  odious  one. 

My  late  position  as  secretary  of  the  Most  Reverend  Arch- 
bishop of  New  York  has  given  me  opportunity  of  becoming  fully 
acquainted  with  the  bad  effects  of  the  old  trustee  system  as  for- 
merly carried  out,  and  of  the  ad\'antages  to  religion  which  have 
resulted  from  the  adoption  of  those  true  Catholic  principles  of 
administration  which  he  substituted  in  its  place. 

There  can  be  but  one  opinion  among  Catholics,  whether  clergy 
or  laity,  in  regard  to  the  position  taken  by  the  trustees  of  St. 
Louis'  Church,  Buffalo.  If  carried  out  it  would  make  them,  and 
not  the  Bishop,  the  real  governing  power  in  the  Church.  It  is 
evident  that  if  they  had  been  good  Catholics  all  grounds  of  dis- 
pute between  them  and  their  holy,  zealous  Bishop  would  have 
been  long  since  removed,  or,  rather,  would  never  have  existed. 

I  regard  the  prevalence  of  sound  and  correct  views  upon  this 
subject  amongst  the  laity  of  the  diocese  of  Newark  as  a  favorable 
augury  for  the  peacefulness  and  prosperity  of  my  future  adminis- 
tration. We  all  alike.  Bishop,  priests,  and  people,  can  have  but 
one  interest  in  the  matter — the  honor  and  glory  and  prosperity  of 
God's  Church,  which  should  be  dearer  to  us  than  all  else  beside — 
and  my  trust  and  prayer  is,  that  whatever  we  may  have  it  in  our 
power  to  do  for  the  extension  and  more  firm  establishment  of  our 
holy  religion  in  this  State,  may  be  done  in  the  true  spirit  of  Chris- 
tianity and  charity. 

I  beg  you  to  convey  to  the  late  trustees  of  St.  Peter's  Church 
the  expression  of  my  kind  regard. 

I  remain  with  sincere  respect, 

Very  truly  yours,  etc., 

•i<  James, 
Bishop  of  Newark. 
Rev,  John  Hogan, 

Pastor  of  St.  Peter  s  CJmrch,  Belleville. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


115 


St.  Vincent's  Church,  Madison. 

Madison,  although  very  early  settled  by  Catholics,  was  at- 
tended from  the  time  of  the  Rev.  Peter  Vianney  at  irregular  in- 
tervals by  priests  from  St.  Peter's  Church,  Barclay  Street,  New 
York,  and  at  a  later  day,  by  the  priests  from  St.  John's,  Newark. 

In  1834,  the  Rev.  Matthew  Herard,  attached  to  St.  John's, 
Newark,  October  7th,  1832,  to  October  6th,  1833,  is  mentioned  as 
located  at  Bottle  Hill.  Very  little  can  be  ascertained  of  him. 
When  Archbishop  Carroll,  in 
1 81 1,  was  invested  by  the 
Holy  See  with  the  burden 
of  looking  after  the  spiritual 
interests  of  the  Danish  West 
Indies,  he  appointed  to  this 
portion  of  his  vineyard  two 
vicars,  one  of  whom  was  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Herard.  It  is  not 
certain  if  this  vicar  and 
the  pastor  of  Madison  are 
one  and  the  same  person. 
In  1837  the  Rev.  Stephen 
Chartier,  born  in  Canada, 
and,  owing  to  political  em- 
barrassments, obliged  to  fly 
from  his  native  land,  was  in 
temporary  charge,  and  he  was 

succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Francis  Guth  in  1838.  In  1839  came  the 
Rev.  Richard  Newell,  who  had  a  tempestuous  and  checkered 
career.  Born  in  England  of  non-Catholic  parentage,  he  was 
brought  up  in  the  faith  by  a  Catholic  aunt,  and  by  her  trained 
for  the  ecclesiastical  state.  He  was  a  highly  gifted  and  cultivated 
scholar,  of  charming  and  attractive  manners,  and  shortly  after  his 
ordination  placed  in  charge  of  a  college  near  London.  Owing 
to  some  friction  with  his  superiors  he  came  to  New  York  with 
letters  to  Bishop  Dubois,  who  accepted  him,  and  placed  him  in 
charge  of  St.  Vincent's,  Madison.  It  was  under  his  pastoral 
care  that  the  church  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Dubois.  A  tablet 
in  the  tympanum  of  the  present  church  bears  the  following  in- 
scription: St.  Vincent's  Church.     Founded  Anno  Domini,  1839. 

He  endeared  himself  to  his  own  flock,  and  made  many  friends 


ST.   VINCENT  S   CHURCH,    MADISON 


ii6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

among  the  non-Catholics,  who  crowded  the  church  to  hear  his 
sermons,  and  welcomed  him  to  their  homes.  October  i6th,  1842, 
he  severed  his  connection  with  the  parish,  and  sailed  for  South 
America  as  underwriter  of  the  vessel.  He  then  went  to  New 
Orleans  and  Cincinnati,  and  taught  in  Colonel  Johnston's  Military 
Academy,  Blue  Lick,  Ky.,  where  he  became  acquainted  with  a 
young  professor,  James  Gillespie  Blaine,  who  remained  his  friend 
to  the  end  of  his  life.  He  died  only  a  few  years  ago  in  Polk 
Settlement,  Tenn.,  almost  a  centenarian. 

He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Ambrose  Manahan,  who  re- 
mained until  May,  1844.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Manahan  in  his  youth 
devoted  his  services  to  the  Rev.  Francis  Donaghoe,  in  Paterson, 
and  by  him  was  taught  the  classics.  He  was  eventually  sent  to 
the  Propaganda  in  Rome,  where  he  was  ordained  priest  by 
Cardinal  Franzoni,  August  29th,  1841.  He  was  subsequently  ap- 
pointed president  of  St.  John's  College,  Fordham,  N.  Y.,  pastor 
of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  and  died  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  December  7th, 
1867.  The  Rev.  Patrick  Kenny  succeeded  Dr.  Manahan,  but 
owing  to  his  feeble  state  of  health  his  pastorate  was  very  brief, 
and  God  called  him  to  his  reward  in  Charleston,  S.  C,  March  21st, 
1845. 

The  Rev.  Pere  Joseph  ministered  to  the  wants  of  the  parish 
until  the  coming  of  the  Rev.  Louis  Dominic  Senez,  whose  memory 
is  in  benediction  in  whatever  field  he  labored.  Father  Senez, 
born  at  Beauvais,  France,  June,  181 5,  made  his  preparatory  stud- 
ies in  the  historic  colleges  of  Cambrai  and  Douay,  and  his  theo- 
logical studies  in  St.  Sulpice,  Paris,  where  he  was  ordained  to 
holy  priesthood,  December  19th,  184O.  When  in  the  seminary 
he  formed  an  intimate  friendship  with  a  converted  Jew,  afterward 
the  zealous  and  saintly  Father  Marie  Alphonse  Ratisbonne,  whose 
thirst  for  souls  deeply  impressed  Father  Senez  with  the  mission- 
ary spirit,  and  inspired  him  to  devote  his  life  to  the  interests  of 
religion  in  distant  America.  Father  Senez  was  sent  to  Madison 
in  1846  b)^  Archbishop  Hughes.  He  was  tireless  and  unwearying 
in  searching  out  the  faithful  scattered  throughout  Morris  and 
Sussex  and  even  Warren  counties.  Despite  his  unfamiliarity  with 
the  English  tongue  he  attended  "  Vendues "  and  gatherings  of 
every  description  where  our  people  might  be  expected  to  attend, 
and  peering  into  their  faces  addressed  those  who  he  thought  were 
Catholics.  In  one  of  his  journeys  he  discovered  a  Catholic  family 
in  Montagu,  near  the  Delaware  River,  and  baptized  their  infant 
son,  now  the  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  O'Grady  of  New  Brunswick. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


117 


He  offered  the  holy  bacriUce  uuaer  tne  uroau  ai  ms  ui  it  u  iuc-=pi 


ii8  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

He  would  gather  the  Catholics,  hear  their  confessions,  and  offer 
for  them  the  holy  Sacrifice  under  the  broad  arms  of  some  wide- 
spreading  chestnut  or  oak  tree.  The  highway  was  his  home,  a 
bite  in  some  lowly  cabin  his  refreshment,  and  his  carriage,  himself 
wrapped  up  in  horse-blankets,  his  bed.  Father  "Dominic"  he 
was  affectionately  called,  and  to  the  last  the  old  folks  never  failed 
to  speak  of  him,  who  so  unselfishly  and  devotedly  attended  to 
their  wants  and  interests.  On  January  21st,  1848,  he  was  given 
an  assistant,  a  young  man  of  delicate  and  frail  health,  the  Rev. 
Bernard  J.  McOuaid.  But  the  weak  body  enshrined  an  indomit- 
able will,  a  reserve  of  energy,  an  unquenchable  hunger  for  souls, 
which  have  made  him  successi\'ely  the  model  pastor,  the  valued 
adviser  of  his  Bishop  in  his  counsels,  the  consistent  advocate  of 
Catholic  education,  and  the  wise  up-builder  of  a  new  See,  whose 
venerable  head  he  is  to-day,  loved  and  venerated  by  his  priests, 
and  strong  in  the  esteem  of  his  non-Catholic  fellow-citizens. 
Father  Senez,  retiring  in  April,  1848,  to  return  to  his  native  land, 
was  succeeded  in  the  pastorate  by  the  Rev.  James  McMahon. 
But  it  was  not  in  this  field  he  would  reap  his  laurels,  for  in  two 
months  he  was  transferred  to  St.  Mary's  Church,  New  York,  and 
began  to  accumulate  the  wealth  which  later  on  he  bestowed  on 
the  Catholic  University,  Washington,  and  whose  benefactions  will 
be  remembered  by  future  generations  in  his  monument — 
McMahon  Hall.  On  his  retirement  Father  McOuaid  was  called 
upon  to  take  up  the  work  begun  by  Father  Senez,  and  how  well 
he  discharged  the  trust  imposed  in  him  the  congregations  of 
Morristown,  Dover,  Boonton,  and  Springfield  are  the  witnesses. 
At  a  glance  he  saw  the  dangers  which  threatened,  not  the  adult 
emigrants,  but  their  children,  whom  every  effort  of  Protestantism 
was  bent  in  proselyting. 

Called  once  to  attend  a  sick  woman  near  Monroe,  whose  hus- 
band had  died  of  ship  fever  at  sea,  and  herself  a  victim  of  the  fell 
disease,  he  strove  to  reconcile  her  to  resignation.  But  one 
thought  tortured  her  and  embittered  her  last  moments — what 
would  become  of  her  little  son  and  daughter  ?  The  young  priest 
pledged  himself  to  care  for  them,  and  thus  assured,  and  kindly 
provided  for  by  the  charitable  French  ladies  of  Madison,  a  lonel}^ 
exile  in  a  strange  land  gave  up  her  soul  into  the  hands  of  her 
Maker.  Learning  of  her  death.  Father  McOuaid  hastened  to  the 
house  to  secure  the  children,  but  some  Protestants  had  been  be- 
fore him  and  kidnapped  the  girl,  who  later  in  life  accosted  him,  a 
bitter  enemy  of  her  mother's  faith.     The  boy  he  placed  in  an 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


119 


orphanage,  where  he  soon  joined  his  mother.  Cathohc  education 
he  was  convinced  was  necessary  to  save  the  faith  of  the  child  and 
the  future  of  the  Church  in  these  United  States.  Cathohc  edu- 
cation then  and  Catliohc  education  to-day  is  his  motto  and  his 
watchword.  To  prove  his  devotion  to  his  convictions,  without 
neglecting  his  important  parish  obligations  in  the  vast  field  en- 
trvisted  to  him,  he  taught  the  scholars  for  nearly  a  year  in  Mad- 
ison. And  when  he  had  completed  the  church  in  Morristown, 
his  first  care  was  to  provide 
a  Catholic  school.  From 
that  day  to  the  present  these 
schools  have  been  continu- 
ously kept  up,  and  in  no  par- 
ishes in  the  diocese,  or,  for 
that  matter,  in  the  Union,  is 
the  faith  more  vigorous,  more 
abounding  in  those  blessed 
fruits  which  are  the  harvest 
of  a  healthy,  sturdy,  deep- 
rooted  religious  conviction. 
But  this  sphere  was  too 
limited  for  his  activities. 
The  qualities  displayed  in 
his  ministry  at  Madison  and 
adjacent  missions  attracted 
the  attention  of  his  ecclesi- 
astical superiors,  and  in  1853 
he  was  transferred  by  Bishop- 
elect  Bayley  to  St.  Patrick's, 
Newark,  which  he  was  about 
to  make  his  cathedral  church.  His  successor  was  the  Rev. 
Michael  A.  Madden.  Father  Madden,  born  in  New  York  City 
in  1826,  made  his  preparatory  studies  at  Chambly,  Canada,  and 
his  theological  studies  in  St.  John's,  Fordham,  where  he  was 
ordained  by  Archbishop  Hughes,  May  25th,  1850.  He  was  for  a 
short  time  assistant  in  St.  Peter's,  New  York,  and  in  1851  was 
placed  in  charge  of  Middletown  Point,  which  later  on  was  to  be- 
come South  Amboy.  While  in  charge  of  this  parish  he  attended 
the  Catholics  as  far  down  the  coast  as  Point  Pleasant,  and  gathered 
the  nucleus  of  the  present  prosperous  congregation  at  Red  Bank. 
In  October,  1853,  he  was  transferred  to  Madison.  Here  he 
proved  himself  the  worthy  peer  of  his  two  illustrious  predeces- 


REV.    MICHAEL    A.    MADDEN 
Born  1826.     Died  May  iglh,  1868. 


I20 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


sors.  Less  stern  and  more  open-hearted  than  Father  McQuaid, 
his  flock  loved  and  revered  him,  and  were  greatly  shocked  by  his 
sudden  death  in  Newark,  in  the  house  of  a  friend,  of  hemorrhage 
of  the  lungs.  May  19th,  1868.  Of  him  Bishop  Bayley  wrote: 
"  One  of  my  oldest  and  best  friends." 

Then  came  the  lovable,  brilliant  Father  D'Arcy.  The  Rev. 
James  DArcy,  born  in  Ireland,  made  his  theological  studies  in 
All  Hallows,  near  Dublin,  and  in  Seton  Hall.     He  was  the  first 

seminarist  ordained  to  holy 
priesthood  in  the  college 
chapel,  December  19th,  1863. 
His  first  assignment  to  duty 
was  assistant  in  St.  John's, 
Paterson,  where  his  memory 
is  still  held  in  affectionate  re- 
membrance. Afterward  he 
was  in  temporary  charge  of 
Morristown,  where  during  his 
brief  stay  he  had  so  entwined 
himself  into  the  affection  of 
his  flock  that  they  were  not 
only  deeply  grieved  but  in- 
dignant at  his  removal.  More 
than  usually  gifted  with  the 
sacred  fire  of  oratory,  he  was 
often  called  upon  to  lecture 
and  preach  on  extraordinary 
occasions.  In  fulfilling  an 
engagement  of  this  kind  in 
the  Cathedral,  Newark,  where  on  March  17th,  1869,  he  preached 
the  panegyric  of  St.  Patrick,  he  imprudently  exposed  himself, 
and  after  a  vigorous  and  splendid  eulogy  of  St.  Patrick  and  his 
children,  he  was  seized  with  a  chill,  and  died  March  23d,  1869. 
April  2d  of  the  same  year  Bishop  Bayley  appointed  the  apos- 
tolic, quiet,  and  unassuming  Father  Wigger,  who  during  four 
years  had  labored  so  zealously  in  the  vast  Cathedral  parish  that 
his  health  broke  down,  and  he  was  forced  to  go  abroad  to  re- 
cuperate. When  on  his  return  to  the  diocese,  after  ordination, 
cholera  broke  out  on  the  steamer  Atalanta,  he  displayed  his 
zeal  and  fearlessness  in  the  discharge  of  his  sacred  duties,  by 
asking  permission  and  faculties  from  his  Bishop  to  remain  aboard 
in  order  to  give  the  consolations  of  religion  to  the  dying.     For 


REV.    JAMES    D  ARCY. 
Died  March  23d,  1S69. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  121 

two  weeks  he  remained  at  his  post  until  the  scourge  had  disap- 
peared, and  reported  for  duty  at  the  Cathedral,  November,  1865. 
That  same  zeal  and  devotion  characterized  his  pastorate  at 
Madison.  But,  elsewhere,  a  more  detailed  account  will  be  given 
of  his  labors  in  Orange,  Summit,  and  Chatham.  When  called  by 
Bishop  Corrigan  to  assume  the  herculean  task  of  grappling  with 
the  debt-overwhelmed  church  of  St.  John,  Orange,  his  successor 
was  the  Rev.  Patrick  E.  Smythe.  Father  Smythe,  born  in  Bally- 
jamesduff,  county  Cavan,  Ireland,  March  15th,  1841,  made  his 
preparatory  studies  in  Kilmore  Seminary,  and  his  theological 
studies  in  Maynooth,  where  he  was  ordained  priest  March  17th, 
1864. 

He  was  appointed  rector  of  Oxford  Furnace,  and  built  St. 
Joseph's  Church,  Washington.  He  came  to  Madison  May,  1873. 
St.  Vincent's  Church  is  built  on  a  site  given  by  Amidee  von 
Schalkwyck  Boisaubin.  The  memory  of  this  is  recorded  on  his 
monument : 

"  With  Manifest  Liberality 

He  Contributed  to  the  Erection 

Of  This  Church.     By  Its  Site 

His  Remains  Have  Been  Placed 

That  his  Soul  May  Be  Remembered 

In  the  Prayers  of  All  Who  Pray  Therein." 

That  family  exercised,  to  a  very  limited  extent  certainly,  a  kind 
of  patronage  over  the  church,  which  was  not  renounced  until 
Father  Smythe's  regime. 

In  January,  1876,  Father  Smythe  was  transferred  to  St. 
Bridget's,  Jersey  City,  and  St.  Vincent's  welcomed  back  their  old 
pastor.  Dr.  Wigger,  whom  the  Summit  congregation  tried  hard  to 
retain.  In  August,  1881,  he  was  chosen  by  the  Holy  See  third 
Bishop  of  the  diocese  of  Newark,  and  consecrated  b)-  Archbishop 
Corrigan  in  the  Cathedral,  Newark,  October  i8th,  1881.  The 
successor  of  Bishop  Wigger  was  his  friend  and  classmate  in  the 
Seminary  Brignole-Sale,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Rolando.  Born  at  Ber- 
zezio,  in  the  diocese  of  Cuneo,  Italy,  September  28th,  1839,  Father 
Rolando  studied  classics  in  Cuneo,  and  theology  at  Brignole-Sale, 
where  he  was  raised  to  the  priesthood,  June  loth,  1865.  His  first 
appointments  were  the  Cathedral  and  St.  John's,  Newark,  for  a 
brief  period  looking  after  the  Italians  in  Philadelphia,  and  succes- 
sively rector  of  Hackensack  and  Milburn.  His  work  in  these 
missions  was  marked  by  energy  and  earnestness,  and  when  ap- 
pointed rector  of  Madison  he  determined  to  clear  off  the  debt 


122  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

with  which  for  a  long  time  it  had  been  burdened.  He  not  only 
succeeded,  but  brought  the  parish  and  its  school  to  a  high  degree 
of  efficiency,  and  when  constrained  by  ill  health  — the  result  of  the 
tension  of  incessant  and  unwearied  labor — to  resign,  he  left  to  his 
successor  a  very  considerable  sum  with  which  to  prosecute  the 
ardent  wish  of  his  life,  of  erecting  a  church  more  suitable  to  the 
enlarged  conditions  of  the  parish,  and  more  creditable  to  the  faith 
and  liberality  of  the  Catholics  of  this  thriving  parish.  The  Rev. 
Joseph  W.  McDowell,  D.C.L.,  born  in  Scotland,  1861,  educated 
at  St.  Francis  Xavier's  College,  New  York,  and  at  Seton  Hall,  was 
ordained  priest  October  12th,  1884.  For  many  years  he  exer- 
cised the  ministry  in  St.  John's,  Orange,  and  in  1895  went  to 
Rome  to  devote  himself  to  the  study  of  canon  law.  In  1897  he 
took  his  degree,  and  was  appointed  rector  of  St.  Paul's,  Jersey 
City,  and  in  August,  1900,  rector  of  St.  Vincent's,  Madison.  Dr. 
McDowell  is  a  veteran  of  the  Spanish  War,  having  filled  the 
office  of  chaplain  of  the  Fourth  Regiment  N.  J.  Volunteers. 
Dr.  McDowell  has  secured  about  four  acres  of  land  on  Green 
Village  Road  and  Wilmer  Street,  where  in  due  time  will  be 
erected  the  new  church,  rectory,  and  school.  The  aspirations  of 
the  parish  will  be  realized,  and  the  mother  will  no  longer  be 
eclipsed  in  the  beauty  and  splendor  of  schools  and  churches 
by  her  vigorous  daughters.  This  notice  would  be  incomplete  if 
mention  were  not  made  of  the  cemetery,  which  has  been  beauti- 
fied and  improved  by  Dr.  McDowell,  who  gave  the  first  fruits  of 
his  pastoral  zeal  to  the  spot  hallowed  by  the  earthly  remains  of  a 
Madden  and  a  D'Arcy,  and  of  the  early  pioneers — all,  priest  and 
people,  at  rest  in  the  bosom  of  God. 

St.  Mary's,  South  Amboy,  N.  J. 

South  Amboy  was  visited  as  early  as  1830  by  Father  Dona- 
hue of  New  York,  who  came  twice  a  year  to  minister  to  the  few 
scattered  Irish  Catholics  of  the  neighborhood.  Father  Maguire, 
of  New  Brunswick,  also  visited  South  Amboy  occasionally. 
Father  Rogers  was  the  first  to  establish  a  regular  station  in 
South  Amboy  about  the  year  1847,  and  attended  it  once  a  month. 
In  1850  Father  Rogers  built  the  first  church,  a  frame  building 
30  by  18  feet,  on  the  site  of  the  present  cemetery.  In  1852  the 
Rev.  Michael  Madden,  the  first  resident  pastor,  came  to  South 
Amboy,  and  moved  the  church  from  the  cemetery  to  Stephen 
Avenue,  building  an  addition  30  by  30  feet. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  123 

In  1854  Father  James  Callan  took  charge,  and  remained  until 
the  advent  of  the  Rev.  John  Kelly  in  1855.  Father  Kelly  set 
about  to  improve  and  extend  the  property.  He  added  another 
wing  30  by  30  feet,  thus  providing  for  the  growing  congregation. 
He  purchased  ground  back  of  the  rectory  and  running  to  Church 
Street,  thus  affording  ample  ground  for  a  future  church,  Sep- 
tember 20th,  1864.  The  property  was  incorporated  under  the 
title  of  "  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church,  South  Amboy."  On  Feb- 
ruary 24th,  1873,  it  was  resolved  to  build  a  new  brick  church  on 
the  corner  of  John  Street  and  Stephen  Avenue.  On  August  15th 
following  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Corrigan  laid  the  corner-stone  of 
the  magnificent  Gothic  structure,  135  by  64  feet.  The  work  pro- 
gressed rapidly,  and  the  church  was  dedicated  to  the  honor  of  God, 
under  the  patronage  of  "Mary,  Star  of  the  Sea,"  September  17th, 
1876. 

October  2d,  1875,  the  feast  of  the  Guardian  Angels,  Father 
Kelly  opened  the  parochial  school  in  the  old  church  building, 
placing  two  secular  teachers  in  charge. 

When  the  diocese  of  Newark  was  divided,  and  Bishop  O'Far- 
rell  placed  at  the  head  of  the  new  diocese  of  Trenton,  Father 
Kelly  was  selected  one  of  the  consultors.  The  Bishop,  appreci- 
ating the  zeal  and  good  work  of  the  faithful  pastor,  made  him  one 
of  the  first  irremovable  rectors  of  the  new  diocese. 

As  years  advanced  he  grew  in  favor  with  his  bishops,  so  that 
on  the  death  of  the  Very  Rev.  A.  Smith,  the  first  Vicar-General, 
Father  Kelly  was  selected  to  succeed  him.  Honors  seemed  to 
increase  his  zeal,  for  he  called  to  his  assistance  the  Sisters  of 
Mercy  to  take  charge  of  his  school.  A  convent  was  built  and  the 
old  church  remodeled  to  meet  the  increase  of  pupils.  In  1891 
we  find  Father  Kelly  building  a  new  rectory,  but  he  did  not  live 
to  finish  it,  as,  after  two  weeks'  sickness,  he  died  February  27th, 
1 891,  in  the  thirty-seventh  year  of  his  priesthood,  aged  sixty-one 
years,  honored  by  his  Bishop  and  brother  priests,  beloved  by 
his  faithful  people,  and  respected  by  his  non-Catholic  fellow- 
citizens. 

Father  Kelly  was  a  pioneer  missionary  of  the  old  school,  who 
braved  both  heat  and  cold  fearlessly.  In  his  early  years  his  parish 
extended  from  Raritan  Bay  to  Point  Pleasant,  including  Sayre- 
ville,  Mattawan,  Red  Bank,  Atlantic  Highlands,  Long  Branch, 
Asbury  Park,  and  many  other  places  along  the  coast.  Twenty- 
six  priests  are  now  laboring  in  the  territory  in  which  Father 
Kelly  alone  planted  the  seed  of  faith  forty  years  ago.     In  1 885 


124  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Father  Kelly  received  his  first  assistant  priest,  the  Rev.  John 
W.  Lawrence.  The  Rev.  William  H.  Miller,  a  native  of  South 
Amboy,  succeeded  Father  Lawrence,  and  remained  with  Father 
Kelly  until  a  few  months  before  his  death. 

Father  Kelly  was  succeeded  in  the  pastorate  of  St.  Mary's 
by  the  Rev.  John  F.  Brady,  who  took  charge  May  30th,  1891. 
Father  Brady  started  immediately  to  increase  the  school  accom- 
modation. The  old  school  was  remodeled  to  accommodate  the 
larger  children,  and  a  dwelling-house  was  converted  into  a  tempo- 
rary school  for  the  little  ones,  so  that  on  the  opening  of  school  in 
September  of  the  same  year  there  was  ample  room  for  four  hun- 
dred children.  In  1892  the  new  St.  Mary's  parochial  school  and 
hall  was  commenced,  and  the  corner-stone  laid  May  8th,  1892, 
with  imposing  ceremonies  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  M.  J.  O'Farrell,  Bishop 
of  Trenton.     The  edifice  was  completed  and  dedicated  June  29th, 

1893- 

It  is  constructed  of  brick  with  graystone  basement  and  brown- 
stone  trimming,  and  is  finished  with  all  modern  improvements. 
It  has  twelve  large  class-rooms,  and  the  hall  seats  fourteen  hun- 
dred people. 

In  1895  the  church  was  ov'erhauled,  the  sanctuary  enlarged, 
three  marble  altars  erected,  the  interior  frescoed,  and  the  grounds 
"about  the  church  and  school  graded  and  sown  with  grass. 

The  church,  school,  rectory,  and  convent  of  St.  Mary's  parish 
are  the  pride  of  South  Amboy  and  the  admiration  of  visitors.  In 
the  ten  years,  from  1891  to  1901,  $160,000  was  expended  in 
building  improvements  and  repairs,  and  every  dollar  of  it  contrib- 
uted by  the  poor  people  of  the  parish. 

Father  Brady  has  had  associated  with  him  in  the  administra- 
tion of  the  parish  successively  the  Revs.  William  Uumphy,  D. 
Geaghan,  William  Leacy,  T.  Nolan,  Peter  Hart,  R.  J.  O'Farrell, 
and  M.  J.  Lavey. 

St.  Mary's,  Perth  Amboy. 

The  beginning  of  Catholicity  in  Perth  Amboy,  N.  J.,  seems  to 
date  back  to  the  year  1 826,  when,  as  stated  in  an  old  register,  the 
Rev.  Father  McArdle  held  services  in  an  old  building  once  at- 
tached to  the  house  on  Mechanic  and  Centre  streets,  afterward 
occupied  by  James  Tuite.  Where  the  Rev.  Father  McArdle 
went,  or  who  formed  his  congregation,  is  not  known.  But  rumor 
says  that  the  spirit  of  persecution  was  so  strong  in  those  days  that 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  125 

some  individuals  threatened  "  to  tar  and  feather  "  the  said  priest 
should  he  dare  to  return. 

The  next  account  we  have  of  Catholicity  in  this  place  was 
when  Patrick  McCormick  (father  of  William  H.  McCormick)  and 
Patrick  Haney  arrived  here.  Both  of  these  gentlemen  were 
Catholics,  and  attended  divine  service  at  old  St.  Patrick's  in  New 
York  City.  This  was  about  the  year  1830.  Later  on,  when  Mr. 
McCormick  engaged  in  the  oyster  business,  he  and  his  fellow 
Catholics  went  to  service  in  South  Amboy.  Mass  was  then  cele- 
brated in  the  house  of  the  old  widow  McNally,  by  a  priest  from 
New  Brunswick.  The  Catholics  in  this  section  were  few  and  far 
between  in  those  days,  and  obliged  to  endure  many  trials  and 
hardships  for  the  preservation  of  their  faith.  Besides  Patrick 
McCormick  and  Patrick  Haney  we  have  the  names  of  Bernard 
McAnerny,  Matthew  Smith,  Daniel  McDonald,  and  Thomas 
Flaherty.  These  with  their  families  constituted  the  Catholic 
congregation  for  many  years.  If  some  of  them  forgot  the  teach- 
ings of  their  early  years  and  drifted  away  from  their  Church,  it  is 
a  comfort  to  know  that  others  kept  the  faith,  fought  the  good 
fight,  and  left  to  their  children  the  inheritance  of  a  noble.  God- 
fearing ancestry. 

In  connection  with  the  first  struggles  of  these  sturdy  pioneers, 
it  is  related  of  old  Patrick  McCormick  that,  being  the  fortunate 
possessor  of  an  oyster  boat,  he  became  the  acknowledged  ferry- 
man for  the  Catholics  when  they  made  their  occasional  trips  to 
South  Amboy  to  attend  divine  service.  The  custom  was  to  pay 
25  cents  for  the  round  trip,  which  money  was  given  to  the  offici- 
ating clergyman  as  an  offering.  But  on  one  occasion  there  was  a 
certain  individual  who  refused  the  contribution,  demanding  a  free 
passage.  Whereupon  some  of  his  fellow  travellers  tossed  him  out 
of  the  boat  in  mid-stream,  and  kept  him  in  the  water  till  the  fare 
was  given.  This  incident  goes  to  prove  that  our  early  Catholic 
settlers  were  thorough  business  men  and  possessed  more  zeal 
perhaps  than  charity.  Who  the  oppressed  individual  was,  or  who 
were  his  oppressors,  is  not  specified.  This  arrangement  appears 
to  have  continued  for  several  years,  for  the  Catholic  population 
did  not  increase  very  rapidly. 

Somewhere  about  the  year  1835  Ezekiel  Patterson  opened  a 
coal-yard  at  the  foot  of  Commerce  Street,  and  this  brought  many 
Irish  Catholics  from  Jersey  City  to  work  there.  Up  to  this  time 
the  Catholics  found  some  difficulty  in  renting  rooms  from  the 
owners  of  dwelling-houses.     Consequently  they  were  compelled 


126  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

to  take  up  their  quarters  at  the  old  "Barracks,"  or  in  the  old 
"tea-house."  Some  procured  lodgings  in  the  houses  along  the 
shore.  Matthew  Smith  lived  on  Smith  Street  near  the  ferry,  as 
did  also  the  Tuite  family,  and  Patrick  McCormick  obtained  the 
old  homestead  on  Water  Street.  When  the  Jersey  City  people 
came  they  began  to  purchase  land  on  "Tower  Hill  "  from  James 
Parker,  and  dwellings  were  soon  erected.  Mass  was  said  at  Mr. 
Biglin's  house  on  Smith  Street,  now  West's  furniture  store,  also 
in  Owen  McAdam's  on  Centre  Street,  and  in  James  Tuite's  on 
Mechanic  Street.  It  is  also  asserted  that  one  of  the  early  Masses 
was  said  in  John  Brown's  on  Maiden  I.ane. 

It  is  likewise  related  that  in  1837,  when  the  fever  broke  out  in 
Europe,  all  vessels  were  quarantined  off  Staten  Island.  The  ship 
PJioebc  tried  to  land  her  cargo  of  immigrants  in  this  city,  but  the 
people  protested.  Finally,  however,  they  were  landed  and  herded 
in  the  open  fields  beyond  the  Central  Railroad.  The  citizens  of 
Perth  Amboy,  however,  were  kind  to  the  poor  immigrants,  and 
furnished  them  with  food  and  clothing.  During  the  same  epidemic 
another  shipload  came  in,  and  some  of  the  passengers  offered  the 
captain  of  a  pilot  boat  a  considerable  sum  of  money  to  land  them 
in  New  York.  The  pilot  agreed,  but  on  reaching  the  upper  bay 
became  alarmed  and  landed  his  freight  on  a  small  island  off  the 
Jersey  City  flats,  where  they  were  almost  drowned  when  the  tide 
rose.  Several  fishermen  from  Staten  Island  rescued  the  unfortu- 
nates. 

As  far  as  research  can  determine  it  the  Catholics  of  Perth 
Amboy  were  attended  at  this  time  by  Rev.  Father  Maguire,  a 
priest  from  New  Brunswick,  who  also  held  services  at  South 
Amboy. 

The  first  priest  that  seems  to  have  taken  permanent  charge  of 
the  Catholics  located  at  Perth  Amboy  was  the  Rev.  Father  Ma- 
dranno,  a  Spaniard,  then  residing  at  the  old  Quarantine  Station 
on  Staten  Island,  now  called  New  Brighton.  The  reverend  gen- 
tleman made  his  trips  by  means  of  the  New  Brunswick  boats.  Old 
bidcpciidcncc  and  Nczv  Yoi'k.  There  are  some  of  our  citizens  still 
living  who  remember  these  boats,  and  also  can  recall  the  good 
Father  Madranno  who  came  to  them.  Arriving  on  Saturday,  he 
received  the  best  hospitality  his  poor  flock  could  furnish,  and  with 
this  he  was  content.  He  remained  with  them  until  Monday  morn- 
ing, when  he  returned  to  Staten  Island.  The  exact  date  of  his 
coming  to  Perth  Amboy  is  not  known,  but  those  who  recall  him 
say  it  was  about  1839.     On  some  occasions  he  found  shelter  in 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  127 

the  old  hotel,  also  in  Matthew  Smith's,  aloni^  the  shore,  also  in  M. 
Doyle's  on  Centre  Street,  and  in  Owen  McAdam's,  opposite  the 
present  St.  Mary's  Church.  But  after  a  little  while  Mr.  Girard 
made  Father  Madranno's  acquaintance,  and  insisted  upon  him  ac- 
cepting the  hospitality  of  his  pleasant  home  on  Water  Street. 
The  Girard  family  were  not  Catholics,  but  the  society  of  the  ac- 
complished priest  was  a  source  of  enjoyment  to  all  who  knew  him, 
for,  like  St.  Paul,  he  was  all  to  all  with  every  one,  a  perfect  gen- 
tleman and  accomplished  scholar,  a  model  priest,  and  a  man  of 
probity  and  wisdom. 

After  another  little  while  Father  Madranno  gathered  his  scat- 
tered flock  and  organized  them  into  a  congregation  under  the  title 
of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church,  and  about  the  year  1842  began  to 
collect  subscriptions  for  the  purchase  of  a  site  for  a  new  church, 
and  a  place  where  they  might  bury  their  dead.  Subscriptions 
were  taken  by  the  people,  the  most  active  being  Matthew  Smith, 
the  father  of  the  present  Smith  family.  In  those  days  the  erec- 
tion of  a  church  was  indeed  a  difficult  matter.  The  Catholics 
were  poor  and  few  in  number,  and  their  fellow  citizens  were  not 
over  friendly  to  their  cause.  Yet  the  subscription  lists  showed 
many  non-Catholic  contributors. 

Father  Madranno  was  not  only  a  pious  priest,  he  was  also  a 
brave  and  generous  man,  and  in  the  late  summer  of  1844  the  Rt. 
Rev.  John  Hughes,  Bishop  of  New  York  and  Northern  New  Jer- 
sey, laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  old  St.  Mary's  Church.  The 
good  Bishop  also  preached  an  eloquent  sermon  on  the  occasion, 
and  the  party  was  generously  entertained  by  Mr.  Girard.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  a  new  era  of  good  feeling,  and  as  the  days 
passed  Father  Madranno  won  the  love  and  esteem  of  the  whole 
community.  The  new  church,  a  brick  structure,  with  a  porch 
extending  along  the  front,  began  to  rise  at  once.  Our  poor  people 
spared  neither  labor  nor  expense  in  completing  their  little  church. 
Some  contributed  money ;  others  gave  the  willing  labor  and  skill 
of  their  hands;  others  furnished  building  materials,  all  doing  their 
utmost  toward  its  completion.  Father  Madranno  himself  con- 
tributed over  $500  to  its  erection. 

But  about  the  year  1847  his  health  declined  and  he  was  obliged 
to  return  to  Spain. 

When  Father  Madranno  resigned  the  charge  of  St.  Mary's 
Church  to  seek  for  health  in  his  Spanish  home,  he  carried  with  him 
the  benedictions  of  the  people  to  whom  he  had  ministered  so  faith- 
fully and  efficiently.     His  mission  again  reverted  to  the  mother 


128  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

church  at  New  Brunswick,  and  was  attended  by  Father  John 
Rogers,  once  a  month  when  the  weather  would  permit.  Father 
Rogers  is  said  to  have  ministered  to  the  Cathohcs  of  Perth  Amboy 
from  the  year  1 846  to  the  year  1 849,  during  which  period  he  en- 
deared himself  to  his  people  by  his  priestly  zeal  and  unselfish 
conduct.  He  generally  drove  from  New  Brunswick  on  Sunday 
at  about  eleven,  returning  about  five  o'clock.  Father  Rogers  is 
.said  to  have  occasionally  visited  the  few  Catholics  at  Woodbridge. 

About  the  year  1850  Father  Stephen  Sheridan  was  placed  in 
charge  of  St.  Mary's  congregation,  and  he  became  the  first  resi- 
dent priest  the  mission  had.  Father  Sheridan  took  up  his  lodg- 
ings at  the  house  of  James  Tuite  on  Fayette  Street  for  a  time,  and 
afterward  rented  part  of  the  house  and  lived  with  his  mother  and 
sister.  He  did  not,  however,  stay  long,  for,  being  delicate,  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  Perth  Amboy,  and  consequently  retired  from  the 
mission  in  the  year  1 85 1 . 

When  the  Rev.  Father  Sheridan  relinquished  the  care  of  St. 
Mary's  Church,  the  Bishop  of  New  York  sent  the  Rev.  Patrick 
McCarthy  as  pastor.  Father  McCarthy  entered  upon  his  duties 
about  the  year  185 1,  and  took  up  his  residence  at  the  house  of 
Mr.  J.  Tuite.  He  also  attended  to  the  missions  at  Rah  way,  but 
was  obliged  to  give  up  his  work  on  account  of  ill  health,  and  about 
the  year  1853  he  returned  to  New  York  City,  to  St.  Mary's;  he 
died  at  Holy  Cross  Church.  Father  McCarthy  was  a  lovable 
man,  and  worked  hard  to  make  his  people  happy.  During  his 
pastorate,  school  was  taught  in  the  vestry  and  the  gallery  of  the 
old  church,  and  services  were  held  regularly. 

During  the  year  1853  the  Rev.  Thomas  Quin  came  from  Pater- 
son,  N.  J.,  to  assume  charge  of  the  Perth  Amboy  missions.  For 
some  months  he  resided  with  the  Tuite  family  in  the  old  Fayette 
Street  house.  Besides  attending  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the 
Catholics  in  this  town,  he  also  visited  Rah  way,  and  opened  the 
Woodbridge  mission.  In  September  of  1853  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence at  Rahway,  from  which  place  he  went  three  times  a  month 
to  Perth  Amboy,  and  once  a  month  to  Woodbridge.  On  retiring 
to  Rahway  he  appointed  J.  Rourke  and  John  Sparks  trustees  of 
St.  Mary's  Church,  empowering  them  to  collect  all  dues  and  pay 
all  debts.  Under  his  direction  the  said  trustees  purchased  a  tract 
of  four  acres  on  the  Woodbridge  road,  for  $1,200.  These  trustees 
also  erected  a  building  to  be  used  as  a  school,  twenty-five  feet  by 
twenty-five,  at  a  cost  of  $400,  and  gathered  the  Catholic  children 
for  instruction,  employing  a  teacher  at  a  salary  of  $50  per  month. 


IN    NEW    JKRSEY  129 

Uj)  to  lliis  lime  (i860)  several  Catholic  teachers  had  at  different 
periods  conducted  private  schools.  Mr.  Martin  Gorman  taught 
on  C'entre,  and  also  Smith  streets.  Mr.  Hurley  also  conducted  a 
similar  establishment,  and  later  on  a  school  was  kept  in  the  vestry 
of  the  old  church  and  also  in  the  gallery. 

Father  Ouin  said  Mass  in  Perth  Amboy  \vhene\er  the  weather 
permitted.  Sometimes  he  rode  in  a  carriage  from  Rahwa)-,  at  other 
times  he  rode  on  a  hand-car,  propelled  by  some  of  his  sturdy  parish- 
ioners. 

St.  James's  Church,  Woodbridge. 

About  the  year  i860  Father  Ouin  opened  the  Woodbridge 
mission.  Although,  as  we  have  already  seen,  the  seeds  of  Catho- 
lic faith  had  fallen  first  on  this  soil,  and  Catholic  priests  had  ad- 
ministered the  sacraments  and  offered  the  ln)ly  .sacrifice  here  at 
the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  no  permanent  results  were 
achieved,  and  every  trace  of  Catholicity  was  obliterated.  It  was 
reserved  for  the  standard-bearer  of  the  Cross — the  Celt — to  renew 
the  spring,  and  to  rear  aloft  the  spire,  beneath  which  the  incarnate 
God  would  find  a  home,  and  man  a  source  from  which  the  life-giv- 
ing streams  of  grace  would  flow  to  his  soul. 

Mass  was  at  first  .said  in  Patrick  Masterson's,  in  John  Dunn's 
at  the  clay  bank.s,  and  also  in  a  loft  over  an  old  stable.  Later  on  the 
piece  of  ground,  120  by  250,  on  Main  Street  was  purchased  from 
Mr.  Dall}',  and,  after  many  difficulties,  the  old  frame  church,  now 
used  for  a  school,  was  erected  and  paid  for.  Father  Ouin  also 
purchased  the  present  Woodbridge  Catholic  Cemeter)-,  and  paid  all 
except  $500  on  the  purchase.  After  Father  Ouin  was  relieved  of 
the  charge.  Father  Cornell  continued  services  at  Woodbridge  until 
Father  Ouin's  second  coming.  In  1841  the  mission  passed  to  the 
care  of  Father  Conncjlly,  who  added  two  small  wings  to  the  church. 
About  the  year  1878  the  Rev.  Father  Betoni  came  to  W'oodbridge, 
and  remained  until  October  14th,  1882,  when  Father  Uevine  took 
the  charge.  Father  Devine,  however,  was  replaced  in  May,  1883, 
by  Father  Walsh.  This  priest  built  the  present  rectory,  and  also 
enlarged  the  church.  But  in  May,  1885,  Father  Devine  was  again 
placed  in  the  pastorate,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  people  of  Wood- 
bridge.  Through  the  priestly  zeal  and  untiring  efforts  of  this 
good  clerg)'man  the  present  beautiful  church  and  grounds  were 
procured,  the  present  rectory  and  Sisters'  House  erected  and  paid 
for  without  burdening  the  people.  According  to  the  last  financial 
statement  the  parish  at  Woodbridge  is  in  possession  of  church 
9 


I30  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

property  valued  at  over  $50,000,  and  carries  a  debt  of  only  $1,000. 
Woodbridge  has  also  a  flourishing  school  and  various  societies  in 
active  operation. 

The  present  rector  is  the  Rev.  John  J.  Griffin. 

About  the  fall  of  1863  the  parish  of  St.  Mary's,  Perth  Amboy, 
N.  J.,  was  transferred  to  the  care  of  Rev.  John  Cornell.  Father 
Cornell  placed  a  bell  upon  the  church,  and  inaugurated  the 
ringing  of  the  Angelus.  He  also  purchased  an  organ  for  the 
church,  and  held  a  successful  fair  for  its  benefit  in  old  Columbia 
Hall.  During  his  incumbency  Bishop  Bayley  gave  confirmation 
in  St.  Mary's. 

Father  Cornell  during  his  stay  resided  in  a  house  on  Jefferson 
Street,  and  was  very  zealous  in  the  performance  of  his  parish 
duties,  teaching  the  children  many  pretty  hymns,  some  of  his  own 
composition.  The  Catholics  of  Woodbridge  also  shared  in  his 
pastoral  care.  In  the  spring  of  1865,  however.  Father  Cornell  left 
for  a  trip  to  Europe.  Father  Cornell  was  a  convert,  and  some  of 
his  people  still  reside  in  this  county.  His  old  parishioners  hold 
his  memory  dear. 

It  was  also  during  the  incumbency  of  Father  Cornell  that  St. 
Mary's  congregation  was  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  New 
Jersey. 

Father  Cornell  resigned  the  charge  of  St.  Mary's  Church  in  the 
spring  of  1865,  and  Father  Ouin,  the  old  pastor,  then  living  at 
Rahway  and  having  charge  of  St.  Mary's  Church  there,  resumed 
the  care  of  this  district. 

Once  more  the  parish  became  a  mission  of  the  Rahway  Catho- 
lic Church.  This  arrangement  was  the  best  that  could  be  made 
at  the  time,  for  priests  were  scarce,  and  the  Catholics  of  the  larger 
towns  were  demanding  their  services.  Father  Ouin  was  ever  at- 
tentive to  the  wants  of  St.  Mary's  congregation,  and  gave  them 
all  the  care  he  could  possibly  spare  from  his  other  two  congre- 
gations. Long  drives  from  Rahway  on  sick  calls  enfeebled  his 
already  weak  frame.  The  congregation  was  growing,  and  the  in- 
creasing number  of  children  was  calling  for  a  permanent  priest. 

In  the  December  of  1861  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Bayley  as- 
signed Rev.  Father  Connolly  to  this  parish  and  the  mission 
of  Woodbridge.  When  Father  Connolly  came  the  old  church, 
built  by  the  saintly  Father  Madranno,  stood  in  the  cemetery 
where  so  many  of  the  faithful  pioneers  rested,  awaiting  the 
resurrection.  Catholics  were  flocking  to  Perth  Amboy  in  good 
numbers,   for  work    was   plentiful    and   profitable.     Everything 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  131 

seemed  encouraging,  and  the  members  of  St.  Mary's  were  de- 
lighted to  have  a  priest  dwelUng  once  more  with  them.  Now  the 
sick  would  be  attended  to  and  the  faint-hearted  encoin-aged,  and 
the  children  thoroughly  grounded  in  the  teachings  of  their 
Church. 

On  January  2d,  1872,  the  fiat  went  forth,  and  the  dead  who  had 
slumbered  in  peaceful  security  were  transferred  to  the  new  ceme- 
tery on  the  hill.  A  new  era  was  to  be  inaugurated,  the  church 
was  to  be  enlarged  and  beautified,  and  the  Catholics  of  Perth 
Amboy  were  to  have  the  model  church  in  this  section.  Some 
protested  against  the  removal  of  the  bodies,  and  pointed  to  other 
vacant  lots,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  Some  bodies  were  removed 
and  others  were  left  undisturbed,  and  in  the  spring  the  work  of 
destruction  and  reconstruction  began. 

The  old  church  with  all  its  blessed  memories  was  taken  down 
piecemeal,  the  two  present  transepts  were  added ;  a  sanctuary  was 
built,  and  .sacristies,  so  that  little  or  nothing  was  left  of  the  old 
church.  And  the  wonderful  thing  about  the  affair  was  that  ser- 
vices continued  during  the  remodelling  process.  In  the  year 
1883  the  present  school  structure  arose,  much  to  the  astonish- 
ment of  the  people  and  to  their  jo\'.  The  lay  teachers  were  re- 
placed by  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  who  now  have  three  hundred 
children  under  their  care.  During  the  incumbency  of  Father 
Connolly  the  present  convent  was  procured,  also  the  old  Tuite 
property,  corner  of  Mechanic  and  Centre  streets. 

In  the  year  1888  the  growth  of  the  Catholic  population  required 
a  third  Mass,  and  the  Rev.  Father  Hosey  was  sent  to  assist  the 
rector.  Father  Geoghegan  succeeded  Father  Hosey  in  1889,  and 
in  time  came  the  Rev.  Father  Carey,  who  in  turn  was  replaced  by 
Father  Geoghegan,  who  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Walter  T. 
Leahy  in  September,  1892. 

St.  Joseph's  Church,   Carteret. 

In  the  late  spring  of  1890  the  mission  of  St.  Joseph's  at  Car- 
teret, N.  J.,  was  opened  by  the  Rev.  Father  Connolly,  as  an  annex 
of  St.  Mary's,  Perth  Amboy.  Mass  was  sakl  in  a  room  of  Mr. 
Sexton's  house  in  the  spring  of  1890.  But  this  was  not  the  first 
Mass  celebrated  in  Carteret,  for  the  Rev.  Edward  McCosker,  of 
Rahway,  had  previously  said  Mass  for  the  few  scattered  Catholics 
of  that  hamlet.  The  services  were  continued  in  Patrick  Sexton's 
old  boarding-house,  called  "The  Ship,"  till  the  following  Christ- 


132  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

mas,  1890,  when  a  temporary  altar  was  erected  in  the  h<juse  of 
Mr.  Raclley,  near  the  shore.  A  church  has  heen  erected,  and  the 
parish  has  its  resident  priest,  the  Rev.  Bartholomew  W.  Carey. 

St.  Stephen's  (Polish)  Church. 

On  April  26th,  1892,  Rev.  Stephen  Szymanowski  came  to  Perth 
Amboy  at  the  request  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  O'Farrell,  to  look 
after  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  Polish  and  Slavonic  Catholics  set- 
tled in  the  town.  In  a  short  time  opened  a  chapel  on  New  Bruns- 
wick Avenue,  where  his  little  congregation  gathered  to  worship. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  Father  Szymanowski  purchased  a  site 
for  his  new  church  on  State  Street.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  on 
October  i6th,  1892,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  O'Farrell,  assisted  by 
the  Rev.  Valentine  Swinarski  and  Rev.  Walter  T.  Leahy. 

Thus  was  laid  the  foundation  of  the  Polish  parish  in  Perth  Am- 
boy, N.  J.,  and  the  good  priest  rapidly  pushed  his  church  to  com- 
pletion. The  present  church  building  cost  over  $16,000,  and  is  a 
notable  addition  to  the  town. 

There  are  also  in  Perth  Amboy  congregations  of  Slovaks  who 
have  their  own  church,  the  Holy  Trinity,  the  Rev.  Francis  Janu- 
schek,  rector;  of  Greeks,  St.  Mary's  Church,  the  Father  Kecscs, 
rector,  and  of  Hungarians,  the  Rev.  Charles  Radocz)'. 

St.   John's  Church,   Lambertville. 

Traces  of  Catholicity  are  found  very  early  in  Hunterdon 
County.  On  the  Pennsylvania  side  of  the  Delaware  River  were 
found  many  Alsatian  and  not  a  few  Irish  families,  who  settled  in 
and  around  Haycock,  some  of  whom,  doubtless,  wandered  over 
into  New  Jersey.  As  this  portion  of  the  State  was  attached  to 
the  Philadelphia  div)cese,  the  spiritual  charge  of  the  faithful  natu- 
rally fell  to  the  priests  of  that  diocese.  There  is  a  record  of  the 
baptism  of  Anna  Canada,  the  wife  of  Patrick  Mac-gan,  then  living 
in  Georgia,  in  the  town  of  Ringwood,  in  the  county  of  Hunterdon, 
on  October  21st,  1781,  by  the  Rev.  John  Baptist  Ritter.  This 
was  in  Nicholas  McCarthy's  house,  and  the  convert  to  the  faith 
was  then  nineteen  years  of  age.  Later  on  we  find  that  the  Rev. 
Michael  Hurley,  D.D.  (died  May  14th,  1837),  among  other  mis- 
sions in  New  Jersey  had  visited  Lambertville.  It  is  also  on  rec- 
ord that  the  Augustinians,  if  they  did  not  actually  build,  at  least 
set  on  foot  the  building  of  the  church.  The  l^ev.  Patrick  J.  Han- 
negan  enlarged  the  church  in   1853.     For  some  time  it  was  at- 


IN   NEW   JERSEY  133 

tended  from  St.  John's,  Trenton,  by  the  Rev.  James  Mackin.  Its 
pastors  were  the  Rt.  Rev.  P.  J.  Hannegan,  J.  L.  Jego,  1854-61; 
James  Carney,  1861-63;  James  Callan,  1863-64;  Eugene  O'Keefe; 
Hugh  Murphy,  1864-67;  Patrick  F.  Connolly,  1867-73;  Michael 
J.  Connolly,  1873-76;  IV  Henry  TerWoert,  1876-78;  John  F. 
Brady,  1878-84;  William  J.  Fitzgerald,  1884-91;  and  the  present 
rector,  the  Rev.  William  II.  Lynch,  appointed  October  ist,  1900. 
Under  Father  TerWoert's  administration  a  school  was  built. 

When  the  Mulligan  family  arri\'ed  in  Hunterdon  County  in 
1850,  they  found  as  neighbors  the  Rupells,  supposedly  from  Ba- 
varia, who  despite  the  lack  of  priests  held  on  to  the  faith.  That 
the  Ruppells  came  very  early  into  Hunterdon  County  is  evident 
from  the  baptismal  register  of  the  Jesuit  Father  Ritter,  which 
contains  the  following  enti)- : 

"  Ruppell,  Anna  Maria,  of  Jacob  Ruppell  and  his  wife  Barbara, 
born  in  New  Jersey,  June,  1766,  baptized  in  Haycock,  June  21, 
1767;  sponsors,  Jerome  Grijnewald  and  Ann  Mary  Griinewald." 

Mass  was  occasionally  offered  in  their  home,  but  by  whom  there 
is  no  record.  It  is  certain  that  the  saintly  Bishop  Neuman  in  the 
early  40' s  visited  them  and  blessed  a  cemetery  for  them.  The  faith 
was  also  kept  alive  by  an  itinerant  pedler,  the  brother  of  John  Roach, 
the  shipbuilder.  In  his  travels  through  the  country  not  only  did 
he  fight  for  his  religion,  defending  it  wherever  and  whenever 
an  opportunity  presented  itself,  but  he  braced  up  his  co-religion- 
ists, reproaching  the  backsliders  and  strengthening  the  weak- 
hearted,  and  bringing  them  whenever  possible  the  comforts  of  a 
priest.  When  the  Central  Railroad  was  in  process  of  construction 
frequent  disorders  broke  out  along  the  line,  especially  after  pay- 
da)-.  On  one  occasion  there  was  every  indication  of  a  riot,  and  as 
a  measure  of  precaution  the  sheriff  called  upon  the  militia.  The 
soldiers  were  not  at  all  eager  to  take  up  the  wage  of  battle  with 
the  infuriated  and  maddened  railroaders.  Some  one,  wiser  than 
the  rest,  advised  sending  word  to  Father  Reardon,  then  pastor  at 
Easton,  Pa.  Father  Reardon  was  a  relative  of  Daniel  O' Council, 
a  man  of  commanding  presence  and  a  gifted  orator.  He  hurried 
to  the  scene,  garbed  in  his  green  coat,  and  gathering  his  country- 
men around  the  hotel  he  harangued  them,  and  under  the  charm 
of  his  pleadings  the  wrath  of  the  men  was  soon  appeased.  At  his 
bidding  they  all  knelt,  and,  receiving  his  blessing,  they  started  off, 
some  to  their  shanties  and  the  rest  to  their  work,  much  to  the  re- 
lief of  the  sheriff  and  the  soldiers.  One  only  was  arrested,  and 
brought  to  Flemington  for  trial.     When  brought  before  the  court 


134  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

he  cried  out,  "Hang  me,  judge,  for  God's  sake  hang  me!"  "I 
cannot  go  that  far,  ni}-  man,  unless  you  give  me  some  reason. 
Why  ought  I  to  hang  )ou  ?  "  He  repUed,  '*  What  would  my  folks 
say  in  Ireland  if  they  heard  I  was  arrested  ?  "  He  was  not  hanged, 
but  dismissed  by  the  court.  P^ather  Reardon  every  now  and  then 
visited  Clinton  and  F'lemington  and  said  Mass  and  administered 
the  sacraments. 


Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Clinton. 

The  Catholics  in  this  hamlet  were  attended  from  Lambertville, 
and  divine  ser\'ice  was  held  in  the  homes  of  the  Mulligans,  Lough- 
ertys,  McLoughlins,  and  in  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Coxe,  a  Spanish 
consul,  resident  in  Clinton.  Old  Mrs.  Lougherty,  in  her  ninety- 
seventh  year  when  she  died,  was  a  veritable  treasurer  of  historic 
lore,  but  unfortunately  none  had  the  thoughtfulness  to  gather  from 
her  what  now  would  be  of  surpassing  interest.  Of  the  Mulligans 
there  were  three  brothers,  who  settled  in  the  county  in  1845, 
Frank,  Jeremiah,  and  James,  the  father  of  the  worthy  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Camden,  the  Very  Rev. 
Dean  Bernard  J.  Mulligan.  They  were  of  the  good  old  Irish 
stock,  strong  in  the  faith,  and  the  wife  of  James  was  a  woman  of 
strong  character,  possessed  of  sterling  virtue,  who  would  have 
reared  a  Christian  family  in  the  desert,  as  well  as  under  the 
shadow  of  a  church.  This  was  the  compliment  Bishop  Bayley 
paid  her  when  on  the  occasion  of  a  visitation  to  that  part  of  his 
diocese  he  visited  her  home,  and  saw  in  her  children  the  evidences 
of  solid  Christian  virtue.  Father  Jego  bought  a  barn  from  the 
Mulligans  and  con\-erted  it  into  a  church.  In  the  rear  was  a  car- 
riage house,  which  once  occasioned  an  amusing  incident.  Father 
Jego  was  preaching  one  Sunday,  and  although  he  was  very  earnest 
in  his  remarks,  he  observed  that  his  audience  were  in  a  mirthful 
mood,  and  becoming  more  and  more  inclined  to  levity.  At  length 
it  seemed  impossible  to  restrain  themselves,  and  all  burst  out  in 
loud  laughter.  The  good  priest  was  indignant,  and  plainl)'  said  so 
to  the  congregation.  One  of  them  asked  him  to  look  behind  him, 
and  turning  he  saw  the  head  of  his  horse  thrust  through  the  open- 
ing of  the  carriage  house,  wonderingly  looking  from  side  to  side  at 
the  worshippers.  "  Ah,  Fanny,  so  you  are  responsible  for  this 
disorder !  "  And  sending  one  of  the  men  to  put  away  the  source 
of  distraction,  the  services  continued  in  a  becoming  manner.  A 
more  suitable  structure  was  afterward  built. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  135 


Church  of  St.  Mary  Magdalene  of  Pazzi,  Flemington. 

Father  Jego  built  a  little  church  for  the  Catholics  in  Flem- 
ington under  the  patronage  of  St.  Mary  Magdalene  of  Pazzi.  In 
1858  Bishop  Bayley  administered  the  sacrament  of  confirmation 
to  six  candidates,  of  whom  one  was  Dean  Mulligan,  and  another 
Sheriff  Corcoran.  In  1859  the  Rev.  Claude  Rolland,  a  native  of 
Brittany,  France,  who  had  been  exercising  the  ministry  in  the  isl- 
and of  St.  Martin,  West  Indies,  was  placed  in  charge  of  these 
missions,  and  remained  until  June,  1864,  when  he  returned  to 
France.     He  was  succeeded  bv  the  Rev.  Patrick  Leonard. 


Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Somerville. 

Father  Farmer  in  his  visitation  is  known  to  have  stopped  in 
Somerville,  but  there  are  only  the  faintest  traces  of  those  to  whom 
he  brought  the  joy  of  his  presence.  We  find,  however.  Father 
Timothy  Maguire,  the  pastor  of  South  Amboy,  making  a  station 
there  in  1841,  which  was  attended  regularly  from  1842-46  by  the 
Rev.  Hugh  McGuire,  the  incumbent  of  New  Brunswick.  Wlien 
a  pastor  was  sent  to  Raritan  the  flock  was  attended  by  him,  and 
by  the  pastor  of  Plainfield,  until  1882,  when  Bishop  O'Farrell  ap- 
pointed the  Rev.  Martin  A.  V.  d.  Bogaard  resident  pastor.  He 
bought  a  site  in  the  most  beautiful  part  of  the  town  and  erected  a 
fine  Gothic  church,  50  by  100  feet,  and  a  rectory.  Besides,  he 
secured  six  acres  of  land  for  a  cemetery.  Father  Bogaard  con- 
templates the  erection  of  a  school  in  the  near  future. 


St.  Mary's  Church,  Newark. 

The  beginning  of  St.  Mary's  parish  dates  back  to  the  year 
1838,  when  the  Rev.  John  Stephen  Raffeiner  (born  1785  in  Tirol, 
ordained  1825,  died  1861  as  Vicar-General  of  Brooklyn),  of  St. 
Nicholas'  Church  on  Second  Street,  New  York,  or  his  assistant, 
the  Rev.  Father  Nicolaus  Balleis,  O.S.B.  (born  1808  in  Salzburg, 
ordained  1831,  died  December  13th,  1891,  in  Brooklyn,  after 
having  celebrated  the  sixtieth  anniversary  of  his  ordination),  came 
to  Newark  twice  a  month  and  held  services  for  the  German  Catho- 
lics in  St.  John's  Church  on  Mulberry  Street.     When  about  sixty 


136 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


families  had  been  (gathered  Father  Balleis  decided  to  stay  in  New- 
ark, and  began  to  erect  a  frame  church,  50  by  30  feet,  with  a 
school  and  rectory  in  the  basement.  This  church  was  dedicated 
to  the  "Immaculate  Conception"  in  the  fall  of  1842  by  Bishop 
John  Hughes,  of  New  York,  but  services  in  it  had  been  held  as 
early  as  January  31st,  1842.  This  first  church  was  situated  on  the 
corner  of  Grand  (now  Court)  and  Howard  streets.  The])roperty 
where  the  church  now  stands  was  bought  in   1846,  and  the  old 


ST.    ilARV  S    CHCRCH,    NEWARK,  X.    J. 


frame  church  moved  to  High  Street,  services  being  continued 
during  the  three  weeks  it  took  to  move  the  building.  Soon  after 
Father  Balleis  obtained  from  St.  Vincent's  Abbey,  Pa.,  an  assistant 
in  the  person  of  Father  Charles  Geyerstanger,  O.S.B.  (born  in 
Salzburg,  1820,  ordained  March  i8th,  1847,  died  in  St.  Vincent's, 
Pa.,  April  22d,  1881). 

In  1843  the  first  German  Catholic  parochial  school  was  opened 
with  forty  children. 

September  4th,  1854,  the  old  church  was  sacked  and  plundered 
by  a  mob  of  Orangemen.     Father  Geyerstanger  succeeded  in  sav- 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  [37 

ing  the  Blessed  ■  Sacrament,  thereby  exposing  his  Hfe  to  danger. 
As  a  monument  of  this  sacrilegious  Know-nothing  outbreak  a 
statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  that  had  been  disfigured  by  the  mob 
is  still  kept  under  glass  in  the  church  near  the  side  altar  on  the 
gospel  side. 

In  1855  Father  Balleis  resigned  the  parish  into  the  hands  of 
Bishop  Bayley  and  made  a  trip  to  the  old  country.  For  a  short 
time  the  church  services  were  continued  by  a  German  secular 
priest,  the  Rev.  Father  Hasslinger. 

In  1856  Bishop  Bayley  gave  the  parish  into  the  hands  of 
the  Benedictines  in  the  person  of  the  Superior,  afterward  Arch- 
abbot,  Boniface  Wimmer,  O.S.B.,  of  St.  Vincent's,  Pa.,  who  ap- 
pointed as  pastor  the  Rev.  Valentine  Felder,  O.S.B.  (born  1830), 
who  arrived  in  August  of  the  same  year,  and  November  ist 
appointed  a  committee  for  the  purpose  of  building  the  present 
church.  Messrs.  Charles  Vellinger,  John  Radel,  Joseph  Criqui, 
Hermann  Plagge  were  the  members  of  the  committee.  Before  the 
new  building  was  finished  Father  Valentine  Felder,  O.S.B.,  was 
killed  by  a  horse-car  in  New  York  City,  May  28th,  1857.  Shortly 
before  the  Rev.  Father  Eberhard  Gahr,  O.S.B.,  had  been  appoint- 
ed his  assistant.  The  new  jDastor,  Father  Rupert  Seidenbusch, 
O.S.B.  (born  1830  in  Munich,  ordained  1853,  first  Abbot  of  St. 
John's  in  Minnesota,  1866,  Bishop  of  Halia,  i.  p.  infid.,  and  Vicar 
Apostolic  of  North  Minnesota,  1875,  resigned  1890,  died  June  3d, 
1895,  in  Richmond,  Va.),  finished  the  church  and  it  was  dedicated 
by  Bishop  Bayley,  December  20th,  1857.  In  the  same  year 
ground  was  bought  for  a  cemeter\'  in  the  township  of  East  Orange, 
known  as  St.  Mar)'s  Cemetery,  in  which  in  i860  the  body  of  Father 
Valentine  was  buried.  The  cemetery  holds  the  bodies  of  the 
following  Benedictine  Fathers:  P.  Beda  Bergmann,  i860;  P. 
Casimir  Seitz,  1867;  P.  Isidor  Walter,  1867;  P.  Leonard  Mayer, 
1875;  P.  Wendelin  Mayer,  1881  ;  P.  William  Walter,  1882;  P. 
Nicolaus  Bruch,  1883;  P.  Benno  Hegele,  1885;  Rt.  Rev.  Abbot 
James  Zilliox,  O.S.B.,  December  31st,  1890;  P.  Leo  Szczepanski, 
1895.  Also  more  than  a  dozen  Benedictine  Sisters  have  found 
their  last  resting  place  in  this  hallowed  spot. 

P.  Utho  Huber,  O.S.B.,  died  1896,  was  the  next  prior  and  pas- 
tor, by  whom  the  present  St.  Mary's  parochial  school  was  built. 

The  next  prior  was  Father  Oswald  Moosmueller,  O.S.B.,  died 
1901,  who  had  the  two  side  altars  of  the  church  erected  by 
Brother  Cosmas  Wolf,  O.S.B.,  of  St.  Vincent's,  Pa. 

Father    Oswald   having  been   called   to    Rome,    Father    Ro- 


138 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


man  Heil,  O.S.B.,  succeeded;  bolli  of  liis  assistants  died  in  1867, 
F.  Casimir  Seitz,  (^.S.B,,  July  23d,  1'.  Jsidor  Walter,  O.S.B,  Oc- 
tober 23d. 

In  1857  services  were  held  for  the  (iermans  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  city,  called  the  "  Neck."  Father  Kberhard  Gahr,  O.S.B., 
was  the  first  pastor.  In  1864  it  was  attended  by  P.  Bruno  Hegele, 
O.S.B. ;  in  1866  by  Father  Bernardine  Dolweck,  O.S.B.  The 
other  pastors  were  P.  Lambert  Kettner,  O.S.B.,  to  1883;  P. 
Theodorius  Goth,   O.S.B.,   to    1894.     The    original    title    of   the 

church,     St.     Joseph's,     was 

changed  to  St.  Benedict's. 
The  present  pastor  since  1894 
is  the  Rev.  Leonard  Walter, 
O.S.B.,  a  brother  of  Fathers 
Isidor  and  William  Walter. 

September  nth,  1858,  is 
the  date  of  the  deed  by  which 
Bishop  Bayley  gave  to  the 
Benedictines  the  property  of 
the  church  on  High  Street, 
the  church  forever  to  be  a  par- 
ocJiial  as  7cell  as  a  eonveiitnal 
(and  since  1883  an  Ablxitial) 
churcJi. 

Owing  to  sickness  P. 
Roman  Heil  went  to  St.  Vin- 
cent's in  1 871,  where  he  died 
May  3d,  1873.  His  successor 
was  P.  Leonard  Mayer,  O.S.B., 
who  died  May  1 8th,  1 875.  He 
was  succeeded  by  P.  Bernhard  Manser,  O.S.B.,  who  departed  for 
Europe  in  September,  1879,  leaving  the  church  in  charge  of 
Father  William  Walter,  O.S.B.  After  his  death  June  17th, 
1882,  F"ather  Gerard  Pilz,  O.S.B.  (born  1834,  in  Bavaria,  or- 
dained 1859,  September  20th,  1891,  in  Mary  Help  Abbey,  North 
Carolina). 

The  foundation  of  St.  Benedict's  College,  522  High  Street, 
dates  back  to  the  year  1868.  The  present  building  was  solemnly 
blessed  by  Bishop  Bayley  F'ebruary  2d,  1872. 

There  had  been  a  frame  house  on  the  site  which  was  occupieu 
by  the  Sisters  of  St.  Benedict.  To  make  place  for  the  college  the 
frame  building  had  to  be  torn  down ;    therefore  a  convent  was 


ARCH-ABBOT    BONIFACE    WIMMER, 
O.S.B.,    D.D. 


IN   NEW   JERSEY  139 

built  for  the  Sisters  on  Shipman  Street,  next  to  the  school;  in 
fact,  a  continuation  of  it.  This,  St.  Scholastica's  Convent,  was 
blessed  by  Bishop  Corrigan  in  April,  1870. 

Father  William  Walter,  O.S.B.,  was  the  first  director  of  St. 
Benedict's  College;  his  successor,  1875-77,  ^^'^■''  ^-  Alphonse  Heil- 
mer,  O.S.B.  Then  came  Father  Mellitus  Fritz,  O.S.B.,  1891,  till 
1882.  The  next  director  was  Father  F'rederick  Hoesel,  O.S.B., 
up  to  1888,  who  died  August  ist,  1889.  Then  came:  1888,  P. 
Hugo  Paff,  O.S.B. ;  1890,  P.  Leonard  Walter,  O.S.B. ;  1891,  P. 
Cornelius  Eckl,  O.S.B.,  November  22,  1894,  in  Manchester,  N.  H. ; 
1893,  P.  Ernest  Helmstetter,  O.S.B.;  1897,  P.  George  Biln, 
O.S.B.,  who  still  continues  in  office. 

The  present  rectory  and  abbey  was  begun  by  Prior  Gerard  Pilz 
in  the  year  1 882,  and  its  solemn  dedication  and  blessing  by  Bishop 
Wigger  took  place  April  i6th,  1883;  Arch-abbot  Boniface  Wim- 
mer  of  St.  Vincent's  (born  1809  in  Bavaria,  ordained  1831, 
solemn  vows  1833,  died  December  8,  1887). 

December  6th,  1881,  P'ather  Nicolaus  Balleis,  O.S.B.,  cele- 
brated in  this  church  his  golden  jubilee. 

April  24th,  1884,  P'ather  Gerard  celebrated  his  silver  jubilee. 

From  the  time  of  the  appointment  of  P'ather  Valentine  Felder 
in  1856  to  F"ather  Gerard's  appointment  in  1885  the  pari.sh  of  St. 
Mary's  ha-d  been  ruled  by  men  sent  there  by  the  Abbot  of  St. 
Vincent's. 

Tfie  time  had  arrived  to  raise  the  Priory  to  the  independ- 
ent position  of  an  Abbey.  A  request  to  that  effect  had  been 
granted  in  Rome  by  brief  dated  December  19th,  1884.  This 
brief  arrived  January  I4tlfl,  1885.  Thereupon  an  election  was 
held  February  nth,  1885,  in  St.  Vincent's,  in  which  Father 
James  Zilliox,  O.S.B.,  a  native  of  Newark,  and  a  child  of  St. 
Mary's  parish,  was  elected  the  first  Abbot.  His  blessing  and 
installation  by  Bishop  W^igger  took  place  July  22d,  1885,  in  St. 
Mary's  Church.  The  Abbot  is  pastor  or  rector  of  the  church, 
i/^so  facto,  but  usually  appoints  an  acting  or  \-ice-rector.  Father 
Cornelius  Eckl,  O.S.B.,  acted  in  that  capacity  during  the  term  of 
Abbot  Zilliox.  His  two  assistants  were  Fathers  Alexander 
Reger,  O.S.B.,  and  Polycarp  Scherer,  O.S.B.  Owing  to  failing 
health  Abbot  Zilliox  resigned  and  his  resignation  was  accepted 
by  the  Holy  See  in  October,  1886.  In  a  new  election,  Novem- 
ber i6th,  1886,  Father  Hilary  Pfraengle,  O.S.B.,  then  director 
of  St.  Vincent's  College,  was  chosen  as  the  second  Abbot.  He 
was  blessed   by   Bishop   Phelan   of   Pittsburg   in   St.  Vincent's, 


I40  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

February  17th,  1887.  He  appointed  Father  Polycarp  Scherer  as 
pastor  of  St.  Mary's,  and  he  still  performs  this  office,  to  the  satis- 
faction of  his  superiors  as  well  as  the  people. 

Any  of  the  Fathers  residing"  at  St.  Mary's  may  be  called  upon 
to  perform  the  duties  of  an  assistant ;  and  while  the  parish  pays 
the  salary  of  but  one,  it  frecjuently  has  the  services  of  three  or 
four.  It  ought  to  be  mentioned  tliat  the  Benedictine  Fathers 
have  deserved  well  of  the  Newark  diocese,  as  they  have  in  the 
olden  days  attended  missions  that  have  now  grown  into  flourishing 
and  wealthy  parishes.  They  have  lent  willing  assistance  always 
to  the  secular  clergy,  whenever  and  as  far  as  it  was  possible  for 
them  to  do  so. 

April  6th,  1880,  Bishop  Corrigan  of  New  York,  in  presence  of 
Cardinal  John  McCloskey,  celebrated  a  pontifical  high  Mass  in 
St.  Mary's  Church  in  honor  of  the  fourteen  hundredth  anniversary 
of  the  birth  of  our  holy  Founder  St.  Benedict  (born  840,  in  Italy). 
Bishop  Becker,  of  Wilmington,  deli\'ered  an  eloquent  sermon  on 
the  occasion. 

Dependent  upon  St.  Mary's  Abbey  are  two  parishes  in  the 
diocese:  the  one  already  mentioned,  St.  Benedict's,  of  Newark,  in 
charge  of  P.  Leonard  Walter,  O.S.B.,  and  the  Sacred  Heart 
Church  in  Elizabeth,  in  charge  of  P.  Ambrose  Huebner,  O.S.B. 
The  assistant  in  the  former  place  is  P.  Henry  Becker,  O.S.B., 
in  the  latter  P.  James  CuUinane,  O.S.B.  (a  native  of  Eliza- 
beth). 

The  Fathers  of  St.  Mary's,  Newark,  also  have  charge  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  Church  of  Wilmington,  Del.  (founded  by  P.  Wen- 
delin  Mayer,  O.S.B.),  P.  Hugo  Paff  being  the  present  pastor 
with  P.  Meinrad  Hettinger  for  assistant ;  and  of  St.  Raphael's 
Church  in  Manchester,  N.  H.  (founded  by  P.  Sylvester  Joerg, 
O.S.B.). 

The  greatest  undertaking  by  St.  Mary's  Abbey  was  the 
foundation  of  St.  Anselm's  College  in  Manchester,  N.  H.  P. 
Hugo  Paff  supervised  the  building  and  w^as  the  first  director 
from  1893  to  1896.  Fathers  Sylvester  and  Florian  followed  as 
directors.  For  the  last  three  years  Abbot  Hilary  Pfraengle  re- 
sides there  and  is  acting  director.  There  is  a  regular  coiu-se  of 
philosophy  and  theology  for  the  younger  members  of  the  order 
at  the  college,  and  more  than  twenty  priests  have  already  finished 
their  studies  at  St.  Anselm's. 

August  17th,  1890,  St.  Mary's  Church,  after  having  been 
thoroughly  renovated,  was  solemnly  consecrated  by  Bishop  Wig- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


141 


gei",  and  the  Sunday  within  the  Octave  of  the  Assumption  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin  was  fixed  as  the  day  of  the  yearly  commemoration 
of  this  event. 


St.  Mary's  Church,  Elizabeth, 

In  the  very  dawn  of  the  settlement  of  Elizabethtown  is  found 
Catholicity  in  the  several  Alsatian  families — a  weakly  exotic, 
which  struggled  awhile  for 
existence,  weakened,  and  to- 
tally perished.  The  French 
Revolution  d  rove  hither 
many  noble  and  distinguished 
exiles,  among  whom  are  found 
the  names  of  Lady  Anne 
Renee  Defoerger  de  Mau- 
perrins,  widow  of  the  Baron 
of  Clugny,  Governor  of  Gua- 
deloupe, Marie  de  Rouselat 
Campbell,  the  De  Clots  (who 
entertained  Jerome  Bona- 
parte and  his  wife,  ncc  Patter- 
son), the  De  Touchimberts, 
De  Maroles,  Malherbes,  Ca- 
hierres,  Libertons,  Du  Bucs, 
Godets,  Triyons,  Cuyers,  Du- 
fors,  Mosquerons,  as  well  as 
Terrier  de  Laistre  and  Al- 
monde  Tugonne.  The  most 
prominent,  without  doubt, 
was  Joseph  Louis,  Count 
d'Anterroches,  born  at  the 
chateau  of  Puy  Darnac  near 
Tulle,      Limousin,      France, 

about  August  25th,  1753.  As  the  second  son,  in  accordance  with 
the  custom  of  his  coimtry  and  his  day,  he  was  destined  for  the 
church,  and  was  educated  in  the  palace  of  his  uncle,  Alexander 
Caesar  d'Anterroches,  bishop  of  Comdom.  But  as  his  elder 
brother  died  in  exile  at  the  outbreak  of  the  revolution,  and  pre- 
ferring a  militar)'  career  to  that  of  the  sanctuar\',  he  ran  awa}-  and 
accepted  a  commission  in  the  English  army.  Captured  by  the 
Continentals  at  Saratoga,  he  wrote  to  his  kinsman,  Lafayette,  and, 


.MAKV  S    (  HLRCll.    KLIZADETII. 


142, 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


on  parole,  he  enjoyed  full  liberty  within  the  American  lines 
throughout  the  war.  He  wedded,  in  1780,  Mary,  daughter  of  Capt. 
David  Vanderpool,  of  Chatham  Bridge,  N.  J.,  but  left  no  descend- 
ants. It  was  said  of  him  that  "he  was  a  consummate  tactician, 
possessing  the  art  of  imparting  his  knowledge  to  others  and  gain- 
ing their  confidence  and  affection."  Many  of  these  families  were 
Catholics,  and  enjoyed  the  ministrations  of  the  Rev.  John  S.  Tis- 
sorant  in  1805-06;  but  most  of  them  joined  the  Episcopal  com- 
munion, so  that  to-day  there  remain  but  few  fragments  of  the  old 

Catholic  stock.  Good  Father 
Howell  during  his  life  wrote 
the  history  of  the  faith  as  he 
found  it,  and  it  is  herewith 
appended. 

The  Rev.  Isaac  P.  Howell, 
born  in  Philadelphia,  of  a 
Quaker  father  and  an  Irish 
mother,  educated  partly  in 
St.  Charles'  College,  Phila- 
delphia, and  partly  in  St. 
John's,  Fordham,  was  or- 
dained priest  b}'  Bishop 
Hughes,  March  2d,  1843. 
Appointed  to  the  pastorate 
of  Elizabeth  shortly  after  his 
ordination,  he  organized  the 
pari.sh,  built  its  church,  pas- 
toral residence  and  school, 
and  died  after  twenty-two 
years  of  zealous  and  apostolic  labor,  August  31st,  1866,  univer- 
sally loved  and  mourned. 

Although  the  borough  of  Elizabeth  is  the  oldest  settlement  in 
New  Jersey,  still  the  Catholic  Church  cannot  boast  of  having 
made  any  progress  within  her  borders  until  of  late  years.  The 
Catholic  missionary  in  search  of  the  scattered  sheep  of  the  fold 
would  pass  her  by,  unable  to  discover  within  her  limits  the  object 
of  his  search.  In  the  year  1829  three  Catholics  were  known  to 
reside  in  this  town,  who,  when  their  religious  principles  were  dis- 
covered, were  obliged  to  leave,  as  no  employment  would  be  given 
them.  The  first  influx  of  Catholicity  was  caused  by  the  construc- 
tion of  the  New  Jersey  Railroad  in  the  year  1833;  and  by  this 
means  the  inhabitants,  instead  of  being  disabused  of  their  preju- 


REV.    ISAAC   p.    HOWELL. 
Founder  of  St.  Mary's,  Elizabeth. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  143 

dices,  became  scandalized  at  tlie  inebriety  and  other  vices  and  ex- 
cesses of  the  laborers  who  professed  themselves  to  be  Catholics, 
and  thus  their  antipathy  to  religion  increased.  The  construction 
of  this  work  aroused  the  dormant  energies  of  the  neighborhood. 
An  impetus  was  given  to  agricultural,  manufacturing,  commercial 
pursuits.  Laborers  were  in  demand.  Necessity  and  interest 
overcame  proscriptive  intolerance.  The  proscribed  race  was  re- 
ceived into  emplo}',  in  the  hope  that  it  would  be  enlightened. 
Those  who  were  weak  enough  to  deny  their  faith  were  indulged  in 
their  excesses,  and  evidences  that  they  did  are  unfortunately  in 
numerous  cases  permanently  existing ;  but  those  whose  sense  of 
rectitude  withstood  the  tempting  offer  endured  as  long  as  neces- 
sity or  interest  compelled  them  the  taunts  of  their  persecutors, 
and  then  left  their  places  to  those  whose  indigence  compelled  them 
to  accept  any  situation  offered.  During  the  time  of  the  construc- 
tion of  the  New  Jersey  Railroad,  and  also  of  the  Central  Railroad, 
the  sick  calls  were  attended  to  by  the  Rev.  P.  Moran,  then  the 
only  priest  in  Newark.  In  the  year  1842  Rev.  Yldephonsus  Me- 
drano,  then  stationed  at  Staten  Island,  visited  the  few  scattered 
Catholics  in  this  neighborhood.  He  celebrated  for  them  occasion- 
ally the  rites  of  religion  ;  but  unfortunately  the  only  place  he  could 
procure  for  the  purpose  was  a  low  tavern  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
town,  and  his  visitations  were  attended  by  the  most  unfavorable 
circumstances,  not  only  to  his  own  personal  interest,  but  also  to 
the  most  vital  interests  of  religion.  A  few  wept  over  the  degraded 
condition  to  which  religion  w^as  reduced,  their  most  strenuous 
efforts  to  elevate  it  having  proved  ineffectual.  In  the  fall  of  1843 
several  of  the  most  zealous  visited  the  Bishop  of  New  York,  the 
late  lamented  Archbishop  Hughes;  he  encouraged  them  by  prom- 
ising them  that  he  would  send  them  a  priest  in  the  spring.  In 
the  spring  of  1844  he  ordained  and  sent  them  as  pastor,  Rev. 
Isaac  P.  Howell,  with  instructions  to  visit  that  section  of  the 
country,  and  report  on  the  possibility  of  establishing  a  mission  at 
Elizabethtovvn,  and  another  at  Rahway.  After  considerable  dillfi- 
culty  a  small  room,  in  a  house  near  the  town,  was  procured  in 
which  to  celebrate  Mass.  On  Palm  Sunday,  1844,  a  congregation 
of  twenty -five  assembled  to  greet  their  pastor  and  assist  at  the 
sacred  rites  of  religion. 

Ji  In  1832  the  Protestant,  the  notoriously  infamous  anti-Catholic 
sheet,  conducted  by  a  cabal  of  Presbyterian  and  Dutch  Reformed 
ministers,  honored  the  little  congregation  in  Elizabeth  with  the 
following  notice : 


144  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


"  Progress  of   Popery. 

"  ycrscy,  Elizabcthtoivn. — On  the  13th  of  September,  one  hun- 
dred and  three  persons  were  coiifiruicd  in  their  idolatry ;  and  the 
Mass  house  is  about  to  be  very  much  enlari^ed." 

During  the  year  1844  there  was  somewhat  of  an  increase  in 
the  congregation,  and  a  collection  was  commenced  in  the  fall  to 
purchase  a  lot  on  which  to  build  a  church.  In  April,  1845,  the 
basement  wall  of  St.  Mary's  of  the  Assumption  was  laid,  and  by 
the  first  Sunday  of  the  next  Advent  a  substantial  brick  church, 
fifty  feet  scjuare,  was  suf^ciently  completed  to  accommodate  the 
congregation,  which  by  this  time  had  increased  to  about  one  hun- 
dred. The  funds  for  the  purchase  of  the  lot  were  contributed  by 
the  congregation,  but  those  for  the  construction  of  the  building 
were  the  charitable  offerings  of  the  faithful  in  New  York,  and  of 
the  different  congregations  in  East  New  Jersey,  and  particularly 
from  the  laborers  on  the  Morris  Canal,  solicited  by  the  untiring 
exertions  of  the  pastor.  No  sooner  was  the  sign  of  our  salvation 
erected  on  the  new  edifice  than  in  a  few  years  the  church  became 
too  small.  In  the  year  1847  the  German  portion  of  the  congrega- 
tion erected  an  edifice  for  themselves,  and  in  a  short  time  were 
blessed  by  a  pastor  of  their  own.  In  the  year  1851  a  substantial 
brick  school-house,  two  stories  high,  was  erected  alongside  of  St. 
Mary's  Church. 

At  the  outbreak  of  fanaticism,  stirred  up  by  the  native  Ameri- 
cans and  Know-nothings,  St.  Mary's  did  not  escape  attention. 
The  infuriated  rabble  marched  toward  the  church  with  the  a\'owed 
intention  of  sacking  and  destroying  it.  With  the  open  Bible — the 
book  of  all  books  which  embalms  sentiments  of  peace  and  good- 
will toward  all,  and  the  stifling  of  human  passion — at  the  head  of 
the  procession,  these  sons  of  savage  hate  and  crass  ignorance 
wended  their  way  to  the  modest  edifice  which  stood  for  the  faith 
and  for  the  sacrifices  of  the  Irish  Catholic.  Father  Howell  well 
knew  what  it  would  mean,  if  in  some  way  he  could  not  induce  the 
men  of  the  congregation  to  absent  themselves  from  the  scene  of 
impending  conflict.  He  succeeded.  Then  to  the  women  he  en- 
trusted the  task  of  defending  the  church.  With  their  babes  in 
their  arms,  they  grouped  themselves,  these  worthy  daughters  of 
martyred  sires,  in  front  of  the  main  door,  and  awaited  the  oncom- 
ing hostile  mob.     In  the  forefront,  nerving  the  rest  to  courage  by 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


145 


'Come,  Mary,  stand  aside  with  your  child  !"  shouted  the  leader. 


146  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

her  bravery,  stood  the  wife  of  Captam  Whelan.  In  her  arms  her 
infant  son,  who,  grown  to  manhood,  was  destined  to  meet  and 
overcome  more  subtle  and  more  powerful  foes  of  the  Master,  faced 
the  leader,  who  was  well  known  to  her.  "  Come,  Mary,  stand 
aside  with  your  child ! "  shouted  the  leader.  "  No,  Sam,  I  will 
not.  You  cannot  enter  this  door,  but  over  the  dead  body  of  my 
child  and  myself!"  she  quietly  rej^lied.  Daunted  by  this  manifes- 
tation of  courage,  and  not  entirely  devoid  of  the  chivalrous  spirit 
which  at  times  his  forefathers  were  wont  to  manifest,  he  hesitated 
for  a  moment.  Then,  turning  to  his  fellows,  he  told  them  to  go 
home,  and,  with  a  terrible  oath,  swore  he  would  brain  the  first 
man  who  would  lay  a  finger  on  woman  or  child.  Father  Howell's 
strategy  was  successful,  and  the  church  was  saved. 

In  the  year  1858  collections  were  made  for  the  enlargement 
and  remodelling  of  the  church,  and  the  erection  of  a  pastoral  resi- 
dence in  the  rear.  The  spring  of  1862  saw  the  work  completed, 
and  a  beautiful  church,  133  by  66  feet,  and  a  spacious  rectory 
evince  the  zeal  and  charity  of  the  congregation.  Meanwhile,  the 
eastern  portion  of  the  city  was  not  idle.  The  Catholics  at  the 
Port  determined  to  have  their  own  church ;  and  soon,  under  the 
untiring  efforts  of  their  pastor,  the  Rev.  M.  M.  Wirzfeld,  and  the 
liberality  of  the  flock,  a  commodious  church,  school,  and  pastoral 
residence  arose  as  if  by  magic.  In  1844  the  entire  population  of 
Elizabeth  was  about  five  thousand,  the  Catholics  about  twenty- 
five  in  number;  and  in  the  year  1866  the  city's  population  was 
about  fifteen  thousand,  and  the  Catholics  numbered  about  four 
thousand.  Then  within  its  corporate  limits  there  were  two 
churches  and  schools.  Now  there  are  eight  churches  with  schools 
attached,  and  the  fine  hospital  of  the  Xavierian  Brothers. 

The  faithful  servant  of  God  and  his  people,  Father  Howell, 
after  twenty-two  years  of  zealous,  fruitful  labor,  passed  away  to 
the  blessed  vision  of  God,  universally  loved  and  regretted,  August 
31st,  1866. 

The  Rev.  Michael  E.  Kane,  a  native  of  Newark,  and  ordained 
June  24th,  1865,  succeeded  Father  Howell,  and  labored  in  this 
field  with  lofty  motive  but  somewhat  indiscreet  zeal  for  five 
years.  In  January,  1872,  the  Rev.  Leo  Thebaud,  a  native  of  New 
York  Cit)',  educated  at  Seton  Hall  and  the  Collegio  Brignole-Sale, 
Italy,  and  ordained  June  13th,  1867,  vv-as  promoted  to  the  pastor- 
ate. He  had  been  an  assistant  in  St.  John's,  Paterson,  for  some 
years,  and  by  his  zeal  and  piety  endeared  himself  to  both  pastor 
and  flock.     Despite  a  chronic  malady  which  left  him  no  ease  from 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


147 


pain  night  or  day,  and  which  his  unbroken  cheertuhiess  never  be- 
trayed, he  labored  with  this  flock  with  much  fruit,  until  he  was  at 
length  forced  to  resign,  and  died  in  the  home  of  his  sister,  Madi- 
son, N.  J.,  May  loth,  1893. 

In  1888  the  Rev.  James  H.  Corrigan,  born  in  Newark,  June 
29th,  1844,  a  brother  of  Archbishop  Corrigan,  making  his  prepar- 
atory studies  in  Wilmington,  Del.,  and  St.  Francis  Xavier's,  New 
York,  graduated  from  Mount  St.  Mary's,  studying  theology  in  the 
American  College,  Rome,  and  at  Seton  Hall,  and  ordained  at  Se- 
ton  Hall,  October  20th,  1867,  succeeded  Father  Thebaud.  The 
circumstances  of  the  retire- 
ment of  the  one  and  the  pro- 
motion of  the  other  were 
alike.  Father  "James,"  as 
he  was  lovingly  called  by  the 
seminarists  and  students,  hav- 
ing taught  in  Seton  Hall,  and 
tilled  successively  and  with 
credit  the  ofifices  of  director 
of  the  seminary,  vice-presi- 
dent and  president  of  the  col- 
lege, was  compelled  to  resign 
on  the  plea  of  ill  health,  and 
to  seek  in  the  active  ministry 
relief  from  the  worriment  and 
anxiety  of  his  late  duties. 
But  his  disease  was  firmly 
rooted  in  his  system  and 
baffled  the  skill  of  his  phys- 
icians; and  after  two  years  in  St.  Mary's  he  died  of  heart  dis- 
ease, November  27th,  1891.  His  assistant,  the  Rev.  Eugene 
C.  Carroll,  who  had  been  the  "staff  and  support"  of  himself  and 
his  predecessor,  carried  out  the  wishes  of  Father  Thebaud, 
and  with  the  moneys  generously  given  by  him  for  that  pin-pose, 
erected  the  splendid  building  for  the  young  men — St.  Mary's 
Lyceum.  The  Rev.  Francis  O'Neill,  born  in  New  Brunswick, 
Canada,  November  27th,  1842,  educated  by  the  Sulpicians  in 
Montreal,  and  ordained  in  St.  John's,  New  Brunswick,  February 
1 6th,  1869,  was  the  next  pastor,  and  is  the  present  incumbent. 
Father  O'Neill  labored  successively  as  assistant  in  St.  Peter's, 
Jersey  City,  and  after  as  pastor  of  Hampton  Junction,  where  he 
rebuilt  St.  Ann's  Church,  and  built  churches  at  Bethlehem,  High 


ORESTES   A.   BROWNSON,   LL.D. 


148  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Bridge,  and  Clinton.  He  was  promoted  to  Guttenbergand  Shady- 
side  in  June,  1880.  As  not  much  had  been  left  undone  by  his 
predecessors,  Father  O'Neill  is  fulfilling  his  task  by  perfecting 
their  work.  He  has  beautified  the  church,  and  has  lately  added 
another  church  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  Catholics  in  the  growing 
northern  part  of  the  city. 

From  its  earliest  days  Elizabeth  has  attracted  to  its  borders 
men  of  education  and  refinement.  For  a  long  time  it  was  the 
home  of  Orestes  iVugustus  Brownson,  LL.D.,  the  ardent  convert, 
unswerving  champion  of  the  faith,  and  docile  child  of  the  Church. 
Born  in  the  Puritan  atmosphere  of  a  New  England  home,  in  Stock- 
bridge,  Vt.,  September  i6th,  1803,  of  humble  parentage,  devoid  of 
the  opportunities  of  education,  by  deep  and  earnest  study  he  de- 
veloped that  masterly  germ  which  nature  had  gix'en  him,  and  be- 
came one  of  the  greatest  lights  of  the  nineteenth  century.  He 
has  been  deservedly  ranked  among  the  bouquet  of  chivalrous  and 
illustrious  knights,  whose  lance  was  ever  ready  for  the  defence  of 
religion  and  justice  and  right,  when  faith  needed  champions  more 
than  at  any  other  period  in  the  world's  history.  His  name  deserves 
to  be  linked  with  that  of  Gorres,  O'Connell,  De  Gerlache,  Rossi, 
Lamoriciere,  Montalembert,  Veuillot,  Dechamps,  Marshall,  Ward, 
Garcia  Moreno,  Mallinkrodt,  and  Windhorst,  whom  to  name  is  to 
praise,  and  theirs  is  the  roll-call  of  that  illustrious  band,  mainly 
laymen,  who  did  more,  perhaps,  for  the  uplifting  of  religion  than 
the  priests  and  bishops  of  their  age.  His  religious  experience 
had  passed  through  the  gamut  of  human  vagaries,  from  the  op- 
pressive gloom  of  Presbyterianisni  to  unbelief,  and,  at  last,  into 
the  full  light  and  peace  of  truth.  At  nineteen  years  of  age  he 
wrote  of  himself :  "'  I  have  done  my  best  to  find  the  truth,  to 
experience  religion,  and  to  lead  a  religious  life,  yet  here  I  am  with- 
out faith,  without  hope,  without  love.  .  .  .  My  life  is  a  stream  that 
flows  out  of  darkness  into  darkness.  ...  In  attempting  to  follow 
the  light  of  reason  alone  have  I  not  lost  faith,  and  plunged  myself 
into  spiritual  darkness  ?  "  To  the  astonishment  and  disgust  of  the 
pseudo-intellectual  world  he  surrendered  to  the  convincing  argu- 
ments of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  he  was  baptized  into  its  com- 
munion, October  20th,  1 844.  Ever  after  his  towering  genius  was 
at  rest,  and  his  powerful  pen  was  tireless  in  the  defence  of  the  one 
Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church.  But  with  this  step,  in  a  measure, 
he  lost  caste,  and  was  taboo  with  the  prot?eans  of  the  then  prevail- 
ing philosophic  school.  Not  so,  however,  was  he  regarded  by  the 
solidly  learned.     A  distinguished  scholar  and  professor  in  Harvard 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


149 


University  was  travcUini;'  in  Eni;iaiul,  antl  went  to  see  Lord 
Brougham.  After  conversation  on  \arious  subjects,  Lord  Brough- 
am said,  "And  what  have  you  to  tell  me  of  Orestes  A.  Brown- 
son?"  This  cjuestion  took  the  professor  somewhat  by  surprise; 
for,  like  others  of  the  Boston  aristocracy,  he  had  been  accustomed 
to  look  down  on  Brownson  as  a  \'ulgar  locofoco.  "Why,"  said  he, 
"  I  have  not  much  to  say  of  him  in  Boston.  Indeed,  I  am  not 
acquainted  with  him."  "Then,"  replied  Lord  Brougham,  "  I  ad- 
vise you  to  become  acquainted  with  him  in  Boston  as  soon  as  you 
get  home.  Let  me  tell  you,  sir,  he  is  one  of  the  first  thinkers  and 
writers,  not  merely  of  America, 
but  of  the  present  age."  The 
learned  professor  went  away, 
it  is  said,  somewhat  abashed. 
Dr.  Brownson  died  in  Detroit, 
Mich.,  April  17th,  1876. 

Of  quite  a  different  stamp, 
but  no  less  distinguished,  sin- 
cere, and  de\-oted,  was  another 
champion  of  truth,  and  the 
chronicler  of  the  early  mission- 
aries, John  Gilmary  Shea. 
Born  in  New  York  July  22d, 
1824,  on  his  father's  side  of 
good  Celtic  stock,  and  on  his 
mother's  of  one  Nicholas 
Upsall,  who  came  to  America 
in  1620  with  Governor  Win- 
throp,    Gilmary    Shea    united 

what  was  best  of  both  races,  and  reflected  in  his  life  the  virtues 
of  both  ancestries.  He  at  an  early  age  entered  Columbia  College, 
but  was  not  graduated.  He  preferred  a  business  career,  and  took 
a  position  in  the  office  of  a  Spanish  shipping  merchant.  Provi- 
dence seemed  to  shape  the  circumstances  of  his  early  life  to 
prepare  him  for  the  role  he  was  to  fill  in  his  ripened  manhood. 
He  acquired  a  thorough  familiarity  with  the  Spanish  language, 
which  in  the  prosecution  of  his  historical  studies  was  of  immense 
advantage.  His  first  literary  effort,  written  when  he  was  only 
fourteen  years  of  age,  merited  the  encomium  of  Bishop  Hughes, 
and  encouraged  the  youth  to  continue  in  this  line  of  work.  An- 
other step,  which  although  it  failed  of  his  aim,  but  was  of  great 
service  in  his  future  career,  was  his  novitiate  during  six  years 


JOHN   GILMARY   SHEA,   LL.D. 
Historian.     Died  at  Elizabeth,  N.  J. 


I50  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

with  the  Jesuits.  He  was  to  be  the  eulogist  of  Brebeuf,  Lalle- 
ment,  Bressani,  and  the  martyred  Jogues ;  so  it  was  fit,  indeed, 
that  he  acquire  the  spirit  and  be  imbued  with  that  unction  which 
have  distinguished  the  sons  of  Loyola  since  their  institution. 

No  field  of  history  in  this  land  that  does  not  bear  the  trace  of  his 
footstep.  Nothing  has  he  touched  that  he  has  not  adorned.  But 
his,  too,  has  been  the  experience  of  others,  that  the  labor  of  the 
historian  may  win  fame,  but  fortune  is  golden  in  other  fields.  His 
works  are  a  complete  library  of  Catholic  effort  in  America,  and 
should  be  read  and  treasured  by  every  intelligent  Catholic.  His 
private  life  was  that  of  a  true  Christian,  serene,  calm,  content  in 
success,  resigned  in  sickness,  and  to  his  spiritual  superiors  docile 
as  a  child.  As  in  life  he  had  always  striven  to  serve  God,  so  in 
death  he  feared  not  to  meet  him.  He  passed  to  his  reward  Feb- 
ruary 22d,  1892.  Of  John  Gilmary  Shea  it  has  been  said:  He 
lived  well,  he  wrought  well,  and  he  died  well. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Hoboken. 

The  early  history  of  this  congregation  has  been  so  thoroughly 
written  by  the  Rev.  Anthony  Cauvin,  that  it  has  been  considered 
advisable  to  reproduce  it,  even  with  its  archaic  and  quaint  expres- 
sions, as  it  so  faithfully  portrays  every  scene  in  the  advancement 
of  the  faith  in  Hoboken  and  near  by.  As  one  reads  this  precious 
gleaning  from  the  past,  the  heart  is  filled  with  regret  that  others 
of  his  compeers  had  not  done  likewise.  Then  we,  of  a  distant  day, 
would  not  be  forced  to  grope  and  halt  amid  a  mass  of  conflicting 
and  contradictory  traditions  and  memories. 

Before  the  year  1836  the  Catholics  of  Hudson  and  Bergen 
counties,  from  Bergen  Point  to  Fort  Lee,  had  no  church.  They 
were  visited  occasionally  when  sick  by  a  priest  of  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral  in  New  York. 

In  1836  St.  Peter's  Church  was  built  in  Jersey  City,  and  its 
pastor  had  charge  of  them.  In  1841  Rev.  Hugh  Mohan,  pastor  of 
this  church,  read  Mass  in  Hoboken  once  a  month  for  nine  months. 
In  1842  Rev.  Walter  J.  Quarter,  his  successor,  also  read  Mass  in 
Hoboken  in  the  month  of  September  on  the  occasion  of  a  jubilee. 
It  was  then  that  he  appointed  Mr.  James  Tallon  to  collect  every 
month  contributions  from  the  people  of  Hoboken  to  pay  the  debts 
of  St.  Peter's  Church  of  Jersey  City,  which  he  did  for  fifteen 
months. 

On  January  25th,  1844,  Rev.  Walter  Quarter  called  the  Catho- 


IN    NFAV    JKF^SEY 


I  ':i 


lies  of  Hoboken  toa meeting;  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Patrick  McKeon, 
and  explained  to  them  the  advantages  of  having"  a  church  in 
Hoboken,  wherein  the  divine  mysteries  might  be  celebrated,  and 
the  rising  generations  instructed  in  their  religious  and  moral 
duties.  And  it  was  resolved  that  the  Catholics  of  Hoboken 
would  unite  their  endeavors  to  build  a  church  to  be  called  St. 
Mary's;  that  every  month  they  would  give  a  subscription  for  that 
purpose.  Collectors  were  appointed  to  receive  these  monthl\-  sul)- 
scriptions.  Mr.  James  Tallon 
was  made  treasurer  and  Mr. 
Cornelius  Donavan  secretary. 
The  amount  collected  from 
that  day  until  April,  1845, 
was  $148.24. 

On  the  6th  of  December, 
in  1844,  Rev.  John  Rogers, 
who  lived  in  Jersey  City, 
came  to  Hoboken  for  the 
purpose  of  buikling  the 
church,  and  read  Mass  every 
Sunday  in  the  Phenix  Hotel, 
corner  of  \Vashington  and 
P'irst  streets,  kept  by  a  Cath- 
olic woman  named  Mrs. 
Sweeny.  Not  being  success- 
ful, he  left  Hoboken  on  the 
I  St  of  April  in  1845,  having 
remained  only  four  months. 

In    the    month    of    May, 

1848,  Rev.  John  Kell)',  who 
had    succeeded    in   October, 

1844,  to  Rev.  Walter  Quarter  in  St.  Peter's  Church  of  Jersey 
City,  came  to  read  Mass  on  Sundays  once  a  month  in  Hobo- 
ken until  October  of  the  same  year — that  is,  for  five  months. 
He  exhorted  the  Catholics  of  Hoboken  to  subscribe  again  their 
monthly  contributions,  which  had  been  stopped  in  April,  1845; 
which  being  done,  their  contributions  from  June,  1848,  until  April, 

1849,  amounted  to  $276.08,  which  after  adding  the  $148.24  col- 
lected before  amounted  to  $424.32.  After  paying  $55.78  for  rent, 
vestments,  books,  etc.,  the  remainder,  $368.54,  was  placed  by  Mr. 
Tallon  in  Chambers  Street  Savings  Bank  of  New  York  to  the 
credit  of  the  church  to  he  built  in  Hoboken. 


REV.    AXTHONV    CAUVIN, 

Born  August  23,  1810  ;     died  May  26,  1902. 

Pounder  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace,  Hoboken. 


152  thf:  catholic  church 

F"rom  October,  1848,  until  November,  1851,  no  Mass  was  read 
in  Hoboken.  In  July,  185 1,  Rev.  A.  Cauvin,  of  Nice,  in  France, 
was  appointed  by  the  Most  Rev.  J.  Hughes,  Archbishop  of  New 
York,  to  take  charge  of  the  Mission  of  Hoboken  from  Five 
Corners,  Hudson  City,  to  Fort  Lee;  and  was  directed  by  him  to 
build  a  church  in  West  Hoboken  first,  because  it  was  the  most 
central  part  of  the  mission. 

A  Sunday-school  was  immediately  established  in  the  public 
school-house  of  Hoboken,  Mr.  James  Davis,  Jr.,  teaching  the  boys 
the  catechism  until  the  spring  of  1852,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Mr.  James  Tallon.  Miss  Catherine  McKeon  and  Miss  Rosanna 
Davis  took  charge  of  the  girls.  Lhese  good  persons  continued  to 
teach  the  catechism  to  the  children  of  Hoboken  every  Sunday 
until  St.  Mary's  Church  was  opened  in  Hoboken  in  July,  1855. 

Church  of  West  Hoboken. 

Mr.  James  Kerrigan,  who  resided  in  West  Hoboken,  gave  to 
Archbishop  Hughes  a  plot  of  ground  containing  about  six  lots, 
whereon  the  church  was  built  during  the  time  between  the  months 
of  August  and  November  in  1851.  The  church,  vcstr)',  and  fence 
around  the  ground  cost  $3,829.  The  people  of  West  Hoboken 
and  vicinity  contributed  $424 — of  Hoboken,  $114,  and  Rev.  A. 
Cauvin  collected  in  New  York  $1,824.75,  thus  making  a  total  of 
$2,362.75. 

On  the  23d  of  November,  1851,  the  church  was  blessed  and 
dedicated  by  Archbishop  Hughes  to  Our  Lady  of  Mercy,  on  ac- 
count of  an  oil  copy  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy  of  Rimini  sent  by  His 
Eminence,  Cardinal  L.  Brignole,  from  Rome  to  Rev.  A.  Cauvin 
for  the  new  church.  This  painting  was  given  to  the  Cardinal  to 
be  sent  to  some  foreign  mission  by  Mr.  Nicholas  Paci-Ippoliti,  of 
Rimini,  who  afterward  by  his  letter  of  the  23d  of  August,  1853,  to 
Rev.  A.  Cauvin,  acknowledged  his  indebtedness  to  Our  Lady  of 
Mercy  and  to  the  prayers  of  the  congregation  of  West  Hoboken 
for  his  miraculous  escape  from  imminent  death  in  an  explosion  of 
powder. 

In  1852  the  sacrament  of  Confirmation  was  administered  in  the 
church  to  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  persons,  half  of  them  being 
adults  or  aged  persons,  by  Archbishop  Walsh  of  Halifax,  Arch- 
bishop Hughes  preaching  at  the  High  Mass. 

In  1854  a  house  was  built  for  the  sexton  in  the  rear  of  the 
church  at  a  cost  of  $328. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  15;; 

On  the  3d  of  September,  1854,  Confirmation  was  again  admin- 
istered in  the  church  to  one  hundred  and  thirteen  persons  by  Rt. 
Rev.  James  Bayley,  first  Bishop  of  Newark  and  the  State  of  New 
Jersey.  On  these  two  occasions  Confirmation  was  administered  to 
the  people  of  both  Hoboken  and  West  Hoboken.  The  two  places 
formed  at  that  time  but  one  parish. 

On  the  9th  of  September,  i860,  the  Stations  of  the  Cross  were 
established  in  the  church,  and  it  was  decorated  with  fifteen  large 
oil  paintings.  These  were  presented  to  the  church  by  its  pastor. 
Rev.  A.  Cauvin,  and  were  on  that  day  solemnly  inaugurated  with 
a  sermon  by  Dr.  Neligan,  of  New  York.  Toward  the  close  of 
September,  i860,  a  mission  was  given  in  the  church  by  Fathers 
Gaudentius  and  Anthony,  Passionists  from  Pittsburg,  and  the 
result  was  a  great  spiritual  benefit  to  the  congregation.  It  was 
then  agreed  with  Bishop  Bayley  that  the  Passionist  Fathers  would 
take  charge  of  the  mission  of  West  Hoboken,  and  that  they 
should  always  have  with  them  a  German  Father  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Germans  of  the  locality. 

In  November,  i860,  in  expectation  of  the  Passionist  Fathers, 
Rev.  A.  Cauvin  repaired  the  church  and  house,  having  them 
painted  inside  and  out.  He  established  a  choir  by  opening  a  sing- 
ing school  for  the  young  persons  of  the  congregation,  and  had 
them  instructed  for  six  months  by  a  singing  teacher.  Thus  when 
the  Passionist  Fathers  came,  they  found  the  church  painted  and 
repaired,  decorated  with  oil  paintings  and  Stations  of  the  Cross, 
and  a  choir,  accompanied  by  a  melodeon,  to  sing  Mass  and 
Vespers. 

Mass  had  been  sung  in  the  church  of  West  Hoboken  from  its 
opening  on  the  23d  of  November,  1851,  until  the  opening  of  the 
church  of  Hoboken  in  July,  1855,  on  Sundays  and  on  the  principal 
solemnities  until  Christmas,  i860.  It  was  also  sung  every  Sunday 
from  Christmas,  i860,  until  the  arrival  of  the  Passionist  Fathers 
in  April,  1861.  Vespers  were  also  sung  during  the  Lent  of  1861, 
and  the  Stations  of  the  Cross  performed  every  Sunday. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  April,  1861,  the  Passionist  Fathers  took  formal 
possession  of  the  church  and  mission,  and  were  on  that  day  sol- 
emnly installed  by  Rev.  A.  Cauvin,  who  had  bui.lt  the  church  and 
attended  to  it  for  the  space  of  ten  years.  It  was  Father  Dominic, 
Provincial,  accompanied  by  Father  Vincent  and  Brother  Law- 
rence, who  took  possession  of  the  church.  It  was  agreed  in  the 
sermon  of  installation  delivered  in  the  church  on  that  day  between 
the  Passionist  Fathers  and  the  people  represented  by  Rev.  A. 


154  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Cauvin,  that  the  Hmits  of  the  new  mission  would  be  the  hill  of  tht 
Palisades.  Those  who  lived  on  the  hill  were  to  be  under  the  juris- 
diction of  the  church  of  West  Hoboken,  whereas  the  natural  limits 
of  the  jurisdiction  of  the  church  of  Hoboken  extended  to  all  those 
who  lived  at  the  base  of  the  hill  as  far  as  Mr.  King's  Point  or  the 
coal-yard. 

In  185 1  and  1852  Rev.  A.  Cauvin  established  the  stations  of 
English  Neighborhood,  Bull's  Ferry,  and  Fort  Lee.  These  he 
visited  alternately  every  Sunday  to  read  Mass,  hear  confessions, 
and  teach  the  catechism  to  the  children.  In  English  Neighbor- 
hood he  read  Mass  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Monahan,  a  venerable  old 
Irishman.  The  population  of  Bull's  Ferry  consisted  in  part  of 
two  hundred  or  moremen  who  were  working  in  the  quarry.  It 
was  from  this  place  that  the  Russ  pavement  used  in  Broadway, 
New  York,  was  taken.  As  there  were  many  children  in  the  place. 
Rev.  A.  Cauvin  sent  a  teacher  from  Hoboken  to  give  instruction 
in  the  catechism.  More  than  half  an  acre  of  ground  on  the  road 
between  Bull's  Ferry  and  English  Neighborhood  was  given  by  Mr. 
Arthur  Green,  a  resident  of  the  latter  place,  to  Bishop  Bayley  for 
the  purpose  of  building  on  the  spot  a  Catholic  church. 

In  Fort  Lee  neighborhood  Mass  was  first  read  by  Rev.  A. 
Cauvin  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Conway  of  Pleasant  Valle}',  or  as  it 
was  sometimes  called,  Tillietudlum.  Later  on  it  was  read  at  the 
Kenny  house,  now  Dr.  Anderson's.  Rev.  A.  Cauvin  was  accus- 
tomed to  go  there  on  Saturday  evening  to  teach  the  children  the 
catechism ;  then  on  Sunday  morning  he  would  hear  confessions, 
preach,  say  Mass,  baptize  children,  and  then  return  to  West  Ho- 
boken to  say  Mass  and  preach.  Rev.  A.  Cauvin  often  read  Mass 
on  week-days  at  Mr.  Burns'  house  near  the  Palisades  at  Fort  Lee, 
his  only  travelling  accommodation  being  a  boat.  At  this  place  he 
found  young  persons  of  seventeen  and  eighteen  )ears  of  age  who 
had  never  seen  a  priest,  and  who  were  perfectly  ignorant  of 
religion,  knowing  only  the  few  prayers  taught  them  by  their  par- 
ents. 

From  1852  until  1859  first  Communion  was  given  twice  in  both 
Fort  Lee  and  Bull's  Ferry,  and  these  children  were  confirmed  in 
Hoboken  and  West  Hoboken.  A  chalice,  two  vestments,  and  a 
missal  were  presented  to  Fort  Lee  by  Rev.  A.  Cauvin. 

In  1853  he  bought  four  lots  of  ground  on  upper  Fort  Lee  for 
a  church ;  but  these  were  afterward  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Church  of  the  Madonna,  built  by  Dr.  Anderson  on  the  ground  he 
gave  for  that  purpose  to  Bishop  Bayley.     Rev.  A.  Cauvin  attended 


IN    NEW    JKRSEY  155 

Fort  Lee  regularly  every  fortnight  in  snnnner  and  c\cry  month 
in  winter  until  January,  1859,  when  it  was  made  a  new  mission 
and  given  to  the  charge  of  Rev.  Francis  Anelli,  assistant  priest 
to  Rev.  Cauvin.  This  mission  included  Fort  Lee,  Hackensack, 
and  Lodi,  which  last  place  was  also  attended  by  Rev.  Cauvin  from 
August,  1858,  until  January,  1859. 


Church  of  Hoboken. 

After  having  built  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy  in 
West  Hoboken,  Rev.  A.  Cauvin  came  to  reside  in  Hoboken,  the 
principal  place  of  his  mission.  Here  he  read  Mass  on  week-days 
and  heard  confessions  in  a  private  chapel  in  his  own  apartments 
in  the  house  on  Southeast  Washington  Terrace,  corner  of  Newark 
Street.  Here  he  remained  until  May,  1855,  or  until  the  time  the 
church  and  house  on  Willow  Street  were  finished. 

On  the  28th  of  May,  1852,  he  applied  to  the  Hoboken  Land 
and  Improvement  Company  for  a  plot  of  ground  whereon  to  build 
a  Catholic  church.  As  a  result  the  company  ga\'e  him  on  the  3d 
of  August,  in  consideration  of  $1,  a  quit-claim  deed  to  a  plot  of 
ground  in  the  Church  Square,  commencing  265  feet  from  Garden 
Street,  and  running  75  feet  along  Fourth  Street,  and  being  100 
feet  deep  in  the  square.  The  deed  was  made  in  the  name  of 
Archbishop  Hughes,  of  New  York,  and  his  successors.  This 
deed  was  duly  filed  in  the  clerk's  office  of  Hudson  County  on  the 
sixth  day  of  September  in  the  year  1852,  in  Liber  25  of  Deeds, 
pages  373,  374- 

But  after  asking  the  legal  advice  of  Mr.  Wright,  of  Fi\'e 
Corners,  and  Mr.  James  Grover,  of  New  York,  and  examining  in 
Hackensack  the  original  maps  of  Hoboken,  filed  in  1804  in  the 
clerk's  office  of  Bergen  County,  where  Church  Square  is  marked 
only  Square,  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  Square,  which  was 
improperly  called  Church  Square  in  a  map  of  Hoboken,  published 
by  the  Hoboken  Company  in  1851,  was  a  public  square,  and  there- 
fore the  company  had  no  right  to  give  or  sell  any  portion  of  that 
ground,  and  the  Catholics  had  no  right  to  build  a  church  on  it. 
The  Methodists,  who  obtained  from  the  same  company  ground  on 
the  square,  had  built  their  church  there  in  1846.  The  conclusion 
turned  out  afterward  to  be  true,  for  in  1864  the  city  of  Hoboken 
sued  the  Methodists  in  a  bill  of  ejectment  before  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Hudson  County,  and  the  Methodists  were  condemned  by 


156  THK    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

a  decision  of  tlic  jury  on  the  i8th  of  October,  1865,  declaring"  that 
square  a  pubhc  and  an  ornamental  square. 

The  Dutch  Reformed,  who  had  already  built  the  foundation  of 
their  church  on  the  northeastern  corner  of  that  square,  hearing 
that  the  Catholics  would  not  venture  to  build  their  church, 
stopped  the  work  and  purchased  ground  in  Hudson  Street,  be- 
tween Fifth  and  Sixth  streets;  and  shortly  afterward  Rev.  A. 
Cauvin  bought  from  them  the  window  frames  they  had  already 
prepared  and  placed  them  in  his  church. 

On  the  14th  of  May,  1853,  Rev.  Cauvin  wrote  to  the  company, 
enclosing  a  copy  of  the  legal  advice,  and  even  sent  to  Mr.  Edwin 
Stevens  a  deputation  of  the  principal  Catholics  of  Hoboken ;  but 
he  refused  to  give  other  ground,  saying  that  that  scjuare  was  dedi- 
cated by  his  father,  John  Stevens,  for  church  purposes. 

On  the  5th  of  November,  1852,  Rev.  A.  Cauvin  called  the 
Catholics  of  Hoboken  to  a  meeting  in  the  public-school  house, 
situated  on  Church  Square,  for  the  purpose  of  devising  means 
of  building  a  church  in  Hoboken.  Peter  Meehan  was  called  to  the 
chair,  and  John  Kerrigan  elected  secretary.  Rev.  Dr.  Cummings, 
pastor  of  St.  Stephen's  Church,  New  York,  was  present  and  ad- 
dressed the  meeting.  They  subscribed  $745  for  the  erection  of 
the  church.  On  the  6th  of  December,  1852,  they  had  a  second 
meeting,  Mr.  Francis  Bolting  in  the  chair.  They  subscribed  $203, 
and  appointed  collectors  for  each  ward. 

On  the  loth  of  June,  1854,  Rev.  Cauvin  bought  from  the  Ho- 
boken Land  Improvement  Company  three  lots  of  ground  on  Wil- 
low Street,  fronting"  the  public  square,  corner  of  Fifth  Street, 
running  75  feet  on  Willow  Street  and  95  on  Fifth  Street,  for  the 
sum  of  $2,600;  that  is,  $1,000  for  the  corner  lot  and  $800  for  each 
of  the  other  two  lots.  Of  this  sum  $250  was  paid  on  account. 
The  deed  of  these  three  lots  was  made  on  the  28th  of  November, 
1856,  in  the  name  of  Rt.  Rev.  James  R.  Bayley,  Bishop  of  New- 
ark; and  was  filed  on  the  6th  of  March,  1857,  in  the  clerk's  office 
of  Hudson  County,  and  the  balance  of  the  whole  amount  paid  to 
the  Hoboken  Company. 

On  the  4th  of  September,  1854,  the  corner-stone  of  the  new 
church  was  laid  by  Bishop  Bavley,  of  Newark,  at  4  p.m.,  a  large 
number  of  clergymen  being  present.  The  labor  and  temperance 
societies  of  Jersey  City  and  Hoboken,  accompanied  by  their  band, 
marched  from  Mrs.  Martha  Cook's  house  on  Hudson  Terrace, 
down  Hudson  Street  and  Fifth.  Their  number  was  about  seven 
hundred  and  fifty.     After  the  ceremony  Bishop  Bayley  preached 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  157 

to  a  x'ery  large  audience,  although  the  weather  on  that  day  was 
extremely  warm.     A  collection  was  afterward  taken  up. 

From  July,  1854,  until  June,  1855,  a  low  Mass  was  read  every 
Sunday  in  Hoboken,  in  the  public-school  house,  on  the  square,  at 
eight  o'clock.  The  men  were  to  pay  one  shilling"  and  the  women 
six  cents.  These  contributions  with  the  collections  amounted  at 
the  end  of  that  time  to  ^745.40. 

The  amount  received  for  building"  the  church  from  January, 
1844,  until  June,  1855,  is  as  follows: 

Collected  in  1S44  and  184S,  with  its  interest, ,  ^511  70 

Legacy  of  Michael  Kelly  2 12  00 

Subscriptions   in   Hoboken   and  other  places  in   1S52-54, 

with  interest i.SiS  84 

Laying  of  the  corner-stone  on  the  4th  of  September,  1854.  295  92 

Excursion  on  the  24th  of  September,  1S54 141  25 

Collected  in  New  York 1 25  00 

Collection  in  the  temporary  chapel  from  2d  of  July,  1S54, 

until  24th  June,  1855 741  40 


The  expenditures  for  building  the  church  and  the  house,  altar, 
furnace,  furniture,  and  the  $200  paid  on  account  of  the  organ, 
amounted  to  $10,142.40.  A  loan  of  $5,000  was  obtained  in  the 
year  1855  from  Bishop  Bay  ley.  On  the  24th  of  June  the  church 
was  solemnly  blessed  and  dedicated  b)^  Bishop  Bayley  to  Our 
Lady  of  Grace,  in  presence  of  a  large  congregation.  The  beauti- 
ful painting  at  the  back  of  the  altar  is  an  excellent  copy  of  the 
Madonna  of  Foligno,  painted  by  Raphael  in  1 509,  made  by  order 
of  Charles  Felix,  King  of  Sardinia,  and  bequeathed  to  him  by  the 
Duke  of  Genoa,  second  son  of  Charles  Albert,  his  successor  on 
the  throne  of  Sardinia,  and  brother  of  Victor  Emmanuel,  present 
King  of  Italy.  This  painting  with  its  frame  was  given  by  the 
Duke  to  Rev.  A.  Cauvin,  who,  in  turn,  gave  it  to  the  church. 

In  spring,  1856,  the  two  side  altars  were  added  to  the  church, 
the  one  to  be  dedicated  to  St.  Quietus,  the  other  to  the  Society  of 
a  Good  Death,  Bona  Mors.  Mr.  Noguet,  of  New  York,  presented 
to  the  church  the  painting  of  the  Crucifixion,  which  is  at  the  altar 
of  the  Bona  Mors.  At  this  time,  also,  were  made  the  baptismal 
font  and  the  two  confessionals. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1856,  there  took  place  the  solemn  transla- 
tion of  the  relics  of  St.  Quietus,  martyr;  the  ceremony  being  per- 
formed by  Bishop  Bayley.     The  procession  started  from  the  par- 


158 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


sonage,  the  young  Levites  carr)ing  palms,  the  priests  singing  the 
Litany  of  the  Saints,  and  the  Bishop  carrying  the  rehcs  in  their 
shrine,  which,  after  being  incensed  on  the  main  altar,  were  placed 
on  the  altar  destined  for  them.  The  Bishop  preached  an  eloquent 
sermon.  "He  was  certainly  inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,"  said  a 
French  lady  of  great  learning  and  piety.  It  was  the  first  cere- 
mony of  this  kind  that  had  taken  place  in  America.  It  attracted 
a  great  number  of  people  from  the  surrounding  cities.  All  the 
newspapers  throughout  the  land  spoke  of  it,  and  Lcs/ii-'s  Illustrated 
Maga'j.inc  contained  in  its  next  number  an  article  accompanied 
with  illustrations  showing  the  interior  of  the  church,  the  shrine, 

the  altar  of  St.  Quietus,  and 
the  likeness  of  the  Bishop. 
The  relics  of  St.  Quietus 
were  found  on  the  29th  of 
January,  1849,  in  the  C^em- 
etery  of  Pretextatus  in  Rome, 
together  with  the  vase  con- 
taining his  blood,  and  the 
marble  slab  on  which  was 
engraved  the  following  epi- 
taph :  Quietus  qui  vixit  anuos 
(juiuque  menses  duo  in  paee. 
These  relics  were  given  to 
Rev.  A.  Cauvin  by  His  Holi- 
ness Pope  Pius  IX.,  through 
the  protection  of  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Brignole,  on  the  27th  of 
July,  1850,  with  the  faculty  of  retaining,  giving  to  others,  or  ex- 
posing to  the  i)ublic  veneration  of  the  faithful  in  any  church, 
chapel,  or  oi-atory  whatever.  The  decree  of  donation  of  these 
relics  was  signed  on  the  21st  of  July,  1850,  by  Fr.  Joseph  Cartel- 
lani,  Episcopus  Prophyriensis  Sacrarii  Apostolici  Prefectus.  At 
early  Mass  on  the  day  of  the  translation  Bishop  Bayley  admin- 
istered the  sacrament  of  Confirmation  to  one  hundred  and  one 
persons. 

At  the  end  of  September  and  at  the  beginning  of  October, 
1856,  the  first  mission  was  given  at  the  church  by  the  Paulist 
Fathers  of  New  York,  at  which  time  about  eight  hundred  persons 
approached  the  sacraments.  In  October  of  this  year  Five  Cor- 
ners, now  Hudson  City,  was  detached  from  the  mission  of  West 
Hoboken,  and  a  little  church  was  built  there  by  Rev.  J.  Coyle,  of 
Jersey  City,  who  had  it  in  charge. 


FIRST     CATHOLIC     PUI5LIC     SCHOOL, 

HOBOKEN. 
Built  b}'  Rev.  A.  Cauvin,  in  August,  1864. 


IN    NKW    JERSEY  159 

In  December,  1856,  the  Society  of  the  Living  Rosary  was  es- 
tablished in  Hoboken,  and  twelve  circles  of  fifteen  members  each 
were  immediately  formed,  making  in  all  one  hundred  and  eighty 
members.  The  following  Sunda)-  another  circle  was  formed, 
there  being  then  two  circles  of  men  and  eleven  of  women.  Rev. 
John  Hogan,  pastor  of  Bellevdlle,  addressed  the  society  on  that 
occasion.  The  members  of  the  societ)-  meet  in  the  church  on  the 
first  Sunday  of  every  month,  an  instruction  is  then  given,  tickets 
are  distributed,  contributions  arc  collected,  and  rosary  is  said. 
In  1856,  before  Lent,  the  Stations  of  the  Cross  were  estab- 
lished. 

In  1857  many  improvements  were  made  in  the  church  and 
house.  The  ceiling  of  the  church  was  made  with  canvas  covered 
with  painted  paper,  and  the  walls  of  the  church  were  painted  and 
frescoed.  The  sanctuary  was  treated  in  the  same  manner.  The 
Bishop's  throne  and  pulpit  were  also  made ;  and  to  the  house  were 
added  a  kitchen  and  piazza. 

On  the  17th  of  January  in  1857  the  Bishop  lent  $3,000  to  the 
church;  and  this,  with  the  $5,000  lent  in  1855,  made  $8,000. 
With  this  $3,000  was  paid  the  balance  due  to  the  Hoboken  Land 
Company  for  the  three  lots  of  ground  bought.  The  deed,  which 
was  given  on  the  28th  of  November,  1856,  with  interest  from  the 
loth  of  June,  1854,  amounted  to  $2,775. 

On  the  29th  of  March,  1857,  by  a  rescript  of  Archbishop  Be- 
dini,  secretary  of  the  Propaganda  a  Fide,  His  Holiness  Pius  IX. 
granted  to  Rev.  A.  Cauvin,  pastor  of  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of 
Grace  of  Hoboken,  and  its  successors  forever,  the  privilege  of  im- 
parting the  Papal  benediction  three  times  a  year  to  the  faithful  of 
the  Church :  on  the  festival  of  the  patronage  of  St.  Joseph  for  the 
Bona  Mors  Sodality ;  on  the  festival  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace  on 
the  first  Sunday  of  July;  and  on  the  festival  of  Our  Lady  of  the 
Rosary  on  the  first  Sunday  of  October,  for  the  Living  Rosary 
Society.     The  Bishop  approved  the  privilege. 

On  the  5th  of  June,  1857,  Rev.  Peter  Beckx,  Superior  General 
of  the  Jesuits,  granted  to  Rev.  A.  Cauvin  the  privilege  of  erecting 
in  the  church  of  Hoboken  the  Sodality  of  Bona  Mors,  and  aggre- 
gating it  to  the  mother  sodality  in  Rome,  with  all  the  indulgences, 
etc.  The  sodality  has  since  been  in  a  flourishing  condition. 
There  has  always  been  a  service  in  the  church  for  that  sodality 
every  Friday  evening  at  7:30  o'clock,  the  services  consisting  in 
the  recitation  of  the  rosary,  a  sermon,  the  singing  of  the  Litany 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  prayers  for  the  sick,  the  aflflicted,  and  the 


i6o  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

dying,  for  the  souls  in  purgatory,  benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sac- 
rament, and  the  recitation  of  the  De  Profundis. 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1858,  the  ceremony  of  the  solemn  coro- 
nation of  Our  Lady  of  Grace  took  place.  This  ceremony  had 
been  announced  to  the  people  since  April,  and  they  were  waiting 
for  it  with  impatience.  The  Bishop  had  granted  forty  days'  indul- 
gence, and  the  Pope  a  plenary  indulgence  to  those  who  would  be 
present  at  the  Papal  Benediction ;  and,  in  consequence,  an  im- 
mense crowd  of  people  came  from  New  York  and  surrounding 
places,  even  from  other  States.  The  crown  had  been  given  by 
Her  Highness  the  Duchess  of  Genoa,  the  widow  of  the  Duke  of 
Genoa,  to  Rev.  A.  Cauvin.  It  was  given  to  him  in  1856,  when  he 
went  to  Turin  and  applied  to  the  Duchess  for  the  donation.  A 
platform  with  steps  was  raised  behind  the  altar  to  reach  the  head 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  The  procession,  which  started  from  the 
house,  was  composed  of  many  priests,  a  crowd  of  small  choir  boys, 
young  girls  dressed  in  white,  each  carrying  a  bouquet  of  flowers, 
and  lastly,  the  Celebrant,  carrying  the  crown  on  a  red  velvet  cush- 
ion. On  arriving  at  the  altar,  the  crown  was  deposited  upon  it ; 
the  Bishop  blessed  it,  and  then  ascending  the  platform,  placed  it 
over  the  head  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  He  then  returned  to  the 
altar  where  a  solemn  Te  Deum  was  sung.  During  the  High  Mass 
the  Bishop  preached  an  appropriate  sermon.  At  the  early  Mass 
the  sacrament  of  Confirmation  was  administered  to  one  hundred 
and  thirteen  persons. 

A  fair  was  held  in  May,  which  gave  a  profit  of  $1,115.  On  the 
2ist  of  August,  1858,  Rev.  A.  Cauvin  bought  from  the  Hoboken 
Land  Company  two  lots  of  land  in  the  rear  of  the  church  and 
house,  fifty  feet  along  Fifth  Street  and  one  hundred  feet  parallel 
with  Willow  Street,  for  the  sum  of  $750.  The  deed,  given  in  the 
name  of  Bishop  Bayley,  was  recorded  on  the  2d  of  September,  1858. 

The  Paulist  Fathers  Baker  and  Hecker  from  New  York 
preached  in  the  church  at  Mass  and  Vespers,  it  being  the  first 
Sunday  of  September,  1858,  the  feast  of  St.  Quietus.  The  col- 
lections taken  up  on  this  day  were  given  to  the  Paulist  Fathers 
for  their  new  church  and  monastery  at  Fifty-ninth  Street.  This 
was  the  first  money  collected  for  the  new  building. 

On  the  15th  of  December,  1858,  Fort  Lee,  Hackensack,  and 
Lodi  were  erected  by  the  Bishop  into  a  new  mission,  and  therefore 
detached  from  that  of  Hoboken;  and  on  the  5th  of  January,  1859, 
Rev.  P^rancis  Anelli,  assistant  priest  of  Rev.  A.  Cauvin,  left  Ho- 
boken to  take  charge  of  it. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  i6i 

On  the  1 8th  of  July,  1859,  Mr.  Richard  Conover,  who  had 
ah'eady  begun  to  dig  the  foundations  of  tenement  houses  on  the 
two  lots  south  of  the  priest's  house  on  Willow  Street,  kindly  con- 
sented to  exchange  these  two  lots  of  ground  for  two  other  lots 
south  of  them,  if  Rev.  Cauvin  would  pay  him  $1,000  for  the  stable 
he  had  built  in  the  rear  of  the  two  lots.  Rev.  Cauvin  accepting 
this  proposition,  on  the  22d  of  September,  1859,  the  Hoboken 
Land  Company  ga\'e  him  in  his  own  name  the  deed  of  these  two 
lots  of  ground  joining  the  house,  with  a  mortgage  of  $1,800,  the 
value  of  the  two  lots.  Besides  this  Rev.  Cauvin  gave  $115  to  the 
architect  who  had  obtained  that  exchange  from  Mr.  Conover. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  1859,  Rev.  Cauvin  bought,  in  his 
own  name,  from  the  same  company  some  ground  in  the  rear  for 
$450.  As  soon  as  the  mortgage  was  paid,  he  transferred  the 
three  lots  to  Bishop  Bayley  by  an  indenture  of  the  14th  of  April, 
i860,  which  was  recorded  on  the  28th  of  January,  1862. 

The  Hoboken  Land  Company  gave  to  Bishop  Bayley  a  lease 
for  999  years  of  the  alley- way,  10  feet  wide  and  125  feet  deep,  from 
Fifth  Street,  between  the  church  ground  bought  on  the  28th  of 
November,  1856,  and  the  ground  bought  afterward  on  the  21st  of 
August,  1858,  and  on  the  14th  of  September,  1859.  This  lease 
was  renewed. 

As  soon  as  possible  Rev.  A.  Cauvin  repaired  the  stable  pre- 
viously purchased  from  Mr.  Conover,  and  converted  it  into  a 
select  temporary  school  and  a  dwelling-house  for  a  teacher.  On 
the  first  Monday  of  September  a  select  school  was  opened  in  that 
house  with  Miss  Sarah  Mahoney  for  the  teacher.  For  fifteen 
years  she  had  been  teacher  of  the  English  department  in  St.  Vin- 
cent de  Paul's  French  Church  of  New  York,  under  the  direction 
of  Father  Lafont,  to  whom  Re\'.  A.  Cauvin  had  been  an  assistant 
for  the  four  years  preceding  his  coming  to  Hoboken.  This  select 
school  for  young  ladies  and  small  boys  continued  to  flourish  until 
the  parochial  school  was  built  in  1864,  Miss  Mahoney  still  being 
the  teacher.  The  contributions  of  the  children  sufficed  for  the 
support  of  the  teacher  and  the  repairs  of  the  school  and  house. 
In  August,  1 859,  the  gas  was  introduced  in  the  church  and  in  the 
hoirse.     It  cost  $762. 

In  November,  1859,  Rev.  A.  Cauvin  established  a  ladies' 
benevolent  society  for  the  poor  of  Hoboken.  Mrs.  Peter  Mahon 
was  elected  president,  Mrs.  Frances  Bolting  vice-president,  Mrs. 
Pychowska  treasurer,  Miss  Celestine  Arras  secretary,  and  Miss 
Sarah  Mahoney  in  charge  of  the  wardrobe.  These  ladies  con- 
II 


i62  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

tinued  in  office  and  worked  very  hard  and  with  great  zeal  in  be- 
half of  the  poor  until  the  Sisters  of  the  Poor  came  to  Hoboken 
in  January,  1863.  To  pay  for  the  ground  purchased  in  1859,  a 
fair  was  held  in  November,  1859,  which  gave  a  profit  of  $1,313; 
and  an  excursion  was  given  with  a  net  profit  of  $653.73. 

There  took  place  on  the  loth  of  June,  i860,  the  solemn  inaugu- 
ration of  forty-two  oil  paintings  which  Rev.  Cauvin  procured  from 
Italy  to  decorate  the  church.  Some  of  these  paintings  are  origi- 
nal ;  some  as  old  as  one  himdred  and  fifty-seven  years.  The  cere- 
mony was  performed  by  Bishop  Bayley,  who  preached  at  the  High 
Mass.  The  proceeds  of  the  ceremony  and  the  funds  of  the  Rosary 
Society  paid  for  the  paintings  and  their  frames.  This  was  the 
third  ceremony  of  a  new  kind  performed  in  America,  and  it  served 
to  excite  the  zeal  of  the  clergy  in  adorning  and  ornamenting  the 
churches,  according  to  the  true  Catholic  spirit,  and  thus  distin- 
guishing them  from  the  Protestant  churches.  At  the  early  Mass 
Bishop  Bayley  administered  the  sacrament  of  Confirmation  to 
sixty-seven  persons. 

On  the  24th  of  November,  1861,  Dr.  Cahill  delivered  a  lecture 
on  the  Hoi)'  Eucharist  and  transubstantiation  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Ladies'  Benevolent  Society.  On  the  21st  of  April,  1861,  the 
church  of  West  Hoboken  with  all  the  territory  on  the  hill  of  the 
Palisades  was  detached  from  the  parish  of  Hoboken,  and  given  to 
the  Passionist  Lathers. 

On  the  29th  of  January,  1862,  a  deed  was  given  by  the  Hobo- 
ken Land  Company  to  Bishop  Bayley  of  a  piece  of  ground  5  by 
75  feet,  on  the  rear  of  the  school  ground  and  Mr.  Conover's 
houses,  100  feet  from  Fifth  Street  to  175  feet  south.  This  was 
done  to  make  square  the  ground  bought  on  the  14th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1859.  Confirmation  was  given  in  April,  1862,  to  one  hundred 
and  seventeen  persons. 

On  the  nth  of  January,  1863,  the  Sisters  of  the  Poor  of  St. 
Francis  came  to  Hoboken  from  Cincinnati,  and  established  a 
house  of  their  order  on  Meadow  Street,  No.  134.  Sister  Antonia 
was  Superior  and  Sister  Felicita  the  Mother  Superior  in  America. 
As  there  was  no  house  to  be  rented,  Mr.  Bryan  Smith,  a  worthy 
Catholic  of  Hoboken,  bought  a  house  and  rented  it  to  the  Sisters 
for  $200  a  year.  Before  their  arrival.  Rev.  A.  Cauvin  made  an 
appeal  to  the  congregation  to  help  him  in  paying  the  rent,  furnish- 
ing the  house,  and  preparing  some  provisions.  The  people  con- 
tributed very  liberally.  More  than  $700  was  paid  in  cash,  the 
house  was  furnished  with  twenty-eight  beds,  all  the  necessary 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  163 

kitchen  utensils  and  furniture,  and  provisions  for  four  months. 
The  ceremon)'  of  their  installation  took  place  in  the  church  at  the 
High  Mass.  After  the  High  Mass  Rev.  (^auvin  presented  the 
Sisters  with  a  painting"  of  St.  Mary  of  the  Poor,  under  whose  pro- 
tection he  placed  them,  recommending  them  to  take  care  of  the 
poor  without  distinction  of  creed  or  nationality.  In  the  afternoon 
their  house  was  blessed  and  opened  to  the  public  for  inspection. 
The  Sisters  took  immediate  charge  of  the  poor,  the  sick,  and  the 
orphans.  The  ladies  of  the  bene\olent  society,  who  had  taken 
care  of  the  poor  for  the  space  of  three  years,  placed  in  the  Sisters' 
hands  all  their  funds,  and  their  most  precious  treasure,  the  poor 
themselves.  The  little  association  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  that  had 
been  formed  in  Hoboken  two  }ears  previously  did  the  same,  and 
both  societies  were  dissolved. 

In  August,  1863,  Rev.  Cauvin  called  the  male  members  of  the 
congregation  to  a  meeting,  where  it  was  resolved  to  build  a  school 
house  on  the  two  lots  of  ground  bought  in  1859  for  that  purpo.se. 
Mr.  A.  Lockwood,  the  architect,  made  the  plan,  Mr.  Timothy 
Foley,  of  Hoboken,  was  the  contractor  for  the  masonry  work,  and 
Daniel  Meystre  for  the  carpenter  work.  It  was  immediately 
begun,  and  in  October,  1863,  Bishop  Ba}dey  came  to  lay  the 
corner-stone,  and  preached  an  eloquent  sermon  on  the  necessity 
for  Catholic  schools.  The  school  was  finished  in  August,  1864,  at 
the  cost  of  $11,892,  which  was  all  paid  in  1865,  as  can  be  seen  by 
the  reports  of  1864  and  1865. 

On  the  I  St  of  September,  1864,  the  parochial  schools  were 
opened  for  both  sexes.  The  Sisters  of  Charity  of  Madison  were 
invited  to  come  and  take  charge  of  the  girls  and  small  boys,  and  a 
layman  for  the  large  boys.  Then  the  select  school  was  dismissed, 
and  the  worthy  teacher  entered  the  Order  of  the  Visitation  in 
Brooklyn. 

As  soon  as  the  school  was  organized  a  Mass  was  read  every 
Sunday  at  nine  o'clock  for  the  children,  who  sang  hymns  under  the 
direction  of  their  music  teacher,  Miss  Catherine  Hogan,  of  Ho- 
boken. The  children  also  sang  every  Friday  evening  during  the 
service  for  the  Bona  Mors. 

In  June,  1861,  Bishop  Bayley  came  to  give  confirmation  in  the 
church  to  one  hundred  and  four  persons,  and  in  the  ex'ening  after 
Vespers  he  delivered  a  lecture  on  his  journey  to  Rome  for  the 
benefit  of  the  school. 

On  the  20th  of  September,  1864,  in  pursuance  of  an  act  ap- 
proved February  17th,  1864,  the  Church  of  Hoboken  was  incor- 


i64  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

porated  under  the  name  of  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace, 
Hoboken,  recorded  October  3d,  1864.  On  the  lOth  of  March, 
1865,  the  trustees  elected  Bishop  Bay  ley  president,  Rev^  A.  Cau- 
vin  treasurer,  and  L.  DeGrand  Val  secretary.  On  the  same  day 
they  adopted  the  b)'-la\vs. 

On  January  nth,  1865,  the  Forty  Hours'  devotion  was  for  the 
first  time  established  in  the  church,  according  to  the  general  order 
of  the  Bishop,  who  assigned  a  different  Sunday  for  each  church  in 
his  diocese.  Father  Gaudentius,  of  Hoboken,  preached  on  two 
evenings.  This  devotion  produced  excellent  fruits;  eight  or  nine 
hundred  persons  received  Holy  Communion. 

On  the  5th  of  February,  1865,  a  mission  was  given  in  the 
church  by  Father  Smarius  and  Father  Converse,  Jesuits  of  Chi- 
cago. The  church  was  always  crowded.  Seventeen  hundred 
and  fifty  persons  received  Holy  Communion  during  the  mission. 

In  August,  1865,  they  began  to  build  the  hospital  and  asylum 
for  the  Sisters  of  the  Poor  ou  five  lots  purchased  from  the  Ho- 
boken Land  Company  on  Willow  Street,  corner  of  Fourth  Street. 
The  deed  was  given  to  Bishop  Bayley  on  the  i6th  of  November, 
and  recorded  on  the  23d  of  November.  Mr.  Keely,  of  Brooklyn, 
was  the  architect,  Mr.  Timothy  Foley  the  mason,  and  Mr.  Read,  of 
Boston,  the  carpenter.  It  will  be  under  the  exclusive  control  of 
the  Bishop  and  the  Sisters  of  the  Poor.  For  building  this  hos- 
pital and  asylum  the  people  of  Hoboken  contributed  $4,600,  and 
the  fair,  which  was  held  in  Odd  Fellows'  Hall  in  October,  1865, 
gave  a  net  profit  of  $5,500. 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1865,  was  organized  a  Temperance 
Benevolent  Society  in  Hoboken  after  the  plan  of  the  Society  of 
St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  in  Newark,  recommended  by  Bishop  Bay- 
ley  in  a  circular  to  the  clergy,  on  the  22d  of  September,  1865. 
This  is  also  a  religious  society,  since  they  have  a  chaplain,  who  is 
the  pastor  of  the  church,  for  supervisor,  and  the  members  must 
receive  the  Holy  Communion  three  times  a  year.  In  1843  there 
were  but  71  houses  in  Hoboken  and  59  rum-shops. 

In  September,  1857,  Rev.  A.  Cauvin  took  the  census  of  the 
Catholics  of  Hoboken,  when  he  found  that  there  were  in  the  city 
of  Hoboken  1,600  Catholics,  as  follows:  568  married  persons;  341 
single  persons,  638  children,  83  unknown,  principally  Germans. 
Total,  1,600.  These  married  and  single  persons  formed  304 
families.  Out  of  the  341  single  persons  204  were  girls  living  out, 
and  the  remainder,  137  men  and  women  single.  Out  of  the  638 
children,  179  were  under  six  years  of  age,  254  between  six  and  fif- 


IN    NEW   JKRSKY  165 

teen  years  of  age,  205  ab()\e  fifteen  }ears  of  age.  One  family  had 
II  children  and  another  10;  i  had  9,  another  5;  5  had  7  children 
each,  and  12  had  6  children;  13  had  5  children,  and  27  had  4  chil- 
dren. The  other  215  families  had  i  or  2  children,  or  none.  This 
census  was  taken  for  the  purpose  of  knowing  all  the  children  and 
their  residence,  in  order  to  bring  them  to  the  catechism. 

The  population  of  Hoboken  was  in  1861,  9,662;  that  of  Jersey 
City,  29,226;  that  of  Hudson  City,  7,229;  of  Newark,  71,941;  of 
Paterson,  19,586;  Trenton,  17,221;  Camden,  14,358;  Elizabeth, 
11,568;  New  Brunswick,  11,255;  Orange,  8,977;  Rahway,  7,138; 
Morristown,  5,986;  and  Hackensack,  5,488.  The  population  in 
1865  was:  In  Hoboken,  12,973;  ^^^  Jersey  City,  36,370;  and  in 
Hudson  City,  10,509. 

The  population  of  Hudson  County  in  1850  was  21,819;  ""^  i860 
it  was  65,923;  and  in  1865  it  was  81,900.  The  population  of  the 
State  of  New  Jersey  in  1850  was  468,319,  and  in  i860  it  was 
659,998. 

The  principal  presents  made  to  Rev.  Cauvin  for  the  church,  or 
which  Rev.  Cauvin  gave  to  the  church,  were:  (i)  A  silver  chalice 
given  by  the  old  Countess  of  Cavour  (Turin)  in  1852,  which 
chalice  was  stolen  from  the  church  in  1863  in  the  month  of  No- 
vember. (2)  Another  chalice,  also  in  silver,  given  in  1854  by  a 
Marchioness  of  Genoa,  a  friend  of  Mrs.  Serafina  Archini,  the  sis- 
ter of  Rev.  A.  Cauvin,  and  which  he  gave  to  the  church  of  West 
Hoboken.  (3)  The  great  painting  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace  in  the 
church  of  Hoboken,  given  by  the  Duke  of  Genoa  in  1853.  (4) 
The  painting  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy  in  the  church  of  West  Ho- 
boken, sent  by  His  Eminence  Cardinal  Brignole.  (5)  A  chalice 
engraved  with  the  name  and  imperial  arms  of  Emperor  Napoleon 
HL  (6)  A  large  sanctuar}'  lamp  with  the  imperial  arms  given  by 
the  same  emperor.  This  lamp  was  the  same  that  was  bought  for 
the  chapel  of  the  Tuileries  at  the  time  of  the  consecration  of 
Charles  X.  (7)  A  silver  ostensorium,  by  Victor  Emmanuel,  King 
of  Sardinia.  This  present  was  made  to  Rev.  Cauvin  in  recompense 
of  the  services  rendered  by  him  for  so  many  years  to  the  Italians 
of  New  York,  especially  to  the  Genoese,  whom  he  attended  in 
their  sickness,  instructed,  and  many  of  whom  continued  to 
come  to  him  for  confession.  (8)  Some  vestments  from  the 
family  of  Cavour,  of  Turin,  and  other  acquaintances  of  Rev.  A. 
Cauvin. 

In  the  spring  of  1 849  some  gentlemen  of  Jersey  City,  Hoboken, 
and  Five  Corners  formed  a  company  for  the  purpose  of  buying 


i66  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

ground  for  a  cemetery  for  the  benefit  of  the  CathoHcs  of  Hudson 
County,  as  these  had  no  other  place  to  bury  their  dead  than  in 
Calvary  Cemetery  of  New  York.  On  the  21st  of  April,  1864, 
they  organized  themselves  into  a  corporation,  according  to  the 
general  law  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  the  certificate  of  which 
was  recorded  on  the  22d  of  April,  and  elected  nine  trustees,  James 
R.  Bayley  being  chairman  and  Anthony  Cauvin  secretary.  On 
the  28th  of  April,  1864,  the  board  of  trustees  elected  the  follow- 
ing officers:  Bishop  Bayley,  president;  Rev.  J.  Kelly,  vice-presi- 
dent; Rev.  Anthony  Cauvin,  treasurer;  and  Rev.  D.  Senez,  sec- 
retar}'.  The  corporation  took  the  name  of  the  Hudson  County 
Catholic  Cemetery. 

On  May  6th,  1866,  I'ishoii  I^ayley  administered  Confirmation 
to  one  hundred  and  eighty-six  children  and  grown  persons.  An- 
drew Thorman,  a  convert  at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  was  con- 
firmed on  this  day. 

On  this  day  at  4  I'.m.  Bishop  Bayley  blessed  the  new  St. 
Mary's  Hospital,  which  the  Sisters  of  the  Poor  occupied  the  week 
previous.  He  went  in  procession  from  the  church,  accompanied 
by  the  children,  who  had  received  first  Communion  and  Confirma- 
tion in  the  morning,  by  eight  clergymen,  the  temperance  societies 
of  Hoboken  and  Jersey  City,  and  the  cadets  of  both  cities,  with  a 
band  of  music.  He  preached  in  the  chapel  of  the  hospital,  and 
gave  in  it  the  benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  A  great 
concourse  of  people  attended  the  ceremony.  The  societies 
paraded  through  the  streets  of  Hoboken  after  the  ceremony. 

In  the  evening  the  Bishop  lectured  in  St.  Mary's  Church  for 
the  benefit  of  the  hospital. 

On  the  28th  of  September,  1868,  Bishop  Bayley  blessed  sol- 
emnly the  up]Der  part  of  the  Hudson  County  Cemetery,  from  the 
middle  cross  and  the  vault  to  the  meadows.  Two  blocks  h.ad  been 
previously  blessed  by  Rev.  C^auvin  in  1866.  The  Bishop  was  ac- 
companied by  all  the  pastors  of  the  Hudson  County  churches. 
He  preached  a  beautiful  sermon  to  the  people  who  came  to  wit- 
ness the  ceremony,  which  began  at  9:30  o'clock  and  ended  at 
noon. 

On  April  28th,  1869,  Rev.  Daniel  J.  Fisher,  assistant  pastor  of 
Hoboken,  died  in  St.  Mary's  Hospital,  after  ten  days  of  sickness, 
in  great  sentiments  of  piety,  patience,  and  faith.  His  funeral  took 
place  on  the  30th  of  April,  in  presence  of  the  Vicar-General  and 
twenty-six  priests  of  the  diocese. 

On  the  3d  of  August,  1 869,  the  clergy  of  the  diocese  presented 


IN   NEW  JERSEY  167 

an  address  to  Bishop  Bay  ley  with  $5,000 ;  and  on  the  following  day 
he  started  for  Rome  to  the  tlcumenical  Council  (Vatican). 

In  September,  1871,  the  Bishop  appointed  Rev.  Cauvin  to  take 
care  of  the  (lermans  of  Hobokcn.  October  8th  the  Rev.  Cauvin 
called  the  Cermans  to  a  meeting  for  the  15th,  when  about  forty 
German  families  were  present.  And  on  October  22d  the  Rev. 
Angelus  Kempen  (a  secularized  Carmelite)  began  to  say  Mass  in 
a  hall  kindly  put  at  his  disposal  by  Peter  Kerrigan  in  Grand,  corner 
of  Newark  Street. 

The  Rev.  Kempen  having  failed  to  form  a  (jerman  congrega- 
tion in  the  meadows,  where  his  temporary  chapel  was  filled  with 
other  people  than  (iermans,  the  Bishop  ordered  him  to  look  for 
a  more  decent  place,  and  forbade  him  to  preach  in  English  and  to 
have  anything  to  do  with  the  Irish,  as  his  mission  was  for  the  Ger- 
mans only.  On  the  5th  and  12th  of  May,  1872,  he  opened  a  tem- 
porary chapel  in  a  hall  on  Meadow  Street,  between  Fifth  and 
Sixth,  and  it  was  filled  with  Germans.  There  are  in  Hoboken 
between  three  and  four  thousand  German  Catholics.  There  is  no 
place  in  the  United  States  where  there  are  more  elements  for  a 
German  congregation  than  in  Hoboken.  They  need  only  a  church 
for  themselves.  But  having  again  disobe}ed  his  orders,  and 
preached  in  English,  and  coaxed  the  Irish  in  his  chapel,  and  thus 
failed  again,  the  Bishop  invited  Father  IJurthaller,  a  Jesuit  of 
New  York,  to  take  charge  of  the  Germans,  and  dismissed  the 
Rev.  Kempen.  After  Bishop  Bayley  went  to  Baltimore  as  Arch- 
bishop, Dr.  Corrigan,  the  administrator,  invited  Father  Durthaller 
to  keep  his  engagement ;  but  this  he  refused  to  do  unless  he  had 
also  the  power  of  administering  all  the  sacraments  to  all  the 
Catholics  of  Hoboken,  whether  Germans  or  Irish.  Dr.  Corrigan 
was  obliged  to  comply  with  his  demand  as  a  condition  sine  qua 
nan,  and  December  3d,  1872,  he  came  to  Hoboken,  and  read  Mass 
and  preached  in  his  chapel  for  two  Sundays. 

Rev.  Cauvin  disapproved  of  this  arrangement  as  against  the 
con.stitution  of  the  Church  as  defined  by  the  Council  of  Trent, 
the  Second  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore,  and  the  synod  of  the 
diocese,  which  condemn  noininatim  the  jurisdiction  of  two  pastors 
ex  cBquo  over  the  same  flock;  and  then  Rev.  Durthaller  left  Ho- 
boken. Mass  was  then  read  occasionally  in  the  German  chapel 
on  Sundays,  till  Dr.  Corrigan  appointed  the  Rev.  Father  Martens 
to  take  care  exclusively  of  the  Germans.  He  came  to  Hoboken 
March  3d,  1873. 

On  July  I  St,  1873,  Rev.  Cauvin  wrote  to  Bishop  Corrigan,  that 


i68  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

after  twenty-six  years  of  uninterrupted  labor  in  this  country, 
twenty-two  in  Hoboken,  with  only  three  months'  vacation,  seven- 
teen years  ago,  he  felt  the  need  of  rest,  and  therefore  he  had  de- 
termined to  resign  his  place  and  go  to  Nice,  France,  his  native 
country.  On  August  3d,  Sunday,  Rev.  Cauvin  announced  to  the 
congregation  his  resignation  for  the  sake  of  his  health  and  need 
of  rest,  and  August  9th  he  left  Hoboken  for  France. 


The  Rev.  Anthony  Cauvin,  born  August  23d,  1810,  at  Sclos, 
a  little  hamlet  near  Nice,  was  the  youngest  of  ten  children.  The 
child  of  exemplary  parents  he  was  the  third  to  enter  the  priest- 
hood. His  preliminary  studies  were  made  in  his  native  town,  and 
his  theological  studies,  until  closed  by  the  Revolution  of  1830,  in 
the  seminary  of  Avignon.  He  afterward  went  to  Turin  and  Rome, 
where  he  was  ordained  priest  by  Cardinal  Brignole-Sale,  October 
1 2th,  1 834.  The  register  of  the  clergy  of  the  Newark  diocese  states 
that  he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Order  of  Mercy.  For  some 
years  he  taught  in  a  college  near  Genoa,  but  his  health  forced  him 
to  abandon  that  kind  of  work,  and  for  a  short  time  he  was  a  tutor 
in  the  family  of  Count  Cavour,  the  father  of  the  famous  minister. 
In  1847  he  determined  to  go  to  America,  and,  on  landing,  asso- 
ciated himself  to  Father  Lafont,  then  pastor  of  the  French  Catho- 
lic Church  on  Canal  Street,  New  York.  He  remained  three 
years  in  this  position,  and  in  1850  he  was  assigned  by  Archbishop 
Hughes  to  the  mission  of  Cold  Spring  and  West  Point  on  the 
Hudson.  After  spending  a  year  in  this  assignment.  Father  Cau- 
vin was  sent  to  establish  a  parish  in  the  territory  between  the 
Hudson  and  Hackensack  rivers,  the  history  of  which  he  has  so 
carefully  and  so  charmingly  written.  There  is  no  doubt  that  his 
health  was  shaken  by  his  constant  and  laborious  pastorate.  But 
there  were  other  motives  which  prompted  him  to  bid  adieu  to  ties 
which  had  so  long  bound  him  to  the  Catholics  of  Hoboken — the 
necessity  for  a  larger  church,  the  departure  for  Baltimore  of  his  old 
friend.  Archbishop  Bayley,  to  whom  he  was  more  than  devoted, 
and  the  friction  between  those  in  charge  of  the  hospital  and  him- 
self with  regard  to  the  disposition  of  the  proceeds  of  the  fair,  held 
for  the  benefit  of  the  hospital,  and  which  amounted  to  $8,000. 

Sisters  Paula  and  Afra  complained  to  the  administrator,  the 
Very  Rev.  Dr.  Corrigan,  that  these  moneys  had  been  diverted 
from  their  legitimate  uses  by  Father  Cauvin.  This  led  to 
quite  some  correspondence  between  the  head  of  the  diocese  and 


IN    NKW   JERSEY 


169 


the  pastor  of  St.  Mary's,  until,  finally,  on  November  20th,  1869, 
Dr.  Corrigan  wrote  to  Father  Cauvin,  "forbidding  him  posi- 
tively from  alienating  the  fair  money  from  its  legitimate  channels, 
and  asking  him  to  announce  to  the  congregation  on  the  following 
Sunday  that  the  hospital  debt  would  be  paid  off  to  the  extent  of 
;^8,000."  Some  weeks  later  he  complied  with  the  demand  of  his 
ecclesiastical  superior.  Father  Cauvin  spent  the  remaining  years 
of  his  life  in  Nice.  In  1881  he  built  at  Sclos  a  chapel  in  memory 
of  his  brother  Don  Sixte 
Cauvin,  who  died  the  year 
before ;  and  in  the  cemetery 
of  the  same  hamlet  he  erect- 
ed his  own  monument  with 
the  following  inscription : 

"■  The  priest,  Anthon)' 
Cauvin,  born  August  23d, 
1 810.  The  founder  and  for 
twenty-three  years  rector  of 
the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of 
Grace,  of  the  City  of  Hobo- 
ken,  in  the  United  States  of 
America.  In  his  own  life- 
time he  erected  for  himself 
this  stone,  in  the  year  of  God, 
1884."  He  died  at  Nice, 
May  26th,  1902,  in  the  ninety- 
third  year  of  his  age,  and  in 
the  sixty-eighth  year  of  his 
sacred  ministry. 

On  Sunday,  September 
28th,  1873,  his  successor,  the 

Rev.  Major  Charles  Duggan,  was  installed  pastor,  and  the  solemn 
high  Mass  was  sung  by  the  new  incumbent,  assisted  by  the  Rev. 
Fathers  Bergmann  and  Bettoni,  deacon  and  sub-deacon  respective- 
ly. Father  Duggan,  born  June,  1831,  made  his  theological  studies 
in  St.  Bonaventure's  College,  Alleghany,  N.  Y.,  and  was  received 
into  the  diocese  of  Newark  on  the  exeat  granted  by  Bishop  Corn- 
thwaite,  of  Beverly,  England,  dated  October  23d,  1865.  He  found 
a  field  for  his  activity  in  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  where,  as  assistant 
to  the  \"enerable  Father  Rogers,  he  built  the  convent,  bought  the 
rectory  and  hospital  property,  and  built  the  church  in  Metuchen. 

May  1 8th,  1874,  work  on  the  proposed  new  church  was  begun 


CHURCH  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  GRACE, 
HOBOKEN. 


170  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

by  driving  piles  for  the  foundation ;  and  on  Sunday,  June  7th,  the 
foundation  stone  was  laid  in  presence  of  a  vast  concourse  of  people, 
and  the  various  parish  and  other  societies ;  and  on  Sunday,  July 
4th,  1875,  the  corner-stone  was  laid  by  Bishop  Corrigan,  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Lancaster  Spalding  preaching  on  the  occasion. 

In  November,  1875,  Father  Duggan  returned  to  England,  and 
became  affiliated  to  the  diocese  of  Southwark. 

January  ist,  1876,  the  Rew  Louis  U.  Senez,  pastor  of  St. 
Mary's,  Jersey  City,  was  sent  to  Hoboken,  as  the  third  pastor  of 
Our  Lady  of  Grace.  But  as  he  was  already  advanced  in  years,  the 
burden  was  beyond  his  strength,  and  he  was  constrained  to  crave 
Bishop  Corrigan's  permission  to  return  to  his  f)ld  charge,  to  the 
congregation  he  had  built  up  in  Jersey  City.  The  Rev.  Patrick 
Corrigan  had  succeeded  him  as  pastor  of  St.  Mary's,  and  was  not 
at  all  inclined  to  yield  to  the  old  pastor's  prayers.  However,  he 
finally  consented  to  exchange  places,  and  in  September,  1876,  he 
assumed  pastoral  charge  of  the  Hoboken  congregation.  The 
Rev.  Patrick  Corrigan,  born  in  Longford,  January  ist,  1835,  made 
his  theological  studies  in  All  Hallows,  Ireland,  and  St.  Mary's, 
Baltimore,  where  he  was  ordained  priest  June  28th,  i860.  His 
first  mission  was  St.  Peter's,  Jersey  City,  and  continued  until 
1863,  when  he  was  given  charge  of  the  Church  of  the  Madonna, 
P'ort  Lee.  On  the  death  of  Father  Kelly,  1866,  he  was  appointed 
pastor  of  St.  Peter's,  Jersey  City,  May  loth.  Circumstances 
made  his  appointment  not  altogether  popular,  and  in  spite  of  his 
energy,  cheerfulness,  and  activity,  he  realized  that  the  barriers 
were  irremovable.  On  May  20th,  1870,  Father  Corrigan  called 
on  Dr.  Corrigan,  the  administrator,  to  arrange  for  the  dedication 
of  St.  Bridget's  Church,  and  stated  "that  he  was  an.xious,  as  soon 
as  he  paid  off  the  debt — $28,000 — on  St.  Peter's,  to  be  allowed  to 
retire  to  St.  Bridget's,  and  work  there  alone;  that  difficulties 
would  always  exist  to  mar  his  efficiency  at  St.  Peter's,"  etc.  (diary 
of  Bishop  Corrigan). 

There  was  a  rapidly  growing  congregation  in  the  southern  sec- 
tion of  Jersey  City,  far  from  the  influence  of  any  parish,  one  which 
urgently  demanded  the  j^resence  of  the  priest.  Father  Corrigan 
had  secured  a  valuable  site,  on  which  he  had  erected  a  small  frame 
church. 

The  transfer  of  St.  Peter's  to  the  Jesuit  Fathers  took  place 
April  i6th,  1871.  Thereupon  Father  Corrigan  went  abroad,  and 
remained  in  Europe  six  months.  During  his  absence  the  Rev. 
Peter  L.  Connolly  attended  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  St.  Bridget's. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


171 


Hoboken  needed  just  such  a  vigorous,  determined,  dauntless  priest 
to  carry  through  to  completion  the  stately  church  begun  by  Father 
Duggan.  Under  Father  (^)rrigan's  pastorate  were  built  the  rec- 
tory and   jiarisli    school.     Altogether  the  group  of  buildings   is 


IXTERIOR   OF    Ul  K   I.AUY    OF    (,KACE   CilLRCll.    HOBOKF.N. 


among  the  finest  to  be  found  in  our  country,  and  reflects  the  high- 
est credit  on  the  generous  Catholics  of  Hoboken,  who  have  reared 
this  magnificent  monument  of  their  faith.  The  Rev.  Charles  J. 
Kelly,  on  the  death  of  Father  Corrigan,  January  9th,  1894,  was 
appointed  rector. 


172  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

The  Rev.  Charles  J.  Kelly,  born  in  Flainfield,  N.  J.,  February 
2d,  1857,  after  making  his  preliminary  studies  at  St.  Charles'  Col- 
lege, Ellicott  City,  Md.,  was  graduated  from  Seton  Hall  College, 
and,  entering  the  seminary,  was  ordained  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 
dral, June  7th,  1881.  His  first  mission  was  St.  Aloysius',  New- 
ark, whence  he  was  transferred  to  St.  Mary's,  Jersey  City,  in 
1884.  On  him  mainly  devolved  the  burden  of  erecting  the 
Catholic  Club  building  on  Jersey  Avenue,  for  the  young  men  of 
Jersey  City,  among  whom  he  had  labored  with  great  fruit.  The 
faithful  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace  have  responded  to  the  touch  of 
their  fourth  pastor,  who  reopened  the  schools,  built  a  home  for  the 
orphans,  and  decorated  the  church. 

Sunday,  November  8th,  1903,  was  celebrated  the  silver  jubilee 
of  the  dedication  of  the  church.  The  Rt.  Rev.  John  J.  O'Connor, 
D.D.,  Bishop  of  the  diocese,  celebrated  pontifical  Mass,  at  which 
more  than  thirty  priests  were  present,  and  a  congregation  which 
thronged  the  spacious  edifice.  A  feature  of  the  celebration  was 
the  singing  of  the  children's  and  chancel  choirs — their  silvery, 
guileless  voices  floating  through  the  arches  like  the  strains  of  a 
celestial  melody. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Bordentown. 

The  Catholic  church  in  Bordentown  had  a  very  small  begin- 
ning. We  find  no  mention  of  divine  service  being  held  for  the 
few  scattered  faithful  previous  to  the  year  1837.  Before  that 
time  the  Catholics  were  too  few  to  have  a  permanent  place  of 
worship,  and  too  poor  to  support  a  resident  pastor.  Besides  this 
the  priests  in  those  days  were  scarce.  The  missions  or  stations 
were  many  but  the  laborers  were  few,  and  not  unfrequently  did  it 
happen  that  the  shepherd  was  obliged  to  travel  upward  of  fifty 
miles  to  attend  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  a  d}'ing  member  of  his 
fold.  Under  such  circumstances  how  could  the  few  scattered 
Catholics  of  Bordentown  obtain  a  resident  pastor,  even  though 
means  were  not  wanting.?  We  find  them,  then,  betaking  them- 
selves to  Trenton,  whenever  divine  service  was  to  be  held,  and 
worshipping  in  the  little  unassuming  building  which  may  still  be 
seen  on  the  corner  of  Market  and  Lamberton  streets.  This  was 
the  cradle  of  Catholicity  in  Trenton.  The  faithful  who  worshipped 
around  its  rude  altar  were  numbered  by  tens ;  to-day  they  are 
counted  by  thousands.  This  was  the  parent  church  of  the  flour- 
ishing congregation  of  St.  John's,  while  the  magnificent  structure 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


173 


of  St.  Mary's  may  be  looked  upon  as  the  offspring  of  the  latter, 
and  St.  Francis  and  our  Lady  of  Lourdes  may  be  properly  styled 
the  children  of  both.  It  may,  with  propriety,  too,  he  called  the 
mother  church  of  St.  Mary's,  of  Bordentown,  for  there  our  Catho- 
lic neighbors  worshipped  with  their  co-religionists  of  Trenton, 
were  instructed  and  strengthened  in  their  faith,  and  fed  with  the 
spiritual  food  of  their  souls. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  write  the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Conwell  was 
Bishop  of  the  See,  and  the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Kenrick,  coadjutor  and 


ST.    FRAN'CIS    CHURCH 

First  Catholic  Church  erected  in  Trenton. 

administrator.  Under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  latter,  divine  service 
was  held  in  Bordentown  for  the  first  time.  This  was  in  the  month 
of  October,  1837.  The  clergyman  who  came  was  no  stranger  to 
the  people,  for  frequently  did  they  listen  to  his  words  and  receive 
the  sacraments  from  the  hands  of  the  good  Father  McGorien,  in 
the  little  modest  chapel  at  Trenton.  Once  a  month  did  he  visit 
his  people  at  Bordentown  and  W'hite  Hill,  ofificiating  in  private 
houses,  as  his  congregation  was  then  too  poor  to  think  of  a  per- 
manent place  of  worship.     He  continued  to  administer  to  their 


174 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


wants  till  the  year  1840,  when  his  superiors  called  him  to  another 
field  of  labor. 

His  successor  was  Father  Gilligan.  It  was  during  his  admin- 
istration that  the  thought  was  first  broached  of  purchasing  a  plot 
of  ground,  and  erecting  a  small  church  upon  it.  Both  priest  and 
peo}Dle  saw  the  necessity  for  this,  as  the  congregation  had  some- 
what increased,  and  private  houses  were  no  longer  large  enough 
to  contain  the  worshipping  faithful.  Moreover,  there  was  every 
prospect  of  the  mission  growing  larger  from  day  to  day.  The 
population  of  the  State  was  on  the  increase,  and  the  many  advan- 
tages arising  from  the  public 
works  would,  no  doubt,  attract 
settlers  and  induce  them 
to  make  Bordentown  their 
home.  A  lot  was  therefore 
purchased  on  the  hilltop,  at 
the  southeastern  corner  of 
Second  and  Bank  streets,  and 
a  small  frame  structure  erect- 
ed for  divine  service.  This 
was  in  1842.  The  little 
church  was  then  thought  suf- 
ficiently large  for  many  years 
to  come,  but  we  may  judge 
of  the  ra})id  growth  of  the 
mission  when  the  immediate 
successor  of  Father  Gilligan 
was  obliged  to  enlarge  the 
building  to  accommodate  his 
increasing  congregation.  Father  Gilligan  labored  here  for  years, 
holding  service  but  once  a  month,  as  the  many  other  missions 
under  his  charge  prevented  his  officiating  more  frequently. 

After  his  departure,  in  1844,  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
Father  Mackin.  Immediately  after  assuming  charge  the  new 
pastor  found  it  necessary  to  increase  the  seating  capacity  of  the 
church.  Some  might  absent  themselves  from  divine  service 
under  the  plea  that  there  was  no  room;  others  again  might  excuse 
themselves,  as  they  did  not  wish  to  stand  while  their  neighbors 
were  accommodated  with  seats.  Whether  this  was  the  real  mo- 
tive or  not  we  cannot  say,  but  certain  it  is  that  Father  Mackin 
saw  the  absolute  necessity  of  adding  to  the  little  church,  and  con- 
sequently a  transept  was  erected  to  the  eastern  end  of  the  build- 


REV.   DANIEL    M  GORIEN, 
Pastor  of  St.  John's  Church,  Trenton,  in  1837 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  175 

ing,  thus  shaping  it  as  the  letter  T.  The  original  building  and 
transept  are  still  standing,  plainly  discernible,  although  a  subse- 
cjuent  addition  was  made.  After  administering  to  the  wants  of  his 
people  for  nearly  ti\e  years,  he  was  obliged  to  relinquish  his  Bor- 
dentown  [people,  as  the  rapid  growth  of  Catholicity  in  Trenton, 
Lambertville,  Flemington,  and  the  other  missions  attended  by 
him  demanded  his  constant  attention. 

His  immediate  successor  was  Father  Hugh  Lane.  He  re- 
ceived his  appointment  in  1849.  During  his  term  as  pastor  the 
second  addition  was  made  to  the  church,  and  divine  service  was 
held  every  two  weeks.  Father  Lane  was  the  last  of  the  Philadel- 
phia priests  who  were  commissioned  to  ofificiate  at  St.  Mary's. 

Father  Lane  ceased  to  ofificiate  in  St.  Mary's  in  1854,  and 
Father  Bowles  was  immediately  appointed  its  first  resident  pastor. 
No  additions  were  made  during  his  term,  as  Father  Lane  had 
made  ample  provisions  for  his  congregation. 

In  1857  Father  Bowles  took  up  his  residence  in  Burlington, 
and  Father  Biggio  became  second  resident  pastor.  Under  his 
administration  the  parochial  house  was  built.  After  laboring  as 
pastor  for  nine  years,  he  died  in  Bordentovvn  in  1866.  Father 
Mackin,  who  left  in  1849,  ""^'^^  reappointed  pastor,  and  acted  as 
such  for  three  years,  leaving  in  1 869. 

The  parish  at  this  time  was  a  very  important  one,  the  number 
of  souls  exceeding  sixteen  hundred.  The  wealth  of  the  parish 
increased  with  its  growth,  and  it  was  the  unanimous  wish  of  the 
congregation  to  do  away  with  the  old  unsightl}'  building,  and  erect 
a  grander  edifice,  more  becoming  divine  worship.  The  ecclesias- 
tical authorities,  knowing  the  importance  of  the  place,  and  the 
amount  of  work  to  be  done,  resolved  to  send  a  man  equal  to  the 
task,  and  their  choice  fell  upon  Father  Leonard,  the  young  ener- 
getic pastor  of  New  Hampton  Junction.  He  left  his  old  home, 
universally  regretted  by  his  flock,  and  assumed  charge  of  St. 
Mary's,  July  i8th,  1869.  His  first  thoughts,  after  becoming  ac- 
quainted with  the  people,  were  to  procare  a  more  fitting  site  for 
the  new  church.  A  lot  was  accordingly  purchased  the  following 
15th  of  October,  on  Crosswicks  Street,  east  of  Second.  The  new 
church  was  commenced  the  }'ear  following,  the  generosity  of  the 
congregation  thus  enabling  the  pastor  to  begin  without  delay. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  October  30th,  1870,  and  two  years  later 
we  find  the  grand  cathedral-like  church  dedicated  to  the  service  of 
God,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  O'Hara,  Bishop  of  Scranton,  Pa.  It  is 
beyond  comparison,  although  the  church  of  the  poor,  the  grandest 


176  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

and  most  costly  in  the  town.  The  windows  were  generously  do- 
nated by  individual  members,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  inscriptions 
they  bear.  The  grand  sanctuary  window  was  the  gift  of  the  St. 
Mary's  Benevolent  Society,  and  the  beautiful  one  in  the  front  of 
the  church  is  the  generous  offering  of  the  Hibernia  Temperance 
Society. 

After  the  dedication  of  the  new  church  the  children  were  the 
object  of  Father  Leonard's  zeal  and  solicitude.  To  procure  for 
them  a  good  sound  Christian  education  was  his  constant  thought. 
He  established  the  Convent  of  Mercy  in  the  old  pastoral  residence, 
having  obtained  a  colony  of  sisters  from  the  mother  house,  Mount 
St.  Mary's,  Manchester,  N.  H.  Since  the  advent  of  the  sisters  a 
marked  change  has  taken  place  in  the  children.  The  schools  are 
well  attended. 

In  September,  1 876,  Father  Leonard  was  promoted  to  the  im- 
portant parish  of  St.  John's,  in  the  city  of  Newark.  He  took  his 
departure  from  Bordentown,  October  25th,  1876,  amidst  the  tears 
of  his  people,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  P.  F.  Connolly. 

For  twenty-one  years,  the  longest  period  of  any  pastor  in  Bor- 
dentown, Rev.  P.  F.  Connolly  proved  a  most  zealous  shepherd. 
In  1897  he  was  promoted  to  the  much  larger  parish  of  Phillips- 
burg.  During  his  lengthy  pastorate  in  Bordentown,  the  beautiful 
convent  of  St.  Joseph's,  for  the  Order  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  was 
erected,  and  also  the  equally  substantial  and  modern  parochial 
school  and  hall.  In  1 886  Father  Connolly's  silver  jubilee  as  a  priest 
was  celebrated  in  a  befitting  manner.  On  that  memorable  occa- 
sion the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  McFaul,  many  priests,  including  Rev. 
William  Cantwell,  of  Monmouth  County,  the  orator  of  the  da)^, 
the  entire  congregation  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  together  with  the 
most  respected  citizens  of  the  various  denominations  in  the  city, 
united  in  testifying  their  appreciation  of  a  true  servant  of  God,  and 
an  edifying  citizen.  The  best  years  of  Father  Connolly's  life  were 
devoted  to  his  flock  in  Bordentown,  where  he  has  left  an  indelible 
impression  of  his  faithfulness  to  his  holy  vocation.  The  number 
of  converts  he  made,  while  remarkably  large,  will  probably  never 
be  exactly  known. 

In  September,  1897,  Rev.  R.  E.  Burke,  now  at  Princeton,  suc- 
ceeded Father  Connolly.  The  former's  stay  was  brief — only  four 
months. 

In  January,  1898,  Rev.  D.  J.  Duggan,  of  Salem,  became  pastor 
of  St.  Mary's  Church,  and  is  now  in  control  of  the  parish  and 
its  mission  at  Florence,  four  miles  distant. 


IN   NEW   JERSEY 


177 


UKiHT   REV.    JAMES   A.    M'FAUL,  D.D. 
Second  Bishop  oE  Trenton. 


178 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


The  congregation  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Bordentown,  now 
numbers  about  fourteen  hundred  souls.  In  the  latter  years  of 
Father  Connolly  a  curate  was  appointed  to  the  parish,  and  one 
has  been  supplied  ever  since. 

That  King  Joseph,  brother  of  Napoleon  I.,  spent  a  number  of 
years  on  his  vast  estate  in  Bordentown,  while  an  exile  in  this 
country,  is  a  matter  of  history.  He  had  his  own  private  chapel. 
When  he  returned  to  France  the  ex-king  presented  the  rich  vest- 
ments and  chalice  used  in  the  chapel  to  the  Catholics  of  Bor- 
dentown. The  chalice  was  left  in  trust  forever,  three  Catholic 
laymen  receiving  the  deed,  which  still  exists.  The  vestments 
were  long  since  worn  out.  The  chalice  is  now  in  the  possession 
of  St.  Mary's  Church.  Ancjther  relic  of  the  first  stages  of  Catho- 
licity in  Bordentown  is  a  quaint  old  bureau  in  the  possession  of 
the  children  of  John  Flynn.  For  years  this  piece  of  furniture  was 
used  as  an  altar,  when  the  holy  sacrifice  was  offered  in  private 
houses. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Salem,  N.  J. 

We  can  imagine  the  heartfelt  rejoicing  of  that  little  band  of 
Catholics  who  were  here  for  a  time  without  Mass,  when  they 
heard  that  a  priest  from  Philadelphia  would  visit  Salem.     The 

Rev.William  O'Hara,  D.D., 
for  many  )'ears  pastor  of 
St.  Patrick's  Church,  Phila- 
delphia, and  later  on  Bishop 
of  Scranton,  was  the  first 
priest  to  celebrate  Mass  in 
Salem.  He  held  the  first 
serx'ices  early  on  the  morn- 
ing of  St.  Patrick's  Day, 
March  17th,  1847,  in  the 
house  of  Matthew  McBride, 
corner  of  Broad  and  Second 
streets. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  O'Hara 
made  visits  to  Salem  at  reg- 
ular intervals,  and  held 
services  alternately  at  the 
homes  of  Matthew  McBride 
and  Patrick  McDonald  on  West  Broad  Street.  The  little  band 
of  worshippers  gradually  increased,  and  it  soon   became  neces- 


GEIGER  S    HOUSE,    NEAR   SALEM. 

The  beacon  light  of  Catholicity  in  South 
Jersey,  p.  52. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


179 


FIRST    CHURCH    IX    SALEM. 


sary  to  procure  more  spacious  accommodations  for  holding  divine 
services.  Samuel  Ward,  a  Protestant  gentleman,  kindly  donated 
the  use  of  the  hall  over  his  blacksmith  shop,  on  the  corner  of 
Broad  and  Griffith  streets,  where  services  were  held  until  the 
church  was  erected.  In  May, 
1848,  the  Rev.  E.  S.  O.  Wal- 
dron  was  appointed  b)'  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  Kenrick,  of  Phila- 
delphia, to  attend  Salem  and 
other  missior.s  in  South  Jersc)'. 
With  zeal  and  energy  P'ather 
Waldron  devoted  himself  to 
his  laborious  missionary  work, 
going  from  place  to  place,  say- 
ing Mass  in  public  halls  and  private  houses,  instructing  the  chil- 
dren, and  preaching  to  the  small  bands  of  Catholics  in  the  places 
he  visited.  Towartl  the  close  of  the  }ear  1848  the  good  missionary 
and  his  faithful  i^eople  in  Salem  deemed  it  advisable  to  secure 
ground  for  a  church.  In  those  )'ears  wages  were  low,  farm  labor- 
ers receiving  but  si.\  and  eight  dollars  a  month,  and  living-out 
girls  seventy  cents  and  a  dollar  a  week. 

The  work  of  raising  funds  begun  by  Dr.  O'Hara  was  carried 
on  by  the  zeal  of  Father  Waldron.  October  25th,  1848,  the  lot  on 
which  the  church  is  located  was  i)urchased  from  George  Bovven 
for  ;^540.  A  new  impetus  was  given  to  the  ardent  zeal  of  the 
good  pastor  and  his  devoted  people  b}'  the  purchase  of  a  site  for  a 
church  edifice.  Work  was  commenced  on  the  foundation  in  the 
year  1849,  but  had  to  be  discontinued  later  for  want  of  funds. 
Father  Waldron  was  transferred  to  other  fields  of  labor,  and  Salem 
was  visited  regularly  by  Revs.  I.  Amat,  CM.,  Jeremiah  O'Dono- 
hue,  Hugh  Lane,  A.  Haviland,  John  Kelley,  Very  Rev.  Edward  I. 
Sourin,  V.G.,  Re\'s.  Roger  O'Connor  and  A.  Rossi,  CM.,  suc- 
cessively until  December,  1851,  when  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Ken- 
rick of  Philadelphia  appointed  the  Rev.  John  McDermott  as  first 
resident  pastor.  Father  McDermott  made  his  home  for  several 
months  with  Thomas  Murphy  on  Second  Street. 

March  24th,  1852,  Father  McDermott  bought  the  small  house 
and  lot  adjoining  the  church  property  from  John  N.  Cooper  for 
$1,003.  The  house  be  occupied  as  a  rectory.  The  church  was 
under  roof  by  the  middle  of  June,  and  preparations  were  made  to 
have  it  dedicated  on  the  4th  of  July  following.  The  dedication  of 
the  new  edifice  to  the  service  of  God  took  place  Sunday,  July  4th, 


i8o 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


1852.  The  Very  Rev.  Patrick  E.  Moriarty,  O.S.A.,  of  St.  Au- 
gustine's Church,  Philadelphia,  officiated  on  the  occasion,  and 
preached  an  appropriate  sermon.  The  pastor,  Rev.  John  McDer- 
mott,  celebrated  Mass. 

In  December,  1853,  Father  McDermott  purchased  from  Ebene- 
zer  Dunn  a  small  house  and  lot  adjoining"  the  rectory  for  ^500. 
He  connected  the  two  houses  by  means  of  a  hallway,  and  the 
double  house  served  for  nearly  forty  years  as  the  residence  of 
the  pastors  of  St.  Mary's.     In  the  beginning  of  the  year   1855 

the  Rev.  Cornelius  Cannon 
was  appointed  by  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  Bayley  as  pastor 
of  Salem  and  missions,  to 
succeed  Father  McDermott. 
In  April,  1859,  the  last  ad- 
tlition  to  the  original  church 
property  was  purchased  from 
John  C.  Dunn  for  ^460.  The 
congregation  had  grown  and 
the  pastor  purchased  this  last 
lot  of  ground  with  the  inten- 
tion of  erecting  a  parish 
school  thereon.  Actuated  by 
the  desire  to  procure  religious 
training  as  well  as  secular 
knowledge  for  the  children 
of  the  parish,  P'ather  Cannon  erected  on  the  lot  purchased  from 
Mr.  Dunn  the  front  portion  of  the  frame  building  on  Oak  Street 
in  the  year  1863.  He  employed  lay  teachers  to  conduct  the 
school  under  his  own  immediate  supervision.  P'ather  Cannon 
attended  Swedesboro  and  Woodstown.  The  church  in  Salem 
was  incorporated  September  20th,  1 864,  under  the  title  of  "  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  Church,  Salem."  In  January,  1870,  Father 
Cannon,  after  fifteen  years  of  faithful  service,  was  transferred 
to  Jersey  City,  and  the  Rev.  Secundino  Pattle  appointed  as 
his  successor  in  Salem.  On  the  eve  of  Christmas,  prior  to  the 
arrival  of  Father  Pattle,  the  altar  and  the  interior  of  the  church 
were  damaged  by  fire.  In  less  than  three  months  a  new  altar  was 
erected  and  the  interior  of  the  church  renovated. 

In  1872  Father  Pattle  built  a  small  frame  church  in  Woods- 
town.  In  May,  1873,  the  Rev.  Anthony  Cassesse  was  appointed 
by  Rt.  Rev.  Michael  A.  Corrigan,  then  Bishop  of  Newark,  as  first 


ST.    MARY'S   CHURCH,   SALEM. 


IN   NEW  JERSEY  i8i 

resident  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Swedesboro,  thus  relieving 
Father  Pattle  of  the  charge. 

In  June,  1876,  Father  Pattle  was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Paul's 
Church,  Burlington,  and  the  Rev.  James  McKernan  assumed 
charge  of  St.  Mary's.  Ill  health  compelled  the  zealous  Father 
McKernan  to  resign  the  pastorate  of  St.  Mary's  and  missions  in 
November,  1 879,  to  the  intense  regret  of  his  devoted  people.  The 
next  spiritual  guide  of  St.  Mary's  was  the  Rev.  Peter  Dernis,  who 
in  his  quiet  and  unpretentious  way  entered  on  his  sacred  duties, 
and  labored  with  zeal  and  energy  for  the  welfare  of  the  souls  en- 
trusted to  his  fatherly  care.  The  parish  school  had  up  to  his 
time  been  taught  by  lay  teachers.  Miss  Mary  McBride,  Patrick 
Fitzpatrick,  Mrs.  Fields,  James  Maguire,  the  Misses  Sarah 
O'Neill,  Agnes  Barr,  Mary  O'Connor,  Mary  Crean,  and  Mr.  John 
Loftus,  successively.  Father  Dernis  made  arrangements  to  have 
the  Sisters  take  charge  of  the  school.  In  1881  three  Franciscan 
Sisters  came  from  Philadelphia  to  Salem.  In  October,  1886,  the 
Rev.  J.  Duggan  was  appointed  by  Bishop  O'Farrell  to  succeed 
Father  Dernis,  who  was  transferred  to  Moorestown.  In  the  year 
1894  what  is  known  as  the  Mitchell  property,  on  Oak  Street,  was 
purchased  from  I.  Oakford  Acton,  for  the  sum  of  $3,200,  thus 
placing  in  possession  of  the  church  the  entire  half  block  from 
Carpenter  to  Thompson  streets. 

The  parish  school  was  discontinued  and  the  Sisters  returned 
to  Philadelphia.  After  eleven  years  of  devoted  and  untiring  labor 
Father  Duggan  was  promoted  in  January,  1898,  by  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  McFaul  to  the  pastorate  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Borden- 
town.  The  Rev.  William  H.  Lynch  came  from  St.  Mary's  Cathe- 
dral, Trenton,  as  Father  Duggan's  successor.  Father  Lynch 
labored  assiduously  until  October,  1900,  when  ne  was  appointed  to 
the  rectorship  of  St.  John's  Church,  Lambertville. 

The  Rev.  Stephen  M.  Lyon,  the  present  rector,  entered  on  his 
duties  October  2d,  1900.  He  first  met  his  congregation  Sunday, 
October  7th. 

St.  Paul's  Church,  Princeton. 

It  has  already  been  seen  that  Catholicity  is  no  stranger  in  the 
great  university  town  of  Princeton.  A  seething  caldron  of  bitter 
antipathies  to  the  old  Church,  the  armory  whence  Breckenridge 
found  and  hurled  his  deadliest  shafts  against  the  Catholic  Church 
in  his  controversy  with  Bishop  Hughes,  still  this  old  stronghold 
of  Presbyterianism,  with  its  diadem  of  beautiful  homes  and  de- 


182 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


mesries,  with  its  bewitching  and  picturesque  natural  glories  of  hill 
and  vale,  of  farm  and  forest,  has  even  in  its  earliest  days  sheltered 

and  tolerated  the  creed  of 
which  of  yore  it  was  the  bit- 
terest foe.  But  not  until  the 
famines  of  1846  and  1847  had 
dri\cn  the  Irish  cotter  from 
his  cabin  and  country,  and 
landed  him  an  immigrant  in 
oui'  countr\',  where,  owing  to 
the  development  of  railroads 
and  canals,  his  labor  was 
eagerl}'  sought  for,  did  the 
virile,  fertile  seed  of  faith 
begin  to  grow  and  bear  fruit 
in  this  unfriendly  soil.  Very 
earl\'  in  the  forties  did  good 
I^^athcr  Rogers  journey  hith- 
er, and  in  the  home  of  James 
Boyle,  the  farmer  of  Gov- 
ernor Newell,  offer  the  holv 
sacrifice  and  dispense  the  con- 
solations of  religion  to  the 
little  company  of  Catholics,  working  on  the  canal  and  railroad,  or 
at  service  in  the  college  or  on  the  neighboring  farms.  The  Rev. 
John  Scollard  was  the  first  resident  ]:)astor,  in  1850,  and  remained 
with  the  flock  seven  years.  He  worked  with  zeal  and  efficiency, 
and  seemed  to  have  the  courage  of  his  convictions.  In  a  letter 
written  January  3d,  1854,  to  Father  Allaire,  then  chancellor  of  the 
diocese,  relative  to  a  collection  for  the  seminary  in  F'ordham,  he 
writes : 

"I  have  not  taken  up  any  such  collection  in  1853,  and  what  is 
more,  unless  the  Bishop  exercises  his  full  authorit\-  in  the  case, 
I  will  not  do  It  in  1854  either;  and  that  because  I  do  not  think  the 
seminary  in  Fordham  is  what  it  ought  to  be,  and  hence  I  would 
not  deem  it  just  on  my  part  to  contribute  to  its  support.  My  rea- 
sons for  thinking  so  I  am  j^repared  to  give  when  called  upon." 

The  Rev.  Alfred  Young,  in  July,  1857,  was  the  second  pastor. 
Owing  to  his  shrewdness  the  Catholics  were  enabled  to  buy  the 
fine  property  of  twelve  acres,  within  the  city's  limits,  and  their 
non-Catholic  brethren  wei-e  more  than  amazed  when  the)'  learned 
who  had   purchased   the   little   farm.     He  erected   upon  it  the 


ST.    PACJ.  S    CIIUIICH,    l'lvl.\(  J'.IOX. 


IN    NKW    JKRSKY 


183 


church,  which  he  kept  scrupulously  clean  and  neat.  A  fine 
musician,  he  composed  hymns  and  taught  them  to  the  children. 
During  his  administration  a  mission  was  given  by  the  celebrated 
Paulist  Fathers,  Hewitt  and  Baker,  which  made  no  little  stir  in 
the  community.  Owing  to  improper  construction  the  first  church, 
a  stone  building,  partially  collapsed  during  the  mission  exercises, 
but  fortunately  without  serious  injury.  These  zealous  missionaries 
wrought  good  work  among  the  townspeople,  but  they  were  the 
means  of  losing  to  the  diocese  a  very  capable  and  worthy  priest. 
Father  Young  was  enamored  of  their  work,  and  although  Bishop 
Bayley  long  resisted  his  wishes,  he  yielded  eventually,  and  Father 
Young  entered  the  Paulist  community,  in  which  he  remained  an 
active,  edifying  member  until  God  called  him  to  his  reward. 

But  although  no  longer  in  the  flesh,  Father  Young  will  tell  the 
story  of  his  conversion  and  his  first  experience  as  pastor  in  Prince- 
ton. 

Father  Alfred  Young  was  born  in  Bristol,  England,  on  the 
2 1  St  of  January,  1831.  In  the  spring  of  that  year  the  family  came 
to  America,  staying  for  a  brief  period  in  Philadelphia,  whence  they 
removed  to  Trenton,  N.  J.  In  1833  they  finally  settled  in  Prince- 
ton. There  young  Alfred 
passed  the  years  of  his  bo}- 
hood  and  youth,  and  was  des- 
tined in  later  years  to  become 
the  first  Catholic  pastor  and 
to  say  the  first  Mass  ever 
celebrated  within  the  town 
limits. 

He  had  been  brought  up 
by  strict  Episcopalian  parents 
in  the  somewhat  rigid  obser- 
vances of  the  evangelical 
branch  of  that  sect,  and  par- 
took of  the  prevalent  preju- 
dices against  Catholics  to 
such  an  extent  that  when  in 
1843  his  brother  George  was 
received  into  the  Church  by 
Father  Starr  in  New  York, 
it   was   regarded  as  a  great 

blow  to  the  whole  family  and  became  the  town  talk  as  some- 
thing kindred  to  murder  or  suicide.     It  was  in  that  same  year 


REV.    ALFRED   VOUXG.   C.S.P. 


i84  THE   CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

that  young  Alfred,  then  an  impressionable  lad  of  twelve,  saw  for 
the  first  time  the  celebration  of  the  holy  sacrifice  of  the  Mass. 
He  tells  the  story  in  an  account  of  his  conversion. 

"  Hearing  one  day  that  the  priest  was  coming  from  a  town 
some  sixteen  miles  distant  to  say  Mass  for  the  few  scattered 
Catholics  in  our  vicinity,  I  determined  to  witness  the  ceremony. 
I  had  learned  that  the  priest  would  say  the  Mass  at  a  laborer's 
house,  some  few  miles  distant  from  our  town.  So  I  stayed  in  my 
own  church  till  the  prayers  were  over  and  the  minister's  sermon 
began,  and  then  slipped  out  and  flew  like  a  deer  down  the  road 
and  through  the  woods  and  over  fences,  and  arrived,  breathless 
from  running,  at  the  door  of  the  little  shanty.  There  was  but  one 
room  into  which  the  people  crowded,  and  so  I  was  obliged  to  stand 
on  the  wooden  stoop  outside  the  open  door.  I  looked  over  the 
heads  of  the  kneeling  worshippers  and  saw  the  head  and  shoulders 
of  the  priest,  who  was  standing  before  a  table,  on  which  I  observed 
two  lighted  candles,  three  pasteboard  cards,  and  a  pasteboard 
crucifix  nailed  to  the  wall  facing  the  priest.  I  heard  only  indis- 
tinct murmured  prayers;  a  little  bell  tinkled,  the  people  bowed 
their  heads,  and  the  round  white  Host  in  the  priest's  hands  hid 
the  crucifix  on  the  wall  from  my  eyes.  .  .  .  About  twelve  years 
from  the  day  on  which  I  saw  holy  Mass  celebrated  for  the  first 
time  in  that  shanty  I  was  the  Catholic  parish  priest  of  my  own 
town,  and  the  first  Mass  I  celebrated  there  was  with  the  identical 
vestments  the  priest  wore  on  that  day,  with  the  same  little  mis- 
sionary chalice,  upon  the  same  altar  stone,  and  with  the  same  paste- 
board altar  cards  before  my  eyes.  The  priest  shall  kiss  the  vest- 
ments before  he  robes  himself  with  them.  You  may  imagine  with 
what  reverence  I  pressed  those  old,  threadbare  vestments  to  my 
lips,  doubly  sacred  in  my  eyes.  Little  did  the  Protestant  boy 
know  on  that  day  of  the  designs  of  the  God  he  loved." 

Alfred  advanced  so  rapidly  under  the  different  masters  then 
resident  in  Princeton  that  at  thirteen  years  of  age  he  passed  the 
requisite  examination  for  entrance  into  the  freshman  class  of  the 
university.  In  1848  he  was  graduated  from  Princeton,  and  then 
went  to  New  York  to  study  medicine.  In  1852  he  was  graduated 
from  the  medical  department  of  the  University  of  New  York. 

On  November  27th,  1850,  while  yet  a  medical  student,  Alfred 
Young  was  received  into  the  Catholic  Church  by  the  V.  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Starr.  He  practised  medicine  for  a  year  and  was  then  sent 
to  Paris  by  Bishop  Bayley,  of  Newark,  where  he  studied  for  the 
priesthood  at  the  seminary  of  St.  Sulpice.     Returning  to  this 


IN    NEW  JERSEY  185 

country  he  was  ordained  priest  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  New- 
ark, August  24th,  1856.  In  1857  he  was  vice-president  of  Seton 
Hall  under  the  presidency  of  Bishop  McOuade,  now  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  and  in  that  same  year  was  made  rector  of  the  church  at 
Princeton  and  later  at  Trenton.  Of  his  life  as  rector  at  Princeton 
he  has  left  no  special  record  save  the  fact  that  he  often  himself 
scrubbed  the  tioor  and  dusted  the  pews  of  the  church. 

Attracted  by  the  life  and  the  aims  of  the  newly  founded  Paul- 
ist  communit}',  Father  Young"  was  received  as  a  member  of  the 
congregation  in  1861.  He  became  a  missionary  of  great  zeal  and 
noted  eloquence.  He  was  also  a  musician  and  composed  many 
devotional  hymns.  He  was  enthusiastic  in  restoring  the  Gre- 
gorian chant  for  the  entire  services  of  the  Church.  He  wrote 
many  articles  in  favor  of  this  movement  and  delivered  many  lec- 
tures on  the  same  subject.  In  1873  he  established  in  the  Church 
of  St.  Paul  the  Apostle  a  choir  of  men  and  boys  which  has  used 
the  Gregorian  chant  in  all  the  liturgical  services  ever  since.  He 
was  also  an  urgent  advocate  of  congregational  singing. 

Father  Young  was  a  writer  of  widely  recognized  ability.  Be- 
sides many  magazine  articles  on  various  religious  subjects,  and  a 
series  of  epigrammatic  poems  on  Scriptural  texts  in  the  CatJiolic 
World,  he  was  the  author  of  the  "  Complete  Sodality  Hymn 
Book,"  "Catholic  Hymns  and  Canticles,"  "The  Office  of  Ves- 
pers," and  "  Carols  for  a  Merry  Christmas  and  a  Joyous  Easter." 
The  last  work  from  his  pen  was  a  controversial  treatise,  entitled 
"Catholic  and  Protestant  Countries  Compared,"  which  attracted 
much  attention.     He  died  April  4th,  1900. 

Among  the  illustrious  sons  of  old  Princeton  there  is  none  who 
has  reflected  greater  glory  on  the  university  than  its  distinguished 
Catholic  alumnus,  Judge  William  Gaston.  Born  in  Newbern, 
N.  C,  September  19th,  1778,  he  was  the  son  of  Dr.  William  Gas- 
ton, who  was  brutally  murdered  by  the  Tories  in  the  presence  of 
his  wife  and  children.  His  mother  was  a  Catholic,  and  instilled 
the  principles  of  religion  deep  in  the  hearts  of  her  children. 

William  was  the  first  student  that  entered  Georgetown  Col- 
lege. His  brilliant  talents  and  lovable  character  were  long  among 
the  cherished  traditions  of  Princeton  University.  He  was  grad- 
uated in  1796,  winning  the  first  honors  of  his  class.  His  biog- 
rapher says  of  him :  "  Living  in  the  midst  of  Protestants,  who 
were  his  constant  and  only  companions,  he  was  never  known  to 
have  faltered  in  his  duty  as  a  Catholic,  and  not  in  a  single  instance 


i86  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

to  have  disobeyed  the  precepts  of  the  Church."  In  his  reply  to 
Calhoun  Judge  Gaston  once  said :  "  Faction  is  a  demon ;  faction 
out  of  power  is  a  demon  unchained ;  faction  vested  with  the  attri- 
butes of  rule  is  a  Moloch  of  destruction." 

He  did  not  fear  to  cross  lances  with  the  giant  parliamentarians 
of  that  classic  period — the  Clays,  Calhouns,  Websters,  Randolphs, 
Grosvenors,  and  Kings.  He  died  in  Raleigh,  N.  C,  January  23d, 
1844. 

Father  Young's  successor  was  the  Rev.  James  John  Joseph 
O'Donnell,  who  came  to  the  diocese  of  Newark  from  St.  Hya- 
cinth, Canada;  and  he,  in  1867,  was  succeeded  by  the  Rew 
Thomas  R.  Moran,  a  former  member  of  the  Order  of  St.  Bene- 
dict. Born  in  Dublin,  Father  Moran  was  received  into  the  dio- 
cese of  Newark,  December,  1 866,  and  was  assigned  as  assistant  to 
St.  John's,  Paterson.  Father  Moran  was  a  dignified,  scholarly 
priest,  with  the  loftiest  conception  of  his  sacred  calling,  and  en- 
joyed the  esteem  of  the  bishops  under  whom  he  li\'ed,  and  the 
respect  of  Protestant  and  Catholic  alike.  He  built  the  rectory, 
convent,  and  school,  and  when  he  died  the  parish  was  compara- 
tively out  of  debt.  He  was  appointed  vicar-general  by  Bishoji 
O'Farrell,  and  made  by  Leo  XIII.  a  domestic  prelate.  He  passed 
to  his  reward  March  31st,  1900. 

His  successor  is  the  Rev.  Robert  Emmet  Burke.  Father 
Burke,  born  in  the  parish  of  Kilmore,  Ireland,  June  nth,  1849, 
made  his  preparatory  studies  in  St.  Charles's  College,  Maryland, 
and  was  graduated  from  Seton  Hall  in  the  class  of  '72.  He  was 
ordained  to  holy  priesthood  in  the  seminary  chapel  by  Bishop  Cor- 
rigan,  June  loth,  1876.  He  labored  as  an  assistant  in  St.  Mary's, 
Jersey  City,  Our  Lady's,  Hoboken,  and  was  made  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Mount  Holly,  September  ist,  1880. 
He  has  been  pastor  of  SS.  Philip  and  James's,  Phillipsburg,  where 
he  built  the  church,  dean  of  Warren  County,  of  St.  Mary's,  Bor- 
dentown,  and,  during  the  Spanish-American  War,  chaplain  at  Fort 
Hancock,  Sandy  Hook.  Here  his  work  among  the  soldiers,  and 
his  care  of  the  sick,  returned  from  Cuba,  merited  the  highest 
encomiums  of  tlie  of^cers  at  the  fort.  By  his  talents  and  natural 
graces  he  is  well  fitted  for  his  difficult  post  in  the  university  town. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Rahway. 

The  initial  formation  of  St.  Mary's  parish  in  Rahway  was 
begun  by  the  Rev.  I.  P.  Howell,  then  pastor  of  Elizabeth,  about 
the  year  1845.     His  work  was  not  confined  to  Elizabeth  and  Rah- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


18' 


way,  but  extended  on  the  east  to  Anibo}-,  and  on  the  south  to  the 
territory  bordering  on  New  Brunswick.  I  lis  successor,  tlie  Rev. 
Patrick  McCarthy,  came  in  1849  to  extend,  or  rather  concentrate, 
the  work  within  closer  limits.  To  Father  Ouinn,  however,  was 
given  the  first  resident  rectorship.  The  Rev.  Thomas  Ouinn 
made  his  theological  studies  in  Fordham,  and  was  ordained  priest 
by  Bishop  Hughes,  June  14th,  1849.  He  was  for  a  time  assistant 
in  St.  John's,  Paterson,  and  its  pastor,  and  assigned  to  Perth  Am- 


ST.    M.VKV  S    CHLKCU    .\MJ    KECTORV,    KAHWAV,  X.  J. 


boy,  October  9th,  1853.  There  he  built  the  old  frame  church,  and 
attended  the  adjacent  missions;  but  April  ist,  1854,  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Rahwa)',  deeming  that  the  more  important  mission. 
Here  he  built  the  first  church  and  school. 

The  older  generation  of  Catholics  still  treasure  his  memory, 
and  his  name  in  Rah\va\',  W'oodbridge,  and  the  surrounding  coun- 
try brings  with  it  recollections  of  a  priest  peculiarb"  adapted  to 
the  arduous  work  of  the  early  days.  He  died  February  5th,  1873, 
and  he  is  buried  in  the  new  cemetery  of  the  jiarish. 

Father  Ouinn  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Sebastian  Smith, 
D.D.,  a  man  of  studious  habits  and  marked  ability.     His  many 


i88  THE    CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

works  are  an  important  contribution  to  the  ecclesiastical  literature 
of  the  present  generation.  The  Rev.  Edward  McCosker  was 
transferred  to  this  field  from  Newton,  where  he  had  labored  for 
nearly  a  score  of  years.  Father  McCosker,  born  in  the  parish  of 
Drumragh,  diocese  of  Derry,  in  1828,  made  his  preliminary  studies 
in  St.  Mary's  College,  Wilmington,  Del.,  and  his  theological 
studies  at  St.  Mary's,  Baltimore,  where  he  was  ordained  priest  by 
Archbishop  Kenrick,  June  i8th,  1859.  He  discharged  the  duties 
of  assistant  in  St.  Peter's,  New  Brunswick,  St.  Mary's,  Jersey 
City,  and  St.  John's,  Newark,  from  which  he  was  appointed  to 
Newton,  August  12th,  1861.  While  in  Newton  he  built  the  beau- 
tiful brick  church  and  rectory,  a  frame  church  in  Hackettstown, 
and  a  brick  church  in  Franklin  Furnace. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  in  Rahway  he  displayed  his  wonted 
energy,  and  set  about  the  erection  of  the  present  fine  church  and 
priest's  house.  But  advancing  years  and  unremitting  toil  made 
it  necessary  for  him  to  obtain  from  Bishop  Wigger  an  administra- 
tor who  would  relieve  him  of  the  responsibility  and  worriment  of 
the  pastoral  ofifice.  The  present  incumbent,  the  Rev.  Bernard  M. 
Bogan,  was  sent  to  him  in  June,  1894.  On  July  loth,  1896,  he 
retired  as  rector  emeritus,  and  at  present  is  living  in  St.  Joseph's 
Hospital,  Paterson. 

Father  Bogan,  born  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  December  8th,  1858, 
made  his  preparatory  studies  at  St.  Charles's  College  and  Seton 
Hall,  and  is  of  the  class  of  '81.  He  was  an  assistant  in  St.  Paul's 
and  St.  Bridget's,  Jersey  City,  and  Holy  Cross,  Harrison,  Febru- 
ary 2d,  1886.     St.  Mary's  parish  numbers  1,247  souls. 

The  property,  including  church,  rectory,  school,  convent,  and 
parish  hall,  is  valued  at  ^50,000.  St.  Mary's  Cemetery,  about  two 
miles  west  of  Rahway,  is  owned  and  controlled  by  the  church  cor- 
poration. The  parish  school  is  in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  St. 
Dominic,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty  pupils  are  in  attendance. 
A  Young  Men's  Club,  Holy  Name  and  Rosary  Society,  Children 
of  Mary,  and  Blessed  Sacrament  Society,  keep  the  faith  alive 
among  the  old  and  young,  and  are  active  in  cooperating  with  the 
pastor  in  the  work  of  the  parish. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Stony  Hill. 

The  records  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church,  Stony  Hill,  Som- 
erset Co.,  go  back  to  the  year  1847,  when  the  baptismal  record 
shows  that  Father  Raffeiner  of  Brooklyn  administered  the  sacra- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


189 


ment  of  baptism  to  Bartholomew  Wormzer,  October  17th,  1847. 
The  first  settlers  of  this  section  were  Germans,  and  as  the  priests 
of  that  nationality  were  few  at  the  time,  their  spiritual  needs  were 
attended  to  by  the  pastor  of  the  Germans  of  Brooklyn,  the  Rev. 
John  Raffeiner.  The  Redemptorist  Fathers  took  charge  of  the 
parish  toward  the  close  of  the  year  1847  and  attended  the  congre- 
gation until  the  year  1854,  when  the  Rev.  Peter  Hartlaub  became 
pastor  and  remained  in  charge  until  the  end  of  the  year  1857. 
The  Benedictine  Fathers  from  Newark  assumed  the  charge  of 
the  parish  in  the  year  1858, 
and  continued  their  ministra- 
tions until  the  year  1874. 
Father  Bergman  and  the  Rev. 
Gregory  Misdziol  were  pas- 
tors in  1 874.  Father  Misdziol, 
born  in  Budkowitz,  diocese  of 
Breslau,  Silesia,  Poland,  was 
ordained  priest  in  Seton  Hall 
College  Chapel,  June  22d, 
1865.  His  field  of  labor  was 
New  Brunswick,  where  he 
was  the  first  pastor  of  and 
built  the  church  of  St.  John 
Baptist.  He  also  had  charge 
of  the  Germans  in  Trenton. 
In  August,  1 87 1,  he  was 
assistant  to  the  venerable 
Father  Lemke  in  Elizabeth, 
and  in  March,  1874,  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  Baskingridge  and 
Mendham. 

Owing  to  the  poverty  of  the  congregation  the  Benedictines 
again  resumed  care  of  the  parish  and  ministered  to  the  people 
until  March,  1878,  when  Bishop  Corrigan  sent  the  Rev.  John 
Schandel  to  the  congregation  to  reside  permanentl}^  in  their 
midst.  Since  that  time  the  congregation  has  increased  in  num- 
bers somewhat  slowly,  owing  to  the  remoteness  of  the  place  from 
any  railroad,  but  through  the  indefatigable  labors  of  Father 
Schandel  a  neat  brick  church  has  been  built  (the  old  church  was 
burned  a  year  before)  and  paid  for ;  the  little  cemetery  has  been 
enlarged  and  beautified,  and  the  zeal  and  sacrifice  of  the  pioneers 
of  the  forties  are  still  found  in  the  descendants  who  now  worship 
in  the  Stony  Hill  church. 


ST.  MAKV  S    CHL  KCH.  STONV     HILL 


I90  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Our  Lady  of  Mount  Carmel,  Boonton,  N.  J. 

The  present  town  of  Boonton  had  its  beginning"  about  the 
year  1830.  It  was  in  that  year  that  the  Morris  Canal  was  com- 
pleted, and  by  its  construction  the  water  power  at  Boonton  Falls 
was  developed,  and  in  consequence  large  tracts  of  land,  including 
the  northern  part  of  the  town  and  the  site  of  the  present  "works," 
were  purchased  b)'  the  New  Jersey  Iron  Company.  This  com- 
pany immediately  began  the  construction  of  extensi\-e  iron  works. 
It  was  the  building  of  these  works  which  attracted  immigration 
toward  this  section.  If  we  are  to  judge  of  primitive  Boonton  from 
some  of  her  undeveloped  parts  at  the  present  time,  we  cannot  but 
feel  a  sympathy  f(jr  the  jMoneer  settlers  who  hewed  out  their 
homes  upon  her  rough  hillsides. 

In  the  heat  of  summer  and  the  cold  blasts  of  winter  the  earlier 
Catholics  trudged  all  the  way  to  Madison,  then  called  Bottle  Hill, 
to  hear  Mass. 

The  parish  of  the  Rev.  Father  Senez  included  the  counties  of 
Morris,  Sussex,  and  Warren.  In  making  the  rounds  of  this  ex- 
tensive j^arish,  he  visited  Boonton  Falls  and  said  Mass  at  the 
house  of  John  Highland,  which  is  still  standing  on  Liberty  Street. 

The  Rev.  B.  J.  McOuaid  was  appointed  to  assist  Father  Senez 
at  Madison,  and  succeeded  him  after  his  departure  for  France. 
The  spiritual  wants  of  the  Catholics  of  earlier  times  were  looked 
after  by  Father  Ward  and  other  priests  who  said  Mass  at  the 
house  of  John  Long,  on  Brook  Street,  and  who  came  from  Pat- 
erson. 

The  first  contributors  for  a  fund  for  the  church  were  Barthol- 
omew Hart,  Thomas  Logan,  John  Fanning,  John  Highland,  and 
Bartholomew  Russell.  Thomas  Logan  is  still  an  old  and  faithful 
member  of  the  church. 

It  is  stated  on  good  authority  that  the  first  money  was  sub- 
scribed in  1846;  that  ground  was  broken  in  April  of  the  following- 
year;  that  the  little  church  was  completed  and  dedicated  on  the 
15th  of  August,  1847.  The  ground  upon  which  the  church  was 
built  was  donated  by  the  New  Jersey  Iron  Company,  and  though 
the  deed  was  not  passed  until  August,  1848,  it  is  probable  that, 
as  the  consideration  was  only  nominal,  the  consent  of  the  company 
to  begin  operations  before  that  date  was  obtained.  On  March 
lOth,  1849,  on  the  occasion  of  the  dedication  of  the  Church  of  the 
Assumption,  at  Morristown,  a  letter  was  written  to  the  editor  of 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


191 


The  Freeman's  Journal,  of  New  York,  describing  the  same,  in 
which  it  is  stated  positively  that  a  church  was  built  at  Boonton 
Falls  in  1847. 

The  church  was  blessed  by  Rev.  John  Callan,  who  was  sta- 
tioned at  Dover.  At  the  hrst  Mass,  which  was  celebrated  by 
Father  (^allan,  there  were  fifteen  persons  present.  The  church 
was  built  b\-  Henry  Tuttle  for  the  sum  of  ^350. 

The  first  church  stood  where  the  rectory  now  stands,  and  the 
plot  of  ground  was  used  as  a  burying-ground  until  1858,  when  the 
new  plot  was  purchased  on  Green  Street,  above  Wooten  Street, 
and  the  bodies  were  removed  and  interred  in  the  new  ground.     In 


ST.  MAKV  S    CHUKC  H,  liOOXTOX. 


1867  the  New  Jersey  Iron  Comi)any  donated  a  small  plot  adjoin- 
ing the  former  one,  which  has  since  been  enclosed. 

The  population  of  Boonton  had  increased  from  300  in  1830  to 
2,000  in  i860.  On  the  arrival  of  Father  Castet  he  found  that  the 
little  church  was  inadequate  for  the  needs  of  the  growing  parish. 
He  immediately  urged  the  building  of  a  new  church,  and  the 
handsome  stone  structure,  with  some  additions  and  improvements, 
is  the  result.  The  parishioners  with  willing  hands  dug  out  the 
earth  for  the  foundation,  and  in  October,  i860,  the  corner-stone 
was  laid  by  Rt.  Rev.  James  Roosevelt  Bayley.  It  is  estimated 
that  the  church  cost  about  $12,000.  The  rectory  was  built  three 
years  after  the  church  was  finished,  and  its  cost  was  much  more 
in  proportion  than  the  church,  on  account  of  the  increase  of 
wages. 

Father  Castet  did  everything  for  the  Catholics  of  Boonton,  and 


192 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


in  return  did  not  receive  that  grateful  recognition  to  which  he 
was  entitled.  Bishop  McQuaid  says  there  was  no  parish  in  the 
diocese  where  the  services  were  more  regular  and  more  beautiful. 
He  returned  to  France,  where  he  died  about  1898.  His  successor 
was  the  Rev.  Louis  Gambosville,  born  at  Charenton,  Fnrace,  Oc- 
tober 14th,  1829.  His  theological  studies  were  made  in  Orleans, 
where  he  was  ordained  priest  June  7th,  1852.  He  had  been 
a  member  of  the  Society  of  Mercy,  and  for  a  short  time  he  was 
an  assistant  of  St.  Stephen's,  New  York.  He  was  then  affiliated 
to  the  Newark  diocese,  and  appointed  pastor  of  Boonton  in  1 867, 

and  rector  of  St.  John's,  New- 
ark, October,  1878.  He  died 
December  29th,  1891,  a  most 
edifying  death. 

The  first  parochial  school 
was  opened  in  the  basement 
of  the  church  by  Father 
Castet  and  was  maintained 
by  his  successors  until  1876. 
Fatlier  Castet  also  visited 
Hibernia,  to  which  place  the 
first  little  church  was  moved, 
and  attended  to  the  spiritual 
wants  of  the  parishioners.  He 
also  visited  Macopin  about 
once  a  month.  Father  Gam- 
bosville maintained  the  school 
and  instructed  the  scholars 
personally.  The  Rev.  John 
A.  O' Grady  came  to  Boon- 
ton  to  take  the  place  vacated  by  Father  Gambosville  on  November 
20th,  1878. 

It  was  indeed  a  gloomy  prospect  for  Father  O' Grady.  The 
parish  had  now  dwindled  to  60  men,  66  women,  and  130  children. 
The  parish  of  Hibernia  was  still  connected  with  Boonton.  Father 
O'Grady  had  the  church  at  Hibernia  remodelled  and  had  stained- 
glass  windows  placed  in  the  same.  He  was  appointed  pastor  to 
New  Brunswick  in  May,  1891.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
P.  F.  Downes,  who  remained  in  Boonton  till  1884,  when  he  went 
to  Paterson  to  establish  a  parish.  Father  Downes  purchased  a 
lot  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Birch  and  Oak  streets,  and  erected 
the  building  that  was  afterward  raised  by  Rev.  J.  P.  Poels,  and 


REV.  JOHN  J.  TIGHE. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  193 

made  the  second  story  of  the  i)i'esent  school  building.  When 
Father  Poels  came  to  Boonton  in  June,  1884,  he  was  enabled,  by 
the  condition  of  the  times  and  the  good  will  and  generosity  of  the 
people,  to  begin  an  era  of  improvement.  In  1886  he  purchased 
the  lot  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Oak  and  Birch  streets,  upon 
which  he  built  the  Sisters'  residence.  It  was  opened  for  occu- 
pancy on  September  i,  1887.  Father  Poels  was  appointed  pastor 
of  St.  John's  Church,  Newark,  February  25th,  1892.  The  new 
rector  was  the  Rev.  John  J.  Tighe,  of  St.  Mary's,  Hoboken. 
Father  Tighe,  like  his  predecessors,  came  to  Boonton  as  a  hum- 
ble and  obedient  servant  of  God,  to  perform  the  duties  of  his 
priestly  mission.  Time  will  not  efface  from  the  people's  mind 
the  memory  of  this  genial  and  learned  priest. 

The  present  rector,  the  Rev.  Conrad  Schotthoefer,  D.D.,  was 
appointed  to  Boonton  parish  May  ist,  1895.  Father  Schotthoefer, 
born  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  October  29th,  1859,  studied  classics 
with  the  Franciscan  Fathers  in  Syracuse  and  Trenton,  and  the- 
ology in  the  College,  Brignole-Sale,  Genoa,  Italy,  where  he  was 
raised  to  the  priesthood  September  i8th,  1886.  He  was  an 
assistant  at  St.  John's,  Newark,  and  labored  with  much  fruit 
among  the  increasing  number  of  Italians.  August  ist,  1887,  he 
was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Philip  Neri's  (Italian)  Church,  and 
founded  the  congregations  of  Our  Lady  of  Mount  Carmel  and 
St.  Lucy,  and  built  the  church  for  the  latter  flock. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Dover,  N.  J. 

The  frame  building  erected  by  Father  "  Dominic,"  as  Father 
Senez  was  called,  gave  way  to  a  stone  building,  commenced  by  the 
Rev.  Pierce  McCarthy,  which  was  dedicated  in  1873.  School  was 
inaugurated  in  the  basement  of  the  frame  church  by  Father  Callan 
in  1866.  A  new  frame  school-house  was  built  in  1868  by  Father 
Ouinn.  The  school  was  discontinued  in  1870,  but  was  taken  up 
again  in  1881,  after  Father  Hanley  had  built  a  frame  house  for  the 
Sisters.  The  small  frame  school-house  was  supplanted  in  1889 
by  a  substantial  brick  building  erected  by  the  Rev.  G.  Funke,  at  a 
cost  of  about  ^18,000.  The  rectory,  a  frame  structure,  was  built 
by  Rev.  B.  Ouinn  in  1868,  and  in  its  place  the  present  rectory 
was  built  by  Rev.  G.  P"unke  in  1899,  at  a  cost  of  ^14,000.  The 
old  cemetery  laid  out  by  Rev.  L.  Senez  in  1846  becoming  too 
small,  a  new  one  was  purchased  by  the  Rev.  P.  McCarthy  in  1874, 
to  which  an  addition  was  made  in  1903  by  the  Rev.  G.  Funke. 
13 


194  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

About  1844  Father  Senez  attended  Dover  from  Madison. 
The  Rev.  B.  J.  McQuaid  often  went  from  Madison  to  say  Mass. 
Father  Senez,  after  building  the  church,  left  in  1846  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  S.  Ward.  In  1847  Father  John  Callan  was  made 
pastor  and  remained  until  1867;  he  also  attended  Rockaway, 
Mount  Hope,  and  Stanhope.  His  successor  was  the  Rev.  B. 
Ouinn  until  1869,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev,  P.  Byrne,  who 
visited  the  parish,  alternating  with  Rev.  P.  Fitzsimmons  until 
November,  1870. 

Then  Rev.  P.  McCarthy,  a  professor  in  Seton  Hall,  was  made 
rector,  who  was  transferred  to  East  Newark  in  November,  1878, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  James  Hanley,  who  had  been  pastor 
in  Mount  Hope. 

Father  Hanley  assuming  charge  of  St.  Bridget's,  Jersey  City, 
in  January,  1883,  the  Rev.  John  A.  Sheppard,  then  assistant  at 
the  Cathedral,  became  pastor  and  remained  till  August,  1884,  to 
be  succeeded  by  Rev.  Nicholas  Hens,  who  remained  only  eleven 
months,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  present  rector.  Rev.  G.  Funke, 
August  ist,  1885,  who  had  been  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  Church, 
Carlstadt,  N.  J.,  for  eight  years. 

Father  Funke,  born  at  Cappenberg  in  1848,  made  his  theologi- 
cal studies  at  the  American  College,  Miinster,  where  he  was  or- 
dained May  30th,  1874.  He  served  as  an  assistant  in  St.  Mary's, 
Elizabeth,  St.  John's,  Newark,  and  St.  Pius',  East  Newark. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Gloucester,  N.  J. 

Previous  to  the  year  1848  Catholics  of  this  vicinity  attended 
Mass  in  Philadelphia,  and  were  considered  members  of  the  Cathe- 
■  dral  parish  in  that  city. 

The  idea  of  making  Gloucester  a  separate  parish  took  definite 
shape  in  1848,  when  a  petition  was  presented  to  Bishop  Kenrick, 
who  ruled  the  diocese  at  that  time,  and  as  a  result  the  Rev.  E.  Q. 
S.  Waldron  was  appointed.  Mass  was  first  said  in  a  private 
house,  but  the  accommodations  soon  proved  too  small  for  the 
growing  congregation.  The  superintendent  of  the  school  hall, 
though  a  non-Catholic,  gave  the  use  of  the  hall  to  Father  Wal- 
dron, who  for  a  time  said  Mass  there  every  Sunday.  Bigotry  and 
ignorance  soon  deprived  the  little  flock  of  this  privilege.  One 
Sunday  morning  the  hall  was  rendered  loathsome  and  unfit  for 
services  by  a  society  of  bigots  who  held  a  meeting  there  the  Sat- 
urday evening  previous,  and  who,  to  show  their  contempt  for  all 


IN    NEW    JKRSKY 


195 


things  Catholic,  scattered  around  the  hall  dirt  and  filth  of  every 
description.     The  school  hall  was  abandoned. 

In    1849  a  generous  and  large-hearted   Protestant  gentleman 
named   Mr.  Robb  donated  the  ground  for  a  church.     Pastor  and 
people  immediately  made  every  effort  to  erect  a  suitable  edifice, 
their  exertions  meeting  with 
great    opposition.     The  first 
and     second     corner  -  stones 
were   stolen,  but  a  third,  laid 
by  Father  Matthew,  the  great 
apostle   of   temperance,    was 
buried    ten    feet    under    the 
earth.     The  church  was  built 
of  limestone  on  the   site  of 
the  present  parochial  school, 
and  had  a  seating  capacity  of 
400. 

Catholics  labored  earnest- 
ly indeed  for  the  honor  of 
God  in  these  early  years  of 
Gloucester's  history  Tradi- 
tion tells  us  that  non-Cath- 
olics were  surprised  and 
wondered  at  the  stupendous 
work  assumed  by  Catholics. 
Father  Waldron  ministered 
to  the  Catholics  of  Gloucester 
until  May,  1 849,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Jer- 
emiah Donoghue,  who  con- 
tinued his  ministrations  until 
September,  1850.  Father  H. 
B.    Finnegan     attended    the 

parish  from  1850  to  1851,  when  the  Rev.  J.  N.  Hannigan  was 
appointed  resident  pastor.  He  remained  until  1858.  He 
died  in  the  West,  but  his  remains  lie  in  St.  Mary's  Cemetery. 
Father  Hannigan  was  succeeded  by  Father  James  Daly. 
During  Father  Daly's  administration  a  brick  school  was  erected 
and  two  classes  were  formed,  with  Miss  Annie  Whittington  as 
teacher. 

In   1869  Rev.  W.  J.  Wiseman  was  appointed  pastor  and  re- 
mained until  1873.     Dr.  Wiseman  had  a  new  school  built,  and  the 


ST.  MAKV  S   CHURCH,  GLOUCESTER. 


196  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

old  brick  church  was  occupied  by  the  Sisters  of  St.  Dominic,  who 
were  introduced  into  the  parish.  The  ground  whereon  these 
buildings  stood  was  low  and  marshy.  The  brick  building  proved 
an  unwholesome  habitation.  Three  Sisters  died  in  it  from  the 
dampness  of  the  structure.  In  1873  Rev.  Egbert  Kars  was  ap- 
pointed pastor.  With  characteristic  generosity  he  gave  up  the 
rectory  to  the  Sisters  and  went  to  live  in  the  old  brick  building, 
which  served  as  his  parochial  residence  up  to  his  death,  in  the 
spring  of  1886.  He  was  a  good  and  pious  priest  and  his  memory 
rests  over  Gloucester  as  a  benediction.  In  the  prime  of  manhood 
he  was  called  to  his  reward.  The  Rev.  Thomas  J.  McCormack 
was  appointed  his  successor.  There  was  great  work  to  be  done 
in  the  parish,  as  the  number  of  Catholics  increased  with  the 
growth  of  the  town.  The  happy  and  laborious  task  of  putting 
Catholicity  on  a  broader  field  fell  to  the  lot  of  Father  McCormack, 
who  proved  himself  equal  to  the  work,  as  the  results  of  his  labors 
and  zeal  amply  testify.  In  the  autumn  of  1886  he  secured  twelve 
lots,  bounded  by  Somerset,  Atlantic,  and  Monmouth  streets. 
The  last  mentioned  is  the  principal  residential  centre  of  Gloucester. 
The  present  substantial  parochial  residence  was  built  at  the  cost 
of  $14,000.  In  the  beginning  of  March,  1888,  Father  McCor- 
mack moved  into  the  new  rectory.  The  lots  and  rectory  were 
paid  for,  a  few  old  debts  were  wiped  out,  and  immediately,  March 
24th,  1888,  ground  was  broken  for  the  new  church.  On  July 
15th  Bishop  O'Farrell,  of  happy  memory,  laid  the  corner-stone. 
The  church  was  brought  to  completion  without  delay,  and  dedi- 
cated on  November  24th,  1889.  The  cost  of  the  structure  was 
$65,000.  In  the  spring  of  1893  the  last  dollar  of  debt  on  St. 
Mary's  property  was  paid. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  churches  in 
New  Jersey,  is  built  of  hard  sandstone  of  a  bluish-gray  color. 
The  stone  trimmings  are  tool-dressed  and  the  front  has  a  fine 
stone  gable  cross.  The  style  of  architecture  is  the  early  deco- 
rated Gothic,  with  French  feeling  in  the  treatment  of  all  the  de- 
tails. The  church  is  140  feet  in  length  by  70  feet  in  width;  add- 
ing to  the  beauty  of  a  magnificent  structure  is  a  tower  and  spire, 
together  160  feet  in  height.  Sweet-toned  chimes  in  the  tower 
announce  the  hours  of  services,  and  on  Sundays  and  festivals  the 
dulcet  cadences  of  favorite  anthems  are  musically  pealed  forth  by 
the  harmonious  bells. 

With  the  church  complete  and  clear  of  debt,  Father  McCor- 
mack next   turned  his  attention  to  the  school.     He  had  the  old 


IN    NEW    JKRSEY  197 

church  and  school  torn  down,  and  erected  the  handsome  school 
at  the  corner  of  Cumberland  and  Sussex  streets.  It  is  built 
three  stories  high,  of  brown  stone  and  brick,  surmounted  by 
a  belfry  in  which  is  the  bell  of  old  St.  Mary's  Church.  Besides 
having  man}^  large  class-rooms,  the  building  has  a  fine  enter- 
tainment hall  that  will  seat  900  persons.  The  corner-stone  of 
the  new  school  was  laid  by  Bishop  O'Farrell  July  3d,  1893.  The 
school  was  dedicated  September  30th,  1895,  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
James  A.  McFaul. 

Father  McCormack  worked  zealously  and  well,  and  his  name 
will  ever  be  associated  with  St.  Mary's  parish,  which  he  made  one 
of  the  best  equipped  in  the  State.  He  was  born  in  New  York 
City,  October  26th,  1852,  and  died  on  the  field  of  his  labors  in  the 
midst  of  the  flock  he  loved,  July  30th,  1898. 

The  next  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  was  the  Rev.  Peter  L.  Connolly, 
who  administered  to  the  parish  for  three  years.  His  short  admin- 
istration in  St.  Mary's  parish  closed  the  career  of  this  zealous  and 
venerable  priest.  He  died  after  a  short  illness  September  29th, 
1901. 

The  Rev.  Charles  G.  Giese  was  appointed  October  2d,  1901,  to 
take  up  the  work  laid  down  b)-  the  late  Father  Connolly.  For 
upward  of  twenty -one  years  the  present  pastor  labored  in  Mill- 
ville,  and  with  such  marked  success  that  the  people  grudgingly 
gave  consent  to  his  removal  by  Rt.  Rev.  James  A.  McFaul  to  the 
larger  and  wider  field  of  Gloucester  City.  His  coming  was 
greeted  with  as  affectionate  a  welcome  by  the  parishioners  of  St. 
Mary's  as  his  departure  from  Millville  was  sad. 

St.  Patrick's  Pro-Cathedral,  Newark. 

Begun  by  the  venerable  Father  Moran,  finished  by  Father 
Senez,  and  consecrated  during  the  pastorate  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Mon- 
signor  Doane,  St.  Patrick's  is  embalmed  in  the  sweetest  and 
holiest  as  well  as  the  saddest  memories  of  the  past. 

Former  Senator  Smith,  at  the  banquet  given  by  Bishop 
O'Connor  to  the  laymen  of  the  diocese  who  had  contributed  to 
the  Special  Jubilee  Cathedral  Fund,  November  4th,  1903,  respond- 
ing to  the  toast,  "Old  Cathedral  Charms,"  said:  "St.  Patrick's 
was  built  because  some  members  of  old  St.  John's,  in  Mulberry 
Street,  objected  to  the  enlargement  of  that  edifice,  and  urged  the 
erection  of  a  new  chvu'ch  in  the  centre  of  the  city.  Then  Father 
Moran,  called  'the   F'ather  of  Catholicity  in   Newark,'  with  the 


198 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


authority  of  Bishop  Hughes,  succeeded,  in  spite  of  the  prejudice 
against  the  Cathohc  Church,  in  buying  the  land  which  St.  Pat- 
rick's now  occupies.  Therefore,  in  any  reference  to  the  old  cathe- 
dral, Father  Moran  should  get  credit,  for  he  drew  the  plans  for 
St.  Patrick's,  the  second  Catholic  church  in  Newark,  and  he  laid 
the  foundations  of  the  building  [and  carried  it  on  to  the  clere- 
story.— Authoi-].  He  had  trials  in  prosecuting  the  work,  but  with 
the  aid  of  Father  Louis  Dominic  Senez,  who  became  the  first  pas- 
tor, the  church  was  completed  in  1850.  The  work,  begun  in 
1846,  was  delayed  a  year  by  the  builder  running  away.  Arch- 
bishop Hughes,  the  great  pre- 
late and  statesman,  laid  the 
corner-stone  and  officiated  at 
the  dedication.  .  .  .  The  par- 
ish first  extended  from  Belle- 
ville to  the  south  end  of  the 
city,  and  west  to  Orange,  with 
the  exception  of  St.  Mary's 
(jcrman  church  parish.     Har- 


RT.  REV.  MONSIGNOR  (i.   H.  DOANE,  P. A. 


rison  was  also  in  St.  Patrick's 
l)arish.  The  streets  and  roads 
were  not  paved,  and  in  wet 
weather  the  priests  had  to 
wade  through  mud,  and  they 
had  to  do  a  great  deal  of  walk- 
ing in  those  days." 

What  scenes  has  the  old 
cathedral  witnessed !  What 
voices  have  resounded  through 
its  arches!  Here  was  the  first  bishop  of  the  diocese  installed 
and  from  its  portals,  on  a  bleak  October  morning,  was  his  body 
borne  to  his  distant  archiepiscopal  see,  to  be  afterward  laid  be- 
side the  remains  of  his  sainted  aunt.  Mother  Seton,  in  the 
humble  God's-acre  of  Mount  St.  Mary's.  Here  were  his  three 
successors  consecrated  to  the  episcopal  office  with  all  the  rev- 
erent pomp  and  solemnity  of  the  Roman  ritual.  Here  lay  the 
body  of  Bishop  Wigger,  and  after  the  solemn  requiem  had 
been  chanted  over  his  remains,  through  slush  and  sleet,  ac- 
companied by  thousands,  the  third  bishop  was  laid  awa)^  in  the 
Cemetery  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  Here  a  glorious  comjiany  of 
young  Levites,  the  children  of  the  parish,  raised  to  the  sublime 
dignity  of  the  priesthood,  have  celebrated  their  first  Mass,  and 


IN    NKW    JERSEY 


199 


r. 


ST.  i'ATRICK'S    PRO-CATHEDRAL. 


200  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

crowds  thronged  the  altar  rails  to  kiss  their  consecrated  hands. 
Here  Father  Anthony,  the  emaciated,  ascetic  son  of  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross,  like  another  John  the  Baptist,  terrified  the  sinner  and 
in  thundering  tones  warned  him  of  his  eternal  doom  if  he  neglected 


SCENE    ]H'KIX(.    COXSECRATIOX  OF    I'.ISIIol'    o  (OXXOK   IX  ST.  PATRICK  S 
I'RO-CATHEDKAL. 

to  turn  from  the  error  of  his  ways.  Here  the  great  Smarius 
alternately  swayed  his  audience  to  tears  and  laughter.  Here  the 
great  Father  "Tom  "  Burke  electrified  his  hearers  by  that  match- 
less eloquence,  which  has  never  been  svu'passed  and  will  hardly 
be  equalled  in  our  day,  and  which  captivated  and  enthralled  the 
thousands  whose  privilege  it  was  to  listen  to  this  gifted  son  of  St. 
Dominic.  Hither  came  the  \er)'  flower  of  pulpit  eloquence,  the 
standard-bearers  of  the  faith,  the  McOuaids,  the  Heckers,  the 
Hewitts,  the  Spaldings,  the  Lynches — each  in  his  day  a  master  of 
the  divine  gift,  each  powerful  in  word  and  work.  Here  have  min- 
istered almost  threescore  of  pastors  and  assistants,  of  whom 
Senator  Smith,  in  the  above-mentioned  speech,  said:  "Within  the 
walls  of  old  St.  Patrick's  labored  men  whose  li\-es  were  conse- 
crated to  the  service  of  God,  from  Moran  to  Doane,  every  one  of 
whom  gained  an  honorable  place  in  the  hierarchy  of  the  Church. 
Bishop  Corrigan  was  not  a  member  of  the  cathedral  parish,  but 
the  people  claimed  him,  for  at  one  time  a  majority  of  the  Catho- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


aoi 


lies  of  Newark  were  in  the  parish.  He  liked  the  okl  cathedral. 
Bishop  Wig-o-er  was  not  a  Newarker,  but  he  received  his  training 
in  church  work  as  a  curate  under  Monsignor  Doane  at  the  okl 
cathedral,  where  among  si.xty  other  curates  Bishop  James  A. 
McFaul,  of  Trenton,  Monsignors  Sheppard  and  O'Grady,  Dean 
Flynn,  and  others  were  trained.  From  the  children  of  this  ven- 
erable parish  were  sent  many  priests,  who  went  to  other  fields  of 
labor  and  erected  churches  for  the  people  to  worship  in,  and 
schools  in  which  their  children  are  given  a  good  religious  and 
secular  education,  fitting  them  to  be  good  citizens.  Many  young 
women  of  the  old  parish  ha\'e  joined  religious  orders  and  conse- 
crated their  lives  to  the  education  of  the  young,  the  care  of  the 
orphans,  the  sick,  and  the  aged.  And,  finally,  from  those  who 
labored  within  this  sanctuary  have  sprung  institutions  of  learn- 


THE   DIOCESAN    GOLDEN    JUBILEE,    NOVEMBER    3d.    1903. 


ing  second  to  none,  institutions  for  the  physical  and  religious 
welfare  of  those  who  are  bereft  of  home  and  parents,  and  for  the 
treatment  of  the  afflicted." 

In  September,    1853,   came    the   news   that    the    Rev.    James 
Roosevelt    Bayley,   the   secretary   of    Archbishop    Hughes,   was 


■202 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


appointed  first  Bishop  of  Newark,  embracing  the  whole  State  of 
New  Jersey.  Father  Senez  hastened  to  New  York  and  placed 
his  resignation  of  the  pastoral  charge  of  St.  Patrick's  in  the  hands 
of  the  bishop-elect.  In  vain  were  argument  and  cajoling  used  to 
induce  him  to  remain,  and  hax'ing  been  asked  who  was  qualified 


(Coiiyrifiht  I9II'2,  l.y  Smitli-rur 
RIGHT    REV.    BERNARD    M'QUAID,    BISHOP    OF   ROCHESTER. 


among  the  priests  of  the  new  diocese  to  take  his  place,  Father 
Senez  without  hesitation  named  Father  McOuaid,  then  in  Madison. 
Bishop-elect  Bayley  wrote  at  once  to  Father  McOuaid  to  report 
at  the  cathedral  the  following  Sunday.  But  the  pastor  of  Madi- 
son found  this  impossible,  as  he  had  made  arrangements  with  con- 
tractors to  begin   the  church  in  Mendham,  and,  furthermore,  he 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  203 

claimed  at  least  a  week's  delay  to  arrange  matters  in  Madison. 
This  request  was  granted,  and  on  Sunday,  September  25th,  the 
new  pastor  made  his  first  appearance  before  his  new  charge. 

It  was  not  easy  to  supplant  Father  Senez  in  the  affection  of 
his  flock,  since  this  good  priest  exercised  a  strong — some  would 
call  it  a  hypnotic — influence  over  all  those  with  whom  he  came  in 
touch,  and  to  this  day  the  remnants  of  the  old  pioneers  still  speak 
of  him  with  love  and  veneration.  When  he  first  visited  his  new 
mission,  Father  McOuaid  was  dissatisfied  with  the  conditions  he 
found  in  the  orphanage  in  the  rear  of  the  church. 

Father  Senez  had  installed  some  good  women  of  the  parish  as 
matrons  of  the  little  ones,  and  while  they  did  the  best  they  could, 
still  there  was  abundant  room  for  improvement.  On  a  visit  to 
Bishop  Bayley,  Father  McQuaid  made  known  to  him  the  actual 
state  of  affairs  and  the  shortcomings  in  the  asylum,  and  suggested 
that  he  ask  the  Sisters  of  Charity  to  take  charge.  The  request 
having  been  put  to  Mother  Angela,  Sister  Philippine  and  her  little 
band  were  assigned  to  the  mission  and  took  charge  of  the  orphans, 
October  i8th,  1853,  and  were  thus  the  first  religious  women  to 
inaugurate  in  the  diocese  of  Newark  the  work  of  charity  which, 
during  the  last  fifty  years,  has  so  flourished  and  extended.  Before 
his  departure  Father  Senez  had  built  St.  Mary's  Hall  on  High 
Street,  the  site  of  the  present  Women's  Hospital  connected  with 
St.  Michael's,  for  school  purposes,  and  where  Mass  was  offered 
for  the  children  on  Sundays.  This  was  old  St.  Patrick's  school 
for  boys,  as  the  girls  were  taught  in  the  old  asylum  on  Central 
Avenue,  then  Nesbitt  Street.  Father  McOuaid  built  the  chapel 
and  sacristy,  and  purchased  the  present  priest's  home  on  Bleecker 
Street,  which  he  enlarged  for  the  accommodation  of  the  bishop 
and  the  clergy.  Monsignor  Doane  further  added  to  it  in  later 
years. 

Of  Father  McOuaid  the  registrar  of  the  clergy  records  "  that 
he  was  born  in  New  York  City,  made  his  preparatory  studies  in 
Chambly,  Canada,  his  theological  studies  in  St.  Joseph's  Seminary, 
Fordham,  and  was  ordained,  January  i6th,  1848,  the  feast  of  the 
Holy  Name  of  Jesus,  by  Bishop  Hughes;  consecrated  first  bishop 
of  Rochester  by  Archbishop  McCloskey,  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 
dral, New  York,  July  12th,  1868;  nominated  previously  for  Cin- 
cinnati, etc.  Appointed  pastor  of  Madison,  Dover,  Morristown, 
Mendham,  etc.,  etc.  His  mission  extended  all  through  Morris 
County,  and  he  used  to  make  his  ministrations  extend  also  to 
Warren  County,  then  in  the  diocese  of  Philadelphia.     He  opened 


204  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

the  first  continuous  Catholic  school  in  New  Jersey,  that  is,  the 
first  which  has  never  since  been  closed ;  taught  in  it  himself,  to 
start  it,  for  six  months.  He  built  the  church  of  the  Assumption, 
Morristown,  St.  Rose's  Church,  Springfield,  now  removed  to 
Short  Hills.  Pastor  of  the  cathedral,  vicar-general  after  Father 
Moran's  death,  and  the  right  arm  of  the  bishop  for  many  years. 
He  built  and  rebuilt  Seton  Hall.  College ;  introduced  the  Sisters 
of  Charity,  and  was  foremost  in  promoting  all  diocesan  works." 

What  he  did  for  St.  Patrick's  is  not  yet  forgotten.  His  Ros- 
ary Society  was  so  numerous  that  meetings  had  to  be  held  on  two 
successive  Sundays.  He  built  the  Young  Men's  Institute  on 
New  Street,  and  was  the  father  of  the  Young  Men's  Catholic 
Association,  which  to-day  numbers  thousands  in  its  ranks.  In 
parochial  work,  in  the  confessional,  in  the  pulpit  he  never  spared 
himself.  When  in  the  seminary  his  fellow-seminarists — big, 
burly,  healthy  sons  of  Erin — would  look  down  with  contempt  on 
his  thin,  emaciated  frame,  and  say,  loud  enough  for  him  to  hear, 
"They'll  never  make  priests  of  such  scrawny  Yanks."  But,  as 
he  to-day  says,  bowed  under  the  weight  of  years,  but  laboring 
still  with  the  same  tireless  activity,  "  I  have  downed  them  all." 
It  is  true.  Of  all  those  who  assisted  at  the  consecration  and 
installation  of  Bishop  Bayley,  he  is  the  only  one  left — the  last  of 
the  Old  Guard.  Zealous  as  a  churchman,  P'ather  McOuaid  was 
no  less  ardent  as  a  patriot.  Learning  on  a  Saturday  evening  of 
the  attack  on  P'ort  Sumter — the  clarion  which  sounded  the  open- 
ing of  the  internecine  struggle  between  the  North  and  the  South 
— on  Sunday  morning  in  eloquent  and  pathetic  words  he  told  his 
flock  what  was  their  duty,  and  pleaded  with  them  to  be  loyal  to 
the  old  flag. 

Of  all  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Leather  McOuaid  was  first 
and  alone  that  memorable  Sunday  morning  to  rally  his  flock  to 
the  defence  of  the  Union. 

In  the  following  week  he  was  the  only  clergyman  invited  to 
address  the  public  meeting  assembled  at  the  Court  House  to 
voice  the  patriotic  sentiments  of  the  citizens  of  Newark — a  com- 
plimentary recognition  of  his  patriotic  action.  And  to  the  front 
he  went  as  chaplain  of  the  New  Jersey  Brigade,  and  mingled 
with  the  wounded  and  dying  on  the  battle-field,  amid  the  storm 
of  shot  and  shell,  until  captured  by  the  Confederates. 

From  the  dawn  of  his  priestly  life  to  the  golden  autumn  of  his 
fruitful  episcopal  career  Bishop  McOuaid  has  ever  been  the  con- 
sistent, unswerving  champion  of  Christian  education.     With  him 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  205 

this  has  never  been  an  academic  question.  To  emphasize  its  im- 
portance, in  addition  to  his  other  manifold  and  pressing  duties  he 
assumes  the  role  of  teacher,  and  for  six  months  he  performs  the 
drudgery,  but  cheerfully,  uncomplainingly,  because  he  is  convinced 
of  its  necessity.  His  motto  has  ever  been,  Upward  and  onward ; 
and  it  is  safe  to  say  that,  in  the  thoroughness  of  the  training  of  its 
priests  and  teaching  sisters,  in  the  rounded,  solid  education  of 
its  children,  the  diocese  of  Rochester  is  peerless  among  all. 
Bishop  McOuaid's  monument  is  St.  Bernard's  Seminary.  In 
mediaeval  days  the  great  churchmen  were  William  of  Wykeham, 
Wolsey,  and  Richelieu,  to  whom  Cambridge,  Oxford,  and  the 
Sorbonne  look  as  their  patrons  and  founders,  and  is  it  not  pardon- 
able to  link  to  these  names  that  of  the  Bishop  of  Rochester? 
Without  the  almost  boundless  resources  these  prelates  and  states- 
men enjoyed.  Bishop  McQuaid,  full  of  trust  in  God,  secure  by  his 
devotion  to  the  Holy  Souls,  has  gone  on  with  his  work  from  the 
humblest  beginnings,  while  those  nearest  to  him  in  confidence 
and  closest  to  him  in  sympathy  were  breathless  as  to  the  end  of  it 
all;  regardless  of  cruel  cynicism,  which  great  souls  with  noble 
projects  never  fail  to  call  forth,  this  venerable  bishop  may  point 
to-day  with  pardonable  pride  to  a  work  accomplished,  to  criti- 
cism silenced,  to  folly  imitated — the  safest  criterion  of  merit  and 
admiration. 

The  so-called  Maria  Monk  revelations,  and  the  animosities  ex- 
cited by  some  Italian  fugitives  from  justice,  who  accused  the  papal 
nuncio,  Mgr.  Cajetan  Bedini,  of  cruelties  when  acting  as  gov- 
ernor of  one  of  the  papal  states,  and  the  old  racial  hatred  of  the 
men  of  the  north  of  Ireland  toward  those  of  the  south,  culminated 
in  an  outburst  of  fanatical  fury,  as  cruel  as  it  was  unjust.  Some 
lodges  of  Orangemen  visited  Newark  September  5th,  1854, 
where  they  were  joined  by  kindred  organizations,  including  some 
German  Turners.  They  marched  through  the  street,  with  an 
open  Bible  at  the  head  of  the  procession,  to  the  picnic  grounds. 
In  the  afternoon,  heated  by  drink,  which  aroused  all  the  savage 
instincts  in  their  breasts,  they  marched  to  the  little  German  church 
on  High  and  William  streets,  and  immediately  began  to  attack  it. 
So  unsuspicious  of  danger  was  the  pastor,  that  at  the  very  mo- 
ment of  the  onslaught  he  was  dining  with  a  reverend  visitor,  who, 
hearing  the  tumult  and  rushing  to  the  window  and  beholding  the 
angry  mob,  jumped  out  of  a  window  and  escaped.  Father  Balleis 
hid  himself  under  a  bed,  but  his  housekeeper,  brave  of  heart  and 
indignant  at  the  sacrilege,  seized  a  broomstick  and,  brandishing 


2o6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

it  at  the  rioters,  defied  them.  They  sacked  the  church,  broke  the 
windows,  and  bent  the  pipes  of  the  organ,  but,  fortunately,  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  was  removed  by  the  fleeing  priest  on  his  way 
to  a  safer  shelter. 

Bishop  Bayley,  together  with  Father  McQuaid,  had  gone  early 
that  morning  to  accompany  Father  Harkins  of  Boston  on  a  visit 
to  Seton  Hall,  then  at  Madison.  Sister  Philippine,  at  that  time 
in  charge  of  the  orphan  asylum,  fearing  that  the  mob  would 
attack  the  orphanage,  led  her  little  ones  into  the  church.  There 
they  remained  during  the  rest  of  the  day  and  far  into  the  night  in 
prayer,  until,  reassured  by  the  return  of  their  pastor,  they  retired 
to  repose,  if  not  to  rest.  F'ather  McOuaid,  obeying  a  secret  in- 
stinct, returned  to  Newark  earlier  than  he  had  intended,  and  on 
his  arrival  learned  the  news  of  the  outrage. 

One  of  the  bystanders,  an  inoffensive  Catholic,  had  been  killed 
and  many  others  wounded,  which  wrought  the  Catholics  working 
in  the  neighborhood  into  a  great  state  of  excitement.  Fathers 
Moran  and  McOuaid  went  among  them  and  calmed  their  anger 
by  counselling  them  to  allow  the  authorities  to  pursue  the  mis- 
creants in  the  jM'oper  legal  way.  An  investigation  was,  indeed, 
made,  in  which  it  was  clearly  demonstrated  that  there  was  no 
provocation  on  the  part  of  the  Catholics,  and  the  blame  was  laid, 
where  it  belonged,  to  the  Orange  lodges.  More  than  one  of  these 
misguided  bigots  became  a  parable — to  use  a  good  old  Irish  and 
significant  expression — to  his  own  and  a  later  generation.  The 
acrimony  spread  to  the  more  pacific  non-Catholics  of  the  commu- 
nity, whose  hatred,  if  not  so  active,  was  still  as  deeply  rooted  and 
bitter.  The  children  on  the  way  from  the  first  Catholic  school 
in  Plane  Street,  and  their  elders  on  their  way  to  the  store  or  going 
home  from  work,  were  mocked  and  sneered  at.  The  newspapers 
caricatured  them;  they  were  attacked  and  vilified  in  the  pulpit. 
A  Rev.  Mr.  Prince  accused  Father  Moran  with  advising  the 
Catholics  of  St.  Mary's  against  taking  the  tracts  and  Bibles  which 
were  offered  them  by  the  Bible  Society.  Father  Moran  replied 
that  the  Germans  were  unable  to  read  English,  and  that  the  Bibles 
offered  them  differed  essentially  from  the  Rheims  Version. 
While  always  deprecating  controversy,  Father  Moran  never  shrank 
from  defending  his  faith  and  his  Church.  Anonymous  articles 
appeared  in  the  press,  to  which  the  good  priest  replied  with  the 
irresistible  force  of  one  having  truth  and  justice  on  his  side;  and, 
eventually,  one  of  the  writers,  no  less  a  personage  than  Chief 
Justice  Hornblower,  had  the  manliness  publicly  to  apologize  to 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


207 


Father  Moran  for  his  charges  against  the  Catholic  Church,  and 
ever  after  remained  the  firm  and  ardent  friend  of  the  priest. 

Under  all  this  provocation  the  Catholics,  obeying  fully  but 
reluctantly  the  advice  of  their  pastors,  remained  quiet,  curbing 
that  hot  Celtic  nature  under  the  stins;  that  hurt  most — the  insult 


MOST   REV.  MICHAEL    A.    CURKIGAN,   D.D. 
Second  Bishop  of  Newark. 


to  their  religion.  The  tempest  passed,  and,  while  its  trail  was 
long  visible,  still  it  bore  fruit  by  knitting  Catholics  more  closely 
together,  and,  blotting  out  national  prejudices,  made  both  the 
Germans  and  the  Irish  realize  to  the  full  that  their  common  glory 
and  shame  was  not  by  loyalty  to  fatherland,  but  fealty  to  the  one 
Church  of  whose  body  they  were  privileged  to  be  members.     The 


2o8  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

edelweiss  blossoms  and  thrives  in  the  snows  of  the  icy  summits 
of  the  Alps,  and  so  this  vine  of  Christian  faith  seems  never  to 
thrive  so  well  as  in  the  storm  and  fury  of  persecution.  Within  it 
is  a  divine  germ  which  no  human  power  can  destroy.  At  times 
it  seems  to  wither,  it  gives  every  sign  of  decay,  and  when  men 
prepare  to  sing  its  death-knell,  lo !  it  bursts  forth  again  in  all  the 
bounty  of  springtide  blossoming,  and  ready  again  to  bestow  its 
benisons  on  humanity.  One  evil  alone  it  has  to  fear — the  evil  of 
prosperity,  when  her  children  begin  to  gather  into  barns,  to  enjoy 
without  stint  and  without  gratitude,  God's  bounteous  blessings. 
When  her  children  have  forced  their  wa)'  to  the  little  band  of 
moneyed  barons,  political  and  professional  leaders,  then  they  for- 
get their  God  and  his  Church,  and  too  often  take  the  step  which 
leads  almost  inevitably  to  the  shipwreck  of  that  faith,  which  all 
the  cruelty  of  persecution,  poverty,  and  plague  was  powerless  to 
wrest  from  their  fathers — a  matrimonial  alliance  with  one  of  alien 
faith. 

Here  is  the  fruitful  cause  of  the  frightful  leakage  of  the  past. 

The  shock  which  had  almost  crushed  the  Catholics  was  to 
ricochet  in  some  measure  against  the  less  hostile  of  their  oppo- 
nents. One  Saturday  evening  after  confessions  in  St.  Patrick's, 
Mr.  Matthew  O'Brien,  the  sexton,  called  on  Father  McOuaid  to 
tell  him  that  a  young  man  had  walked  into  the  church  and  insisted 
on  seeing  Bishop  Bayley.  The  sexton  directed  him  to  go  to  the 
bishop's  house.  While  Fathers  McOuaid  and  Venuta  were  dis- 
cussing the  character  of  the  visitor  and  the  nature  of  the  errand 
the  night-bell  rang.  It  was  then  after  eleven.  At  the  suggestion 
of  Father  McOuaid,  Father  Venuta  answered  it.  He  found  a 
tall,  handsome  young  man,  who  excitedly  asked  for  the  bishop. 
He  was  told  that  as  it  was  already  late  it  would  be  difficult,  if  not 
out  of  the  question,  to  see  him.  He  so  persisted  that  finally 
Father  Venuta  went  to  Bishop  Bayley's  room  and  delivered  the 
young  man's  n^essage.  The  bishop  replied,  "Tell  him  I  can't  see 
him.     It  is  too  late,  and  let  him  call  again." 

But  undaunted  by  this  rebuff,  the  young  man  replied  that  he 
would  not  leave  the  house  until  he  saw  the  bishop. 

On  hearing  this  Bishop  Bayley  came  out  of  his  room  and  in- 
vited the  stranger  to  enter.  They  talked  far  into  the  night,  and 
George  Hobart  Doane  returned  to  Grace  Church  rectory  and  in- 
formed the  rector  that  he  could  take  no  part  in  the  services  that 
day.  He  paid  a  short  visit  to  his  father,  who  was  the  Episcopal 
Bishop  of  New  Jersey,  and  promised  him  to  wait  two  months— in 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  209 

Newport — before  taking  any  decisive  step.  In  that  fashionable 
watering-place  he  met  Mrs.  Peters  of  Cincinnati  and  other  devout 
Catholics,  who  instructed  and  confirmed  him  in  the  doctrines  of 
that  Church  of  whose  priesthood  he  has  been  these  many  decades 
of  years  its  glory  and  its  boast.  But  an  abler  pen,  of  one  long 
since  dead,  but  whose  heart  alwa}'s  throbbed  with  admiration  and 
veneration  for  the  pastor  of  his  childhood  and  the  guide  of  his 
riper  years — the  Rev.  Michael  J.  Holland,  late  pastor  of  St.  Co- 
lumba's,  Newark — will  continue  this  theme.     - 

Rt.  Rev.  Mgr.  G.  H.  Doane,  P.A. 

"To-day,"  wrote  Archbishop  Bayley,  on  September  22d,  1855, 
"I  baptized  George  Hobart  Doane,  son  of  the  Protestant  Episco- 
pal Bishop  of  New  Jersey."  Educated,  refined,  and  with  every 
natural  inducement  in  life  beckoning  him  forward,  this  young 
deacon  of  the  Episcopal  Church  abandoned  all  for'  Christ's  follow- 
ing. Newark  could  then  boast  of  but  a  few  simply  constructed 
Catholic  churches,  having  no  conveniences  apart  from  those  neces- 
sarily required.  The  Orphan  Asylum  and  Young  Men's  Insti- 
tute excepted,  it  possessed  iio  Catholic  institutions,  and  its  Cath- 
olic population,  with  but  a  few  exceptions,  were  working  men 
toiling  hard  for  their  daily  bread.  This  would  make  the  young 
man's  sacrifice  far  more  great.  However,  we  see  him  later  en- 
tering the  Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice,  in  Paris,  and  finally,  after 
a  visit  to  the  Seven  Hilled  City,  returning  to  Newark,  where 
he  was  ordained  priest  on  the  13th  of  September,  1857.  The  cer- 
emony was  performed  in  the  presence  of  a  crowded  congregation 
by  Archbishop  Bayley,  in  the  Newark  Cathedral.  Doctor  Ly- 
man, of  Baltimore,  a  former  convert  to  the  faith,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Neligan,  a  former  Episcopalian  minister  ;  Dr.  Ives,  once  Episco- 
pal Bishop  of  North  Carolina;  P^ather  Hewitt,  and  others  were 
present.  Archbishop  Bayley's  memoranda  thus  summarize  the 
event :  "  A  Protestant  minister  was  to-day  ordained  by  a  bishop 
who  was  formerly  a  Protestant  minister,  assisted  by  several  priests 
who  were  formerly  Protestant  ministers,  in  the  presence  of  a  lay- 
man who  was  fromerly  an  Episcopal  bishop."  The  Rev.  gentle- 
man became  the  private  secretary  of  Bishop  Bayley,  succeeded 
Father  McOuaid  as  pastor  of  the  Cathedral,  became  Chancellor  of 
the  Diocese,  and  Vicar-General  under  Bishop  Corrigan,  and  he  was 
honored  with  the  purple  by  Leo  XI 1 1.,  and  after  the  departure  of 
Archbishop  Corrigan  to  New  York,  was  appointed  the  administra- 
14 


210  rill,    CA'IIIOMC    CHURCH 

tor  of  the  J)ioccsc  of  Newark.  Moiisi^iior  Doane's  sinj^ularly 
marked  career,  apart  fioni  his  ministerial  al)iiity,  lias  heen  of  vast 
utility  to  our  gradual  ^lovvth  and  dexelopmeiit.  lie  obtained  a 
hearing  with  certain  classes  wheie  others  could  not,  and  if  he 
could  not  wholly  convince  them,  he  at  least  taught  many  how  to 
respect  the  Church.  At  the  very  outbreak  of  the  war  he  was  ap- 
pointed ch;iplain  to  the  New  Jersey  brigade  by  (iovernor  Olden, 
but  unable  to  withstand  the  hardships  of  the  field,  he  was  obliged 
to  resign  the  commission.  He  has,  ])erha])s,  been  the  ]M'incii)al 
motor  and  the  most  gratified  witness  of  the  origin  and  progress  of 
the  majority  of  Newark's  Catholic  institutions,  ("hurches,  hospi- 
tals, scliools,  orphanages,  and  academies  have  successively  sprung 
up  under  his  watchful  care.  Apart  from  all  else  St.  Michael's 
Hospital  is  a  practical  illustration  of  his  activity.  A  singular  in- 
cident in  connection  with  its  beginning  is  this  remarkable  fact: 
The  first  time  that  white  and  coloied  nicn  jjaradcd  together  the 
public  streets  of  the  United  States  was  at  the  laying  of  its  corner- 
stone. This  was  a  most  fitting  ])re]ude,  since  the  hos|Mtal  recog- 
nizes neither  cix-ed  nor  color.  It  lavishes  its  attentive  care  u])on 
every  unfortunate,  irrespective  of  color,  creed,  or  condition,  its 
good  sisters,  servants  of  the  afflicted,  are  bound  by  vows  of  pov- 
erty and  obedience  to  assist,  wait  upon,  and  sei've  even  the  most 
rej^ulsive  cases.  The  ])resent  capacity  of  the  hospital  is  280  beds, 
the  average  number  treated  during  the  year,  2,500,  and  of  out-door 
])atients,  from  (S,ooo  to  10,000. 

I  low  sacred  were  the  ties  rui)tured  by  the  conversion  of  Mon- 
signor  Doane,  how  prunful  the  wound  inflicted  by  the  step  his  con- 
science ])rompted  him  to  take,  in;iy  be  judged  by  what  follows: 

l)i()Ci<:sK  oi'"  Nhwakk. 

Sentence   of    Depositiiui  from  llie  Jllinisny  in   tlw   Case  of  Rev. 
(jeorge  I lobdii  J)oaiie,  A/./).,  Deacon. 

To  all,  everywhere,  who  are  in  communion  with   the  One   Holy 
Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church: 

Be  it  known  that  C^icoige  Ilobart  Doane,  M.I).,  deacon  of  this 
diocese,  having  declared  to  me  in  handwriting  his  renunciation  of 
the  ministry,  which  he  received  at  my  hands,  from  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  his  design  not  to  officiate  in  future  in  any  of  the  offices 
thereof,  intending  to  submit  himself  to  the  schismatical  Roman 
intrusion,  is  deposed  from  the  ministry,  and  I  hereby  pronounce 
and  declare  him  to  be  deiKvsed,  in  the  name  of  the  h'ather,  and  of 
the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  (ihost,  Amen. 


IN  Ni:w  jkksi:y  21 1 

Given  at  Riverside,  this  fifteenth  day  of  Se]>teml)er,  in  the 
year  of  Our  Lord  1855,  and  in  the  twenty-third  )earof  my  con- 
secration. 

G.  W.  DoANK,  D.U.,  LL.D., 

] lis  hop  of  N CIV  Jersey. 
In  presence  of  Milo  Mahan,  D.D.,  Presbyter,    / 
Marcus  J'".  Hyde,  A.M.,  Presbyter.  [ 

This  sentence  was  not  executed  until  the  provision  of  the 
canon  "where  the  party  has  acted  unadvisedly  and  hastily,"  which 
is  preeminently  the  jiresent  case,  had  been  offered,  urged,  and  re- 
fused. It  only  remains  for  me  humbly  to  ask  the  prayers  of  the 
faithful  in  Christ  Jesus,  that  my  errinj.^  child  may  be  brought  back 
to  the  way  of  truth  and  peace;  and  for  myself,  that  I  may  have 
grace  to  bear  and  do  the  holy  will  of  (iod. 

G.  W.  Do.X.NE. 

After  some  years  in  the  priesthood  ]'"ather  Doane  was  invited 
by  the  pastor  to  preach  in  the  Catholic  church  of  liurlington,  his 
home,  and  the  l'2piscopal  See  of  his  father.  Jiishop  Doane  re- 
marked to  his  man-of-all-work,  a  Catholic,  "Well,  J  see  the 
prodigal  is  coming  home.  Then  we  must  kill  the  fatted  calf."  lie 
sent  ornaments  from  his  home  and  flowers  from  his  garden  for 
the  adornment  of  the  altar,  and  in  the  evening  father  and  son 
were  reconciled. 

The  MelropoliUiH  of  March,  1854,  announces  the  results  of  a 
fair  held  by  the  ladies  in  aid  of  the  Orphan  Asylum,  \vhi(  h  netted 
$2,000.  The  same  paj^-r  has  a  notice  of  Lockwood's  picture  of 
the  Last  Judgment.  Mr.  Lockwood  was  a  convert  to  the  faith, 
and  during  nine  years  had  been  occupied  almost  exclusively  u|K)n 
this  |)icture,  which  contained  1,500  figures.  "  The  great  blemish  to 
it  is  a  figure  typifying  Liberty,  or  man  in  a  state  of  freedom,  re- 
ceived by  an  angel,  which  is  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  half-nude 
portrait  of  Washington."     What  has  become  of  it } 

This  leads  up  to  the  old  school,  which  was  lo(  ated  next  to  the 
cottage  of  the  Lockwoods',  in  the  rear  of  whose  lot  was  a  s])acious 
building  on  Orleans  Street,  said  to  contain  this  wondeiful  painting. 
As  one  looks  back  to  old  St.  I'atrick's  school,  with  its  crowded 
rooms  and  heterogeneous  mass  of  boys  of  every  condition,  from 
the  barefooted,  tow-headed  urchin  to  the  well-dressed,  well- 
groomed  son  of  a  comfortable  home,  under  the  tutorship  of  the 
memorable  and  worthy  l^ernard  Kearney,  Michael  K.  Kenny, 
"Tom  "  McGovern,  and  Miss  Esther  O'Grady,  when  the  fads  and 
appliances  of  modern  education  were  totally  absent  and  unknown, 


212  THt:    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

and  scans  the  leaders  in  business,  political,  and  ecclesiastical  life 
to-day,  there  are  few  schools  can  compare  with  it  in  results.  The 
old  fire  bell  would  occasionally  deplete  the  room  of  the  big  boys, 
and  the  "  Cedars  "  were  an  irresistible  alku'ement  in  the  balmy 
days  of  spring,  and  people  would  keep  on  dying,  and  necessitate 
Mr.  Kearney  engraving  coffin-plates,  for  of  this  he  held  the  mo- 
nopoly among  the  Catholics  of  the  city,  and  Mr.  Schmidt  would 
have  the  boys  meet  in  the  first  room  of  the  girls'  school  for  rehear- 
sal ;  but,  despite  all  these  drawbacks,  many  of  the  old  boys  have 
attained  success  in  the  mercantile  world,  many  have  gone  into  the 
priesthood,  and  none  has  ever  been  heard  to  utter  any  unkind 
word  or  bitter  protest  against  "  Kearney's  School."  The  old 
boys  had  the  faith,  and  it  was  not  a  slumbering,  quiescent  article, 
but  active  and,  at  times,  belligerent,  as  some  of  the  old  Eighth  Ward 
boys  will  recall.  They  were  loyal,  too,  and  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War  more  eloquent,  but  not  more  patriotic  addresses  were 
made  in  the  halls  of  Congress,  than  in  front  of  the  old  school 
doors,  and  on  the  strip  of  fence  between  the  angles,  at  the  entrance 
to  the  school,  was  written  in  large  letters,  "  No  Compromise." 
It  did  not  much  matter  that  the  boys  did  not  understand  what  this 
meant,  but  the  loyal  newspapers  bore  this  motto  on  their  head- 
lines, and  this  satisfied  the  boys  that  it  was  the  proper  principle  to 
uphold,  and  uphold  it  they  did.  Before  the  war  ended,  on  the  rolls 
of  the  patriot  dead  who  shed  their  blood  and  offered  their  li\'es  in 
defence  of  the  Union,  were  many  of  Kearney's  boys. 

What  has  become  of  the  Irish  schoolmaster.?  He  seems  to  be 
as  extinct  as  the  great  auk.  The  Kearneys  of  Newark,  the  Cur- 
rans  of  Orange,  the  O'Neills  of  Morris  County,  the  O'Connors 
and  Doughertys  of  Paterson,  strong  of  muscle,  arithmetic,  and 
penmanship,  they  did  not  spare  the  rod,  and  most  of  us  are  like  a 
certain  British  admiral,  who  stated  in  the  House  of  Commons  that 
he  was  the  better  .^or  the  floggings  he  received  at  school.  Peace 
to  their  ashes  !  In  many  parishes  they  kept  the  faith  alive,  on  a 
pittance  of  a  salary,  and  turned  out  a  larger  percentage  of  chil- 
dren thoroughly  grounded  in  the  three  R's,  good  spellers  and  good 
penmen,  than  schools  do  nowadays. 

The  Christian  Brothers  came  in  September,  1866,  and  are  fol- 
lowing out  the  traditions  of  their  order,  and  carrying  on  the  good 
work  inaugurated  more  humbly  in  old  St.  Mary's  Hall.  They 
may  count  their  alumni  among  the  leading  business  and  profes- 
sional men,  not  only  of  the  city,  but  of  the  State  and  among  the 
clergy,  and  their  loyal  adherence  to  their  Church  is  at  once  the 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


213 


reward  and  merit  of  their  Christian  teachers.  The  same  is  like- 
wise true  of  the  girls,  whose  school  has  been  in  charge  of  the  Sis- 
ters of  Charity  from  the  beginning.  The  old  building  gave  place 
to  the  present  substantial  school  in  1887. 

The    Church    of   the  Assumption  of   the  Blessed  Virgin 
Mary,   Morristown. 

It  is  quite  certain,  then,  that  during  the  winters  of  1779  and 
1780  the  number  of  Catholics  in  aiid  around  Morristown  far  ex- 
ceeded the  number  of  Catholics  at  present  in  our  parish,  made  up 
of  the  Irish  Catholics  in  the  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  and  New 
Jersey  regiments,  and  the  French  and  Polish  officers  attached  to 
the  line. 

In  the  Pennsylvania  line  were  many  Irish,  both  officers  and 
soldiers ;  and  in  the  Official  Register  of  tJie  Officers  and  Men  of 


FIRST   CULKCU    IX    -MUKRISTOWX.    ISUILT    IX    1847. 

Nexv  Jersey  in  tJie  Revol/ttionary  War,  compiled  under  the  admin- 
istration of  Governor  Theodore  F.  Randolph  by  Adjutant-General 
Stryker,  a  cursory  glance  shows  that  many  of  the  New  Jersey 
regiments  contained  a  liberal  number  of  Irishmen,  over  four  hun- 


214 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


dred  officers  and  soldiers  with  unmistakably  Irish  names  being 
credited  to  the  southern  counties. 

Without  priest  or  Mass,  except  on  very  rare  visits  from  Father 
Farmer,  they  were  married  by  the  squire  or  magistrate ;  and  their 
children,  if    they  themselves  did    not,  attended    the    Protestant 
Church,  for  the  reason  that  it  was  the  only  one  in  the  neighbor- 
hood    Their  companions  and 


of 


alien 


associates  were 
faith. 

It  is  not  surprising,  then, 
that  the  Celtic  names  which 
prevailed  in  Morristovvn  in 
the  first  quarter  of  the  pres- 
ent century  are  not  found  on 
our  church  records. 

With  their  faith  the  chil- 
dren lost  likewise  the  distinc- 
tive character  of  their  family 
names.     McGee  becomes  in 
its  filtered  state  Magee;  Mc- 
Carthy   becomes     Mccarty ; 
Kearnc)'  becomes  Kerny  or 
Callahan    becomes 
Raferty    becomes 
All   these    names 
still  prevail  in  our  midst  and 
are  the  indices   of  both  the 
country  and  religion  of  their 
progenitors. 

A  list  of  letters,  uncalled 
for  in  the  post-ofifice,  October 
I  St,  1807,  contains  the  following  names :    Andrew  Darsey,  Michael 
F'laherty,  John  Kelly. 

It  is  said  that  one  O'Hara  taught  a  classical  school  in  Morris- 
town  in  the  first  decade  of  this  century,  which  was  the  germ  of 
the  subsequent  McCullogh  school 

In  1825  Charles  Berault,  a  Catholic  and  a  native  of  San  Do- 
mingo, lived  in  the  Revere  House  on  DeHart  Street  He  married 
a  Mile.  Des  Abbeyes,  also  of  a  wealthy  San  Domingo  family. 
Another  daughter  was  Madame  Chegarray,  who  taught  a  fashion- 
able Young  Ladies'  Academy,  afterward  purchased  by  Bishop 
Bayley,  and  the  cradle   of  Seton  Hall.     This   is  now  the  prop- 


Kearn)' ; 

Callinan; 

Raverty. 


CHURCH   OF  THE  ASSUMPTION,   MOR- 
RISTOWN. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  215 

erty  of    the    Sisters    of    Charity    t)n    the   old    Convent    road    to 
Madison. 

A  certain  Benjamin  Douglas  kept  a  diary,  now  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Brookrteld  family,  his  descendants,  which  contains  the 
following"  entries : 

"The  first  Roman  Catholic  service  performed  in  the  town- 
ship of  Chatham  was  in  the  house  of  Lavaal  Duberceau,  at  Bottle 
Hill,  Sunday,  July  30th,  1825,  by  Rev.  O'Donahue.  Text,  fifth 
chapter  of  Galatians." 

Father  O'Donahue  visited  Madison  once  a  month  from  Pater- 
son  and  said  Mass  in  the  upper  part  of  the  academy.  His  Sun- 
day evening  instructions  were  attended  by  large  numbers  of  non- 
Catholics.  His  light-hearted  gayety  drew  to  him  the  hearts  of  all, 
especially  the  children. 

To  the  Rev.  Louis  Dominic  Senez  belongs  the  credit  of  crys- 
tallizing the  little  Catholic  body  in  Morristovvn,  and  infusing  into 
their  hearts  the  courage,  despite  their  small  number  and  poverty, 
to  build  a  sanctuary,  which  would  hold  their  children  and  them- 
selves to  the  practice  of  their  religion.  "The  first  time  I  saw 
Father  Senez,"  said  old  Tom  Degan,  "was  at  a  vendue  near 
Madison." 

"If  I  am  not  mistaken,"  said  the  good  priest  smilingly,  in 
broken  English,  flavored  with  a  strong  French  accent,  "  you  are 
an  Irishman  and  a  Catholic." 

"And  if  I  am  not  mistaken,"  replied  Tom,  "you  are  a  Catho- 
lic priest." 

This  was  their  mutual  introduction.  There  was  no  road 
throughout  the  three  counties — Morris,  Sussex,  and  Warren — he 
did  not  traverse.  When  he  first  visited  this  desolate  and  disheart- 
ening field  there  w^as  but  one  church — at  Madison ;  but  St.  Vin- 
cent's has  been  the  fruitful  mother  of  many  children.  No  fewer 
than  twenty-three  Catholic  churches  lift  to  heaven  the  cross  in  the 
three  counties  which  were  the  field  of  Father  Senez's  missionary 
labors. 

In  the  springtime  of  1844-45  good  Father  Howell  was  tempted 
to  sample  the  pastures  and  pure  air  of  Morris  County,  and,  com- 
bining business  with  pleasure,  he  baptized  quite  a  number  of  chil- 
dren in  Morristown,  Dover,  and  Mount  Hope.  A  Catholic  woman 
married  to  a  Protestant  was  denied  the  convenience  of  a  carriage 
by  her  husband,  and  walked  with  her  child  all  the  way  to  Eliza- 
beth to  have  it  baptized,  as  it  happened  there  was  no  priest  then 
at  Madison. 


2l6 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


There  is  considerable  dispute  relative  to  the  house  where  the 
Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  was  first  offered  in  Morristown.  By 
some  it  is  maintained  that  it  was  in  a  house  formerly  on  the  prop- 
erty of  Dr.  Dodge,  Morris  Street ;  by  others,  in  a  house  on   Mc- 

Cullogh  Avenue ;  again,  by 
some,  in  the  Thebaud  house, 
which  long  ago  stood  on  Mr. 
John  G.  Foote's  farm;  and 
finall}^,  by  not  a  few,  that  it 
was  in  the  Johnson  house  on 
South  Street,  on  the  way  to 
the  race-track,  which  was 
called  by  a  subsequent  Cath- 
olic owner  Bellevue.  Wher- 
ever it  was,  it  is  generally  ad- 
mitted that  the  priest  sought 
and  received  the  hospitality 
of  Mr.  John  Rogers.  John 
Rogers  was  among  the  ear- 
liest settlers,  and  his  home 
was  looked  upon  as  a  head- 
quarters for  the  clergy  when- 
ever they  made  a  visitation. 
In  1847,  however,  steps  were  taken  to  secure  a  lot  to  build  the 
church.  The  site  on  which  the  new  rectory  now  stands  was 
bought  from  John  Kennedy,  of  Philadelphia,  for  $400  At  the 
outbreak  of  the  French  Revolution  Father  Senez  resigned  the 
pastorate  to  return  to  his  native  land.  Previous  to  his  departure 
a  "bee"  was  held  to  dig  the  foundations  of  the  new  church. 
P"ather  Senez  opposed  the  building  of  a  basement,  but  finally 
yielded  to  the  entreaty  of  Father  McQuaid,  and  this  feature  was 
embodied  in  the  plans.  The  honor  of  turning  the  first  sod  belongs 
to  Patrick  Cavanagh.  Mr.  Egsall  built  the  masonry,  and  Mr. 
Muchmore  did  the  carpenter  work. 

Before  the  walls  were  built  P'ather  Senez  left,  and  the  work 
devolved  solely  on  Father  McOuaid.  To  P'ather  McOuaid  alone 
belongs  the  entire  credit  of  building  the  first  Catholic  church  in 
Morristown ;  and  of  paying  not  only  for  the  structure  itself,  but 
for  the  land  on  which  it  was  erected.  Three  different  times  has 
this  honor  been  wrested  from  him  and  unjustly  given  to  another. 
This  may  seem  to  some  a  matter  of  indifference;  but  for  the 
Catholics  here  it  is  all-important  to  know  to  whom  they  are  in- 


REV.    r.    m' GOVERN. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


217 


debtee!  for  the  church  which  cost  more  sacrifices,  more  anxiety 
and  care  from  both  priests  and  people,  than  would,  to-day,  the 
erection  of  a  cathedral.  Father  McQuaid  appointed  William 
Nevins  treasurer,  and  all  the  moneys  passed  through  his  hands. 
On  the  15th  of  August  the  modest  church  was  entirely  roofed, 
and  Father  McOuaid  gave  the  church  the  title  of  the  Assumption 
in  honor  of  the  Blessed  Mother  of  God,  whose  great  feast  saw  the 
culmination  of  the  hopes  and  desires  of  the  little  handful  of 
Catholics. 

On  Christmas  Day,  1848,  Mass  was  said  for  the  first  time  in 
the  new  church  by  Father  McOuaid.  Simplicity  and  poverty 
were  ev^erywhere  apparent.  The  altar  consisted  of  some  planks 
laid  on  barrels.     The  little  congregation  of  from  forty  to  seventy 


ST.  MARGARET  S   CHURCH,    MORRISTOWN. 


made  themselves  as  comfortable  as  possible  without  pews  or  kneel- 
ing benches.  A  fair  number  of  Protestants  was  present,  among 
them  Mr.  Bonsall. 

"Now,"  said  Father  McOuaid,  "we  depended  on  the  goodness 
of  God  and  the  intercession  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  we  are  all 
right.     Through  frost  and  cold  we  have  collected  by  five  and  ten 


2i8  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

cent  offerings  the  funds  necessary  to  build  and  enclose  the  church, 
and  now  we  have  everything  except  the  pews." 

There  was  little  decoration  and  very  little  comfort  in  the  new 
church,  but  there  was  great  fervor.  The  poor  exiles  were  full  of 
gratitude  to  God  that  they  had  now  a  sanctuary  in  their  midst 
where  they  might  assist  at  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  recon- 
cile themselves  to  Him  in  the  tribunal  of  penance,  and  bring  their 
children  to  be  baptized  and  instructed  in  their  holy  faith.  Father 
Senez  had  borrowed  the  money  to  pay  for  the  lot,  but  the  people 
set  themselves  to  work  and  rested  not  until  they  had  paid  back 
every  penny  of  the  loan. 

Fortunate,  indeed,  it  was  for  the  Catholics  of  Morristown  that 
Father  McOuaid  came  among  them. 

According  to  Father  McQuaid's  estimate  in  1849,  the  Catho- 
lics belonging  to  the  Morristown  mission,  stretching  out  for  miles 
into  the  country  in  every  direction  except  toward  Madison,  num- 
bered, including  babies  in  arms,  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
souls.  The  first  efforts  of  the  priest  were  necessarily  directed  to 
the  salvation  of  those  already  within  the  fold  of  the  Church;  but 
even  at  this  early  period  conversions  were  not  unfrequent. 

In  1843  William  Fulton  was  received  into  the  Church  by  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Ambrose  Manahan ;  and  the  first  convert  baptized  by 
Father  McQuaid  was  Mrs.  Laurence  Johnson. 

In  1850  the  first  festival,  or  tea-party,  as  it  was  called,  was 
held  by  a  few  of  the  ladies  of  the  congregation  in  what  is  now 
Farmer's  Hotel  in  Market  Street,  then  owned  by  Nathan  B.  Luse, 
and  used  by  Isaac  S.  Runyon  for  a  private  school,  another  floor 
by  the  Odd  Fellows  and  Freemasons,  and  the  upper  story  as  a 
hall. 

The  brass  band  of  the  town  furnished  the  music.  There  was 
no  dancing.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  clear  of  all  ex- 
penses, was  realized,  and  Father  McOuaid  was  overjoyed  with  the 
result,  because  it  enabled  him  to  pay  each  of  three  creditors  the 
fifty  dollars  he  owed. 

The  first  se.xton  was  Mr.  William  OToole,  whose  weekly  sal- 
ary was  fifty  cents.  In  September,  1850,  Father  McOuaid  opened 
the  first  Catholic  school  in  Morristown,  with  Mr.  Tracey,  from 
New  York,  as  teacher.  He  was  one  of  the  old  school  of  hard 
taskmasters  whose  theory  and  practice  ran  on  the  line  of  Solo- 
mon's injunction:     "  Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child." 

One  Antoine,  a  Frenchman,  brutall\-  murdered  his  master  and 
mistress,  for  which  he  suffered  the  death  penalty.     This  incident 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  219 

provoked  an  intense  hostility  to  all  foreigners,  and,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  the  Irish  were  the  first  victims. 

Two  poor  laborers  were  driven  by  threats  from  their  homes 
and  compelled  to  seek  refuge  in  Mr.  Ford's  woods,  there  to  hide 
until  the  passion  of  the  rowdy  element  had  cooled  down. 

The  Irishmen  who  worked  in  Mr.  Vail's  Speedwell  works  were 
attacked,  and  more  than  one  scrimmage  took  place;  but  the  Irish 
succeeded  in  defending  themselves.  This  condition  of  things  con- 
tinued until  Mr.  Vail  took  sides  with  his  Irish  employees,  and 
gave  their  shopmates  to  understand  that  he  would  tolerate  the 
question  of  nationality  no  longer,  and  that  the  persecution  must 
be  stopped. 

Father  McQuaid  was  succeeded  by  Father  Madden,  and  al- 
though the  wide  field  of  his  mission  tested  to  the  utmost  the 
physical  endurance  and  zeal  of  the  new  pastor,  during  the  three 
years  of  his  administration  the  spiritual  side  of  the  flock  was  well 
attended  and  the  temjDoral  welfare  promoted. 

From  the  baptismal  record  it  appears  the  care  of  the  parish 
was  entrusted  at  times  to  the  Rev.  L.  Hoey ;  and  occasional  en- 
tries indicate  that  the  Rev.  Alfred  Young,  later  of  the  Paulist 
community,  together  with  the  Very  Rev.  Dean  McNulty,  and, 
now  and  then,  the  Rev.  D.  J.  Fisher  came  from  Seton  Hall  Col- 
lege— now  the  old  St.  Elizabeth's  Convent — to  say  Mass,  catechize 
the  children,  and  administer  to  the  wants  of  the  congregation. 
The  Morristown  Catholics  held  Father  Young  in  high  esteem. 
His  genial  manners  made  him  friends  everywhere.  The  young 
flocked  around  him.  At  the  sick-bed  his  charm  of  manner  never 
failed  to  cheer,  and  his  tender  message  of  patience  plucked  out 
the  thorn  of  suffering  and  substituted  the  holy  calm  of  Christian 
resignation. 

The  Rev.  L.  Hoey,  who  was  appointed  to  the  new  mission  of 
Morristown,  cut  off  from  Madison  in  i860,  was  the  first  priest  to 
reside  permanently  here.  He  stopped  at  Mrs.  Rogers's  eleven 
months,  during  which  time  he  labored  hard  and  zealously  for  the 
erection  of  the  priest's  house.  His  ability  as  a  mathematician  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  his  superiors,  and  secured  for  him  a  pro- 
fessorship in  the  new  college. 

His  efforts  were  successful,  and  in  1861  the  priest's  home  was 
built.  About  this  time  the  old  graveyard  was  bought  for  $500. 
The  parish  school  started  by  Father  McQuaid,  although  it  had 
not  all  the  appointments  and  conveniences  of  a  modern  school, 
continued  its  work.     The  rooms  were  dark,  very  warm  in  summer, 


220  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

and  correspondingly  cold  in  winter.  A  great  stove  stood  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  and  a  pii)e  was  placed  through  one  of  the 
windows,  but  not  too  far  out  of  the  reach  of  the  tricky  boys. 
When  the  task  became  irksome,  or  the  tempting  chestnuts  strewed 
the  ground,  or  the  ice  was  in  prime  condition  for  skating,  a  sod 
conveniently  thrust  down  the  stovepipe  checked  the  draught, 
filled  the  room  with  smoke  and  gas,  and  necessitated  the  dismissal 
of  the  school. 

When  Mr.  Tracey  severed  his  connection  with  the  school  he 
was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Donlin.  Miss  Slater,  of  Massachusetts, 
and  a  Mr.  Faulkner,  whose  knowledge  of  the  English  language 
was  too  limited  to  make  him  a  successful  teacher,  were  engaged  and 
taught  for  a  short  time.     These  teachers  taught  previous  to  i860. 

That  the  school  might  be  kept  together  until  a  competent  per- 
son was  found  to  take  charge  of  it,  Father  Hoey  himself  taught 
during  the  vacancy  which  occurred  about  the  time  of  his  appoint- 
ment. A  Miss  McDonald,  with  sufficient  confidence  in  her  ability 
to  teach  and  rule  the  masons,  painters,  plumbers,  and  carpenters 
of  the  present  day,  presented  herself  for  the  arduous  position;  but 
a  short  experience  convinced  her  of  the  serious  mistake  she  had 
made. 

Mr.  O'Neil  was  then  secured;  and,  although  gifted  with  con- 
siderable talent,  was  forced  to  resign  on  account  of  ill  health.  To 
him  succeeded  Mr.  Meehan,  who  is  remembered  as  "  teaching  the 
A  B  C's  with  the  children  on  his  knee,  and  both  teacher  and 
pupil  enveloped  in  the  smoke  of  his  pipe."  Then  appears  Mr. 
Fennessy  "  in  a  white  shirt,  ruffled  upon  either  side  of  the  bosom ; 
this,  together  with  his  personal  appearance,  evoked  such  a  volley 
of  cheers  from  the  scholars  that  he  was  mortally  offended,  and 
decided  to  punish  severely  the  unruly  children  by  teaching  them 
only  for  the  short  space  of  half  a  day." 

The  absurd  anti-Catholic  and  anti-Irish  spirit,  fed  by  the  igno- 
rance and  scheming  of  preachers  and  newspaper  editors,  made  its 
sting  felt  in  Morristown,  as  in  almost  every  village,  hamlet,  and 
city  of  our  country.  There  is  a  vague  tradition  of  an  attempt  to 
destroy  the  little  church  first  erected  here  by  the  lusty  young 
bigots  of  that  day,  possessed  of  more  brawn  than  brain.  But  a 
fanatic  is  usually  a  braggart ;  and  the  tidings  that  the  miners  from 
Dover  were  ready  to  march  down  to  protect  the  Catholics  and 
avenge  any  insult  offered  to  them,  cooled  the  courage  of  the  bul- 
lies and  dissipated  their  plans.  But,  from  time  to  time,  the  old 
hatred  cropped  out,  especially  on  St.  Patrick's  day. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  221 

It  was  not  unusual  to  see  strung  up  on  a  flag-pole  or  suspended 
from  a  tree  a  stuffed  figure  to  represent  St.  Patrick,  with  a  string 
of  potatoes  about  his  neck,  a  whiskey  bottle  in  one  pocket,  and  a 
codfish  in  the  other.  It  was  such  a  sight  that  aroused  the  lion  in 
Patrick  Smith  as  he  saw  the  effigy  of  his  patron  swaying  in  the 
wind  from  the  flag-staff  in  the  Park.  The  assuring  words  and 
wise  counsel  alone  of  Colonel  Vail  prevented  him  from  cutting 
down  the  flag-pole.  On  a  like  occasion  another  Smith,  a  name- 
sake of  Patrick  but  no  relative,  saw  a  similar  figure  pendent  from 
a  tree.  His  good  wife  brought  him  an  axe,  and  down  came  both 
tree  and  effigy.  The  last  appearance  of  this  vulgar  exhibition  was 
in  Market  Street,  a  few  doors  down  from  South  Street. 

In  1864  the  church  was  incorporated,  the  board  consisting  of 
Rt.  Rev.  James  Roosevelt  Bay  ley,  the  Very  Rev.  Patrick  Moran, 
the  Rev.  Lawrence  Hoey,  Messrs.  Henry  James  and  Patrick 
Rowe. 

In  1865  the  school  was  found  inadequate  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  the  children,  and  was  enlarged  at  an  expense  of  eight  hun- 
dred dollars. 

The  Rev.  James  D'Arcy  was  appointed  pastor  July,  1867. 

Father  D'Arcy's  magnetism  and  winsomeness  were  irresisti- 
ble. Gifted  with  more  than  ordinary  ability,  by  careful  study  he 
enriched  his  mind. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  1868,  in  obedience  to  his  bishop,  he  left 
this  parish  to  assume  the  pastoral  charge  of  Madison,  made  vacant 
by  the  death  of  Father  Madden.  The  sorrow  and  regrets  were 
mutual  on  the  part  of  priest  and  peo]Dle. 

The  Rev.  P.  McGovern  took  charge  of  the  parish  on  the  de- 
parture of  the  Rev.  James  A.  D'Arcy,  about  October,  1865. 
Father  McGovern  busied  himself  with  the  spiritual  interests  of 
the  flock  entrusted  to  him.  His  gentle  nature,  when  aroused  by 
the  misdoings  of  his  children,  plainly  evidenced  that  he  knew  how 
to  be  severe  where  leniency  failed. 

A  new  church,  owing  to  the  increased  number  of  Catholics, 
was  a  pressing  necessity ;  but  the  very  thought  of  building  one, 
and  of  incurring  a  debt,  appalled  the  pastor  and  flock. 

In  the  fall  of  1871  Father  McGovern  resigned  and  withdrew 
from  a  charge  never  entirely  congenial.  The  most  perfect  har- 
mony, however,  existed  between  him  and  his  people,  and  when  he 
left  he  was  sincerely  and  deepl)'  regretted. 

Father  McGovern  was  ordained  by  Bishop  Hughes,  January 
29th,  1853.     He  was  a  subject  of  the  Archdiocese  of  New  York, 


222  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

but  was  received  by  Bishop  Bay  ley  temporarily,  December  25th, 
1853,  and  was  assistant  in  Madison  until  1855,  when  he  returned 
to  New  York  by  reason  of  ill  health.  He  again  came  back  to 
Newark,  and  after  his  resignation  of  the  Morristown  parish  went 
to  Bergen  Point,  where  he  paid  off  all  the  indebtedness  of  the 
church;  thence  to  Keyport,  as  first  resident  pastor,  July  ist, 
1 876.  Once  more  he  retraced  his  steps  to  New  York,  and  became 
pastor  of  Croton.  After  many  years  of  service  he  retired,  and 
died  some  two  years  ago. 

The  Rev.  James  Sheeran  succeeded  to  the  pastorate  October, 
1 87 1.  Father  Sheeran  was  a  born  leader  of  men,  an  ideal  nine- 
teenth-century priest.  His  life  was  varied  by  almost  every  inci- 
dent that  may  happen  to  layman  or  priest. 

Father  Sheeran  was  born  in  Temple  Mehill,  Longford,  in 
1 814.  He  chose  the  profession  of  teacher,  and  taught  school  in 
Monroe,  Mich.,  and  for  the  Redemptorists.  After  the  death  of 
his  wife  he  entered  the  congregation  of  the  Most  Holy  Re- 
deemer, October  15th,  1856,  of  which  he  was  a  most  efficient 
missionary. 

When  the  yellow  fever  broke  out  in  New  Orleans  and  all  the 
Fathers  in  the  house  were  prostrated,  he  alone  remained  to  attend 
the  sick  calls,  and  for  weeks  never  slept  in  his  bed. 

When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  South,  and,  together  with 
Father  Smulders  of  the  same  congregation,  was  assigned  by  his 
superior  to  attend  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  Confederates. 
There  was  nothing  of  the  gold  lace  or  gilt  edge  connected  with  his 
position.  The  soldiers'  meagre  fare  was  his;  their  hardships  in 
camp  and  bivouac  he  shared.  Realizing  the  importance  of  the 
events  which  were  daily  happening  he  kept  an  accurate  diary,  for 
which  at  the  close  of  the  conflict  he  was  offered  a  large  sum  of 
money  by  a  Southern  firm  of  publishers;  this  he  refused. 

Owing  to  a  disagreement  with  his  rector,  he  asked  to  be 
allowed  to  withdraw  from  the  congregation.  His  petition  was 
granted,  and  he  was  adopted  for  the  Diocese  of  Newark  by  Bishop 
Bayley.  Pending  a  permanent  appointment,  he  assisted  in  the 
parish  of  Hackensack.  Such,  in  brief,  is  the  history  of  him  to 
whom  the  Catholics  in  Morristown  are  so  much  indebted. 

In  October,  1871,  Bishop  Bayley  made  him  rector  of  that 
parish.  Already  far  advanced  be)'ond  the  meridian  of  life,  his 
naturally  strong  constitution  was  weakened  by  hardships  in  the 
field  and  on  the  mission.  Although  jorovidentially  preserved  from 
contagion  in  the   yellow-fever    epidemic  through  which  he  had 


IN    NEW    JKRSKY 


223 


passed,  the  awful  strain  dealt  a  blow  to  his  health  from  which  he 
never  recovered. 

The  economy  and  |)rudent  administration  of  Father  McGovern 
had  freed  the  jxirish  entirely  of  debt,  so  that  the  way  was  clear  to 
proceed  with  the  construction  of  the  new  church. 

Fortunately  a  suitable  site,  secured  by  the  wisdom  and  fore- 
thought of  Bishop  McOuaid,  remained  on  which  to  erect  the 
house  of  God,  which  was  to  excel  all  other  church  buildings  in 
Morristown. 

On  Sunday,  June  30th,  1872,  the  corner-stone  was  laid  by 
Bishop  Bayley,  who  also  preached  the  sermon  on  the  occasion. 


ALL   SUULS    HOSPITAL,    MORRISTOWN. 

The  old  Arnold  Tavern,  1780. 


On  Ascension  Thursday,  May  22d,  1873,  a  leaden  dulness 
overspread  the  sky.  The  rain  fell  in  torrents.  Without  every- 
thing was  dismal  and  sombre,  but  within  the  walls  of  the  church 
what  joy  filled  the  hearts  of  pastor  and  flock !  Bishop  Corrigan 
solemnly  blessed  the  new  church,  and  the  ceremony  was  followed 
by  solemn  pontifical  Mass.  After  the  Gospel  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ed- 
ward McGl}'nn  preached  from  the  text,  "  Thou  art  a  priest  forever 
according  to  the  order  of  Melchisedech  "  (Psalm  cix.).  There  was 
a  large  attendance  of  priests  and  people.  The  music  rendered 
during  the  Mass  was  by  a  choir  selected  from  the  different 
churches  in  Newark.     Thus,  twenty-five  years  from  the  erection 


224  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

of  the  first  humble  sanctuary,  the  pioneers  who  survived  saw  their 
first  efforts  ecHpsecl,  the  tender  shoot  developed  into  a  mighty  tree, 
and  a  dwelling-place  enshrining  the  Holy  of  Holies  which  far  ex- 
ceeded their  hopes  and  expectations.  The  Lord  had,  indeed, 
builded  the  house,  and  their  labors  had  not  been  in  vain. 

An  important  step  for  the  welfare  of  the  children  was  now 
made. 

From  every  side  came  petitions  to  Mother  Xavier  for  teachers. 
The  influence  of  the  children  of  St.  Vincent  had  already  made 
itself  felt  in  the  parish  schools  and  orphanages  of  the  Newark 
diocese. 

Father  Sheeran's  plea  was  recognized,  and  arrangements  were 
made  in  September,  1875,  to  send  two  of  the  Sisters  from  the 
mother-house  every  day.  A  little  room  was  added  to  the  school, 
and  fitted  up  with  a  stove  and  cupboard.  Here,  after  the  noon 
dismissal,  the  Sisters  prepared  their  lunch  in  light-hearted  gayety 
and  contentment.  Their  hallowing  influence  over  both  boys 
and  girls  was  at  once  apparent.  The  success  of  the  school  was' 
assured. 

On  Sunday,  April  3d,  1881,  the  trials  of  Father  Sheeran  ter- 
minated, and  the  good  priest,  full  of  merit,  comforted  by  the  holy 
sacraments,  went  to  his  reward. 

Mr.  McMaster,  an  old  friend,  in  the  editorial  column  of  TJic 
Freeman' s  Journal  noXXcQd  his  death,  and  among  other  things  said 
of  him : 

"At  an  early  age  he  came  to  New  York.  He  was  engaged 
here,  for  many  years,  in  business.  Out  of  a  desire  to  do  good  he 
went  to  Monroe,  Mich.,  to  teach  a  parochial  school,  under  the  pas- 
toral care  of  Father  Smulders,  of  the  Redemptorists.  Mr.  Shee- 
ran married  and  had  two  children — a  daughter  who  died  in  the 
Benedictine  Convent,  in  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  and  a  son  who 
died  in  the  novitiate  of  the  Redemptorists.  The  death  of  the 
latter  inspired  Mr.  Sheeran  with  a  desire,  gallant  and  noble  in  its 
sentiments,  to  take  the  place  of  his  deceased  boy  in  the  Redemp- 
torist  novitiate.  He  entered,  and,  notwithstanding  the  difficulties 
of  age  somewhat  too  much  advanced  and  habits  of  personal  inde- 
pendence settled,  finished  his  novitiate  and  his  scholastic  course 
and  was  ordained.  His  disregard  of  danger  in  face  of  the  yellow 
fever  has  been  spoken  of  in  some  of  the  daily  papers.  That  is  the 
rule  for  Catholic  priests  as  soldiers  of  the  Cross." 

As  the  diocese  was  then  without  a  bishop,  the  administrator, 
the  Rt.  Rev.  George  H.  Doane,  assigned  the  senior  assistant  of 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  225 

the  cathedral,  the  Rev.  Joseph  M.  Flynn,  to  the  pastoral  care  of 
Morristovvn,  and  Father  Flynn  took  possession  of  his  new  charge 
June  1 8th,  1881.  Father  Flynn  was  born  January  7th,  1848,  in 
Springfield,  Mass.  The  early  years  of  his  life  -were  spent  chiefly 
in  New  York.  He  attended  school,  taught  by  the  Christian 
Brothers,  in  St.  Vincent's  Academy  until  1859,  when,  on  the  re- 
moval of  his  family  to  Newark,  N.  J.,  he  was  sent  to  the  parochial 
school  attached  to  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  then  located  on  High 
Street,  now  occupied  by  the  Women's  Hospital  connected  with 
St.  Michael's. 

In  September,  1865,  he  entered  St.  Charles's  College,  Ellicott 
City,  Md.,  and  in  March,  1869,  Seton  Hall.  His  assignments  as 
curate  were  St.  Bridget's,  Jersey  City;  Assumption,  Morristown; 
St.  Peter's,  New  Brunswick;  thence  to  the  cathedral,  Newark, 
May  7th,  1876,  where  he  successively  filled  the  offices  of  bishop's 
secretary,  diocesan  chancellor,  master  of  ceremonies,  secretary  of 
the  Commission  of  Investigation,  and  for  over  a  year,  while  Vicar- 
General  Doane  was  abroad  in  search  of  health,  administered  the 
parish  until  his  return  in  1879. 

A  site  for  a  church  in  Morris  Plains  was  secured,  and,  mitil  its 
erection,  an  effort  was  made  to  have  Mass  in  one  of  the  houses 
conveniently  located  and  sufficiently  roomy  for  the  accommodation 
of  those  who  might  desire  to  attend. 

This,  and  the  increasing  ministerial  work  in  Morristown  and 
the  important  supervision  of  the  school,  made  the  services  of  an 
assistant  priest  a  necessity.  December  3d  the  bishop  wrote, 
"  Father  Whelan  may  be  relieved  at  any  time,  and,  if  so,  will  be 
sent  to  you,  as  you  desired." 

The  Rev.  Isaac  P.  Whelan  reported  some  time  in  the  month 
of  December,  and  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  added  to  the  other  duties 
of  the  Morristown  priests  the  care  of  the  Whippany  mission. 

On  Christmas  Day  Holy  Mass  was  said  for  the  first  time  in 
Morris  Plains  in  the  house  of  Andrew  Murphy.  The  room  was 
crowded,  and  the  scene  recalled  to  many  the  stories  told  them  by 
their  fathers  of  Catholicity  forty  years  ago. 

Thereafter  Mass  was  regularly  celebrated  every  Sunday.  Be- 
tween attending  to  the  two  Masses  in  Morristown,  one  in  Whip- 
pany, and  another  at  Morris  Plains,  Sunda}'  was  a  busy  day  for 
the  priests,  who,  from  early  morn  to  high  noon,  knew  not  a  mo- 
ment's rest. 

The  house  deeded  by  old  Thomas  Burns,  a  confessor  of  the 
faith  in  this  locality  from  the  early  twenties,  to  Father  I^^lynn  per- 
15 


226  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

sonally,  was  converted  into  a  home  for  the  Sisters  of  Charity, 
who  came  to  reside  here  permanently  January,  1882. 

In  March,  1885,  Father  Flynn  purcliased  the  Condit  property 
at  the  junction  of  Speedwell  and  Sussex  avenues,  embracing  ten 
acres,  for  the  sum  of  ^25,000.  The  land  was  surveyed,  laid  off  in 
lots,  and  a  number  of  maps  were  printed  for  those  who  contem- 
plated purchasing.  A  meeting  of  the  congregation  was  called 
to  order  in  the  pavilion.  The  object,  it  was  stated,  was  to  dis- 
pose of  the  lots  to  Catholics,  if  possible,  and,  after  a  reasonable 
time,  to  all  comers.  Father  Flynn  acted  as  auctioneer,  and  most 
of  the  best  lots  were  quickly  disposed  of  at  good  prices.  The 
Water  Company  laid  their  pipes  through  the  streets,  and  thus  the 
location  became  more  desirable  for  residences. 

The  streets  were  named  Columba,  in  honor  of  the  great  saint 
of  lona;  Grant,  in  honor  of  the  great  general  of  the  Civil  War, 
who  was  then  in  his  death  agony ;  and  Bellevue  Terrace,  from  the 
charming  prospect  visible  from  the  elevation. 

The  lot  looking  north,  directly  in  front  of  Columba  Street, 
was  reserved  for  the  erection  of  a  xhapel.  In  the  beginning  of 
April  the  requisite  permission  was  obtained  from  Bishop  Wigger. 

No  delay  was  made  in  the  construction  of  the  modest  building 
which  was  to  rear  aloft  the  cross  and  be  a  new  sanctuary  of  the 
Most  High.  The  great  devotion  of  the  Celtic  race  to  St.  Marga- 
ret, Queen  of  Scotland,  as  witnessed  by  their  family  names — for 
after  Mary  there  is  scarcely  another  more  frequently  bestowed 
upon  their  daughters  than  Margaret — her  sweet  and  beautiful  life, 
so  much  in  its  details  like  that  of  St.  Elizabeth  of  Hungary  and  in 
some  respects  more  attractive,  prompted  the  pastor  to  honor,  even 
in  a  humble  wa)',  this  great  saint,  recognized  thus  for  the  first  time 
in  the  United  States.  At  the  close  of  the  month  of  May  every- 
thing was  in  readiness  for  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone.  It  was 
determined  to  invest  it  with  all  the  pomp  and  ceremony  possible. 
The  members  of  the  parish  entered  heartily  into  the  pastor's  plan, 
and  the  ceremony  was  so  grand  and  impressive  that  few  who  wit- 
nessed it  will  ever  forget  it.  The  following  accurate  report  was 
written  by  an  eye-witness : 

Sunday,  May  31st,  1885,  was  a  memorable  day  for  the  Catho- 
lics of  Morristown.  Surrounded  by  members  of  the  local  and 
visiting  clergy,  in  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of  the  laity,  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Winand  M.  Wigger,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark, 
laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  chapel  to  be  erected  to  the  honor  of 
God  and  St.  Margaret,  with  all  the  pomp  and  splendor  of  ritual 


IN    NKW    JKRSEY  227 

with  which  the  Roman  CathoHc  Church  invests  such  an  important 
ceremony.  But,  ajjart  from  the  interest  that  such  an  event  natu- 
rally arouses,  the  occasion  was  one  of  deep  significance.  It  illus- 
trated and  emphasized  not  only  the  growth  of  our  city,  but  it  was 
likewise  indicative  of  the  rapidly  increasing  strength  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church  in  our  midst.  There  are  some  of  the  members  of  the 
Church  of  the  Assumption  who  can  recall  the  time,  not  so  very 
long  ago,  when  the  nearest  Catholic  church  was  at  Madison,  then 
known  as  Bottle  Hill.  Hence  it  was  determined  to  give  the  cere- 
mony an  expression  of  the  significance  it  justly  claimed,  to  mark 
it  as  an  era  in  the  history  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Morristown. 
And  so,  despite  the  threatening  weather,  the  mother  Church 
gathered  together  her  numerous  societies,  and,  preceded  by  the 
cross-bearer  and  the  acolytes  with  waving  banners,  followed  by 
the  clergy  in  their  sanctuary  dress  and  the  bishop  in  his  purple 
vesture,  they  marched,  over  a  thousand  in  number,  through  the 
town  to  Sussex  Avenue,  where  the  new  chapel  is  to  be  erected. 
A  peculiar  feature  of  this  procession  was  the  corner-stone,  adorned 
with  flowers  and  carried  by  four  of  the  oldest  members  of  the 
congregation,  preceded  by  si.\  little  girls  in  white,  all  representing 
the  tribute  of  three  generations  to  this  happy  event.  Arrived  at 
the  grounds,  the  bishop,  vested  in  cope  and  mitre,  and  bearing  his 
crosier,  solemnly  blessed  and  laid  the  corner-stone,  in  which  was 
placed  an  iron  bo.x  containing,  besides  various  coins  and  copies  of 
The  Jerseynian,  The  Batiner,  and  The  Chviiicle,  a  parchment  de- 
scribing the  event  in  Latin,  and  of  which  the  following  is  a  trans- 
lation : 

"D.  O.  M. 

"On  the  31st  day  of  May,  in  the  year  of  our  Redemption  1885 
—  Pope  Leo  XHL  happily  reigning,  Rt.  Rev.  Winand  M.  Wigger 
being  the  Bishop  of  Newark,  and  Rev.  Joseph  M.  Flynn,  rector, 
with  Rev.  Eugene  A.  Farrell,  his  assistant,  of  the  Church  of  the 
Assumption ;  Grover  Cleveland  being  President  of  these  United 
States;  Leon  Abbett  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey;  and 
John  Taylor  Mayor  of  Morristown — Rt.  Rev.  Winand  M.  VVigger, 
D.D.,  in  the  presence  of  the  clergy  and  before  a  large  concourse 
of  people,  laid  the  corner-stone  of  this  chapel  to  be  erected  to  the 
honor  of  God  under  the  invocation  of  St.  Margaret." 

After  the  ceremony  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  made  a  short  ad- 
dress to  the  people,  congratulating  them  on  the  progress  of  the 
Church  in  Morristown,  and  in  particular  commending  the  zeal 
they  uniformly  manifest  in  the  furtherance  of  every  good  and 
praiseworthy  work  in  the  interests  of  morality  and  religion.  He 
concluded  with  the  hope  that  the  day  would  not  be  distant  when 
they  and  their  labors  would  be  so  blessed  that  the  humble  begin- 
ning of  to-da)'  would  ripen  into  a  new,  a  large,  and  a  flourishing 
parish. 

Huge  masses  of  black  clouds  rolled  up  from  the  southwest; 


228  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

the  wind  was  momentarily  increasini^'  in  violence,  and  great  drops 
of  rain  admonished  all  to  seek  shelter  from  the  impending  storm. 
Banners  were  taken  from  their  poles  and  put  away ;  white  veils 
were  hurriedly  removed,  and  soon  all  were  in  shelter  from  the 
tempest,  which  disappeared  almost  as  quickly  as  it  sprang  up. 

The  patriarchs  who  carried  the  corner-stone  from  the  mother 
church  were  Thomas  F.  Burke,  Thomas  Degan,  Martin  Murphy, 
and  John  McGuire,  and  they  were  accompanied  as  a  guard  of 
honor  by  the  little  Misses  Genevieve  Welsh,  Lulu  Clifford,  Rose 
Corcoran,  Agnes  Lucas,  Marguerite  Kenny,  and  Marguerite  Mar- 
tin. The  Rev.  William  D.  Hughes,  Paulist,  a  guest  at  the  rec- 
tory, took  part  in  the  ceremony. 

The  corner-stone  laid,  an  effort  Vv^as  made  to  raise  the  money  to 
pay  for  the  chapel  as  the  work  went  on,  so  that,  if  possible,  by  the 
time  of  dedication  it  should  be  absolutely  free  from  debt.  To  this 
end  a  bazaar  was  held,  and  in  three  days  $1,089.05  were  realized. 
All  worked  with  a  will,  and  the  parishioners  showed  their  enthusi- 
asm by  their  attendance  in  large  numbers  and  generous  liberality. 

The  old  church,  converted  into  a  school,  was  no  longer  in  a 
condition  to  accommodate  the  children.  Hence  it  was  determined 
early  in  1 886  reverently  to  remove  the  dead  from  the  old  cemetery, 
and  erect  on  the  land  the  new  school. 

Ground  was  broken  in  the  spring,  and  on  Thanksgiving  Day 
the  corner-stone  of  the  Bayley  Grammar  School  was  laid  by  Bish- 
op Wigger,  and  after  the  ceremony  the  old  pastor,  now  Bishop 
McOuaid,  preached  a  sermon  of  rare  historical  interest  to  the 
crowded  congregation  in  the  church.     In  closing  he  said: 

"  When  the  providence  of  God  removed  me  to  New  Jersey  my 
first  thought  was  to  get  these  sisters;  so  I  went  to  Mount  St. 
Vincent  on  October  i8th,  1853,  and  asked  for  two  sisters,  the 
first  to  come  to  New  Jersey.  And  what  a  blessing  they  are !  It 
is  those  women  who  are  creating  a  Catholic  atmosphere;  the 
prayers  of  the  mother  at  home  are  continued  in  the  schoolroom. 
Who  can  take  their  place.?  You  have  this  blessing  in  Morris- 
town. 

"  May  God  bless  all  those  here  and  never  forsake  them ! 
Bless  this  congregation  with  added  prosperity  year  after  year,  and 
all  those  who  have  gone  before  us,  who  are  now  looking  down 
from  heaven  upon  the  good  work  we  are  doing !  And  when  to- 
day I  looked  down  upon  the  old  graveyard  on  the  bodies  I  placed 
there,  when  I  looked  upon  that  place  where  those  remains  are 
gathered  up  and    removed  to    a  more  beautiful  cemetery,   the 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  229 

thought  came  to  my  mind :  Those  souls,  now  in  heaven,  gladly 
make  way  for  the  Christian  school  that  is  to  stand  there;  gladly 
resign  their  resting-place  for  the  foundations  of  the  large,  beauti- 
ful schoolhouse;  the  saints  in  heaven — for  many  holy  ones  I 
placed  there — are  now  looking  down  upon  us." 

The  new  school  was  blessed  by  Bishop  Wigger  and  opened 
October  9th,  1887.  A  desirable  property,  in  the  very  centre  of 
the  city,  in  the  heart  of  its  business,  was  put  on  the  market. 
Dean  Flynn  invited  the  original  members  of  the  Young  Men's 
Catholic  Association  to  meet  him  in  the  rectory  January  17th, 
1887,  and  there  proposed  to  secure  a  lot  and  erect  a  permanent 
home.  It  was  thought  that  $25,000  would  be  the  limit  of  the  out- 
lay for  site  and  building. 

On  Tuesday,  May  ist,  1888,  took  place  the  formal  dedication 
of  the  Young  Men's  Catholic  Association  building. 

A  large  flag  floated  from  the  front  of  the  attractive  building, 
while  the  interior  decorations  were  superb,  a  wealth  of  pictures 
everywhere  gracing  the  walls,  supplemented  by  banks  of  palms 
and  flowering  plants,  sprays  of  cut  flowers  and  smilax,  festoons  of 
bunting,  and  other  decorations  pleasing  to  the  eye.  The  commit- 
tee on  decorations  were  Messrs.  W.  V.  Dunn,  M.  F.  Lowe,  J.  T. 
Murphy,  and  Thomas  Holton,  the  latter  furnishing  the  floral  dis- 
play that  on  every  floor  delighted  the  beholder. 

There  were  two  receptions — one  in  the  morning  to  the  ladies, 
and  one  in  the  afternoon  and  evening  to  the  gentlemen.  The  re- 
ception committee  was  Very  Rev.  Dean  Flynn,  pastor  of  the 
Church  of  the  Assumption;  President  C.  H.  Knight,  and  Messrs. 
P.  Farrelly,  T.  Clifford,  M.  E.  Condon,  M.  F.  Lowe,  John  Mur- 
phy, Thomas  Malley,  T.  J.  O'Brien,  D.  L.  Fox,  and  P.  Welsh. 

In  the  morning  the  committee  was  assisted  by  a  number  of 
ladies,  friends  and  relatives  of  the  members,  and  the  scores  of  vis- 
itors were  lavish  in  their  admiration  of  the  arrangement,  finish, 
and  equipment  of  the  building.  Voss's  orchestra  was  placed  in 
an  alcove  of  the  lobby  outside  of  the  parlor,  and  sweet  strains  of 
classic  music  added  to  the  delight  which  the  inspection  of  the 
building  gave. 

In  September,  1888,  it  was  determined  to  open  a  school  for  the 
children  of  St.  Margaret's.  Some  five  and  twenty  little  ones  at- 
tended the  Mass  of  the  Holy  Ghost  celebrated  by  the  pastor,  and 
the  chapel,  as  a  matter  of  necessity,  had  to  be  used  for  a  school- 
room ;  but  what  more  fitting  place  than  His  sanctuary  who  said 
"  Suffer  the  little  ones  to  come  unto  me  "  .? 


230 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


October  24th,  1888,  brought  the  tidings  that  Bishop  Wigger 
had  honored  the  parish  by  making  it  one  of  the  seven  in  the  Dio- 
cese of  Newark  which  fulfilled  all  the  conditions  for  a  permanent 
rectorship,  and  the  pastor,  by  appointing  him  the  first  irremovable 
rector. 

The  year  1890  was  to  bring  additional  improvements.  On 
Sunday,  March  2d,  Dean  Flynn  announced  at  all  the  Masses  that, 
with  the  bishop's  permission,  he  had  sold  the  sisters'  house  for 
$4,000,  and  that  this  was  virtually  a  donation  of  that  sum  to  the 
parish,  since  it  came  to  them  from  him  as  a  gift.  He  furthermore 
stated  that  a  rectory  would  be  built  on  the  site  of  the  old  church, 
and  when  completed  the  priests  would  take  possession  of  it,  and 
the  sisters  of  the  old  rectory. 

Satisfactory  progress  had  been  made  with  the  new  rectory, 
and  to  such  an  extent  that  on  St.  Catherine's  day,  November 
25th,  the  furniture  was  put  in  place,  and  the  priests  took  posses- 
sion of  their  new  home.  The  same  day  the  busy  hands  of  the 
sisters  and  scholars  enabled  the  former  to  be  transferred  from 
their  temporary  house  to  the  more  comfortable  and  commodious 
quarters  of  the  old  rectory.  Early  in  December  the  congregation 
was  invited  to  inspect  the  new  building.  All  day  long  throngs  of 
ladies  passed  in  and  out.  In  the  evening  the  men  imitated  their 
example.  Lunch  was  prepared  for  all,  and  served  by  the  willing 
hands  of  the  Young  Ladies'  Sodality. 

It  had  long  been  apparent  that  the  growth  of  this  section  called 
for  some  provision  for  the  sick,  injured,  and  infirm.  For  a  long 
time  the  matter  occupied  the  attention  of  bishop  and  pastor.  The 
distance  to  the  city  hospitals  was  considerable;  the  demands 
made  upon  them  by  the  exigencies  of  their  surroundings  some- 
times rendered  it  difficult  to  accommodate  patients  from  afar.  In 
the  month  of  November,  within  the  octave  of  All  Souls,  the  ever- 
recurring  thought  returned ;  but,  while  the  building  was  attaina- 
ble, it  was  a  rather  more  difficult  task  to  obtain  sisters  trained  and 
devoted  to  this  kind  of  work. 

On  Sunday,  November  22d,  1891,  the  announcement  was  made 
to  the  congregation  that  the  old  Arnold  Tavern,  venerated  for  its 
Revolutionary  memories,  on  Mt.  Kemble  Avenue,  had  been  pur- 
chased for  a  hospital,  and  that  the  Grey  Nuns  of  Montreal,  Can- 
ada, had  consented  to  assume  the  charge  of  it.  Unbounded  en- 
thusiasm was  manifest  on  every  side.  The  old  Arnold  Tavern, 
removed  some  years  ago  from  the  square  in  Morristown,  had  long 
awaited  a  purchaser.     This  building  sheltered  General  Washing- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  231 

ton  in  1777.  It  was  his  first  headquarters.  There  he  spent 
several  months  with  his  chiefs  of  staff.  This  became  the  Morris- 
town  home  of  the  Grey  Nuns.  The  ballroom  of  General  Wash- 
ington was  turned  into  a  chapel.  The  dining-room  became  a  hos- 
pital ward.  The  broad  corridors  that  a  century  ago  resounded 
with  noise  of  spur  and  clank  of  sabre  took  on  new  life,  and  were 
filled  with  the  soft-falling  footsteps  and  rustling  garments  of  the 
gentle  sisters,  there  to  nurse  the  sick  and  afflicted  of  all  races, 
colors,  and  creeds.  In  the  building  at  the  rear  of  the  main  struc- 
ture a  home  was  provided  for  the  aged  and  the  orphans. 

On  a  single  Sunday  afternoon  and  evening  $6,500  in  cash  was 
given  by  the  men  and  women  of  the  congregation  for  the  further- 
ance of  this  work.  Men  were  seen  hurrying  off  to  borrow  money 
in  order  to  share  in  the  joy  each  one  seemed  to  take  in  helping  this 
great  work  of  char  it)'. 

On  Labor  Day,  September  5  th,  1892,  the  hospital  was  blessed 
by  Bishop  Wigger,  assisted  by  the  rev.  clergy  of  Sussex  and  Mor- 
ris counties.  It  was  a  beautiful  autumn  morning,  and  early  in  the 
forenoon  carriages  and  pedestrians  were  seen  wending  their  way 
out  to  Mt.  Kemble  Avenue  by  the  hundreds.  It  is  estimated  that 
2,500  people  visited  and  inspected  the  institution.  The  women  of 
the  parish  pravided  a  bountiful  luncheon  for  all,  and  the  visitors 
were  waited  on  by  the  Young  Ladies'  Sodality  and  the  Young 
Men's  Catholic  Association. 

In  the  great  national  conflict  which  divided  the  North  and 
South,  in  1 861,  members  of  our  parish  were  found  under  both 
flags.  The  roll  is  an  illustrious  one.  On  the  battle-field,  in  the 
prison,  in  rank  and  file,  the  children  of  St.  Mary's  gave  ample 
proof  of  courage  and  patriotism. 

Among  all  names  there  is  one  conspicuous  above  the  rest — 
Gen.  Joseph  Warren  Revere.  Descended  from  a  French  Hugue- 
not family,  his  grandfather  was  Col.  Paul  Revere,  of  Revolutionary 
fame. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  young  Revere  entered  the  United 
States  Naval  School,  and  began  a  long  career  of  service  on  sea 
and  land  in  almost  every  portion  of  the  globe.  In  his  sixteenth 
year  he  sailed  for  the  Pacific,  and  was  attached  to  the  squadron 
employed  in  suppressing  the  African  slave-trade.  After  narrow 
escapes  from  disease,  wreck,  and  mutiny,  he  was  detailed  to  the 
European  squadron,  and  visited  every  country  of  Europe,  and 
the  Mediterranean  shores  of  Asia  and  Africa.  His  knowledge  of 
many  languages  secured  him  a  favorable  position,  through  which 


232 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


he  met  the  most  distinguished  personages  of  the  day.  He  was 
an  eye-witness  of  the  CarUst  War,  and  served  with  the  Mosquito 
fleet  on  the  coast  of  Florida  during  the  Seminole  War.  In  1838 
he  sailed  in  the  first  American  squadron  which  circumnavigated 
the  globe. 

When  in  India  he  saved  the  British  man-of-war  Ganges  from 
shipwreck,  and  was  presented  for  his   service  with  a  sword   of 

honor   by    the  governor-gen- 
eral. 

Throughout  the  Mexican 
War  he  was  on  the  coast  of 
California.  At  Sonoma  he 
raised  the  first  American  flag 
north  of  San  Francisco.  Soon 
after  this  he  resigned,  and 
was  employed  by  the  Mexi- 
can Government  in  reorgan- 
izing the  artillery  service.  At 
the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War 
he  offered  his  services  to  the 
general  government  and  re- 
ceived a  commission  as  col- 
onel of  the  Seventh  New 
Jersey  Volunteers.  The  bril- 
liant record  of  this  gallant 
regiment,  second  to  none  in 
the  service,  has  been  largely 
attributed  to  the  severe  dis- 
cipline it  received  under  Gen- 
eral Revere,  whom  General 
Hooker  pronounced  the  best  disciplinarian  in  the  army.  He 
was  in  all  the  l^attles  of  the  Peninsular  campaign;  was  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general,  and  commanded  the 
Second  New  Jersey  Brigade  until  after  Fredericksburg.  He 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  New  York  Excelsior  Brigade, 
and  at  Chancellors ville  Revere' s  brigade  led  the  van  in  the  desper- 
ate struggle  after  the  rout  of  the  Eleventh  Corps,  when  Howard's 
men  retreated  before  the  impetuous  onslaught  of  Stonewall  Jack- 
son. Censured  by  General  Sickles  for  his  conduct  in  this  battle, 
Revere  was  for  a  time  deprived  of  his  rank ;  the  opinion  of  his 
troops,  and  of  Generals  Meade,  Sedgwick,  and  other  high  officers, 
held  him  innocent  of  any  offence.      President  Lincoln  declared 


GEN.   JOSEPH    WARREN   REVERE. 


IN    NKW    JERSEY  ni^^^ 

that  he  had  been  unjustly  treatetl  and  restored  to  him  his  rank, 
and  he  was  subsequently  named  brevet  major-generah  It  was 
after  the  Peninsular  Campaign  that  one  day,  in  Washington, 
brooding  over  the  sex'ere  losses  his  regiment  suffered  from  the 
terrific  struggle,  he  was  led  almost  unconsciously  to  a  Catholic 
church.  On  the  moment  he  felt  the  impulse,  or  rather  inspira- 
tion, to  become  a  Catholic.  For  years  he  had  carefully  studied 
religious  matters,  and  consequentl)',  when  he  presented  himself  to 
the  priest  and  asked  to  be  baptized,  he  was  found  thoroughly  in- 
structed in  the  principles  of  the  Catholic  Church.  He  received 
holy  baptism  October  19th  and  his  first  holy  communion  October 
26th,  1862.  Some  years  later  he  was  confirmed  by  Archbishop 
Bayley  in  our  own  church.  During  the  period  of  well-merited  re- 
pose in  his  delightful  home  he  published  in  1 873  Kcrl  and  Saddle, 
a  retrospect  of  his  stirring  life,  and  various  magazine  articles. 
The  picture  of  the  "  Espousals  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  St. 
Joseph,"  which  hangs  in  the  church  in  Our  Lady's  aisle,  attests 
his  artistic  ability.  He  died  April  20th,  1880.  One  of  his  sons, 
Mr.  Paul  Revere,  was  received  into  the  Church  some  years  after 
his  father,  and  cooperated  with  every  good  work  in  the  parish 
until  his  untimely  death  November  loth,  1901. 

Many  of  the  daughters  of  the  parish  have  entered  different 
religious  communities,  and  in  the  priesthood  are  the  Rev.  Eugene 
P.  Carroll,  Newark;  the  Rev.  James  J.  Mulhall,  Newton;  and  the 
Rev.  William  P.  Dunn,  Passaic,  . 

St.  Mary's  Star  of  the  Sea  Church,  Cape  May. 

The  church  records  of  St.  Augustine's,  Philadelphia,  show 
that  the  Very  Rev.  Michael  Hurley,  D.D.,  ofificiated  frequently  at 
Cape  May  island,  and  that  he  made  his  first  visit  about  1803. 
The  Augustinian  Fathers  seem  to  have  given  this  mission  what- 
ever attention  it  demanded,  which,  no  doubt,  was  little  except  in 
the  summer  months ;  and  no  notice  of  it  appears  in  the  Catholic 
Directory  until  1848,  when  the  name  of  the  church  appears — St. 
Mary's — and  the  attendant  priest,  the  Rev.  E.  O.  S.  W^aldron, 
with  the  admonition,  "  During  bathing  season  divine  service  every 
Sunday.  Once  a  month  the  resf  of  the  year."  The  names  of 
those  who  ministered  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  the  Catholics  until 
the  formation  of  the  new  diocese  are  the  Revs.  Hugh  Kenny,  E. 
J.  Sourin,  and  J.  McDermott,  Salem.  From  1854-56  the  Rev. 
John  Ford  was  the  pastor;   and  from  1857-64  it  was  attached  to 


^34 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


the  pastoral  charge  of  Salem,  and  from  1864  until  1869  to  Mill- 
ville.  The  Rev.  Martm  Gessner  was  pastor  of  Millville  during 
this  latter  period,  and  under  his  administration  the  churches  of 
Bridgeton  and  Millville  were  built.  Father  Gessner,  born  at 
Sonderhoff,  Bavaria,  November  loth,  1837,  studied  at  Mount  St. 
Mary's,  and  after  in  Munich.  He  was  ordained  priest  July  26th, 
1863,  and  after  laboring  nine  years  in  South  Jersey  was  appointed 
pastor  of  St.  Patrick's,  Elizabethport.  He  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  Theophilus  Degen,  a  secularized  Capuchin  (d.  October  31st, 
1900),  who,  by  purchase  of  the  cottage  adjoining  the  church, 
established  in  it  a  convent  and  school,  taught  by  the  Sisters  of 
Mercy.  F"ather  Degen  also  built  St.  Agnes's  Church  at  Cape 
May  Point,  added  a  chapel  to  the  Cape  May  church,  and  built  an 
addition  to  the  rectory.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  present  in- 
cumbent, the  Rev.  D.  S.  Kelly. 


St.   Francis's  German  Church,  Trenton. 

Before  the  year  1844  all  the  Catholics  of  Trenton  worshipped 
together  in  the  old  St.  Francis's  Church  on  Market  and  Lamber- 
ton  streets.     In  that  year  Father  Mackin  gave  up  this  church  for 

the  new  one  which  he  had 
erected  on  Broad  Street  and 
called  St.  John's.  The  Ger- 
man Catholics  thought  this 
a  favorable  time  to  secure. a 
church  of  their  own  where 
the  German  language  would 
be  spoken,  but  they  were  too 
few  to  pay  for  the  church  and 
support  a  pastor.  The  church 
was,  in  consequence,  sold  in 
1 85 1,  and  bought  by  Mr. 
Peter  Hargous,  a  prominent 
Catholic,  who  presented  it  to 
Bishop  Neumann  for  the  use 
of  the  Germans.  The  first 
pastor,  Father  Gmeiner,  was 
appointed  June  21st,  1853. 
Three  years  later  he  purchased  two  lots  on  Market  Street,  in  the 
rear  of  the  church,  on  which,  in  October,  1856,  he  erected  a  school 
which  for  several  years  was  in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Notre 


ST.  FRANCIS'S  CHURCH,  TRENTON. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  235 

Dame.  Soon  after  the  erection  of  the  school,  he  left  St.  Fran- 
cis's for  another  mission,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Anton 
Muller.  In  1859  Father  Gmeiner  again  became  pastor  and  re- 
mained until  1865,  when  he  was  followed  by  Father  Storr.  At 
this  time  the  Methodist  church  on  Front  Street  was  for  sale. 
Father  Storr  seeing  that  it  would  accommodate  his  congregation 
better  than  their  own,  bought  it  for  $11,000.  After  some  neces- 
sary changes  were  made  it  was  dedicated  in  the  following  year  and 
called  St.  Boniface's,  but  afterward  at  the  command  of  Bishop 
Bayley  the  name  of  the  first  church,  St.  Francis's,  was  substituted. 
Father  Storr  left  before  the  church  was  opened  for  services,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Francis  Gerber,  D.D.,  who,  in  1867,  built 
the  priest's  house  and  the  tower  of  the  church,  and  in  January, 
1869,  placed  the  Sisters  of  St.  Francis  in  charge  of  the  school. 
He  soon  after  left  for  Europe,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
Peter  Jachetti,  whose  zeal  and  labors  for  the  church  are  so  well 
known  to  the  people  of  Trenton. 

In  1870  Bishop  Bayley  gave  the  church  to  the  P'ranciscans, 
and  Father  Jachetti  was  continued  as  pastor.  In  1874  Father 
Jachetti  resigned  St.  Francis's  in  order  to  start  a  parish  in  that 
part  of  the  city  then  known  as  Chambersburg,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Rev.  Avellino  Szabo,  who  remained  in  charge  for  about  eight 
years.  His  most  important  work  was  the  building  of  the  present 
parochial  school.  He  was  followed  by  the  Rev.  Conrad  Elison, 
who  was  in  care  of  the  parish  until  November  ist,  1883,  when,  in 
obedience  to  the  wishes  of  Bishop  O'Farrell,  the  Franciscans  re- 
signed the  charge  of  St.  Francis's  for  that  of  St.  Peter's  German 
Congregation  in  Camden.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Thurnes  was  trans- 
ferred from  Camden  to  St.  Francis's.  Father  Thurnes  greatly 
improved  the  appearance  of  St.  Francis's  Church.  He  also  made 
some  additions  and  improvements  to  the  rectory.  He  erected  a 
little  frame  church  in  Pennington,  which  is  attended  every  other 
Sunday  from  St.  Francis's.  St.  Francis's  parish  has  about  one 
thousand  souls  and  two  hundred  and  fifty  children  in  the  parochial 
school. 

In  connection  with  this  church  the  following  letter  of  Arch- 
bishop Bayley  will  be  interesting : 

Newark,  August,  1856. 

M.  L'Abbe  O'bercamp:  I  hasten  to  reply  to  your  kind  letter 
of  July  5th  with  reference  to  the  dimensions  for  the  picture  to  be 
placed  in  the  church  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  Trenton,  which  his 
Majesty  King  Louis  of  Bavaria  has  so  graciously  offered  us.     The 


236  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

measure  is  what  is  known  as  English  measure.  The  height  is 
nine  feet  Enghsh,  and  the  width  in  proportion.  I  regret  that  my 
letter,  owing  to  lack  of  sufficient  explanation,  has  caused  you  some 
annoyance. 

Father  Thurnes  died  June  7th,  1902,  and  was  succeeded  by: 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Rathner,  D.D. 

St.  Bernard's  Church,  Raritan,  N.  J. 

Mass  was  said  in  Raritan  several  years  previous  to  1850. 
Father  Rogers  came  here  from  New  Brunswick  and  said  Mass 
here  and  there  in  private  houses.  A  small  frame  building  was 
then  erected  by  a  few  enthusiastic  Catholics  about  1850,  and 
whether  by  accident  or  as  some  say  by  design,  owing  to  an  anti- 
Catholic  spirit  then  prevalent,  soon  became  a  prey  to  the  flames. 
Father  Rogers  said  Mass  in  this  church.  Father  Howell  fol- 
lowed, remaining  about  two  years,  and  after  him  Father  J.  Mc- 
Donough  had  charge  for  about  three  years.  The  registry  of  bap- 
tisms commences  with  the  year  1854,  which  was  the  date  of  the 
burning  of  the  church.  Mass  was  then  again  said  in  private 
houses,  but  soon  after  steps  were  taken  for  the  building  of  a  more 
substantial  brick  structure.  Father  Fisher  had  charge  from  1855 
to  1856;  Father  T.  Kieran  from  1856  to  1868,  coming  from  Plain- 
field.  Father  M.  Kaeder  was  pastor  from  1868  to  1873,  and 
bought  the  first  parochial  house,  which  afterward  served  for  the 
residence  of  the  sisters.  After  him  Father  Schandel  of  Stony 
Hill  remained  about  a  month,  until  the  appointment  of  Father 
Marshall,  who  had  charge  from  1873  to  the  end  of  June,  1876. 

The  next  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Joseph  J.  Zimmer,  born  in  Wil- 
liamsburg, N.  Y.,  June  20th,  1846;  was  graduated  from  St.  John's 
College,  Fordham,  and,  after  completing  his  theological  studies  in 
Seton  Hall,  was  ordained  priest  May  i8th,  1872.  His  first  ap- 
pointments were  as  assistant  to  St.  Mary's,  Hoboken,  and  St. 
John's,  Paterson.  Father  Zimmer  is  a  scholarly  priest,  and  gifted 
with  musical  talent  of  a  high  order. 

He  was  assigned  to  Raritan,  as  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Corrigan 
informed  him,  temporarily ;  but  he  still  has  charge,  having  enjoyed 
the  distinguished  and  rare  honor  of  celebrating  in  1901  the  silver 
jubilee  of  his  pastorate,  begun  in  1876. 

Besides  having  charge  of  St.  Bernard's  Church,  there  were 
several  missions  attached  — Somerville,  Bound  Brook,  and  Mill- 
stone. These  have  since  been  made  into  separate  [parishes,  each 
having  its  own  pastor. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


237 


St.  Bernanl's  Church  is  now  well  constituted  tor  all  the  needs 
of  the  people.  A  cemetery  was  bought  in  1876  and  blessed  by 
the  Rev.  F.  Daly,  O.S.D.  A  new  rectory,  built  of  brick,  was 
erected  in  1881;  the  parochial  school  and  hall  in  1887;  and  the 
old  rectory  moved  from  its  former  site  and  fitted  up  for  the  sisters. 
The  school  is  taught  since  1889  by  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  with 
great  success. 

In  the  year  1883  there  began  a  large  influx  of  Italians  and 
Slavs  into  the  parish,  so  that  in  a  short  time  it  assumed  a  cosmo- 
politan aspect.  An  Italian  priest  was  occasionally  called  in,  until 
a  regular  assistant  was  appointed,  the  Rev.  A.  Soporno,  who  be- 
came the  first  assistant,  and  continued  in  charge  of  the  Italians 
from  April,  1896,  to  October,  1899;  then  came  the  Rev.  N,  Cos- 
cia  to  June,  1900,  followed  by  the  Rev.  T.  Rudden,  a  Genoese 
student,  who  remained  till  December,  1902,  to  be  followed  by  the 
Rev.  J.  Triolo,  who  had  charge  till  April,  1903.  At  this  time  the 
Italians  importuning  the  bishop  engaged  in  a  new  venture.  They 
determined  to  leave  St.  Bernard's  Church  and  begin  a  separate 
parish.  The  congregation  of  St.  Bernard's,  at  the  time  of  the 
departure  of  the  Italians  to  form  a  separate  congregation,  num- 
bered about  1,700  souls.  The  original  congregation,  owing  to 
deaths  and  departure  for  more  profitable  fields  of  labor,  is  gradu- 
ally diminishing,  but  this  is  a  problem  many  others  have  to  face. 


Church  of  St.   Mary  of  the  Lake. 

iHE  first  services  of  the  Catholic 
Church  that  were  held  in  this 
vicinity,  as  far  as  can  be  actu- 
ally known,  were  in  1850,  when 
Mass  was  said  in  the  small 
house  of  Larry  Reilh',  between 
the  two  lakes.  Later  a  small 
shedlike  building  was  erected 
east  of  the  railroad  crossing  at 
the  Cedar  Bridge  road,  and 
here  the  services  of  the  church 
were  conducted  by  priests  from 
various  parishes,  such  as  Free- 
hold, Red  Bank,  and  Trenton.  Gradually  this  building  was 
allowed  to  go  to  ruin,  and  Mass  was  then  said  for  a  number  of 


V  p  nlf/H 


FIRST   CHURCH    AT   LAKEWOOD. 


238  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

years  in  the  private  houses  of  the  Murphys,  Wilsons,  Carrolls, 
and  Reilleys,  until  in  1889  Father  James  E.  Sheehy,  S.P.M., 
came  to  Lakewood  and  erected  a  temporary  chapel  on  Second 
Street,  where  the  present  church  now  stands.  On  the  first  day 
of  November,  1889,  the  parish  of  St.  Mary  of  the  Lake  was  found- 
ed by  the  Rt.  Rev.  M.  J.  O'Farrell,  Bishop  of  Trenton,  who  ap- 
pointed Rev.  Thomas  B.  Healy  rector,  with  instructions  to  build 
a  church. 

Father  Healy  was  born  in  Tompkinsville,  Staten  Island,  De- 
cember 27th,  1859.  He  made  his  classics  at  the  college  of  St. 
Francis  Xavier,  New  York,  his  philosophy  at  Seton  Hall,  and 
was  graduated  in  1883  with  the  degree  of  A.B.,  and  in  1885  with 
the  degree  of  A.M.  His  theological  course  was  made  at  the 
Grand  Seminary,  Montreal,  Canada,  and  he  was  ordained  to  the 
priesthood  by  Bishop  O'Farrell  in  the  seminary  of  the  Sacred 
Heart,  Vineland,  N.  J.,  on  March  5th,  1887.  He  began  his  mis- 
sionary work  in  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Trenton,  N.  J., 
where  he  remained  for  two  years  and  eight  months,  and  then  he 
went  to  Lakewood. 

On  his  arrival  in  Lakewood  Father  Healy  said  Mass  in  the 
small  frame  chapel  on  Friday,  November  8th,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing Sunday  he  celebrated  two  Masses  and  read  the  letter  of  the 
bishop  appointing  him  rector,  and  announced  that  he  was  to  build 
a  church. 

At  that  time  there  were  only  six  Catholic  families  living  in 
Lakewood,  comprising  about  thirty  souls,  with  as  many  more  who 
worked  in  the  one  hotel,  the  Laurel  Hotel,  and  in  the  cottages 
and  boarding-houses  throughout  the  town. 

Not  only  was  there  no  money  to  build  the  church,  but  the 
parish  was  then  in  debt  to  the  extent  of  $1,600  for  the  lot  on 
which  the  chapel  stood.  The  Bricksburg  Land  Company  had 
given  the  church  two  lots  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  town,  which 
Bishop  O'Farrell  had  exchanged  for  two  others  in  a  more  central 
location  at  an  increased  price  of  $1,600.  The  kindness  to  Father 
Healy  of  the  prominent  Protestant  clergymen  of  Lakewood  was 
fully  appreciated  by  him,  especially  that  of  Rev.  Dr.  Alfred  H. 
Dashiell,  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  H.  McClellan,  and  Rev.  Ralph  L. 
Bridges,  and  at  the  house  of  the  latter  fellow-clergyman  he  took 
his  first  Christmas  dinner  in  Lakewood.  People  who  visited 
Lakewood  also  showed  their  interest  in  the  struggling  church,  and 
Mrs.  Grover  Cleveland,  at  that  time  "the  first  lady  of  the  land," 
with  Baroness  McDonald,  of  Canadn,  attended  and  made  gener- 


IN    NKW    JERSEY  239 

oils  iHirchases  at  the  first  church  fair  which  was  held  in  Larra- 
bee's  Hall. 

Sufficient  money  having  finally  been  I'aised,  ground  was 
broken  for  the  church  on  the  9th  of  May,  1890,  and  the  corner- 
stone was  laid  August  15th  of  the  same  year. 

The  church  was  dedicated  with  imposing  ceremonies  by  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  O'Farrell,  assisted  by  thirty-fi\^e  priests,  on  April 
29th,  1 89 1. 

The  parish,  which  on  Father  Healy's  installation  was  in  debt 
for  $1,600,  now  has  a  property  value  of  not  less  than  $50,000.  In 
March,  1892,  a  rectory  was  built  on  land  adjoining  the  church, 
and  later  a  home  for  the  sexton  and  a  stable  were  erected.  The 
church  itself  is  fully  equipped ;  it  owns  land  to  the  east  and  west 
of  it,  with  an  entire  frontage  of  175  feet,  and  has  a  good-sized 
cemetery  just  west  of  River  Avenue,  the  cemetery  of  St.  Mary  of 
the  Lake.  This  was  consecrated  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  McFaul, 
assisted  by  Father  Norris,  Father  McCullough,  and  Father  Healy, 
on  Sunday,  April  30th,  1899. 

In  the  autumn  of  1898  three  Sisters  of  Mercy  from  St.  Jo- 
seph's mother  house  at  Bordentown,  N.  J.,  came  to  Lakewood 
and  established  the  convent  and  academy  of  St.  Mary  of  the 
Lake,  with  Sister  Superior  Gonzaga  in  charge.  The  acad- 
emy was  opened  with  eight  pupils,  but  from  that  small  be- 
ginning it  has  grown  now  to  have  an  attendance  of  forty 
pupils,  with  eight  sisters,  at  the  head  of  whom  is  Sister  Superior 
Mary  Agnes,  and  in  the  autumn  their  house  was  doubled  in 
size. 

Twenty-two  acres  of  land  have  been  purchased  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Squankum  road,  and  within  a  few  years  a  handsome 
brick  building,  to  cost  $75,000,  will  be  erected  on  it  to  be  used  as  a 
convent  and  academy. 

During  Father  Healy's  incumbency  in  Lakewood  he  has  had 
to  assist  him  Father  John  J.  McCullough,  Father  John  R.  O'Con- 
ner.  Father  Joseph  A.  Ryan,  Father  John  J.  Sweeney,  Father 
James  E.  Sheehy,  Father  Peter  J.  Harold,  Father  Michael  J. 
Brennan,  and  Father  James  J.  Hughes. 

St.  Michael's  (Monastery)  Parish,  West  Hoboken. 

The  superb  edifice  dedicated  to  God  under  the  title  of  "  St. 
Michael  the  Archangel "  at  West  Hoboken  is  the  development  of 
a  little  frame  church  erected   in    1851   under  the  title  of  "Our 


240 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Lady  of  Mercy,"  by  the  Rev.  Father  Cauvin. 
the  church  was  the  following  inscription : 


On  the  front  of 


"MATER    MISERICORDIAE" 

Mother  of  Grace!    O  Mary  hear 
Mother  of  Mercy  lend  thine  ear 
From  raging  foes  our  souls  defend 
And  take  us  when  our  life  shall  end. 


This  church  was  generally  called  St.  Mary's.  It  was  dedicated 
by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Hughes  of  New  York,  as  this 
church  was  at  the  time  in  his  archdiocese.  The  archbishop 
preached  on  the  occasion. 

St.  Mary's  Church  was  erected  on  ground  donated  by  James 
Kerrigan  at  the  corner  of  Clinton  Avenue  and  High  Street. 
This  parish  at  that  time  embraced  the  wh<^le  territory  that  is 
now  included  in  the  parishes  of  St.  Nicholas  and  St.  Paul  of  the 


:^if|-^Hw1f|: 


mi 


jj 


.1^- 


ST.   MICHAEL'S   CHURCH. 
Monastery  of  the  Passionist  Fathers  in  the  left. 

Cross,  Jersey  City  Heights;     St.  Lawrence,    Weehawken;    the 
Holy  Family  and  St.  Augustine,  town  of  Union;  St.  Joseph,  Gut- 


IN    NKW    JERSEY 


241 


tenberg;    the  Sacred   Heart,  Shady   Side;  and   St.  Josei^n,  West 
Hoboken. 

When  the  Monastery  Church  was  opened  in   1875  St   Mary's 
became  St.  Michael's  i)arish  of  West  Hoboken. 

On  September  29th,  i860,  feast  of  St.  Michael  the  Archan- 
gel, Fathers  Gaudentius  and  Anthony,  of  the  Passionist  Monas- 
tery in  Fittsburg,  opened  the 
first  mission  ever  held  in  St. 
Mary's,  and  a  most  satisfac- 
tory one  it  was.  Shortly  after 
the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Bay  ley 
in\'ited  the  Passionists  to  es- 
tablish themselves  in  his  dio- 
cese. His  offer  was  accepted, 
and  after  looking  about  for 
the  most  desirable  spot  on 
which  to  locate,  the  fathers 
selected  West  Hoboken,  then 
but  a  sparsely  settled  hamlet, 
and  on  April  27th,  1861,  they 
formally  took  charge  of  St. 
Mary's,  with  Very  Rev.  Fa- 
ther John  Dominic  Tarlatini 
as  pastor.  A  parishioner 
wrote:  "That  Sunday  is  a 
never-to-be-forgotten  one  in 
the  memory  of  the  writer 
P'ather  Cauvin's  turning  the 
keys  of  the  church  over  to 
the  new  pastor  was  like  rend- 
mg  the  last  link  that  bound 
us  to  a  good  priest  who  had 
done  his  duty  faithfully  tow- 
ard us,  and  there  were  many 
tearful  e)'es  in  the  crowded 
little  church;  for  all  who 
could  had  come  to  bid  their 
old  pastor  farewell." 

Father  Cau\in  now  devoted  himself  to  the  rapidly  increasing 
parish  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace  in  Hoboken. 

In  the  same  year  the  Passionist  Order  purchased  twenty  acres 
of  land,  a  portion  of  the  Kerrigan  estate,  known  as  "  Kerrigan's 
16 


ST.  Joseph's,  west  hoboken,  jersey 
CITY  heights. 


242  THF.    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

woods,"  as  a  site  on  which  to  build  a  monastery  in  the  near 
future. 

The  new  mission  of  the  Passionists  being  an  accomphshed 
fact,  Very  Rev.  Father  Victor  Carunchio  was  appointed  Superior. 
The  small  house  at  the  rear  of  the  church,  being  found  wholly 
inadequate,  was  moved  back,  and  a  comfortable  frame  building- 
was  immediately  commenced  and  shortly  after  finished.  Such 
was  the  nucleus  from  which  sprang  St.  Michael's  Monastery. 

Work  was  soon  commenced  on  the  new  monastery,  a  building 
of  "blue  stone"  loi  feet  long  by  36  feet  in  width,  the  corner- 
stone of  which  was  laid  Sunday,  August  9th,  1863.  On  that  day 
at  3:30  P.M.  Bishop  Bayley  officiated  at  Solemn  Vespers  in  St. 
Mary's  Church.  He  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Chancellor  (now 
Monsignor)  Doane  as  deacon  and  Very  Rev.  John  Dominic  Tar- 
latini.  Provincial  of  the  Passionists,  as  subdeacon.  After  Bene- 
diction of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  a  procession  was  formed  and 
headed  by  a  brass  band,  the  young  girls  dressed  in  white,  and  the 
members  of  the  congregation  following,  two  by  two,  carrying  the 
United  States  flag,  the  green  flag  of  Erin,  the  French  and  Italian 
tri-colors,  and  the  bishop,  attended  by  the  Fathers  and  Brothers  of 
the  Order,  closed  the  procession,  which  marched  to  the  site  of 
the  new  monastery,  where  the  ceremony  was  to  take  place. 
Rev.  Dr.  McGlynn  delivered  an  eloquent  discourse.  Rev.  Father 
Cauvin  preached  from  another  stand  in  French,  while  from  an- 
other platform  the  Rev.  Father  Stanislaus  of  the  Passionists 
preached  in  German.  After  the  ceremony  and  the  blessing  by 
the  bishop,  the  procession  returned  to  St.  Mary's  in  the  same 
order. 

At  this  time  it  was  necessary  to  cross  the  open  fields  to  get  to 
the  monastery,  and  at  the  time  the  site  was  not  a  healthy  one  on 
account  of  the  lovvness  of  the  land  and  its  swampy  condition. 
But  the  history  of  the  monks  repeats  itself,  for  by  cultivation  it 
now  smiles  and  is  altogether  changed. 

The  dedication  of  the  monastery  took  place  a  year  later,  Sep- 
tember 25th,  1864.  On  this  occasion  also  a  procession  moved 
from  St.  Mary's  Church  to  the  new  monastery,  which  was  dedi- 
cated by  Bishop  Bayley.  An  address  was  read  by  Mr.  P.  M. 
Weldon,  a  very  worthy  member  of  old  St.  Mary's  parish,  to  which 
the  Very  Rev.  Father  Dominic,  Provincial  of  the  Passionists,  re- 
sponded as  follows : 

"  Gentlemen  :  I  thank  you  very  heartily  in  my  own  name  and 
in  the  name  of  all  those  of  the  Passionist  community  for  your  flat- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  243 

tering  address,  as  well  as  for  the  hearty  cooperation  you  have 
alvva)'s  given  us  in  the  work  that  has  been  done  for  the  good  of 
the  congregation. 

"We  likewise  thank  all  the  ladies  of  St.  Mary  s  congregation 
for  their  interest  in  our  undertaking.  We  also  thank  the  neigh- 
boring friends  who  so  generously  helped  us  in  the  erection  of  this 
monastery.  I  hope  you  will  persevere  in  the  good  work,  and 
although  for  the  future  we  are  to  be  removed  from  you  a  short 
distance,  some  of  us  will  remain  to  take  care  of  you. 

"  Let  us  all  then  thank  God  for  the  many  benefits  he  has  be- 
stowed upon  us,  and  by  the  purity  of  our  lives  show  ourselves 
worthy  disciples  of  the  Cross." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Brann,  of  Jersey  City,  followed  in  a  timely,  elo- 
quent discourse,  after  which  Benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment was  given  and  all  went  away  greatly  pleased  with  this  day's 
ceremonies. 

Shortly  after  the  arrival  of  the  Passionist  Fathers  in  West 
Hoboken  in  1863,  the  same  year  in  which  the  corner-stone  of  the 
monastery  was  laid,  St.  Mary's  School  was  erected  on  ground 
donated  by  the  Kerrigan  family.  It  was  built  opposite  St.  Mary's 
Church,  on  the  east  side  of  Clinton  Avenue  and  High  Street.  In 
1882,  while  Very  Rev.  Benedict  Murnane,  C.P.,  was  rector  of  St. 
Michael's  Monastery,  an  addition  was  made  to  the  school.  The 
schoolrooms  are  spacious,  well  lighted,  and  ventilated,  and  the 
sanitary  conditions  of  the  building  leave  nothing  to  be  desired. 
The  school  is  in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity.  It  ranks  high 
among  the  parochial  schools  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  and  its 
general  reputation  is  in  every  respect  excellent.  We  shall  return 
to  speak  of  the  erection  of  St.  Michael's  School  in  chronological 
order. 

On  September  25th,  1864,  as  we  have  .stated,  the  monastery 
was  solemnly  dedicated,  and  on  that  day  its  portals  were  thrown 
open  to  the  public,  of  which  privilege  hundreds  of  the  townspeo- 
ple, Protestants  as  well  as  Catholics,  availed  themselves,  the  ladies 
especially ;  for  well  they  knew  that  when  the  doors  would  close 
against  them  that  evening  this  opportunity  would  never  again  be 
afforded  them,  as  no  woman  is  permitted  to  go  beyond  the  parlors 
and  vestibule.  That  same  day  the  little  band  of  Passionists  bade 
farewell  to  St.  Mary's,  just  three  years  and  five  months  after  their 
advent  to  West  Hoboken. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  more  room  was  required  in  the 
new  monastery,  and  therefore  strenuous  efforts  were  made,  fresh 


144  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

obstacles  overcome,  and  in  October,  1864,  a  wing,  65  by  50  feet 
was  commenced. 

In  this  wing  was  erected  a  beautiful  chapel,  which  was  dedi- 
cated by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bernard  J.  McQuaid,  then  elect  and  now 
the  honored  Bishop  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  on  Sunday,  September 
30th,  1866.  After  Solemn  Vespers  at  St.  Mary's  Church,  at 
which  Very  Rev.  Father  Anthony  Calandri,  Provincial  of  the 
Passionists,  was  celebrant,  in  the  presence  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop- 
elect  of  Rochester,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Brann  of  Fort  Lee,  and  other 
clergymen,  a  procession  was  formed,  headed  by  the  Germania 
band  from  Third  Street,  New  York,  which  proceeded  to  the  mon- 
astery. Arriving  at  the  front  entrance,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Brann  as- 
cended the  stoop  and  delivered  a  sermon  full  of  strength  and 
beauty,  taking  for  his  text,  "  And  the  Word  was  made  Flesh  and 
dwelt  amongst  us." 

The  bishop-elect  then  addressed  the  people  and  gave  a  sketch 
of  the  Passionist  order  in  America.  "  May  we  not  fairly  believe," 
said  he,  "  that  the  masses  of  these  recluses,  especially  dedicated 
to  the  Passion  of  Jesus  Christ,  will  have  much  efficacy  in  drawing 
down  its  redeeming  fruits  upon  the  streets  and  people  of  our  own 
cities  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson .'  May  God  increase  sevenfold 
such  institutions." 

On  June  29th,  1867,  a  date  never  to  be  forgotten  by  the  Pas- 
sionists, Blessed  Paul  of  the  Cross  was  canonized  by  Pope  Pius 
the  Ninth  of  glorious  memory.  For  this  occasion,  and  the  solemn 
Triduum  that  preceded  it,  a  frame  building  1 50  feet  long  and  60 
feet  wide  was  erected  where  now  stands  the  magnificent  stone 
structure  which  is  justly  the  pride  of  the  people.  It  was  decorated 
by  the  ladies  of  the  parish  and  adorned  with  the  papal  arms,  flags, 
bunting,  banners,  and  evergreens.  The  nimilDcr  that  attended  the 
services  was  legion.  There  were  bishops,  monsignori,  and  clergy 
from  all  parts,  and  right  royally  were  they  entertained,  for  was  it 
not  a  gala  week  with  the  Passionists  ? 

Among  the  orators  for  this  Triduum  were  the  eloquent  Bishop 
of  Hartford,  Rt.  Rev.  F.  P.  McFarland ;  Rev.  Dr.  Wiseman,  of 
Seton  Hall ;  and  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor,  now  Archbishop,  Seton. 

The  third  fair  was  held  in  this  temporary  building  in  October 
of  the  same  year,  just  previous  to  its  being  torn  down;  for  in  No- 
vember the  first  huge  stone  was  rolled  into  place  for  the  new 
church,  which  was  commenced  in  the  month  of  April,  1869. 
Sunday,  July  i8th,  1869,  in  the  presence  of  all  the  societies  at- 
tached  to   the   church  and    those  from   St.  Paul  of  the   Cross, 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  245 

Holy  Family,  St.  Joseph,  and  other  parishes,  the  corner-stone  of 
this  grand  edifice  was  laid  b}-  Bishop  Bay  ley — a  church  which  was 
to  be  a  lasting  monument  to  the  memory  of  those  who  had  been 
instrumental  in  its  erection.  The  orator  of  the  day  was  the  Very 
Rev.  Dr.  Anderdon,  an  English  convert.  On  July  22d,  1870,  St. 
Mary's  Church,  amid  the  lamentations  of  its  old  parishioners,  was 
closed  forever  to  divine  services,  and  the  parishioners  now  wor- 
shipped in  the  basement  chapel  of  the  monastery  church. 

This  chapel  was  dedicated  by  Monsignor  Seton,  D.D.,  July 
17th.  It  was  in  the  transept  of  the  church,  being  170  feet  in 
width  and  60  feet  in  length. 

St.  Mary's  Church  was  used  as  a  hall  for  school  entertain- 
ments until  1895,  when  it  was  removed  to  make  room  for  the  fine 
new  school  of  St.  Michael. 

On  July  4th,  1875,  the  superb  Church  of  St.  Michael  the  Arch- 
angel was  dedicated  with  all  the  pomp  and  splendor  possible.  The 
dedicatory  ceremonies  were  conducted  by  Rt.  Rev.  M.  A.  Corri- 
gan,  second  Bishop  of  Newark,  assisted  by  Monsignor  De  Concilio, 
of  Jersey  City,  and  Father  Victor,  C.P.,  as  deacons  of  honor. 
Bishop  Lynch,  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  Bishop  O'Hara,  of 
Scranton,  were  present  in  the  sanctuary.  After  the  ceremonies 
of  dedication  a  Pontifical  High  Mass  was  sung  by  Bishop  O'Hara, 
of  Scranton,  assisted  by  Rev.  Dr.  McSweeney,  of  Poughkeepsie, 
and  Rev.  H.  McDowell,  of  St.  Agnes's  Church,  New  York  City. 
The  sermon  was  preached  by  Bishop  Lynch,  of  Charleston,  S.  C. 
Among  other  things  the  speaker  said : 

"To-day  your  beautiful  and  grandiose  church  is  dedicated  to 
the  service  of  God.  Here  is  a  temple  worthy  of  any  city,  even  of 
Rome  itself.  Here  stand  those  noble  soldiers  of  Christ — the  Pas- 
sionists — toiling  day  and  night,  bearing  on  their  heart  a  shield  re- 
minding them  of  Christ  crucified.  This  order  was  brought  here 
to  this  land  not  many  years  ago  by  the  illustrious  and  devoted 
prelate  who  was  the  first  Bishop  of  Pittsburg,  Rt.  Rev.  Michael 
O'Connor,  D.D.,  who  was  called  to  his  reward  last  year." 

The  music  on  this  occasion  was  by  the  choir  of  St.  Stephen's 
Church,  New  York.     It  elicited  the  admiration  of  all  present. 

The  following  are  the  dimensions  of  the  great  blue-stone 
church  of  St.  Michael:  Extreme  length,  195  feet;  width  of  nave, 
70  feet;  width  of  transept,  104  feet;  height  of  main  aisle,  75  feet; 
depth  of  sanctuary,  25  feet;  height  from  ground  to  top  of  the 
cross  on  the  dome,  193  feet.  The  blue-stone  material  was  quar- 
ried on  the  Passionist  Fathers'  grounds.     The  trimmings  are  of 


246  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

brown  stone.  The  architect  was  Mr.  P.  C.  Keeley,  of  Brooklyn, 
and  the  church  is  one  of  his  best  specimens  of  the  basihcan  order 
of  Roman  style. 

In  the  south  tower  are  three  bells,  each  named  for  a  saint: 
St.  Michael,  3,040  pounds;  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  1,500  pounds; 
St.  Joseph,  900  pounds. 

On  Sunday,  April  24th,  1898,  St.  Michael's  Church  was  con- 
secrated with  imposing  ceremonies.  P'or  fifteen  months  it  had 
been  undergoing  repairs  and  alterations.  Bishop  Wigger,  the 
third  Bishop  of  Newark,  was  the  consecrator.  On  this  occasion 
the  Pontifical  Mass  was  sung  by  Monsignor  Martinelli,  the  Apos- 
tolic Delegate,  and  the  sermon  was  preached  by  His  Eminence 
Cardinal  Gibbons  of  Baltimore.  The  church  is  now  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  ornate  in  the  State.  At  present,  under  the 
rectorship  of  Very  Rev.  Justin  Carey,  C.P.,  it  is  being  fitted  up 
with  eighteen  hundred  electric  lights,  and  promises  to  be  wonder- 
ful in  its  attractions. 

We  must  return  to  record  the  building  of  St.  Michael's  School 
at  Clinton  Avenue  and  High  Street.  It  stands  where  old  St. 
Mary's  was  formerly  erected.  It  was  dedicated  on  November 
8th,  1896,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  M.  W.  Wigger,  Bishop  of  Newark. 
The  structure,  whilst  primaril}-  a  parish  school,  is  meant  to  meet 
various  parish  needs.  The  building,  whose  construction  belongs 
to  the  period  when  the  Very  Rev.  Charles  Lang,  C.P.,  was  in 
charge  of  the  parish,  is  fitted  up  with  every  modern  improvement. 
It  is  heated  by  steam,  and  special  attention  has  been  paid  to  light- 
ing and  ventilation. 

The  building  is  a  red-brick  structure  with  a  high  stone  base- 
ment trimmed  with  Belleville  brown  stone.  It  fronts  on  High 
Street,  and  is  118  feet  long  by  74  feet  wide.  Besides  the  base- 
ment there  are  three  stories.  The  building  has  a  very  handsome 
high  hip  roof  with  a  tower  in  the  centre,  which  is  surmounted  by 
a  gilt  cross.  The  latter  is  112  feet  from  the  street  level.  In  the 
basement  are  the  bowling  alleys  for  St.  Michael's  Young  Men's 
Lyceum.  On  the  first  floor  on  the  east  side  are  the  rooms  of  St. 
Michael's  Young  Men's  Lyceum.  The  second  floor  is  occupied 
by  class-rooms.  The  top  floor  consists  of  a  hall,  which  is  the 
largest  in  North  Hudson.  It  is  70  by  80  feet,  with  a  stage  48  by 
22  feet. 

Seven  hundred  and  eighty-six  children  attend  St.  Michael's  and 
St.  Mary's  schools. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  247 


St.  James's  Church,  Red  Bank. 

The  Catholics  of  Red  Bank  in  the  early  da)s  were  attended 
from  the  Amboys.  The  first  i^riest  whose  name  is  connected 
with  this  mission  is  the  Rev.  Michael  A.  Madden  in  185 1. 

The  faith  was  planted  here  with  the  usual  obstacles  and  oppo- 
sition. It  is  in  the  memory  of  some  still  alive  that,  after  having 
offered  Mass  in  different  private  houses,  the  opportunity  offered 
itself  to  use  an  abandoned  Presb3'terian  church.  The  Catholics 
had  gathered  from  the  surrounding  country,  and  while  service 
was  going  on  a  crowd  on  the  outside  threw  through  the  open  win- 
dows dead  cats,  old  tins,  etc. ;  and  after  Mass  was  over  a  guard 
of  stalwart  Catholics  escorted  the  priest  beyond  the  limits  of 
the  town  to  protect  him  from  assault  and  insult.  So  bitter  was 
the  prejudice  against  our  people  that  when  the  fii'st  church  was 
built  mechanics  had  to  be  brought  from  New  York,  as  not  one 
in  Red  Bank  was  willing  to  work  on  it.  In  1853  the  Rev.  James 
Callan  from  South  Amboy,  and  from  1855  to  1863  the  Rev.  John 
Kelly,  ministered  to  the  Catholics.  The  first  resident  pastor 
appears  to  have  been  the  Rev.  Thomas  M.  Killeen,  born  in  New 
York  City,  November  3d,  1834,  educated  in  St.  Francis  Xavier's 
College,  New  York,  and  in  the  Propaganda,  Rome,  and  ordained 
in  Newark  by  Bishop  Bayley,  December  6th,  i860.  Before  his 
appointment  to  Red  Bank  in  1863  he  had  been  an  assistant  in 
St.  James's,  Newark,  St.  Mary's,  Jersey  City,  and  St.  John's, 
Paterson. 

In  October,  1867,  the  Rev.  John  Francis  Salaun,  of  Brittany, 
France,  who  had  come  to  the  diocese  of  Newark  from  Cleveland, 
and  volunteered  his  services  on  the  cholera  ship  in  the  Lower 
Bay,  N.  Y.,  remaining  there  from  April  24th  to  July  5th,  1866, 
and  assistant  at  St.  Peter's,  Jersey  City,  took  pastoral  charge  in 
succession  to  Father  Killeen.  He  remained  until  July  ist,  1876, 
when  he  was  appointed  first  resident  pastor  of  Long  Branch, 
where  he  built  a  church.  He  was  later  transferred  to  Seton  Hall, 
named  first  pastor  of  South  Orange,  resigned,  and  returned  to 
France  in  1889,  where  he  died  October  19th,  1895.  His  succes- 
sor was  the  Rev.  Michael  E.  Kane.  Father  Kane,  born  in  New- 
ark, made  his  studies  in  Seton  Hall,  where  he  was  ordained  priest 
June  24th,  1865. 

He  had  been  assistant  in  St.  James's,  Newark,  pastor  of  St. 
Mary's,  Elizabeth,  and  again  reappointed  assistant  in  St.  James's, 


248  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Newark,  January,  1871-July  ist,  1876.  Father  Kane  paid  off  all 
the  debt  of  the  church,  and  built  the  fine  school-house  in  Red 
Bank.     He  died  April  4th,  1891. 

The  present  rector,  the  Rev.  James  A.  Reynolds,  educated  at 
St.  Charles's  and  Seton  Hall,  a  member  of  the  class  of  '82,  has 
built  one  of  the  most  beautiful  churches  in  the  State,  which  was 
dedicated  by  the  Most  Rev.  Francis  Satolli,  Apostolic  Delegate. 

St.  Mary's,  Plainfield,   1851. 

A  HALF  century  ago  Plainfield  was  a  small  hamlet.  Over 
the  mountain,  in  what  is  still  called  the  "  Second  Valley,"  stood 
the  little  Catholic  chapel  of  Stony  Hill,  erected  for  the  benefit 
of  the  German  farmers  tilling  the  pleasant  fields  of  that  smiling 
spot.  The  chapel  was  eight  miles  away,  counting  the  distance 
in  both  directions,  from  the  homes  of  the  little  band  of  Catho- 
lics then  dwelling  in  Plainfield,  a  journey  delightful  to  make 
in  the  soft  air  of  May  or  when  the  golden  haze  of  October  lay 
broodingly  o\er  the  mountains,  covered  with  their  autumn  tapes- 
tries; but  it  was  another  matter  when  the  fierce  sun  of  July  and 
August  burned  down  on  the  shut-in  Jersey  valley  and  on  the  side 
of  the  steep  hills,  or  when  the  icy  winds  of  midwinter  whirled 
the  snow  through  the  ravine  and  beat  back  the  souls  who  braved 
these  terrors  to  hear  Mass.  Elizabeth  was  twelve  miles  distant. 
Stony  Hill  but  eight,  and  these  Irish  immigrants  were  used  to 
suffer  for  their  faith.  So  they  toiled  through  heat  and  cold  to 
the  chapel  built  by  their  German  brethren,  nor  thought  the  alter- 
native of  staying  home  worthy  to  be  entertained. 

Time  went  on,  and  the  intrepid  Plainfield  Catholics  increased 
in  numbers,  and  the  possibility  of  building  a  church  for  them- 
selves and  getting  the  archbishop  to  appoint  to  them  their  own 
pastor  was  discussed  among  them.  One  of  the  members  of  the 
congregation,  appointed  delegate  for  the  rest,  went  to  New  York 
to  see  Archbishop  Hughes,  and  laid  before  him  the  fact  of  the 
great  distance  from  Plainfield  that  the  chapel  of  Stony  Hill  stood, 
its  incapacity  to  accommodate  the  increasing  numbers  seeking  it, 
even  at  so  much  sacrifice,  and  their  ability  to  support  a  priest,  at 
least,  although  as  yet  a  church  they  had  none. 

The  archbishop,  recognizing  the  justice  of  their  request,  sent 
the  Rev.  James  I.  McDonough  in  1851  to  take  charge  of  the 
Catholics  in  Plainfield  and  the  vicinity. 

It  was  much  to  have  secured  a  priest ;  a  church  to  say  Mass 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


149 


in  was  beyond  the  possibilities  of  his  smah  congrei;ation  when  he 
came  among"  them. 

Out  on  what  is  now  Somerset  Street,  not  far  from  "  the  Notch," 
and  on  the  way  to  the  next  valley  which  he  had  trodden  bravely 
with  the  rest,  stood,  as  still  stands,  the  house  of  James  Verdon. 
This  was  the  cradle  of  Plainfield  Catholicity.  Here  Father 
McDonough  gathered  his  little  flock  on  every  alternate  Sunday; 
here  was  said  the  first  Mass  within  the  limits  of  Plainfield. 

Increase  in  numbers  continued  steadily  in  this  growing  par- 
ish ;  Mr.  Verdon's  house  soon  became  too  small,  and  in  Mr.  Ver- 
don's  barn  the  Plainfield  church  was  sheltered  for  a  long  time. 
It  was  not  long  before  the  barn 
as  well  as  the  house  was  out- 
grown, for  there  was  some- 
thing like  a  hundred  souls  in 
the  little  congregation  by  this 
time,  and  they  felt  they  could 
afford  a  building  a  little  more 
like  a  church.  A  hall  was 
rented  for  their  use,  and  this 
stood  in  the  centre  of  the  vil- 
lage. 

The  parish  of  St.  Mary's  at 
this  time  stretched  from  Rar- 
itan  to  Westfield,  with  the 
pastoral  residence  in  the  for- 
mer town,  and  until  1868  Mass  was  said  in  Plainfield  only  every 
two  weeks. 

Father  McDonough's  stay  among  his  new  flock  was  brief;  it 
was  in  1854,  the  third  year  after  his  appointment,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  a  younger  priest,  Rev.  Daniel  Fisher,  who  trans- 
ferred his  residence  from  Raritan  to  Plainfield.  Two  years  later 
this  pastor  was  in  turn  removed  to  become  the  President  of  Seton 
Hall  College,  then  in  Madison. 

Father  Fisher's  removal  brings  us  to  the  third  pastor  of  St. 
Mary's  and  the  first  to  serve  the  church  for  any  considerable 
length  of  time.  Leather  Terence  Kiernan,  following  Father 
Fisher  in  1856,  remained  in  Plainfield  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred suddenly  in  1869.  His  successor  was  Rev.  John  Connolly, 
who,  because  of  his  frail  health,  was  given  Father  Morris  as  as- 
sistant, until  the  not-unexpected  death  of  the  pastor  a  year  after 
his  aopointment  gave  the  charge  to  P'ather  Morris. 


THE   FIRST    ST.    MARY  S    CHURCH, 
PLAINFIELD. 


250 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Father  Morris,  recognizing"  the  rapid  growth  of  the  parish  and 
its  insufficient  accommodations,  began  raising  funds  to  build  a 
permanent  church.  In  1875  the  corner-stone  of  the  fine  Gothic 
church  was  laid.  The  pastorate  of  Father  Morris  ended  two 
years  after  the  dedication  of  the  church  in  1882.  Two  priests, 
Fathers  De  Burgh  and  Callahan,  were  placed  in  charge  for  a  few 


ST.    MARY  S    CHURCH,    PLAINFIELD. 


months  each  until,  January,  1883,  the  Rev.  P.  E.  Smythe  was  sent 
to  Plainfield  from  Jersey  City. 

In  1888  the  fine  brick  building,  St.  Mary's  School,  was  built 
on  the  corner  of  Sixth  and  Liberty  streets. 

The  solemn  consecration  of  St.  Mary's  Church  took  place  with 
all  due  observance  on  the  last  Sunday  in  September,  the  30th 
day  of  the  month,  igoo,  by  the  Bishop  of  Newark,  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M. 
Wigger.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  Rt.  Rev.  Mgr.  Mooney. 
The  Most  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan,  Archbishop  of  New  York,  who, 
when  Bishop  of  Newark,  dedicated  the  church,  was  present  in  the 
sanctuary. 

The  Rev.  P.  E.  Smythe  was  appointed  permanent  rector  of  St. 
Joseph's  Church,  Jersey  City,  in  succession  to  the  Most  Rev. 
Archbishop  Seton,  and  the  Rev.  Andrew  M.  Egan  was  appointed 
pastor  of  St.  Mary's  January  6th,  1902. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  251 

Father  Egan,  born  in  Newark,  August  21st,  1855,  made  his 
preparatory  studies  partly  in  St.  Charles's  and  in  St.  Hyacinth's 
College,  Canada,  was  graduated  from  Seton  Hall  in  the  class  of 
'76,  and  ordained  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  Newark,  May  22d, 
1880.  His  missionary  career  began  in  St.  Mary's,  Bergen  Point, 
then  to  St.  Michael's,  Jersey  City,  again  to  Bergen  Point  from 
February,  1883,  to  1892,  when  he  was  appointed  rector  of  St. 
Virgilius's,  Morris  Plains.  Here  his  ministry  was  characterized 
by  energy,  zeal,  and  tact.  Among  his  other  duties  was  the  care 
of  the  insane  in  the  State  asylum,  and  never  at  any  time  was  there 
friction  between  the  pastor  and  the  staff,  by  whom  and  by  the 
directors  he  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem.  He  built  the  rec- 
tory, tastefully  laid  out  the  grounds,  so  that  the  place  became  one 
of  the  many  attractive  spots  in  that  locality,  and  erected  a  parish 
hall.     His  departure  was  universally  regretted. 


St.  Rose's  Church,  Short  Hills. 

The  story  of  this  parish  is  best  told  by  its  founder,  Bishop 
McQuaid. 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  March  28th,  1882. 

Dear  Father  Corrigan:  Your  favor  of  the  26th  is  at  hand. 
Some  of  the  facts  relating  to  the  beginning  of  the  mission  of 
Springfield  I  can  furnish. 

When  I  took  charge  of  Springfield  as  an  outlying  mission  of 
Madison  in  April,  1848,  Mass  had  been  said  only  on  week  days. 
Daniel  Coghlan  then  lived  in  Springfield,  and  it  was  in  his  house 
that  all  religious  services  took  place  and  that  the  priest  found 
good  care  and  generous  hospitality. 

After  the  opening  of  the  Morristown  church  in  1849,  which  was 
subsequent  to  the  formation  of  the  Dover  mission  in  November 
of  1848,  Mass  was  said  in  Springfield  once  a  month  on  Sunday. 
That  Sunday  Morristown  was  left  without  Mass.  The  first  Mass 
was  in  Madison  and  the  second  in  Springfield.  Before  the  build- 
ing of  the  church  the  Catholics  of  Springfield  and  neighborhood 
met  in  Mr.  Coghlan' s  house  for  Mass,  for  Lenten  devotions  one 
evening  in  the  week,  and  the  children  every  Sunday  for  catechism. 
After  Daniel  Coghlan's  removal  to  Whippany  the  same  facilities 
were  kindly  granted  by  his  brother,  Thomas  Coghlan. 

In  1852,  owing  to  increasing  numbers,  it  was  judged  advisable 
to  build  a  church.     As  the  non-Catholics  of  Springfield  and  Mil- 


252  THK    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

burn  were  grossly  and  stui)iclly  bigoted,  it  was  necessary  to  pro- 
ceed warily  in  buying  a  lot  for  the  new  church.  Fortunately  a 
suitable  site  was  found  on  the  main  road  leading  to  Elizabeth, 
just  where  the  road  from  Newark  strikes  it.  The  property  be- 
longed to  one  *  *  *  *.  He  agreed  to  sell  one  acre  for  $250,  having 
paid  $750  for  three  and  a  half  acres,  with  house  and  barn,  a  short 
time  before.  Then,  after  the  story  got  out  that  the  Catholics 
were  about  to  build  a  church,  this  man  refused  to  complete  the 
bargain,  on  the  plea  that  his  wife  refused  to  sign  the  deed — a  com- 
mon dodge  among  people  who  do  not  wish  to  keep  their  agree- 
ments. When  it  became  known  that  he  had  backed  out,  no  one 
in  the  neighborhood  would  sell  at  any  price.  An  offer  was  then 
made  to  the  man's  wife  of  $300,  and  then  of  $400,  for  the  same 
bit  of  ground  for  a  church,  seeing  that  the  enemies  of  the  Church 
were  combined  against  us.  She  refused,  no  doubt  in  the  hope  of 
extracting  more  money,  for  when  she  found  that  the  church  was 
to  be  built  elsewhere,  she  offered  the  ground  at  the  last-named 
price.     Her  offer  was  indignantly  refused. 

The  site  on  which  the  church  was  built  was  a  free  gift  from 
Daniel  Coghlan,  and  was  alwa}'s  at  our  disposal,  but  as  the  ground 
was  wet  and  the  location  not  as  desirable  as  other  sites,  it  was 
judged  better  to  pay  for  a  choice  site  rather  than  accept  this  as  a 
gift. 

The  disappointment  occasioned  by  the  afore-mentioned  gentle- 
man's want  of  honesty  in  keeping  to  his  bargain  delayed  the  com- 
mencement of  the  church  until  the  autumn.  Promise  had  been 
made  to  the  people  that  they  should  have  a  church  before  the 
expiration  of  the  year.  Ground  was  broken  for  the  fcjundations 
of  the  church  on  St.  Theresa's  Day,  October  15th,  and  the  church 
was  blessed  on  the  Sunday  after  Christmas,  I  think  it  was  Decem- 
ber 26th,  by  the  Very  Rev.  John  Loughlin,  V.G.,  deputed  by 
Bishop  Hughes.  The  day  of  the  dedication  all  indebtedness  was 
liquidated  except  two  notes  of  $100,  each  payable  to  Houston  of 
Chatham,  one  in  six  months  and  another  in  twelve  months.  The 
first  was  paid  at  maturit)' ;  the  second  was  met  by  my  successor. 
Rev.  M.  A.  Madden.  The  money  for  building  this  church  was 
collected  in  small  sums  all  over  the  extensive  but  not  populous 
mission  of  Madison.  An  old  collection  book  shows  contributions 
from  Madison,  Morristown,  Mendham,  Baskingridge,  Providence, 
Chatham,  Columbia,  Hanover,  Whippany,  Speedwell,  etc. 

In  September,  1853,  on  my  removal  to  Newark,  Rev.  P'ather 
Madden  took  charge  of  the  mission  of  Madison.     In  a  few  years. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  253 

finding  the  church  at  Springfield  too  small  for  the  congregation, 
he  built  an  addition. 

After  the  removal  of  Seton  Hall  College  from  Madison  to 
South  Orange  in  i860,  Springfield  came  under  the  administration 
of  the  priests  of  the  college.  It  did  the  young  priests  of  the  col- 
lege good  to  ride  over  from  the  college  on  a  crispy  winter's  morn- 
ing to  get  a  slight  taste  of  the  pleasures  of  missionary  life.  It  was 
about  this  time  that  Catholic  families  from  New  York  began  to 
move  into  the  Short  Hills. 

These  are  the  chief  facts  that  come  to  my  memory  in  connec- 
tion with  the  establishment  of  the  Springfield  mission.  Should 
there  be  any  particular  points  on  which  )'0u  desire  information, 
and  within  my  power  to  communicate,  it  will  give  me  pleasure  to 
help  your  good  work. 

Very  sincerely  in  Christ, 

Bernard,  Bishop  of  RocJiester. 

P.  S.  I  think  that  in  The  Fireman's  Journal  of  December, 
1852,  you  will  find  an  account  of  the  dedication  of  St.  Rose's 
Church.  In  the  last  century  after  the  Revolution  French  emi- 
grants settled  at  Elizabeth.  A  priest  visited  them  occasionally. 
If  I  am  not  mistaken,  some  lived  a  while  near  Springfield.  Their 
compatriots  at  Madison  (old  Bottle  Hill,  as  it  was  called)  were 
often  attended  to  by  a  priest  from  St.  Peter's,  New  York.  He 
came  by  boat  to  Elizabeth,  thence  by  stage  to  Madison.  These 
visits  became  quite  regular  as  far  back  as  1805,  although  I  think 
that  the  French  priests  li\ed  in  Elizabeth  at  an  earlier  date. 


St.  Rose's  Church  is  small  and  not  imposing.  It  is  not  sur- 
mounted by  sky-scraping  steeple  or  cross,  yet  its  walls  have 
echoed  many  an  eloquent  sermon,  and  in  it  have  ministered  at  one 
time  or  another  as  pastor  more  priests  who  have  attained  emi- 
nence in  the  Catholic  Church  than  in  any  other  parish  in  New 
Jersey.  It  was  the  first  parish  entrusted  to  a  clergyman  who  has 
since  become  the  head  of  the  greatest  and  largest  diocese  in  the 
United  States,  Archbishop  Michael  A.  Corrigan,  of  New  York. 
Among  its  former  pastors  were  the  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M.  Wigger, 
Bishop  of  Newark;  Rt.  Rev.  B.  J.  McOuaid,  Bishop  of  Roches- 
ter; Rev.  \V.  J.  Wiseman ;  and  Rev.  James  H.  Corrigan,  president 
of  Seton  Hall  College,  and  Rev.  George  W.  Corrigan,  brothers  of 
the  archbishop. 

Rev.  P.  Moran,  of  St.  John's  Church,  Newark,  began  to  make 
monthly  visits  to  the  parish,  which  comprised  Milburn  and  Spring- 
field.    Father  Moran  used  to  say  Mass  and  teach  catechism  in  the 


254 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


house  of  Charles  Fury,  of  Springfield.  This  was  in  1832  The 
Furys  and  Mrs.  Matthew  Dougherty  were  the  only  Catholics  in 
these  villages  at  this  time.  Rev.  Father  Guth  frequently  made 
visits  from  Madison  to  this  straggling  settlement.  In  1841  two 
men  with  families,  Terence  Hogan  and  John  Kenny,  and  Maurice 
Lonergan,  single,  were  the  only  Catholics  in  Milburn.  In  Spring- 
field were  Charles  Fury  and  family,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Philip  Lynch, 
Mr    and    Mrs.    Michael    English,    Arthur    McCormick,    Daniel 

Coghlan,  and  Bryan  Dunigan. 
In  1847  Rev  Louis  D.  Senez, 
of  Madison,  was  assigned  to 
celebrate  Mass  on  week  days 
in  the  house  of  Michael  Eng- 
lish, and  teach  catechism  at 
the  residence  of  John  Hogan 
on  the  Short  Hills  road. 

In  the  first  years  of  its  ex- 
istence the  church  had  many 
trials.  A  spirit  of  hostility 
was  excited  by  its  erection 
among  the  Protestant  resi- 
dents of  the  locality.  Of 
these  some  were  Irish  Prot- 
estants —  Orangemen  —  and 
their  bitterness  caused  much 
annoyance.  At  one  time  an 
effigy  of  St.  Patrick  was  hung 
on  the  large  cross  over  the 
entrance  to  the  church  on 
that  saint's  day,  and  on  other 
occasions  various  indignities 
were  cast  upon  it. 

During  Father  Madden's 
term  as  pastor  the  sanctuary 
was  shattered  by  lightning. 
In  1859  the  church  was 
robbed,  the  carpets  were  torn 
from  the  floor  and  scattered 
in  shreds  about  the  edifice, 
and  the  vestments  destroyed. 
The  Rev.  Louis  Schneider  assumed  pastoral  charge  in  1868. 
Father  Schneider  was  an  indefatigable  worker.  By  his  efforts  its 
present  site  and  the  other  property  now  owned  by  the  church 
were  purchased.  The  property  then  consisted  of  six  acres  of 
land,  with  a  dwelling-house  and  a  hat-shop.  The  shop  has  since 
been  remodelled  as  a  school.  Father  Schneider's  love  for  the  par- 
ish was  so  great  that  in  the  centre  of  the  cemetery  he  erected  a 
large  cedar  cross  and  made  known  his  wish  to  be  buried  there. 
His  wish  was  fulfilled  and  a  monument  was  erected  on  his  grave 
by  his  former  pupils. 


ST.   BONIFACE   CHURCH,    PATERSON. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  255 

In  1873  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Toomey  was  appointctl  to  take  charge 
of  the  parish. 

Father  Toomey  was  succeeded  in  February,  1874,  by  Rt.  Rev. 
W.  M.  Wigger,  Bishop  of  Newark,  then  pastor  of  St.  Theresa's 
Church  at  Summit.  In  September,  1874,  Bishop  Wigger  was 
superseded  by  Rev.  L.  S.  Uagnault,  who  was  the  first  resident 
priest.  He  remained  until  October,  1876.  During  his  term  he 
also  attended  Cranford  and  Westfield.  In  1876  the  parish  had 
gained  sufficiently  in  population  to  necessitate  the  saying  of  two 
Masses  on  Sunday.  On  October  8th,  1876,  Father  Dagnault 
exchanged  parishes  with  the  Rev.  Joseph  Rolando,  of -Hacken- 
sack. 

In  September,  1879,  the  present  sisters'  residence  was  erected, 
and  a  community  of  the  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame  assumed  control 
of  the  school.  They  were  succeeded  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity  in 
1881. 

The  church  was  removed  from  Springfield  to  its  present  loca- 
tion in  1880.  The  distance  was  only  about  one-third  of  a  mile,  yet 
the  church  was  six  weeks  on  the  road.  During  that  time  Mass 
was  said  in  the  school-house.  Father  Rolando  was  transferred  to 
Madison  to  succeed  Bishop  Wigger  as  pastor  there  on  September 
1 2th,  1 881.  The  first  appointment  made  by  Bishop  Wigger  was 
that  of  the  Rev.  George  \\\  Corrigan  to  succeed  Father  Rolando 
at  Milburn  in  September,  1881.  He  was  a  great  favorite  with 
all  his  congregation.  His  charities  and  his  exceeding  kindness  of 
heart  are  still  traditional  in  the  parish.  He  often  went  to  Union- 
ville  and  said  Mass  at  the  residence  of  Matthew  Ouilligan,  and 
thus  saved  the  Catholics  of  Unionville  a  walk  of  four  miles.  Dur- 
ing his  pastorate  the  Forty  Hours'  devotion  was  first  held  in  the 
church,  and  the  first  mission  took  place.  It  was  conducted  by  the 
Redemptorist  Fathers. 

Father  Corrigan  was  transferred  to  St.  Agnes's,  Paterson. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Daniel  F.  McCarthy,  the  present  pas- 
tor. Father  McCarthy  has  worked  unceasingly  since  he  assumed 
charge.  The  parish  is  at  present  in  good  standing  and  entirely 
free  from  debt.  Under  his  administration  a  fine  school  has  been 
erected. — Nezvark  Evening  A^cws. 

St.    Boniface's  Church,  Paterson. 

Before  the  erection  of  the  present  church  of  St.  Boniface,  the 
Germans  of  the  city  of  Paterson  assembled  in  the  basement  of  old 
St.  John's  Church  for  divine  worship.  They  were  visited  occa- 
sionally by  Rev.  Nagel,  C.SS.R.,  and  more  frequently  by  Rev.  P. 
Hartlaub,  who  from  the  9th  of  October,  1853,  till  April  24th, 
1858,  zealously  responded  to  their  spiritual  wants. 

Rev.  L.  Fink  succeeded  him  in  the  pastoral  work  July  i8th, 
1858,  and  remained  till  July  3d,  1859.  He  became  Bishop  of 
Wichita,  Kan. 


2s6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  J.  Schandel,  August  nth, 
1859,  at  the  same  time  assistant  of  St.  John's.  He  bought  the 
cliurch  property  of  ten  lots  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Slater 
streets. 

The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  July  1st,  i860,  by  Bishop  Bay- 
ley,  and  after  completion  the  church  was  blessed  December  ist, 
1 861,  by  Rev.  J.  J.  Schandel.  St.  Boniface's  Church  in  its  pres- 
ent structure  has  the  honor  of  being  the  oldest  church  in  the  city 
of  Paterson. 

At  a  meeting,  29th  of  September,  1864,  the  church  was  incor- 
porated under  the  legal  title  "  Saint  Boniface's  Catholic  Church, 
Paterson." 

Rev.  Nicholas  Hens  was  appointed  as  the  first  assistant  Sep- 
tember, 1869. 

Rev.  John  J.  Schandel  leaving  December,  1871,  was  succeeded 
by  Rev.  Nicholas  Hens  in  January,  1872,  as  pastor.  He  brought 
the  Sisters  of  St.  Dominic  to  his  parish  September  9th,  1872,  and 
having  procured  two  lots,  the  school  was  built  in  1875. 

Rev.  Aug.  J.  Geisler  came  as  assistant  August,  1879,  and  re- 
mained in  that  position  till  October,  1881. 

Rev.  J.  N.  Grieff  followed  him  October,  1881,  and  continued 
in  the  parish  until  February,  1884. 

Father  Hens  leaving"  October,  1884,  was  followed  by  Rev. 
Eugene  Dikovich,  November,  1884,  as  pastor.  Having  no  assist- 
ant, he  was  helped  by  the  Rev.  Franciscan  Fathers,  Paterson,  till 
I  St  of  May,  1901,  when  Rev.  Adalbert  Frey  was  appointed 
assistant. 

St.  Michael's  Catholic  Church,  Elizabeth. 

In  the  city  of  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  there  was  only  one  Catholic 
church  until  the  beginning  of  the  "fifties,"'  St.  Mary's,  where  all 
the  different  nationalities  worshipped.  The  few  German  Catho- 
lics who  every  Sunday  heard  Mass  in  St.  Mary's,  unable  most  of 
them  to  understand  the  English  language,  desired  most  anxiously 
to  hear  the  Word  of  God  in  their  native  tongue.  When  their  num- 
ber increased,  the  head  of  the  diocese  sent  a  priest  now  and  then 
to  preach  the  Gospel  to  them.  Some  time  later  a  Redemptorist 
Father  came  once  a  month  from  New  York  to  preach  and  hear 
confessions  in  the  German  language.  Among  these  Rev.  Redemp- 
torist Fathers  who  came  in  the  years  1849-52  to  Elizabeth  may 
be  mentioned  P^'athers  J.  Nagel,  M.  Leimgruber,  Felix  Ed.  Brecka. 


IN    NKW    JKRSEY 


257 


In  the  year  1852  the  German  CathoHcs,  then  numbering 
twenty-five  famihes,  resolved  to  found  a  new  Cathohc  parish. 
This  certainly  was  a  great  undertaking  for  so  small  a  number, 
especially  as  their  means  were  slender,  and  as  most  of  them  were 
laborers  who  had  to  work  hard  for  their  daily  bread.  Still  their 
love  for  God,  and  their  desire  to  have  a  church  of  their  own, 
filled  their  hearts  with  zeal 
for  the  great  sacrifice. 

Among  the  founders  were 
John  Engel,  J.  L.  Lutz, 
Francis  Stein,  George  Streis- 
sel,  John  Eich,  John  Kelber, 
Leonard  Sauer,  Anton  Stein, 
John  Daubner,  John  H.  Gei- 
ger.  They  first  obtained  lots 
on  High  Street  on  condition 
that  they  should  build  a  stone 
church ;  but  they  had  not 
the  resources  sufficient,  and 
hence  had  to  return  the  gift 
to  the  donor.  They  then 
bought  lots  on  Smith  Street, 
and  under  their  pastor's  guid- 
ance, the  Rev.  Father  Hart- 
laub,  the  foundation  was  laid 
in  1853.  The  first  rector 
was  Rev.  Augustine  Dautner, 
O.S.F.,  who  came  August 
8th,  1852.  He  remained  one 
year ;  then  he  was  succeeded 
for  two  months  by  F'ather 
Carro ;  and  then  b)'  the  ai)o\'e- 
mentioned  Father  Hartlaub, 
who  built  the  frame  church 

on  Smith  Street.  His  successor  was  Rev.  Adolph  Etthofer, 
from  February  5th,  1854,  to  February  nth,  1855.  His  successor 
was  Rev.  Nicholas  Balleis,  who  was  succeeded  in  the  same  year, 
July  29th,  1855,  by  Rev.  Michael  Wlirzfeld.  He  enlarged  the 
frame  church  in  1858.  In  the  year  i860  the  Rev.  Henry  Lemke, 
O.S.B.,  became  rector  of  the  parish.  Father  Henry,  as  he  was 
always  called,  organized  in  1861  the  school,  which  was  held  at 
first  in  the  church  itself,  a  wooden  partition  separating  the  chil- 
17 


ST.  Michael's  church,  elizaueth. 


258 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


dren  from  the  altar.  On  Sundays  and  holidays  this  partition  was 
removed.  The  Benedictine  Sisters  taught  in  the  school.  Father 
Henry  retired  from  St.  Michael's  Church  in  1870.  Reorganized 
the  Sacred  Heart  congregation  in  Elizabeth,  and  died  in  Carrollton, 
Pa.,  November  28th,  1882,  in  the  eighty-seventh  year  of  his  age. 

In  the  year  1870  the  Rev.  Albert  von  Schilgen  became  the 
rector,  and  he  at  once  began  the  erection  of  a  new  church  on  the 
corner  of  Smith  and  East  Jersey  streets.  This  new  church,  built 
of  brick  in  real  Gothic  style,  is   no  feet  long  and  55  feet  wide, 

exclusive  of  the  tower, 
which  was  not  added 
till  1 899  and  is  29  feet 
square  and  179  feet 
high ;  it  was  dedicated 
on  St.  Michael's  Day, 
September  29th,  1872. 
The  number  of  school- 
children in  1870  was 
52.  On  September  2d, 
1875,  the  Sisters  of 
Christian  Charity  took 
charge  of  the  school, 
there  being  165  schol- 
ars. As  the  congre- 
gation increased  so  did 
the  number  of  school- 
children, so  that  anew 
school  became  necessary.  This  school,  together  with  the  sisters' 
house,  was  built  in  1885.  The  sisters'  house  is  70  feet  long 
and  52  feet  wide.  The  east  wing,  90  by  30  feet,  and  the  south 
wing,  118  by  33  feet,  contain  the  school-rooms,  and  now  (1903) 
the  number  of  children  is  510.  Rev.  Albert  von  Schilgen  sacri- 
ficed every  comfort  for  the  benefit  of  the  school  and  sisters, 
giving  up  even  his  own  house  to  them  and  living  in  two  hired 
rooms.  The  congregation  without  his  knowledge  collected  $4,000 
to  build  a  new  rectory  in  1882.  So  that  Rev.  Albert  von  Schilgen 
built  the  present  church  on  Smith  and  East  Jersey  streets,  the 
sisters'  house,  the  school  and  hall,  the  rectory,  and  bought  prop- 
erty for  the  erection  of  a  club-house  for  the  young  men.  After 
living  for  his  parish  and  for  it  sacrificing  himself  from  March, 
1870,  till  June  2,  1 90 1,  he  died,  mourned  and  loved  by  his  whole 
congregation. 


REV.    ALBERT    VON     SCHILGEN. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  259 

Father  von  Schilgcn,  born  of  a  noble  and  distinguished  family, 
in  Arensberg-,  Westphalia,  October  12th,  1833,  made  his  studies  in 
Miinster,  Paderborn,  and  Lou  vain,  and  was  ordained  priest  March 
20th,  1858.  He  served  three  years  as  assistant  at  Dortmund, 
German)',  and  eight  years  as  missionary  pastor  of  Feudenberg. 
He  was  received  into  this  diocese,  and  sent  as  assistant  to  Father 
Lemke,  March  22d,  1870.  He  was  singularly  disinterested, 
modest,  and  discreet,  a  highly  gifted  scholar,  and  by  nature  as  well 
as  by  birth  a  noble  man. 

To  continue  the  work  of  Father  Albert  von  Schilgen  has 
been  the  aim  of  the  present  rector.  Rev.  Hubert  J.  Behr,  D.D., 
who  succeeded  him  June  21st,  1901.  When  in  June,  1902,  the 
golden  jubilee  of  St.  Michael's  parish  was  celebrated,  the  church 
had  been  renovated  outside  and  decorated  inside  in  an  artistic 
way.  There  were  present  also  at  the  golden  jubilee  five  of  the 
original  founders  of  the  parish. 

The  first  assistant  was  given  to  Father  von  Schilgen  in  1893 
in  the  person  of  Rev.  George  H.  Mueller,  at  present  pastor  of 
Mendham,  N.  J.  In  1894  the  Rev.  Michael  Rumpel  was  ap- 
pointed assistant,  and  during  seven  years  helped  the  pastor  in  his 
zealous  work  for  the  welfare  of  the  parish. 

In  July,  1 90 1,  the  Rev.  Andrew  J.  Schonhart  became  the 
assistant  of  Rev.  H.  J.  Behr,  D.D.,  and  has  been  constant  and 
zealous  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties. 

Not  only  has  St.  Michael's  Church  worked  through  its  people 
and  rectors  for  the  welfare  of  the  flock,  but  she  has  been  the 
mother  of  other  and  now  flourishing  congregations  in  Elizabeth. 

First,  St.  Patrick's,  Elizabeth,  is  her  child,  and  it  is  a  case 
in  which  the  child  has  grown  more  famous  than  the  mother. 

Secondly,  the  Sacred  Heart  congregation  was  organized  by 
the  rector  of  St.  Michael's. 

Thirdly,  the  Holy  Rosary  congregation  held  service  in  St. 
Michael's  Church  in  the  beginning,  and  its  rector  lived  with  good 
Father  von  Schilgen. 

Fourthly,  the  present  Italian  parish  has  used  the  old  church 
of  St.  Michael's  now  for  over  twelve  years,  free  of  all  obligations; 
so  that,  though  St.  Michael's  congregation  may  not  do  overmuch 
boasting,  her  works  speak  eloquently  for  her. 


26o  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

The  Diocese  of  Newark. 

Its  First  Bishop, 

James  Roosevelt  Bayley. 

After  the  death  of  Bishop  Connolly,  February  5th,  1825,  the 
See  of  New  York  was  vacant  two  years,  and  meanwhile  it  was 
administered  by  the  Very  Rev.  John  Power,  who  had  been  ap- 
pointed vicar-general  by  Bishop  Connolly.  The  Rev.  John  Du 
Bois,  president  and  founder  of  Mount  St.  Mary's  College,  Em- 
mettsburg,  Md.,  was  consecrated  second  Bishop  of  New  York, 
Sunday,  October  29th,  1826.  Bishop  DuBois,  born  in  Paris, 
August  24th,  1 764,  was  educated  in  the  College  of  Louis  le  Grand, 
and  among  his  fellow-students  were  many  who  figured  prominently 
in  the  historical  records  of  their  day — among  them  the  Abbe 
MacCarthy,  the  Abbe  Le  Oris  Duval,  Robespierre,  and  Camille 
Desmoulins.  Bishop  DuBois  was  one  of  that  illustrious  band  of 
zealous,  holy,  and  learned  priests,  who,  driven  from  their  own 
country  by  the  fanatical  hatred  of  their  countrymen,  seemed  des- 
tined under  God  to  come  hitherward  to  build  deep  and  solid  the 
foundations  of  Catholicity  in  this  virgin  field.  Letters  brought 
by  him  from  Lafayette  secured  for  him  a  welcome  among  the 
most  distinguished  Americans  of  that  day — James  Monroe,  the 
Randolphs  of  Roanoke,  the  Lees,  the  Beveridges,  and  the  illus- 
trious orator  Patrick  Henry.  He  lost  no  time  to  familiarize  him- 
self with  the  language  of  the  country.  He  was  brimming  over  with 
that  charming  activity,  a  peculiar  attraction  of  his  race,  was  cour- 
teous, polite,  and  in  a  marked  manner  sympathetic  with  children, 
with  whom  he  readily  made  friends,  and  through  them  not  infre- 
quently with  their  parents.  While  studying  English  with  Patrick 
Henry  he  did  not  neglect  his  priestly  office,  but  visited  the  Cath- 
olics in  Richmond  and  Norfolk.  In  1794  Archbishop  Carroll  en- 
trusted him  with  the  Frederick  mission,  as  the  pastor  at  that  time. 
Father  Frambach,  exhausted  with  the  labors  of  his  active  mission- 
ary life,  was  no  longer  able  for  the  work.  The  sphere  of  Father 
DuBois's  activity  was  not  confined  to  Maryland,  but  extended 
into  Virginia.  Despite  the  grave  apprehension  of  the  flock  of 
Catholics  in  Frederick,  he  determined  to  build  for  them  a  church. 
It  was  built,  and  by  his  thrift  and  zeal  paid  for.  Soon  other 
churches  and  chapels  appeared  in  his  missionary  field  which 
tested  to  the  utmost  his  endurance. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  261 

On  the  suggestion  of  the  Abbe  Dubourg,  he  determined  to 
open  a  preparatory  college  at  Emmettsburg,  and  in  1 808  he  had  the 
satisfaction  of  inaugurating  an  institution  with  seven  pupils  that 
was  to  furnish  great  names  not  only  to  the  Lord's  vineyard,  but 
in  civil  and  political  life.  He  became  associated  with  the  Society 
of  St.  Sulpice  December  6th  of  that  same  year,  but,  after  some 
eighteen  years,  he  withdrew  from  it  while  still  holding  the  esteem 
and  affection  of  its  members. 

About  this  time  Elizabeth  Bayley  Seton,  a  distinguished  con- 
vert to  the  Catholic  Church,  was  chosen  by  Bishop  Carroll  to 
establish  at  Emmettsburg  a  foundation  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity, 
and  from  that  little  log-house  on  the  mountain  has  developed  an 
institution  which  down  to  the  present  has  been  a  benediction  to 
thousands — on  the  battle-field,  in  the  hospital,  in  the  orphanage, 
and  in  the  school-room.  While  the  new  community  adopted  the 
rules  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  still  much  had  to  be  done  to  adapt 
them  to  the  times  and  the  altered  conditions  of  society.  His  ex- 
perience with  the  Sisters  of  Charity  in  Paris  and  in  their  asylums 
for  the  insane  made  Father  DuBois  a  most  valuable  guide  and 
adviser.  But  what  he  did  and  how  the  little  band  suffered  is  best 
told  by  the  Rev.  John  McCaffrey  in  his  eulogy  of  Bishop  DuBois 
in  1843: 

Bishop  Brute  declared  that  Bishop  DuBois  was  the  true  father 
of  that  institution  {S2s/rrs  0/  ChaTity)  from  the  beginning.  When 
Mother  Seton  first  came  to  Emmettsburg  he  gave  her  a  home  on 
its  hill.  He  freely  shared  his  limited  means  with  the  nascent 
community;  he  supported  them  when  other  support  they  had 
none.  He  was  their  confessor  and  director  during  the  first  years 
of  their  existence.  To  him  Archbishop  Carroll  entrusted  all  that 
related  to  them.  He  instructed,  trained,  directed,  formed  them 
all.  He  initiated  them  into  the  practice  of  the  rules  laid  down  by 
St.  Vincent  de  Paul.  He  consoled,  encouraged,  and  sustained 
them  amid  trials  and  difficulties  which  would  have  shaken  souls 
less  generous  than  theirs  or  his,  and  from  the  scanty  stores  of  his 
own  poverty  he  supplied  them  with  bread,  when  but  for  him  they 
had  no  alternative  but  to  abandon  their  undertaking  and  disperse 
or  perish  for  want  of  food.  That  was  true  heroism  then  exhibited 
in  St.  Joseph's  vale,  when  this  man  of  God  taught  that  delicately 
reared  and  softly  nurtured  mother  and  her  little  band  of  resolute 
associates  to  suffer  without  complaint  day  after  day,  month  after 
month,  the  gnawing  pains  of  hunger,  confident  that  He  who 
feeds  the  ravens  would  not  forget  them,  and  in  the  hope  tliat  they 
might  yet  grow  up  into  a  community  and  one  day  be  able  them- 
selves to  feed  the  hungry,  to  rear  the  forsaken  orphan,  to  nurse 
the  destitute  sick,  to  throw  themselves  like  tutelary  angels  between 


262  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

the  raging  pestilence  and  its  trembling  victims.  That  hope  has 
been  realized  !  Yes,  departed  benefactors  of  the  poor,  DuBois ! 
Seton !  thousands  of  orphans,  rescued  from  want  and  misery 
and  death,  or  worse  than  death,  have  raised  their  grateful  hands 
to  heaven,  imploring  blessings  upon  you — a  thousand  orphans 
will  remember  you  in  their  prayers. 

Among  the  gardeners  who  aided  Father  DuBois  in  clearing 
the  forest  and  tilling  the  farm  was  young  John  Hughes,  whose 
extraordinary  ability  did  not  escape  his  keen  eye,  and  who  was 
one  day  to  succeed  him  as  fourth  Bishop  of  New  York.  Bishop 
DuBois's  life  in  the  field  of  his  new  responsibilities  was  not  a  rose- 
strewn  pathway,  but  his  indomitable  will,  his  courage,  and  his 
faith  carried  him  safely  through  the  troubles  of  the  trustee  sys- 
tem and  the  barriers  which  his  nationality  had  raised  against  him. 
His  zeal  brought  him  to  every  part  of  his  diocese,  and  many  times 
did  he  visit  the  northern  section  of  New  York — travelling  at  one 
time  over  three  thousand  miles — to  dedicate  churches,  to  admin- 
ister confirmation,  and  to  bless  cemeteries.  There  is  a  tradition 
that  he  visited  Elizabeth  and  blessed  a  portion  of  the  Episcopal 
cemetery  of  St.  John's,  that  the  French  families  might  lay  away 
their  dead  in  hallowed  ground.  The  pages  which  precede  this 
narrative  speak  eloquently  of  his  interest  in  this  part  of  his  dio- 
cese in  sending  zealous  and  faithful  priests  to  build  the  foundations 
of  the  majestic  edifice  we  now  behold.  When  he  took  possession 
of  his  cathedral,  there  were  about  25,000  Catholics  in  New  York 
City,  who  owned  three  out  of  the  seventy  churches.  But  the 
commercial  panic  in  England  and  the  famine  in  Ireland  in  1826 
brought  thousands  of  immigrants  to  our  shores.  Unfortunate 
Ireland,  oppressed  by  her  rulers,  afflicted  by  the  hand  of  God, 
desolated  and  decimated  by  famines  from  1826  to  1848,  was  to  see 
her  population  disappear  and  her  fields  and  hamlets  deserted. 
The  tide  of  emigrants  from  the  Sacred  Isle  still  flows  on.  What 
were  the  horrors  from  which  our  forefathers  fled  only  those  who 
were  eye-witnesses  can  portray.  The  famine  of  1831  was  one  of 
the  worst,  and  in  his  appeal  in  TJie  Avcniriox  funds  to  send  to 
the  distressed,  Montalembert  gives  these  harrowing  details : 

The  inhabitants  of  a  vast  parish  in  one  of  the  remote  counties 
of  Ireland,  completely  deprived  of  food  and  reduced  to  the  last  ex- 
treme, are  mere  shadows,  and  calmly  await  death  to  put  an  end  to 
their  pangs  and  their  misery.  The  priest  would  not  abandon  his 
iiock,  and  died  with  them  of  hunger.  When  he  saw  there  was 
no  hope  of  relief,  no  sign  of  succor,  he  went  from  cabin  to  cabin, 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  aSi, 

always  with  the  same  message :  My  dear  children,  in  this  terrible 
hour  let  us  not  forget  oiu^  Lord,  the  Lord  God  who  gives  life  and 
takes  it  away. 

Obedient  to  his  \'oice,  five  hundred  spectres  dragged  them- 
selves to  the  chai)el  and  dropped  on  their  knees ;  the  priest  tot- 
tered up  the  steps  of  the  altar,  and  there  stretching  out  his  shriv- 
elled hands  over  the  heads  of  the  dying,  he  tells  the  litany  of  the 
agonizing  and  recites  the  prayers  for  the  dead.  This  agony  of  a 
whole  people  is  the  agony  of  a  martyr,  and  in  the  yawning  graves 
into  which  this  people  is  falling  like  the  leaves  in  the  autumn, 
hell  will  not  have  a  single  victim. — Azrm'r,  June  13th,  1831. 

The  appeal  was  not  in  vain;  $16,000  was  forwarded  to  Ire- 
land to  relieve  the  sufferers. 

The  English  Government  seemed  helpless  or  indifferent  to 
stay  the  ravages  of  a  peril  ever  recurring  and  which  was  losing  to 
them  millions  of  their  subjects.  This  truth  the  London  Tablet  of 
that  day  confesses : 

The  worst  feature  of  Ireland's  condition,  in  the  minds  of 
Englishmen,  has  been  for  a  long  time  its  hopelessness.  It  seemed 
past  help  and  past  hope.  ...  It  is  almost  heartbreaking  to  think 
of  Ireland.  God,  no  doubt,  tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb, 
but  of  a  truth  it  requires  a  stout  heart  for  any  minister  that  has 
to  front  the  perils  of  the  next  twelve  months.  As  it  is,  we  know 
not  what  effort  can  be  made  successfully,  nor  how  it  is  possible 
"  to  feed  an  entire  nation  that  stretches  out  its  hands  for  food  " 
(1846). 

Dark,  indeed,  were  the  scenes  they  left  behind  them  and  sad 
their  memories,  but  who  can  portray  the  horrors  of  that  passage 
over  sea .''  The  human  freight  was  packed  away  in  rotten  hulks, 
tyrannized  by  brutal  masters  and  mates,  who  held  human  life — 
especially  Irish  human  life — cheaply.  Becalmed  at  times  and 
wrapped  in  fogs  at  others,  imprisoned  in  these  floating  storm-cen- 
tres of  disease,  of  mutiny,  of  riotous  and  brutal  conduct,  how 
many  a  thrilling  tale  has  been  told  of  life  aboard  these  "  coffin  " 
ships !  One  of  them  v/as  wrecked  off  Cape  Cod,  and  of  the  hun- 
dreds aboard  only  thirteen  were  saved  by  the  hardy  fishermen. 
The  captain's  trunk  was  washed  ashore,  and  in  it  was  found  a 
letter  from  the  owners  guaranteeing  him  a  new  command  should 
he  succeed  in  sinking  the  wrecked  ship. 

But  what  people  can  point  to  a  nobler  record  of  self-sacrifice, 
of  filial  piety;'  of  intense  Catholic  faith  than  these  penniless  Celts, 
who,  according  to  Lecky,  in  the  twenty  years  ending  with  1863, 


264  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

sent  not  less  than  one  hundred  milHons  of  dollars  to  their  rela- 
tives in  Ireland  {^England  in  tJic  Eightcoith  Century,  ii.,  343),  and 
who,  furthermore,  supported  themselves,  reared  families,  and  built 
up  the  Catholic  Church  in  the  United  States  ? 

These  were  the  hosts  whicli  demanded  the  care  and  attention 
of  the  spiritual  heads  of  our  Chvu'ch,  and  worried  them  in  their 
anxious  efforts  to  make  provision  for  their  spiritual  welfare. 
With  the  limited  means  at  their  disposal  this  was  simply  out  of 
the  question,  and  hence  the  leakage  so  much  to  be  deplored  and 
regretted. 

Feeling  the  burden  of  his  office  too  great  to  be  borne  at  his 
advanced  age,  Bishop  DuBois  intimated  to  the  bishops  of  the  third 
Provincial  Council  that  he  would  be  pleased  to  have  a  coadjutor, 
and  asked  for  the  appointment  of  the  Rev.  John  Hughes.  The 
bull  of  his  appointment  reached  Bishop  Hughes  in  November, 
1837,  and  he  was  consecrated  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  New 
York,  by  Bishop  DuBois,  January  7th,  1838.  For  twenty-eight 
years  he  dominated  public  opinion  as  a  priest  and  a  patriot,  up- 
lifted a  weak  and  timid  flock,  infused  enthusiasm  and  courage 
into  the  hearts  of  priests  and  people,  maintained  their  rights  and 
dignity,  defended  by  word  and  pen  the  dogmas  and  practices  of 
holy  Church,  and  gave  Catholicity  an  impetus  which  has  not  yet 
been  stayed.  He  swept  away  the  t)"ranny  of  trusteeism,  and 
scotched,  if  he  did  not  kill,  the  strident  hostility  of  that  evil  brood 
which  attacks  the  Church  on  the  plea  of  defending  and  protecting 
the  Constitution  of  our  country,  and  was  in  his  day  known  as 
Native  Americanism.  His  fertile  mind  never  failed  in  an  emer- 
gency. 

When  the  Native  American  party  in  1844  had  elected  one  of 
their  party  Mayor,  who  was  also  the  publisher  of  Maria  Monk's 
infamous  book,  a  meeting  was  called  by  them,  whose  object  was 
murder  and  arson.  Bishop  Hughes  sought  advice  with  reference 
to  the  liability  of  the  city  under  the  laws  of  New  York  for  damage 
done  by  the  rioters.  A  lawyer  assured  him  that  there  was  no 
legal  redress.  Then  the  bishop  said,  "The  law  intends  that  citi- 
zens shall  defend  their  own  property." 

An  extra  issue  of  TJie  Frecinmi s  Journal  contained  the  follow- 
ing: "If,  as  it  has  already  appeared  in  Philadelphia,  it  should  be 
a  part  of  Native  Americanism  to  attack  the  houses  or  churches 
of  Catholics,  then  it  behooves  them,  in  case  all  other  protection 
fail,  to  defend  both  with  their  lives.  In  this  they  will  not  act 
against  the  law,  but  for  the  law.  .  .  .  But  in  no  case  let  Catholics 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  265 

suffer  an  act  of  outrage  on  their  property  without  repelling  the 
aggression  at  all  hazards." 

This  warning  had  its  effect.  The  cowards  balked.  Posters 
appeared  revoking  the  call  for  the  meeting.  A  terrible  disaster 
was  averted,  for  a  powerful  Irish  society,  with  branches  in  every 
section  of  the  city,  had  resolved  in  case  a  single  church  was  at- 
tacked, buildings  should  be  set  afire  in  all  parts,  and  the  great  city 
become  a  prey  to  the  flames  (Shea,  The  Catholic  Church  in  the 
United  States,  iv.,  106). 

On  another  occasion,  when  the  rumor  came  to  him  that  certain 
public  men  contemplated  disfranchising  Catholics,  he  said : 

If  there  be  any  intention  among  the  public  men  of  this  coun- 
try to  disfranchise  Catholics — to  abridge  them  of  their  rights— in 
the  name  of  all  that  is  honorable,  I  would  say,  let  it  be  done  by  a 
manly,  noble  declaration  to  that  effect.  If  Protestantism  cannot 
thrive  in  this  country  unless  it  have  some  one  or  more  denomina- 
tions to  degrade  and  trample  upon — as  in  Great  Britain  and  Ire- 
land— let  it  speak  out  and  candidly  make  known  the  fact.  If 
defamation  in  aggregate  and  detail  can  accomplish  it,  the  Catho- 
lics of  this  country  will  soon  be  degraded  enough  in  the  minds  of 
their  fellow-citizens. — Metropolitan,  May,  1855. 

With  such  forcible,  manly  rebukes  and  statements  he  com- 
manded the  admiration  of  the  intelligence  of  the  country,  and  the 
fair-minded,  justice-loving  public  were  soon  all  on  his  side.  Of 
him  Cardinal  McCloskey  said  in  his  funeral  oration  that  he  was  a 
providential  man,  and  his  life  and  the  fruits  of  his  laborious  career 
fully  justify  the  statement. 

Father  Hurley,  the  able  and  eloquent  Augustinian  of  Philadel- 
phia, became  acquainted  with  Bishop  Hughes  while  he  was  still  a 
seminarist  in  Mount  St.  Mary's,  discharging,  likewise,  the  duties 
of  teacher,  and  expecting  soon  to  be  raised  to  the  diaconate. 
Father  Hurley  wrote  to  young  Hughes  in  1825,  advising  him 
before  ordination  to  prepare  sermons  to  last  at  least  six  months, 
assuring  him  that  he  would  find  this  forethought  to  be  an  advan- 
tage. He  would  then  be  ahead  of  his  work,  whenever  called  upon 
to  perform  it.  The  wisdom  of  this  advice  either  did  not  appeal  to 
the  seminarist  or  he  did  not  have  time  to  act  upon  it.  On  his 
way  to  St.  Augustine's,  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  to  begin  his 
work,  Father  Hughes  met  Bishop  Conwell  on  the  visitation  to 
the  western  part  of  his  diocese. 

Taking  a  fancy  to  the  young  priest,  he  invited  Father  Hughes 
to  accompany  him,  and,  arriving  at  the  church,  requested  him  to 


266 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


preach.     Instead   of   having  twenty   or   thirty  sermons,  Father 
Hughes  had  but  one,  and  was  sorry  for  it.     However,  he  preached 


RIGHT   REV.  JAMES    R.    BAYLEV. 
First  Bishop  of  Newark. 


that  sermon  and  preached  it  well.     But  at  every  church  on  the 
circuit  he  received  the  same  invitation  and  responded  with  the 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  267 

same  sermon,  very  much  to  his  dissatisfaction.  After  the  visita- 
tion was  over,  Bishop  Convvell  said  to  him,  "  That  was  a  very- 
good  sermon,  but  I  think  I  know  it  by  heart."  He  became, 
indeed,  a  great  preacher,  ready,  forcible,  and  eloquent,  and  both 
himself  and  Father  Ryder  attracted  crowded  churches  even  in 
the  heat  of  summer. 

Bishop  Hughes  had  witnessed  the  almost  seven-fold  growth  of 
Catholicity  in  the  Diocese  of  New  York  since  his  appointment  as 
coadjutor.  Two-thirds  of  a  vast  tide  of  emigration  settled  either 
in  the  city  itself  or  its  environs.  Realizing  the  impossibility  of 
administering  personally  to  their  wants,  and  convinced  that  the 
time  for  establishing  new  centres  of  the  faith  had  arrived,  he 
asked  and  obtained  the  division  of  his  diocese  and  the  creation  of 
the  new  sees  of  Brooklyn  and  Newark.  This  important  event 
carried  with  it  new  honors  for  himself,  for  he  became  the  first 
Archbishop  of  New  York  in  1853.  Early  in  the  month  of  Octo- 
ber, 1853,  the  bulls  appointing  him  first  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of 
Newark,  which  was  to  embrace  the  entire  State  of  New  Jersey, 
were  received  by  James  Roosevelt  Bayley.  The  bishop-elect,  at 
the  time  secretary  of  Archbishop  Hughes,  was  born  in  New  York 
City,  August  23d,  1 814.  His  lineage  was  illustrious,  and  in  him 
were  combined  the  best  elements  of  his  ancestry.  Nor  pen  nor 
language  can  do  full  justice  to  his  character.  In  him  were 
blended  the  Celt  and  the  Dutch,  the  Gaul  and  the  Briton,  and  his 
was  their  perfect  fruitage  without  their  blemish.  We  see  him, 
as  we  saw  him  in  our  childhood,  noble,  dignified,  gentle,  winsome, 
a  man  among  men,  even  as  Saul,  towering  head  and  shoulders 
over  all,  attracting  by  his  kindliness  the  lowliest,  twining  himself 
deep  into  the  affections  of  his  priests  and  compeers,  and  com- 
manding by  his  virtues  the  respect  even  of  those  who  differed 
radically  from  his  views. 

His  early  school-days  were  spent  in  Mendham,  and  afterward 
in  Mount  Pleasant,  near  Amherst.  Here  in  his  youth  he  gave 
that  vernal  promise  which,  ripened  in  maturity,  made  him  idolized 
by  all  whose  privilege  it  was  to  know  him.  This  will  appear 
from  the  following  letters  of  two  of  his  old  classmates,  written 
after  death  had  ushered  him  to  the  eternal  reward  of  a  well-spent 
life  and  reft  the  Church  of  a  wise  counsellor  and  a  zealous  prelate. 

(From  the  Brunswick,  Me.,  Telegraph,  October  12th,  1877.) 

It  is  erroneous  to  say  that  Bayley  was  educated  at  Washington 
(now  Trinity)  College,  Hartford,  Conn.     He  was  graduated  from 


268  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

that  institution,  but  he  entered  Amherst  College  in  1831,  and 
passed  his  freshman  and  sophomore  years  in  that  institution,  leav- 
ing, we  think,  at  the  close  of  the  sophomore  year.  In  the  winter 
of  1832  we  bade  our  classmates  farewell,  and  with  none  did  we 
part  with  more  sincere  regret  than  with  James  R.  Bayley,  between 
whom  and  ourself  had  sprung  up  the  warmest  friendship — a  friend- 
ship which  neither  time  nor  long  absence  has  served  to  check. 

In  a  cold  and  dreary  night  of  the  month  of  December,  1832,  a 
few  good  friends  came  to  the  hotel  to  say  good-bye,  as  we  entered 
the  stage-coach,  the  sole  passenger  to  be  jolted  over  the  hills  of 
Pelham  and  on  to  Worcester.  Since  that  hour  James  R.  Bayley 
and  we  have  never  met ;  but  we  have  not  forgotten  each  other  in 
the  many  years  that  have  intervened.  Correspondence  at  inter- 
vals has  been  kept  up,  and  a  letter  received  from  him  within  two 
years  expresses  all  the  warmth  of  boyhood's  hours,  all  the  gener- 
osity of  a  nature  singularly  loving  and  lovable.  There  was  a 
heartiness,  a  courtesy  about  our  deceased  classmate  that  won  him 
many  and  esteemed  friends,  whose  good-will  was  never  impaired, 
however  widely  they  may  have  differed  from  him  politically  and 
religiously. 

In  Amherst  College  Bayley  sustained  good  rank  as  a  scholar, 
though  we  know  not  the  rank  which  he  held  at  the  time  of  his 
graduation.  He  pos.sessed  decided  talent,  a  fact  evident  in  his 
great  and  almost  sudden  elevation  to  place  and  power  in  the 
Catholic  Church.  .  .  . 

We  happen  to  know  that  when  he  was  appointed  Archbishop 
of  Baltimore,  a  Protestant  gentleman  of  that  city  expressed  his 
gratification  with  the  appointment,  as  the  community  would  be 
sure  of  having  a  gentleman  to  fill  the  ofBce. 

Letter  of  John  Codman  to   The  Bruiisunck  TclcgmpJi, 
October  iqth,   1877. 

Mv  DEAR  Tenney  :  I  was  much  pleased  with  your  paper  this 
morning.  You  have  done  justice  to  the  memory  of  our  old 
friend,  James  Roosevelt  Bayley,  and  no  more  than  justice,  for  his 
character  could  not  be  too  highly  estimated.  In  talking  of  him 
with  Beecher  [Henry  Ward  Beecher]  the  other  day,  he  said : 
"The  commodore  was  a  sincere  Christian  in  his  line,  and  did 
more  good  in  it  than  he  could  have  accomplished  in  any  other 
way.  He  was  '  bigoted '  only  as  all  of  us  are  in  sticking  to  our 
principles." 

Do  you  know  how  he  came  by  the  title  of  commodore  1  It 
descended  upon  him  before  we  entered  college,  when  we  were 
schoolmates  at  the  Mount  Pleasant  Classical  Institution.  He 
then  had  a  great  fancy  for  the  sea,  and  actually  obtained  a  com- 
mission of  midshipman  in  the  navy.  When  he  appeared  before 
us  in  his  uniform  preparatory  to  leaving  school,  I  well  remember 
our  admiration  and  envy  of  the  naval  hero.  But  upon  mature 
consideration   he  reconsidered   the  matter,  packed   his  uniform 


IN    NEW    JP:RSKY  269 

away,  and  devoted  himself  to  his  studies  more  earnestly  than 
ever. 

At  the  time  there  were  two  hundred  boys  at  Mount  Pleasant, 
and  I  do  not  remember  that  the  commodore  was  ever  counted  in 
when  there  was  a  quarrel,  for  he  was  everybody's  friend.  In  fact, 
I  never  knew  one  who  in  all  his  boyhood  and  manhood  steered  so 
clear  of  all  damage  from  collision  among"  all  sorts  and  conditions 
of  men.  Like  you,  I  have  maintained  an  acquaintance  and  intimacy 
with  him  till  his  death.  He  never  obtruded  his  religious  ideas  upon 
those  who  differed  from  him,  and  his  charity  embraced  all  mankind. 

We  Mount  Pleasant  boys  still  keep  up  our  reunions  every  five 
years  on  the  old  grounds  at  Amherst.  The  commodore's  duties 
have  not  allowed  him  to  meet  with  us,  but  he  was  always  there  in 
the  spirit  of  his  boyhood,  as  his  letters  on  those  occasions  so  cor- 
dially testify.  If  there  is  any  truth  in  the  Catholic  dogma  of  the 
"intercession  of  the  saints,"  1  am  sure  that  you  and  I  with  all  his 
old  chummies  can  count  on  a  good  word  from  the  commodore  in 
the  quarter  where  he  has  influence. 

To  this  testimony  may  be  added  that  of  Monsignor  Doane, 
who  was  associated  with  Archbishop  Bayley  almost  from  the  day 
he  undertook  the  government  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark. 

"  I  was  with  Bishop  Bayley  '  quasi  ab  incept 0,'  and  learned  to 
know  him  and  to  love  him  well.  He  was  a  noble  model  of  a 
Christian  bishop.  Duty  was  paramount  with  him,  and  his  delight 
was  to  be  at  his  work  building  up  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth. 
He  was  constantly  studying  the  wants  of  the  diocese  then  strug- 
gling into  existence,  establishing  new  parishes,  new  schools,  in- 
creasing the  number  of  the  clergy,  preaching,  giving  confirmation, 
and  attending  to  all  the  multifarious  details  of  a  Catholic  bishop 
in  temporals  as  well  as  spirituals.  .  .  .  Bishop  Bayley  was  a  most 
delightful  companion.  He  was  endowed  with  a  most  retentive 
memory,  had  read  much,  and  seen  men  and  things,  and  after  a 
long  life  I  can  recall  no  one  more  delightful  to  be  with  and  to 
hear  talk  than  he.  He  seemed  animated  with  the  spirit  of  St. 
Francis  de  Sales,  full  of  zeal  in  the  episcopal  ofifice,  and  of  kind- 
ness^ and  charity  to  all  mankind;  not  only  relieving  want,  but 
speaking  well  and  thinking  well  of  everybody." 

In  harmony  with  this  is  the  language  of  Senator  Smith,  on 
the  occasion  of  the  "  Laymen's  Celebration  of  the  Golden  Jubilee 
of  the  Diocese  " :  "  Bishop  Bayley  was  one  of  the  noblest,  grandest 
characters  I  have  ever  known.  He  was  noble  in  form  and  feature. 
One  had  only  to  look  at  his  grand  face  to  be  convinced  of  his 
nobility  of  character,  kindness  of  heart,  and  fervent  piety.  I  do 
not  hope  to  look  on  his  like  again."     And  what  would  the  poor. 


270  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

the  lowly,  the  humble — the  innumerable  host  of  dumb  admirers 
— say,  were  it  possible  to  gather  into  one  encomium  the  verdict  of 
their  unerring"  judgment?  Their  tribute  is  weighted  with  bless- 
ings, and  to-day  among  the  old  folks  Bishop  Bayley  is  still  spoken 
of  as  if  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  instead  of  four,  had  had  but  one 
bishop. 

As  has  been  said,  he  entered  Trinity  College,  Hartford,  Conn., 
to  prepare  himself  for  the  Episcopal  ministry,  and  took  up  the 
stud\-  of  theology  under  the  Rev.  Samuel  F.  Jarvis,  at  Middle- 
town,  Conn.,  and  on  its  conclusion  he  was  appointed  rector  of  St. 
Peter's  Church,  Harlem,  N.  Y.  Visiting  one  day  the  home  of  a 
poor  Irish  laborer,  on  a  mission  of  charity,  he  became  acquainted 
with  Father  Michael  Curran,  the  uncle  of  Father  Michael  Cur- 
ran,  late  of  St.  Andrew's  Church,  New  York  City,  with  whom  he 
formed  a  friendship  which  continued  throughout  life. 

In  the  fall  of  1841  he  resigned  his  parish  and  journeyed  to 
Rome.  The  result  of  his  studies  and  investigation  was  that  he 
was  received  into  the  Catholic  Church  by  the  Jesuit  Father 
Esmond,  conditionally  baptized,  and  confirmed  the  same  day, 
April  28th,  1842,  by  Cardinal  Franzoni,  in  St.  Ignatius's  room. 
He  then  entered  St.  Sulpice,  Paris,  and  entered  upon  his  theolog- 
ical studies.  In  returning  to  New  York  he  narrowly  escaped 
shipwreck,  the  details  of  which  in  after  life  he  often  told  in  his 
inimitably  graphic  and  humorous  way.  He  was  ordained  priest 
by  Archbishop  Hughes,  March  2d,  1842,  and  discharged  succes- 
sively the  duties  of  President  at  Fordham  College  and  pastor  of 
Quarantine,  Staten  Island.  Here  lie  labored  with  loving,  inde- 
fatigable zeal  among  the  immigrants,  and  the  lo\c  he  always  bore 
the  Irish  became  intensified  and  ever  after  was  a  singular  trait  of 
his  beautiful  character.  He  was  next  appointed  secretary  of  the 
bishop,  for  which  his  love  of  order  and  administrative  ability 
admirably  fitted  him.  This  office  he  held  when  he  was  designated 
Bishop  of  Newark.  He  was  consecrated  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 
dral, New  York,  together  with  Bishop  Loughlin,  of  Brooklyn,  and 
Bishop  de  Goesbriand,  of  Burlington,  Vt.,  by  the  Most  Rev.  Caje- 
tan  Bedini,  Archbishop  of  Thebes  and  Apostolic  Nuncio. 

On  the  resignation  of  Father  Senez  as  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's, 
Newark,  the  bishop-elect  appointed  Father  McQuaid,  of  Madison, 
with  whom  he  had  been  on  the  most  intimate  terms  of  friendship, 
and  on  the  new  pastor  devolved  the  responsibility  of  properly 
receiving  the  newly  consecrated  bishop.  Father  McOuaid  deter- 
mined to  make  this  a  memorable  event. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  271 

The  older  clergy  were  timid  and  looked  on  with  alarm  and 
dread  at  the  displa}-  the  young  priest  contemplated  making.  They 
protested  and  objected,  but  failed  to  turn  him  aside  from  his 
plans.  Even  Bishop  Bayley  was  called  upon  to  check  a  move- 
ment which  was  bound  to  stir  up  rancor  and  bigotry,  but  even  he 
failed  with  the  intrepid  young  pastor.  "  You  are  not  bishop  yet, 
and  if  trouble  ensues,  then  suspend  me  after  you  ha\'e  taken  pos- 
session of  your  cathedral,"  said  Father  McQuaid.  The  day  came 
at  last,  the  Feast  of  All  Saints,  November  ist,  1853.  Nature 
seemed  to  contribute  to  the  joy  of  the  Catholics,  for  the  weather 
was  balmy,  the  skies  were  cloudless,  and  altogether  there  was  a 
remarkable  blending  of  golden  sunshine  softened  with  the  deli- 
cate tints  of  our  rare  Indian  summer. 

Thousands  upon  thousands  assembled  at  the  Centre  Street 
depot,  the  nearest  to  St.  Patrick's,  as  a  measure  of  precaution 
conceded  by  Father  McOuaid,  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  9:45 
A.M.  train.  On  its  arrival  the  procession,  which  had  been  formed 
along  Smith  Street  and  Park  Place,  under  Grand  Marshal 
McLear,  with  his  assistants  the  Messrs.  Starr,  Brannan,  and  Rowe, 
took  up  its  line  of  march  in  the  following  order : 

A  Cross-Bearer. 

The  female  children  of  St.  Mary's,   St.  Patrick's,  and  St.  John's  Sunday- 
schools. 

A  Cross-Bearer. 
The  male  children  of  the  same  Sunday-schools.     In  all  aliout  1,200. 

The  Newark  Brass  Band. 

The  Hibernia  Provident  Society;    the  Shamrock  Provident  Society,  with 

banners  and  regalia. 

The  Jefferson  Band. 
St.  Joseph's  Society;  Erin  Benevolent  Society;  the  Laborers'  Union. 

A  New  York  Brass  Band. 

The  Catholic  Total  Abstinence  Society',  followed  by  carriages  containing 

the  Bishops  and  the  Clergy. 

The  streets  were  lined  with  spectators,  among  whom  were 
the  Irish  and  German  Catholics  not  in  the  procession,  which  was 
over  a  mile  in  length.  Not  the  slightest  trace  of  disorder  was 
manifest,  not  a  discordant  note  jarred  the  occasion.  On  arriving 
at  Washington  Place  the  children  remained  in  the  park,  and  the 
societies  formed  in  open  order  to  allow  the  clergy  to  pass  to  the 
priest's  house  on  Central  Avenue,  opposite  the  sacristy  of  the 
church.     In   the   house   the   clergy  vested,  "and,   preceded  by  a 


272  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

cross-bearer,  the  priests  and  bishops  marched  to  the  main  door  of 
the  cathedral,  where  Bishop  Bayley  was  received  by  the  venerable 
Father  Moran,  the  senior  priest  of  the  diocese. 

The  clergy  then  marched  to  the  sanctuary,  and  on  arriving 
within  the  chancel  Bishop  Ba)'ley  knelt  in  prayer.  Father  Moran 
sang  the  prayer  appointed  in  the  ritual  for  the  reception  of  a 
bishop,  and  at  its  conclusion  Bishop  Bayley  gave  his  blessing  and 
was  led  to  the  throne.  Father  Moran,  on  behalf  of  the  priests, 
made  a  brief  address  of  welcome,  and  introduced  the  clergy  to 
their  new  bishop.  Bishop  Bayley  arose  and  returned  his  thanks 
for  the  sentiments  expressed  in  the  address.  He  trusted  that 
their  best  wishes  would  be  fulfilled  and  that  God  would  send 
down  upon  them  His  richest  blessings.  He  had  hoped  and  ex- 
pected Archbishop  Hughes  to  have  introduced  him,  but  ill  health 
prevented  his  coming.  He  had  come  among  them  with  the  sanc- 
tion of  the  highest  authority  by  which  any  one  can  be  appointed 
to  places  of  government  on  earth.  He  had  been  consecrated  to 
the  See  of  Newark,  and  had  come  to  take  possession  of  his  See 
at  the  bidding  of  that  Supreme  Authority  which  is  day  after  day 
sending  bishops  into  all  parts  of  the  earth. 

The  Catholics  had  become  sufficiently  numerous  in  New  Jer- 
sey to  require  a  bishop,  and  this  beautiful  and  prosperous  city  had 
been  erected  into  an  episcopal  See.  When  Archbishop  Hughes 
was  appointed  to  the  See  of  New  York,  there  were  only  fifty 
priests  in  the  whole  diocese,  including  a  part  of  New  Jersey. 
To-day  there  are  three  hundred  zealous  priests  and  five  episcopal 
Sees.  Experience  has  shown  that  new  life  has  been  infused  among 
Catholics  by  the  appointment  of  a  bishop,  whenever  their  num- 
bers justified  it,  and  he  hoped  that  the  same  blessing  would  attend 
the  erection  of  this  new  See  of  Newark.  In  regard  to  himself, 
he  could  only  say  that  according  to  his  abilities  he  should  endeavor 
faithfully  to  discharge  his  duty  in  this  part  of  the  Lord's  vine- 
yard. In  conclusion,  he  asked  this  single  favor  of  both  priests 
and  people,  that  they  would  pray  God  to  send  down  upon  him, 
His  unworthy  son,  the  grace  of  wisdom  and  prudence,  fortitude 
and  courage,  to  establish  their  faith,  overcome  obstacles,  and  dis- 
charge the  duty  imposed  upon  him  for  their  salvation  and  the  sal- 
vation of  his  own  soul. 

The  bishop  then  received  the  obedience  of  his  clergy,  who  on 
arriving  at  the  throne  knelt  and  kissed  his  ring.  A  Solemn  High 
Mass  was  then  sung,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cummings  celebrant,  the 
Rev.  Michael   A.  Madden  deacon,  and  the  Rev.   Father  O'Cal- 


IN    NEW    JKRSEY  273 

laghan  siibdeacon.  "  There  were  really  thres  congregations  in  the 
church,"  states  Bishop  McOuaid;  "one  on  the  floor  of  the  church, 
one  standing  on  the  seats,  and  others  standing  on  the  backs  of 
the  pews.  There  were  no  tickets  of  admission,  and  all  who  could 
get  in  were  welcomed."  Neither  before  nor  since  did  the  cathedral 
contain  such  a  throng.  There  were  present  in  the  sanctuary 
Bishops  McCloskey  (afterward  Cardinal)  of  Albany,  Fitzpatrick 
of  Boston,  and  Loughlin  of  Brooklyn,  and  upward  of  fifty  priests 
in  cassock  and  surplice  in  front  of  the  chancel.  Father  Moran 
was  the  assistant  priest,  and  the  Masters  of  Ceremonies  Fathers 
D'Andrasse  and  McOuaid.  The  music,  which  was  under  the 
direction  of  Mr.  Pirsson,  the  organist,  was  very  fine,  and  the  Mass 
was  Mazzinghi's  in  F. 

After  the  Mass  the  clergy  were  entertained  at  a  banquet,  pro- 
vided at  the  personal  expense  of  Father  McOuaid,  who,  to  give 
this  last  touch  to  the  glory  of  a  beautiful  and  successful  ceremony 
unblemished  by  a  single  mishap,  sold  his  horse  and  carriage,  and 
even  with  that  was  compelled  to  borrow  money  to  meet  the 
expense. 

To  increase  his  difficulties  the  landlord  raised  the  rent  on  the 
Central  Avenue  property,  and  Father  McOuaid  was  forced  to  buy 
the  present  rectory,  which  was  then  a  very  small  house  and  ill 
fitted  as  an  episcopal  residence.  However,  he  raised  the  funds  to 
build  an  addition,  and  the  bishop  retired  into  voluntary  exile  until 
the  improvements  were  completed  and  the  house  in  a  condition 
for  him  to  occupy  it  without  incurring  any  risk  from  the  stand- 
point of  health. 

Bishop  Bayley,  as  he  entered  upon  the  difficult  work  of  organ- 
izing the  new  diocese,  and  surveyed  the  vast  field  entrusted  to 
him,  with  practically  only  twenty-five  priests  on  whom  he  could 
count  as  permanent  helpers  in  the  ministry,  not  a  single  diocesan 
institution,  no  funds,  and  a  flock  despised  and  penniless,  saw  little 
to  encourage  and  sustain  him.  His  experience  in  New  York 
confirmed  him  as  to  the  necessity  of  Christian  education,  since 
the  schools,  supported  by  the  public  funds,  were  openly  antago- 
nistic to  Catholic  faith,  and  endangered  and  in  many  instances 
actually  robbed  of  their  faith  the  Catholic  children  who  fre- 
quented them.  Hence  he  laid  it  down  as  a  principle  from  the 
beginning  that  his  priests'  first  care  must  be  the  children,  and  if  a 
choice  between  the  erection  of  a  school  or  a  church  had  to  be 
made,  the  preference  in  every  case  should  be  given  to  the  school. 
For  the  school  once  established,  the  children  later  on  would  build 
18 


274 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


the  church.     He  considered  no  parish  worthy  of  the  name  that 
did  not  have  its  parochial  school. 

His  priests  responded  to  the  views  of  their  bishop,  and  strove 
to  organize  the  Catholic  school  as  best  they  could  with  the 
limited  means  at  their  disposal.  The  work  taken  up  by  the  sisters 
in  the  orphanage  broadened,  but  the  supply  was  unequal  to  the 
demand.  There  was  but  one  thing  to  do,  and  that  was  to  imitate 
the  example  of  Archbishop  Hughes,  and  install  in  the  diocese  its 
own  sisterhood.     Two   sisters  from    Mount    St.  Vincent's  were 


THE   OLD   WARD    MANSION, 

First  Mother  House  of  Sisters  of  Ciiarity  in  the  Diocese  of  Newark. 
September  30,  1S59.     Razed  in  1873. 


permitted  to  transfer  their  obedience  to  Bishop  Bayley,  open  a 
novitiate,  and  launch  the  little  community  which  has  grown  to 
such  wonderful  proportions.  The  old  Ward  mansion,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Bleecker  and  Washington  streets,  was  purchased,  and  this 
became  the  first  advance  post  of  that  host  of  devoted  women  who 
from  that  day  to  this  has  accomplished  so  much  of  good  not  only 
in  Newark,  but  in  other  dioceses.  The  two  volunteers  for  this 
noble  work  were  Sister  Mary  Xavier  Mehegan  and  Sister  Mary 
Catherine  Nevins,  of  whom  only  one — Mother  Xavier— survives, 
the  witness  of  the  triumphant  success  achieved  through  many 
tears  and  privations,  and  a  lasting  monument  of  God's  condescen- 
sion and  of  the  zeal  and  piety  of  her  colaborers.     Previous  to  this 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  275 

foundation,  however,  five  young  women  resolved  to  consecrate 
their  Hves  to  God  in  the  service  of  the  poor  and  the  young,  the 
Misses  Margaret  O'Neill,  of  Paterson,  Mary  Linah,  Bridget  Daley, 
Mary  A.  Duffy,  and  Margaret  Plunkett,  all  of  Newark,  and  they 
were  sent  under  the  tutelage  of  Father  McOuaid  to  the  novitiate 
of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  mother  supe- 
rior of  that  house  had  been  an  intimate  friend  of  Bishop  Bayley's 
saintly  aunt,  Mother  Seton,  and  out  of  regard  for  her  she  con- 
sented to  train  this  little  company  of  volunteers  from  New  Jersey. 
Hampered  by  lack  of  money  to  further  his  enterprises,  Bishop 
Bayley  determined  to  appeal  to  the  Association  of  the  Propagation 
of  the  P'aith,  of  Lyons,  P" ranee.  This  society,  the  work  of  two 
humble  sewing-girls,  has  accomplished  wonders  in  the  missionary 
field  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  no  people  are  under  graver  ob- 
ligations of  gratitude  to  it  than  the  Catholics  of  the  United  States, 
and  in  no  small  degree  the  Catholics  of  New  Jersey.  The  letters 
of  Bishop  Bayley  written  from  time  to  time  reveal  the  actual  con- 
dition of  the  diocese  and  its  progress.  His  first  appeal  was  made 
in  June,  1854.     In  his  letter  Bishop  Bayley  says: 


The  emigrants  who  in  the  beginning  came  into  this  State  in 
search  of  work  strayed  all  over  its  boundaries,  and,  deprived  of 
the  help  of  religion,  have  abandoned  their  faith  or  at  least  allowed 
their  children  to  be  brought  up  in  heresy.  Thus  the  names  of 
many  Protestant  families,  some  of  whom  are  distinguished  to-day 
for  their  wealth  and  their  influence,  point  clearly  to  the  religion 
to  which  they  should  belong  and  to  which  they  are  utterly  lost. 
For  some  years  past  many  industries  have  been  started  in  this 
State,  and  thereby  attract  many  Catholics,  who  now  number  from 
fifty  to  sixty  thousand,  for  the  most  part  Irish  and  Germans. 
.  .  .  But  the  number  of  priests  is  not  in  proportion  to  the  faith- 
ful ;  the  diocese  can  count  only  on  thirty-three  clergymen  to  meet 
all  its  wants  and  demands.  And  what  is  most  regrettable  is  that 
the  State  of  New  Jersey,  having  been  regarded  up  to  the  present 
as  an  accessory  rather  than  an  integral  and  permanent  part  of  the 
dioceses  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  does  not  possess  a  single 
institution  of  learning  or  religion,  so  necessary  to  the  establish- 
ment and  progress  of  religion.  It  is  in  view  of  these  considera- 
tions that  the  Diocese  of  Newark  awaits  to-day  the  attention  and 
benevolence  of  the  charitable  associations  in  favor  of  foreign 
missions;  it  believes  it  has  a  right  to  their  assistance,  since 
these  dioceses,  long  since  established,  have  kept  all  their  col- 
leges, their  seminaries,  and  religious  houses,  although  their  wants 
and  their  extension  have  diminished  by  the  erection  within  their 
bosom  of  new  dioceses.  Helped  in  the  beginning,  the  Diocese  of 
Newark  will  soon  be  able  to  take  care  of  itself,  and  to  give  back 


276  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

the  kindness  which  will  have  been  meted  out  to  it,  by  coming  to 
the  assistance  of  other  missions  which  may  need  its  help. 

Again  in  January,  1855,  in  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  $3,000, 
Bishop  Bay  ley  gives  a  gloomy  picture  of  the  condition  of  his  l^ock: 

When  I  took  possession  of  the  diocese,  I  found  many  church- 
es loaded  down  with  debts,  and  in  such  straits  that  they  needed 
large  sums  of  money  to  prevent  their  being  sold  under  the  hammer. 
At  the  same  time  the  occasion  presented  itself  of  buying  at  a 
reasonable  figure  a  property  most  suitable  for  a  college  and  a 
seminary,  and  I  felt  constrained  to  avail  myself  of  it.  These  out- 
lays and  many  others  indispensable  in  a  new  diocese  have  placed 
me  in  urgent  need  of  funds,  and  the  news  of  the  allowance  of  your 
society  of  4,100  francs  is  welcome  indeed.  I  have  not  as  yet  been 
able  to  obtain  an  exact  and  detailed  report  of  the  different  missions 
of  the  diocese,  but  as  soon  as  possible  I  will  fill  out  the  blank  you 
have  sent  me.  The  last  Provincial  Council  held  in  New  York 
pressed  upon  the  bishops  their  cooperation  with  the  Propagation 
of  the  Faith,  with  the  resolution  of  establishing  it  in  all  the  dio- 
ceses. I  would  have  taken  immediate  steps  to  carry  out  this 
resolution,  but  the  commercial  crisis,  which  just  now  is  making 
itself  felt  throughout  the  country,  and  which  has  closed,  for  a  time 
at  least,  a  great  number  of  factories  and  thrown  our  jDoor  people 
out  of  employment,  has  left  them  not  only  incapable  of  giving  an 
alms,  but  rather  made  them  an  oljject  of  charity.  I  hope  soon  for 
better  things  and  that  prosperity  will  return.  I  expect  to  have  a 
retreat  for  the  clergy  and  a  diocesan  synod  in  the  course  of  next 
summer,  and  I  will  then  establish  the  work  of  the  Propagation 
and  urge  it  warmly  on  the  priests  of  the  diocese. 

In  August,  1855,  he  again  writes  to  the  director  of  the  same 
association : 

I  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  the  allowance  made  by 
the  Council,  which  came  most  opportunely,  for  otherwise  the  Dio- 
cese of  Newark  would  have  been  in  great  straits.  With  the  money 
received  I  have  been  able  to  save  two  churches,  on  the  point  of 
being  sold  and  lost  to  religion,  and  besides  helped  other  churches 
which  were  very  much  embarrassed.  I  hope  that  a  like  necessity 
will  not  again  exist,  and  all  the  funds  sent  by  the  society  will  be 
used  no  more  to  repair  mistakes,  but  to  build  houses  of  education 
and  charity  of  which  we  are  so  much  in  need.  The  report  you 
ask  for  would  have  been  completed  but  for  the  fact  that  I  have 
not  been  able  to  obtain  satisfactory  statistics  such  as  I  would 
wish  to  send  you.  In  one  of  my  letters  I  gave  you  a  general  idea 
of  the  state  of  the  diocese  as  I  found  it  in  the  fall  of  1853.  The 
panic  which  came  immediately  after  has  fallen  hard  on  my  poor 
diocesans,  who,  almost  all,  are  employed  in  factories  and  conse- 
quently out  of  work.  .  .  .  The  only  point  I  wish  to  modify  in  that 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  277 

report  regards  the  number  of  Catholics  scattered  throughout  the 
diocese,  which  I  beUeve  has  been  greatly  exaggerated.  Never- 
theless, our  Catholics  are  so  spread  out,  so  floating,  that  it  is  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  find  out  just  how  numerous  they  are.  I  have 
taken  means  to  find  out  the  number  of  baptisms  and  interments 
during  a  gix'en  j^eriod,  and  I  hope  by  this  means  to  ascertain  a 
closer  proximate  of  the  number  of  Catholics  in  my  diocese  than 
heretofore.  As  I  had  the  honor  of  informing  you  in  my  first  let- 
ter, there  was  no  educational  institution  under  the  care  of  relig- 
ious in  the  whole  State  when  I  took  possession  of  the  diocese. 
Since  I  was  named  bishop  I  have  obtained  from  the  mother-house 
in  New  York  some  Sisters  of  Charity  to  take  care  of  two  orphan- 
ages, one  in  Newark  and  the  other  in  Paterson.  There  is  also  in 
Jersey  City  a  community  of  sisters  who  teach  in  the  parish  school. 
In  this  country,  more  than  in  any  other,  the  prosperity  of  the 
Church  depends  above  all  on  the  education  given  to  the  children. 
The  evil  influences  to  be  met  on  every  side  are  so  destructive 
that  the  Catholic  religion  will  disappear  as  quickly  as  it  has  spread 
unless  we  transplant  it  in  a  good  soil,  in  training  up  with  all  pos- 
sible care  the  children  in  the  faith  of  their  fathers.  Therefore  I 
have  opened  schools  wherever  there  is  a  church  and  a  resident 
priest.  It  is  a  great  burden  for  our  poor  people,  who  are  obliged 
not  only  to  support  Catholic  schools,  but  also  to  pay  taxes  for  the 
maintenance  of  free  schools,  which  are  carried  on  at  an  immense 
outlay  and  which  present  ev^ery  attraction  to  catch  our  children. 
.  .  .  Again,  to  consolidate  religious  education,  I  have  bought  a 
property  where  I  hope  to  open  a  college,  in  which  the  young  men 
of  the  diocese  who  give  signs  of  a  vocation  to  the  priesthood  will 
be  trained.  At  present  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  there  are  40,000 
Catholics  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey.  The  majority  of  the  adults 
are  Irish  immigrants,  many  thousands  of  Germans,  some  Ameri- 
cans, English,  French,  and  Canadians.  To  take  care  of  their 
spiritual  interests  we  have  thirty-five  missionary  priests,  of  whom 
eight,  including  myself,  were  born  in  this  country,  seventeen  born 
in  Ireland,  five  Germans,  five  French  or  Italians.  There  are 
forty-one  churches  or  chapels  in  the  diocese,  and  twelve  stations, 
where  Mass  is  occasionally  celebrated,  sometimes  in  the  open  air 
or  in  dwelling-houses.  When  I  will  have  gathered  all  the  details 
I  will  send  you  a  more  exact  account  on  all  these  points.  I  intend 
to  establish  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  in  the  synod  which  I 
hope  to  convoke  shortly.  I  must  look,  however,  to  the  society  to 
help  me  to  lay  well  the  foundations  of  religion  in  my  new  diocese, 
and  I  hope  hereafter,  with  the  help  of  God,  we  will  be  able  to 
carry  on  this  work  ourselves,  and  also  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to 
others. 

Impressed  with  the  necessity  of  providing  priests  for  his  dio- 
cese, and  in  accordance  with  the  ordinances  of  the  Council  of 
Trent,  he  determined  to  open  a  college,  which  might  afford  him  a 
supply  of  aspirants  to  the  priesthood,  who  would  receive  their 


278 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


ecclesiastical  training  in  the  seminary  connected  with  the  college. 
This  wise  legislation  is  summed  up  in  chapter  xviii.  of  the 
XXIIId.  Session  in  the  following  words:  "The  Holy  Synod  de- 
crees that  every  cathedral  church,  in  proportion  to  its  means  and 
the  needs  of  the  diocese,  is  held  to  place  a  certain  number  of  the 
youth,  belonging  to  the  cathedral  city  and  the  diocese,  or,  if  these 
fail,  to  the  province,  in  a  college  near  the  churches,  or  in  another 
place  as  the  bishop  deems  expedient,  for  instructing  and  training 
in  the  ecclesiastical  state.  ...  It  desires  chiefly  that  the  children 


MADAME   CHEGARRV  S    ACADEMY, 
Old  Seton  Hall,  Convent  Station. 


of  the  poor  be  given  the  preference,  although  the  sons  of  the  rich 
are  not  to  be  excluded  provided  they  pay  their  own  way.  For 
its  administration  the  Council  prescribes  that  four  deputies  be 
elected  in  synod,  of  whom  two  will  supervise  the  internal  dis- 
cipline and  two  others  look  after  the  finances.  Where  the  canon- 
ical dignity  does  not  exist,  as  in  the  United  States,  the  Holy  See 
in  an  instruction  to  the  American  bishops  has  laid  down  the  rule 
that,  for  diocesan  seminaries  at  least,  two  deputies  be  chosen  by 
the  bishop  with  the  advice  of  his  council,  one  for  spiritual  and  the 
other  for  temporal  matters.  Their  advice  the  bishop  is  obliged  to 
seek,  although  he  may  not  follow  it." 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  279 

Father  McQuaid,  when  in  Madison,  often  entertained  Father 
Bayley,  who  would  run  out  to  Morris  County  to  revisit  the  scenes 
of  his  boyhood,  and  to  forget  in  his  rambles  through  the  hills  and 
forests  and  the  famed  peach  orchards  the  cares  of  office  and  the 
wear  and  tear  of  his  responsibilities. 

The  charms  of  these  precious  hours  of  idyllic  pleasure  were 
not  utterly  lost,  and  neither  had  forgotten  the  situation  of  the 
Seminary  for  Young  Ladies,  conducted  by  Madame  Chegarry,  a 
few  miles  from  the  village  of  Madison.  As  it  was  in  the  market, 
both  Bishop  Bayley  and  Father  McOuaid  were  of  one  mind  in 
regard  to  its  desirability  for  a  college  site. 

Located  on  high  ground  and  commanding  a  broad  sweep  of 
beautiful  country,  and  unsurpassed  for  healthfulness,  Seton  Hall 
College  was  opened  in  September,  1856,  with  the  Rev.  B.  J. 
McOuaid  as  its  first  president.  An  entry  in  Bishop  Bayley's 
diurnal,  August  26th,  1856,  reads:  "Father  McOuaid  very  busy 
preparing  to  open  the  college.  The  difficulties  and  obstacles  from 
unexpected  quarters  have  been  great,  but  Father  McQuaid  hopes 
to  have  from  thirty  to  forty  students  to  begin  with."  Five  stu- 
dents answered  to  the  first  roll-call,  but  before  the  end  of  the 
month  twenty  additional  names  were  registered. 

Meanwhile  the  diocese  was  responding  to  the  touch  of  its 
new  bishop.  In  August,  1854,  three  young  men,  Messrs.  Cor- 
nelius Cannon,  John  A.  Kelly,  and  Philip  McMahon,  and  in 
December  Mr.  John  Murray,  were  ordained  to  the  priesthood  and 
added  to  the  diocesan  body.  On  September  3d,  1854,  the  corner- 
stone of  the  new  church  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace  was  laid  in  Ho- 
boken;  and  November  21st,  1855,  Bishop  Bayley  dedicated  a  new 
church  in  the  northern  limits  of  Jersey  City,  under  the  patronage 
of  the  Mother  of  God.  Mass  was  celebrated  by  Father  Moran  of 
Newark,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Heyden,  V.G.,  of  Philadelphia,  preached 
on  the  occasion.  The  same  day  Bishop  Bayley  administered  con- 
firmation in  St.  Peter's,  Jersey  City.  Bishop  Bayley  had  visited 
Rome  and  taken  part  in  the  promulgation  of  the  dogma  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception  of  the  Mother  of  God.  In  December, 
1855,  he  published  a  pastoral  letter  to  the  clergy  and  laity  of  his 
diocese  concerning  a  jubilee  in  honor  of  the  Immaculate  Concep- 
tion of  the  Mother  of  God,  to  take  place  during  the  month  of 
December.  The  prelate  inculcates  in  the  strongest  terms  "a  ten- 
der devotion  to  the  Queen  of  Heaven.  Nothing  is  more  remark- 
able as  connected  with  the  revival  of  piety  in  our  day  than  the 
increased   devotion   of    all    good  Christians  toward  the  blessed 


28o  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Mother  of  God.  The  definition  of  her  Immaculate  Conception 
has  ah'eady  added  new  fervor  to  this  fihal  love,  and  will  no  doubt 
tend  to  draw  down  additional  blessings  from  God  upon  us  and 
upon  his  Church.  You  will  therefore,  dearly  beloved  brethren, 
join  your  devotions  to  those  with  which  the  Universal  Church  has 
received  the  dogmatic  decision  of  this  important  truth." 

He  acknowledges,  in  February,  1856,  the  receipt  of  $1,290 
from  the  Leopoldine  Society  of  Vienna.  This  organization  owed 
its  origin  largely  to  the  representations  of  Father,  afterward 
Bishop,  Rese,  who  while  on  a  visit  to  Vienna  awakened  interest 
among  the  Austrian  Catholics  by  his  description  of  the  poverty 
and  need  of  the  Catholics  in  the  United  States,  especially  in  the 
territories.  The  object  of  the  society,  as  stated  in  its  rules,  "  was 
to  promote  the  greater  activity  of  Catholic  missions  in  America,' 
and  its  name  was  to  be  a  memorial  of  Leopoldina,  deceased  Em- 
press of  Brazil,  born  Archduchess  of  Austria.  The  Archbishop 
of  Vienna  was  its  immediate  superior. 

MoNsiGNOR :  It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  I  acknowledge  the 
receipt  of  your  letter  enclosing  a  bill  of  exchange  on  London  for 
£2^?),  allotted  by  the  Leopoldine  Society  of  Vienna,  to  succor 
the  wants  of  the  poor  missions  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark.  I  will 
take  special  care  to  see  that  the  money  is  expended  in  accordance 
with  the  wishes  of  the  society.  A  part  will  be  given  to  the  mis- 
sion of  Trenton,  and  the  remainder  will  be  distributed  to  the  dif- 
ferent German  missions  of  my  diocese  to  help  them  to  build  par- 
ish schools,  with  the  exception  of  a  portion  which  I  will  reserve 
to  aid  me  in  carrying  on  a  work  which  I  consider  of  the  highest 
importance  for  the  upholding  and  furthering  of  our  holy  religion 
in  our  diocese — the  establishment  of  a  diocesan  college  for  the 
Christian  education  of  our  youth. 

The  Diocese  of  Newark,  to  the  support  of  which  you  have  so 
generously  contributed,  comprises  the  whole  State  of  New  Jer- 
sey, one  of  the  first  thirteen  United  States  of  America.  It  was 
erected  by  his  Holiness  Pope  Pius  IX.  in  1853.  Before  this  epoch 
one-half  belonged  to  the  Diocese  of  New  York  and  the  other  was 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Bishop  of  Philadelphia.  Newark  is 
situated  between  both  dioceses.  The  number  of  Catholics  is 
about  40,000,  almost  all  emigrants  from  Ireland,  Germany,  and 
other  countries.  They  are  broadcast  over  the  whole  State,  and 
are  employed  in  factories,  as  household  servants,  or  on  farms.  The 
churches  in  the  diocese  are  for  the  most  part  small  structures, 
built  of  wood,  and  attended  by  missionary  priests,  who  are  in  the 
habit  of  offering  the  Holy  Sacrifice  at  different  stations  where 
there  is  no  church  to  give  our  poor  people  the  opportunity  of 
approaching  the  sacraments.  I  cannot  .say  exactly  just  how 
many  Germans  there  are  in  the  diocese,  but  I  am  of  the  opinion 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  281 

that  they  are  about  one-fourth  of  the  entire  Catholic  population. 
There  are  some  German  churches  and  different  stations  attended 
by  German  priests.  You  are  doubtless  aware  that  we  receive 
nothing"  from  the  Government  and  that  the  clergy  is  entirely  sup- 
ported by  the  faithful.  The  German  missions,  on  this  account, 
are  in  the  greatest  need  of  support,  since  the  Germans,  coming 
from  a  country  where  the  Church  is  entirely  supported  by  the 
state,  are  not  habituated  to  the  system  of  voluntary  contributions 
and  are  much  less  generous  than  their  Irish  brethren.  When  the 
Diocese  of  Newark  was  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Bishops  of 
New  York  and  Philadelphia,  the  faithful  of  New  Jersey  con- 
tributed generously  to  the  support  of  the  diverse  institutions  of 
piety  and  learning  founded  in  these  dioceses,  although  none  of 
these  institutions  were  built  within  the  borders  of  the  present 
diocese.  The  consequence  is  that  we  are  now  obliged  to  build 
ourselves  to  safeguard  religion  and  uphold  its  dignity.  It  is  for 
this  reason  that,  since  my  advent  to  the  diocese,  I  have  established 
three  communities  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  and  I  contemplate, 
as  I  said  before,  building  and  founding  a  college. 

I  look  upon  the  present  time  as  most  critical  for  our  holy 
religion.  The  emigration  of  these  last  years  has  been  so  great 
that  almost  everywhere  missions  and  churches  are  springing  up, 
mainly  because  the  emigrants  come  for  the  most  part  from  Ire- 
land and  Germany  and  the  Catholic  countries  of  Europe.  The 
future  of  religion  depends  consequently  upon  the  means  we  will 
take  to  preserve  the  children  of  our  Catholics  in  the  faith.  There 
is  no  fear  for  the  parents,  who  become  ofttimes  indifferent  but 
rarely  apostates,  while  the  Protestants  make  the  greatest  efforts 
to  per\'ert  our  youth,  mainly  in  establishing  free  schools,  sup- 
ported by  the  state.  You  will  understand  why  I  use  every  means 
to  establish  parochial  schools  wherever  there  are  missions,  in 
order  that  one  day  the  children  may  become  the  mainstay  of 
religion  in  our  country.  The  future  of  our  religion  depends  upon 
what  we  accomplish  in  these  days,  and  if  the  Leopoldine  Society 
sees  fit  to  offer  some  assistance  to  this  new  diocese  for  some 
years,  they  will  have  powerfully  contributed  to  the  attainment  of 
this  most  desirable  end. 

These  letters  of  our  first  bishop  give  us  the  clearest  and  most 
reliable  view  of  existing  conditions  and  a  realizing  sense  of  the 
difficulties  he  labored  under  and  the  means  he  had  recourse  to  in 
his  efforts  to  overcome  obstacles  and  to  keep  pace  with  the  de- 
mands of  his  diocese. 

In  July,  1856,  he  again  writes  to  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith: 

The  money  you  have  sent  me  has  been  a  great  help  to  relieve 
the  wants  of  the  poorest  sections  of  my  diocese  and  to  help  me 
establish  among  them  the  labors  I  have  undertaken  to  consolidate 
our  holy  religion  in  these  parts. 


282  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

The  state  of  my  diocese  has  not  changed  materially  since 
my  last  letter.  Many  circumstances  with  which  no  doubt  you 
are  familiar  have  powerfully  contributed  to  check  emigration  from 
Ireland,  as  well  as  from  other  Catholic  centres  on  the  Continent. 
At  the  same  time  such  as  are  here  have  become  restless ;  many 
of  them  have  gone  back  to  the  old  country,  and  a  great  number  of 
others  have  left  the  seaboard  for  the  West.  Affairs  are  certainly 
brighter,  and  our  poor  people,  as  a  rule,  have  work  and  are  more 
contented.  These  circumstances  have  been  a  great  obstacle  to 
our  advancement.  I  have,  however,  been  able  to  go  on  with  the 
work  already  begun  of  erecting  a  diocesan  college.  It  will  be 
open  for  the  admission  of  scholars  the  ist  of  September. 

The  only  way,  in  my  opinion,  in  which  we  can  hope  to  make 
an  impression  upon  the  proud  and  worldly  spirit  of  the  Protestants 
who  surround  us — a  spirit  which,  to  say  in  passing,  presents  to 
the  development  of  our  holy  religion  an  obstacle  as  grave  as  the 
castes  of  India — is  to  elevate  the  social  condition  of  Catholics. 

Many  of  our  Catholic  emigrants  have  made  fortunes,  and  if 
their  children  can  be  taught  that  in  holding  to  their  faith  they 
can  stand  on  the  same  level  with  Protestants,  they  will  be  able 
little  by  little  to  remove  the  prejudices  which  hinder  the  enemies 
of  the  Church  from  examining  the  truth  of  our  holy  religion. 
During  the  synod  which  will  be  held  in  the  month  of  August  I 
will  establish  the  work  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith,  and 
although  I  cannot  promise  large  contributions  for  the  present,  it 
will  be  a  step  in  the  right  direction,  and  will  draw  down  the  bless- 
ings of  Heaven  on  the  flock  entrusted  to  us. 

In  1858  he  writes: 

I  would  be  glad  to  be  in  a  position  which  would  furnish  the 
means  to  give  without  being  obliged  to  receive,  but  although  I 
admit  that  certain  portions  of  our  missions  are  in  greater  stress 
than  we,  yet  it  will  be  difficult  for  me,  at  least  for  the  present,  to 
do  anything  without  the  help  of  the  association.  Here  our  work 
is  in  the  midst  of  bitter  heretics,  and  although  our  poor  people 
contribute  generously  according  to  their  means  for  the  support  of 
our  churches,  it  will  be  out  of  the  question  without  your  help  to 
give  to  our  establishments  for  education  the  means  and  the  pro- 
tection necessary.  Unless  the  work  is  done  now,  it  will  soon  be 
too  late.  So  far  as  the  diocese  is  concerned,  things  are  about  the 
same.  We  are  striving  to  organize  a  mother  house  for  sisters  who 
will  devote  themselves  in  a  special  manner  to  teach  poor  children. 
We  have  every  hope  of  success.  In  different  places  in  the  dio- 
cese we  have  endeavored  to  organize  the  conferences  of  St.  Vin- 
cent de  Paul.  They  are  highly  important  to  counterbalance  the 
proselytism  of  the  different  sects  who  work  constantly  and  per- 
sistently on  the  poverty  of  our  poor  emigrants  to  pervert  their 
children. 

It  is  well  to  recall  these  early,  bitter  struggles,  to  listen  again 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  283 

to  that  voice  silenced  by  death,  to  recall  his  warnings,  and  verify 
his  predictions.  Much  of  the  old  rancor  of  our  brethren  outside 
the  fold,  if  not  extinct,  is  rarely  ap})arent ;  but  to  their  spirit  of 
opposition  has  succeeded  the  more  dangerous,  because  intangible 
and  inoffensi\-e,  prevalent  irreligious  naturalism,  which  imper- 
ceptibl}'  influences  the  young,  who,  restive  of  restraint,  unless 
solidly  grounded  in  their  religion,  sweep  away  every  obstacle, 
moral  or  religious,  which  may  hinder  the  full  enjoyment  of  their 
liberty.  The  old  foe  of  the  Celt  still  reckons  his  victims  among 
our  ranks,  still  must  be  credited  with  a  considerable  share  of  that 
leakage  of  the  faith  which  in  the  last  half  century  has  depleted 
the  ranks  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  this  country  by  the  hundred 
thousands.  It  is  the  height  of  folly  to  blink  this  fact,  which,  if 
admitted,  might  stimulate  to  more  earnest,  persistent  efforts  to 
arrest  it.  One  of  its  most  efficient  causes  has  been  and  is  to-day 
the  vice  of  intemperance.  Hence  the  pastoral  of  January  21st, 
1 861,  may  be  reproduced,  not  only  for  the  interest  it  may  excite, 
but  also  for  the  good  it  may  accomplish. 

Reverend  Sir  :  I  am  compelled  to  call  your  attention,  in  a 
particular  manner,  to  the  dreadful  sin  of  drunkenness. 

This  horrible  vice,  so  destructive  alike  to  body  and  soul,  is,  as 
we  all  know,  making  the  most  fearful  ravages  among  our  people. 
It  may  be  said  to  be  the  chief  cause  of  all  the  sins  they  commit, 
and  of  all  the  social  evils  and  discomforts  under  which  they  labor. 
It  brings  strife  and  disunion  and  poverty  into  families;  it  renders 
parents  unfit  to  discharge  the  duties  which  they  owe  to  their 
children ;  it  corrupts  the  young,  and  is  the  source  of  innumerable 
crimes.  It  is,  in  fact,  as  we  are  all  made  to  feel  by  daily  experi- 
ence, the  one  great  obstacle  which  stands  in  the  way  of  our  labors 
for  their  spiritual  and  temporal  good. 

Notwithstanding  all  the  clergy  have  done,  by  exhortation  and 
warning,  to  put  a  stop  to  this  monster  vice,  it  is,  I  regret  to  say, 
on  the  increase  among  us,  and  I  feel  that  I  would  be  neglecting 
my  duty  as  a  bishop  if  I  did  not  take  some  strong  measures,  in 
concert  with  the  reverend  clergy,  to  check  this  moral  pestilence. 

It  is  my  wish,  therefore,  that,  on  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  you 
would  immediately  bring  this  subject  to  the  attention  of  your 
people  by  reading  it  to  them,  and  that  you  would  urge  upon  all 
the  better  portion  of  them,  all  who  love  their  religion  and  deplore 
the  scandal  which  this  vice  brings  upon  it,  and  who  grieve  on  ac- 
count of  the  souls  that  this  sin  destroys,  to  unite  with  you  in 
laboring  to  arrest  its  progress. 

Your  efforts,  as  you  will  readily  perceive,  are  to  be  directed 
against  two  classes  of  persons — the  drunkards  themselves  and 
those  who,  knowing  them  to  be  such,  supply  them  with  drink. 

While  I  am  willing  to  leave  to  each  pastor  the  choice  of  the 


284  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

particular  means  which  he  thinks  most  likely  to  effect  the  object 
we  have  in  view,  I  would  direct  your  attention  especially  to  those 
who  keep  disorderly  drinking  houses  and  who  sell  liquor  late  on 
Saturday  nights  and  on  Sundays ;  and  I  would  suggest  the  advan- 
tage of  obtaining  a  list  of  all  the  drunken  men  and  women  and  of 
those  who  keep  such  houses  in  your  district.  In  this  way  you 
may  be  able  to  make  an  example  of  them  and  to  excite  against 
them  the  indignation  of  all  good  Catholics,  as  persons  who  bring 
disgrace  upon  their  religion  and  who  are  to  be  shunned  by  every 
one  who  has  any  regard  for  order,  peace,  and  good  citizenship.  I 
am  determined  to  make  use  of  the  most  severe  measures  against 
all  who  are  addicted  to  this  scandalous  and  destructive  vice ;  and 
if  they  continue  in  the  practice  of  it,  they  must  do  it  as  outcasts 
from  the  Catholic  Church,  who  have  no  right  to  the  name  of 
Catholic  while  they  live  nor  to  Christian  burial  when  they  die. 

*  James,  Bishop  of  Nezvark. 

Bishop  Bayley  wrote,  in  August,  i860,  to  the  Propagation  of 
the  Faith  in  a  more  hopeful  tone : 

I  am  happy  to  be  able  to  say  to  you  that  the  labors  inaug- 
urated in  my  diocese  for  the  establishment  of  religion  seem  to 
prosper.  The  mother-house  of  the  sisters  established  for  the  edu- 
cation of  the  young  and  other  works  of  charity  contains  now 
twenty-six  novices.  The  house  which  I  bought  for  them  is  too 
small  and  inconvenient,  so  that  I  have  given  them  the  property 
which  belonged  to  the  Diocesan  College.  It  is  large,  convenient, 
and  healthy,  and  it  will  answer  all  their  wants.  The  sisters  are 
animated  with  an  excellent  spirit,  and  we  have  every  reason  to  ex- 
pect from  them  the  greatest  benefits  for  religion,  above  all,  for  the 
salvation  of  our  poor  children.  Up  to  the  present  they  have  been 
supported  almost  entirely  by  me,  and  hence  I  ask  the  association 
to  help  me  as  much  as  possible.  Within  a  year  they  will  be  able 
to  receive  some  help  from  the  other  churches,  where  they  will 
form  little  communities  and  will  take  care  of  themselves.  After 
having  given  the  college  to  the  sisters,  I  had  to  purchase  another 
property  for  the  Diocesan  College.  It  is  near  the  episcopal  city 
and  will  consequently  be  under  my  immediate  direction.  More- 
over, those  who  are  preparing  for  the  priesthood  will  be  able  to 
assist  at  the  functions  of  the  cathedral. 

We  are  sadly  in  need  of  priests.  Had  we  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  zealous  and  worthy  priests,  religion  would  make  great  head- 
way in  this  country.  At  present  it  is  almost  impossible  to  take 
care  of  the  Catholics.  I  have  just  now  twenty-seven  young  men 
studying  for  the  priesthood,  some  in  one  college,  some  in  another. 
The  most  of  them  come  from  poor  families,  and  I  am  forced  to 
provide  for  their  wants  during  their  course,  even  to  ordination. 
For  every  dollar  I  receive  from  the  diocese  I  must  spend  three, 
for  if  the  work  is  not  done  now,  it  will  soon  be  too  late  to  do  it. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


285 


The  year  1861  ushered  in  the  rumors  of  a  conflict  which  was 
to  rend  our  countr)'  in  twain,  to  precipitate  a  war  between  the 
North  and  South,  which  was  to  cost  milhons  of  dollars  and  thou- 
sands of  human  lives.  This  gave  occasion  to  Bishop  Bayley  to  call 
upon  his  people  to  avert  this  dreadful  calamity  by  prayers  and 
penance,  and  to  counsel  almsgiving  in  the  stress  occasioned  by 
the  hard  times. 

In  common  with  every  citizen  of  our  noble  country,  we  can- 
not but  grieve  at  these  sad  dissensions,  which  threaten  to  bring 
strife  and   anarchv  where  lately  everything  was  peace  and  pros- 


OLD    ST.  KLlZAlJKTll  S    ACADEMY, 
Old  Seton  Hall,  Convent  Station. 

perity.  The  change  has  been  so  sudden  and  was  so  little  antici- 
pated, the  evils  threatened  are  so  dreadful,  all  remedy  from  human 
wisdom  or  statesmanship  is  so  apparently  hopeless,  that  we  are 
obliged  to  acknowledge  that  the  hand  of  God  is  upon  us.  And  it 
is  not  difficult  for  us,  as  Christians,  to  understand  the  cause. 
Our  country  was  too  prosperous,  and  men  forgot  God  and  became 
proud.  It  is  impossible,  in  reading  our  newspapers  and  the 
speeches  of  our  public  men,  not  to  have  been  struck  with  that 
tone  of  arrogance  and  self-exaltation  which  was  rebuked  and  pun- 
ished by  God  in  the  proud  commercial  cities  of  the  Old  World. 


286  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

And  now  God  is  about  to  visit  us  in  his  justice  as  he  did  Tyre 
and  Sidon.  He  is  about  to  humble  us  and  make  us  recognize 
his  supreme  authority  and  our  dependence  upon  him.  We  are 
no  longer  to  seem  to  be  an  exception  to  the  law  of  expiation 
which  is  upon  the  whole  human  race.  It  is  our  duty,  therefore, 
as  Christians  and  as  citizens  of  the  country,  to  humble  ourselves 
before  him  and  to  do  all  that  is  in  our  power  to  turn  away  his 
judgments  from  us.  .  .  .  God  would  have  spared  the  cities  of  the 
l^lain  if  ten  just  persons  could  have  been  found  in  them ;  and  how 
many  thousands  of  pure  and  holy  souls  are  there  among  our  poor 
people  whose  daily  life  is  one  of  expiation,  and  who  at  the  voice 
of  their  pastors  will  pour  forth  fervent  prayers  and  offer  them- 
selves as  victims  for  the  sins  of  the  people !  There  is  more  hope 
for  us  in  the  prayers  and  sanctified  sufferings  of  the  pious  poor 
than  in  all  the  wisdom  and  resources  of  men. 

And  since  I  have  alluded  to  these  works  of  reconciliation,  it 
may  not  be  out  of  the  way,  in  these  times  when  so  many  are 
suffering  from  poverty,  to  remind  them  how  great  is  the  merit  of 
almsgiving  in  obtaining  pardon  for  sin.  We  are  ourselves  but 
beggars,  knocking  at  God's  door,  and  if  we  wish  for  mercy  our- 
selves we  must  show  it  to  others.  The  smallest  alms  involves  an 
act  of  detachment  from  the  goods  of  earth,  the  love  of  which  is 
one  of  the  evils  of  our  day.  It  will  be  a  favorable  opportunity  to 
explain  to  your  people  the  spirit  and  teaching  of  the  Catholic 
Church  in  regard  to  poverty,  so  different  from  the  spirit  and  feel- 
ings of  the  world  upon  the  subject.  You  will  remind  them  tbat 
honest  poverty,  difficult  as  it  may  be  to  endure,  is  in  the  Christian 
view  in  some  sense  a  holy  state ;  that  our  Blessed  Lord  was  a 
poor  man ;  that  the  words  so  often  used,  that  "  Christ  is  in  the 
poor,"  are  no  mere  poetic  phrase,  but  the  expression  of  what  may 
be  called  a  Catholic  dogma.  These  consoling  truths  will  make 
those  of  your  flock  who  are  in  want  patient  and  resigned,  and 
they  will  excite  those  who  have  anything  left  to  come  generously 
to  their  relief,  so  that  they  may  obtain  the  blessing  which  God 
has  promised  to  those  who  have  compassion  on  the  needy  and  the 
poor. — Circu/ar  Letter,  January  28th,  1861. 

In  March,  1862,  he  again  writes  to  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith : 

March  8th,  1862. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  find  fault  with  the  distribution  of  the 
funds  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith ;  nevertheless,  it  seems 
opportune  to  remark  that  the  members  of  the  council  ought  not 
to  suppose  that,  because  I  have  organized  the  work  of  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Faith  in  my  diocese,  and  that  it  requires  a  serious 
effort  to  contribute  to  its  funds  (larger,  I  observe,  in  this  diocese 
in  a  year  than  any  other  diocese  in  the  United  States  outside  of 
New  York),  the  Catholics  of  this  diocese  are  richer  and  more 
numerous  than  in  other  dioceses.     They  are  on  this  account  to  be 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  287 

compared  with  other  dioceses  who  send  Httle  or  nothing  to  the 
work,  but  who  receive  four  or  five  times  as  much  from  the  society. 
Judging  by  the  allotments  as  they  appear  in  The  Aniials,  I  am 
led  to  beliex'e  that  the  council  could  have  more  accurate  sources 
of  information  relative  to  the  condition  and  needs  of  the  different 
dioceses. 

April,  1864. 

The  paper  money  with  which  the  country  is  flooded  is  rapidly 
depreciating,  but  by  its  abundance  it  suffices  to  preserve  a  ficti- 
tious prosperity  and  helps  us  to  maintain  our  institutions  for  the 
welfare  of  religion.  My  college,  seminary,  and  the  different  mis- 
sions of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  are  all  doing  well,  and  my  only  fear 
is  our  immense  debt.  For  sooner  or  later  the  financial  crash 
must  come.  I  regret  to  say  that  our  Civil  War,  in  addition  to  its 
other  calamities,  is  undermining  the  morals  of  the  people  and  hin- 
dering the  progress  of  religion.  The  future  becomes  each  day 
darker,  and  our  only  hope  is  in  the  goodness  and  mercy  of  God, 
who  will  protect  his  Church  in  the  storms  of  disasters  which  are 
gathering  around  our  country,  once  so  prosperous." 

His  letter  of  April  loth,  1865,  reviews  the  progress  made  in  a 
decade  of  years,  and  is  a  noble  testimony  of  the  generosity  of  his 
flock : 

I  have  no  other  revenue  than  a  very  slender  salary,  and  it  is 
owing  to  the  allotment  of  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  that  I  am 
able  to  meet  the  interest  of  many  debts  I  have  contracted  by 
helping  the  many  poor  parishes  and  in  founding  institutions  of 
education  and  charity  in  the  diocese.  Having  made  a  review  of 
the  ten  first  years  of  my  diocese,  I  find  that  while  the  Catholic 
population  has  increased  a  third,  the  churches  and  priests  have 
doubled  in  number.  In  1854  there  were  33  churches  and  30 
priests;  to-day  there  are  67  churches  and  63  priests.  In  1854 
there  was  no  religious  community ;  now  we  ha\'e  a  monastery  of 
Benedictines,  another  of  Passionists ;  a  mother  house  of  Sisters 
of  Charity,  numbering  87  members  and  conducting  seventeen 
different  establishments ;  two  convents  of  Benedictine  nuns,  two 
others  of  German  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,  and  two  others  of  the 
Sisters  of  the  Poor  of  St.  Francis.  In  1854  there  was  no  institu- 
tion of  learning;  to-day  we  have  a  flourishing  college  and  a 
diocesan  seminary,  an  academy  for  young  ladies,  a  boarding-school 
for  boys,  and  parish  schools  attached  to  almost  all  the  churches. 
More  than  this,  man}'  of  the  old  wooden  chapels  have  given  way 
to  handsome,  stately  churches  of  brick  and  stone.  All  this  has 
been  done  in  the  midst  of  a  population  of  emigrants,  comparatively 
poor,  without  incurring  a  great  debt ;  but  this  debt  is  much  less 
than  the  value  of  the  property  acquired,  and,  barring  any  financial 
crisis,  we  will  be  able  to  handle  it  and  gradually  liquidate  it.  We 
have  good  reason  to  thank  God  for  blessing  our  feeble  efforts 


288  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

and  rooting  solidly  his  Church  in  this  portion  of  his  vineyard. 
...  It  looks  now  as  if  our  unfortunate  Civil  War  were  drawing 
to  a  close,  and  we  hope,  unless  new  complications  arise,  we  will 
soon  enjoy  the  blessings  of  peace  and  security. 

The  publication  of  the  Jubilee,  granted  by  Pius  IX.  in  his 
encyclical  letter  "  Quanta  Cura,''  gave  Bishop  Bayley  an  oppor- 
tunity to  address  his  flock  on  matters  which  are  as  vital  to  us  as 
they  were  to  the  Catholics  of  1865.  While  many  points  of  the 
encyclical  were  not  directed  to  the  Catholics  of  the  United 
States,  and  hence  had  no  weight  among  the  faithful  here,  except 
as  assertions  of  undoubted  truths,  nevertheless  practical  lessons 
could  be  learned  by  all  from  the  warning  voice  of  the  chief  pastor 
of  Christendom : 

Pastoral  Letter. 

James  Roosevelt  Bayley,  by  tlie  Grace  of  God,  and  of  tJic  Apos- 
tolic See,  Bishop  of  Newark,  to  the  Clergy  of  his  Diocese, 
Regular  and  Secular,  health  and  benediction : 

Although  happily  that  false  liberalism  which  the  Holy  Lather 
denounces,  which  prevails  so  largely  in  Europe,  and  which  prac- 
tises toleration  by  tying  up  the  Church  and  giving  full  liberty 
to  every  form  of  error,  has  not  hitherto  been  able  to  obtain  a  foot- 
hold in  our  country,  yet  we  are  subject  to  other  dangers,  spoken 
of  in  his  Encyclical  Letter,  which  it  is  our  duty  to  understand  and 
carefully  to  guard  against.  Foremost  amongst  these  is  what  is 
called  in  our  days  religious  indifferentism.  In  the  words  of  St. 
Leo,  when  speaking  of  heathen  Rome,  men  seem  to  "  pride  them- 
selves on  being  very  religious  because  they  reject  no  error."  By 
a  confusion  of  ideas  which  is  almost  incredible,  large  numbers  of 
persons  in  our  days  have  come  to  confound  civil  or  political  and 
religious  toleration.  Because  the  civil  law  leaves  a  man  free  to 
adopt  whatever  religion  he  sees  fit  or  none  at  all,  they  seem  to 
take  it  for  granted  that  he  has  the  same  liberty  before  God.  Now 
under  certain  circumstances,  in  a  country  like  ours  for  instance, 
where  so  many  different  religious  systems  prevail,  civil  or  political 
toleration  is  not  only  lawful,  but  it  is  absolutely  necessary ;  and 
under  any  circumstances  intolerance,  so  far  as  it  implies  the  use 
of  coercion  in  obliging  religious  assent,  is  wrong.  It  may  make 
men  hypocrites ;  it  cannot  make  them  good  Christians.  But 
intolerance,  as  implying  the  moral  condemnation  of  all  opposing 
error,  is  a  necessary  attribute  of  the  truth.  Before  God's  positive 
revelation  of  his  holy  will,  man  has  no  right  to  believe  anything 
in  matters  of  religion,  except  the  truths  of  that  revelation  in  their 
fulness  and  integrity.  Hence  all  those  false  maxims  which  are 
so  common  in  our  days,  that  "all  religions  are  good,"  that  "it  is 
no  matter  what  a  man  believes  so  long  as  his  life  is  right,"  that 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  289 

"the  great  point  is  to  lead  a  good  moral  life,"  arc  but  the  expres- 
sions of  an  ill -concealed  infidelity,  against  which  we  cannot  be  too 
much  on  our  guard.  In  the  sight  of  God,  a  man's  life  can  only 
be  said  to  be  right  when  he  believes  all  those  truths  whicli  God 
has  revealed  to  us  and  observes  all  those  duties  which  he  has 
commanded  us  by  his  Church,  "He  that  would  have  God  for 
his  Father,"  says  St.  Cyprian,  "must  have  the  Church  for  his 
mother." 

But  whilst,  ni)-  dear  reverend  brethren,  you  watchfully  guard 
those  under  your  charge  against  these  false  principles  by  instruct- 
ing them  carefully  in  the  Christian  doctrine,  remember  that  their 
danger  comes  not  so  much  from  any  intellectual  perversion  as 
from  the  worldly  and  sinful  influences  which  surround  them  on 
every  side.  It  is  seldom  or  ne\'cr  that  a  Catholic  who  has  been 
well  brought  up  and  instructed  in  his  religion  falls  away  and  be- 
comes a  scandal  to  it.  The  sad  perversions  and  wicked  lives  of 
so  many  among  us  who  bear  the  name  of  Catholic  have  been 
chiefly  owing  to  neglect  on  the  part  of  parents,  and  to  their  not 
having  been  fortified  when  young  by  sound  instruction  and  the 
graces  of  the  sacraments.  In  fact,  the  weak  point  in  our  line  of 
defence  against  the  evil  influence  of  society  and  the  world  is  the 
decline  and  almost  destruction  of  the  Christian  family  in  our 
midst.  The  active  and  too  engrossing  pursuit  of  gain,  the  habit 
of  moving  from  one  place  to  another  in  the  hope  of  bettering 
one's  temporal  condition,  the  employment  of  women  and  children 
in  factories,  and,  to  a  sad  extent,  the  vice  of  drunkenness,  have  all 
tended  almost  to  destroy  the  old  Christian  home.  Parents  no 
longer  seem  to  recognize  the  immense  responsibility  which  rests 
upon  them  in  this  matter ;  that  upon  their  care  and  protection 
and  example,  more  than  upon  any  other  human  cause,  depends 
the  future  well-being  of  their  offspring.  It  is,  of  course,  impos- 
sible for  us  to  remedy  these  things  entirely,  but  we  can  do  a  great 
deal  toward  it,  and  therefore  it  is  one  of  those  matters  which  we 
should  ever  keep  before  us — by  public  and  private  exhortations ; 
by  pointing  out  how  inconsistent  this  restlessness  and  worldliness 
is  with  submission  to  the  will  of  God  and  dependence  on  his 
providence;  by  often  dwelling  upon  the  immense  influence  of 
parental  example;  by  encouraging  parents  to  establish  family 
devotions  in  their  households,  and  to  attend  themselves  to  the 
instruction  and  training  of  their  children.  Life  was  not  given 
to  us  to  be  spent  in  a  ceaseless  struggle  for  wealth  and  excite- 
ment, but  to  serve  God  and  save  our  souls ;  and  this  can  hardly 
be  done  except  in  the  peace  and  tranquillity  of  domestic  retire- 
ment. 

Of  this  Christian  domestic  life  and  peace  the  basis  must  be 
the  sanctity  of  Christian  marriage,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  one  of  the  chief  causes  of  the  evils  we  deplore  is  that  so  many 
in  our  days  enter  upon  this  holy  state  without  that  prudence  and 
careful  preparation  which  so  important  an  act  demands.  Not- 
withstanding the  evident  danger  and  impropriety  of  such  mar- 

19 


290  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

riages  and  the  reclamations  of  the  Church,  the  evil  of  mixed  mar- 
riages is  greatly  increasing,  and  \vc  ha\e  been  surprised  and  pained 
at  the  frequency  with  which  our  people  are  married  outside  of 
the  Church,  seemingly  without  any  sense  of  the  dreadful  sin  they 
commit  or  the  terrible  consequences  they  incur.  We  renew  our 
exhortations  to  you,  reverend  brethren,  to  speak  frequently  to 
them  upon  these  most  important  matters,  recalling  to  their  minds 
the  doctrine  of  the  Church  upon  the  subject  of  marriage,  and  the 
severe  laws  by  which  she  strives  to  protect  its  sanctity.  We 
wish  particularly  tliat  renewed  efforts  should  be  made,  by  public 
exhortation  and  private  advice,  to  dissuade  them  from  mixed 
marriages,  which  are  productive  of  so  much  unhappiness  and  evil, 
and  to  cause  them  to  prepare  for  this  sacrament  with  greater  fore- 
thought and  exactness. 

We  take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  express  to  you  our 
satisfaction  at  the  zeal  you  have  manifested  in  the  cause  of  Chris- 
tian education.  It  is  indeed  a  very  heavy  burden  upon  us,  with 
our  limited  resources,  to  say  nothing  of  its  injustice,  to  pay  taxes 
to  the  state  for  the  support  of  schools  to  which  we  cannot  con- 
scientiously send  our  children,  and  then  to  be  obliged  to  provide 
instruction  for  them  ourselves;  but  as  things  are  at  present  we 
have  no  alternative.  We  must  therefore  maintain  our  parochial 
schools  at  any  sacrifice,  trusting  that,  one  of  these  days,  our  fel- 
low-citizens may  be  led  to  adopt  the  more  just,  and  for  their  chil- 
dren and  society  the  more  beneficial,  system  which  prevails  in 
England  and  France  and  in  every  other  country  which  has  estab- 
lished a  system  of  popular  education.  That  naturalism,  against 
which  the  warnings  of  the  Encyclical  are  principally  directed, 
which  limits  man's  knowledge  and  interests  to  the  things  of  time 
and  sense,  and  which  if  it  be  not  arrested  will  undermine  the  very 
fabric  of  Christian  civilization,  has  no  more  powerful  ally  than  a 
system  of  popular  education  which,  by  excluding  positive  religious 
truths,  leaves  the  youthful  mind  to  conclude  that  they  are  of 
little  or  no  importance.  It  is  contrary  to  every  principle  of  Cath- 
olic doctrine  and  Catholic  feeling  to  separate  daily  religious  in- 
struction from  the  training  of  the  young.  If  we  ever  had  any 
doubts  on  the  subject,  they  must  have  disappeared  before  the 
exhortations  of  the  Holy  Father  upon  this  important  point.  The 
world  and  the  world's  interests  get  too  great  a  share  of  every- 
thing as  it  is,  and  if  we  consent  that  religion  and  religious  instruc- 
tion is  to  be  made  a  matter  of  one  day  in  seven,  the  effect  will  be 
the  same  as  if  we  had  given  it  up  altogether.  All  our  hopes  for 
the  future  well-being  of  our  children  depend  upon  our  attention 
to  this  matter,  and  we  exhort  you  to  keep  the  subject  constantly 
before  the  minds  of  your  people,  and  to  spare  no  labors  and  sacri- 
fices until  the  means  of  a  good  Christian  education  are  provided 
for  every  child  in  your  parishes,  and  particularly  to  see  that  no 
children  are  taken  away  from  school  and  apprenticed  or  put  to 
work  until  the}^  have  properly  made  their  first  communion  and 
received  the  sacrament  of  confirmation. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  291 

The  assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  "  that  terrible  crime  of 
mingled  atrocity  and  folly,  which  has  come  so  suddenly  to  over- 
cloud the  bright  prospects  of  peace  and  restored  union  which 
were  dawning  upon  us,"  moves  Bishop  Bayley  "  to  deplore  the  act 
as  a  patriot  and  to  abhor  it  as  a  Christian.  Before  it  all  spirit  of 
party  and  every  animosity  must  be  hushed  into  silence.  To 
tremble  at  it,  to  abhor  it,  and  to  denounce  it  must  be  the  instinc- 
tive impulse  of  every  heart  that  loves  justice  and  hates  iniquity. 
It  is  an  outrage  that  concerns  every  one  of  us,  as  human  beings, 
as  citizens  of  the  country  wishing  to  live  in  peace  and  security, 
and,  above  all,  as  Christians  taught  from  our  childhood  to  subdue 
and  eradicate  from  oiu^  hearts  hatred  and  revenge  and  all  bad  pas- 
sions. The  assassin's  hand  in  this  case  has  struck  not  merely  at 
the  life  of  an  individual,  but  of  a  nation ;  and  the  stain  is  upon  us 
all,  upon  our  national  honor,  upon  our  fair  name,  upon  our  love  of 
what  is  manly  and  honorable ;  and  it  will  penetrate  through  and 
darken  every  page  of  our  history,  unless  we  wash  it  out  by  our 
tears  and  regrets  and  by  our  universal  repudiation  of  any  sympathy 
with  it,  even  in  the  inmost  and  most  secret  corners  of  our  hearts. 
We  will  all  of  us,  therefore,  join  with  our  fellow-citizens  in  mourn- 
ing over  this  great  crime,  and  endeavor  by  our  prayers  and  the 
sincerity  of  our  conversion  to  God  to  turn  away  his  anger  from 
us." 

In  twelve  years  the  Association  of  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith  gave  to  the  Diocese  of  Newark  $23,600,  and  the  evidence 
of  the  good  which  this  generosity  enabled  Bishop  Bayley  to 
accomplish  must  be  gathered  from  his  letters.  Nor  should  this 
be  forgotten  by  the  Catholics  of  to-day,  whose  prosperity  enables 
them  to  carry  on  the  work  of  religion  with  such  little  effort,  but 
whose  horizon  of  almsgiving  is  apt  to  be  narrowed  by  selfishness, 
which  makes  them  oblivious  of  the  fact  that  other  regions  are 
struggling  as  did  their  fathers  some  generations  ago.  Gratitude 
should  prompt  us  to  come  to  the  assistance  of  that  noble  associa- 
tion to  whom  in  the  cause  of  propagating  the  faith  no  appeal  has 
ever  been  made  in  vain.  Since  its  foundation  in  1822  $65,690,017 
have  been  raised  from  the  slender  means  of  the  poor  and  distrib- 
uted in  different  parts  of  the  world,  to  build  churches  and  schools, 
to  educate  and  support  missionaries,  priests,  brothers,  and  sisters ; 
and  of  this  vast  stream  of  charity  $5,807,393.40  have  come  to 
the  United  States.  An  occasional  line  to  the  director  makes 
known,  in  February,  1 866,  the  destruction  by  fire  of  Seton  Hall : 
"  I  regret  to  inform  you  that  the  main  building  of  my  college  and 


292  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

diocesan  seminary  was  destroyed  by  fire  the  evening  of  January 
25th,  involving  a  loss  of  $30,000,  but  which  is  diminished  by 
$16,000  insurance,  and  we  are  hard  at  work  rebuilding  it."  And 
again  in  1867:  "The  emigration,  especially  from  Germany,  still 
continues.  The  price  of  everything  is  exorbitant,  on  account  of 
the  immense  circulation  of  paper  money.  The  taxes,  resulting 
from  the  war,  are  most  heavy.  Many  workers  are  out  of  employ- 
ment and  in  want.     We  have  not  had  such  times  since  1857." 

Meanwhile,  the  work  of  organization  continued;  diocesan 
synods  were  held,  churches  and  schools  built,  hospitals,  homes 
for  the  aged,  and  orphanages  erected ;  in  a  word,  religion  kept 
pace  with  the  rapidly  increasing  demands  of  the  Catholic  popula- 
tion. The  voice  of  the  pastor  was  always  heard  as  he  perceived 
some  new  danger  threatening  the  welfare  of  his  flock.  "  Let  us," 
Bishop  Bayley  writes,  February  2d,  1 868,  "  my  dear  brethren,  as 
dutiful  children  of  God's  Holy  Church,  renew  our  allegiance  to 
her  as  our  teacher  and  guide  in  all  matters  of  faith  and  sound 
morality ;  and  let  us  carefully  prepare  our  souls  to  share  in  those 
spiritual  blessings  which  are  offered  to- us  at  this  time,  that  so  we 
may  the  more  exactly  fulfil  our  obligations  as  faithful  Christians 
and  good  citizens  of  the  country  in  which  we  live.  There  never 
was  a  time  when  we  stood  in  greater  need  of  them,  to  strengthen 
us  against  evil  and  to  enable  us  to  do  good.  All  over  the  world — 
and  our  own  country  affords  no  exception-^the  powers  of  evil 
seem  to  gain  strength,  and  the  moral  influences  which  should 
restrain  and  correct  them  to  grow  weaker ;  social  disorganization, 
the  weakening  of  family  ties,  an  eager  wish  to  be  rich  at  any  cost, 
vulgar  ostentation  of  wealth  and  alongside  of  it  increasing  pov- 
erty, dishonesty  in  trade,  frauds  in  the  administration  of  public 
and  private  trusts,  criminal  outrages,  and  a  lax  and  indifferent 
public  opinion.  All  these  things  have  a  moral  origin,  and  it  is  the 
duty  of  each  individual  in  the  community,  as  a  Christian  and  a 
good  citizen,  to  do  all  that  he  can  to  correct  them,  at  least  by  the 
protest  of  his  own  carefull}-  regulated  and  upright  life,  by  culti- 
vating a  spirit  of  truthfulness  and  simplicity  and  honesty  and 
sobriety;  in  a  word,  by  living  according  to  the  principles  and 
teachings  of  his  holy  religion. 

"  The  only  thing  we  should  be  anxious  about  is  to  be  always 
found  on  the  right  side,  on  the  side  of  truth,  of  justice,  of  God's 
Church,  of  the  Apostolic  See,  ever  ready  to  give  our  sympathies, 
our  means,  and  our  lives  also  if  they  be  called  for." 

The  consecration  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bernard  J.  McOuaid,  D.D., 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  293 

as  first  Bishop  of  Rochester  in  St.  Patrick's  old  cathedral,  New 
York,  July  12th,  1868,  depriv^ed  the  diocese  of  an  efficient  laborer 
and  its  bishop  of  a  wise  counsellor,  whose  advice  he  often  sought, 
and  whose  views  on  the  education  of  the  clergy  and  the  children 
of  the  flock  shaped  the  policy  of  Bishop  Bayley,  and  have  been  pur- 
sued by  his  successors  unwaveringly  and  consistently  to  the  pres- 
ent day.  The  director  of  the  seminary,  the  Rev.  Michael  A.  Cor- 
rigan,  D.D.,  was  entrusted  with  the  presidency  of  Seton  Hall  and 
with  the  graver  responsibility  of  vicar-general..  Although  young 
in  years,  the  innate  talent  of  administration,  the  gift  of  knowing 
men,  and  the  charming  blend  of  gentleness  and  strength  quickly 
set  at  naught  the  misgivings  of  many,  silenced  adverse  criticism, 
and  justified  the  wisdom  of  his  superior.  Inexperienced,  indeed, 
he  was ;  but  he  had  long  learned  to  seek  light  and  strength  from 
above,  and  in  the  quiet  obscurity  of  the  seminary  he  laid  deep  the 
foundations  of  that  humility  and  sanctity  which  would  serve  him 
so  well  in  the  lofty  and  responsible  offices  which  awaited  him.  It 
was  not  so  much  from  his  lijDS  as  from  his  life  that  the  young 
Levites  of  the  diocesan  seminary  learned  the  grandeur,  the  holiness 
of  the  priesthood.  As  priest  and  as  bishop  he  first  of  all  appeared 
in  the  chapel  for  the  spiritual  exercises,  and  none  who  ever  saw 
him  celebrate  Mass  will  ever  forget  the  unction  and  piety  which 
stamped  his  every  movement. 

In  1869  Bishop  Bayley  was  summoned  to  attend  the  Vatican 
Council,  and  in  the  month  of  August  Dr.  Corrigan  was  obliged  to 
assume  the  government  of  the  diocese.  How  little  he  cared  for 
power,  how  irksome  the  responsibility  his  ofifice  thrust  upon  him, 
will  appear  from  an  entry  in  his  diary,  August  23d,  1870:  "The 
bishop  arrived  this  morning.     Thanks  be  to  God  !  " 

Bishop  Bayley  for  a  long  time  had  the  thought  of  building  a 
cathedral  and  an  episcopal  residence.  For  this  purpose  various 
properties  had  been  bought  and  abandoned,  one  of  which  was  on 
the  corner  of  High  and  Kinney  streets.  Finally  a  site  was  se- 
lected on  the  south  side  of  Lincoln  Park.  This  created  great 
enthusiasm  among  Catholics,  and  the  cathedral  fund  already  estab- 
lished received  considerable  increase.  Elaborate  plans  were  drawn 
by  the  great  architect  Pugin,  but  it  was  found  that  to  execute 
these  magnificent  and  stately  designs  would  require  millions  of 
dollars.  August  21st,  1869,  the  corner-stone  of  the  cathedral 
chapel  of  Our  Lady  and  St.  Patrick  was  laid  by  the  Very  Rev 
Dr.  Corrigan,  administrator  of  the  diocese. 

This,  however,  was  a  beginning  whose  ultimate  end  was  not 


294  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

to  be  consummated  in  that  section  of  the  city.  The  reasons 
therefor  are  given  in  a  letter  of  Bishop  Bayley,  dated  December, 
probably  of  1 870-7 1 : 

Bishop's  House,  Newark,  December. 

Rev.  and  Dear  Sir  :  As  the  clergy  and  people  of  the  diocese 
have  to  a  certain  extent  assisted  me  in  securing  lots  for  the  con- 
templated cathedral,  and  are  all  interested  in  the  matter,  it  seems 
to  me  proper  that  I  should  inform  them  of  the  reasons  why  I 
have  sold  the  lots  on  South  Park  and  purchased  others. 

We  paid  originally  for  the  lots  on  South  Park  $52,000,  and 
owing  to  assessments  and  taxes  they  have  cost  us  up  to  the  pres- 
ent $72,000.  The  collections  in  the  diocese  and  annual  picnic  in 
Newark  for  this  purpose  have  amounted  to  $  *  *  *  *  altogether, 
so  that  we  still  owed,  after  years  upon  the  land,  the  sum  of  $43,000. 
Owing  to  the  paving  of  the  broad  streets  in  the  vicinit)'  of  the 
property,  the  assessments  of  the  coming  year  will  not  fall  short 
of  $20,000.  Owing  to  these  circumstances,  and  the  fact  that  the 
Catholic  portion  of  the  inhabitants  are  not  very  numerous  in  that 
vicinity,  nor  likely  to  be,  it  seemed  to  me  that  it  would  be  very 
difficult  to  retain  the  property  and  build  a  proper  cathedral  upon 
it.  I  therefore  determined  to  sell  it  and  purchase  elsewhere.  I 
obtained  for  the  property  $153,500,  nearly  three  times  the  original 
purchase  money,  twice  as  much  as  it  cost  us  altogether,  and  I 
have  purchased  on  the  hill  in  the  Eighth  Ward,  near  a  large  Cath- 
olic population,  a  lot  200  feet  by  800,  having  a  front  on  both  P"ifth 
and  Sixth  avenues,  for  $60,000.  I  have  thus  been  enabled  to  pur- 
chase a  lot  for  the  chapel,  pay  the  debt,  obtain  a  large,  commo- 
dious situation,  and  leaving,  after  paying  charges  and  assessments, 
a  small  surplus.  What  I  have  done  was  with  the  approval  of  se\'- 
eral  priests  of  the  diocese  and  intelligent  laymen,  and  I  think  it 
will  meet  with  the  approval  of  all.  It  relieves  the  diocese  from  a 
great  burden  in  paying  for  the  land,  and  enables  us  to  have  a 
clear  ground  and  a  fair  start  to  erect  a  cathedral  and  episcopal  resi- 
dence. 

The  verdict  of  the  people  was  against  the  bishop's  action,  and 
the  chagrin  of  many  still  exists.  No  one  certainly  could  have 
foreseen  the  changes  which  have  been  wrought  in  Newark,  and 
the  move,  if  a  mistake,  was  made  in  good  faith  and  for  the  best 
interests  of  the  diocese.  Branch  Brook  Park  has  absorbed  the 
large  Catholic  population,  and  thousands  of  Catholics  are  living 
around  South  Park.  The  purchasers  of  the  cathedral  property 
were  unable  to  make  good  their  promises,  and  during  the  adminis- 
tration of  two  bishops  it  was  a  source  of  anxiety  and  expense. 

January  29th,  1872,  Bishop  Bayley  published  the  last  Pastoral 
he  was  to  address  to  the  Catholics  of  the  Newark  diocese : 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  295 

.  .  .  The  topics  I  intend  to  dwell  upon  have  nothing  new  about 
them ;  they  are  as  old  as  our  religion,  but  experience  teaches  us 
that  they  need  to  be  constantly  recalled  to  mind.  There  is  noth- 
ing that  shows  more  clearly  the  weakness  and  fickleness  of  our 
poor  fallen  nature  than  the  slight  hold  that  the  most  sacred  and 
important  truths  have  upon  us,  unless  they  be  constantly  repeated. 

And  in  the  first  place  let  me  urge  upon  you  the  obligation  of 
adhering  with  all  your  mind  and  soul  to  the  principles  and  teach- 
ings of  your  holy  religion.  Remember  that  God  in  all  his  om- 
nipotence cannot  confer  upon  any  one  a  more  precious  gift  than 
that  of  faith.  "It  has  the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of 
that  which  is  to  come."  When  it  dwells  in  our  souls  and  regu- 
lates our  lives,  it  makes  all  the  rough  places  smooth  and  gives  us 
peace  in  life  and  at  the  hour  of  our  death.  Reject  with  horror  the 
words  so  common  in  the  mouths  of  men  in  our  days,  that  it 
makes  no  matter  what  a  man  believes,  "  so  long  as  his  life  is 
right " ;  such  assertions  as  these  involve  a  denial  that  God  has 
made  any  revelation  of  his  will  to  men.  A  man's  life  can  be 
right  before  God  only  when  he  believes  all  that  God  has  revealed 
and  "observes  all  that  he  has  commanded  him."  It  may  sound 
very  fine  and  liberal  to  say  that  "a  man's  creed  cannot  be  wrong 
whose  life  is  in  the  right,"  and  that  "all  that  is  necessary  is  to  be 
just " ;  but  these  sentences  are  but  the  expression  of  an  ill-con- 
cealed infidelity.  There  must  be  a  standard  of  right  and  justice 
to  fix  the  exact  weight  and  meaning  of  these  expressions,  and  if 
they  do  not  come  up  to  that  standard  which  God  has  given  us, 
then  they  are  worth  nothing.  "  Unless  your  justice,"  says  our 
blessed  Lord,  "  exceeds  that  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  you  can- 
not enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven  "  !  But  remember  also  that  a 
right  faith  can  profit  you  nothing,  unless  it  brings  forth  in  you  the 
fruit  of  a  good  life.  "  For  as  the  body  without  the  spirit  is  dead, 
so  faith  without  works  is  dead."  It  cannot  be  denied  that  the 
great  obstacle  to  the  progress  of  our  religion  in  this  country  is 
not  the  prejudices  and  misrepresentations  of  those  who  oppose  it, 
but  the  wicked  lives  of  so  many  who  profess  to  believe  in  it.  And 
when  we  reflect  how  pure  and  holy  that  religion  is,  and  how  good 
and  virtuous  our  lives  would  be  if  we  ordered  them  by  its  pre- 
cepts, we  must  be  convinced  that  the  greatest  enemy  of  God  and 
his  revealed  truth  is  a  bad  and  scandalous  Catholic.  We  cannot 
too  often  call  to  mind  and  meditate  upon  that  simple  but  most 
important  truth  so  often  repeated  to  us,  that  in  order  to  be  in 
favor  with  God  and  lay  up  treasure  in  heaven  we  must  live  in  a 
state  of  grace,  by  avoiding  sin  and  the  occasions  of  sin,  and  by 
making  a  good  use  of  the  most  holy  sacraments  of  the  Church,  by 
which,  in  the  words  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  "all  true  justice  be- 
gins, or  being  begun  is  increased,  or  being  lost  is  restored." 

The  first  particular  subject  to  which  I  wish  to  call  your  at- 
tention is  that  of  Christian  marriage.  I  would  urge  upon  the 
clergy  that  they  often  recall  to  your  minds  the  teachings  of  your 
religion  and  the  enactments  of  the  Church  upon  this  most  impor- 


296  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

tant  matter,  and  I  would  remind  you  that  you  are  bound  to  lay  to 
heart  these  teachings,  so  wise  in  themselves,  so  full  of  advantage 
to  you  and  to  human  society,  and  yet  which  are  so  often  neglected. 
There  is  no  institution  of  our  religion  about  which  the  Church 
has  been  so  solicitous  from  the  beginning;  none  in  regard  to 
which  she  has  made  more  exact  laws,  or  for  which  she  has  suffered 
greater  injuries  and  losses,  in  order  to  preserve  its  sacredness  and 
integrity.  As  instituted  by  God  and  regulated  by  his  Church, 
Christian  marriage  is  the  basis  of  almost  everything  that  is  good 
and  happy  in  this  world.  If  all  Christians  recognized  its  true 
character  and  the  solemn  responsibilities  which  it  imposes  as  they 
ought  to  do,  if  in  choosing  a  helpmate  for  life,  in  preparing  for 
and  entering  upon  this  holy  state,  they  acted  prudently  and  intelli- 
gently, if  after  marriage  they  took  care  that  their  households 
should  be  Christian  households,  how  different  would  be  the  state 
of  things  amongst  us  ! 

There  is  one  point  fortunately  upon  which  the  law  of  God  and 
the  Church  is  so  strong  that  you  cannot  break  it.  You  cannot 
obtain  a  divorce  and  get  married  again.  One  of  the  most  fruitful 
sources  of  evil  to  the  community  in  our  days  is  the  facility  of 
divorce,  and  you  ought  to  thank  God  that  you  can  have  nothing 
to  do  with  it.  "What  therefore  God  hath  joined  together,  let  no 
man  put  asunder."  No  matter  what  free-lovers  and  strong-minded 
women  in  their  folly  may  say  about  it,  its  permanent  character  is 
essential  to  every  object  of  Christian  marriage  and  the  foundation 
of  all  that  is  really  good  in  it. 

Whilst  human  nature  remains  what  it  is,  the  marriage  state, 
like  everything  else  in  this  world,  will  have  its  trials  and  difficul- 
ties; but  a  person  is  unworthy  of  the  name  of  a  Christian  who, 
instead  of  bearing  with  them  and  tinning  them  to  good,  endeavors 
like  a  coward  to  run  away  from  them.  We  cannot  and  we  ought 
not  to  try  to  escape  from  the  trials  of  life.  We  have  to  bear  with 
the  peculiarities  of  all  that  we  have  anything  to  do  with,  and  they 
with  ours.  It  is  in  this  way  that  we  grow  in  Christian  virtue. 
And  in  no  condition  of  life  should  you  bear  more  cheerfully  any 
sacrifice  that  may  be  required  of  you  than  in  the  marriage  state, 
because  its  permanent  and  enduring  character  is  not  only  essential 
to  your  own  good,  but  to  the  good  of  the  family  and  of  the  com- 
munity of  which  you  form  a  part. 

In  connection  with  this  subject  I  have  to  express  my  regret 
and  sorrow  at  the  increased  frequency  of  mixed  marriages  among 
us.  There  is  nothing  that  shows  more  clearly  how  much  the 
true  idea  of  Christian  marriage  has  become  weakened  in  the  minds 
of  our  people.  It  is  religion  that  gives  its  character  and  sanctity 
to  marriage.  It  doubles  its  happiness  and  takes  away  half  of  its 
sorrows ;  and  to  marry  a  person  who  has  no  religion  or  who  differs 
from  you  on  this  all-important  point  can  be  regarded  only  as  a 
sort  of  practical  heathenism.  It  is  to  ignore  the  very  end  of  the 
marriage  union,  which  is  to  bring  up  children  in  the  fear  and  love 
of  God.     What  sort  of  a  marriage  is  that  in  which  God  may  be 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  297 

said  to  have  no  part,  when  parents  do  not  even  kneel  down  to 
pray  together,  when  all  instruction  to  their  children  of  a  religious 
character  is  either  neglected  or,  if  attempted,  by  its  conflicting 
character  produces  doubt  and  indifference  ? 

I  was  so  much  struck  by  some  words  of  the  Lord  Chancellor 
of  Ireland  in  a  decision  which  he  gave  last  summer,  in  a  case  for 
the  guardianship  of  the  children  of  a  mixed  marriage  of  this  sort, 
that  I  made  a  copy  of  them  and  will  repeat  them  to  you  here. 
The  dispute  was  between  relatives  of  the  two  deceased  parents, 
one  side  wishing  to  bring  the  children  up  as  Catholics,  and  the 
other  as  Protestants.  In  such  cases  the  chancellor  is  obliged  to 
examine  the  children  personally,  as  the  decision  is  made  to  turn 
upon  their  own  choice  when  they  are  old  enough  to  make  one. 
In  giving  an  account  of  his  interview  with  them  he  says:  "The 
spectacle  was  a  very  sad  one.  The  simple  cloudless  confidence 
of  childhood,  adhering  joyously  to  religion,  as  expounded  and 
made  dear  to  them  by  loving  parents,  had  been  broken  up  by 
struggling  influence  and  transmuted  into  premature  and  desolat- 
ing doubt.*'  Alas  for  such  parents  !  and  I  may  say  still  more,  alas 
for  such  children !  the  innocent  xictims  of  the  folly  and  want  of 
Christian  principle  of  those  who  ought  to  have  trained  them  up 
from  their  infancy  in  faith  and  virtue  and  all  good  conduct.  In 
immediate  connection  with  this  matter,  I  must  say  a  few  words  to 
you  upon  a  subject  which  I  have  so  often  dwelt  upon  in  my  pas- 
toral letters  and  at  the  time  of  my  visitation  of  parishes — the 
Christian  education  of  the  young.  This  includes  two  things. 
Christian  education  at  home  and  Christian  education  in  the 
school.  Of  these  Christian  education  at  home  is  the  most  impor- 
tant. There  is  no  responsibility  before  God  so  heavy  as  that  of 
Christian  parents  in  this  matter.  Upon  them  depends  for  the 
most  part  the  destiny  of  their  children  for  time  and  for  eternity. 
The  peculiar  character  and  conduct  of  every  one  depend  chiefly 
upon  the  influences  which  surround  them  in  early  life.  "  As  the 
twig  is  bent,  the  tree's  inclined."  The  education  of  a  child,  in  the 
full  and  proper  sense  of  the  word,  may  be  said  to  commence  from 
the  moment  it  opens  its  eyes  and  ears  to  the  sights  and  sounds 
of  the  world  about  it,  and  of  these  sights  and  sounds  the  words 
and  example  of  parents  are  the  most  impressive  and  the  most 
enduring.  Of  all  lessons  those  learned  at  the  knees  of  a  good 
mother  sink  the  deepest  into  the  mind  and  heart  and  last  the 
longest.  Many  of  the  noblest  and  best  men  that  ever  lived  and 
adorned  and  benefited  the  world  have  declared  that,  under  God, 
they  owed  everything  that  was  good  and  useful  in  their  lives  to 
the  love  of  virtue  and  truthfulness  and  piety  and  the  fear  of  God 
instilled  into  their  hearts  by  the  lips  of  a  pious  mother.  If  every 
one  of  our  households,  no  matter  how  poor  and  humble,  were 
what  they  ought  to  be,  religious  Christian  households,  what  a 
different  state  of  things  would  we  see  about  us ! 

But  though  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  jxarents  in  this 
matter  are  the  heaviest  and  most  important  for  themselves  and 


298  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

for  society  of  all  others,  yet  there  are  none  which  are  more 
neglected.  In  our  busy,  exacting  days  parents  have  no  time  and 
apparently  little  disposition  to  attend  to  their  children.  The  poor 
ha\'e  to  work  too  hard  during  the  day  and  are  too  fond  of  drink- 
ing houses  in  the  evening ;  and  the  better  classes,  as  they  are 
called,  gad  about  too  much  and  are  too  fond  of  amusements  to 
attend  to  these  matters.  The  consequences  are  that  the  old-fash- 
ioned Christian  family  may  be  said  to  have  almost  ceased  to  exist 
among  us. 

It  is  on  this  account,  among  others,  that  it  has  become  of 
such  paramount  importance  to  have  in  every  parish  good  Christian 
schools.  The  best  of  schools,  it  is  true,  can  never  adequately 
make  up  for  the  want  of  good  religious  homes,  but  it  is  to  them 
we  must  look  for  the  only  remedy  to  the  evil,  so  far  as  it  can  be 
supplied.  I  would  earnestly  exhort  the  pastors  of  souls  to  spare 
no  exertions  to  establish  these  schools  and  watch  over  them  them- 
selves with  the  greatest  solicitude,  and  I  would  exhort  all  Cath- 
olics to  shrink  from  no  sacrifice  in  order  to  have  them  in  their 
midst.  A  parisli  without  such  schools  does  not  deserve  the  name, 
and  can  bring  little  consolation  to  the  hearts  of  either  priest  or 
people. 

I  know  that  it  is  a  heavy  burden  and  demands  great  sacrifices 
on  our  part  to  support  parochial  schools,  at  the  same  time  that 
we  have  to  pay  taxes  for  the  support  of  the  state  schools.  But 
there  is  no  help  for  it.  We  would  gladly  avail  ourselves  of  the 
public  schools  if  it  were  in  our  power  to  do  so.  But  as  they  are  at 
present  conducted  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  send  our  children  to 
them.  The  public  schools  in  this  State  are  virtually  Protestant 
schools,  as  much  so  as  if  Protestantism  was  the  established  relig- 
ion of  the  State ;  and  I  have  yet  to  find  out  the  difference  between 
Church  and  state,  and  schools  and  state,  as  these  schools  arc 
managed.  Strange  stories  have  sometimes  reached  my  ears,  as 
bearing  upon  this  matter ;  but  if  I  had  had  any  doubts  as  to  the 
decided  and  strong-flavored  anti-Catholic  tone  which  pervades  the 
state  schools,  they  would  have  been  dispelled  by  the  "  List  of 
Books  recommended  by  the  State  Superintendent  of  Public  In- 
struction for  PubUc-School  Libraries  in  New  Jersey,"  which  came 
into  my  hands  accidentally  a  short  time  since.  If  the  name  of  the 
author  was  not  given  on  the  title-page,  a  person  looking  over  it 
might  suppose  that  the  selection  of  such  works  as  bear  upon  the 
history  of  religion  and  the  Church  had  been  made  by  some  viru- 
lent anti-popery  lecturer. 

We  can  have  little  hope  that  the  tradition  of  falsehood  and 
misrepresentation  in  regard  to  ever)'thing  connected  with  our 
religion  is  ever  likely  to  die  out  of  the  minds  of  men  when  such 
books  as  DAubigny's  "  History  of  the  Reformation  "  and  Llo- 
rente's  "  History  of  the  Inquisition  "  are  recommended  to  the  in- 
structors of  the  rising  generation  as  fountains  of  truth. 

Still  we  ought  to  be  thankful,  I  suppose,  that  they  let  us 
have  any  schools  at  all. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  299 

I  am  almost  ashamed  to  speak  to  you  again  in  regard  to  the 
horrible  vice  of  intemperance,  and  1  might  add  that  I  am  almost 
discouraged  from  doing  so.  Notwithstanding  all  that  has  been 
said  and  done  against  it,  it  is,  I  am  afraid,  increasing  among  us 
and  throughout  the  country.  It  kills  more  people  in  Great  Brit- 
ain and  this  country  than  all  the  malignant  diseases  put  together. 
Besides  the  sin  and  misery  caused  by  it,  the  money  squandered 
upon  bad  and  poisonous  drink  would  feed  all  the  poor,  provide 
good  hospitals  for  all  the  sick,  not  to  say  that  two-thirds  of  the 
poverty  and  sickness  in  the  world  would  disap[)ear  if  this  evil 
habit  was  put  a  stop  to.  The  state  is  very  much  to  blame  in  this 
matter.  It  is  bound  to  protect  the  lives  and  welfare  of  the  people 
as  far  as  lies  in  its  power;  and  an  efificient  law  in  regard  to 
licenses,  and  the  proper  inspection  of  what  is  sold  under  the  name 
of  drink,  thoroughly  enforced,  would  save  half  of  the  money  now 
spent  on  poor-houses,  prisons,  and  lunatic  asylums. 

It  is  not  my  business,  however,  to  discuss  the  duties  of  the 
State,  especially  when  there  is  no  probability  of  its  doing  any 
good,  but  to  remind  }0u  of  your  own  personal  duties  in  this  mat- 
ter as  citizens,  as  parents,  as  Christians.  A  drunkard  is  a  bad 
citizen,  an  unnatural  parent,  and  a  scandalous  Christian,  and  as 
such  can  ha\e  no  place  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  All  that  I  can 
dels  to  warn  you  against  this  miserable  vice  and  direct  your  pas- 
tors to  enforce  against  those  who  make  themselves  the  slaves  of 
it  and  those  who  sell  drink  to  them  the  statutes  and  regulations 
which  have  been  made  upon  the  subject.  I  know  of  no  more  pitia- 
ble sight  in  this  world  than  to  see  a  strong,  healthy  man,  who  could 
earn  an  honest  livelihood  by  the  labor  of  his  hand,  standing  be- 
hind a  counter  and  dealing  out  crime,  misery,  and  death  by  the 
sale  of  adulterated  and  poisonous  drinks. 

I  am  informed  that  what  is  called  the  International  Society 
is  making  strong  efforts  to  enroll  the  working  classes  of  this 
country  among  its  members.  It  is  hardly  necessary  for  me  to 
say  anything  about  it,  for  no  one  likely  to  listen  to  my  words 
would  ever  think  of  joining  it.  The  principles  of  their  association 
have  been  published  to  the  world,  and  the  knowledge  of  what 
they  profess  and  what  they  aim  at  should  be  sufficient  to  keep 
any  honest  man  from  having  anything  to  do  with  them.  As  citi- 
zens of  this  country  and  as  Catholics  you  are  bound  to  keep  away 
from  all  secret  associations.  They  are  contrary  to  the  spirit  of 
our  republican  form  of  government,  the  security  and  permanency 
of  which  depend  upon  everything  being  done  openly  and  above- 
board  ;  and  they  are  condemned  by  the  Church,  on  the  principle 
that  nothing  that  is  really  good  or  for  the  benefit  of  ourselves  or 
our  fellows-men  need  to  hide  itself  from  the  open  light  of  day.  No 
form  of  slavery  ever  existed  in  this  world  so  abject  and  miserable 
as  that  to  which  a  man  gives  himself  up,  who,  divesting  himself 
of  the  rights  of  his  reason  and  his  will  and  of  everything  that 
giv^es  dignity  to  human  nature,  makes  himself  the  blind  instru- 
ment of  a  secret  central  committee,  whose  names  he  has  never 


300  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

heard,  whose  faces  he  will  probably  never  see,  and  whose  real  ob- 
ject in  fact  he  knows  nothing  about. 

And  since  my  object  in  addressing"  you  at  this  time  is  to 
warn  you  against  the  evil  influences  that  surround  you  in  the 
world,  I  would  be  omitting  the  most  insidious  and  in  some  respects 
the  most  hurtful  of  all  these  influences  if  I  did  not  say  a  word  to 
you  about  bad  books  and  bad  newspapers.  If  we  are  bound  by 
every  principle  of  our  religion  to  avoid  bad  company,  we  are 
equally  bound  to  avoid  bad  books,  for  of  all  evil,  corrupting  com- 
pany, the  worst  is  a  bad  book.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
most  pernicious  influences  at  work  in  the  world  at  this  moment 
come  from  bad  books  and  bad  newspapers.  The  yellow-covered 
literature,  as  it  is  called,  is  a  pestilence  compared  with  which  the 
yellow  fever  and  cholera  and  smallpox  are  as  nothing,  and  yet 
there  is  no  quarantine  against  it.  Never  take  a  book  into  your 
hands  which  you  would  not  be  seen  reading.  Avoid  not  only 
notoriously  immoral  books  and  papers,  but  avoid  also  all  those 
miserable  sensational  magazines  and  novels  and  illustrated  j^apers 
which  are  so  profusely  scattered  around  on  every  side.  The  de- 
mand which  exists  for  such  garbage  speaks  badly  for  the  moral 
sense  and  intellectual  training  of  those  who  read  them.  If  you 
wish  to  keep  your  mind  pure  and  your  soul  in  the  grace  of  God,  you 
must  make  it  a  firm  and  steady  principle  of  conduct  never  to  touch 
them. 

We  live  in  a  time  of  great  acti\'ity  and  change  and  intense 
worldliness.  "  Men  run  to  and  fro  and  knowledge  is  increased." 
Would  that  we  could  feel  that  there  is  an  increase  also  in  integ- 
rity and  ^'irtue  and  respect  for  religion.  We  all  know  that  it  is 
not  so ;  so  far  as  we  can  form  accurate  ideas  of  the  social  and 
religious  condition  of  men  at  any  particular  period  in  the  world's 
history  we  may  doubt  whether  the  words  of  the  Apostle  St. 
Paul,  describing  what  shall  come  to  pass  in  what  he  calls  "  the 
last  days,"  ever  touched  any  body  of  people  who  called  themselves 
Christians  so  closely  as  they  do  those  of  our  times.  "Men,"  he 
says,  "  shall  be  lovers  of  themselves,  covetous,  haughty,  proud, 
blasphemous,  disobedient  to  parents,  ungrateful,  wicked,  without 
affection,  without  peace,  slanderers,  incontinent,  unmerciful,  with- 
out kindness,  traitors,  stubborn,  puffed  up,  and  lovers  of  pleasure, 
more  than  lovers  of  God."  Well  may  the  apostle  speak  of  such 
times  as  "dangerous  times."  When  the  moral  atmosphere  we 
breathe  is  so  full  of  what  the  Scriptures  call  "  the  spirit  of  this 
world,"  we  can  only  hope  to  escape  its  corrupting  influences  by 
prayer,  by  meditating  upon  the  eternal  truths,  and  by  the  regular 
and  careful  use  of  the  sacraments. 

In  August,  1872,  letters  came  from  Rome  ordering  him  to 
leave  his  dear  Newark  and  take  up  the  work  in  Baltimore  begun 
by  the  illustrious  Carroll,  and  continued  by  a  long  line  of  saintly 
and  eminent  prelates.     By  him  alone  the  honor  was  not  appre- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  301 

ciated.  He  was,  to  use  his  own  words,  too  old  a  tree  to  be  thus 
transplanted.  He  set  to  work,  however,  with  all  the  zeal  that 
marked  his  earlier  years;  and  in  May,  1876,  gave  to  God  the 
ancient  and  venerable  temple,  so  many  years  used  for  religious 
services,  but  on  account  of  a  heavy  debt  up  to  that  time  not  con- 
secrated. 

Convening  a  synod  of  the  clergy,  he  enacted  many  salutary 
regulations,  particularly  with  regard  to  the  clerical  dress  and 
mixed  marriages.  Though  not  a  musician  himself,  he,  first  of  all 
his  predecessor.s,  and  it  might  be  added  alone  of  all  his  brothers 
in  the  episcopate,  carried  out  the  recommendations  so  many  times 
expressed  in  the  councils  of  Baltimore,  installed  in  his  cathedral 
a  male  choir,  and  had  the  liturgy  of  the  Church  sung  in  the  grand 
and  majestic  Gregorian  melodies. 

Illness  obliged  him  to  go  abroad  for  relief;  and,  after  seeking 
in  vain  the  restoration  of  his  health  in  Vichy  and  Homburg,  he 
returned  to  his  old  home  in  Newark,  August,  1877.  His  ailment 
baffled  the  skill  of  the  physicians  who  waited  on  him  with  the 
devotion  of  children  to  a  father.  Despite  the  pain  from  which  he 
was  never  free,  he  was  always  so  cheerful,  so  full  of  anecdote,  that 
it  was  difficult  to  believe  him  ill.  Finally,  October  3d,  1877,  for- 
tified by  the  sacraments  of  the  Church  he  loved  so  well,  in  his  old 
room,  in  his  old  bed,  in  his  dearly  loved  Newark,  surrounded  by 
Bishop  McQuaid,  Archbishop  Corrigan,  Rt.  Rev.  G.  D.  Doane, 
Fathers  Toomey,  Flynn,  and  Sheppard,  his  soul  was  loosed  from 
its  prison  of  clay  and  was  in  the  presence  of  its  Judge.  Full  of 
faith  and  good  works,  James  Roose\'elt  Bayley  entered  upon  his 
eternal  reward. 

Of  an  incident  in  the  life  of  Archbishop  Bayley,  the  New 
York  Frceniajis  Journal,  through  its  editor,  the  late  James  A. 
McMaster,  wrote,  October  6th,  1877: 

A  gentle,  right-minded  boy,  he  was  the  pet  of  his  grand- 
father, James  Roosevelt,  after  whom  he  was  called.  That  grand- 
father, very  rich,  as  things  were  forty  years  ago,  had  made  James 
Roosevelt  Bayley  his  principal  heir.  But  the  honest  old  gentle- 
man was  under  the  delusion  that  his  grandson,  in  becoming  a 
Catholic  priest,  had  to  renounce  all  right  to  property;  and  the 
poor  old  gentleman,  on  that  account,  cut  him  off  from  the  mag- 
nificent property  that  he  otherwise  would  ha\'e  inherited.  It  so 
happened  that  we  were  with  Father  James  Roosevelt  Bayley  at 
the  moment  he  received  the  decision  of  the  court  on  his  grand- 
father's will.  The  decision  of  the  court,  we  hold,  was  correct. 
The  will  of  the  grandfather  was  made  under  a  misapprehension, 


302  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

but  it  wtrs,  unmistakably,  the  last  legal  will  and  testament  of 
James  Roosevelt. 

Judge  John  Duer,  an  intense  Protestant,  honored  himself  and 
the  law  of  the  State  by  expressing  his  regret  that  the  letter  of  the 
law  compelled  him  to  decide  against  the  legatee,  cut  off  on  a  false 
understanding  of  his  right  to  hold  property ;  and  glad  that,  as  to 
a  portion  of  the  i)roperty,  the  will  was  inoperative  against  James 
Roosevelt  Bayley  as  one  of  the  heirs. 

We  have  said  we  happened  to  be  with  Father  Bayley  at 
the  moment  he  received  the  decision  of  the  court.  A  little 
shade  of  sadness  passed  over  his  face,  we  think  out  of  sorrow 
for  his  kind  old  grandfather  that  never  meant  to  do  what  he 
did.  But  it  cleared  away,  and  Father  Bayley  used  one  of  his 
habitual  sayings,  "  It  will  be  all  the  same  a  hundred  years  from 
now." 

The  funeral  services  were  held  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral, 
Newark,  F"riday,  October  5th,  and  Pontifical  Mass  was  celebrated 
by  Bishop  Corrigan.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Very  Rev. 
Father  Preston,  V.G.  of  New  York. 

In  the  beginning  of  his  remarks  he  expressed  regret  that 
Bishop  McOuaid  was  not  able  to  be  present  and  preach.  "  Yet  I 
could  not  refuse,"  continued  F'ather  Preston,  "to  bear  my  humble 
tribute  to  our  deceased  friend,  who  received  me  into  the  Church 
of  God,  was  the  first  father  to  guide  my  steps  when  I  entered  the 
fold,  and  was  ever  my  friend  and  counsellor.  I  feel  his  death  as  a 
personal  loss.  It  was  a  loss  to  the  American  Church  and  the 
Diocese  of  Newark.  Not  soon  shall  we  see  his  like  again.  We 
shall  cherish  his  memory  in  our  heart  of  hearts,  and  the  Diocese 
of  Newark  will  always  remember  him  as  its  first  bishop.  It 
would  be  far  from  his  wish  to  have  words  spoken  in  praise  of  him, 
but  the  virtues  of  the  just  are  the  treasure  of  the  Church.  It  is 
meet  and  right  for  us  to  meditate  upon  his  virtues  and  so  stimulate 
our  faith." 

Father  Preston  mentioned  briefly  the  leading  facts  concerning 
the  archbishop's  life. 

I  remember,  he  said,  his  ordination  to  the  Episcopal  min- 
istry. He  entered  it  to  do  God's  will.  The  light  of  faith  had 
not  yet  shown  him  the  portals  of  the  true  Church.  You  who  have 
had  the  happiness  to  be  born  in  the  fold  of  Christ  know  not  how 
God  has  blessed  you ;  you  know  not  as  we  do,  who  came  into  the 
fold  in  mature  years,  how  he  has  blessed  you  in  bringing  you 
up  safe  in  the  Church's  holy  doctrines.  You  can't  know  the 
trials  of  a  mind  feeling  for  the  faith  and  struggling  against 
friends  and  family  and  worldly  influences.     Archbishop  Bayley 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  303 

was  too  true  to  allow  anything;"  to  stand  between  him  and  the 
Church.  For  a  brief  period  he  had  charge  of  an  Episcopal 
church  on  the  island  of  New  York,  and  I  know  it  was  a  period  of 
trial  to  him.  Finally  he  went  to  Rome  in  the  spirit  of  a  pilgrim 
to  learn  the  truth,  and  there,  where  the  blessed  light  of  faith 
shines  so  brightly  around  the  throne  of  the  Vicar  of  Christ,  he  had 
the  grace  to  renounce  the  errors  in  which  he  had  been  reared. 
He  often  told  me  that  they  were  days  of  happiness.  Having  re- 
ceived baptism  and  been  confirmed  in  Rome,  he  began  his  theo- 
logical studies  in  the  Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice,  Paris.  He  spoke 
to  me  often  of  the  happiness  of  those  days,  of  the  spiritual  life 
which  he  led  in  the  seminary.  He  looked  back  to  that  discipline 
as  evidence  of  God's  favor.  .  .  .  While  at  the  cathedral  in  New 
York  he  received  me  into  the  fold.  There  I  was  in  constant  in- 
tercourse with  him.  Until  he  was  set  over  this  See,  he  was  in 
constant  labor  in  New  York.  You  know  how  that  here  in  every 
work  showing  the  Christian  bishop  his  hand  was  felt.  You  know 
that  he  devoted  himself  and  all  his  strength  to  this  diocese,  which 
he  loved  and  reluctantly  left,  and  where  he  willed  to  die.  Here 
he  wished  to  draw  his  last  breath,  as  he  did,  with  his  eyes  turned 
toward  the  altar. 

Here  in  a  few  words  have  I  gone  over  the  life  of  Archbishop 
Bayley.  If  I  were  to  draw  out  his  characteristics  in  a  few  words, 
I  would  speak  of  his  great  simplicity  and  honesty  of  purpose. 
He  had  but  one  end — to  glorify  God.  It  gave  a  directness  to  his 
words  and  acts.  Duplicity  was  impossible  to  him,  and  deceit  in 
his  presence  was  also  impossible.  He  had  also  an  affectionate 
heart  and  a  genuine  winning  way.  I  have  seen  few  men  whose 
ways  were  as  gentle  and  winning.  No  one  could  be  more  free 
from  malice  and  uncharitableness ;  and  that  which  was  in  his  heart 
welled  out  into  his  face  and  gave  it  that  gentle  expression.  His 
countenance  is  a  memory  which  I  kne  to  cherish.  It  reflected  a 
heart  sanctified  by  God's  grace. 

His  gentle  manner  was  an  influence.  The  penitents  who 
had  confessed  to  him  in  the  cathedral  in  New  York  afterward 
came  to  me,  and  I  can  testify  that  he  drew  souls  to  God.  But 
there  was  one  other  characteristic — the  most  important  of  all — 
the  earnestness  of  his  faith.  Diamonds  in  the  mine  are  nothing 
compared  with  this  precious  gift  of  faith.  In  the  society  of  which 
he  was  an  ornament  his  faith  shone  out  in  his  face;  he  never 
compromised  the  truth.  That  earnestness  of  belief  characterized 
him  in  his  dying  moments. 

After  the  Mass  the  body  was  forwarded  to  Baltimore,  accom- 
panied by  Bishop  Corrigan  and  many  priests  of  the  diocese. 
On  Tuesday,  October  9th,  after  the  Solemn  Pontifical  Mass 
of  Requiem  had  been  sung,  the  earthly  temple  of  the  lofty 
soul  of  Archbishop  Bayley  was  conveyed  to  Emmettsburg, 
Md.     In  the  centre  of  the  Sisters'  God's  Acre   is   a   mortuary 


304  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

chapel,   near  the  front  of  which   is  a   marble    slab  bearing  this 
inscription  • 

Sacred  to  the  Memory  of 

E.    A.    SET  ON, 

Foundress. 

Here,  side  by  side,  the  saintly  Bayley,  the  sainted  Mother 
Seton— aunt  and  nephew^ — await  a  glorious  resurrection. 

His  love  for  his  old  cathedral  city  was  deep  and  strong,  and 
its  progress  was  marked  by  him  wnth  sincere  gratification.  The 
best  evidence  of  this  appears  in  a  letter  he  wrote  to  Colonel 
Swords : 

Baltimore,  October  24th,  1872. 

My  Dear  Colonel  :  I  thank  you  for  your  kind,  good  letter. 
I  would  have  answered  it  sooner,  but  I  have  been,  am  still,  over- 
whelmed with  business  of  all  sorts,  and  have  also  been  absent  from 
home  to  assist  at  the  installation  of  the  new  Bishop  of  Richmond. 
I  regret  that  I  did  not  see  you  before  I  left.  I  intended  to  call 
and  bid  you  good-bye,  but  in  the  excitement  and  hurry  of  my 
departure  this  was  neglected  with  many  other  things. 

It  was  with  sincere  regret  that  I  left  Newark.  If  I  had  had 
my  own  way  I  would  not  have  done  so,  and  if  it  was  in  my  power 
would  go  back  to-morrow.  There  is  more  respectability  and  dig- 
nity here,  but  I  like  my  old,  simple,  poor  people  best.  But  my 
likes  and  dislikes  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter,  and  I  will 
submit  cheerfully  to  what  I  believe  is  God's  will.  I  was  very 
much  touched  by  Bishop  Odenheimer's  kind  reference  to  me  in 
his  letter  to  you  as  President  of  the  Newark  Board  of  Trade.  It 
shows  him  to  be  a  high-minded  and  generous  man;  for  poor 
human  nature  is  very  weak,  and  it  requires  an  effort  to  say  any- 
thing good  of  those  we  differ  from.  Though  I  never  compromised 
my  religious  conviction,  I  certainly  did  all  I  could  "  to  insure  peace 
with  all  men,"  and  to  make  our  people  good  Christians,  conse- 
quently good  citizens.  It  was  a  great  happiness  to  me  to  have 
my  good  intention,  at  least,  recognized  by  such  a  man  as  Bishop 
Odenheimer.  I  wish  that  when  you  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing 
him  you  would  convey  to  him  the  expression  of  my  kindest  regards 
and  sincere  thanks. 

I  feel  proud  also  of  my  old  episcopal  city.  She  has  not  only 
made  great  progress  in  material  pros])erity  and  a  great  variety  of 
useful  industries,  but  what  is  of  more  importance,  and,  alas !  more 
rare  in  our  days,  she  has  established  and  preserves  a  high  name 
for  commercial  integrity  and  honor.  I  cannot  feel  too  grateful  for 
the  kindness  which  was  extended  toward  me  by  all  classes  of  her 
people  from  the  time  I  came  among  them.  May  peace  ind 
happiness  be  always  with  them  ! 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  305 

Please  give  my  kindest  remembrances  to  Mrs.  Swords,  and 
believe  me  to  be  always,  my  dear  colonel,  very  truly  your  friend, 

J.  Roosevelt  Bavley, 

ArchbisJiop  of  Baltimore. 


St.  James's  Catholic  Church,  Newark. 

In  1853  the  Rev.  Louis  D.  Senez  purchased  lots  in  that  portion 
of  Newark  called  the  "  Neck,"  on  Lafayette  Street,  with  a  view 
of  erecting  a  church  and  a  school.  March  i6th,  1854,  the  Rev. 
Benjamin  F.  Allaire,  secretary  of  Bishop  Bayley,  was  appointed 
pastor  of  the  new  parish,  and  immediately  steps  were  taken  to 
carry  out  the  project  of  Father  Senez.  Father  Allaire  was  edu- 
cated in  St.  Sulpice,  Paris,  and  was  ordained  sub-deacon  by  Mgr. 
Sibour,  Archbishop  of  Paris.  After  his  ordination  to  the  priest- 
hood he  was  made  secretary  of  Bishop  Bayley,  October  30th,  1853. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  church  was  laid  June  19th,  1854.  It 
was  a  brick  building  40  by  80  feet,  three  stories  high,  to  be  used 
both  as  a  church  and  a  school,  and  was  named  "  St.  James  the 
Less." 

Before  the  building  was  finished  Father  Allaire  was  removed, 
and  the  Rev.  James  Callan  was  appointed,  October  17th,  1854,  in 
his  stead.  Father  Callan,  a  brilliant  young  Irish  priest,  zealous, 
devoted,  and  impetuous,  had  made  his  studies  in  Ireland  and  had 
served  on  the  mission  in  South  Amboy.  November  5th,  1854, 
the  building  was  ready  for  dedication,  and  services  were  opened. 
He  then  built  a  brick  rectory  in  the  rear  of  the  church,  and 
labored  with  much  zeal  in  the  parish  until  February  26th,  1864, 
when  he  resigned  and  went  to  California.  His  death  was  pathetic 
and  worthy  of  the  lofty  motives  that  always  swayed  him  in  the 
exercise  of  his  priesthood.  When  he  was  returning  to  his  mission 
from  the  clerical  retreat  the  boiler  on  the  steamboat  exploded, 
with  the  result  that  many  were  killed  outright  and  many  more 
mortally  injured  by  the  scalding  steam.  Although  he  had  escaped 
all  hurt,  his  first  thought  was  the  injured,  and  without  hesitation 
he  literally  walked  into  the  jaws  of  death  to  administer  the  sacra- 
ments to  the  dying.  During  these  ministrations  he  inhaled  the 
live  steam,  but,  despite  the  agony  he  endured,  he  persisted  in  his 
work  of  heroic  charity,  and  after  all  was  over  he  succumbed,  a 
victim  of  his  zeal  and  heroism,  1865. 

His  successor  in  St.  James's  was  the  Rev.  John  Mary  Gervais. 
Father  Gervais  was  born  in  the  Diocese  of  Clermont,  France, 
20 


3o6 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


and  became  a  member  of  the  Society  of  St.  Sulpice.  He  taught 
philosophy  in  France  and  in  St.  Mary's  Seminary,  Baltimore; 
and,  after  his  withdrawal  from  the  society,  he  was  affiliated  to  the 
Diocese  of  Newark  and  appointed  as- 
sistant to  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral. 
His  ideas  of  the  priesthood  were  the 
most  elevated,  his  life  was  most  edify- 
ing, and  so  little  did  he  think  of  him- 
self that  his  premature  death  was  due 
in  no  small  degree  to  his  neglect  to 
take  proper  nourishment.  As  a  curate 
in  the  cathedral  he  was  devoted  to  his 
work,  constant  in  his  care  of  the  sick 
and  in  the  difficult  work  of  the  con- 
fessional. The  pastor,  Father  Mc- 
Quaid,  was  strenuous  and  frequent  in 
his  appeals  for  the  wherewithal  to 
carry  on  the  works  of  the  parish ;  and 


ST.   JAMES  S   CHURCH,    NEWARK. 
Rectory  in  foreground. 

as  Father  Gervais  would  listen  to  these  earnest  appeals  for 
money  he  could  not  resist  showing  displeasure  by  moving  his 
chair,  and  as  the  appeal  would  become  more  urgent  so  the 
chair  would  go  round,  until  at  the  finish  Father  Gervais  had 
literally  turned  his  back  to  his  pastor.  He  never  hesitated  to 
express   his   abhorrence   of   this  necessary   evil,    which   pursues 


I>l    NEW   JERSEY  307 

the  pastor  even  to  the  present,  and  to  declare  that  he  was 
scandaHzed  by  it.  But,  on  assuming  pastoral  charge,  he  became 
so  persistent  in  his  appeals  as  to  dwarf  the  efforts  of  the 
pastor,  about  whose  salvation  on  this  score  he  expressed  very 
grave  doubts.  Piece  by  piece  he  secured  the  adjacent  property 
until  the  entire  square  was  held  by  the  church.  He  found  his 
flock  poor  but  generous.  The  finances  were  in  good  condition 
and  the  small  debt  was  soon  paid.  At  once  he  set  about  raising 
funds  for  a  new  stone  church,  and  on  July  12th,  1863,  the  corner- 
stone was  laid  by  Bishop  Bayley.  It  was  no  unusual  sight  to  see 
the  pastor  among  the  workmen,  and  so  absorbed  was  he  in  the 
construction  that  he  often  forgot  to  take  his  meals.  In  vain  did 
his  bishop  protest  and  threaten ;  and  if  he  did  not  obey  it  was  not 
through  disrespect  for  his  superior,  but  rather  from  the  intensity  of 
his  nature,  which  could  brook  no  restraint  or  tolerate  any  respite 
when  once  set  upon  a  work  to  be  accomplished.  Everybody 
marvelled  at  this  wonder-worker,  whose  brain  was  ever  in  a  whirl 
with  its  vast  projects.  On  June  17th,  1866,  the  church  was  dedi- 
cated, and  on  the  occasion  Bishop  Bayley  preached  an  eloquent 
sermon.  By  the  death  of  Mr.  Nicholas  Moore  a  large  sum  of 
money  was  bequeathed  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  hospital. 
With  the  approval  of  Bishop  Bayley,  Father  Gervais  made  an 
announcement  of  the  fact  and  outlined  the  policy  of  the  institu- 
tion : 

St.  James's  Hospital,  Newark. 

We  cordially  desire  and  purpose  in  carrying  out  the  real  in- 
tentions of  Mr.  Moore  to  meet  the  views  and  wishes  of  the  vener- 
ated Bishop  of  Newark. 

As  the  choice  of  the  persons  to  take  care  of  the  hospital  is 
left  by  the  will  to  our  discretion;  believing  that  the  best,  if  not 
the  only,  means  of  procuring  a  careful  attendance  and  thereby 
promoting  the  public  good  is  to  entrust  the  institution  to  women 
who  relinquish  all  temporal  pursuits  to  devote  their  life  to  the 
relief  of  sufferers  without  remuneration  for  their  services,  and 
that  the  public  will  welcome  such  an  arrangement,  as  they  see  it 
practicable ;  and  being  satisfied  that  it  is  beyond  possibility  to 
find  persons  of  that  sort  outside  of  the  Catholic  religion,  it  is  our 
determination  to  accept  persons  of  the  bishop's  choice  for  the 
guidance  of  the  hospital. 

Believing,  moreover,  that  for  the  successful  operation  of  the 
hospital  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  persons  in  charge 
of  it  should  not  be  interfered  with,  bothered,  and  trammelled, 
we  shall  lay  down  before  them  the  general  object  of  the  institu- 
tion, and  then  deliver  to  them  the  full  conduct  of  it;  and  after 
this  order  of  things  shall  have  been  proved  satisfactory  (and  we 


3o8  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

can  see  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  so),  it  shall  be  our  aim  to 
make  it  perpetual  by  transferring  the  whole  trust  unto  them, 
property  and  all. 

We  believe  that  this  plan  will  give  full  satisfaction  to  all  as  it 
is  carried  out,  best  promote  the  usefulness  of  the  hospital,  and 
fulfil  the  intentions  of  Mr.  Moore. 

For  the  institution  remains  a  public  and  a  city  work,  for  the 
benefit  of  all,  standing  by  itself  without  connection  with  any  sec- 
tional institution.  Its  management  is  free  from  any  denomina- 
tional character  in  its  primary  nature ;  the  persons  in  charge  of 
it  happen  to  be  Catholic,  and  they  must  enjoy  the  privilege 
granted  to  all  of  practising  their  religion  as  they  choose.  We 
understand  that  there  are  public  institutions,  even  in  this  coun- 
try, founded  on  these  principles,  and  we  do  not  see  why  we  could 
not  attain  the  same  end.  J.  M.  Gervais. 


Another  project  of  Father  Gervais  was  the  erection  of  a  co- 
lossal convent.  Upon  this  vast  structure  $50,000  was  expended, 
but  it  would  have  cost  $700,000  to  finish  it.  Had  he  lived  there 
is  no  doubt  that  his  inflexible  will  and  persistent  effort  would  have 
carried  the  project  through,  but  nature  gave  way  under  the  stress 
laid  upon  it.  His  health  was  shattered,  and  he  died  July  24th, 
1872,  in  the  very  prime  of  his  manhood,  aged  forty-two  }'ears. 

Bishop  Bayley  wrote  of  him,  "  A  faithful,  earnest,  disinterested 
priest." 

In  January,  1873,  the  Rev.  Patrick  Cody  was  called  upon  to 
take  up  the  herculean  task  inaugurated  by  Father  Gervais. 
Father  Cody  in  his  boyhood  was  a  protege  of  Bishop  McQuaid 
when  he  was  pastor  of  Madison,  and  from  him  he  received  his 
first  lessons  in  Latin.  His  classical  studies  were  continued  in  St. 
Mary's,  Wilmington,  Del. ;  St.  Vincent's,  Latrobe,  Pa.,  until  he 
was  sent  to  Rome,  September  29th,  1 860.  He  left  the  American 
College  in  Rome,  August,  1863,  and  entered  Seton  Hall,  where 
in  the  college  chapel  he  was  ordained  priest,  December  19th,  1863. 

His  first  appointment  was  Prefect  and  Vice-President  of  Seton 
Hall,  until  the  fire,  January,  1866;  and  after  he  was  successively 
assistant  in  St.  Peter's,  New  Brunswick,  and  St.  Peter's,  Jersey 
City.  He  was  appointed  pastor  of  Hackensack  and  the  adjacent 
missions,  and  finished  the  church  in  Hackensack,  which  was 
blessed  April  19th,  1868.  Thence  he  was  transferred  to  St.  Pat- 
rick's, Elizabethport,  where  he  did  efificient  work  from  1869  until 
his  promotion  to  St.  James's.  The  testimony  of  his  long  pastor- 
ate and  of  his  unselfish  devotion  is  the  vast  square  of  parish 
buildings,  some   begun  by  his  predecessor,   but  all  augmented, 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  309 

perfected,  and  adorned  by  Father  Cody.  His  latest  work  is  the 
beautiful  rectory,  which  was  commenced  only  after  the  realization 
of  Nicholas  Moore's  hopes  and  Father  Gervais's  efforts  and  after 
a  long  period  of  suspended  aspirations — the  opening  of  St.  James's 
Hospital.  Many  consolations  have  rewarded  the  unselfish  gener- 
osity of  the  flock  of  St.  James's,  but  none  greater  than  that  God 
has  raised  a  child  of  the  parish,  John  Joseph  O'Connor,  to  the 
highest  spiritual  honor  in  the  diocese,  that  of  its  chief  pastor  and 
bishop. 

The  Church  of  the    Immaculate    Conception,    Montclair. 

Rev.  John  Hogan,  the  zealous  pastor  of  St.  Peter's,  Belleville, 
began  in  1855  to  gather  the  Catholics  of  Montclair,  then  called 
West  Bloomfield,  also  those  from  Caldwell,  into  a  congregation, 
and  to  attend  to  their  spiritual  wants  regularly  every  Sun- 
day in  the  old  school-house,  which  stood  near  the  corner  of  the 
Old  Road,  now  Glenridge  Avenue,  and  Bay  Street,  on  the  same 
spot  where  a  new  school  had  been  built  in  1879,  which  is  at  pres- 
ent a  tenement-house  occupied  by  Italians. 

Father  Hogan  secured  property  on  Washington  Street  near 
Elm  Street,  where  he  built  a  small  frame  church,  the  corner-stone 
of  which  was  laid  August  loth,  1856,  and  which  was  dedicated  by 
Rt.  Rev.  James  Roosevelt  Bayley,  November  29th,  1857,  under 
the  title  "The  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Montclair." 

On  the  same  day  the  bishop  confirmed  eighteen  boys  and 
thirty-eight  girls. 

From  1857  to  1864  Father  Hogan  or  one  of  the  Passionist 
Fathers  from  West  Hoboken  officiated  on  Sundays  and  holydays 
of  obligation.  Among  the  Passionist  Fathers  who  attended  Mont- 
clair frequently,  at  one  time  six  months  in  succession,  was  the 
celebrated  Albinus  Magno. 

On  February  7th,  1864,  Rev.  Titus  Joslin  was  appointed  resi- 
dent pastor.  He  secured  additional  property  on  Elm  Street, 
running  from  Washington  to  Fulton  Street,  and  enlarged  the 
church  built  by  Father  Hogan. 

During  his  pastorate  the  township  of  Montclair  was  created 
April  15th,  1868.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Alphonse  M. 
Steets,  September  5th,  1874,  who  built  in  1877  a  handsome  rec- 
tory on  the  corner  of  Elm  and  P'ulton  streets.  He  had  as  assist- 
ants in  1877  Rev.  Joseph  Ruesing,  now  Dean  of  West  Point, 
Neb.,    Rev.  B.    H.  TerWoert,   and  in    1878  Rev.  F.    O'Reilly, 


3IO 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


deceased.  Father  Steets  also  began  in  1878  to  have  service  in  a 
private  house  once  a  month  for  the  CathoUcs  in  Caldwell.  He 
died  March  i6th,  1879,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Joseph  F. 
Mendl. 

The  parish  of  Montclair  was  divided  in  June,  1879.  The 
Catholics  of  Bloomfield  obtained  permission  from  Bishop  Corrigan 
to  build  a  church  and  secured  a  resident  pastor.  The  church  in 
Montclair  was  only  a  few  blocks  from  the  Bloomfield  township 
line,  and  as  the  town  began  to  grow  rapidly  toward  north  and 


TEGAKWITA    HALL,   CATHOLIC    I'Ul'.LIC    SCHOOL,    .MONTCLAIR,    N.    J. 


west  the  majority  of  the  Catholic  population  had  quite  a  distance 
to  walk  to  the  church,  and  it  became  evident  that  a  more  central 
site  had  to  be  secured  for  a  new  chinch.  Bishop  Corrigan  had 
given  permission  to  buy  property  for  that  purpose  in  1880. 
Various  difficulties  delayed  the  intended  purchase,  and  in  1881 
Bishop  Wigger,  who  had  succeeded  Bishop  Corrigan,  withdrew 
the  permission.  In  1881  a  parochial  school  was  opened  with  six 
classes.  Six  Sisters  of  Charity  from  Madison,  N.  J.,  took  charge 
of  the  school.  Seeing  the  absolute  necessity  of  locating  church 
and  school  eventually  in  a  central  part  of  the  town,  and  in  order 
to  avoid  useless  outlays  for  new  buildings  on  a  proj^erty  destined 
to  be  abandoned  sooner  or  later,  the  basement  of  the  church  and 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  311 

a  part  of  the  rectory,  which  also  served  as  a  dwelHng  for  the  sis- 
ters, was  fitted  up  temporarily  for  school  purposes.  After  re- 
peated remonstrances  Bishop  Wigger  finally  yielded  in  1892  and 
gave  his  consent  to  buy  a  site  for  church  and  school  more  con- 
venient for  the  great  majority  of  the  people.  In  the  mean  time 
the  church  debt  had  been  wiped  out  and  a  large  sum  had  accumu- 
lated in  the  treasury.  About  an  acre  of  land  was  bought  on  the 
corner  of  Fullerton  Avenue  and  Munn  Street,  only  one  block 
from  Montclair  Centre,  in  1892.  The  corner-stone  of  a  new 
church  was  laid  October  21st,  1892,  by  Bishop  Wigger,  and  the 
basement  dedicated  by  him.  May  30th,  1893.  Services  were  held 
in  the  basement  only  on  Sundays  and  holydays  until  1899,  whilst 
the  school  still  remained  on  the  old  church  property. 

The  old  cemetery  was  condemned  by  the  authorities  in  1895, 
and  thirty-five  acres  for  a  new  cemetery  were  bought  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Mount  Hebron  Road  and  Grove  Street.  The  new  ceme- 
tery was  blessed  by  Bishop  Wigger,  May  29th,  1895. 

In  1896  an  acre  was  bought  on  the  corner  of  Lorraine  and  In- 
wood  avenues,  Upper  Montclair.  On  that  ground  the  corner- 
stone of  a  mission  chapel,  with  the  title  "  St.  Cassian's  Catholic 
Church,  Montclair,  N.  J.,"  was  laid  by  Very  Rev.  William 
McNulty,  May  loth,  1896,  and  dedicated  by  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M. 
Wigger,  July  4th,  1896.  This  chapel  was  attended  for  a  few 
months  from  Seton  Hall,  and  then  until  1899  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers 
from  Jersey  City,  and  from  1899  to  June,  1903,  by  Rev.  Benedict 
Boeing,  O.F.M.,  from  Patersbn,  and  now  by  the  assistant  of  the 
Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Rev.  William  F.  Carlin. 

In  1897  the  Munn  property  was  bought,  intended  for  a  con- 
vent for  the  Sisters  of  Charity  having  charge  of  the  parochial 
school.  The  property  comprises  a  frame  building  and  the  whole 
front  of  the  block  on  Munn  Street  between  Fullerton  Avenue 
and  Cottage  Place. 

In  1898  a  new  rectory  was  built  on  Fullerton  Avenue  adjoin- 
ing the  basement  of  the  new  church. 

In  1899  ground  was  bought  on  the  corner  of  Munn  Street  and 
Cottage  Place,  and  the  same  year  the  stately  parochial  school  was 
erected  named  "Tegakwita  Hall."  The  laying  of  the  corner- 
stone took  place  May  i6th,  Monsignor  George  H.  Doane  officiat- 
ing. Rev.  Henry  Van  Rensselaer,  S.J.,  preached  on  "Christian 
Education."  The  building  was  dedicated  by  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M. 
Wigger  on  August  22d,  and  the  school  opened  the  first  week  in 
September. 


312  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Additional  property :  The  "  Sandford  lot  "  adjoining  the  school 
was  acquired  in  1899,  and  again  the  "  Sigler  lot "  in  1902. 

The  old  church  property  was  bought  by  the  Sisters  of  Charity 
of  Madison,  N.  J.,  in  1898,  who  made  a  dwelling  of  the  old  church 
and  opened  St.  Vincent's  Foundling  Asylum  for  the  Diocese  of 
Newark  on  August  15th  of  the  same  year. 

The  Catholic  people  of  Caldwell  were  regularly  attended  once 
a  month  from  Montclair.  Mass  was  celebrated  in  a  private  house, 
and  the  children  were  instructed  occasionally  on  week-days  until 
a  resident  priest  was  appointed  in  1886. 

Thus  within  twenty-five  years  two  new  parishes  were  created 
from  the  original  church  of  Montclair — Bloomfield  in  1879,  Cald- 
well in  1886,  besides  St.  Cassian's  Mission  in  Upper  Montclair  in 
1896. 

The  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Mount  Holly. 

Over  a  century  ago,  as  these  pages  have  already  shown,  there 
was  a  considerable  number  of  Catholics  in  Mount  Holly;  but,  as 
happened  in  other  localities,  the  descendants  of  the  old  Catholic 
French  families  have  not  been  able  to  withstand  the  isolation  from 
their  clergy  and  have  succumbed  to  the  allurements  of  alien 
churches.  Not  until  1849  was  there  any  inducement  for  the 
priest  to  attempt  to  cultivate  this  fallow  field.  In  that  year 
Father  Mackin  visited  the  few  Catholics  recently  settled  there, 
and  from  time  to  time  offered  for  them  the  Holy  Sacrifice.  The 
erection  of  the  church  is  due  to  the  efforts  of  the  Rev.  Hugh 
Lane,  born  August  15th,  1 821,  died  April  5th,  1902,  the  pastor 
of  St.  Teresa's  Church,  Philadelphia.  The  building  was  65  by  25 
feet.  After  Father  Lane  came  the  Rev.  Hugh  P.  Kenney,  who 
became  one  of  the  pioneer  priests  in  Nebraska  in  1858.  The 
Rev.  Benjamin  F.  Allaire  who  followed  is  still  held  in  loving  mem- 
ory for  his  gracious  and  winning  manner. 

In  1856  the  Rev.  J.  D.  Bowles,  of  Burlington,  visited  Mount 
Holly  once  a  month,  until  the  appointment  of  the  Rev.  James  J. 
McGahan  as  the  first  resident  pastor.  Father  McGahan  during 
his  incumbency  bought  land  for  cemetery  purposes,  and  in- 
fused among  the  little  flock  a  spirit  of  energy  and  sacrifice  which 
enabled  his  successors  to  accomplish  great  things.  For  a  brief 
period  it  became  attached  again  to  Burlington,  until  the  Rev. 
Thaddeus  Hogan  was  assigned  as  second  resident  pastor.  Under 
Father  Hogan's  pastorate  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  church 
was  laid  on  West  Washington  Street,  1872.     His  successors  were 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  313 

the  Rev.  S.  J.  Walsh  and  the  Rev.  Hugh  J.  McManus,  who  was 
appointed  in  1875.  Father  McManus  was  born  in  Ballyshannon, 
February  13th,  1 841,  and  made  his  preparatory  studies  in  Killbarr, 
Raphoe,  St.  Charles's,  Maryland,  and  his  theological  studies  in 
Seton  Hall,  where  he  was  ordained  priest  June  7th,  1873.  He 
spent  two  years  in  St.  Patrick's,  Jersey  City,  with  the  Rev.  P. 
Hennessy  as  assistant.  He  was  a  simple,  kindly.  God-fearing 
priest.  Under  him  the  church  was  finished  and  blessed.  It  is  a 
beautiful  Gothic  structure,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  500.  Arch- 
bishop Corrigan  dedicated  it  October  19th,  1879.  The  next  year 
Father  McManus  hoped  to  recruit  his  health  by  a  visit  to  his 
native  land.  He  had  worked  hard,  but  none  dreamed  that  he  bore 
within  him  the  germs  of  a  fatal  malady.  Before  his  eyes  were 
gladdened  with  the  sight  of  the  green  hills  of  Ireland  he  was 
prostrated,  and  died  only  a  few  days  after  reaching  the  home  of 
his  childhood,  June  25th,  1880.  His  death  was  a  great  loss  to  the 
parish,  where  he  is  still  remembered  for  his  untiring  devotion  to 
the  welfare  of  his  people.  His  remains  are  interred  in  an  old 
Cistercian  abbey,  built  in  the  thirteenth  century,  where  the  dust 
of  his  people  has  lain  for  centuries  past.  In  addition  to  Mount 
Holly,  Father  McManus  had  charge  of  Moorestown  and  Jobs- 
town,  where  he  built  a  church,  which  awaited  his  return  for  dedi- 
cation. The  Rev.  Robert  E.  Burke  was  his  successor,  and  his 
labors  continued  until  1884.  The  Rev.  D.  J.  Duggan,  the  Rev. 
James  Reynolds,  the  Rev.  J.  M.  O'Leary,  the  Rev.  M.  J.  Bren- 
nan,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Keuper,  and  the  Rev.  Stephen  M.  Lyons 
were  successively  pastors  until  the  appointment  of  the  Rev. 
Peter  J.  Hart,  October,  1900. 

The  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Good  Counsel,  Moorestown, 

attached  to  the  Mount  Holly  Mission  during  Father  Hogan's  ad- 
ministration, is  now  a  flourishing  parish,  which  was  detached  and 
made  a  separate  mission  by  Bishop  Corrigan.  The  Rev.  James 
McKernan,  formerly  an  oblate  of  Mary  Immaculate,  and  incar- 
dinated  into  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  1873,  was  the  first  resident 
pastor,  March  15th,  1880.  The  present  rector  is  the  Rev.  John 
W.  Murphy. 

St.   Andrew's  Church,  Jobstown, 

is  another  mission  in  which  the  zeal  of  Father  McManus  was  dis- 
played. The  little  church  started  by  him  was  completed  by 
Father  Burke.     The  congregation  is  small  in  numbers,  but,  owing 


314 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


to  the  faith  and  generous  character  of  the  people,  it  has  always 
been  a  satisfactory  and  successful  charge. 

The  removal  of  factories  has  diminished  the  flock  at  Mount 
Holly,  so  that  at  present  there  are  no  more  than  three  hundred 
souls — about  half  what  it  was  twenty  years  ago.  But  the  flock 
has  always  been  noted  for  its  truly  Catholic  spirit,  which  never 
wavers  in  its  duty,  loyal  in  its  adherence  to  Catholic  practice, 
prompt  in  cooperation  with  its  pastors,  and  enshrined  in  the 
esteem  of  the  non-Catholic  element  of  the  community.  The  con- 
gregation is  represented  in  the  j^riesthood  by  the  Rev.  Francis 
A.  Foy,  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Jersey  City,  and  the  Rev.  John 
Graham,  Metuchen. 


St.  Joseph's  Church,  Newton. 

In  1753,  as  the  increase  in  population  of  the  northern  part  of 
Morris  County  seemed  to  warrant  it,  Sussex  County  was  formed, 
which  extended  on  the  northeast  to  the  boundary  line  between 

New  York  and  New  Jersey, 
and  likewise  included  what 
is  now  known  as  Warren 
County.  Twelve  years  later 
we  discern  the  footsteps  of 
that  holy  missionary,  Father 
Ferdinand  F  a  r  m  e  r ,  who 
braved  the  perils  of  the  sea- 
sons, the  Indians,  and  ban- 
dits, who  infested  the  few 
trails  which  followed  the 
courses  of  the  streams,  and 
frequently  plundered  and 
murdered  their  victims. 
Nothing  daunted  him,  and  as 
every  recurring  spring  and  autumn  came  around  he  ventured  out 
in  search  of  his  scattered  flock,  through  Hunterdon,  Warren, 
Sussex,  and  Passaic  counties,  visiting,  as  his  baptismal  records 
show,  Changewater,  in  Oxford  Township,  Warren  County ;  Long- 
pond,  now  Greenwood  Lake,  Ringwood,  both  at  that  time  in 
Sussex  County,  and  Mount  Hope  in  Morris  County.  These 
records  will  be  found  in  the  Supplement  at  the  end  of  this 
work,  and  the  reading  of  it  will  show  both  the  zeal  of  the  de- 
voted pastor  and  at  the  same   time  the  considerable  number  of 


i 

i 

^^^lymn 

^ 

t 

\ 

'^^H^^^Hp^ 

M 

||  -"                V  at 

J 

Hi 

m 

^^ 

OLD  ST.  Joseph's  church,  newton. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  315 

Catholics  living  then  in  the  northern  section  of  New  Jersey. 
Many  of  the  names  are  German,  many  Irish,  some  English  and 
French.  The  iron  works  attracted  them  and  afforded  them  em- 
ployment. The  Gossenshoppen  records  show  that  some  of  the 
Germans  went  to  Reading,  Pa.,  doubtless  to  spend  the  closing 
days  of  their  life  with  old  friends  and  to  have  their  bones  laid 
beside  them.  In  sixteen  years  the  number  of  baptisms  in  Ring- 
wood  was  one  hundred  and  sixteen,  and  in  Long  Pond,  in  nine 
years,  eighty.  That  these  families  did  not  live  far  apart  is  evident 
from  the  dates  of  his  entries,  for  we  find  him  one  day  in  Ring- 
wood  and  the  next  in  Long  Pond,  and  we  also  see  the  names  of 
families  living  in  one  place  acting  as  sponsors  for  those  who  lived 
in  another.  In  both  places  are  found  one  hundred  and  eighty-one 
distinctive  family  names,  and  if  we  multiply  this  by  four,  it  will  give 
us  an  inadequate  idea  of  the  number  of  Catholics  who  then  lived  in 
Sussex  County.  Families  then  were  larger  than  they  now  are,  so 
that  it  is  safe  to  say  that  from  1770  to  1780  there  were  more  than 
seven  hundred  Catholics  living  in  that  neighborhood.  The  popu- 
lation of  Sussex  County  in  1771,  including  Warren  County,  was 
8,994,  so  that  the  Catholics  were  not  less  than  one-tenth  of  the 
population.  Naturally  the  question  arises,  What  has  become  of 
them  ?  There  is  no  answer.  Some  of  the  names  are  still  borne  in 
Morris  and  Sussex  counties,  but  the  bearers  are  not  of  the  faith  of 
their  forefathers.  An  examination  of  the  files  of  the  oldest  news- 
paper, 77/r  Sussex  Register,  gives  us  an  occasional  gleam  of  one  of 
the  lost  tribes :  November  7th,  1814,  Hugh  McCarty  was  convicted 
on  five  separate  indictments  and  sentenced  to  thirty  years'  im- 
prisonment. March  ist,  1816,  Kathleen  Hunt  was  married  to 
Charles  McCormick.  August  20th,  1819,  an  Irishman,  lately 
landed,  in  the  employ  of  Benjamin  Strong,  died  from  drinking  too 
much  cold  water.  In  1820  Patrick  McMahon  advertises  for  a 
weaver;  and  in  1821  John  and  Luke  Feeney  enter  into  a  partner- 
ship. In  1825  Dr.  Francis  Moran  hangs  out  his  sign,  and  in  1827 
we  hear  of  Major  Francis  Donleavey,  attorney -at-law.  So  the 
records  run,  until  we  come  to  the  fifties,  when,  no  longer  trusting 
to  conjecture,  we  are  able  to  learn  from  the  survivors  of  to-day 
who  they  were  who  drifted  into  old  Sussex  and  many  of  whom 
drifted  from  the  faith.  There  were  Dennis  Cochrane,  Edward 
McCormick,  John  McCormick,  Charles  Harold,  Timothy  and 
Thomas  Farrell,  Martin  Ward,  Thomas  English,  and  Redmond 
O'Leary.  Redmond  was  a  man  of  parts,  and  so  taught  school  in 
Vernon  and  later  became  Squire   O'Leary.     John  Gaffney  was 


3i6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

another,  who  was  called  "  Webster  "  because  he  sold  dictionaries. 
Some  of  the  "  greenhorns  "  who  reached  Sussex,  although  they ' 
did  not  know  the  difference  between  calico  and  muslin,  were 
started  on  their  way  throughout  the  county  with  their  packs  on 
their  back,  and  many  of  them  achieved  success.  In  1854  two 
sons  of  Poland  came  to  Newton  to  swell  the  little  Catholic  colony, 
Anthony  Burhardt  and  Francis  Graey. 

A  charming  sketch  of  Catholicity  from  this  period  onward 
was  written  by  the  Rev.  Michael  A.  McManus,  which  is  here 
reproduced : 

Prior  to  1854  the  Catholics  of  Sussex  County  had  only  very 
rare  opportunities  of  gathering  together  for  public  worship,  for 
up  to  that  date  they  were  entirely  dependent  for  spiritual  minis- 
trations upon  visiting  clergymen.  These  came,  as  necessity  would 
demand  or  convenience  allow,  now  from  Dover,  again  from  Madi- 
son, or  from  New  York,  or  points  still  more  distant.  Father 
John  Callan,  stationed  at  Dover  and  exercising  his  zeal  through 
much  of  Morris  County,  often  penetrated  into  Sussex  on  his 
sacred  mission.  Father  Senez,  still  hale  and  active  as  the  rector 
of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Jersey  City,  was  in  those  times  pastor  at 
Madison ;  in  addition  to  his  home  duties  he  often  managed  to 
visit  the  scattered  Catholics  of  this  district. 

The  present  Bishop  of  Rochester,  the  Rt.  Rev.  B.  J. 
McOuaid,  succeeding  P'ather  Senez  at  Madison,  imitated  him  in 
his  zeal,  and  by  his  repeated  trips  became  acquainted  with  every 
nook  and  corner  that  gave  shelter  and  a  home  to  Catholics.  And, 
indeed,  in  every  quarter  of  the  county  Catholics  were  to  be  found. 
Deckertown  had  its  quota.  Wawayanda  was  not  without  many 
holding  to  the  old  faith.  In  Montague  a  happy  cluster  always 
welcomed  the  priest;  while  Hamburg,  Vernon,  Ogdensburg, 
Franklin  P'urnace,  Stanhope,  Andover,  and  Newton  each  had  a 
fair  Catholic  representation  to  receive  and  appreciate  periodical 
visits  of  the  early  missionaries. 

On  the  occasions  of  the  visits  of  the  priest  Mass  was  said 
and  other  acts  of  Catholic  worship  were  i)erformed  in  private 
houses  or,  when  opportunity  offered,  in  public  buildings. 

In  Franklin  Furnace  the  ballroom  over  the  hotel  was  fre- 
quently offered  for  these  purposes  through  the  courtesy  of  Prot- 
estants. The  storeroom  too  over  the  old-time  store  of  Oakes 
Ames  &  Co.  often  beheld  the  solemn  celebration  of  the  Holy 
Mass.  In  Newton  a  building  on  the  present  site  of  the  Levi 
Longcor  residence,  on  Spring  Street,  occupied  by  Mr.  Edward 
McCormick,  repeatedly  gathered  beneath  its  humble  roof  the 
assembled  Catholics  of  the  surrounding  districts.  And  the 
Blackwell  house  on  Church  Street,  then  serving  as  dwelling  and 
harness  shop  for  Mr.  P'rancis  Graey,  is  memorable  as  opening  its 
doors  for  divine  worship.     Thus  matters  continued  until  the  fall 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


317 


of  1854.  About  that  time  Father  McMahon  was  appointed  to  the 
parish  of  Sussex  County.  If  he  had  any  headquarters  at  all,  they 
may  be  said  to  have  been  at  Newton.  Like  his  missionary  prede- 
cessors, he  travelled  from  place  to  place,  carrying  with  him  the 
consolations  of  religion  and  strengthening  the  spirit  of  faith  in 
the  minds  of  his  children  While  other  points  in  his  charges 
were  diligently  cared  for,  Andover  demanded  and  received  special 
attention. 

In  those  days  Andover  was  a  thri\'ing  village  with  larger  ex- 
pectations and  higher  ambitions  than  any  of  its  neighbors      The 
mines,  musical  with  hammer  and  drill,  attracted   busy  hundreds 
of   working-men,    and    when 
Father  McMahon   made  his 
first  tour  of   the   mines   he 
was  pleased  to  discover  that 
the  majority  of  the  employees 
were  members  of  his  Church 
and   subjects   of   his  young 
parish. 

A  church  edifice  was  now 
felt  to  be  a  necessity,  and 
the  great  cjuestion  was  as  to 
its  whereabouts.  The  pres- 
ent seemed  to  demand  its 
erection  at  the  industrial 
centre,  Andover;  the  future 
called  for  its  building  at 
Newton.  At  length  Father 
McMahon,  prudently  consid- 
ering the  uncertain  character 
of  the  mining  industry  and 
rightly  judging  the  eventual 
stability  of  Newton,  decided 
upon  raising  the  edifice  in 
this  latter  district. 

The  foundations  were  laid  in  the  fall  of  1855.  Vigorous 
work  pushed  the  enterprise  to  a  successful  issue,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing spring  the  gladdening  cross  surmounted  the  cupola,  and  began 
its  still-continued  task  of  throwing  its  shadow  upon  one  of  the 
pleasantest  grassy  knolls  in  the  town.  Pewless  and  unplastered 
within,  thinly  painted  and  rough-boarded  without,  it  possessed 
within  its  walls  the  attractive  charm  and  comforting  influence 
that  a  Catholic  church  always  has — be  it  ever  so  modest  or  ever 
so  massive — for  the  children  of  that  faith. 

Limited  means  hindered  the  entire  completion  in  its  interior 
appointments,  and  it  was  in  this  unfinished  condition  when  in  the 
spring  of  1857  Father  McMahon  was  removed  to  another  field  of 
labor. 

Succeeding  him,  with  the  interval  of  five  months,  came 
Father   James   McKay.      He  took  up   the  work,  material   and 


ST.   JOSEPH'S   CHURCH,    NEWTON. 


3i8  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

spiritual,  where  his  predecessor  had  been  forced  to  discontinue  it. 
What  with  the  contributions  of  his  own  people  and  with  assist- 
ance from  other  parishes  through  the  diocese,  he  shortly  com- 
pleted the  church  in  all  its  details,  and  found  ample  time  to  instruct 
and  console  his  flock  at  home  and  abroad.  The  rectory,  too,  that 
nestled  so  snugly  in  the  meadow  close  to  the  church,  was  the 
result  of  his  activity  and  zeal,  and  this,  be  it  remembered,  when 
Catholics  had  anything  but  plethoric  purses. 

Father  McKay's  residence  in  Newton  was  productive  of  the 
greatest  good.  While  entirely  loyal  and  true  to  his  own  Church, 
he  had  consideration  and  toleration  for  views  opposed  to  it,  and 
thus,  while  winning  the  confidence  and  love  of  his  own  people,  he 
secured  to  himself  the  respect  of  non-Catholics.  In  July,  1861, 
his  superior  removed  him  to  Orange,  N.  J.,  and  among  those  who 
regretted  his  departure  were  numbered  the  respectable  members 
of  every  church  in  the  town. 

His  place  was  taken  (I  may  say  entirel}^  filled)  by  the  Rev. 
Edward  McCosker.  He  came  fresh  from  the  ecclesiastical  semi- 
nary, with  the  oils  of  ordination  yet  damp  upon  his  brow.  He 
carried,  therefore,  to  his  spiritual  harvest  fields  a  zeal  and  a  love 
that  nerved  him  to  heroic  work.  Buoyant  in  disposition,  perse- 
vering in  determination,  winning  in  manner,  and  blessed  with  a 
constitution  of  vigor  and  activity.  Father  McCosker  had  all  the 
invaluable  requisites  as  well  for  a  mountain  missionary  as  for  a 
home  rector.     All  these  served  an  excellent  purpose. 

With  an  eye  to  the  outlying  districts,  in  1863  he  purchased 
a  lot  of  land  from  the  Fowler  estate  for  a  future  church  edifice. 
Subscriptions  were  raised  with  little  ado,  and  in  the  following 
year  the  church  was  built  and  dedicated  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  R. 
Bayley,  under  the  title  of  the  Immaculate  Concej^tion. 

Later  on  the  same  zeal  led  him  to  erect  churches  at  Hacketts- 
town  and  Oxford  Furnace,  in  Warren  County. 

The  crowning  material  work  of  Father  McCosker's  adminis- 
tration was  the  location  of  the  present  excellent  and  ample  brick 
church  fronting  on  Halsted  Street ;  its  corner-stone  was  laid  in 
the  summer  of  1870.  A  man  less  courageous  than  Father 
McCosker  and  less  trustful  in  the  blessing  of  God  upon  his  work 
never  would  have  presumed  to  enter  upon  this  large  task.  But 
his  people  were  generous  even  beyond  their  means,  and  many  and 
respectable  contributions  from  different  parts  of  the  country  found 
their  charitable  way  to  the  building  fund.  Thus  the  work  went 
bravely  on,  and  was  gradually  carried  to  an  elegant  finish. 

The  imposing  scene  of  the  church's  dedication  was  witnessed 
the  istof  September,  1872.  And  in  quick  succession  then  sprang 
into  existence  a  handsome  and  commodious  rectory  convenient  to 
the  church. 

All  this  is  only  the  material  and  tangible ;  great  though  it  be, 
yet  greater  (because  higher  its  aim)  work  was  done  in  the  spiritual 
order. 

The  spark  of  faith  was  nursed  and  became  a  sacred  flame, 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


3^9 


imparting  warmth  and  vigor  to  the  spiritual  Hfe,  and  though  un- 
fortunately not  a  few  were  lost  to  the  faith  of  their  fathers  through 
negligence  or  wilfulness,  yet  such  a  loss  was  perhaps  quite  com- 
pensated for  by  the  earnestness  of  the  old  residentcrs  and  the 
devotion  of  their  children  and  followers. 

Nineteen  years  were  passed  by  Father  McCosker  in  Newton. 
His  works  and  his  good  name  are  after  him,  while  remembrance 
of  his  kindness  and  his  good  deeds  lingers  about  every  Catholic 
hearthstone  in  all  the  region  round.  In  July,  1880,  he  was 
removed  to  Rah  way,  N.  J. 

Father  G.  W.  Corrigan  was  the  next  incumbent  of  the  par- 
ish. His  pastorate,  though  short,  was  filled  with  works  of  apos- 
tolic zeal  and  practical  deeds. 
The  mission  chapel  of  St. 
Monica,  at  Deckertown,  was 
the  result  of  his  industry 
and  love  for  souls.  It  was 
said  that  it  was  owing  to 
this  Rev.  Father's  missionary 
spirit  that  the  Hon.  Judson 
Kilpatrick  became  attracted 
to  the  Catholic  Church,  on 
whose  peaceful  bosom  he  was 
laid  to  rest.  This  brilliant 
cavalry  leader  who  distin- 
guished himself  in  the  Civil 
War,  was  born  near  Decker- 
town,  N.  J.,  January  14th, 
1836.  He  took  an  activ^e  part 
in  the  battles  of  Gettysburg, 
was  severely  wounded  at  Re- 
saca,  and  abl}'  seconded  Sher- 
man in  his  "  Ride  to  the  Sea," 

and  commanded  a  division  of  cavalry  in  the  military  division  of 
Mississippi  in  1865.  He  was  a  brave,  daring,  and  efficient  officer, 
in  whom  his  superiors  placed  the  fullest  confidence,  and  idolized 
by  his  soldiers.  He  died  in  Valparaiso,  Chili,  to  which  govern- 
ment he  had  been  appointed  Minister  by  President  Johnson  and 
afterward  by  President  Garfield,  March,  1881.  His  wife  was  of 
Spanish  origin,  of  the  family  of  Valdivieso.  It  was  at  his  sugges- 
tion and  largely  by  his  efforts  that  St.  Monica's  Church  was  built 
in  Deckertown.  He  was  received  into  the  Catholic  Church  a 
short  time  before  his  death,  which  occurred  December  4th,  1881. 

By  this  time  St.  Joseph's,  at  Newton,  became  a  parent 
church.  A  large  number  of  Catholics  in  the  vicinity  of  Franklin 
Furnace  justified  the  erection  of  that  mission  into  an  independent 
parish,  and  in  i88i  Rev.  A.  M.  Kammer  was  appointed  its  first 
resident  rector ;  as  outposts  for  exercising  his  ministry  he  had  the 
neighboring  missions  of  Ogdensburg  and  Deckertown.  Ogdens- 
burg  was  yet   in  its  primitive  innocence  of  a  church  building. 


GEN.   JUDSOX    KILl'ATKICK. 


320  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

One  was  called  for,  its  erection  was  undertaken  in  May,  1881, 
and,  under  the  masterly  supervision  of  the  rev.  rector,  before  the 
snows  of  that  year  began  to  fiy,  the  Church  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas 
lifted  its  summit  in  worship  to  Almighty  God.  After  three  and 
one-half  years  of  successful  labor  Father  Kammer  was  removed 
and  gave  place  to  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Hill.  It  is  small  praise  to  say 
of  Father  Hill  that  he  was  devoted  to  his  work  and  self-sacrificing 
in  its  performance ;  he  was  eminently  so,  and  therefore,  among  a 
people  as  appreciative  as  those  of  the  Franklin  parish,  he  secured 
more  than  ordinary  success. 

Among  the  other  excellent  works  of  Father  Corrigan's  pas- 
torship at  Newton  was  the  establishment  of  a  parochial  school  in 
that  town.  But  directly  upon  its  opening,  in  September,  1881, 
he  was  transferred  to  the  more  important  parish  of  Short  Hills, 
Essex  County.  For  the  two  months  immediately  following  the 
removal  of  Father  Corrigan,  the  parish  was  under  the  zealous  care 
of  Rev.  A.  M.  Shaeken.  A  rector  was  appointed  in  November, 
1881.  When  the  Rev.  M.  A.  McManus  took  charge,  he  was 
pleased  to  find  a  well-ordered  parish.  He  had  merely  to  continue 
his  work  on  the  lines  laid  down  by  wiser  heads.  Perhaps  it  may 
modestly  be  remarked  that  pastoral  work,  during  the  present 
rectorship,  has  not  been  entirely  neglected,  nor  have  the  general 
interests  of  the  parish  been  quite  lost  sight  of.  The  advent  of 
the  Sisters  of  Charity,  in  September,  1886,  while  increasing  the 
excellence  of  the  school,  gave  certainty  to  its  permanence. 

And  thus,  in  the  flush  of  present  great  and  future  greater 
Church  prosperity,  there  is  every  reason  for  gratitude  to  God. 

"  Paul  planted,  Apollo  watered,  but  God  gave  the  increase." 

Always  a  humanizer  and  civilizer,  the  Catholic  Church  is 
ever  making  her  holy  influence  felt ;  beneficent  and  active,  vice- 
reproving  and  virtue-encouraging  in  high  places,  she  is  not  less  so 
in  more  modest  spheres.  In  its  love  for  justice  and  its  apprecia- 
tion of  honest  endeavors,  the  world  is  growing  better  and  fairer. 
Calumny  and  prejudice  against  such  a  benefactor  of  the  human 
race  as  the  Catholic  Church  has  always  shown  itself  to  be  are 
quite  disappearing.  Bugaboo  stories  against  the  priesthood  and 
Catholicity,  that  flourished  and  frightened  children  of  larger 
growth,  have  only  a  very  slender  circulation;  and  "fair  play,"  the 
honorable  mark  of  Americanism,  calls  for  the  free  exercise  of  a 
religion  once  jeered  at  and  for  the  respectful  consideration  of  opin- 
ions or  truths  once  antagonized. 

All  this  is  as  it  should  be.  In  such  conditions  progress  and 
prosperity  may  be  within  the  grasp  of  every  band  of  religionists, 
and  smiling  peace  and  godly  charity  will  draw  men  closer  to- 
gether in  the  bonds  of  human  brotherhood  and  heavenly  father- 
hood. 

Father  McManus  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  John  Baxter, 
who  labored  in  Newton  from  November,  1890,  to  June  26th,  1898. 
At  this   period  the  parish  school  was  closed,  as  the  burden  was 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  321 

greater  than  the  parish  could  bear.  The  Rev.  Walter  Tallon  took 
charge  of  the  parish  June  26th,  1898,  and  remained  until  Febru- 
ary 14th,  1901,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Kev.  James  J. 
Mulhall.  Father  Mulhall  was  born  in  Morristown,  and  made  his 
entire  classical  and  theological  course  at  Seton  Hall.  His  first 
and  only  assignment  was  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Newark,  where  he 
served  as  assistant  until  called  upon  by  his  late  pastor,  the  pres- 
ent bishop,  to  take  up  the  burden  of  the  pastorate.  The  flock 
remains  as  devoted  and  as  responsi\e  to  its  pastor  as  ever. 

St.   Mary's  Church,  Pleasant  Mills. 

One  of  the  oldest  Catholic  missions  in  our  State  is  St.  Mary's, 
Pleasant  Mills,  of  which  records  are  found  in  the  Catholic  Directory 
as  early  as  1833,  when  it  was  attended  by  the  Rev.  James  Cum- 
miskey,  from  Philadelphia;  and  from  that  time  until  the  incoming 
of  Bishop  Bayley  it  was  attended  by  priests  from  Philadelphia, 
among  them  Fathers  P.  Kenny,  Richard  B.  Harding,  R.  Waters, 
J.  A.  Miller,  W.  Loughran,  B.  Rolando,  Hugh  Lane,  and  others. 

A  writer  says  of  it :  "  The  old  ruin  still  stands,  though  no  hu- 
man habitation  now  exists  within  many  miles.  An  ocean  vessel, 
stranded  on  the  beach,  gave  occasion  to  its  erection,  but  the  con- 
gregation, attracted  by  the  more  powerful  inducements  of  the 
interior,  gradually  moved  away.  Most  of  their  descendants,  from 
necessary  clerical  inattendance,  have  lost  the  faith.  The  Bradley s, 
Murphys,  Lees,  and  others  of  Gloucester,  Burlington,  and  Mercer 
counties  are  instances.  This  church  must  have  been  built  not 
long  after  the  settlement  of  Newark  in  1666. 

It  is  now  attended  from  Egg  Harbor  City. 

St,  John's  Church,  Orange. 

It  is  regrettable  that  repeated  efforts  to  obtain  from  the  proper 
sources  reliable  information  concerning  the  foundation  of  St. 
John's  parish  have  been  made  without  success,  and  hence  recourse 
must  be  had  to  the  directories  and  register  of  the  clergy  for  the 
little  light  obtainable.  It  appears  that  the  Catholics  in  the  early 
days  were  compelled  to  walk  to  Newark,  generally  to  St.  Patrick's, 
from  which  church  they  were  attended.  Father  Senez  secured 
the  site  on  which  was  erected  the  first  frame  church.  The  name 
of  the  Rev.  Terence  Kieran  appears  in  the  Directory  of  1854,  after- 
ward in  Paterson  and  died  in  Plainfield,  and  from  that  }'ear  until 
21 


322 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


REV.    JAMES    M'KAY. 


1858  the  title  of  the  church  is  St.  Ig:natius.  In  1855  the  Rev. 
Robert  Hubbersty,  a  Yorkshire  man,  coming  from  the  Diocese 
of  Salford,  was  in  charge  of  the  parish.     He  had  a  magnificent 

voice,  which  he  used  with 
good  effect  in  the  Tenebrae 
services  in  the  cathedral,  but 
was  eccentric  and  odd  in  his 
manner.  He  usually  rode 
ahorseback,  with  a  short  cloak 
over  his  shoulders,  beneath 
which  the  wind,  as  it  would 
occasionally  toss  it  aside, 
would  reveal  a  glaring  red 
shirt.  In  his  hand  a  short 
cane,  in  the  English  fashion, 
he  wjuld  ride  over  the  side- 
walk to  the  door  of  the  bish- 
ojVs  house,  and,  without  dis- 
mounting, ring  the  bell  and 
announce  his  presence.  In 
1856  the  Rev.  James  Murray 
took  charge  and  remained  until  1861,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
the  Rev.  James  McKay.  Father  McKay  was  ordained  to  the  priest- 
hood in  Dublin,  September  13th,  1857,  arrived  in  New  York,  No- 
vember 4th,  1857,  and  was  appointed  pastor  of  Newton,  November 
15th,  1857.  His  wit  and  eloquence  won  the  hearts  of  all,  not  only 
of  his  own,  but  even  of  the  non-Catholics.  He  was  an  ardent  tem- 
perance advocate,  and  when  he  spoke  on  this  live  topic  there  was 
no  auditorium  spacious  enough  to  accommodate  his  audience ;  even 
the  court-house  was  filled  long  before  the  houi',  and  many  had  to 
leave  disappointed  because  they  could  not  obtain  entrance.  He 
did  much  good  in  this  ethical  field,  and  by  his  clear  and  eloquent 
statement  of  Catholic  doctrine  from  the  inilpit  removed  long-exist- 
ing prejudices  and  conciliated  the  bitter  opposition  to  the  Church 
which  had  long  prevailed  in  the  county  seat  of  Sussex.  During 
the  Civil  War  he  strongly  opposed  the  enlistment  of  the  Irish 
immigrant,  and  while  on  a  visit  to  Ireland  he  wrote  a  series  of 
strong  articles  under  a  pen  name  which  gave  great  offence  to  the 
United  States  Government.  Bishop  Bayley  accused  him  of  the 
authorship,  and  on  his  admission  of  the  charge  removed  him  from 
the  parish.  He  died  a  few  years  ago  in  Ireland.  In  1865  the 
Rev.  Edward  M.  Hickey,  who  had  been  Prefect  and  Vice-President 


IN    NEW    IKRSEY 


3^3 


of  Scton  Hall,  and  several  years  an  assistant  at  St.  Patrick's 
Cathedral,  Newark,  was  promoted  to  the  pastorate  of  Orange. 
Father  Hickey  was  of  a  pleasant  and  winsome  disposition,  made 
many  friends,  and  stood  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  superiors,  but  was 
a  failure  as  a  financial  manager.  He  built  the  present  stone  church 
and  rectory,  and  in\-ol\'ed  the  parish  in  an  immense  debt,  under 
which  it  has  ever  since  been  staggering".  In  May,  1873,  the  Rev. 
\V.  M.  Wlgger,  of  Madison,  in  obedience  to  the  wi.shes  of  Bishop 


ST.  John's  church,  orange. 

Corrigan,  undertook  the  forlorn  hope  of  bringing  order  out  of 
chaos;  but  in  a  few  months,  after  paying  off  $11,000,  he  resigned. 
In  March,   1874,  the  Rev.  Hugh    P.  P^leming,  assistant  at   the 


3^4 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


cathedral,  was  appointed  to  the  very  difficult  position  of  pastor  of 
St.  John's  Church,  Orange,  with  its  debt  of  a  quarter  of  a  million  " 
{Register  of  the  Clergy^.  With  this  burden  Father  Fleming  has 
been  struggling  manfully  up  to  the  present,  and  yet  impro\'ements 
have  been  made — the  church  spire  built,  the  installing  of  a  new 
organ,  and  the  erection  of  the  magnificent  Columbus  School. 
Truly  the  Catholics  of  Orange  deserve  well  of  the  Church,  for 
through  all  their  adversities  they  have  not  lost  heart,  but  con- 
tinue to  win  the  admiration  of  all  by  their  faith  and  pluck. 

The  Church  of  St.   Rose  of  Lima,  Freehold. 

Freehold  was  first  attended  as  a  mission  about  the  year  1854 
from  Princeton,  N.  J.,  by  the  Rev.  John  Scollard,  and  shortly 
after  a  frame  church,  25  by  40  feet,  was  erected  and  blessed  under 
the  patronage  of  St.  Rose  of  Lima,  and  hence  the  corporate  title. 
In  July,  1857,  Father  Scollard  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Alfred 
Young,  the  pastor  of  St.  Paul's,  Princeton,  who  in  turn  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  J.  J.  J.  O'Donnell.  In  July,  1867,  the  Rev. 
Thomas  R.  Moran  took  charge  and  attended  Freehold  until  Janu- 
ary 9th,  1 871,  when  the  Rev.  P'rederick  Kivilitz  was  sent  to  Free- 
hold as  resident  pastor.  In  the  same  year  Father  Kivilitz  bought 
a  parsonage,  and  in  1875  he  opened  a  parochial  school.  In  1878 
he  built  a  brick  and  terra-cotta  church  at  Jamesburg;  one  at 
Hillsdale  (now  Bradevelt) ;  in  1879  one  at  Colt's  Neck  and  one  at 
Perrinesville.  In  1882  he  built  a  new  brick  and  terra-cotta  church 
at  Freehold.  Bradevelt  and  Jamesburg  are  now  separate  missions 
with  their  respective  pastors.  The  assistant  priests  of  this  mis- 
sion arc  the  Revs.  Patrick 
McCarren,  Peter  J. 
John  A.  Graham, 
Gardner.  The  Rev. 
Ouinlan  is  the  assistant  at 
present. 


Kelly, 
P.  H. 
A.  T. 


St.  Francis   de    Sales' 
Church,  Lodi. 

This  mission  was  estab- 
lished  by    P'ather   Senez  as 
early  as  1854,  and  the  church 
is  probably  the  oldest  Catholic  church  in  Bergen  County. 

St.  Francis  de  Sales'  Church  was  attended  from  Paterson  and 


ST.    FRANCIS    1)K    SALES,    LODI. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


2>^S 


other  centres  until  1897,  when  in  the  month  of  May  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Ascheri  was  appointed  first  resident  pastor.  He  built  the 
rectory  and  put  the  church  in  proper  condition.  The  member- 
ship is  small,  as  the  parish  does  not  seem  to  grow.  It  has  been 
thought  inadvisable  as  yet  to  build  a  school. 

Near  by,  at  Hasbrouck  Heights,  is  a  mission  opened  some 
years  ago  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  Sheppard,  V.G.,  then  pastor 
of  Passaic,  who  built  a  church  which  bears  the  name  Corpus 
Christi. 

Our  Lady  of  Mercy,  Whippany. 

The  making  of  paper  has  been  carried  on  in  Whippany  for 
almost  a  century.  An  ever-flowing  spring  of  the  purest  water 
imparts  a  quality  to  the  paper 
and  a  depth  and  richness  to 
colored  papers  which  have 
made  them  famous  and  mar- 
ketable. In  the  middle  of  the 
last  century  Daniel  Cogh- 
lan,  of  blessed  memory,  ac- 
quired possession  of  the  old 
mills  and  moved  hither  from 
Springfield.  Around  this 
man  of  God  clustered  a  good 
number  of  Catholics  who 
were  employed  in  the  mill, 
and  in  1854  the  corner-stone 
of  the  Church  of  Our  Lady 
of  Mercy  was  laid  by  Bishop 
Bayley.  Untoward  circum- 
stances delayed  its  comple- 
tion until  1857,  when  it  was 
dedicated   to  the   service  of 

God  under  the  patronage  of  his  blessed  Mother.  The  leading 
spirit  of  the  congregation,  its  mainstay,  its  sexton  who  would 
allow  none  other  to  prepare  the  altar,  serve  the  priest,  and 
perform  the  dozen  and  one  little  services  around  the  sanctuary, 
was  Daniel  Coghlan.  "  Honest "  Dan  Coghlan  was  he  known 
far  and  wide  by  his  own  and  by  the  host  outside  of  his  church. 
Quiet,  unassuming,  retiring,  he  was  rarely  seen  to  smile,  rarely 
heard  to  talk.  In  a  word,  he  was  a  godly.  God-fearing  man,  the 
perfect  type  of  what  a  Christian  layman    should  be.     His  wife, 


ST.    MARY  S   CHURCH,    WHIPFANV. 


326 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


a  sister  of  the  late  Bishop  Byrne  of  Arkansas,  was  a  worthy 
helpmate,  cooperating  with  him  in  all  works  of  charity  and  dis- 
pensing with  him  a  lavish  hospitality.  Both  have  long  since 
gone  to  their  reward.  The  mission  was  attended  from  Mad- 
ison until  1 881,  when  it  was  attached  to  Morristovvn.  July  13th, 
1883,  Morris  Plains  and  Whippany  were  separated  from  Mor- 
ristovvn and  erected  into  a  mission,  with  the  Rev.  James  J. 
Brennan  as  pastor.  Father  Brennan  was  a  child  of  St.  Patrick's, 
Newark,  in  which  parish  he  was  reared,  although  born  in  Ireland, 
March  ist,  1850.  His  preparatory  studies  were  made  in  St. 
Charles,  Md.,  and  completed  in  Seton  Hall,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  in  the  class  of  '72.  He  was  for  a  brief  time  chaplain  of 
St.  Elizabeth's  Convent,  the  mother  house  of  the  diocesan  Sisters 
of  Charity,  and  assistant  in  Camden,  St.  Joseph's,  Jersey  City, 
and  St.  John's,  Paterson.  He  was  promoted  to  the  Church  of 
the  Sacred  Heart,  Newark,  in  1892,  and  died  there  March  20th, 
1897.  His  successor  was  the  Rev.  A.  M.  Egan,  and  after  him 
the  present  rector,  the  Rev.  James  T.  Brown. 

For  a  short  while  a  Catholic  scho(^l  was  taught,  but  the  num- 
ber of  children  in  the  mission  did  not  warrant  the  outlay.  There 
is  a  cemetery,  in  which  repose  the  remains  of  the  founder  of  the 
parish  and  its  best  benefactor. 


St.  Nicholas's,  Church,  Passaic,  N.  J. 

Previous  to  1855  the  Catholics  of  Passaic,  Lodi,  and  the  sur- 
rounding country  were  obliged  to  go  to  Paterson  to  hear  Mass. 

In  that  year  Father  Senez, 
of  St.  John's,  Paterson,  built 
a  frame  church  in  Lodi,  a 
village  two  miles  and  a  half 
from  Passaic,  and  this  church 
the  Passaic  Catholics  attend- 
ed until  they  became  able 
to  erect  a  church  of  their 
own.  This  hapj^y  event 
took  place  in  1868,  when 
the  Rev.  John  Schandel  was 
appointed  rector.  Father 
Schandel  erected  a  frame  building  on  Prospect  Street  where 
now  stands  the  Passaic  Club.  Father  Schandel  remained  pastor 
until  the  fall  of  1873,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Louis 


FIRST   CHURCH   OF   PASSAIC. 


IN    NEW    JKRSEY 


327 


Schneider.  Father  Schneider  was  a  native  of  Alsace — a  French- 
man, he  insisted  on  calling  himself — and  was  born  November 
2d,  1823.  He  entered  the  Society  of  Jesus,  was  a  member  of 
the  staff  of   Fordham  College  in  1859,  and  afterward  taught  phil- 


ST.    NICHOLAS     CHURCH    AND    RECTORY,   PASSAIC. 

osophy  in  St.  Francis  Xavier's  College,  New  York,  and  was 
of  the  three  Fathers  who  are  regarded  as  the  founders  of 
the  Xavier  Alumni  Sodality.  He  left  the  society  in  1866,  and 
was  temporarily  in  charge  of  St.  John's  Church,  Newark.  He 
was  afterward  appointed  to  the  chair  of  dogmatic  and  moral  theol- 
ogy in  the  diocesan  Seminary,  for  which  his  studies  and  rare  talent 
of  imparting  knowledge  so  admirably  fitted  him. 

In  connection  with  his  professorial  work  he  attended,  as  has 
been  seen,  to  the  Milburn  mission. 

With  the  intellectual  treasures  of  a  well-stored  mind  he  com- 
bined a  wide  experience  of  men,  gleaned  from  his  labors  as  a 
Jesuit.  A  great  teacher,  a  profound  thinker,  a  wise  guide,  he  was 
also  a  charming  companion,  a  firm  friend,  and  a  generous  host. 

Father  Schneider,  in  November  of  the  .same  year,  opened  the 
parochial  school,  which  was  entrusted  to  the  Sisters  of  Charity. 
In  1874  he  purchased  the  present  site  of  the  church  and  rectory. 

In  December,  1875,  the  church  was  destroyed  by  fire — the 
work  of  incendiaries  it  was  thought ;  and  an  effort  to  dispose  of 
the  property,  in  order  to  build  on  the  new  site,  failed  for  lack  of  a 
purchaser.     Passaic,  then,  was  little  more  than  a  village,  with  a 


328  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

few  thousand  inhabitants.  The  wildest  dreamer  could  not  have 
presaged  its  rapid  growth  and  present  prosperity.  Perforce,  the 
Catholics  were  obliged  to  rebuild  the  old  church,  which  was  a 
strange  combination  of  church,  rectory,  and  school. 

In  April,  1876,  the  Spencer  Academy  property  on  Howe  Ave- 
nue was  purchased,  and  the  school,  which  had  outgrown  the  ac- 
commodations furnished  in  the  church  building,  was  removed 
thither. 

In  August,  1884,  Father  Schneider  died  and  the  Rev.  John 
A.  Sheppard  was  appointed  his  successor.  With  characteristic 
energy  Father  Sheppard  set  to  work  to  build  a  house  of  worship 
worthy  of  the  growing"  importance  of  the  town  and  congregation. 
In  the  face  of  great  difficulties  and  discouragements  he  succeeded 
in  erecting  a  church  and  rectory  which  together  cost  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  $80,000.  In  1886  he  purchased  a  residence  for  the 
sisters  for  $6,000,  and  in  1892  he  purchased  a  plot  of  ground  at 
the  corner  of  Hamilton  Avenue  and  Washington  Place  and  erected 
thereon  a  school  building  at  a  total  cost  of  $20,000.  In  1896  he 
opened  a  hospital  in  the  rear  of  the  school,  and  in  1897  he  built 
the  present  admirable  St.  Mary's  Hospital.  On  April  6th,  1898, 
Father  Sheppard  was  transferred  to  St.  Michael's  parish,  Jersey 
City,  and  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Kernan,  of  St  Cecilia's  Church,  Kearney, 
was  appointed  his  successor.  Father  Kernan  was  born  at  Hamil- 
ton, Scotland,  January  6th,  1858,  and  made  his  preparatory  studies 
in  Villanova  College,  Pa.,  and  his  theological  studies  in  Seton  Hall 
Seminary,  where  he  was  ordained  May  19th,  1883.  His  ministry 
was  exercised  in  St.  Michael'-s,  the  Cathedral,  and  St.  James's, 
Newark,  and  on  September  ist,  1893,  he  was  appointed  to  the 
new  parish  of  Kearney.  He  built  the  church  of  St.  Cecilia,  and 
left  the  parish  in  a  prosperous  condition. 

Father  Kernan  added  to  the  church  property  a  plot  of  ground 
on  Jefferson  Street,  150  by  150  feet,  at  a  cost  of  $9,500.  On  this 
ground,  in  1902,  he  erected  a  convent  ($25,000;  for  the  sisters 
who  teach  in  the  parochial  school.  In  1900  he  purchased  eigh- 
teen acres  in  Lodi  Borough  for  $14,000,  to  be  used  as  a  cemetery. 
This  land  adjoins  the  old  St.  Nicholas  Cemetery  and  is  admirably 
suited  for  the  purpose.  The  following  are  the  priests  who  have 
been  assistants  at  St.  Nicholas's:  the  Revs.  C.  Mundorf,  M.  J. 
Hickey,  John  McHale,  Joseph  Ali,  William  J.  O'Gorman,  James 
H.  Brady,  Henry  Connery,  Daniel  S.  Clancy,  William  F".  Grady, 
James  F.  Mackinson,  Thomas  E.  O'Shea,  and  at  present  Michael 
J.  McGuirk  and  William  V.  Dunn. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


3^-9 


St.   Peter's  Church,  Newark. 

The  Rev.  Martin  Hasslingcr  left  the  congregation  of  the  Re- 
demptorists  and  was  received  in  the  Diocese  of  Newark  in  the 
summer  of  1854,  taking  up  his  i-esidence  temporarily  in  St.  Peter's, 
Jersey  City.  He  was  called  to  Newark,  February  lOth,  1855,  and 
appointed  vicar-general  of  the  Germans.  The  little  church,  be- 
gun on  Belmont  Avenue  in 

I 


1854,  was  blessed  by  Father 
Hasslinger  and  placed  under 
the  patronage  of  St.  Peter, 
February  2d,  1855.  On  Oc- 
tober 20th,  1854,  the  Rev. 
Godfried  Prieth,  born  at 
Graun,  in  the  Tyrol,  arrix'ed 
in  the  diocese.  He  had  made 
his  studies  at  Bri.xen,  and  ex- 
ercised his  ministry  three 
years  in  Schwartz.  He  acted 
as  assistant  to  Father  Hass- 
linger from  March  7th,  1855, 
until  his  appointment  to  the 
rectorship  of  St.  Peter's, 
May  nth,  1855.  The  whole 
slope  which  marks  the  west- 
ern section  of  Newark  was 
fifty  years  ago  an  unbroken 
wood-land.  Through  this  the 
Springfield  road,  a  continua- 
tion of  Market  Street,  ex- 
tended into  the  farm  lands 
and  pastures  of  the  interior. 
A  wide  clearing  to  the  right 
of  this  road  on  the  hilltop 
was  known  then  as  "  Stump- 
town,"  and  here  Father  Hass- 
linger started  the  little  mission.  Here  P'ather  Prieth  gave  to  the 
Catholics  twenty-six  years  of  unselfish  energy,  not  only  upbuild- 
ing religion,  but  contributing  to  the  material  prosperity  of  his 
flock  by  encouragement  to  thrift  and  insistence  on  their  building 
and  owning  their  homes.     With  his  ceaseless  care  and  zeal  the 


IM 


ST.   PETER'S   CHURCH,   NEWARK. 


330 


THK    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


congregation  grew  rapidly,  so  rapidly  that  a  new  church  became 
necessary. 

On   November   nth,  1861,  the  vicar-general  of   the  diocese, 
Father   McOuaid,  laid   the  corner-stone  of  the  present   church, 

which  was  dedicated  October 
27th,  1862.  Father  Prieth 
opened  the  first  school  in  the 
basement  of  the  old  church, 
and  taught  the  little  ones  of 
his  flock  until  the  resources 
of  the  congregation  justified 
his  employing  lay  teachers. 
In  1864  the  Sisters  of  Notre 
Dame  were  introduced  in  the 
parish  and  took  charge  of 
the  kindergarten,  school,  and 
orphanage.  In  1876  Father 
Prieth  celebrated  the  silver 
jubilee  of  his  priesthood,  all 
classes  and  denominations 
joinhig  in  the  festivities.  On 
June  8th,  1885,  he  depart- 
ed this  life,  regretted  and 
mourned  by  his  flock  and 
fellow-citizens.  I"ew  clergymen  in  the  diocese  have  been  more 
identified  with  the  progress  of  German  Catholicity  than  Father 
Prieth.  The  Rev.  Sebastian  Messmer,  now  Archbishop  of  Mil- 
waukee, a  fellow-  countryman,  who  journeyed  every  Sunday  from 
Seton  Hall  afoot  to  help  his  venerable  friend,  succeeded  him  in 
the  pastorate.  On  August  15th,  1886,  the  Rev.  Alois  Stecker 
was  assigned  to  the  pastorate  on  the  resignation  of  Father  Mess- 
mer. Father  Stecker  in  1887  erected  the  present  fine  school 
building,  and  in  July,  1897,  the  commodious  building  for  the 
orphans,  on  Lyons  Avenue. 


REV.    GODKRHiD   PRIETH. 


St.  Nicholas'  Church,  Atlantic  City. 

It  is  nearly  fifty  years  since  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass 
was  celebrated  for  the  first  time  in  Atlantic  City  by  Rev.  Michael 
Gallagher,  O.S.A.,  who  was  then  attached  to  the  community  of 
St.  Augustine's,  Philadelphia.  This  was  in  July,  1855,  soon  after 
the  railroad  was  built.     There  were  only  a  few  Catholics  at  the 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


33^ 


time,  but  during  the  months  of  July  and  August  the  number  was 
sufficiently  large  to  warrant  the  attendance  of  the  priest.  In  the 
year  1856,  at  a  cost  of  $16,000,  a  beautiful  little  Gothic  chapel 
was  dedicated  under  the  patronage  of  St.  Nicholas  of  Tolentino. 
This  chapel  was  built  near  the  corner  of  Atlantic  and  Tennessee 
avenues.  Father  Gallagher  continued  to  administer  to  the  wants 
of  his  little  congregation  during  the  summer  months  and  occa- 
sionally during  the  other  months  until  1 862,  when  he  was  trans- 
ferred to  another  field  of  labor.  Subsequently  he  founded  the 
parish  of  St.  Augustine's,  Andover,  Mass.,  and  remained  in  charge 
of  that  parish  until  his  lamented  death,  which  occurred  in  1869. 

After  his  departure  to  St.  Augustine's  the  chapel  was  attended 
as  an  outpost  by  the  priests  of  that  community  for  many  years. 


ST.    NICHOLAS     CHURCH  ,  ATLANTIC   CITY. 


The  names  of  Father  Mark  Crane,  Dr.  Stanton,  Father  Peter 
Crane,  and  Father  Coleman  are  still  lovingly  remembered  by  the 
Catholics  of  Atlantic  City. 

About  a  year  before  a  resident  pastor  was  appointed.  Father 
Coleman,  at  the  request  of  the  congregation,  consented  to  cele- 


332  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

brate  Mass  every  Sunday  and  holyday  at  St.  Nicholas'  Chapel. 
This  was  not  done  without  considerable  inconvenience,  as  he  was 
obliged  to  celebrate  the  six  o'clock  Mass  at  St.  Augustine's,  Phila- 
delphia, and  afterward  take  the  train  for  Atlantic  City  in  order  to 
celebrate  another  Mass  for  the  people  of  that  place. 

In  1880  Father  J.  J.  Fedigan,  O.S.A.,  was  appointed  resident 
pastor,  and  during  his  term  of  eighteen  years  the  material  growth 
of  Atlantic  City  was  reflected  in  the  advancement  of  Catholic 
interests. 

The  church  was  not  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  people 
during  the  summer  months,  and  Father  Fedigan  purchased  a  new 
and  more  desirable  site  at  the  corner  of  Pacific  and  Tennessee 
avenues,  and  had  the  church  removed  there.  It  was  also  enlarged 
to  a  seating  capacity  of  over  one  thousand  persons.  Later  on  it 
became  necessary  to  fit  up  the  basement  to  provide  room  for 
another  thousand.  A  splendid  new  parochial  residence  was  built, 
also  a  little  chapel  for  week-day  use  during  the  winter  months, 
but  which  became  a  most  attractive  place  of  retreat  for  the  devout 
faithful  at  all  times  of  the  year.  All  these  improvements  cost 
approximately  ;^  50,000.  As  the  city  grew  in  extent,  a  large  lot  in 
the  southern  district,  at  the  corner  of  Atlantic  and  California 
avenues,  was  bought  in  1885  and  a  capacious  church  erected 
thereon,  dedicated  under  the  title  of  St.  Monica  in  the  summer  of 
1887.  This  was  under  the  care  of  the  Augustinian  Fathers  until 
1893,  when  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  O'Farrell  decided  to  establish  a 
permanent  parish  in  the  care  of  the  diocesan  clergy.  Rev.  P.  J. 
Petri  was  appointed  first  rector  and  has  been  in  charge  of  the  par- 
ish ever  since.  In  December,  1896,  St.  Monica's  Church  was 
entirely  destroyed  by  fire,  but  through  the  energy  of  the  pastor  a 
new  church  was  soon  erected  and  dedicated  to  the  Blessed  Virgin 
under  the  title  of  "  Star  of  the  Sea." 

In  1898  Father  Fedigan  was  elected  Provincial  of  the  Augus- 
tinian Order  in  this  country,  and  he  left  the  scene  of  his  many 
labors  to  take  up  his  residence  at  Bryn  Mawr,  Pa.,  and  the  Rev. 
J.  F.  McShane,  O.S.A.,  was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Nicholas' 
Church.  Soon  after  his  arrival  the  building  of  a  new  and  more 
substantial  church  was  determined  upon,  which  would  be  more  in 
accordance  with  the  handsome  structures  in  course  of  erection  in 
various  parts  of  the  city. 

The  lot  at  the  corner  of  Tennessee  and  Pacific  avenues  had  to 
be  cleared ;  the  clergy  house  had  to  be  removed ;  the  ground  had 
to  be  prepared  for  this ;  a  twenty -five-foot  lot  had  to  be  purchased 


IN    NKW    JERSEY 


333 


to  make  the  space  large  enough  for  the  house.  The  chapel  was 
likewise  removed.  All  this  cost  quite  $16,000.  Of  this,  $12,000 
has  been  raised,  mostly  from  seat  money  and  entertainments. 
This  $12,000  with  the  $33,000  on  hand  means  that  $45,000  has 
been  raised  o\'er  and  above  current  expenses  since  the  new  church 
was  first  mentioned  three  years  ago. 

Parish  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Camden,  N.  J. 

On  the  square  bounded  by  Broadway,  Market,  Seventh,  and 
Federal  streets,  in  the  heart  of  Camden,  stand  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic  Church  of  the   Immaculate   Conception,  its  rectory,  school, 


THI-:    I.M,MACUi.ATE    CO-NX  l.l' IK  >.\    (   111  K(   II    AM)    PARISH    liUILDIXG. 


and  lyceum  building.  It  has  perhaps  a  larger  membership  than 
any  other  church  in  Camden,  and  it  is  the  largest  Catholic  con- 
gregation in  the  State  south  and  west  of  Trenton.  The  begin- 
ning of  the  congregation  dates  back  over  fifty  years.  Before  the 
erection  of  a  church  the  handful  of  Catholics  of  the  vicinity  wor- 
shipped respectively  in  the  old  City  Hall,  in  the  residence  of  the 
late  Mr.  Henry  M.  Innis,  Bridge  Avenue,  or  in  Starr's  Hall,  Bridge 
Avenue,  under  the  Rev.  E.  J.  Waldron,  who  had  for  successors 
several  other  clergymen  from  Gloucester  and  Philadelphia.  The 
settlement  was  erected  into  a  separate  parish,  November  nth, 
1855,  and  it  was  placed  in  charge  of  Rev.  James  Moran,  the  first 
resident  pastor.     The  first  church,  "The  Immaculate  Conception 


334  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

of  the  Blessed  Virgin,"  was  built  on  land  purchased  from  W.  D. 
Cooper,  Esq.,  at  Fifth  Street  and  Taylor  Avenue,  in  1857,  and  it 
was  dedicated  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  James  Roosevelt  Bayley,  D.D., 
November  5th,  1859.  In  June,  1861,  the  first  parish  house  was 
built. 

When  Father  Byrne  came  to  Camden  to  take  charge  of  the 
parish  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  June,  1863,  the  church  at 
Fifth  Street  and  Taylor  Avenue  was  deemed  amply  large  for  the 
congregation.  In  addition  there  were  chapels  at  Snow  Hill,  Fel- 
lowship, and  Waterford,  with  small  and  much-scattered  congrega- 
tions which  were  attended  at  intervals  by  the  pastor  at  Camden. 
As  there  was  no  Catholic  cemetery  nearer  than  Gloucester  or 
Philadelphia,  to  provide  one  seemed  to  be  a  special  necessity; 
to  this  question  therefore  did  the  young  pastor  give  his  first 
attention.  At  the  junction  of  Westfield  Turnpike  and  Federal 
Street,  just  two  miles  east  of  the  Market  Street  Ferry,  he  found 
a  plot  of  ground  containing  8/,,'jp  acres,  which  he  secured  for  $3,588 
from  William  B.  Cooper,  Esq.,  a  part  of  which  was  laid  out  in 
plots  and  consecrated  with  the  prayers  of  the  Church,  and  there 
for  nearly  forty  years  the  Catholics  of  Camden  and  vicinity  have 
laid  to  rest  the  bodies  of  departed  relatives  and  friends. 

In  the  early  fifties  to  insult  a  Catholic  on  the  public  street  was 
not  considered  by  the  bigots — and  there  were  many  of  them — an 
unmanly  act,  and  when  in  1852  the  hall  in  which  Mass  was  offered 
up  was  burnt  by  the  Native  American  Party  the  act  received  a 
scant  condemnation  from  many.  The  Cooper  and  Starr  families 
were  pronounced  in  their  spirit  of  fair  dealing  toward  Catholics, 
and  when  Mr.  Starr  was  reminded  that  he  was  letting  his  hall  for 
Catholic  worship,  he  gave  the  bigots  such  a  stinging  rebuke  that 
they  could  not  mistake  his  meaning.  In  the  sixties  the  conditions 
had  somewhat  improved,  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  better  under- 
standing of  Catholics  and  of  the  influence  of  their  religion  on  pub- 
lic morals.  This  was  brought  about  in  a  great  measure  by  the 
giant  at  the  helm. 

The  Rev.  Patrick  Byrne  foresaw  Camden's  future  and  ex- 
pressed his  dissatisfaction  with  the  limited  quarters  at  Taylor  Ave- 
nue and  P"ifth  Street,  and  he  succeeded  in  purchasing  from  the 
Cooper  estate  the  magnificent  site  at  Broadway  and  Market 
Street.  On  May  ist,  1864,  the  corner-stone  of  the  present  stone 
church  was  laid  by  the  Rev.  B.  J.  McOuaid,  now  Bishop  of 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  then  Vicar-General  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark, 
the  name  of  the  old  church,  "The  Immaculate  Conception  of  the 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  335 

B.  V.  M.,"  being  transferred  to  the  new  one.  In  1872  the  corner- 
stone of  the  new  brick  school  and  sisters'  house  was  laid,  but  be- 
fore its  finish  Father  Byrne  was  called  away  to  take  charge  of  St. 
Jc^hn's  Church,  Trenton,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Peter 
Fitzsimmons,  June,  1873,  whose  pastorate  of  over  twenty-three 
years  witnessed  Camden's  advance  from  a  scattering  settlement 
to  a  grand  city  of  over  70,000  inhabitants. 

Father  Byrne,  before  his  departure,  accomplished  three  great 
works:  he  secured  the  present  magnificent  site  of  the  church, 
organized  a  temperance  society  which  still  lives  in  a  flourishing 
condition,  and  founded  a  building-loan  association,  which  has 
enabled  most  of  the  members  of  the  parish  to  own  their  own 
homes ;  and  although  it  has  been  in  existence  over  thirty  years, 
and  in  that  time  thousands  upon  thousands  of  dollars  have  passed 
through  the  hands  of  the  treasurer,  not  one  penny  has  ever 
been  lost  or  misappropriated — a  memorable  record  in  these 
days. 

Under  Father  Fitzsimmons's  pastorate  the  school  was  finished, 
the  brothers'  house  erected,  the  rectory  enlarged,  the  church 
finished  and  beautified  and  freed  of  debt,  and  on  May  28th,  1893, 
the  church  was  solemnly  consecrated,  a  ceremony  allowed  only 
when  the  building  is  free  from  debt.  In  consideration  of  his 
merits  and  successful  labors  P^ather  Fitzsimmons  was  raised  to 
the  dignity  of  dean  of  the  six  counties  of  South  Jersey,  and  his 
parish  was  created  into  a  missionary  or  permanent  rectorate, 
entitling  the  pastor  to  the  privilege  of  irremovability.  The  Very 
Rev.  Dean  Fitzsimmons  died  August  ist,  1896,  and  was  succeeded, 
October  23d  of  the  same  year,  by  the  Rev.  B.  J.  Mulligan,  who 
was  also  made  dean  of  the  district  and  permanent  rector  of  the 
Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  The  excellent  financial 
condition  of  the  parish  warranted  the  Very  Rev.  Dean  Mulligan 
to  add  still  further  to  the  parish  buildings,  and  at  the  earnest 
solicitation  of  the  parishioners,  expressed  in  a  largely  attended 
meeting,  plans  were  prepared  for  a  new  building,  to  be  used  espe- 
cially as  a  parish  building,  a  lyceum,  and  a  home  for  the  church 
societies.  The  corner-stone  was  laid,  June  28th,  1896,  by  the  Rt. 
Rev.  James  A.  McFaul,  D.D.,  bishop  of  the  diocese,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  large  concourse  of  people.  About  twenty  clergymen 
from  neighboring  parishes  were  present  and  took  part  in  the  cere- 
monies. The  lyceum  was  completed  and  dedicated  January  9th, 
1897,  Governor  Griggs,  ex-Attorney-General  of  the  United  States, 
being  one  of  the  speakers.     The  lyceum  has  since  been  the  scene 


336  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

of  many  of  the  social  events  of  Camden,  and  some  of  the  most 
eminent  and  talented  men  of  the  country  have  spoken  from  its 
platform. 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

The  construction  of  the  Erie  Railroad  tunnel  through  Bergen 
Hill  brought  many  Catholic  laborers  to  that  neighborhood,  and  to 
make  provision  for  them  Father  Kelly  deputed  Father  Coyle,  his 
assistant,  to  build  a  church.  It  was  a  small  frame  structure,  and 
placed  under  the  patronage  of  St.  Bridget,  June,  1856,  and  was 
located  on  what  was  then  called  Clinton,  now  Hopkins,  Avenue. 
The  Rev.  Aloysius  Venuta,  before  the  completion  of  the  church, 
was  appointed  pastor.  Father  Venuta  was  born  in  Nicosia,  Sicily, 
January  3d,  1823,  and  was  educated  in  the  theological  seminary  of 
Palermo.  He  became  involved  in  the  political  disturbances  of  '48 
and  was  under  police  surveillance.  He  meditated  and  planned  his 
escape.  With  ai:)parent  indignation  he  called  on  the  chief  of  police 
and  energetically  protested  against  the  espionage  placed  over  him. 
This  official  was  profuse  in  his  apologies  and  relaxed  his  vigi- 
lance long  enough  for  Father  Venuta  to  take  a  boat  in  the  night 
and  board  a  bark  that  was  about  to  sail  for  America.  Landing  in 
New  York,  he  went  on  a  Sunday  morning  to  old  St.  Stephen's 
Church,  then  standing  on  the  site  of  the  present  Madison  Square 
Garden,  to  hear  Mass.  The  pastor.  Dr.  Cummings,  was  often 
forced  to  heroic  measures  to  obtain  from  his  flock  the  wherewith  to 
carry  on  the  work  of  the  parish.  This  Sunday  he  locked  the 
doors  of  the  church  and  in  vigorous  language  told  the  congrega- 
tion what  he  wanted,  and  assured  them  that  tliey  could  not  leave 
till  he  obtained  it.  This  procedure  and  the  unusual  animation  of 
Dr.  Cummings's  language  so  terrified  Father  Venuta,  who  knew 
not  a  word  of  English,  that  he  jumped  out  of  the  open  window 
and  escaped  the  peril  which  he  thought  menaced  him.  He  spent 
three  years  with  the  Rev.  Sylvester  Malone,  at  Williamsburg,  as 
curate;  and  then  entered  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  officiating  as 
assistant  in  the  cathedral ;  during  the  absence  of  Father  Cauvin 
in  Europe,  in  Our  Lady  of  Grace,  Hoboken;  and  for  a  brief 
period  in  St.  John's,  Paterson. 

As  the  little  congregation  grew  m  numbers  he  looked  around 
for  a  location  for  a  new  church.  He  fixed  uj^on  Baldwin  Avenue 
as  the  new  site,  and  erected  a  small  church  wnth  a  pastor's  resi- 
dence and  a  house  for  the  Sisters  of  Charity  on  either  side.  Here 
he  labored  for  some  years,  holding  great  sway  among  the  men 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


337 


engaged  at  that  time  on  the  tunnel  by  Messrs.  Seymour  and 
Mallory,  the  first  contractors.  Hundreds  of  times  he  was  called 
from  his  bed  in  the  dead  of  night  to  quell  the  rioting  among  them, 
nearly  always  with  good  effect,  but  often  at  great  risk  to  himself. 


ST.  Joseph's  church,  jersey  city. 

Usuall)-,  however,  the  sound  of  his  well-known  \'oice  stopped  the 
tumult,  and  his  soothing  words  and  persuasi\'e  manner  soon  recon- 
ciled the  belligerents. 


33^ 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


At  the  same  time  he  started  the  new  parish  in  South  Bergen, 
the  present  St.  Patrick's,  Jersey  City,  and  built  a  small  frame 
church,  near  Library  Hall.  December  23d,  1869,  Father  Venuta 
arranged  with  Bishop  Corrigan,  then  administrator  of  the  diocese, 

that  the  Rev.  Patrick  Hen- 
nessy  assume  charge  of  that 
porticMi  of  his  parish,  January 
1 5th,  1 870,  the  limits  of  which 
were  to  be  the  horse  railroad 
between  both  places,  thence 
in  a  straight  line  to  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad. 

The  rapid  growth  of  Cath- 
olicity in  Hudson  City  made 
a  larger  church  imperative. 
Still  the  flock  was  poor,  but 
the  pastor  determined.  If 
they  could  make  sacrifices, 
so  could  he.  His  clothes 
were  barely  warm  enough  to 
withstand  the  bitter  winter's 
cold,  and  often  he  denied 
himself  the  luxury  of  stock- 
ings. He  was  not  only  a  learned  but  a  holy  man.  When  scarce- 
ly able  to  walk  he  would  drag  himself  to  the  church,  and  there 
spend  an  hour  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  giving  free  vent  to 
his  ardent  faith,  when  unobserved,  and  his  consuming  love. 
While  the  process  of  construction  was  going  on  around  the  old 
church  the  services  were  never  once  interrupted. 

Father  Venuta  died  January  22d,  1876,  and  was  succeeded  by 
the  Rt.  Rev.,  Robert  Seton,  D.D.,  Prot.  Apost.  Monsignor 
Seton,  a  grandnephew  of  Mother  Seton,  was  born  in  Pisa,  Italy, 
August  28th,  1839.  His  preparatory  studies  were  made  in  Mount 
St.  Mary's,  Md.,  Carlsruhe,  Pau,  Spain,  and  the  Propaganda;  and 
his  theological  studies  in  the  American  College  and  the  Accademia 
Ecclesiastica,  Rome.  He  was  ordained  in  Rome,  April  15th, 
1865,  and  was  made  Prothonotary  Apostolic  by  Pius  IX.  He 
was  assistant  at  the  cathedral,  but  his  delicate  state  of  health 
could  not  withstand  the  inroads  of  the  missionary  life,  and  he  was 
appointed  chaplain  of  the  mother  house  of  St.  Elizabeth,  a  post 
he  filled  nine  years. 

July   1st,  1876,  he  entered  upon  his  new  work  and  built  the 


REV.    ALOYSIUS    VENUTA, 
Pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Jersey  City. 


IN    NKW    JERSKY 


339 


rectory,  convent,  and  parish  hall.  In  the  interim  between  Father 
Venuta's  death  and  Monsignor  Seton's  appointment,  the  parish 
was  ably  administered  by  the  senior  assistant,  the  Rev.  Michael  J. 
Holland.  In  1901  Monsignor  Seton  resigned  his  parochial  charge 
and  went  to  Rome.  One  of  the  last  acts  of  Leo  XIII.  was  to 
appoint  him  archbishop  with  the  title  of  the  ancient  See  of 
Heliopolis,  in  1903.  His  successor  is  the  Very  Rev.  Patrick  E. 
Smythe,  who  was  named  Dean  of  Hudson  County  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  O'Connor  at  the  last  synod.  Dean  Smythe  has  thoroughly 
reno\'ated  and  decorated  the  church  since  he  took  possession  of 
his  new  charge. 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  Swedesboro,  N.  J. 

The  history  of  the  present  Catholic  Church  in  Swedesboro 
goes  back  to  the  year  1848,  when  a  few  Irish  Catholics  gathered 
to  hold  services  in  an  old  house  which  stood  near  Clark's  hotel. 
At  that  time  the  Rev.  John  McDermott,  pastor  of  St.  Mary's, 
Salem,  came  occasionally  to  minister  to  these  scattered  people. 
Afterward  services  were  held  in  the  home  of  Henry  Boyle  and 
William  Crowe,  on  the  Ogden  tract,  at  the  cross-roads.  Later  on 
services  were  held  at  the  homes  of  Patrick  Lyons,  Philip  Creran, 
and  Daniel  Reagan,  on  the  Woodstown  pike.  The  first  Catholics 
who  came  to  this  section  were  emigrants  from  Ireland,  and  were 
employed  on  the  new  roads  or  on  the  adjacent  farms.  In  those 
days  the  farmers  were  not  able  to  obtain  fertilizers  from  afar,  and 
consequently  depended  chiefly  on  the  marl  pit  for  the  success  of 
their  crops.  Among  the  earli- 
est Catholic  settlers  we  find 
the  names  of  Daniel  Kenny, 
George  Blake,  Michael  Mul- 
keen,  and  Michael  Bowe. 
These  men  seem  to  have  come 
as  early  as  1847.  For  many 
years  Father  McDermott  and 
his  successor  came  from  Salem 
to  hold  services  several  times 

a  year,  and  those  who  desired  to  attend  church  in  the  interval 
were  compelled  to  go  either  to  Salem  or  to  Gloucester.  The 
little  boat  came  to  the  wharf  at  the  foot  of  Church  Street  during 
the  summer  months  and  the  farmers  carted  their  produce  to  the 
city,  and  oftentimes  in  winter  had  to  carry  their  shovels  to  break 
their  way  through  the  snow-drifts. 


SECOND   CHURCH,    SWEDESBORO. 


340  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

About  the  year  1856  the  Bishop  of  Philadelphia  transferred 
the  Rev.  John  McDermott  from  Salem  and  placed  the  Rev.  Cor- 
nelius Cannon  in  charge  of  that  church  with  its  outlying  missions. 
This  .was  no  easy  field  of  labor,  but  the  good  Father  Cannon 
worked  assiduously  to  keep  his  little  fiock.  Their  numbers  were 
increasing,  and  when  the  monthly  services  were  held  in  the  private 
house  of  George  Blake  or  Matt.  Kelly,  in  Irishtown,  or  in  other 
places,  the  rooms  were  not  sufficiently  large  to  contain  all  who 
attended.  Then  Father  Cannon  began  to  think  of  erecting  a 
little  church  where  his  scattered  flock  might  come  to  worship. 
Several  plots  of  ground  were  sought.  Some  were  too  expensive 
and  some  could  not  be  purchased  for  a  Catholic  church,  because 
certain  of  our  good  people  thought  it  would  be  a  disgrace  to  have 
a  Catholic  church  on  the  sacred  soil  of  Woolwick  Township. 
Happily,  however,  better  counsel  prevailed,  and  Daniel  Kelly  pur- 
chased the  present  church  property  from  Charles  P.  Shivers  and 
at  once  transferred  it  to  P'ather  Cannon.  When  the  time  came 
for  building,  some  foolish  people  threatened  to  destroy  any  struc- 
ture erected,  but  such  people  and  their  talk  were  easily  suppressed 
by  the  good  sense  of  the  community. 

In  the  fall  of  i860  P^ather  Cannon  began  the  erection  of  a  new 
church  on  the  i^lot  of  ground  purchased  from  Charles  P.  Shivers. 
The  congregation  was  small,  comprising  about  thirty  families, 
scattered  over  an  area  of  as  many  square  miles.  Before  the 
year  ended  the  little  building  was  completed  and  they  were  in 
happy  possession  of  their  own  church.  It  was  Bishop  Bayley 
that  appointed  P^ather  Cannon  to  the  parish  of  Salem  in  1856. 
Father  Cannon  had  the  church  incorporated,  with  Martin  Hayes 
and  James  Brennan  as  his  first  lay  trustees.  This  was  in  1864, 
and  from  then  on  Swedesboro  Catholic  Church  remained  attached 
as  a  mission  to  Salem  till  1873. 

The  first  church  was  dedicated  in  1861.  Several  years  after 
the  war  the  congregation  continued  to  increase,  and  leather  Can- 
non was  again  compelled  to  build.  This  time  he  built  an  addition 
of  a  sanctuary  and  vestry,  at  a  cost  of  $500. 

After  the  sanctuary  had  been  added  to  the  church  the  edifice 
accommodated  180  persons,  with  fifteen  pine  benches  on  each 
side.  The  church  was  now  sufficiently  large  for  many  years  and 
monthly  services  were  held.  Gradually  the  cemetery  began  to 
fill  up  and  the  Catholic  population  to  increase,  until  in  1870 
Father  Cannon  was  recalled  from  Salem  by  Bishop  Bayley,  and 
Father  Pattle  was  sent  to  take  charge  of  the  mission.     Father 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  341 

Cannon  was  a  big-hearted  Irishman  from  Donegal.  Father 
Secondino  Pattlc  was  a  Spaniard  from  the  land  of  the  Cid.  It 
was  during  Father  Pattle's  term  of  office  that  the  members  of  St. 
Joseph's  Church,  Swedesboro,  decided  on  the  requesting  of  the 
bishop  to  send  them  a  priest  to  live  at  Swedesboro.  In  the 
mean  time  they  exerted  themselves  in  erecting  a  suitable  residence 
for  the  priest  whom  the  bishop  would  send  them.  Finally,  in 
September,  1873,  the  bishop,  Rt.  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan,  sent  the 
Rev.  Anthony  Cassese  to  take  charge  of  the  Swedesboro  Church. 
Father  Pattle  was  left  in  charge  of  Salem  and  Woodstovvn,  and 
later  on  was  appointed  to  Burlington,  N.  J. 

Father  Anthony  arrived  in  Swedesboro  during  September  of 
1872,  and  being  an  Italian  by  birth,  and  although  he  did  not  speak 
the  language  of  his  new  charge  fluently,  yet  the  people  were  glad 
to  receive  him  and  tried  to  make  him  happy.  Besides  the  church 
at  Swedesboro,  Father  Anthony  also  attended  the  mission  of 
Glasboro,  going  there  monthly  till  1878. 

As  the  weeks  went  by  they  found  the  pious  priest  a  faithful 
friend  and  a  good  father.  From  1873  till  1880  the  little  church  at 
Swedesboro  received  few  improvements.  It  required  all  that 
could  be  spared  to  keep  the  grounds  in  order  and  to  furnish  the 
new  rectory.  At  last  in  1880  Father  Anthony  resolved  to  make 
some  alterations  in  the  church  so  as  to  meet  the  wants  of  the 
growing  congregation.  The  old  church  was  40  by  25  feet.  To 
this  was  added  sixteen  feet,  with  a  steeple  six  feet  above  the  point 
of  the  roof,  and  another  addition  of  twenty-six  feet  was  placed  to 
the  rear,  and  the  whole  building  newly  plastered  and  weather- 
boarded,  so  that  really  there  was  very  little  of  the  old  church  left. 
New  pews  were  built  and  the  building  made  ready  for  about  250 
persons.  The  gallery  was  also  placed  in  position  and  the  old 
sanctuary  removed  to  the  side  where  it  now  stands,  as  a  library 
and  chapel.  All  these  improvements  cost  money,  and  as  yet 
the  congregation  was  poor;  but  the  priest  met  these  expenses, 
amounting  to  $1,103,  ^y  advancing  the  money.  He  expected  to 
get  it  back  when  the  congregation  could  afford  it,  but  he  also  de- 
sired that  when  he  died  the  unpaid  debts  should  also  die  with  him. 
Little  if  any  of  this  money  did  he  ever  receive,  and  this  is  another 
reason  why  the  people  of  St.  Joseph's  should  honor  the  memory 
of  this  self-sacrificing  priest,  for  he  was  the  chief  benefactor  of 
their  church.  In  November,  1881,  the  southern  portion  of  the 
State  of  New  Jersey  was  separated  from  the  Diocese  of  Newark 
and   became   an  independent  organization.     The   new   See   was 


342  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

located  at  Trenton,  with  the  Rt.  Rev.  M.  J.  O'Farrell  as  its  first 
bishop.  In  May  of  the  same  year  St.  Joseph's  Church  was  dedi- 
cated by  the  Rev.  Joseph  Rolando,  but  before  doing  this  Father 
Anthony  placed  the  new  altar  in  the  church.  This  expense  he 
also  bore.  His  one  thought  was  to  beautify  the  church  of  God 
and  teach  the  people  virtue.  Coming  as  he  did  from  a  Catholic 
country,  where  all  his  surroundings  were  Catholic,  it  required 
years  for  Father  Anthony  to  understand  our  customs  and  man- 
ners. St.  Joseph's  may  have  had  pastors  who  knew  their  language 
better,  but  they  never  had  nor  will  have  a  priest  who  did  so  much 
for  their  moral  and  material  improvement.  Fiery  like  most  of 
his  race,  he  was  also  gentle  and  forgiving.  He  may  have  been 
severe  at  times  to  some,  but  who  will  say  his  severity  was  uncalled 
for,  and  what  good  father  is  there  that  must  not  be  severe  at  times 
with  the  children  he  loves  ?  Like  a  trusty  steward  he  turned  to 
profit  the  small  resources  that  were  placed  in  his  hands.  Faithful 
in  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  always  zealous  and  sympathetic, 
he  lived  his  simple  life  among  his  people,  edifying  them  by  his 
good  example,  encouraging  them  by  his  charity.  For  thirteen 
years  he  was  in  charge  of  St.  Joseph's,  and  when  he  was  called 
away  from  this  world  his  people  missed  him  and  will  miss  him 
for  years  to  come.  Surely  it  was  a  fitting  tribute  of  love  and 
gratitude  on  the  part  of  his  people  to  place  the  beautiful  monu- 
ment over  his  tomb  beside  the  little  church  he  had  served  so  well, 
amid  the  people  he  had  learned  to  love.  Neither  should  the 
Catholics  of  Swedseboro  soon  forget  him,  for  his  dying  wish  was 
to  be  buried  with  them. 

Father  Cassese  was  born  at  Palma,  Naples,  and  came  to 
America  about  1867.  He  served  for  a  time  as  curate  to  Father 
Henry  in  the  Catholic  church  at  Pawtucket,  R.  1.  He  died 
November  26th,  1886,  leaving  the  parish  of  Swedesboro  free  of 
debt  and  a  surplus  in  the  treasury. 

After  the  death  of  Father  Anthony,  Bishop  O'Farrell  placed 
the  Rev.  William  P.  Treacy,  a  native  of  Tipperary,  Ireland,  in 
charge  of  St.  Joseph's.  Father  Treacy  in  1892  purchased  from 
Michael  Costello  the  present  property  on  Broad  Street  to  be  used  as 
a  cemetery  ;  but  some  difificulties  arose  and  he  purchased  another 
lot  for  this  purpose,  both  purchases  amounting  to  $1,076.  Father 
Treacy  also  attended  the  Woodstown  mission  from  1886  to  1890. 

On  February  28th,  1893,  the  Rev.  Walter  T.  Leahy  was  ap- 
pointed to  St.  Joseph's.  When  Father  Leahy  took  charge  of  St. 
Joseph's  parish  the  church  and  rectory  were  located  on  Church 


IN    NKW    JERSEY  343 

Street,  on  the  north  end  of  the  present  cemetery.  He  at  once 
added  a  Sunday-school  room  to  the  side  of  the  church,  cleaned 
out  the  cemetery,  and  began  the  erection  of  an  iron  fence  around 
the  property.  The  church  was  now  too  small  for  the  growing 
needs  of  the  parish,  and  the  cemetery  was  filling  up;  so  it  was 
finally  decided,  in  order  to  get  more  room  for  burials,  to  move  the 
church  and  rectory  to  Broad  Street.  The  new  rectory  was  begun 
in  April,  1898.  In  September  of  the  same  year  the  church  was 
moved  to  Broad  Street  and  additions  were  made  to  the  sides,  so 
that  instead  of  seating  216  persons  it  was  capable  of  seating  400 
persons. 

The  present  church  and  cemetery  were  dedicated  on  April 
27th,  1899,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  McFaul,  of  Trenton.  From 
February,  1894,  till  September,  1900,  the  parish  of  Woodstown 
was  also  attended  by  the  Rev.  Walter  T.  Leahy  as  a  mission  of 
Swedesboro  parish.  On  June  14th,  1898,  Father  Leahy  also 
opened  a  mission  at  Pennsgrove,  N.  J.,  and  held  services  there  on 
Saturdays  monthly.  The  Mullica  Hill  mission  was  opened  in 
March,  1901,  and  attended  from  Swedesboro. 

St.  Michael's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

In  1854  Father  John  Kelly  decided  to  build  a  church  for  the 
Catholics  in  the  northern  part  of  Jersey  City,  on  the  corner  of 
Erie  and  Tenth  streets.  The  building  was  of  brick,  two  stories 
high,  and  the  property  included  four  lots.  In  1859  the  Rev. 
Louis  D.  Senez  became  pastor,  and  as  the  Catholic  population 
was  increasing  rapidly  he  purchased  additional  property  on  the 
corner  of  Erie  and  Second  streets.  In  1863  the  new  St.  Mary's 
was  built  and  the  old  church  used  for  a  school,  until  the  Catholic 
Institute  was  built  on  Third  Street.  In  November,  i860,  Bishop 
Bayley  created  the  new  parish,  which  was  thenceforward  called 
St.  Michael's,  and  placed  the  Rev.  Januarius  De  Concilio  in 
charge.  Father  De  Concilio  was  a  native  of  Naples,  Italy,  where 
he  was  born  July  6th,  1836.  He  made  his  preparatory  studies  in 
Naples  under  the  celebrated  philosopher,  San  Severino,  and  his 
theological  studies  in  the  Collegio  Brignole-Sale,  Genoa.  He 
arrived  in  this  country  April  loth,  i860.  He  was  an  assistant  to 
Father  Cauvin,  Hoboken,  and  in  St.  Mary's,  Jersey  City.  He 
was  likewise  called  to  Seton  Hall  as  professor  of  philosophy  and 
theology  at  two  different  periods. 

The  old  church  was  put  in  order  for  divine  service,  but  Father 


344 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


De  Concilio  lost  no  time  in  keeping  pace  with  the  needs  of  the 
parish.  He  opened  a  school,  placing  it  in  charge  of  lay  teachers. 
Later  he  built  a  house  for  the  Sisters  of  Charity  and  introduced 
them  into  the  parish  schools.     In   1870  he  built  a  new  parochial 


ST.  Michael's  church,  jersey  city. 

residence,  and  in  1871  purchased  the  site  of  the  present  imposing 
church,  the  corner-stone  of  which  was  laid  by  Archbishop  Bayley, 
September  25th,  1873.  It  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Corrigan, 
October  8th,  1876.  That  same  year  Mr.  Harold  Henwood,  a 
wealthy  convert  to  the  Catholic  faith,  purchased  the  old  Children's 
Home  on  Pavonia  Avenue  and  presented  it  to  the  parish.  It  cost 
^30,000,  and  Father  De  Concilio  expended  an  additional  $10,000 
to  fit  it  for  the  orphans.     It  has  since  been  entirely  rebuilt  and  is 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


345 


in  the  hands  of  the  Sisters  of  Charit)'.  The  old  church  was 
remodelled  for  school  purposes  at  a  cost  of  $15,000  In  1890  the 
new  rectory  was  built,  at  a  cost  of  $25,000.  Father  De  Concilio 
was  named  Domestic  Prelate  by  Leo  XIII.,  and  in  1892  he 
received  from  Georgetown  University  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Di\inity.  Monsignor  De  Concilio  was  one  of  the  foremost  scholars 
of  his  day  and  an  author  of  many  works  on  various  subjects.  In 
1896  he  returned  to  his  native  land,  in  the  hope  of  ridding  him- 
self of  rheumatism,  with  which  he  had  been  afflicted  many  years. 
He  returned  improved  in  health,  but  was  stricken  with  another 


INTERIOR   OF   ST.    MICHAEL'S    CHURCH,    JERSEY   CITY. 

attack  that  eventually  culminated  in  Bright's  disease,  which  ter- 
minated fatally,  March,  1898.  The  concourse  at  his  funeral 
was  so  great  that  many  were  unable  to  obtain  entrance  intt)  the 
church.     His  successor,  the  Rev.  John  A.  Sheppard,  took  posses- 


346 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


sion  of  his  new  charge,  April  6th,  1898.  Father  Sheppard  was 
born  in  Ireland,  but  came  to  this  country  at  a  very  early  age,  and 
was  brought  up  in  St.  John's,  Paterson.  His  preparatory  studies 
were  made  in  St.  Charles's,  Md.,  and  Seton  Hall,  of  which  he 
is  an  alumnus  of  the  class  of  '72.  His  theological  studies  were 
made  in  the  diocesan  seminary,  and  he  was  ordained  in  the  college 
chapel,  June  lOth,  1876.  His  only  appointment  as  assistant  was 
to  the  cathedral,  where  he  spent  almost  seven  years,  discharging 
for  a  time  the  duties  of  chancellor  of  the  diocese.  It  was  during 
this  period   that  he  established  the   Sacred   Heart  Union  for  the 

support  of  the  wayward  boys 
in  the  institution  at  Denville, 
which  afterward  was  removed 
to  Arlington.  In  February, 
1883,  he  was  sent  to  Dover, 
and  in  1884,  on  the  death 
of  Father  Schneider,  made 
pastor  of  Passaic.  Here  it 
may  be  said  that  he  built  up 
the  parish,  for  practically 
everything  had  to  be  done. 
Without  a  peer  as  an  admin- 
istrator. Bishop  Wigger  was 
convinced  that  he  was  the 
man  to  grapple  with  the 
burden  of  debt  left  by  Mon- 
signor  De  Concilio.  It  was 
long  the  declared  policy  of 
the  Monsignor  that  he  did 
not  intend  to  leave  his  suc- 
cessor nothing  to  do.  Father  Sheppard  has  greatly  reduced  the 
debt,  decorated  and  embellished  the  church  with  painted  windows, 
marble  pulpit,  etc.  On  the  promotion  of  Bishop  O'Connor  to  the 
See  of  Newark,  Father  Sheppard  was  appointed  vicar-general. 
Few  were  surprised  at  the  honor  conferred  upon  him,  for  his 
past  services  in  the  Church  entitled  him  to  distinction,  and  his 
ability  fitted  him  for  the  responsibihty.  On  October  18th,  1903, 
he  was  vested  with  the  purple  of  Domestic  Prelate,  the  first  con- 
ferred on  any  priest  by  our  present  Holy  P'ather,  Pius  X. 

The  ceremonies  were  very  elaborate.  Over  thirty  clergymen, 
all  distinguished  in  the  work  of  the  Church,  took  part.  Bishop 
O'Connor,  who  earlier  in  the  day  had  dedicated  the  completed 


RE\'.    JMONSKiXOK    SHEPPAKU, 
Seventh  Vicar-General. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  347 

portion  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  at  Erie  and  Second  streets,  arrived 
at  St.  Michael's  rectory  at  2:30  p.m.,  and  there  met  the  specially 
invited  clergy,  who  included  the  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignors  George  H. 
Doane,  Chancellor  of  the  Newark  Diocese;  John  A.  O'Grady  of 
New  Brunswick;  and  John  A.  Stafford,  President  of  Seton  Hall 
College;  also  the  Very  Rev.  Dean  Flynn  of  Morristown,  Very 
Rev.  P.  A.  Smyth,  Rev.  John  J.  Ryan  of  St.  Bridget's,  Rev.  John 
A.  Sullivan  of  St.  Aloysius's,  Rev.  Joseph  A.  Meehan  of  All 
Saints',  Rev.  Thomas  Ouinn  of  St.  Paul  of  the  CroSvS,  Rev. 
Leather  Justin  of  the  Passionist  P'athers,  West  Hoboken,  Very 
Rev.  Dean  Robert  A.  Burke  of  Princeton,  Rev.  John  Brady  of 
South  Amboy,  Rev.  Joseph  Nardiello  of  Bloomfield,  Rev.  A.  M. 
Egan  of  Plainfield,  Rev.  G.  W.  Corrigan  of  Newark,  Rev.  Father 
Brennan  of  Trenton,  Rev.  Isaac  P.  Whelan  of  Bayonne,  Rev. 
Charles  J.  Kelly  of  Hoboken,  Rev.  Eugene  Carroll  of  Newark, 
Rev.  Dr.  D.  J.  Callahan,  Rev.  F.  P.  McCue,  Rev.  J.  F.  Mooney, 
and  Rev.  C.  J.  Mackel,  all  of  Seton  Hall  College;  Rev.  Father 
Fox  of  St.  Peter's,  Rev.  P^ather  Aigner,  S.J.,  Rev.  Father  Chle- 
bowski  of  Passaic,  Rev.  Feather  Dickovitch  of  Paterson,  Rev. 
Joseph  Dunn  of  Irvington,  Very  Rev.  Dean  McNulty  of  Pater- 
son, and  others. 

Bishop  O'Connor  was  assisted  in  the  investiture  of  Monsignor 
Sheppard  by  the  Very  Rev.  Dean  Flynn  and  the  Rev.  Isaac  f . 
Whelan. 

The  choir,  which  had  been  largely  augmented  for  the  occasion, 
sang  the  Hallelujah  Chorus  from  Handel's  "Messiah,"  when 
Monsignor  Sheppard  emerged  from  the  vestry  to  have  the  rochet 
and  manteletta  placed  on  him  by  the  bishop.  The  scene  was 
magnificently  impressive.  The  altar,  beautifully  decorated  with 
flowers,  was  illuminated  with  hundreds  of  candles.  The  scent 
of  incense  filled  the  air,  and  the  prelates  and  priests  in  their  rich 
vestments  made  the  picture  complete. 

Rev.  Father  Mackel,  who  at  one  time  was  a  curate  at  St. 
Michael's,  read  the  papal  brief  conferring  the  title  of  monsignor. 
The  document  was  in  Latin,  but  after  reading  it  in  that  tongue. 
Father  Mackel  translated  it  into  English  for  the  benefit  of 
the  congregation.  The  brief  in  substance  recited  that  the 
dignity  of  monsignor  had  been  conferred  upon  the  recipient 
because  of  his  distinguished  services  in  behalf  of  the  Church 
and  Christianity  in  general.  Father  Mackel's  address,  after 
reading  the  brief,  took  the  form  of  a  tribute  to  Monsignor 
Sheppard   from   the    faculty   of    Seton    Hall    College,    in   testi- 


348  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

mony  of  his  worth  as  a  priest  and   a   hfelong  patron   of   edu- 
cation. 

"Father  Sheppard,"  said  the  speaker,  "has  made  his  mark  so 
that  he  is  looked  up  to  not  only  by  those  who  are  his  juniors,  but 
by  those  who  are  his  seniors  as  well." 

Bishop  O'Connor's  address  was  a  glowing  tribute  to  Monsignor 
Sheppard's  life  and  work.     In  full  it  was  as  follows: 

It  is  my  pleasant  duty  to  make  to  you  the  official  announce- 
ment of  the  honor  our  Holy  Father,  Pius  X.,  has  conferred  on 
your  worthy  pastor,  and  to  authorize  the  reading  of  the  pontifical 
brief  raising  him  to  the  dignity  of  a  domestic  prelate  of  the  Pon- 
tifical Court.  It  is  a  gratifying  thing  that  the  newly  elected 
Pontiff  should  bestow  this  dignity  on  one  who  has  deserved  so  well 
of  the  Church  in  this  diocese.  I  consider  that  the  honor  is  not 
only  a  personal  one  to  Father  Sheppard,  but  that  it  redounds  to 
the  people  of  this  parish,  over  which  he  has  presided  so  ably  since 
the  death  of  your  lamented  first  pastor,  Monsignor  De  Concilio, 
and  to  the  Diocese  of  Newark  and  its  bishop,  whom  he  assists  by 
his  wise  counsel  and  energetic  activity.  To  me  it  is  specially 
gratifying  because  of  the  relations  that  exist  between  us,  both 
personal  and  official.  I  first  made  Father  Sheppard's  acquaint- 
ance during  our  college  days  at  Seton  Hall  more  than  thirty  years 
ago.  I  learned  to  admire  him  for  his  talents,  which  I  then  recog- 
nized were  above  the  ordinary.  I  learned  to  esteem  and  respect 
him— his  qualities  of  heart  were  no  less  conspicuous  than  those 
of  his  mind,  and  all  through  the  years  of  his  priestly  life  I  have 
looked  upon  him  as  the  type  of  the  true  priest  of  Floly  Church, 
fitted  by  nature  and  by  grace  for  the  work  the  Lord  chose  him  to 
do,  and  doing  that  work  ably  and  successfully,  discharging  the 
duties  of  his  exalted  state  in  a  way  that  would  not  fail  to  meet 
with  the  approbation  of  his  superiors.  His  successful  administra- 
tion of  the  parishes  to  which  he  was  sent,  the  high  degree  of 
efficiency  to  which  he  brought  them,  the  excellent  spiritual  con- 
dition of  his  people — and,  after  all,  this  is  the  principal  standard 
by  which  to  test  the  worth  of  a  parish  priest — all  j^roclaimed  the 
priest  whom  God  had  chosen  for  the  work  cf  His  vineyard,  faith- 
ful to  his  calling,  a  model  to  his  fellow-priests,  a  light  and  a  guide 
to  his  people.  More  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  passed  since 
he  became  the  anointed  of  the  Lord  and  began  his  life's  work, 
and  the  promises  of  his  early  priestly  life  have  been  faithfully 
realized. 

Time  has  only  rendered  more  brilliant  his  gifts  of  mind  and 
heart,  while  the  grace  of  God  has  preserved  in  him  the  Christian 
humility  and  sense  of  lowliness  without  which  the  priest  will 
never  imitate  his  great  model,  the  Eternal  Priest  Jesus  Christ, 
whose  representative  he  is  and  without  whom  he  realizes  he  can 
do  nothing. 

I  speak  these  words  not  for  his  ears,  but  for  yours.     I  know 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  349 

full  well  that  words  of  praise  are  distasteful  to  him,  but  1  deem  it 
fitting  that  on  an  occasion  such  as  this  is  I  should  bear  testimony 
before  this  congregation  of  the  worth  of  him  whom  the  Holy 
Father  has  honored.  The  dignity  of  domestic  prelate  does  not, 
indeed,  imi^ly  any  new  spiritual  power  such  as  is  derived  from  the 
Sacrament  of  Holy  Orders  or  any  new  power  of  jurisdiction.  It 
is  an  honor  that  the  Holy  Father  in  the  goodness  of  his  heart 
bestows  on  a  worthy  priest,  ranking  him  above  his  fellows  in  the 
priesthood  and  entitling  him  to  certain  privileges  in  the  papal 
court  from  which  the  rank  and  file  of  the  clergy  are  excluded,  and 
which  permit  to  him  a  nearer  approach  to  the  person  of  the 
sovereign  pontiff. 

We  are  grateful  to  the  Holy  Father  who  has  been  pleased  to 
honor  us,  and  our  loyalty  and  attachment  to  the  centre  of  unity 
will  be  stronger  because  of  it.  The  Holy  Father  we  revere  as 
Christ's  vicar  on  earth.  We  receive  his  teachings  as  those  of 
Christ  himself.  We  obey  him  in  spiritual  matters  because  in 
him  the  plenitude  of  spiritual  authority  resides.  He  is  the  suc- 
cessor of  Peter,  to  whom  it  was  said :  "  On  this  rock  I  will  build 
my  church,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  her. 
Whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind  upon  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven, 
and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  upon  earth  shall  be  loosed  in 
heaven."  And  we  are  grateful  to  him  that  his  first  official  act 
directly  affecting  the  Diocese  of  Newark  has  been  the  elevation 
of  the  vicar-general  of  the  diocese  to  the  rank  of  a  prelate.  In 
your  name,  in  the  name  of  the  diocese,  and  in  my  own,  I  have 
extended  to  His  Holiness  our  sentiments  of  grateful  recognition 
of  the  honor.  And  while  we  all  pray  for  Pius  X.  that  the  fulness 
of  years  to  rule  God's  Church  that  was  granted  to  his  predecessors 
of  happy  memory  may  be  accorded  also  to  him,  we  at  the  same 
time  supplicate  the  Throne  of  Grace  that  Monsignor  Sheppard 
may  wear  the  purple  robes  for  many  years  with  credit  to  himself 
and  honor  to  the  diocese,  until  it  shall  please  God  to  translate 
him  full  of  \'irtue  and  good  works  to  his  heavenly  reward. 

Bishop  O'Connor's  talk  concluded  the  investiture  ceremonies, 
and  immediately  afterward  he  proceeded  to  confirm  a  class  of  over 
two  hundred  children  and  fourteen  adults.  The  proceedings 
closed  with  the  benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  and  the 
sinsfine:  of  the  Te  Deum. 


St.  Benedict's  Church,  Newark, 

St.  Benedict's  Church,  Newark,  N.  J.,  was  founded  June 
28th,  1857,  under  the  direction  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  R.  Bayley,  who 
saw  the  necessity  of  ministering  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the 
German  Catholics  who  lived  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  city. 

The  Rev.  Rupert  Seidenbusch,  O.S.B.,  who  later  on  became 


350 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Bishoi)  of  St.  Cloud,  Minn.,  ministered  to  the  little  flock.  As  the 
fold  increased  it  was  found  necessary  to  appoint  a  resident 
pastor  in  the  person  of  Rev.  Benno  Hegele,  O.S.B.,  who  labored 

faithfully  from  1864  to  1866. 
He  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  Bernardine  Dolweck, 
O.S.B.,  whose  pastorate  ex- 
tended from  1866  to  1872. 
In  that  year  the  Rev.  Lam- 
bert Kettner  took  up  and  con- 
tinued the  good  work  till 
1 885 .  Through  Father  Lam- 
bert's zeal  the  present  church 
was  built.  The  Rev.  Theo- 
dosius  Goth,  O.S.B.,  followed 
and  worked  successfully  till 
1894.  He  built  the  spacious 
school  and  rectory.  During 
his  administration  it  was 
found  necessary  to  give  him 
an  assistant  priest,  and  the 
Rev.  Hugo  Faff,  O.S.B.,  was 
appointed  as  such. 

Since  1894  the  Rev. 
Leonard  Walter,  O.S.B.,  has  had  charge  of  St.  Benedict's  Church, 
who  was  ably  assisted  during  these  years  by  Rev.  Meinrad  Hetz- 
inger,  O.S.B.,  and  Rev.  Thomas  Rosenberger,  O.S.B.  In  1897 
the  new  school  hall  was  erected.  The  Benedictine  Sisters  teach 
the  400  children  in  the  school. 


ST.    BENEDICT  S    CHURCH,    NEWARK. 


Fort  Hancock,  Sandy  Hook,  N.  J. 

The  United  States  garrison  has  been  attended  by  a  priest  for 
many  years,  but  by  what  priests  it  is  impossible  to  ascertain  until 
1 861.  In  that  year  the  Rev.  Thomas  A.  Killeen,  of  Red  Bank, 
visited  the  fort  once  a  month.  His  successor,  the  Rev.  J.  Salaun, 
continued  these  visits.  The  Rev.  Stanislaus  Danielou,  who  was 
assigned  to  the  charge  of  Manchester  and  near-by  missions,  Sep- 
tember 22d,  1874,  gave  as  much  of  his  time  and  attention  to  the 
soldiers  and  the  government  employees  as  circumstances  would 
permit.  In  July,  1879,  the  Rev.  John  J.  F.  O'Connor  was  given 
charge  of  Atlantic  Highlands  and   New  Monmouth,  and  conse- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


3S^ 


quently  Fort  Hancock.  Father  O'Connor  was  born  in  Newport, 
R.  I.,  February  26th,  1843.  St.  Charles's  College,  St.  Mary's, 
Baltimore,  and  Seton  Hall  were  the  institutions  in  which  his 
classical  and  theological  studies  were  made.  He  was  ordained  in 
Seton  Hall  and  assigned  to  the  cathedral,  where  he  was  master 
of  ceremonies,  chaplain  of  St.  Michael's  Hospital,  and  later  pastor 
of  St.  Peter's,  Belleville.  His  cheerful  rough-and-ready  manner 
made  him  a  great  favorite  with  the  soldiers  and  the  hard)'  fisher- 
men of  that  locality.  He  built  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  the 
Angels  at  New  Monmouth,  where  he  died  November  7th,  1894. 
In  1880  Bishop  Corrigan  administered  confirmation  at  the  fort. 
Fathers  Fox  and  Egan  visited  the  post  regularly  until  1894,  when 
Bishop  O'Farrell,  of  Trenton,  assigned  Father  Lerche  as  resident 
pastor.  The  Rev.  Robert  E.  Burke  succeeded  him  in  1898,  and 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  Hispano-American  War  did  great  work 
among  the  boys  in  khaki, 
preaching  to  them,  instructing 
them,  preparing  them  for  the 
dangers  of  the  field ;  and,  when 
the  sick  returned  fever-strick- 
en and  wounded,  he  was  assid- 
uous in  his  care,  going  so  far  as 
to  give  over  to  them  the  tent 
which  he  used  for  divine 
service.  His  services  were 
properly  recognized  by  the 
commandant  and  by  the  de- 
partment. His  successor  in 
1900  was  the  Rev.  T.  H.  Allen, 
who  still  ministers  to  the  flock, 
composed  of  about  five  hun- 
dred Catholic  soldiers,  fifteen 
families,  and  fifty  unmarried 
government  workmen. 


Holy    Family    Church, 
Union  Hill. 

The  parish  of  the  Holy 
Family  was  founded  June  7th, 
1857,  by  the  venerable  Father 
Balleis,  O.S.B.,  who  ministered 


HOLY   FAMILY,    UNION    HILL. 


2S^  THK    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

to  the  German  Catholics  on  the  Hill  until  December  24th,  1865. 
The  mission  was  then  taken  over  by  the  Passionist  Fathers  and 
attended  by  them  until  November,  1868,  when  the  Rev.  P.  Vin- 
cent, C.P.,  took  up  his  residence  there.  The  Revs.  Bernard  Hehl, 
C.P.,  and  George  Basil,  C.P.,  exercised  their  ministry  successively 
until  February  8th,  1884,  when  the  present  j^astor,  a  secular 
priest,  the  Rev.  J.  N.  Grieff,  was  appointed.  P\ither  Grieff  was 
born  at  Eschweiler  (Luxembourg),  January  12th,  1855.  His 
preparatory  studies  were  made  with  the  Jesuits  in  the  pro-gymna- 
sium of  Echternach  and  Tournhout,  and  his  theological  studies  in 
the  episcopal  seminary  of  Verona,  Laly,  where  he  was  ordained 
June  15th,  1878.  His  first  field  of  missionary  work  was  St.  Boni- 
face's, Paterson,  October,  1881 

P'rom  1857  to  1868  the  congregation  worshipped  in  tempo- 
rary quarters  on  the  Hackensack  Plankroad.  The  first  church 
was  erected  in  1868  and  the  first  school  opened  in  1872.  In  1885 
a  new  church  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $75,000,  and  in  1897  the  new 
school  erected  at  a  cost  of  $100,000.  The  assistant  priests  since 
1885  were  the  Revs.  John  Reuland,  John  Weyland,  John  Huy- 
gens,  Joseph  Hasel,  Vincent  Hellstern,  Anton  Stein,  Rudolph 
Hulsebusch,  Joseph  Herkert,  Nicholas  Espen,  Peter  Kurz,  and 
B.  Berto.  Since  1902  P^ather  Grieff  is  aided  by  the  Passionist 
Fathers. 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  Bound  Brook,  N.   J. 

According  to  John  (jilmary  Shea,  the  first  Mass  was  cele- 
brated in  Bound  Brook  near  the  close  of  the  summer  of  1744. 
The  celebrant  of  that  Mass  was  the  Rev.  Theodore  Schneider. 

Hence  we  must  conclude  that  the  number  of  Catholics  in  and 
around  Bound  Brook  was  considerable  enough  to  attract  the  pres- 
ence of  the  holy  missionary.  No  other  fact  of  importance  to 
Catholics  is  known  from  that  time  until  the  year  1858.  In  that 
year  the  church  records  began  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the 
Benedictines  of  St.  Mary's  Abbey,  Newark,  N.  J.  The  first 
record  of  a  baptism  is  that  of  John  Kaiserauer,  which  took  place 
on  the  lOth  day  of  July,  1858.  The  officiating  priest  was  the 
Rev.  Louis  Pink,  O.S.B.,  late  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Leaven- 
worth, Kan. 

The  first  record  of  a  marriage  was  that  of  John  Spohn  and 
Magdalena  Eder,  the  officiating  priest  being  as  above,  Bishop 
P^ink.     The  Benedictines  zealously  fostered  religion  in  the  parish. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  353 

They  gathered  the  Cathohcs  of  the  neighborhood  and  gave  them 
the  opportunity  to  assist  at  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  as 
often  as  possible.  The  people  were  poor  and  few.  The  best  that 
could  be  done  was  to  procure  some  Catholic  dwelling  wherein  the 
people  could  assemble  to  assist  at  the  divine  mysteries.  Accord- 
ingly we  learn  that  Mass  was  celebrated  for  many  years  in  the 
house  of  Joseph  Prehm.  It  was  celebrated  also  in  the  homes  of 
Lawrence  Wells  and  Edward  Butler.  As  an  instance  of  the  love 
of  the  people  for  their  holy  faith,  we  see  by  the  old  record  that 
the  sum  of  $51.50,  a  great  sum  for  them  at  that  time,  was  raised 
to  purchase  the  necessary  vestments  that  the  divine  services 
might  be  carried  out  as  decorously  as  possible.  The  devotedness 
of  the  Benedictines  and  the  faith  of  the  people  soon  bore  abun- 
dant fruit.  In  the  year  1864  we  see  the  little  congregation  weigh- 
ing the  bold  project  of  building  a  church  and  providing  a  perma- 
nent home  for  Our  Lord  among  them.  Subscriptions  were  called 
for.  Every  one  worked  enthusiastically,  and  in  April,  1865,  the 
congregation  found  itself  in  possession  of  a  plot  of  ground  for 
which  it  paid  $400.  With  renewed  courage  the  people  prosecuted 
their  pious  undertaking,  and  on  June  17th,  1866,  they  had  the  hap- 
piness of  inviting  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Bay  ley  to  lay  the  corner- 
stone of  their  new  church.  As  near  as  can  be  ascertained  now 
the  little  frame  church  cost  $2,000.  It  was  soon  furnished  with  a 
new  altar  and  all  the  other  accessories  of  divine  worship,  and 
within  its  walls  for  twenty-five  years  the  calm  current  of  their 
religious  life  flowed  on.  Many  noteworthy  events  took  place 
within  that  humble  church.  There  two  young  priests  belonging 
to  that  parish  said  their  first  Mass.  One  was  the  Rev.  Theodo- 
sius  Goth,  a  worthy  member  of  the  great  order  of  St.  Benedict, 
the  other  was  the  Rev.  James  A.  McFaul,  now  the  Bishop  of  the 
Diocese  of  Trenton.  The  church  was  built  during  the  incum- 
bency of  Father  Bernardine,  O.S.B.,  but  a  great  number  of  the 
Benedictine  priests  were  at  one  time  or  another  connected  with 
St.  Joseph's. 

Among  the  many  priests  who  attended  the  congregation  there 
is  none  whose  memory  is  preserved  with  greater  affection  than 
that  of  good  Father  William  Walter.  In  the  year  1868  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  Bayley,  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  sent  the  Rev. 
M.  W.  Kaeder  to  Raritan,  giving  him  at  the  same  time  charge  of 
the  church  at  Bound  Brook,  thus  withdrawing  it  from  the  Bene- 
dictines. P'ather  Kaeder  was  succeeded  in  1873  by  the  Rev.  J. 
A.  Marshall,  a  priest  of  the  order  of  St.  Dominic.  Father  Mar- 
23 


354  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

shall   remained   three  years,  and  was  succeeded  Ijy  the  Rev.  J.  J. 
Zimnicr,  in  September,  1876. 

Up  to  this  time  the  church  in  Bound  Brook  had  been  a  mission 
attached  to  St.  Bernard's  Church  in  Raritan.  Now  for  the  first 
time  it  was  to  be  an  independent  church,  with  its  own  resident 
pastor.  The  Rev.  A.  v.  d.  Bogaard  was  the  first  to  be  appointed 
to  the  place.  He  took  charge  in  December,  1876,  and  from  that 
day  to  this  the  growtli  of  the  parish  in  e\'ery  way  has  been 
remarkable.  Father  Bogaard's  first  work  was  to  provide  a  pas- 
toral residence.  After  some  difficulty  he  succeeded  in  purchasing 
the  necessary  grounds  and  erecting  thereuj:)on  the  neat,  substan- 
tial, and  commodious  rectory  of  St.  Joseph's  Church  of  to-day. 
For  six  years  he  successfully  prosecuted  his  labors  in  this  parish, 
until  the  year  1882,  when  he  was  called  by  the  late  Bishop  O'Far- 
rell  to  found  the  church  in  Somerville.  His  successor  in  Bound 
Brook  was  the  Rev.  John  H.  Fox,  and  during  his  .short  stay  he 
reduced  the  debt  of  the  church  and  made  an  excellent  impression 
on  the  people.  The  Rev.  James  F.  Devine  was  the  next  pastor 
of  St.  Joseph's,  but  his  stay  was  shorter  even  than  that  of  Father 
Fox.  After  only  three  months'  service  he  was  appointed  assist- 
ant rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Trenton,  and  the 
Rev.  B.  T.  O'Connell  was  sent  as  his  successor.  The  new  rector 
took  charge  August  4th,  1883.  The  debt  of  the  church  on  his 
arrival  was  $3,500.  The  buildings  of  the  parish  were  a  frame 
church  and  a  rectory.  The  church  was  in  a  dilapidated  condition, 
and,  moreover,  was  fast  becoming  inadequate  for  the  needs  of  the 
people.  After  paying  off  the  debt,  ways  and  means  were  pro\'ided 
for  the  building  of  a  new  church.  The  old  church  building  was 
removed  and  fitted  up  as  a  school,  and  on  its  former  site  the 
present  church  was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  $22,000.  It  was  solemnly 
dedicated  to  God  on  the  7th  day  of  June,  1891,  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
M.  J.  O'Farrell,  Bishop  of  Trenton.  The  parochial  school  was 
the  next  measure  of  importance.  It  was  thrown  open  to  the 
children  on  the  first  day  of  September,  1893,  under  the  charge  of 
the  Sisters  of  Mercy.  The  next  thing  of  importance  was  to  pro- 
vide a  resting-place  for  the  dead  of  the  parish,  and  accordingly 
six  acres  of  land  were  purchased  and  dedicated  as  a  cemetery  on 
November  ist,  1893.  This  was  the  last  public  function  of  the 
beloved  Bishop  O'Farrell  in  Bound  Brook.  This  church  was  now 
fully  equipped  with  everything  needed,  and  although  the  cost  of 
these  necessaries  reached  the  great  sum  of  $30,000,  the  original 
debt  was  increased  by  only  $7,000. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


355 


St.  Joseph's  Church,  Mendham. 

The  Catholics  in  Mendham  were  attended  by  Father  McQuaid 
when  he  was  pastor  of  Madison.  The  church  property  was 
bought  by  bim  and  he  was  about  erecting  the  church,  when  he 
was  summoned  by  Bishop  Bayley  to  the  pastorate  of  the  cathe- 
dral. The  Rev.  William  McNulty,  chaplain  of  St.  Elizabeth's 
Convent,  took  up  the  work,  built  the  church,  and  attended  to  the 
needs  of  the  mission  until  his  removal  to  Paterson.  The  mission 
was  then  attached  to  Morristown  and  attended  by  the  priests  of 
that  parish  until  1874,  when 


the  Rev.  D.  S.  Dagnault  was 
made  pastor  of  Mendham  and 
Baskingridge. 

His  successor,  the  Rev. 
Gregory  Misdziol,  worked 
very  zealousl}-  in  both  mis- 
sions. His  death  was  marked 
by  strange  and  pathetic  fea- 
tures. After  the  death  of 
Pius  IX.,  the  Ordinary  of  the 
diocese  ordered  a  Requiem 
Mass  to  be  celebrated  with 
all  solemnity  possible  on  Feb- 
ruary  22d.  Father  Misdziol 
busied  himself  draping  the 
Baskingridge  church  —  his 
residence  was  in  that  village 
— with  his  own  hands.  Early  in  the  morning  of  the  22d  he 
visited  the  church  to  put  the  last  finishing  touches  on  his  labor 
of  many  days,  and  on  his  return  to  his  home  dropped  dead  on 
the  roadway.  He  had  decorated  the  church  for  his  own  funeral. 
He  was  buried  in  the  Mendham  Cemetery,  February  25th,  1878. 

The  Rev.  Bernard  J.  Mulligan  and  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Poels  were 
in  turn  charged  with  the  administration  of  the  flock.  Father 
Poels  bought  the  present  rectory,  together  with  three  acres  of 
land.  Among  his  successors  were  the  Rev.  John  Baxter,  1883-90; 
the  Rev.  J.F.Duffy,  1890-92;  the  Rev.  Eugene  A.  Farrell, 
1892-95.  Father  Farrell  worked  very  earnestly  and  with  great 
success.  The  number  of  Catholics  had  lessened  and  the  debt  was 
a  great  burden  on  those  who  remained.     Father  Farrell's  popu- 


ST.   JOSEPH  S   CHURCH,    MENDHAM. 


35^ 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


larity  in  the  different  parishes  in  which  he  had  labored  aided  him 
greatly  in  his  efforts  to  diminish  the  debt.  The  Rev.  Charles  H. 
Mackel  served  a  brief  pastorate.  The  Rev.  George  H.  Miiller  has 
discharged  the  arduous  and  trying  duties  of  this  mission  of  slen- 
der resources,  among  a  not  very  numerous  and  scattered  flock, 
since  October  14th,  1895.  Nevertheless,  despite  the  hindrances, 
many  necessary  improvements  have  been  made  in  the  church, 
rectory,  and  cemetery. 

Mendham  is  becoming  better  known  for  its  healthfulness, 
owing  to  its  altitude  and  the  protection  its  hills  afford  against 
the  rude  blasts  of  the  north.  Archbishop  Bayley  was  wont  to 
say  that  Mendham,  in  point  of  picturesque  scenery  and  salubrious 
climate,  was  unexcelled.  The  mighty  barons  of  capital  seem  to 
be  of  the  same  opinion,  for  their  palatial  residences  crown  every 
hill,  and  dominate  the  landscape  with  its  varied  aspect  of  moun- 
tain and  hill,  vale  and  meadow,  forest  and  glebe.  Here  the  victims 
of  the  white  plague  grow  strong,  the  bloom  of  health  returns  to 
their  cheeks,  activity  and  energy  to  the  body.  It  is  a  veritable 
haven  of  healing  for  the  infirm, 
the  weak,  and  the  brain-weary. 

St.  Patrick's  Church, 
Elizabeth. 

The  Catholics  in  the  Port  were 
at  first  attended  from  St.  Mary's 
Church,  and  in  i860  by  the  Rev. 
M.  A.  M.  Wii /feld.     Father  Wirz- 


■-  i, 


ST.    PATRICK  S    CHURCH,    ELIZAlHiTH. 
Catholic  Public  School  on  lefl. 


feld  made  his  theological  studies  at  St.  Charles's,  Philadelphia, 
where  he  was  ordained  by  Bishop  Kenrick,  March  24th,  1859. 
After   a   short    term   of   service   with    Father   Madden   he  was 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


357 


sent  to  Elizabeth  in  May,  1855.  He  built  the  first  church 
and  was  appointed  its  first  pastor  in  August,  1861.  He  was  not 
successful  in  the  financial  management  of  the  parish,  and  was 
replaced  by  the  Rev.  Patrick  Hennessy  in  1866.  Father  Hennessy 
in  turn  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Patrick  Cody,  P'ebruary  ist, 
1870  In  January,  1873,  the  Rev.  Martin  Gessner  was  transferred 
from  Millville,  and  from  that  day  he  has  labored  among  the  Cath- 
olics of  the  Port,  in  season  and  out  of  season.  To  his  zeal  and 
energy  the  present  splendid  group  of  parish  buildings  is  due.  A 
rich  field  of  historic  interest  is  certainly  here,  but  unfortunately  it 
is  not  available.  The  reason  therefor  is  to  be  found  in  the  ex- 
planation taken  from  P^ather  Gessner's  letter :  "  It  is  impossible  for 
me  to  give  you  the  history  of  St.  Patrick's  parish.  I  have  not 
the  time  to  do  so.  ...  If  I  can  get  the  time  I  will  gi\e  you  some 
history  of  the  parish  in  a  few  weeks."  Alas !  the  time  could  not 
be  had;  and  as  our  history  cannot  be  delayed,  the  public  must 
remain  disappointed. 

St.   Mary's  Church,   Bayonne,  N.  J. 

The  memory  of  the  oldest  parishioners  goes  back  to  the  year 
1852,  when  Mass  was  celebrated  in  the  home  of  John  Welsh,  on 
Lord  Avenue,   by  the   Rev. 
John   Kelly,   of    St     Peter's 
Church,  Jersey  City. 

He  was  succeeded  in  his 
semi-monthly  visitations  b\' 
the  Rev.  B.  F.  Allaire  and 
the  Rev.  James  Callan,  of 
St.  James's  Church,  Newark, 
the  latter  erecting  the  first 
St.  Mary's  Church  in  Ever- 
green Street  in  1 860.  Short- 
ly after  that  date  the  spiritual 
interests  of  the  Catholics  of 
Bergen  Point  were  entrusted 
to  the  Paspionist  Fathers 
from  the  Hoboken  Monas- 
tery, Fathers  Vincent  Nagler,  Timothy  and  Thomas  O'Connor 
making  weekly  visitations  from  Januar}-,  1862,  till  August  ist, 
1865,  when  the  growing  mission  was  made  a  parish  by  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  Bayley,  who  named  Rev.  Peter  P.  Niederhauser  its 
first  rector. 


ST.    MARY  S   CHURCH,   BAYONNE 
t86i  to  1880. 


3S^ 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Father  Niederhauser  had  been  a  Redemptorist,  and  was  ad- 
mitted into  the  diocese  December  13th,  1862.  He  assisted  Father 
Rogers  in  New  Brunswick,  looking  after  the  Germans,  until  he 
was  chosen  first  pastor  of  Bergen  Point,  July  17th,  1865  He 
labored  with  great  fruit  among  the  Catholics  of  this  mission  until 
he  was  transferred  to  St.  John  the  ]3aptist's  German  Church, 
New  Brunswick,  August,  1871. 

He  was  of  a  bright,  sunny  nature,  and  his  cheerfulness  did  not 
fail  him  even  in  his  sickness,  not  even  when  he  lay  under  the 


ST.    MAKV  S    STAli    OF    THE   SEA, 
Church,  Rectory,  and  School. 


shadow  of  the  angel  of  death.     He  passed  away  August   i6th, 
1873,  and  is  buried  in  St.  Peter's  Cemetery,  New  Brunswick. 

Father  Niederhauser  was  succeeded  in  August,  1871,  by  the 
Rev.  Patrick  McGovern,  who  enlarged  the  church  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  his  increasing  congregation.  After  five  years 
P'ather  McGovern  was  assigned  to  a  mission  in  New  York  State, 
where  he  died  about  two  years  ago.  Father  James  Dalton,  his 
successor,  lived  but  a  few  weeks.  Then,  in  August,  1876,  came 
the  Rev.  Thomas  M.  Killeen,  who,  after  a  jnstorate  of  twenty 
years,  retired  from  the  active  duties  of  the  ministry  in  July,  1896 
In  1880  Father  Killeen  erected  the  present  church  on  Fourteenth 
Street  and  Avenue  C,  which  is  now  enlarged  to  double  its  original 
size.  He  likewise  built  the  sisters'  house  on  Fourteenth  Street, 
as  well  as  the  old  frame  school,  which  in  1898  was  removed  to 
make  room  for  the  present  commodious  brick  structure  erected  by 


IN    NKW    JKRSEY  359 

his  successor,  the  Rev.  Isaac  P.  Whelan,  now  rector  of  St.  Mary's 
—one  of  the  best-equipped  and  most  flourishing"  parishes  in  the 
Diocese  of  Newark. 

The  Rev.  Lsaac  P.  Whelan,  born  in  Ehzabeth,  October  i8th, 
1852,  and  ordained  at  Seton  Hall,  June  loth,  1876,  comes  from  a 
Catholic  stock  which  has  never  quailed  before  persecution,  and 
whose  faith  has  been  of  aggressive  and  militant  quality.  His 
father,  Captain  Whelan,  was  identified  with  every  movement 
which  furthered  the  interests  of  religion  in  Elizabeth,  and  in  his 
loyalty,  service,  and  devotion  to  his  pastor  was  without  a  peer. 
His  mother,  bereft  of  her  parents  in  early  childhood  and  brought 
up  by  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  old  French  families,  cjuiet,  gen- 
tle, and  retiring,  proved  to  the  hostile  rabble  which  was  bent  on 
destroying  the  church  that  hers  was  the  heroism  of  the  martyrs. 
Their  children  have  inherited  the  noble  qualities  of  the  parents, 
and  in  both  sons  and  daughters  the  virtues  of  both  father  and 
mother  have  been  blessed.  A  daughter,  known  in  religion  as  Sis- 
ter Mary  Cecilia,  was  a  worthy  child  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  and 
was  ne\'er  so  happy  as  when  she  found  some  poor,  abandoned  sin- 
ner to  be  brought  back  to  God,  some  family  plunged  in  i^overty 
and  despair  to  succor,  and,  after,  to  consecrate  what  remained  of 
her  spare  time  to  the  service  of  the  sanctuary. 

This  parish  has  grown  rapidly  in  numbers,  and  proportionately 
in  the  efforts  made  to  promote  and  advance  religion.  When  the 
old  school  on  Evergreen  Street  was  opened  in  September,  1879, 
400  children  were  enrolled,  under  5  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph.  This 
building  was  abandoned  in  1886,  and  the  frame  structure  on 
Fourteenth  Street  opened,  with  1 1  sisters  and  700  children.  In 
the  admirably  appointed  new  brick  school  there  are  18  sisters  and 
1 3 10  children.  Moreover,  instead  of  one  there  are  six  parishes, 
with  resident  priests,  laboring  among  the  faithful  of  different 
nationalities — Irish,  German,  Italian,  Greek,  Polish,  and  Hun- 
garian. 

St.    Philip  and   St.    James's    Church,    Philipsburg,  N.    J. 

The  Catholics  of  Philipsburg  and  the  vicinity  were  attended 
by  Father  Reardon,  the  pastor  of  Easton,  Pa.,  who  journeyed  into 
New  Jersey  as  far  as  Newton  in  one  direction  and  as  far  as  Plain- 
field  in  another,  giving  what  spiritual  aid  he  could  to  the  lal^orers 
who  were  brought  to  these  parts  1)y  the  construction  of  the  Cen- 
tral and  Lehigh  railroads  in  New  Jersey. 


360 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Prior  to  i860  services  were  held  by  Rev.  Father  McKee  in 
the  old  brick  house  on  Sitgreaves  Street,  owned  by  John  Smith; 
also  in  the  houses  still  standing  at  526  and  561  Main  Street. 

Father  McKee  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  Smith,  who  served 
the  congregation  but  a  few  months,  when  he  was  taken  sick  and 
died  in  a  Newark  hospital. 

In  September,  1859,  the  late  Squire  Walsh  purchased  from 
Hiram   Heckman,    president    of   the    land   company,    a   tract    of 

land,  100  by  200  feet,  upon 
which  was  erected  a  small 
church  at  a  cost  of  about 
$5,000. 

The  corner-stone  of  this 
church  was  laid  by  Bishop 
Bayley  in  i860,  and  on  De- 
cember 25th  of  the  same  year 
Mass  was  celebrated  by  the 
late  Rev.  C.  J.  O'Reilly, 
whose  life  of  exceptional 
l~)iety  and  devotion  to  his 
tlutics  marked  him  preemi- 
nently as  a  man  of  God. 
Fresh  indeed  is  that  memor- 
able Christmas  morning  in 
the  minds  of  those  who  as- 
sisted at  Mass,  when  there 
was  nothing  to  keep  out  the 
bitter  cold  except  the  muslin 
tacked  in  the  window  frames  to  serve  as  windows. 

The  pastorate  of  Father  O'Reilly  extended  over  a  period  of 
twenty-four  years,  during  which  time  he  was  assisted  by  the  Revs. 
James  Hanley,  Michael  Connoll)^,  James  Cusick,  William  Curtin, 
J.  J.  Griffin,  and  John  O'Leary.  When  he  came  he  found  but  a 
handful  of  Catholics,  but  when  he  was  called  to  his  reward,  in  De- 
cember, 1885,  he  left  a'  large  and  well-organized  congregation  as 
the  fruit  of  his  labors.  Previous  to  the  death  of  Father  O'Reilly 
Father  B.  J.  Mulligan,  at  present  pastor  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception Church  at  Camden,  was  sent  here  by  Bishop  O'Farrell  to 
look  after  the  welfare  of  the  parish  until  Father  O'Reilly  would 
be  restored  in  health.  Until  the  parochial  residence  was  erected, 
in  1863,  Father  O'Reilly  made  his  home  among  various  members 
of  the  congregation. 


REV.    CORNELIUS   O  REILLY. 

Pastor  of  Philipsburg. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  361 

The  land  on  which  the  Parochial  Hall  stands  was  purchased 
in  1873,  and  the  structure  erected  in  1875  at  a  cost  of  ^22,000. 

In  1873  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  was  laid  by  the 
Rt.  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan.  Work  progressed  until  one-third  of 
the  church  was  completed  and  connected  with  the  old  building. 
It  remained  in  this  condition  until  1886,  when  work  was  resumed 
by  Rev.  R.  E.  Burke,  who  succeeded  Father  O'Reilly.  Its  com- 
pletion was  the  work  of  years  of  labor  and  anxiety  on  the  part  of 
F"ather  Burke,  and  while  many  aided  and  encouraged  him,  to  his 
own  zeal  and  energy  more  than  to  any  other  does  the  building  of 
this  splendid  temple  of  worship  belong. 

When  work  was  resumed  by  Father  Burke  in  1886  the  corner- 
stone was  relaid.  While  the  side  and  front  walls  of  the  new 
church  were  being  built  Mass  was  celebrated  in  the  old  church 
as  before,  and  never  during  the  whole  work  were  the  regular 
Sunday  services  interfered  with. 

During  the  eleven  years  in  which  Father  Burke  labored  in 
Philipsburg  great  advancement  was  made.  He  finished  the 
church,  fitted  it  with  all  modern  improvements,  and  built  an  addi- 
tion to  the  parochial  residence.  On  Sunday,  December  ist,  1889, 
he  had  the  pleasure  of  enjoying  the  reward  of  his  earnest  labors 
in  having  the  present  grand  edifice  formally  dedicated  by  the  Rt. 
Rev.  M.  J.  O'Farrell,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Trenton,  who  was  assisted 
by  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  J.  Conroy,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Albany,  who  cele- 
brated Solemn  Pontifical  Mass.  The  sermon  on  that  occasion 
was  delivered  by  Bishop  O'Farrell. 

In  September,  1897,  Father  Burke  was  appointed  to  St. 
Mary's  Church,  Bordentown,  and  on  the  22d  of  the  same  month 
Bishop  McFaul  appointed  the  Rev.  Patrick  F.  Connolly  pastor  of 
St.  Philip  and  St.  James's  Church. 

The  first  census  of  the  congregation  was  taken  in  1861.  There 
were  then  800  souls,  in  1867  there  were  1,500,  in  1889  there  were 
2,500,  and  in  1900  there  were  3,000  souls  in  the  parish.  Other 
Church  property  in  Philipsburg  includes  the  Parochial  Hall  build- 
ing and  the  Young  Men's  Catholic  Club  rooms,  which,  besides 
being  elegantly  fitted  up  for  the  purpose  intended,  contains  a 
library  of  500  volumes  presented  by  Bishop  O'Farrell. 

The  cemetery  on  Fillmore  Street  was  bought  by  Father 
O'Reilly  in  1861  from  Daniel  Block  for  $1,100.  Up  to  the  pres- 
ent time  there  have  been  about  3,000  burials. 

There  is  also  St.  Catherine's  Academy,  which  was  built  by 
Patrick  O'Gorman  in  1876.     The  building  soon  afterward  became 


261  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

the  property  of  Dennis  (J'Reilly,  who  sold  it  in  1887  to  the  Sisters 
of  Mercy  of  the  Diocese  of  Trenton.  The  first  superior  of  the 
academy  was  Mother  Genevieve,  who  served  at  the  head  of  the 
institution  for  seven  years  and  was  succeeded  by  Sister  M.  Agnes. 
During  the  years  1876  and  1877  the  Sisters  of  Charity  had  charge 
of  the  education  of  the  children  of  the  parish,  and  conducted  a 
school  in  the  basement  of  the  old  church,  and  resided  in  the  build- 
ing now  occupied  by  the  Elks.  The  aggregate  value  of  the  prop- 
erty belonging  to  the  congregation  of  St.  Philip  and  St.  James  is 
placed  at  $150,000. 

In  strong  contrast  to  the  modern  methods  of  imparting  learn- 
ing to  the  young"  were  those  of  the  old  days,  when  our  elders  drank 
at  the  fountain  of  knowledge  then  situated  in  the  basement  of  the 
old  church.  Daily  was  the  ancient  adage  disproved  of  driving  a 
horse  to  the  trough  and  failing  to  make  him  drink,  the  most  incor- 
rigible never  failing  to  yield  to  the  gentle  persuasiveness  of  the 
swishing  cat-o'-nine-tails  and  the  redundant  raps  of  the  knuckle- 
reddening  ferule  with  which  the  master  spurred  the  lagging  intel- 
lects of  our  respected  sires.  In  those  days  education  was  a  lu.xury 
which  could  be  indulged  in  at  a  cost  of  fifteen  cents  a  week  per 
scholar,  except  where  there  were  four  from  a  family,  in  which  case 
the  fourth  was  admitted  free  of  charge. 

Mr.  Slowey  was  the  first  of  the  old  regime  to  undertake  the 
task  of  teaching  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot,  and  was  succeeded 
in  turn  by  Mr.  James  Fogarty,  who  only  a  few  months  ago  sought 
his  long  repose  on  the  hill  surrt)unded  by  many  of  his  former 
loving  pupils;  Messrs.  Hogan,  Rooney,  and  Mullen,  M.  Boyle, 
Phil.  Grawney,  and  Miss  Caffery,  who  is  now  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools.  Among  the  first  aspirants  to  learning  were  the 
Rev.  Father  Bernard  T.  O'Connell,  Messrs.  Michael  Connlain, 
Robert  O'Hara,  Hugh  Smith,  Mrs.  Thomas  Newman,  and  many 
others. 

St.  Philip  and  St.  James's  parish  has  contributed  to  the  priest- 
hood the  Rev.  Feathers  Bernard  T.  O'Connell,  Neal  McMeninin, 
John  Gammel,  Peter  J.  Kelly,  James  Prendergast  (deceased), 
John  E.  Murray,  William  Tighe,  James  Maroney,  and  Thomas 
Rudden. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

St.  Marv'.s  is  the  sec(Mid  oldest  Catholic  parish  in  Jersey  City, 
founded  by  P^ather  John  Kelly.  The  jiresent  limits  of  the  parish, 
however,  are  not  identical  with  the  old,  but  a  part  of  it,  for  which 


IN    NKW   JERSKY 


3^3 


I^\ithei-  Sencz,  when  he  selected  the  present  site,  determined  to 
make  provision  in  what  then  iM-omised  a  more  rapid  growth.  The 
old  St.  Mary's  Church,  dismantled  and  rooted  up  from  its  founda- 
tions, around  which  clustered  the  most  sacred  memories,  was  com- 
menced in  1861  and  tinishctl  in  1863.  The  touch  of  that  holy 
l)ast()r,  so  fruitful  in  good  works  in  so  many  sections  of  the 
Lord's  vineyard  in  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  was  felt  here,  and  no 
flock  ever  res^xjuded  more  generousl)-  to  the  word  and  work  of 
their  divine  guide  than  the 
Catholics  of  St.  Mary's.  In 
less  than  a  generation  a  church, 
a  school,  an  orphanage,  a  hos- 
pital, and  a  lyceum  arose  to 
complement  the  work  of  the 
l^riest  and  show  forth  the 
beauty,  glory,  and  beneficence 
of  Catholic  faith.  Nor  was 
their  progress  confined  merely 
to  the  material  order,  for  that 
was  only  the  fruit  of  a  living 
and  active  principle  which 
necessarily  manifests  itself  in 
good  works.  During  the  forty 
years  of  his  ministry  Father 
Senez  gave  to  his  flock  the 
example  of  the  disinterested, 
unselfish  shepherd,  w^iose  sole 
aim  was  the  welfare  of  his 
flock  and  their  betterment  and 
advancement  in  the  wa}s  of 
righteousness  and  godliness. 
The  hearts  of  many  were  grieved  when,  in  consequence  of  the 
results  of  a  cyclone,  August  24th,  1901,  it  was  determined  to 
wreck  the  old  church  and  the  old  rectory,  to  remove  utterly  the 
memorials  which  the  piety  of  their  relatives  and  friends  had 
placed  in  its  windows  and  on  its  altars,  and  to  raise  in  its  stead 
a  more  substantial  edifice.  It  is  safe  to  .say  that  the  new  will 
eclipse  the  older  church  in  its  grandeur  and  stateliness,  but  it 
will  never  replace  old  St.  Mary's  in  the  love  and  reverence  which 
those  whose  fathers  and  mothers  were  married  in  the  old  church, 
were  buried  from  it,  and  in  which  the}'  themselves  were  baptized 
and  made  their  first  communion  built  around  it.     Reports   often 


ST.    MAKY  S   CHURCH,   JERSEY   CITY, 
Built  bv  Rev.  T,.  1).  .Senez. 


364  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

uttered  and  as  frequently  denied  as  to  the  unsafe  condition 
of  the  old  church  were  proven  absolutely  baseless,  for  the  walls 
resisted,  as  if  in  protest,  the  vigorous  assaults  made  upon  them  as 
the  work  of  destruction  progressed.  The  foundation  was  built 
and  the  corner-stone  of  the  church  laid  September  21st,  1902. 
The  basement  was  blessed  October  i8th,  1903,  by  Bishop  O'Con- 
nor, and  is  now  used  for  divine  service.  The  present  pastor,  the 
Rev.  B.  Henry  TerWoert,  was  appointed  June  ist,  1900.  Father 
TerWoert  was  born  in  Jersey  City,  April  20th,  1852,  and  made 
his  preparatory  studies  in  St.  Charles's,  Maryland,  St.  V^incent's, 
Pennsylvania,  and  his  theological  studies  in  Seton  Hall,  where  he 
was  ordained  May  22d,  1875.  His  parents  were  among  the  first 
founders  of  St.  Boniface's  Church,  Jersey  City.  The  field  of  his 
missionary  career  covers  St.  John's,  Orange,  St.  Michael's,  New- 
ark, Montclair,  Bergen  Point,  Lambert ville,  and  St.  John  Baptist, 
Jersey  City,  of  which  he  was  the  first  pastor  and  under  whom  the 
church,  rectory,  and  school  were  built.  The  following  priests 
have  been  connected  with  St.  Mary's:  Revs.  J.  O'Brien,  J.  Coyle, 
George  McMahon,  Fr.  Raybaudi,  P.  Byrne,  Thomas  M.  Killeen, 
Januarius  De  Concilio,  Henry  A.  Brann,  E.  O'Keeffe,  John  Mor- 
ris, J.  P".  Vassallo,  James  P.  Smith,  S.  J.  Walsh,  J.  McKernan, 
D.  McCartie,  Robert  E.  Burke,  J.  P.  Callaghan,  P.  M.  Corr,  L.  C. 
M.  Carroll,  Charles  J.  Kelly,  E.  A.  Farrell,  J.  A.  Stafford,' J.  P. 
Mooney,  H.  J.  Behr,  Charles  A.  Smith,  William  T.  McLaughlin, 
M.  F.  McGuinness,  James  T.  Delehanty,  M.  J.  Donnelly,  John  F. 
Boyle,  P.  A.  Maher. 

St.  Mary  Magdalen's  Church,  Millville. 

The  oldest  baptismal  record  shows  that  the  Rev.  Joseph  Wirth, 
C.S.S.R.,  was  pastor  in  Millville,  June  25th,  1861.  Father  Wirth 
built  the  old  church,  which  is  now  only  a  memory.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded in  September,  1863,  by  the  Rev.Joachim  Haymann.  Father 
Haymann  left  the  Redemptorists  and  was  recei\'ed  into  the  Dio- 
cese of  Newark  February  5th,  1862.  He  attended  the  Germans 
in  New  Brunswick  and  Fort  Lee  for  a  short  time,  and  finally  was 
transferred  to  Millville.  His  successor,  June  i6th,  1864,  was  the 
Rev.  Martin  Gessner,  now  of  St.  Patrick's,  Elizabeth.  P'ather 
Gessner's  missionary  field  covered  all  South  Jersey — Bridgeton, 
Malaga,  Dennisville,  Vineland,  Egg  Harbor,  Cape  May,  and  Mill- 
ville. He  built  the  old  rectory  of  Millville,  now  used  as  a  convent, 
the  church  at  Cape  May,  and  the  present  combination  church  and 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  t,6s 

school  of  Millville.     Work  on  this  last  structure  was  bci;un  in 
1869  and  finished  in  1871. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  trustees  was  held  July  ist,  1865. 
Father  Gessner  was  succeeded  February  9th,  1873,  by  Rev. 
Theophilus  Degen,  who  died  two  years  ago  as  pastor  of  Cape  May. 
November  9th,  1873,  Rev.  P.  Vivet,  a  French  priest,  succeeded 
Father  Degen.  During  his  rectorship  he  built  the  church  at 
Vineland.  He  left  for  France,  where  he  died  (date  unknown). 
Rev.  William  Ignatius  Dwyer,  an  ex-Paulist,  took  up  the  work 
July  6th,  1879.  He  built  the  church  at  Goshen,  no\v  a  mission  of 
Sea  Isle  City,  and  died  in  St.  Michael's  Hospital,  Newark,  April 
5th,  1 881,  and  is  buried  back  of  the  church  in  Millville.  During 
his  illness  and  the  interregnum  the  Rev.  James  J.  Durick,  now 
rector  of  Our  Lady  of  Good  Counsel,  Brooklyn,  was  temporarily 
in  charge  until  the  appointment  of  Charles  J.  Giese,  June,  1881. 
Father  Giese  built  the  church  at  Sea  Isle  City,  brought  the  Sis- 
ters of  Charity  to  Millville,  enlarged  the  convent,  and  built  the 
new  rectory.  He  was  transferred  to  Gloucester,  October  2d, 
1901,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  William  J.  FitzGerald,  J. CD. 

St.  Paul's  Church,  Jersey  City  (Greenville). 

The  date  of  the  establishment  of  this  parish  is  1861,  and  the 
first  priests  who  ministered  to  the  Catholics  were  the  Passionists 
from  West  Hoboken.  The  first  church  was  built  in  1862,  and  in 
1869  Father  Niederhauser  built  the  transepts.  His  successor  in 
1 87 1  was  Father  Kempen,  a  secularized  Carmelite,  who  in  turn 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Sebastian  B.  Smith,  D.D.,  who  left 
for  Rahway,  October,  1872.  The  Rev.  Joseph  ¥.  Mendl  was 
then  charged  with  the  government  of  the  parish,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded in  the  pastorate,  April  12th,  1882,  by  the  Rev.  John  Joseph 
Schandel.  Father  Schandel,  born  at  Williamsburg,  L.  I.,  August 
lOth,  1849,  made  his  classical  studies  at  St.  Vincent's,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  Seton  Hall ;  and  his  theological  studies  in  the  Ameri- 
can College,  Rome,  where  he  was  ordained  October  30th,  1874. 
He  taught  moral  theology  in  the  diocesan  seminary  from  1874 
until  September,  1881.  The  old  school  built  by  Dr.  Smith  was 
replaced  by  the  present  building  erected  by  Father  Schandel 
in  1890.  Father  Schandel  also  built  the  present  church,  which 
was  dedicated  in  July,  1888.  The  rectory  was  built  by  the  Rev. 
Henry  Fehlings  in  1870,  and  extended  by  Father  Schandel. 
April  2 1  St,  1895,  death  removed  Father  Schandel  from  the  parish, 


366 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


and  his  successor  was  the  Rev.  John  J.  Tiglie.  Father  Tighe 
was  a  priest  of  I'are  abihtv,  gifted  with  a  graceful  pen  and  an  elo- 
quent tongue.  He  was  born  in  1852,  and  studied  at  St.  Charles's 
and  at  Seton  Hall,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  high  honors 
in  the  class  of  '80.     He  was  an  assistant  in  St.  Mary's,  Hoboken, 

and  pastor  of  Our  Lady's, 
Boonton.  He  died  August 
9th,  1897.  The  Rev.  J.  W. 
McDowell,  J. CD.,  succeed- 
ed him,  and  remained  until 
August  loth,  1900,  when 
the  Rev.  Alphonsus  M.  H. 
Schaeken  assumed  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  the  pastoral 
office.  Father  Schaeken, 
born  at  Weert,  Holland, 
made  his  pi'eparatory  studies 
in  the  local  college  and  his 
theological  studies  in  the 
American  College,  Louvain, 
Belgium,  and  was  ordained 
in  Mechlin,  June  loth,  1876. 
His  labors  as  assistant  were 
in  St.  John's,  Orange,  St. 
Joseph's,  Newark,  St.  J(v 
seph's,  Jersey  City,  Key  port, 
and  chaplain  of  the  Protec- 
tor)-, Denville,  with  the  duty 
of  attending  to  St.  Cecilia's, 
Rockaway.  He  was  trans- 
ferred to  Oiu-  Lady  of  Lour- 
des,  Paterson,  May  25th, 
1883,  where  he  labored  with  great  zeal  until  his  appointment  to 
St.  Paul's.  The  following  is  the  list  of  priests  who  have  been 
engaged  in  duties  of  the  ministry  in  this  parish: 


ST.    PAUL'S   CHURCH,    GRKP:X\ILLE. 


Pastors. 

Passionist  Fathers.  1S61-1865. 

Rev.  Paul  Niederhauser.  1865-1S69.     Died  August  i6th,  1S73. 

Rev.  H.  Fehlings,  November,  1S69,  to  October  ist,  1870. 

Rev.  Angelus  Kempen.  (~)ctober  2d,  1870,  to  September  ist,  1871, 

Rev.  S.  B.  Smitli,  D.D.,  September,  1871,  to  November,  1872. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  367 

Rev.  J.  F.  Mcndl,  Novcnil)cr,  1.S72,  to  November.  1S78. 

Rev.  A.  Hechiiiser,  November,  1S7S,  to  April,  1882. 

Rev.  J.  J.  Schandel,  April,  1S82,  to  April,  1895.     Died  April  21st,  1895. 

Rev.  J.  J.  Tighe,  May,  1895,  to  August,  1897.     Died  August  8tli,  1897. 

Rev.  J.  VV.  McDowell,  D.C.L.,  August,  1897,  to  August,  1900. 

Rev.  Alpli.  M.  H.  Schaekeii,  August  loth,  1900. 

Assistants. 

Rev.  Th.  Lee,  December,  1893,  to  July,  1894. 
Rev.  T.  E.  Reilly,  September,  1894,  to  Jiuie,  1900. 
Rev.  C.  Schotthoefer,  February,  1895,  to  April,  1895. 
Rev.  j.  T.  Hopkins,  August,  1895,  to  October,  1895. 
Rev.  Neal  McMenamin,  October,  1895,  to  March,  1896. 
Rev.  J.  F.  Brown,  July,  1896,  to  July,  1897. 
Rev.  T.  D.  Lill,  August,  1S97,  to  September,  1897. 
Rev.  J.  B.  Hater,  September,  1S97,  to  April,  1898. 
Rev.  J.  B.  Ferguson,  October.  1898,  to  January.  1901. 
Rev.  E.  F.  Schulte,  June,  1900. 


St.  Ann's  Church,   Hampton  Junction. 

St.  Ann's  Parish,  Junction,  N.  J.,  was  established  by  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  Bayley  in  Januar}-,  1861,  and  Rev.  C.  A.  Rolland  was 
appointed  the  first  pastor.  Prior  to  that  time  Rev.  Father  Kerins, 
of  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  had  visited  Junction  occasionally  to  attend  to 
the  spiritual  needs  of  the  Catholic  families  that  had  settled  there. 
Upon  taking  charge  of  the  parish  Father  Rolland  immediately 
set  about  the  work  of  building  a  church  and  rectory,  and  in  two 
years  he  completed  the  task.  He  himself  dedicated  the  new 
church,  a  small  frame  building,  on  the  14th  of  May,  1863,  the 
feast  of  the  Ascension.  During  Father  Rolland's  pastorate,  as 
well  as  during  that  of  his  successor,  St.  Ann's  parish  included 
Washington,  High  Bridge,  Oxford,  Clinton,  and  West  Portal. 
Washington,  High  Bridge,  and  Oxford  later  became  separate  par- 
ishes, Clinton  is  at  present  attached  to  Plemington,  and  West 
Portal  is  still  attended  from  St.  Ann's. 

On  August  1st,  1864,  Father  Rolland  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
P.  Leonard.  Owing  to  the  rapid  growth  of  the  parish,  P^ather 
Leonard  decided  to  erect  a  larger  and  more  substantial  church. 
A  large  plot  of  ground,  selected  by  the  eminent  Irish  lecturer, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Cahill,  was  purchased  for  that  purpose  on  April  ist, 
1866,  and  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  edifice  was  laid  on  July  4th, 
1866.  The  church,  which  is  a  brick  structure,  was  completed  and 
occupied  during  the  next  )ear.  A  rectory  was  built  adjoining  the 
church.     Father  Leonard  disposed  of  the  old  church  and  rectory 


368  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

in  January,  1868.  The  church  was  afterward  converted  into  a 
dwelling  and  is  still  standing  and  occupied.  Father  Leonard  was 
promoted  to  the  pastorate  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Bordentown,  N. 
J.,  in  July,  1869,  and  later  went  to  St.  Michael's  Church  in  New- 
ark. Rev.  Francis  O'Neill  succeeded  Father  Leonard  at  Junc- 
tion and  continued  as  pastor  until  June,  1880.  During  his  pas- 
torate he  erected  churches  at  High  Bridge  and  West  Portal ;  he 
also  built  a  two-story  frame  school-house  at  Junction.  Succeed- 
ing Father  O'Neill  were  Rev.  M.  J.  Brennan,  June,  1880,  to  Oc- 
tober, 1885;  Rev.  M.  Dolan,  October,  1885,  to  January,  1888; 
Rev.  W.  J.  Donovan,  January  ist,  1888,  to  January  8th,  1893. 
Father  Donovan  was  recalled  by  Archbishop  Corrigan  to  the 
Archdiocese  of  New  York,  to  which  he  belonged. 

Rev.  N.  M.  Freeman  came  as  successor  to  Father  Donovan 
and  remained  until  February  ist,  1895,  when  he  was  changed  to 
Metuchen,  where  he  died  during  the  summer  of  the  same  year. 
Rev.  J.  W.  Norris,  J. CD.,  was  the  next  pastor,  but  on  Novem- 
ber ist,  1895,  he  was  sent  to  Rome  by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  McFaul, 
to  pin"sue  a  course  in  canon  law,  so  that  his  pastorate  covered  a 
period  of  only  nine  months.  The  pastorate  of  his  successor.  Rev. 
J.  H.  Kenney,  was  also  very  brief,  since,  owing  to  ill  health,  he 
was  compelled  to  resign  eleven  months  after  his  appointment. 
His  death  occurred  in  Trenton  in  January,  1897.  The  bishop 
chose  Rev.  M.  J.  Hagerty,  D.D.,  to  succeed  Father  Kenney,  and 
he  took  charge  of  the  parish  on  February  26th,  1897,  and  re- 
mained until  May  27th,  1901,  when  he  was  transferred  to  Bridge- 
ton.  May  27th,  1901,  the  present  pastor,  Rev,  M.  C.  McCoriston, 
was  appointed. 

The  Madonna  Church,  Fort  Lee. 

It  is  impossible  to  fix  the  date  of  the  founding  of  the  parish  of 
Fort  Lee,  which  doubtless  was  attended  to  by  the  worth)'  pastor 
of  Hoboken,  for  we  find  one  of  his  assistants  appointed  to  this 
field  December  6th,  1858,  together  with  the  care  of  Lodi  and 
Hacken.sack — the  Rev.  Francis  Annelli.  One  of  the  greatest 
benefactors  of  the  parish  was  the  distinguished  convert  and 
scholar.  Dr.  Henry  James  Anderson.  Dr.  Anderson  was  a  native 
of  New  York  City,  and  was  graduated  from  Columbia  College 
with  the  highest  honors  in  181 8.  He  studied  medicine  and  re- 
ceived his  degree  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons, 
but  devoted  himself  to  mathematical  investigations  and  became 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


3^9 


professor  of  mathematics  and  astronomy  in  Columbia  College  in 
1825.  While  in  France,  about  the  year  1850,  he  was  received 
into  the  Catholic  Church,  of  which  he  was  ever  after  a  devout 
and  consistent  member.  Me  published  variou-s  scientific  works, 
and  died  in  Hindostan  while  exploring  the  Himalayas,  October 
19th,  1875.  Dr.  Anderson  made  a  gift  of  the  land  on  which  the 
church  stands.  The  list  of  pastors  includes  the  Revs.  Patrick 
Corrigan,  Henry  A.  Brann,  U.D.,  Patrick  Cody,  A.  Smits,  O.C.C, 
G.  Spierings,  the  Capuchin  Fathers,  and  the  present  rector,  the 
Rev.  John  A.  Huygens,  who  was  appointed  July  25th,  1891. 
Father  Huygens  was  born  at  Bergen,  Holland,  and  made  his 
classical  studies  in  Ruremonde,  Limburg,  and  his  theology  in  the 
Grand  Seminary,  Liege,  and  the  American  College,  Louvain, 
where  he  was  ordained  by  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Riordan,  of 
San  F"rancisco,  Cal.,  June  29th,  1888.  He  was  an  assistant  in 
Union  Hill  until  his  promotion  to  Fort  Lee. 

St.  Cecilia's  Church,  Rockaway. 

The  church  in  this  little  mission  was  built  by  the  Rev.  Bernard 
A.  Ouinn,  pastor  of  Dover,  to  which   this  charge  was  attached,  in 


ST.    CECILIA  S    CHURCH.    KueKAU  AV. 


1869.     The  pastors  of   Dover,  Denville,  and  Hibernia  have  at- 
tended  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  this  flock,  and  among  them  may 
be  numbered  the  Revs.  Pierce  McCarthy,  ¥.  v.  d.  Bogaard,  M.  A. 
24 


370 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


McManus,  the  Franciscan  Fathers,  A.  M.  H.  Schaeken,  Eugene 
A.  Farrell,  J.  P.  Callahan,  and  M.  F.  Downes,  who  located  hhn- 
self  in  Rockaway  in  March,  1885.  The  Rev.  Nicholas  E.  Sotis 
succeeded  Father  Downes,  December  22d,  1887,  and  is  the  pres- 
ent rector.  Father  Sotis  has  made  many  improvements  in  the 
parish  with  the  limited  means  at  his  disposal — moved  and  en- 
larged the  church  and  built  a 
rectory. 

St.  Patrick's  Church, 
Hibernia. 


ST.    PATRICK  S   CHURCH,  HIBKRNIA. 


This  is  an  older  mission 
than  Rockaway,  having  been 
founded  in  the  sixties.  The 
iron  mines  brought  a  num- 
ber of  Catholics  to  Hibernia, 
and  in  the  face  of  many  perils 
and  adversities  the  little  flock  has  held  its  own,  and  may  be  justly 
proud  of  the  children  it  has  sent  out  to  more  elevated  spheres 
with  more  hopeful  prospects  of  pecuniary  results.  It  came  first 
under  the  care  of  Boonton,  and  was  attended  by  that  parish  until 
1881,  when  it  was  united 
with  _  Rockaway  and  made  a 
distinct  parish. 

St.   Teresa's   Church, 
Summit. 

Father  Madden,  of  Mad- 
ison, built  the  first  Catholic 
church  for  the  faithful  of 
Summit  and  visited  the  mis- 
sion occasionally,  and  until 
February  9th,  1874,  the  priest 
in  charge  of  St.  Vincent's, 
Madison,  ministered  to  the 
wants  of  the  Catholics  in 
Summit,  when  Bishop  Cor- 
rigan  appointed  the  Rev.  W. 
M.Wigger,  D.D.,  pastor.  Dr. 
Wigger  built  the  rectory  and 
during  two  years  labored  earnestly  and  gained  the  love  of  his  flock. 
In  1872  the  Rev.  G.  A.  Vassallo  took  possession  of  the  parish, 


ST.    TKKI>  \   s    <   in  RCH,    SUMMIT. 


IN    NKW    JERSEY  371 

where  he  has  worked  all  these  years.  Father  Vassallo  was  born 
at  Murialdo,  in  the  Diocese  of  Mondovi,  October  8th,  1843.  He 
is  an  alumnus  of  the  Collegio  Brignole-Sale,  and  was  ordained 
June  15th,  1867.  Orani^e.  Orange  Valley,  New  Brunswick,  and 
Morristown  have  been  the  fields  in  which  he  has  labored  for 
souls,  until  his  assignment  to  Summit.  He  has  enlarged  the 
church  and  the  scho(^l,  into  which  he  introduced  the  Sisters  of 
Charity.  In  1880  he  purchased  a  tract  of  thirty  acres  for  cem- 
etery purposes  for  $3,500,  and  in  February,  1896,  he  acquired 
a  property,  the  house  of  which  he  refitted  as  a  school,  at  an 
outlay  of  $12,000.  The  Rev.  John  J,  Maher  is  at  present  the 
assistant. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity, 
Hackensack,  N.  J. 

About  forty-one  years  ago  a  small  frame  building  on  Law- 
rence Street  served  as  a  temporary  church.  Father  Patrick  Cor- 
rigan  was  then  pastor  and  continued  to  labor  in  this  field  from 
September,  1863,  to  May,  1866.  Dr.  Henry  A.  Brann,  now  of 
New  York,  succeeded  him  and  began  the  erection  of  a  brick 
church,  but  left  before  its  completion,  in  August,  1867.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Father  Patrick  Cody,  who  finished  the  church  and 
built  the  rectory  in  1868.  The  church  was  dedicated  April  19th, 
1868. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Garvey,  now  of  St.  Charles's  Seminary,  Phila- 
delphia, succeeded  him  in  February,  1870. 

On  November  17th,  1870,  the  Rev.  J.  Rolando  was  made  rec- 
tor. The  cemetery  was  purchased  and  laid  out  by  him  and  a 
school  built  in  1875.  The  Rev.  P.  Dagnault  assumed  charge 
January,  1876,  and  administered  the  parish  until  July,  1878.  He 
was  followed  by  Rev.  M.  J.  Kirwin,  who  remained  for  nearly 
seven  years,  going  to  East  Orange  in  September,  1885.  His 
successor  was  the  Rev.  P.  M.  Corr,  who  labored  most  zealously, 
renovating  the  church,  reducing  the  debt,  and  building  a  residence 
for  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  whom  he  invited  to  take  charge  of  the 
parochial  school. 

The  Rev.  P.  J.  O'Donnell  took  up  the  work  of  Father  Corr, 
January  7th,  1890,  and  finished  a  very  successful  pastorate  in 
March,  1894,  to  take  charge  of  St.  Joseph's  Church  in  Newark. 
The  present  rector.  Rev.  Joseph  J.  Cunneely,  began  his  pastorate 
March    14th,  1894.     The  debt  has  been  paid  off  and  many  im- 


372 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


provements  have  been  made,  and  a  new  parish  building  is  con- 
templated to  meet  the  urgent  needs  of  the  Catholic  people.  The 
congregation  numbers  700  souls. 

The  Newman  School. 

Within  the  limits  of  this  parish  is  the  Newman  School,  which 
was  founded  in  Orange,  N.  J.,  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jesse  Albert 
Locke.  It  was  long  felt  by  many  members  of  the  hierarchy — 
and  by  none  more  than  the  late  Archbishop  Corrigan — that  there 
was  need  of  a  private  school  for  boys  which  could  offer  refined 
surroundings  of  family  life,  together  with  a  good  scholastic  and 
Catholic  training.  Mr.  Locke,  before  his  conversion  to  the  Cath- 
olic Church,  was  a  clergyman  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  had 
had  experience  in  teaching  in  some  of  the  best  schools  belonging 
to  that  denomination.  Mrs.  Locke  is  a  niece  of  the  late  Father 
Hecker,  founder  and  first  superior  of  the  Paulist  community. 
Four  pupils  were  received  the  first  year,  then  fourteen,  then 
twenty,  and  at  present  the  number  is  limited  to  thirty.  The 
growth  of  the  school  justified  its  foundation  and  made  the  acquisi- 


THE   NEWMAN   SCHOOL,    HACKENSACK. 


tion  of  more  commodious  quarters  a  necessity.  An  ideal  situation 
was  secured  in  this  beautiful,  suburban,  and  healthful  locality, 
where  the  grounds  and  charming  residence  of  Mr.  F.  B.  Poor 
afford  a  pleasant  home  and  ample  room  for  the  faculty  and  pupils. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


373 


Church  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Harrison,  N.  J. 

In  the  section  of  Hudson  County,  between  the  Passaic  and 
Hackensack  rivers,  known  as  West  Hudson,  previous  to  the  year 
1863,  there  was  neither  school  nor  church.     The  few  Catholics 


HOLY   CROSS   CHURCH,    HARRISON. 


attended  St.  Patrick's  or  St.  John's,  Newark,  or  St.  Peter's, 
Belleville.  Father  McOuaid,  in  1863,  purchased  six  lots  on  the 
corner  of  Jersey  and  Third  streets,  and  during  his  pastorate  and 
that  of  Monsignor  Doane  the  two-story  combination  of  church 
and  school  was  built.  May  loth,  1871,  Bishop  Bayley  selected 
the  Rev.  James  J.  McGahan  as  the  first  resident  pastor.  Father 
McGahan  was  born  at  Cullyhanna,  county  Armagh,  July  i6th, 
1840,  and  made  his  theology  at  All  Hallows,  Dublin.  He  was 
one  of  many  who  volunteered  for  the  Australian  mission,  and 
afterward  had  great  difficulty  in  withdrawing  from  that  obedi- 
ence. However,  he  eventually  succeeded,  and  when  in  Rome, 
seeking  a  release  from  his  engagement,  in  his  last  interview  with 
Pius  IX.,  he  promised  the  Pope  that  the  first  church  he  would 
build  he  would  place  it  under  the  patronage  of  St.  Pius.     Father 


374  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

McGahan  enlarged  the  old  church  at  an  outlay  of  $17,000,  bought 
lots  lor  a  new  church,  and  began  its  erection.  He  was  a  man 
of  untiring  energy,  much  beloved  by  the  people,  and  had  his  life 
been  spared  would  have  accomplished  great  things  for  religion. 
He  died  January  7th,  1874.  When  he  first  took  possession  of 
his  new  charge  there  were  about  four  hundred  souls  in  the  parish 
and  about  fifty  children  attending  the  parish  school.  The  land 
purchased  by  Father  McGahan  from  Isaac  Halsey,  of  Newark,  for 
a  consideration  of  $15,000,  has  a  frontage  on  Harrison  Avenue  of 
225  feet  and  the  same  on  Jersey  Street — containing  twenty-four 
lots. 

On  September  28th,  1873,  the  corner-stone  of  a  new  and  hand- 
some church  was  laid  by  Bishop  Corrigan.  Father  McGahan's 
death  put  an  end  to  the  work.  Some  years  afterward,  when  the 
foundation  then  laid  had  to  be  torn  up,  the  following  statement, 
written  on  parchment,  was  taken  from  the  corner-stone :  "  To  God 
the  Master  of  All,  in  the  Year  of  Salvation,  1873,  on  the  twenty- 
eighth  day  of  September.  With  Pius  IX.  as  Pope,  Ulysses  S. 
Grant  President  of  the  United  States  of  America,  Patrick  Keely 
architect,  James  J.  McGahan  pastor,  the  most  illustrious  and  Rt. 
Rev.  Michael  A.  Corrigan,  with  sacred  ceremonies,  has  conse- 
crated, blessed,  and  laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  church  to  be  built 
in  honor  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  under  the  patronage  of  St. 
Pius."  P^ather  McGahan  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  James  Mc- 
Kernan,  who  took  charge  after  his  death  until  a  successor  was 
appointed. 

Father  McGahan  rented  and  resided  for  some  months  in  Mr. 
Gilbert's  house,  Sussex  Street,  and  ultimately  bought  of  General 
Halsey  the  remainder  of  the  property,  corner  of  Jersey  and  Third 
streets.  March  3d,  1874,  Rev.  Thaddeus  Hogan,  of  Mount 
Holly,  succeeded  as  rector. 

During  his  pastorate  Father  Hogan  built  the  sisters'  convent 
on  Jersey  Street,  purchased  the  lot  where  the  rectory  now  stands, 
and  erected  the  C.  Y.  M.  A.  Hall.  November  9th,  1878,  he  was 
advanced  to  the  rectorship  of  St.  John's  Church,  Trenton.  His 
assistants  were  the  Revs.  D.  ¥.  McCarthy,  Gerard  P\inke,  A.  T. 
Shiitlehofer,  Thomas  Ouinn.  Six  Sisters  of  Charity  looked  after 
the  school  of  400  children.  Rev.  Pierce  McCarthy,  rector  of  St. 
Mary's  Church,  Dover,  N.  J.,  entered  upon  his  duties  as  rector  of 
St.  Pius,  on  the  same  date,  November  9th,  1878.  A  priest  <^f 
marked  ability  and  executive  talent,  P'ather  McCarthy  left  his  im- 
press on  the  parish  and  reduced  the  debt  to  $15,006.70.     His 


IN    NKW   JERSEY  375 

health  faihng,  he  was  transferred  as  rector  to  the  Church  of  Our 
Lady  Help  of  Christians,  East  Orange,  and  was  succeeded  on  the 
same  day,  December  6th,  1 883,  by  the  then  rector  and  founder  of 
the  East  Orange  Church,  Rev.  Maurice  P.  O'Connor.  Father 
McCarthy  was  assisted  here  by  Revs.  M.  L.  Killahy,  J.  J.  Mur- 
phy, and  Charles  O'Connor.  Seven  Sisters  of  Charity  and  a  lay 
teacher,  Mr.  Henry  J.  Dougherty,  were  required  to  teach  the 
parish  school.  The  Rev.  Maurice  P.  O'Connor,  in  the  prime  of 
his  manhood,  of  indomitable  energy,  which  had  found  an  untilled 
field  for  its  exercise  in  East  Orange,  where  he  built  a  new  church, 
school,  and  hall,  and  left  to  his  successor  only  $8,000  debt,  entered 
upon  his  work  in  Harrison.  Father  O'Connor  was  born  in  Scot- 
land, of  Irish-Catholic  famine  exiles  in  1850,  and  came  to  this 
country  when  eleven  years  of  age.  He  attended  the  parish  school 
in  Jersey  City  and  afterward  entered  St.  Charles's  College,  near 
Baltimore,  Md.  Later  he  went  to  Seton  Hall  College,  South 
Orange,  N.  J.,  where  he  was  graduated,  together  with  the  present 
Bishops  O'Connor  and  McFaul,  in  June,  1873,  and  four  years 
afterward.  May  26th,  1877,  was  ordained  priest  by  the  late  Arch- 
bishop Corrigan,  the  Bishop  of  Newark,  in  the  seminary  chapel  of 
the  Immaculate  Conception,  attached  to  Seton  Hall.  During  his 
brief  curacy  of  five  years  he  labored  in  Trenton  and  Newark. 

When  the  parish  committee  of  St.  Pius's  Church  waited  on 
Bishop  Wigger  after  the  people  had  learned  of  Father  McCarthy's 
transfer,  they  told  their  ecclesiastical  superior  that  the  founda- 
tions of  the  new  church  had  been  left  untouched  since  January 
I  St,  1874,  and  that  the  people  wanted  a  pastor  who  would  build 
them  one.  The  bishop  replied :  "  All  right,  I  have  my  man.  I 
will  send  him  to  you." 

The  new  pastor,  in  surveying  the  field  of  operations,  discovered 
that  while  there  were  in  the  parish  some  polished  diamonds,  the 
majority  were  in  the  rough,  and  that  the  church-school  brick  build- 
ing of  1 871  needed  extensive  renovation.  To  show  the  necessity 
for  the  latter,  an  accident  occurred  shortly  after  his  advent  to  his 
first  assistant.  One  Sunday  evening  as  Vespers  had  just  begun 
nearly  the  entire  plastered  ceiling  over  his  head  came  suddenly 
down  upon  him.  Men  attending  the  service  rushed  to  his  aid  and 
conveyed  him  in  a  dazed  condition  to  the  sacristy. 

December  31st,  1885,  found  the  people  well  organized  and  the 
necessary  renovations  completed,  with  no  parish  debt,  but  a  bal- 
ance on  hand  of  $1,659.56.  May  26th,  1886,  the  ninth  anniversary 
of  the  ordination  of  the  rector  was  joyously  celebrated  by  begin- 


376  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

ning  work  for  the  new  church.  The  old  foundations  of  the  new 
church,  begun  m  1873,  were  removed,  as  competent  authorities 
had  pronounced  them  unsafe.  August  15th,  1886,  was  an  auspi- 
cious day.  The  corner-stone  of  the  new  church,  to  be  known 
hereafter  as  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Harrison,  N.  J.,  taking 
its  title  from  the  Feast  of  the  Exaltation  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Sep- 
tember 14th,  was  laid  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M.  Wigger,  D.D., 
Bishop  of  Newark,  with  imposing  ceremonies  before  an  immense 
concourse  of  i:)eople,  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  the  Cath- 
olic Young  Men's  Associations,  and  other  societies  taking  part. 
The  attendance  of  the  rev.  clergy,  secular  and  regular,  was  large 
and  representative.  Governor  Abbett,  of  N^w  Jersey,  and  other 
distinguished  citizens  added  eclat  to  the  solemn  occasion. 

February  i6th,  1890,  marks  the  dedication  of  Harrison's  mag- 
nificent rock-faced,  ashlar  brown-stone  Church  of  the  Holy 
Cross.  Nearly  three  thousand  people  witnessed  the  ceremonies ; 
hundreds  of  men,  women,  and  children  were  obliged  to  stand,  but 
as  the  services  were  intensely  interesting  they  did  not  feel  the- 
fatigue.  Immediately  after  the  dedication  ceremony  the  bishop 
and  assistant  priests  retired  to  the  sacristy  and  robed  for  the 
Solemn  Pontifical  Mass.  Bishop  Wigger  was  the  celebrant.  The 
Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  G.  H.  Doane,  Prot.  Ap.,  preached  the  ser- 
mon and  spoke  feelingly  of  the  memories  of  the  past,  especially 
of  the  departed  ones  of  the  flock.  Solemn  Vespers  in  the  evening 
in  presence  of  the  bishop  and  an  eloquent  sermon  of  the  Rev. 
John  J.  Tighe,  once  a  lay  trustee  of  the  church,  closed  Harrison's 
most  eventful  day. 

In  March,  1893,  the  parish  had  grown  to  such  an  extent  nu- 
merically that  a  division  was  found  necessary,  and  thus  the  new 
parish  of  St.  Cecilia's,  north  of  the  railroad,  came  into  existence. 
A  minute  in  the  book  of  the  church  records  says :  "  At  the  Rt.  Rev. 
bishop's  request,  the  Rev.  M.  P.  O'Connor,  rector,  was  present  at 
a  meeting  of  the  bishop  and  his  council  and  consented  to  a  divi- 
sion of  the  parish  of  the  Holy  Cross  of  Harrison,  N.  J.  The 
boundary  line  was  fixed  at  the  N.  Y.,  L.  E.  &  W.  Railroad,  as 
found  on  the  map  of  Scarlett  &  Scarlett,  1890,  all  south  of  that 
line  being  included  in  the  aforesaid  parish."  May  loth,  1896,  was 
another  red-letter  day  for  the  parish,  its  silver  jubilee,  1871-1896. 
A  large  audience  filled  the  spacious  church,  both  at  the  morning 
and  evening  services. 

At  10:30  A.M.  a  Solemn  Pontifical  High  Mass  was  celebrated 
by  the  Rt.  Rev.  James  A.  McFaul,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Bishop  of  Tren- 


IN    NEW    JERSP;Y  377 

ton  and  a  classmate  of  Father  M.  P.  O'Connor,  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  Wiggcr,  being  present  on  his  throne.  The  Rev.  John  J. 
Tighc,  rector  of  St.  Paul's,  Greenville,  preached  the  sermon. 

Rev.  Thaddeus  Hogan,  formerly  rector  of  the  parish,  delighted 
the  people  at  the  evening  services  by  a  sermon  full  of  thought 
and  piety. 

In  November,  1900,  the  material  work  on  the  church  was 
completed.  A  number  of  artists  and  workmen  had  been  busily 
engaged  all  summer  in  decorating  and  frescoing  the  interior,  in- 
stalling electricity,  and  a  number  of  other  improvements. 

In  1901  a  parish  hall  was  added  to  the  other  buildings.  May 
26th,  1902,  the  rector  celebrated  his  own  silver  jubilee  as  a 
priest,  surrounded  by  a  large  number  of  his  brother  priests  from 
Newark,  Trenton,  New  York,  Scranton,  Springfield,  and  Brook- 
lyn dioceses,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  thousands  of  his  devoted 
flock.  Bishops  O'Connor  and  McFaul  honored  him  by  their 
presence  on  the  happy  day  of  his  life. 

The  year  1902  witnessed  the  beautiful  marble  altar  to  Our 
Blessed  Lady  placed  in  the  church,  the  gift  of  a  loving  people  to 
their  beloved  pastor.  This  same  year  beheld  two  large  wings  or 
extensions  added  to  the  parochial  school  to  make  adequate  room 
for  the  ever-increasing  numbei-  of  children.  The  year  1903,  last 
but  not  least,  saw  the  rich  raarble  altar  of  the  jubilee  completed. 
A  beautiful  white  Carrara  marble  statue  of  the  Immaculate  Mother, 
imported  from  Italy,  the  gift  of  the  Rev.  M.  P.  O'Connor,  in  mem- 
ory of  his  saintly  Irish  mother,  was  placed  in  the  niche  prepared 
for  it,  on  Sunday,  October  ist,  and  presented  to  the  parish. 

The  assistant  priests  of  the  parish  have  been  the  Revs.  A.  M. 
Brady,  B.  M.  Bogan,  James  F.  Mooney,  James  Nolan,  J.  F.  Boy- 
Ian,  Dr.  Dillon,  G.  F.  Brown,  Thomas  Lee,  M.  J.  Welch,  E.  M. 
O'Malley,  and,  at  present,  the  Revs.^H.  G.  Coyne  and  L.  J.  Bohl. 

The  census  of  the  parisli  shows  7,496  souls,  nearly  1,100  chil- 
dren in  the  parish  school,-  with  fifteen  Sisters  of  Charity  and  two 
lay  teachers,  and  sixteen  societies  for  young  and  old,  ;numbering 
nearly  4,000  members,  engaged  in  religious,  charitable,  and  intel- 
lectual work.  In  addition  to  the  church,  school,  hall,  rectory, 
convent,  and  C.  Y.  M.  A.  hall,  the  congregation  owns  valuable 
property  on  which  there  are  houses  now  rented,  purchased  a  few 
years  ago  to  protect  the  church  buildings,  and  which  in  future 
years  may  serve  for  church  extension. 

The  present  debt  on  the  church  property,  valued  at  $250,000, 
is  the  comparatively  small  sum  of  $45,000. 


378 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


St.  Luke's  Church,   Hohokus. 

Previous  to  the  year  1864  the  territory  north  of  Paterson,  as 
far  as  the  New  York  State  hue,  comprising  nearly  all  of  Bergen 
County,  was  without  church  or  priest.  The  Very  Rev^  Dean 
McNulty  in  that  year  began  the  work  of  spreading  the  influence 
of  Catholicity  by  saying  Mass  in  a  private  house  in  Chestnut 
Ridge. 

The  venture  having  promised  success,  in  the  same  year,  on 
Palm  Sunday,  a  new  attempt  was  made  at  Hoppertown,  and 
through  the  efforts  of  John  J.  Zabriskie  the  use  of  the  school 
building  was  obtained.  Ground  was  then  bought  in  Hohokus, 
and  the  corner-stone  of  the  present  St.  Luke's  Church  was  laid 
on  October  16th,  1864. 

For  many  years  it  was  attended  by  the  assistants  of  St.  John's 
Church,  Paterson.  In  the  early  eighties  it  was  given  in  charge 
of  Rev.  J.  W.  Grieff,  succeeded  in  turn  by  Revs  N.  Hens,  M.  F. 
Dovvnes,  and  Father  Justin,  O.S.F. 

In  1887  Rev.  G.  W.  Corrigan  became  pastor  and  soon  set  to 
work  to  form  a  new  mission,  now  known  as  St.  Andrew's,  at  West- 
wood,  at  present  in  charge  of  Rev.  James  P.  Corrigan,  who  is 

erecting  a  new  church,  St. 
Mary's,  at  Park  Ridge,  five 
miles  north  of  West  wood. 

Two  years  later,  the  popu- 
lation of  the  neighboring  Par- 
amus  valley  having  consider- 
ably increased,  it  was  deemed 
advisable  to  begin  a  new 
church  in  Ridgewood.  Rev.  F. 
Nevins  undertook  this  work. 
It  was  thought  best  at  the 
time  to  close  St.  Luke's  and 
build  a  larger  church  at  Ridge- 
wood to  accommodate  all  the 
Catholic  population  of  the 
northern  section  of  Bergen  County.  But  the  parishioners  of  St. 
Luke's  strongly  objected  to  this  arrangement,  and  petitioned  the 
late  Bishop  Wigger  to  reopen  their  church.  This  was  done,  but 
St.  Luke's  was  opened  as  a  mission,  the  rectory  abandoned,  and 
a  new  church.  Our  Lad\'  of  Mount  Carmel,  built.     A  rectory,  do- 


ST.    LUKE  S   CHURCH,    HOHOKUS. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


379 


ST.    ELIZABETH  S    CHURCH,   WYCKOFF. 


natecl  by  Joseph  F.  Carrigan,  was  occupied  by  Rev.  Dr.  Mull,  who 
succeeded  T^ather  Nevins  in  the  latter  part  of  1889. 

In  1892  Rev.  J.  A.  Sullivan  was  appointed  rector,  and  during 
his  term  he  did  much  toward  the  instruction  of  the  people, 
the  improvement  of  the  church  property,  and  the  lessening 
of  the  heavy  debt  left  by 
his  predecessor.  Five  years 
later,  in  July,  1897,  Rev.  E. 
A.  Kelly  succeeded  to  the 
pastorate  and  labored  four 
years  with  untiring  zeal  in 
the  work  of  improving  the 
spiritual  and  temporal  condi- 
tion of  the  parishes  confided 
to  him  and  still  further  re- 
ducing the  debt. 

The  present  rector,  Rev. 
P.  T.  Carew,  was  appointed  in  1901.  Ridgewood  cherishes  great 
prospects  for  Catholic  growth,  as  it  is  a  very  healthful  village, 
delightfully  situated  within  easy  reach  of  New  York,  and  has  ex- 
cellent train  facilities.  Altogether  it  is  an  ideal  residential  place. 
A  large  percentage  of  the  inhabitants,  many  Catholics  among 
them,  have  moved  thither  from  Brooklyn  and  Jersey  City. 

Within  the  past  year  an  additional  mission  was  opened  in 
Wyckoff,  and  in  July,  1903,  was  dedicated  the  new  Church  of  St. 
Elizabeth. 

This  year  ground  was  purchased  for  still  another  mission  at 
Ramsey,  where  in  the  near  future  a  chapel  will  be  erected.  The 
two  chapels  are  to  be  built  not  because  of  any  notable  increase  in 
the  number  of  Catholics — although  the  outlook  for  the  future  is 
very  bright — but  as  a  means  of  arousing  some  from  their  indiffer- 
ence, and  stimulating  the  lukewarmness  of  other  Catholics  in  this 
section,  for  whom  lack  of  facilities  for  hearing  Mass  and  coming 
in  touch  with  the  priest  have  resulted  in  all  but  a  complete  loss 
of  faith,  especially  in  sparsely  settled  localities  remote  from  the 
cities. 

St.  Boniface's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

St.  Boniface's  parish,  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  was  founded  on  the 
15th  of  November,  1863.  The  first  meeting  at  which  this  was 
accomplished  took  place  in  the  old  so-called  Hudson  House,  at 
the  Five  Corners — corner  of  Newark  and  Hoboken  avenues,  and 


38o 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


West  Newark  and  Bergen  avenues — Jersey  City,  N.  J.  Rev. 
Dominic  Kraus,  the  first  rector,  and  Father  Prieth,  of  St.  Peter's, 
Newark,  were  present,  and  twenty-eight  laymen.  On  May  7th, 
1865,  the  corner-stone  of  the  present  church  was  laid,  and  on 
November  nth,  1866,  the  church  was  opened  for  services.  The 
legal  title  is  St.  Boniface's  Church,  Jersey  City.  The  pastor  at 
the  time  was  Rev.  Dominic  Kraus.  The  old  school  and  rectory 
were  built  in  1864.  The  new  school  was  begun  in  March,  1888, 
and  finished  in  November,  1888. 

St.  Boniface's  congregation  worshipped  for  a  short  time  in  a 
stable  on  Newark  Avenue.  Then  a  Protestant  church  was 
rented  for  one  year  for  $200,  on  John  Street;  the  vestments 
were  kindly  loaned  by  Father  Kelly,  of  St.  Peter's,  Jersey  City. 
November  22d,  1863,  the  first  High  Mass  was  sung  and  the  first 

sermon  preached  by  Rev.  D. 
Kraus.  First  rector  Rev.  D. 
Kraus,  November  1 5th,  1 863 ; 
died  November  i6th,  1885. 
The  second  rector,  the  Rev. 
William  F.  Wahl,  still  in 
charge,  was  appointed  No- 
vember 17th,  1885.  Assis- 
tants: Rev.  B.  Ahne,  from 
February,  i8gi,  to  January, 
1892,  Rev.  Charles  Miill, 
from  February,  1 892,  to  Au- 
gust, 1896;  died  August  ist, 
1896.  Rev.  Peter  Lill,  from 
August,  1896,  to  May,  1899, 
Rev.  Peter  Kurtz,  from  De- 
cember, 1899,  to  September 
1 6th,  1903. 

Father    Wahl,    born    at 
Gross     Eislinger,     Wiirtem- 
berg,    Germany,     November 
3d,  1855,  made  his  prepara- 
tory   studies    at    Feldkirch, 
Austria,  Rottenberg,  St.  Vin- 
cent's, Pennsylvania,  and  his 
theology  at  Seton  Hall.     He  was  ordained  priest  May  22d,  1880, 
in  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  Newark.     In  this  parish  he  labored  in 
his  quiet,  unobtrusive  way,  but  unto  edification,  from  June  ist. 


ST.  Boniface's  church,  jersey  city. 


IN    NKW   JERSEY 


381 


1880,  until  May  20th,  1884,  when  he  was  appointed  to  assist  the 
late  Father  Kraus,  and,  after  a  hrief  period  of  service  in  St. 
Mary's,  Elizabeth,  he  was  appointed  rector  of  St.  Boniface's, 
March  3d,  1885.  All  these 
years  he  has  toiled  iinremit- 
tingly,without  noise  or  notice, 
single-minded,  devoted,  and 
weariless  in  searching  out  his 
flock  and  bringing  them  to 
the  practice  of  their  religion. 
Animated  with  this  lofty  pur- 
pose the  material  assistance 
has  not  failed ;  and,  although 
he  has  made  many  improve- 
ments in  his  church  and 
schools,  not  a  few  were  sur- 
prised when  the  announce- 
ment was  made  that  St.  Bon- 
iface's was  to  be  consecrated. 
This  solemn  act  may  be  car- 
ried out  only  when  the  church 
is  free  from  all  indebtedness. 
The  consecration  services 
were  performed  by  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  O'Connor,  Sun- 
day, November  8th,  1903,  assisted  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor 
Sheppard  and  many  priests.  The  improvements  made  by  Father 
Wahl  amount  to  almost  $70,000,  and  the  gross  amount  of  rev- 
enue received  by  him  and  expended  is  over  a  quarter  million 
of  dollars.  This  statement  is  the  eulogy  of  the  pastor  and  his 
flock. 


REV.    DOMIXIC    KRAUS, 
Rector  of  St.  Boniface's  Church,  Jersey  City. 


The  Catholic  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Vineland,  N.  J. 

The  Catholics  of  Vineland  were  visited  by  Father  Gessner  for 
the  first  time  in  1864,  and  Mass  was  occasionally  celebrated  in 
private  houses  by  him  until  1868,  when  divine  service  was  held 
once  a  month.  He  came  from  Millville,  where  he  was  stationed, 
and  from  which  place  he  attended  Vineland,  Bridgeton,  and  Cape 
May.  He  said  Mass  finally  in  an  upper  room  of  the  old  Pennsyl- 
vania depot.  Father  Gessner  gave  up  Vineland  at  the  close  of 
the  year  1872.     Father  Deegan  took  charge  after  Father  Gess- 


382 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


ner,  and  ministered  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  people  of  Vine- 
land  mainly  through  his  curate,  l^^ather  Vivct.  With  a  view  to 
building  a  church  and  organizing  a  parish  a  corporation  was 
formed  in  the  fall  of  1873.  The  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
was  commenced  in  1874.  The  work  progressed  rapidly  through 
the  summer  under  the  constant  supervision  of  Father  Vivet.  The 
church  was  roofed  before  Christmas,  and,  althbugh  the  interior 
was  not  yet  finished.  Mass  was  first  said  in  it  on  Christmas  Day, 
1874,  by  Father  Vivet.  Rev.  William  Dwyer  succeded  Father 
Vivet  in  June,  1879,  at  Millville,  to  which  Vineland  was  still 
attached  as  a  mission.     Father  Dwyer  personally,  and  through 

his  curate,  the  Rev.  J.  J. 
Durick,  had  charge  of  Vine- 
land  to  June,  1 881.  Father 
Dwyer  added  the  sacristy  to 
the  church  and  improved  it 
in  other  respects.  He  also 
purchased  a  church  from  the 
Methodists  at  North  Vine- 
land.  This  church  has  passed 
out  of  the  possession  of  the 
Catholics.  The  Rev.  Charles 
J.  Giese  succeeded  to  Mill- 
ville upon  the  death  of  Father 
Dwyer,  and  Vineland  contin- 
ued under  his  administration 
until  June,  1883.  Father 
Giese  at  this  time  made  a  trip  to  Europe  and  left  Father  Mc- 
Teague,  of  the  Society  of  the  Fathers  of  Mercy,  in  charge  of 
Millville  and  Vineland  during  his  absence.  At  this  time  the 
people  of  Vineland  began  an  agitation  to  be  erected  into  an  inde- 
pendent parish  and  to  have  a  pastor  of  their  own.  The  result  was 
that  at  the  close  of  the  year  1883  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  O'Farrell, 
then  Ordinary  of  this  diocese,  consented  to  give  the  church  in 
charge  of  the  Fathers  of  Mercy,  and  Father  McTeague  was  ap- 
pointed first  pastor.  These  fathers  in  1884  purchased  a  large  build- 
ing on  the  outskirts  of  the  town  and  organized  the  Sacred  Heart 
College,  which  was  at  the  same  time  the  diocesan  seminary.  The 
college  was  under  the  presidency  of  the  Rev.  E.  H.  Porcile, 
S.P.M.  A  parochial  house  of  brick  was  erected  in  1884.  Father 
McTeague  took  up  his  residence  at  the  college,  and  the  Sisters  of 
Charity  established  a  private  school  in  the  parochial  house.     Later 


CHURCH   OF   THE   SACRED    HEART, 
VINELAND. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  383 

on  the  parish  house  was  rcoccupied  by  the  pastor,  and  the  sisters 
removed  to  a  property  which  they  purchased  on  East  Avenue. 
The  school  did  not  flourish  and  was  abandoned,  the  sisters  with- 
drawing. The  college  was  closed  for  good  in  1894.  But  the 
Fathers  of  Mercy  continued  in  charge  of  the  parish  up  to  1895. 
The  several  priests  belonging  to  that  order  in  charge  of  the  par- 
ish were  the  Rev.  Fathers  Thomas  McTeague,  I.  M.  Wiest,  E. 
H.  Porcile,  E.  Kelley,  C.  Elert,  J.  E.  Sheehy,  and  J.J.  McCul- 
lough.  The  last  one  of  the  society  in  residence  was  Rev.  J. 
Courvoisier.  On  October  ist,  1895,  the  Rt.  Rev.  James  A. 
McFaul  took  the  church  under  his  direct  control  and  appointed 
the  Rev.  William  F.  Dittrich  pastor.  The  Fathers  of  Mercy  had 
built  a  church  for  a  colony  of  one  thousand  Italians  at  East  Vine- 
land,  and  commenced  saying  Mass  for  them  at  intervals.  Father 
Dittrich  continued  to  attend  this  mission  and  prepared  it  for  a 
separate  pastor,  who  was  appointed  on  November  14th,  1897, 
the  Rev.  Louis  Pozzi.  On  September  21st,  1899,  Father  Dittrich 
was  removed  to  Bound  Brook,  N.  J.,  and  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Hen- 
dricks became  pastor  of  Vineland.  Upon  the  latter's  removal, 
May  29th,  1901,  to  Riverton,  the  Rev.  John  Gammell  became 
pastor.  In  1902  the  Rev.  Michael  di  Elsi,  an  Italian  priest, 
was  appointed  at  Minotola  to  look  after  the  Italians  in  the  district 
between  that  place  and  Vineland.  He  organized  the  two  parishes 
of  Landisville  and  Minotola,  and  succeeded  in  erecting  two 
churches  which  are  already  used  for  religious  services.  He  was 
transferred  to  Camden  to  organize  an  Italian  parish  in  that  city  in 
1903,  and  his  place  was  filled  by  Rev.  Father  Leone. 

St.  Mary's  Parish  (Cathedral),  Trenton,  N.  J. 

Observing  the  rapid  growth  of  the  Catholic  population  in  the 
northern  portion  of  the  city,  the  Rev.  Anthony  Smith  resolved  to 
form  a  new  parish,  to  be  called  St.  Mary's.  With  this  object  in 
view  he  purchased,  in  1865,  the  ground  on  which  St.  Mary's 
Cathedral  now  stands.  This  is  historic  ground,  for  here  some  of 
the  hardest  fighting  in  the  battle  of  Trenton  took  place,  and  Colo- 
nel Rail,  who  commanded  the  Hessians,  had  his  headquarters  in 
the  frame  building  which  stood  on  the  very  spot  now  occupied  by 
the  cathedral  rectory.  Rail,  being  mortally  wounded  during  the 
engagement,  was  carried  to  his  headquarters,  where  he  died 
December  27th,  1776.  On  April  23d,  1866,  ground  was  broken 
for  the  foundation  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  and  the  corner-stone 


384 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


was  laid  by  Bishop  Bayley,  of  Newark,  on  July  15th  of  the  same 
year.  The  work  on  the  church  went  on  slowly  for  almost  five 
years,  and  was  finally  completed   toward  the  end  of   1870.     On 

Sunday,  January  ist,  1871,  it 
was  solemnly  dedicated  to 
the  service  of  God  by  the 
Rt.  Rev.  James  R.  Bayley, 
Bishop  of  Newark,  assisted 
by  a  large  number  of  clergy- 
men, among  whom  was  the 
Rev.  Dr  Corrigan,  the  Arch- 
bishop of  New  York.  Up  to 
this  time  St.  Mary's  parish 
was  not  separated  from  St. 
John's,  which  was  still  in 
charge  of  Father  Smith. 
Now,  however,  the  two  were 
formally  divided.  Father 
Smith  resigned  St.  John's 
and  retained  St.  Mary's, 
which  embraced  all  the  ter- 
ritory north  of  the  Assinpink 
Creek. 

While  the  church  was 
being  built.  Father  Smith 
was  making  provision  for  the 
Christian  education  of  the 
children.  On  September  nth,  1868,  he  purchased  the  property 
on  the  corner  of  Bank  and  Chancery  streets,  and  on  it,  in  1870, 
commenced  the  erection  of  a  parochial  school.  As  this  property 
scarcely  afforded  room  for  a  playground,  an  adjoining  lot  on 
Chancery  Street  was  purchased  November  2d,  1868.  The  school 
was  opened  on  October  2d,  1871,  with  about  one  hundred  and 
seventy  scholars  and  three  Sisters  of  Charity  as  teachers. 

His  ne.xt  care  was  to  provide  a  cemetery,  and  for  this  purpose 
a  property  of  eight  and  one-half  acres,  situated  on  the  Lawrence 
Road,  just  beyond  the  city  limits,  was  purchased  October  12th, 
1872.  The  character  of  the  soil,  however,  made  it  unsuitable  for 
a  burial  place,  and  the  present  St.  Mary's  Cemeter}',  or  rather 
a  portion  of  it,  containing  thirteen  and  one-half  acres,  was  bought 
November  ist,  1872.  An  adjoining  tract  of  ten  acres  was  pur- 
chased March  24th,  i< 


bT.    .MARY  S    CATHEDRAL,    TK  i:.\  li  )X . 


IN    NEW    JKRSKY 


385 


During  all  these  years  Father  Smith  labored  alone;  he  had  no 
assistant.  How  great  were  his  labors  can  be  understood  only  by 
those  who  know  the  duties  of  a  pastor  of  a  large  congregation. 
His  iirst  assistant  i)riest,  Rev.  Michael  J.  Holland,  was  appointed 
in  March,  1877.  He  relieved  Father  Smith  of  much  of  the  spirit- 
ual work  of  the  parish.  But  the  energetic  pastor  could  not  rest. 
His  attention  was  directed  to  Hopewell,  where  there  was  a  small 
settlement  of  Catholics  without  a  church  or  pastor.  He  bought 
a  suitable  piece  of  land,  and  on  July  6th,  1877,  laid  the  corner- 
stone of  a  beautiful  little  church.  This  was  attended  from  St. 
Mary's  till  January,  1883. 

St.  Mary's  was  now  provided  with  everything  necessary  to 
constitute  a  perfectl}-  ecjuipped  parish.  But  the  congregation 
was  a  growing  one,  and  increased  so  rapidly  that  the  school, 
which  contained  six  large  rooms,  was  incapable  of  accommodating 
all  the  children.  To  provide  for  these  Father  Smith  bought,  July 
1st,  1875,  another  lot  on  Chancery  Street,  and  began  at  once  to 
enlarge  the  school  by  aii  addition  of  six  more  rooms.  It  can  now 
accommodate  seven  hundred  children  In  February,  1880,  he 
bought  a  lot  on  Warren 
Street,  adjoining  the  rectory, 
on  which  he  built,  in  1883, 
the  episcopal  residence. 

For  the  accommodation 
of  the  Catholics  who  lived  in 
Millham,  now  East  Trenton, 
he  bought  a  plot  of  ground 
on  Sherman  and  St.  Joe's 
avenues,  and  in  July,  1882, 
laid  the  corner-stone  of  a 
brick  building,  to  be  used  as 
a  school  and  chapel.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  St. 
Joseph's  parish.  But  it  con- 
tinued a  mission  of  St.  Mary's 
until  April,  1893,  when  it 
was  separated  and  became  a 
distinct  parish. 

The  Holy  Father  in  1881 
created   a   new  diocese    for 

Southern  New  Jerse\'  and  made  Trenton  the  episcopal  city.     The 
bishop  of  the  new  diocese,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Michael  J.  O'Farrell,  for- 
25 


REV.   AXTHONV   SMITH. 

First  Pastor  of  St.  IMary's  Cathedral, 
Trenton. 


386  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

merly  pastor  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  New  York,  was  consecrated  in 
St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  New  York  City,  on  November  ist,  1881. 
Eight  days  afterward  he  came  to  Trenton  and  chose  St.  Mary's 
Church  for  his  cathedral,  where  he  was  installed  with  impressive 
ceremonies.  Bishop  O'Farrell  rented  a  house  on  West  State 
Street  and  resided  there  until  F'ather  Smith,  in  1883,  erected  the 
present  episcopal  residence.  At  the  same  time  he  enlarged  the 
rectory,  and,  by  joining  it  to  the  bishop's  house,  produced  a  grand, 
imposing  front.  P'rom  this  time  until  his  death  Father  Smith 
labored  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his  people  and  the  reduction  of 
the  debts  of  the  parish.  When  he  died,  August  nth,  1888,  he 
was  mourned  not  only  by  his  own  j^eople,  for  whom  he  labored 
so  well  for  more  than  twenty -seven  years,  but  by  the  public  gener- 
ally, who  recognized  in  him  a  faithful  servant  of  God  and  an  emi- 
nently good  citizen.  The  buildings  he  erected  and  left  with  com- 
paratively little  debt  will  stand  as  monuments  to  his  zeal  and 
executive  ability.  Before  coming  to  Trenton  he  had  charge  of 
missions  in  Buffalo  and  Baltimore.  In  the  former  city  he  built 
St.  Mary's  Church  and  St.  Andrew's  Hospital.  He  was  born  in 
Obergunsburg,  Germany,  on  April  8th,  1821,  came  to  this  coun- 
try in  1844,  and  was  ordained  a  priest  of  the  Redemptorist  Order 
on  December  21st,  1845,  by  Archbishop  Eccleson,  in  Baltimore. 
After  P^ather  Smith's  death  Bishop  O'Farrell  assumed  for  a  time 
the  rectorship  of  the  cathedral  and  appointed  Rew  J.  Joseph 
Smith  acting  rector. 

In  the  spring  of  1890  P"ather  Smith  had  to  leave  the  cathe- 
dral, on  account  of  ill  health,  and  was  transferred  to  St.  P'rancis's, 
Metuchen,  where  his  duties  were  light  and  where  it  was  hoped  he 
would  regain  his  strength ;  but  after  some  months  he  was  com- 
pelled to  give  up  his  charge  and  returned  to  his  parents'  home  in 
Trenton,  where  he  died  October  31st,  1891.  His  early  death  was 
deeply  mourned,  for  his  kindly  ways  and  bright,  sunny  disposition 
had  endeared  him  to  all  who  knew  him.  During  Bishop  O'P^arrell's 
rectorship  steam  was  substituted  for  hot  air  in  heating  the  church 
and  school.  After  P'ather  Joseph  Smith's  appointment  to  Metuchen 
he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  John  M.  McCloskey,  who  afterward 
became  so  well  and  favorably  known  to  the  priests  of  the  diocese  as 
the  secretary  and  chancellor  of  Bishop  McP'aul.  Father  McCloskey 
looked  after  the  affairs  of  the  parish  till  October,  1 890, when  the  Rev. 
James  A.  McFaul,  rector  of  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  Star  of  the 
Sea,  Long  Branch,  was  made  rector  of  the  cathedral.  He  had  for- 
merly been  assistant  under  the  Rev.  Anthony  Smith,  in  December, 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


387 


1879,  and  was  therefore  well  acquainted  with  the  parish.  He 
entered  on  his  work  with  his  well-known  zeal  and  energy,  infusing 
new  life  and  vigor  into  the  parish.  His  first  care  was  the 
school;  he  improved  the  class-rooms,  raised  the  standard  of 
studies,  and  introduced  the  latest  and  most  approved  methods 
of  teaching.  Bishop  O'Farrell  had  some  time  before  contracted 
for  the  new  organ,  but  it  was  Father  McFaul  who  suj^erintended 
its  erection  and  raised  the 
funds  for  its  payment. 

St.  Joseph's  parish.  East 
Trenton,  was  still  attended 
from  the  cathedral,  and  the 
old  building  containing  chajv 
el  and  school  became  too 
small  for  the  rai^idly  growing 
parish.  Father  McFaul,  in 
1 89 1,  erected  a  large  and 
handsome  school.  It  is  a 
three-story  brick  building 
with  brownstoue  trimmings, 
has  eight  large,  well-lighted, 
and  well-ventilated  class- 
room.s,  antl  a  large  hall  on 
the  third  fioor  which  is  now 
being  used  for  a  chapel.  He- 
changed  the  okl  chapel  and 
school  into  a  dwelling-house 
for  the  Sisters  of  Charit\', 
who  up  to  this  time  went 
from  St.  Mary's  e\-ery  day  to 
teach. 

On  November  ist,  1892,  Father  McPViul  was  appointed  vicar- 
general  of  the  diocese.  On  the  death  of  Bishop  O'Farrell,  April 
2d.  1894,  Father  McFaul  was  made  administrator  of  the  diocese, 
and  by  a  papal  brief  dated  Julv  20th  appointed  Bishoj)  of  Trenton, 
to  succeed  his  friend  the  lamented  Bishop  O'F'arrell.  He  still 
continued  as  rector  of  the  cathedral  until  Februar\-  ist,  1895, 
when  he  appointed  the  present  rector,  1-lev.  John  H.  l^'o.x.  Under 
his  supervision  the  improvements  long  contemplated  by  Rt.  Rew 
Bishop  McFaul  were  begun  and  so  successfully  conducted  that 
to-day  the  cathedral  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  churches  in  the 
State. 


S.\CKEU    HEART.  OLD    ST.    JOH.\  S. 
TKEXTOX. 


388  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

As  the  sisters'  house  has  scarcely  sufficient  accommodation 
for  the  present  number  of  sisters,  and  as  it  will  be  soon  necessary 
to  increase  their  number,  the  building  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
Warren  and  Bank  streets,  formerly  the  old  State  Bank,  was  pur- 
chased March  i8th,  1897 

A  new  religious  sisterhood  was  brought  to  Trenton  in  June  of 
the  year  1899  by  Bishop  McFaul, — the  Mission  Helpers,  whose 
mother  house  is  in  Baltimore.  Their  name  gives  some  idea  of 
the  purpose  of  the  institution.  They  are  to  supplement  the  work 
of  the  priest,  to  reach  classes  that  he  cannot  well  reach,  and  espe- 
cially to  look  after  the  colored  people  and  instruct  the  deaf  and 
dumb. 

St.  Mary's  Cathedral  has  been  the  scene  of  many  grand  and 
solemn  ceremonies.  Here  the  first  Bishop  of  Trenton  was  en- 
throned and  received  the  obedience  of  the  clergy  of  his  diocese ; 
here  the  first  Apostolic  Delegate  of  Leo  XHI.  of  the  United 
States  was  received  in  an  official  and  canonical  manner  for  the 
first  time  in  this  country ;  here  the  present  bishop,  Rt.  Rev.  James 
A.  McFaul,  who  had  been  so  long  connected  with  the  parish,  was 
consecrated.  Those  were  occasions  of  great  joy  that  brought 
together  within  the  walls  of  the  cathedral  many  distinguished 
persons  both  of  church  and  state.  There  were  present  at  Bishop 
McFaul's  consecration  three  archbishops,  eleven  bishops,  and 
about  three  hundred  priests,  besides  many  ministers  of  other  de- 
nominations and  men  prominent  in  public  and  professional  life. 
But  these  large  and  distinguished  gatherings  were  not  always  of 
a  joyful  character.  Solemn  and  sorrowful  were  some  of  them. 
It  was  a  sad  assemblage  that  filled  the  cathedral  on  August  14th, 
1888,  when  Bishop  O'Farrell,  surrounded  by  priests  and  people, 
offered  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass  for  the  repose  of  the  soul  of 
Father  Smith,  the  founder  and  for  many  years  pastor  of  St. 
Mary's,  whose  remains  lay  in  state  before  the  altar  at  which  he 
so  often  celebrated.  The  cathedral  was  the  scene  of  a  still  deeper 
and  greater  sorrow  on  the  occasion  of  the  funeral  services  of  the 
first  Bishop  of  Trenton,  the  lamented  Rt.  Rev.  M.  J.  O'Farrell. 
The  presence  of  so  many  high  ecclesiastics,  th-e  great  number  of 
priests,  and  the  large  gathering  of  people  showed  the  esteem  in 
which  the  dead  prelate  was  held,  and  the  sad  countenances  of  all 
told  better  than  the  dark  drapery  of  the  church  the  grief  occa- 
sioned by  his  death. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  389 


Holy  Cross  Church,  Trenton,  N.  J. 

Shortly  after  the  erection  of  the  Immaculate  Conception 
Church,  the  Polish  members  of  the  congregation  resolved  to  form 
a  parish  of  their  own.  They  purchased  ground  on  the  corner  of 
Cass  and  AdeUne  streets,  and  in  1891  erected  a  two-story  brick 
building.  The  upper  story  serves  for  a  chapel,  the  lower  for  a 
school.  The  chapel  was  bles.sed  for  divine  services  by  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  O'Farrell  in  the  latter  part  of  1891.  Their  first  pas- 
tor, under  whose  supervision  the  building  was  erected,  was  Rev. 
Valentine  Swinarski.  Father  Swinarski  labored  zealously  for  the 
parish  till  his  departure  in  the  summer  of  1895.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded in  December  of  that  year  by  the  Rev.  Francis  Czernecki, 
who  is  the  present  rector.  Father  Czernecki  is  doing  excellent 
work  among  his  people,  and  has  a  school  with  a  hundred  and 
twenty  pupils.     The  parish  has  about  one  thousand  members. 


St.  Stanislaus's  Church,  Trenton,  N.  J. 

In  1892  the  Rev.  Stanislaus  Czclusniak  came  to  Trenton,  and 
with  the  approval  of  Bishop  O'Farrell  formed  another  Polish  par- 
ish. A  lot  was  purchased  on  Randall  Avenue  at  the  point  where 
South  Broad  Street  and  Chestnut  Avenue  join.  The  corner- 
stone of  the  new  church  was  laid  by  Bishop  O'Farrell  on  Septem- 
ber nth,  1892,  and  the  dedication  took  place  on  August  29th  of 
the  following  year.  The  church  is  built  of  pressed  brick,  has  two 
large  towers  in  front,  and  can  seat  over  seven  hundred.  It  is 
called  St.  Stanislaus's,  after  Poland's  patron  saint.  Father 
Czclusniak  was  succeeded  in  December,  1893,  by  the  Rev.  Felix 
Baran,  who  remained  till  the  end  of  the  year  1896.  Up  to  this 
time  the  pastors  of  St.  Stanislaus's  were  priests  of  the  Franciscan 
Order.  On  February  20th,  1897,  the  bishop  sent  a  secular  priest. 
Rev.  Julien- Zielinski.  For  two  years  this  young  pastor  labored 
with  untiring  zeal,  and  was  succeeded  in  January,  1899,  by  the 
present  pastor.  Rev.  Matthias  Tarnowski.  Father  Tarnow.ski 
is  an  earnest  and  successful  worker.  The  parochial  school,  which 
for  financial  reasons  was  closed  for  a  time,  has  just  been  reopened. 
It  has  now  about  fifty  pupils.  The  population  of  the  parish  is 
about  one  thousand. 


J96  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


St.  Mary's  (Greek)  Church,  Trenton,  N.  J. 

Among  the  immigrants  that  have  come  to  Trenton  in  recent 
years  are  many  Cathohcs  of  the  Greek  rite.  In  1891  they  consid- 
ered that  they  were  numerous  enough  to  have  a  church  and  pas- 
tor of  their  own,  and  at  their  request  Bishop  O'Farrell  appointed 
the  Rev.  John  Szabo  to  be  their  first  pastor.  He  bought  ground 
on  the  corner  of  Grand  and  Malone  streets,  and  began  at  once  to 
collect  funds  for  the  building  of  a  church.  The  corner-stone  was 
laid  on  April  i6th,  1893,  by  Bishop  O'Farrell,  and  the  church 
was  dedicated  in  September  of  the  same  year.  It  is  a  brick  build- 
ing and  will  accommodate  about  four  hundred  people.  Before 
the  erection  of  this  church,  which  they  called  St.  Mary's,  they 
held  services  in  a  building  on  the  corner  of  South  Broad  and  Cole- 
man streets.  Father  Szabo  left  in  December,  1893,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  Theodore  Damjanovics,  who  remained  till 
Januar)',  1898.  The  next  pastor  was  the  Rev.  John  Csurgovich, 
who  is  still  in  charge  of  the  parish.  He  has  a  school  in  the  b/ase- 
nient  of  the  church  with  fifty  scholars,  and  is  at  present  building 
a  neat  rectory  beside  the  church.  The  parish  numbers  about  four 
hundred  and  fifty. 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  Trenton,  N,  J. 

In  Ai-jril,  1893,  St.  Joseph's  Parish,  East  Trenton,  was  sepa- 
rated from  that  of  St.  Mary's  Cathedral.  The  stone  bridge  on 
North  Clinton  Avenue  was  made  the  boundary  line  between  it 
and  the  mother  parish.  The  first  resident  pastor.  Rev.  John  H. 
Fo.x,  labored  hard  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  parish  until  Feb- 
ruary 1st,  1895,  when  he  was  transferred  to  St.  Mary's  Cathedral. 
He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Bernard  T.  (^'Connell,  who,  owing 
to  ill  healtli,  was  compelled  to  resign  after  one  month.  The  ne.xt 
rector,  Rev.  Michael  O'Reilley,  remained  for  three  years  and  a 
half,  during  which  time  he  proved  to  be  an  earnest  worker.  He 
was  followed  in  September,  1898,  by  the  present  rector,  Rev. 
Henry  A.  Ward.  Father  Ward  is  an  energetic  clergyman,  and 
hopes  before  long  to  lay  the  foundation  of  a  new  church.  He  has 
recently  purchased  a  house  for  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  and  changed 
the  one  formerl}-  occupied  by  the  sisters  into  a  rectory.  St. 
Joseph's  has  a  population  of  two  thousand  and  a  parochial  school 
with  three  hundred  and  thirty  scholars. 


IN    NKW   JERSEY  391 

Trenton  will  soon  have  another  Catholic  church.  The  Slavs 
have  already  purchased  a  site  in  South  Trenton,  upon  which  they 
expect  to  erect  a  church  during  the  coming  year,  and  in  the  fall 
of  1903  the  Italians,  who  now  are  sufficiently  numerous,  followed 
the  example  of  the  Catholics  of  other  nationalities  and  erected  a 
church  of  their  own. 


St.  Francis's  Hospital. 

The  Catholic  Church  is  the  mother  of  Christian  charity;  her 
history  is  the  history  of  organized  charity.  She  was  the  first  to 
conceive  the  idea  of  founding  hospitals  for  the  sick  and  afflicted, 
and  homes  for  the  orphan,  the  aged,  and  the  abandoned.  That 
these  institutions  might  become  permanent,  she  established  relig- 
ious orders  of  women  who  give  up  the  world  and  devote  them- 
selves entirely  to  these  works  of  charity.  It  is  not  surprising  then 
to  find  the  Catholic  Church  founding  the  first  hospital  in  Tren- 
ton. In  1 871  the  Sisters  of  St.  Francis,  whose  mother  house  is  in 
Philadelphia,  purchased  a  beautiful  site  on  Chambers  Street,  cor- 
ner of  Hamilton  Avenue.  The  foundation  was  begun  October 
15th  of  that  year,  and  the  hospital  was  dedicated  May  31st,  1874, 
by  the  Rt.  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan,  then  Bishop  of  Newark,  and  later 
Archbishop  of  New  York.  In  1880  a  chapel  was  added  to  the 
hospital  for  the  use  of  the  sisters  and  the  convalescent  patients 
who  might  wish  to  attend  religious  services.  In  the  same  year  a 
house  was  erected  at  some  distance  from  the  main  building  for 
contagious  diseases.  In  1888  additional  land  was  purchased,  and 
in  1896  a  large  wing  was  added.  This  new  building  has  one  of 
the  finest  and  most  completely  equipped  operating-rooms  in  this 
country.  An  idea  of  the  work  accomplished  by  this  hospital  may 
be  obtained  from  the  report.  The  number  of  patients  admitted 
to  the  hospital  during  the  year  was  1,120,  number  of  opera- 
tions performed  212,  and  the  number  of  outside  patients  who 
received  free  treatment  at  the  hospital  dispensary  over  3,000. 
The  doors  are  open  to  all  needy  sufferers,  without  distinction  of 
creed  or  color. 

It  is  seen  from  this  sketch  that  the  Catholic  Church  in  Tren- 
ton has  grown  during  a  century  from  a  few  members  to  nearly 
16,000.  While  a  large  part  of  this  increase  is  due  to  Catholic 
immigration,  the  natural  growth  has  also  been  great.  A  little 
more  than  half  a  century  ago  one  small  church  accommodated  all 
the  Catholics  of  the  city;   to-day  there  are   eight  churches,  of 


392  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

which  three  at  least  are  unusually  large  and  imposing  structures. 
All  these  parishes  are  well-organized  and  equipped,  having  each 
its  own  school  for  the  children  and  religious  societies  for  the 
adults.  If  under  less  favorable  conditions  the  Church  has  grown 
and  prospered  so  greatly  in  the  past,  will  not  its  future  growth  in 
nunii^ers  and  influence  be  far  ureater.'' 


Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Bridgeton,  N.  J. 

The  history  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  Bridgeton  is 
closely  connected  with  the  growth  of  the  city.  When  in  the  year 
1865  Mrs.  Charles  Miller,  of  Deerfield,  whose  name  will  long  be 
held  in  memory  by  the  people  of  the  parish,  presented  the  valu- 
able lot  on  the  corner  of  North  Pearl  and  North  streets,  it  was 
surrounded  by  cornfields  and  was  considered  far  out  in  the  coun- 
try. Now  the  trend  of  the  city's  growth  is  such  that  handsome 
residences  have  been  built  in  great  numbers  around  the  church 
property.  The  Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  was  built 
in  1866  by  Rev.  Martin  Gessner,  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  Eliza- 
beth, N.  J.,  and  was  dedicated  by  the  Rt.  l-^ev.  James  Roosevelt 
Bayley,  in  June,  1867.  Previous  to  that  time  services  were  held 
in  private  houses,  and  later  in  Grosscup's  Hall  and  Carl's  Hall, 
near  Commerce  Street  bridge,  the  officiating  clergymen  coming 
once  a  month  from  the  Redemptorist  Church  of  St.  Peter  at  Fifth 
and  Grand  streets,  Philadelphia. 

There  were  up  to  this  time  in  Bridgeton  and  the  surrounding 
districts  but  twenty-five  or  thirty  Roman  Catholic  families,  but 
the  little  flock  gradually  increased  and  at  the  present  time  there 
are  over  700  communicants. 

Father  Gessner  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Father  Degen,  who 
built  the  rectory  and  made  other  improvements.  He  was  trans- 
ferred to  Cape  May  in  1878,  where  he  labored  assiduously  until 
November  ist,  19CXD,  when  he  died. 

Father  Vivet  attended  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  parish  for 
a  short  period,  and  was  succeeded  in  1879  by  the  Rev.  Father 
Mulligan,  who  is  now  Dean  of  the  southern  counties  of  the  Dio- 
cese of  Trenton,  and  pastor  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  Church, 
Camden,  N.  J. 

During  Father  Mulligan's  pastorate  the  cemetery  was  bought, 
and  after  four  years  of  faithful  labor  he  was  transferred  to  New 
Brunswick.  Following  Father  Mulligan,  the  Rev.  D.  D.  Duggan 
was  assigned  to  the  rectorship  of  the  parish  and  after  two  years 


IN    NKW    JERSEY 


393 


transferred  to  Mount  Holly,  and  is  now  rector  of  St.  Mary's 
Church,  Bordentown,  N.  J. 

The  Rev.  Father  Walsh  succeeded,  and  after  four  years  was 
compelled,  owing  to  his  ill  health,  to  give  up  the  charge.  He 
died  at  West  End,  N.  J.,  December,  1890. 

Father  Petri,  now  of  Atlantic  City,  was  the  next  rector,  and 
during  his  rectorship  the  spiritual  and  temporal  welfare  of  the 
people  was  attended  with  \-ery  fruitful  results.  The  Rev.  Father 
O'Farrell  followed  iii  the  spring  of  1894,  and  for  nearly  seven 
years  looked  after  the  affairs  of  the  parish.  During  his  pastorate 
the  St.  Mary's  Lyceum  was  built.  His  successor  was  the  Rev. 
Father  Gammel,  now  of  Sacred  Heart  Church,  Vineland,  N.  J., 
who  in  turn  was  succeeded.  May  29th,  1901,  by  Rev,  M.  J. 
Hagerty,  D.D.,  the  present  incumbent. 


St.  Joseph's  Church,  Guttenberg,  N.  J. 

The  hamlet  situated  in  the  northern  part  of  Hudson  County, 
which  was  first  occupied  by  German  refugees  of  1848,  was  named 
for  the  inventor  of  printing,  probably  wnth  a  little  side  slap  at  the 
old    barbarism    of    autocratic 
Europe    to  be   superseded  by 
American    independence,   yet 
so  that  the  politico-irreligious 
spirit  of  1848  becoming  mani- 
fest in  this  enlightened  name, 
should  be  quickened  and  kept 
alive  by  the  two  breweries  that 
were    soon    to    decorate   and 
"  benefit "    both    the    eastern 
and  the  western  end  of  Gut- 
tenberg. 

Yet  the  zealous  mission- 
aries of  Hudson  County  were 
not  afraid  of  a  little  infidelity 

and  unfriendliness,  and  previous  to  1865  pious  and  dutiful  priests 
came  to  say  Mass  in  the  upper  portion  of  Hudson  County  at  the 
residence  of  Mrs.  Jane  Minnix,  a  pious  Catholic  matron,  who 
furnished  candles  and  other  requisites  for  the  Holy  Sacrifice. 

These  sundry  acts  of  courage  and  zeal  found  soon  their  reward 
in  a  turn  of  public  opinion,  and  since  Guttenberg  had  become  an 
independent  borough  it  had  its  town  hall,  and  so  generously  and 


OLD   CHURCH,    GUTTENBERG. 


394  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

hospitably  loaned  it  to  the  Catholics  when  they  had  a  priest  to 
minister  to  them  on  Sundays.  The  old  school-house  on  Franklin 
Avenue  also  was  many  times  sanctified  by  the  Eucharistic  Sac- 
rifice. 

The  spirit  of  faith  and  charity  cannot  be  kept  from  its  super- 
natural Catholic  expansion,  and  it  soon  found  vent  in  the  efforts 
that  were  made  by  the  faithful  of  Guttenberg"  and  vicinity  toward 
raising"  a  church  building  fund.  "  Fear  not,  ye  little  flock,"  it  had 
been  said,  and  God's  blessing  and  man's  generosity  enabled  the 
Catholics  to  build  a  church  and  to  have  it  blessed  in  1865  by 
Bishop  Bayley.  In  1863  the  seed  had  been  sown  that  now  bore 
its  first  sweet  fruit,  St.  Joseph's  brick  church. 

The  faithful  and  dutiful  sons  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  had 
evangelized  the  upper  portion  of  Hudson  County,  and  one  of  their 
number  took  charge  of  the  new  congregation,  yet  he  resided  in  the 
monastery  at  West  Hoboken.  Rev.  Timothy  Pacetti,  C.P.,  was 
the  first  pastor  of  the  parish. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  West  Hoboken — dear  old  St.  Mary's,  as 
the  loving  pioneers  used  to  call  it — was  the  mother  church  of 
Guttenberg".  Hence  previous  to  1885  all  records  concerning  the 
sacraments  of  baptism  and  matrimony  were  kept  there. 

P^ather  Timothy  served  St.  Joseph's  from  March  12th  until 
the  end  of  1865.  From  January  ist,  1866,  until  July  25th,  1869, 
the  following  Passionist  Fathers  alternately  attended  to  the  spirit- 
ual wants  of  St.  Joseph's  congregation:  the  Revs.  Vitalian  Lilla, 
Philip  Birk,  Stanislaus  Parezyck,  Timothy  Pacetti,  Andrew 
McGorgan,  Ildephonsus  Obach,  Nilus  Nostrajanni,  John  B.  Bau- 
dinelli,  and  paved  the  way  toward  an  event  great  in  the  begin- 
nings of  every  parish.  August  ist,  1869,  welcomed  the  first  resi- 
dent pastor,  in  the  person  of  the  Rev.  Eusebius  Sotis,  C.P.,  who 
built  the  rectory,  a  frame  structure,  19  by  30  feet,  stone  base- 
ment and  two  stories,  in  1875.  July,  1876,  Father  Eusebius 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Michael  J.  Kerwin,  a  priest  of  the 
diocese,  who  was  subsequently  transferred  to  St.  Mary's,  at  East 
Orange. 

Rev.  John  M.  Giraud  administered  the  parish  from  Septem- 
ber 25th,  1877,  until  July  ist,  1880.  He  also  attended  the  chapel 
at  Shadyside.  Father  Giraud  was  a  man  of  great  activity,  zeal, 
patience,  and  perseverance.  His  resources  were  slender,  but  the 
improvements  were  remarkable.  The  high  altar  which  for  years 
served  in  the  brick  church  was  his  handiwork.  His  zeal  and  for- 
titude found  their  reward  even  in  this  world,  where  the  eternal 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


395 


Pastor  vouchsafed  him  the  vocation  of  St.  Ignatius's  sons.     Father 
Giraud  is  now  a  Jesuit  and  attends  Blackwell's  Island. 

Rev.  Francis  O'Neill  succeeded  him,  and  built  a  frame  school, 
70  by  35  feet,  which  served  at  the  same  time  as  the  sisters'  resi- 
dence. Four  Sisters  of  St.  Francis,  belonging  to  the  mother 
house  of  Peekskill,  N.  Y.,  conducted  the  pai"()chial  school. 

Rev.  Joseph  II.  I  lill  was  jxistor  from  December  14th,  1890. 
until  August  2d,  1898.  During  this  pastorate  a  frame  church 
was  built  for  German-speaking  Catholics  in  West  New  York. 
But  the  number  of  parishioners  kept  on  increasing,  so  that  the 
withdrawal  of  the  former  at- 
tendants was  soon  made  up  b\' 
new-comers. 

A  greater  increase  was  to 
be  witnessed  during  the  in- 
cumbenc)'  of  Rev.  A.  M. 
Kammer,  who  t(K)k  charge  on 
August  loth,  1898,  so  much 
so  that  a  third  Mass  became 
an  absolute  necessity  on  Sun- 
days, in  order  to  give  the  chil- 
dren an  opportunit}'  of  hearing 
Mass;  and  in  1902  definite 
steps  were  taken  toward  build- 
ing a  new  church. 

The  sisters'  residence, 
which  was  built  on  Si.xth  Street  in  1899,  62  by  25  feet,  a  com- 
fortable frame  house,  was  in  October,  1903,  removed  to  its  new 
site  in  West  New  York,  corner  of  Twenty-first  Street  and 
Palisade  Avenue,  opposite  the  new  church,  St.  Joseph's  of  the 
Palisades. 

The  dear  old  brick  church,  dear  to  so  many  Catholic  hearts 
in  North  Hudson,  was  found  to  be  "eccentric"  in  the  literal 
sense  of  the  word ;  out  of  place,  viz.,  in  the  northern  extremity 
of  the  parish.  Fourteen  town  lots  in  West  New  York  were 
purchased  from  Mr.  Herman  Walker,  former  mayor  of  Gutten- 
berg. 

Ground  was  broken  on  March  2d,  1903,  the  first  blasting 
begun  April  4th.  and  the  first  stone  of  the  basement  was  laid 
May  I  St. 

The  new  church,  St.  Josephs'  of  the  Palisades,  is  built  of  blue 
trap  rock  of  the  Palisades,  with  white  trimmings;  corners,  jambs, 


CHURCH   OF   ST.   JOSEPH   OF   THE 
PALISADES,    GUTTENKERG. 


396  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

arches,  and  cornice  of  white  stone  quarried  at  Richfield,  also  on 
the  Palisades.  The  edifice  is  being  erected  in  the  Lombard 
Romanesque  style,  144  by  56  feet,  with  two  large  towers,  and  rec- 
tory of  the  same  stone  adjacent,  of  the  dimensions  of  25  by  54 
feet,  basement  and  three  stories. 

The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  a  beautiful  Sunday,  September 
13th,  1903,  by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  O'Connor,  attended  by  the  pastor. 
Rev.  A.  M.  Kammer,  Rev.  Joseph  Bloem  assistant.  Rev.  Thomas 
A.  Wallace  chancellor.  Rev.  William  McLaughlin,  who  preached 
the  sermon.  Rev.  Andrew  Kenny,  C.P.,  Rev.  J.  J.  Cunnelly, 
Rev.  J.J.  Flanigan,  Rev.  P.  D.  Lill,  Rev.  John  Rongetti,  Rev.  L. 
Hofschneider,  and  Rev.  Walter  A.  Purcell,  in  presence  of  more 
than  two  thousand  people. 

The  vicinity  of  New  York  City  and  the  great  accommodation 
of  electric  street-cars  will  undoubtedly  soon  raise  this  parish  to 
great  importance  in  Hudson  County. 

St.  Cecilia's  Church,  Englewood,  N.  J. 

In  the  year  1866  the  Rev.  Dr.  Brann,  now  pastor  of  St. 
Agnes's  Church,  New  York  City,  established  St.  Cecilia's  Church 
in  Englewood,  N.  J.  Prior  to  the  inception  of  this  church  there 
was  no  resident  pastor  in  Englewood,  nor  did  any  take  up  a  regu- 
lar residence  within  the  parish  limits  until  1 868,  when  it  was  placed 
in  charge  of  the  Carmelite  Fathers  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  James  Roose- 
velt Bayley,  D.D.,  who  was  at  that  time  bishop  of  the  diocese. 
Rev.  Father  A.  J.  Smits,  O.C.C,  became  the  first  resident  pas- 
tor of  the  parish.  In  1872  he  enlarged  the  church,  and  in  1874 
established  a  parochial  school  on  the  church  property,  which  was 
used  effectually  and  did  good  service  until  about  a  year  ago.  An 
addition  was  made  to  the  church  in  1 878,  and  from  that  time  the 
congregation  grew  so  rapidly  that  in  1884  Father  Theo.  J. 
McDonald,  O.C.C,  the  present  pastor,  found  it  necessary  to  double 
its  capacity  in  order  to  accommodate  its  members.  The  pupils  of 
the  school  increased  in  numbers  from  its  inception,  and  a  few 
years  ago  Father  McDonald  saw  that  he  could  not,  with  the  pres- 
ent seating  capacity  of  the  school,  accommodate  the  children. 
He  therefore  caused  to  be  erected  the  beautiful  stone  building 
which  in  every  detail  is  modern  and  stands  as  a  living  memo- 
rial to  his  faithful  efforts  in  this  community.  The  school  is  built  of 
cut  stone  and  is  erected  to  accommodate  six  hundred  children. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  May  2d,  1901,  and  the  dedication  cere- 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  397 

monies  were  held  January  19th,  1902,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  J. 
O'Connor,  D.D.,  bishop  of  this  diocese. 

Connected  with  St.  Ceciha's  Church  in  the  same  parish,  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  north,  a  church  was  erected  at  Tenafly  in  1873. 
The  first  pastor  was  Father  Paganini,  who,  after  a  few  years  of 
hard  labor,  was  succeeded  by  Father  Cannon,  who  remained  as 
rector  until  the  church  was  returned  to  the  Carmelite  Fathers  in 
the  year  1 878.  This  church  had  its  own  difficulties  and  met  with 
considerable  uphill  work.  It  appeared  so  difficult  to  instruct  the 
children  in  the  Christian  doctrine  that  the  pastor  then  in  charge, 
in  order  to  facilitate  his  work,  fitted  up  the  parochial  residence  as 
a  school.  In  1889  an  addition  was  made  to  it  and  it  was  built 
sufficiently  large  to  accommodate  the  children.  It  is  in  charge  of 
the  Sisters  of  Charity  from  Englewood.  The  necessity  for  this 
school  was  thoroughly  understood  by  Mother  Xavier,  the  Supe- 
rior of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  who  realized  the  conditions  that 
existed  and  the  great  need  for  the  school  in  that  vicinity.  It 
was,  indeed,  from  a  financial  standpoint,  in  a  poor  condition,  and 
one  of  the  sisters  who  was  assigned  to  officiate  at  the  school  was 
sent  by  Mother  Xavier  free  of  charge  for  many  years. 

Rev.  Father  McDonald,  the  present  pastor,  has  endeared  him- 
self to  the  entire  community  through  his  efforts  and  good  work 
in  the  parish. 

St.  Nicholas's  Church,  Egg  Harbor  City. 

The  mission  of  Egg  Harbor  City  was  for  many  years  attended 
from  Millville,  and  was  incorporated  February  14th,  1866.  The 
Rev.  Joseph  Thurnes  was  the  first  resident  pastor,  August  12th, 
1866,  and  during  his  administration  were  built  the  school  and  rec- 
tory. His  successor,  November  14th,  1878,  was  the  Rev.  An- 
thony Hechinger,  who  came  to  the  Diocese  of  Newark  from 
Rochester.  The  Diocesan  Register  has  this  record  of  him  :  "  He 
reduced  the  debts,  and  reduced  the  congregation  by  his  uncon- 
genial temper."  He  was  transferred  to  Greenville  when  its  pas- 
tor. Father  Mendl,  left  to  join  the  Redemptorists.  He  ultimately 
left  the  diocese  and  returned  to  Rochester,  where  he  died  some 
years  ago.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Esser,  born  in  Neuss,  near  Cologne, 
September  19th,  1851,  educated  at  the  University  of  Bonn  and 
the  American  College,  Munster,  ordained  priest  December  19th, 
1874,  assistant  at  St.  Joseph's,  Jersey  City,  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  parish,  November  ist,  1878.     His  pastorate  effected  much 


398 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


good.  He  paid  off  the  debts,  decorated  the  church,  and  brought 
peace  and  piety  to  the  parish.  He  was  thrown  out  of  his  carriage, 
April  5th,  1885,  and  died  twenty-two  days  after,  much  regretted 
and  mourned  by  all  classes.  The  present  pastor,  the  Rev.  An- 
thony von  Riel,  was  appointed  June  12th,  1885.  In  1893  he  in- 
stalled three  Sisters  of  St.  Francis,  from  Glen  Riddle,  Pa.,  as 
teachers  in  his  school. 


St.  Joseph's  Church,  Newark. 

The  first  steps  to  organize  the  Catholics  in  the  growing  sec- 
tion of  Newark  called  the  "  Hill  "  were  taken  by  the  pastor  of  the 
cathedral,  Father  McOuaid,  who  bought  the  land  and  erected  a 
combination  church  and  school  in  1859.     For  nine  \ears  this  was 


*      *> 


— 

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M  J-  •--^' 

MM 


11 


k 


ST.  Joseph's  church,  newakk. 

a  portion  of  St.  Patrick's  parish  and  attended  b}-  the  priests  con- 
nected with  it,  until  the  Rev.  James  V .  Dalton,  of  the  cathedral, 
was  appointed  i)astor.  I'^ither  Dalton  was  born  in  New  York 
City,  ediu-ated  in  St.  Charles's,  Maryland,  anil  made  his  theology 
at  Seton  Hall,  where  he  was  ordained  June  24th,  1865.  He  was 
very  much  beloved  both  as  assistant  and  pastor,  and  despite  his 
delicate  state  of  health  he  accomplished  very  much  for  his  flock. 
On  a  trip  to  Ireland  he  brought  over  a  stone  for  the  contemplated 
new  church  from  the  historic  vale  of  Glendalough,  which  was 
laid   with  great   })omp  and   ceremony  Thanksgiving  Day,    1872. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  399 

The  orator  of  the  occasion  was  the  great  Dominican,  Father 
"Tom"  Burke,  who  electrified  his  vast  auditory  by  one  of  his 
most  splendid  oratorical  efforts.  The  enthusiastic  greeting  given 
to  this  distinguished  scholar  and  priest,  who  had  utterly  annihilated 
and  put  to  ignominious  flight  James  Anthony  Froude,  the  ma- 
ligner  of  the  Irish  race  and  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  was  a  sight  to 
be  witnessed  but  once  in  a  generation  and  never  to  be  forgotten. 
July  I  St,  1876,  Father  Dalton  was  transferred  to  St  Mary's, 
Bayonne,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Re\'.  Thomas  J.  Toomey. 
Father  Toomey  was  born  in  Piermont,  N.  Y.,  March  23d,  1848. 
His  studies,  begun  at  St.  Mary's,  Wilmington,  Del.,  and  continued 
at  St.  Charles's,  Maryland,  were  completed  at  Seton  Hall,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  '69.  He  was  ordained  in 
Seton  Hall  Seminary,  June  7th,  1873,  and  discharged  for  a  time 
the  duties  of  prefect  in  the  college.  In  March,  1874,  he  was 
named  assistant  at  the  cathedral,  where  he  served  until  July  ist, 
1876.  With  great  reluctance  he  obeyed  the  voice  of  his  superior, 
as  he  realized  the  difficulty  of  supplanting  Father  Dalton  in  the 
affection  which  his  flock  bore  him.  Notwithstanding  his  diffi- 
dence and  a  certain  timidity  in  his  character,  he  went  to  work  Cjui- 
etly  and  unoi:)trusively,  and  the  congregation  had  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  their  beautiful  new  church  dedicated  April  18th,  1880. 
Monsignor  Doane,  in  his  sermon,  referred  to  the  rapid  growth  of 
Catholicity  in  Nqwark.  "  Many  were  still  alive  and  doubtless  pres- 
ent who  remembered  when  they  had  to  worship  in  a  humble  room 
with  an  improvised  altar.  They  had  not  forgotten  that  man  of 
all  men,  Father  Moran,  the  pastor  of  St.  John's — the  mother  of 
all  the  Newark  churches  Somebody  had  said  to  the  preacher 
the  other  day  that  there  were  no  longer  such  priests  as  Father 
Moran.  The  Monsignor  was  cjuite  unwilling  to  admit  that,  and 
he  was  quite  sure  the  other  clergy  would  be  loath  to  admit  it. 
They  were  all  willing  to  give  the  chaplet  of  superiority  to  Father 
Moran.  What  wonder  that  with  such  a  man  to  sow  the  seed  the 
harvest  has  been  so  abundant !  This  church  is  associated  with 
my  ministr)-,  for  I  used  to  say  Mass  here  in  the  first  days  of  the 
parish." 

In  1885  Father  Toomey  built  the  rectory,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1894  the  spacious  and  imposing  school  was  opened.  When  he 
died,  February  15th,  1894,  with  all  the  improvements  made  by 
him.  Father  Toomey  left  only  $50,000  debt  on  the  parish.  His 
successor,  who  lived  little  more  than  a  year,  was  the  Rev,  Peter 
J.  O'Donnell.     Father  O'Donnell,  born  in  Sligo,  Ireland,  Decem- 


400  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

ber  14th,  1854,  made  his  preparatory  studies  in  St.  Francis  Xavier's, 
New  York,  and  later  in  Seton  Hall.     He  finished  his  theological 
course  in  the  Collegio  Brignole-Sale,  Genoa,  and  was  ordained  in 
the  Cathedral  of  Genoa,  June  7th,  1879.     His  priestly  ministry  was 
exercised  in  St.  John's,  Orange,  during  eleven  years,  and  in  Hack- 
ensack,  of  which  he  was  made  pastor,  January  6th,  1890.     He  died 
of  pneumonia,  (3ctober  19th,  1895,  and  is  buried  in  the  Hudson 
County  Catholic  Cemetery.    His  successor  was  the  Very  Rev.  John 
J.  O'Connor,  the  present  Bishoj)  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark.     On 
his  return  to  the  diocese,  after  his  ordination,  December  22d,  1877, 
Father  O'Connor  was  appointed  professor  in  Seton  Hall  and  in  the 
diocesan  seminary.     On  the  death  of  the  Very  Rev.  \V.  P.  Salt, 
V.G.,  he  was  named  vicar-general,  and  after  the  death  of  Bishop 
Wigger  he  became  administrator  of  the  diocese.     From  the  time 
of  his  appointment  to  his  new  field  of  labor,  October  30th,  1895,  to 
the  day  of  his  elevation  to  the  greater  dignit)'  and  responsibility  of 
Bishop  of  Newark,  Bishop  O'Connor's  administration  was  marked 
by  quiet  but  effective  work,  stimulating  to  greater  spiritual  ad- 
vancement,   lessening   the   debt,   and   perfecting   the    work   and 
methods  in    the   school.     The    Re\'.    George   \V.    Corrigan  was 
appointed  by   the  new  bishop   to  be   his   successor    in    St.   Jo- 
seph's.    Father  "George  "was  born  in   Newark,  N.  J.,  October 
20th,  1849,  and  is  the  third  of  that  illustrious  family  who,  raised 
to  the  priesthood,  ha\e  made  their  name  monumental   by  reason 
of  the  signal  services  rendered  to  religion  in  this  diocese  ])y  this 
trinity  of  zealous  and  devoted  brothers.     His  studies  were  made 
in  that  ancient  nursery  of  priests,  the  "  Mountain,"  at  St.  Sulpice, 
Paris,  and  at  Seton  Hall,  where  he  was  ordained  August  15th, 
1874.     These  pages  have  already  recorded  what  Father  "  George  " 
has  accomplished  in  Newton,  Franklin  Furnace,  Deckertown,  Mil- 
burn,  and  St.  Agnes's,  Paterson.     With   never  a  thought  of  self 
he  has  given  himself  entirely  to  his  work,  and  in  a  marked  degree 
to  the  young  men  and  the  school.     If  the  fullest  success  has  not 
crowned  his  efforts,  it   surely  was  through   no  fault  of  his,  for 
he  has  thrown  himself  into  his  work  with  a  heartiness  and  abandon 
which   others   might  admire  but  did   not  dare  imitate.     Bishop 
O'Connor  recognized  his  devoted  labor  in  the  cause  of  religion 
for  over  twenty  years  by  making  him  a  permanent  rector,  July 
1st,  1901.     The  following  priests  have  served  as  assistants  in  St. 
Joseph's: 

Rev.  Nicholas  Molloy,  June,  1S73.  to  August.  1S75. 
Rev.  J.  M.  Giraud,  August,  uSyc;,  to  December,  1S76. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  401 

Rev.  M.  A.  McManus,  Uecember,  1S76.  to  November.  1877. 

Rev.  A.  M.  Schecken.  November.  1S77.  to  January.  1879. 

Rev.  M.  j.  Holland.  fn)m  January.  1S79.  to  August,  1879. 

Rev.  M.  r.  O'Connor,  .\ugust.  1879,  to  April,  1SS2. 

Rev.  1'.  F.  J.  Connolly.  August,  1882,  to  May.  1S90. 

Rev.  H.  C.  Phelan.  D.D..  October,  1887.  to  February.  1S93. 

Rev.  T.  A.  Conroy,  July.  1890,  to  August.  1901. 

Rev.  Th.  N.  Stanton,  March,  1893,  to  December.  1893. 

Rev.  James  Mulhall,  June.  1S93,  to  F^ebruary,  1901. 

Rev.  E.  M.  0"Malley.  February.  1901.  to  July.  1903. 

Rev.  M.  P.  Corcoran.  July,  1901. 

Rev.  E.  F.  Quirk.  July.  1903. 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  Paterson,  N.  J. 

The  property  on  which  the  fir.st  church  \va,s  opened  for  the 
convenience  of  the  Catholics  Hving-  in  the  southeastern  section  of 
Paterson  was  purchased  by  the  trustees  of  St.  Jolm's  Cliurch,  on 


ST.    JOSEPH  S   CHURCH,    PATERSON. 


Broadway,  January  28th,  1867.  A  stable  in  the  rear  was  converted 
into  a  church,  where  Mass  was  celebrated  for  eight  years  and  six 
months  by  a  priest  from  the  mother  church.  August  ist,  1895, 
it  was  detached  from  St.  John's,  becoming  an  independent  parish, 
26 


402  THK    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

with  the  Rev.  Nicholas  Molloy  as  first  resident  pastor.     Father 
Molloy  was  educated  in  the  College  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  Lisbon, 
Portugal,  was  ordained  for  the  diocese  of  Liverpool,  England,  and 
was  received  in  this  diocese,  May,  1 873.     He  remodelled  the  chapel, 
and  built  the  combination  school  and  church  on  a  more  central 
site,  on  Market  Street  near  Carroll,  in  1877.     He  died  June  23d, 
1880,  and  is  buried  in  Calvary  Cemetery.     July  ist,  1880,  the  Rev. 
Sebastian  Smith,  D.D.,  was  assigned  to  this  field,  and,  although 
more  of  a  student  than  an  administrator,  he  purchased  additional 
ground,  built   the   stone  church  and   rector)',  and  improved   the 
school.     He  published  various  works  on  canon  law,  and  died  while 
on  a  vacation  for  his  health,  alone  and  unknown,  in  a  hospital  in 
Havana,  Cuba.     By  the  merest  chance  his  bishop  was  informed 
of  his  death,  and  his  remains  were  interred  among  strangers  until 
long  after  the  close  of  the  Spanish  war,  when  the\-,  together  with 
the  remains  of  the  sailors  of  the  unfortunate  Alainc,  were  brought 
North.     In  March,  1895,  the  Rev.  Charles  P.  Gillin  was  appointed 
rector.     Father  Gillin,  born  June  27th,  1847,  made  his  theological 
studies  in  Seton  Hall,  and  was  ordained  in  the  cathedral,  Newark, 
June   15th,  1878.     He  discharged  the  duties  of  assistant  in  St. 
Patrick's,  Elizabeth,  and  St.   Mar)''s,  Plainfield,  until  December 
1st,  1883,  when  he  was  made  pastor  of  Mount   Hope.     He  was 
transferred   to   St.    Lucy's,   Jersey   City,  August,   1888.     Father 
Gillin  in  1898  built  a  more  commodious  brick  and  stone  rectory, 
and  in   1900  the  old  rectory  was  enlarged  and  converted  into  a 
convent.     All  these  buildings  fell  a  prey  to  the  destructive  fire 
which  visited  Paterson  Sunday,  February  9th,  1902,  and  destroyed 
millions  of  dollars  of  property.     Undismayed  by  their  terrible 
loss  the  congregation  purchased  additional  property,  and  erected  a 
fine  school,  in  which  they  assembled  for  divine  service  during  the 
restoration  and  rebuilding  of  the  church.     It  should  be  recorded 
that  the  flock  of  St.  Joseph's  received  from  every  side  the  sym- 
pathy of  all,  irrespective  of  their  creed.     Some  religious  bodies 
tendered  to  them  the  use  of  their  church,  and  the  city  placed  at 
their  disposal  the  national  guard  armory,  which   was  used  for 
divine  service  until  the  hall  in  the  school  was  ready.     The  rectory 
has  been  rebuilt  and  the  church  is  approaching  completion      The 
following  priests  have  been  identified  with  the  parish: 

Assistants. 
Rev.  J.  F.  Brady,  August,  1879,  to  P'ebruary,  1880. 
Rev.  M.  S.  Callan,  June,  1884,  to  June,  18S5. 
Rev.  E.  A.  Kelly,  June.  1885,  to  November,  1886. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  403 

Rev.  J.  E.  McAvoy,  November,  1886,  to  January,  1888. 

Rev.  Henry  Murphy,  November,  1889,  to  September,  1893. 

Rev.  P.  F.  Kirwan,  January,  1894,  to  March,  1894. 

Rev.  J.  J.  Maher,  May,  1894,  to  September,  1894. 

Rev.  J.  F.  Brown,  October,  1894,  to  May,  1896. 

Rev.  J.  P.  Hangley,  May,  1896,  to  January.  1898. 

Rev.  E.  M.  O  Donnell,  January,  1898,  to  November,  1899. 

Rev.  J.  F.  Keenahan,  November,  1899,  to  May,  1901. 

Rev.  I).  J.  Brady,  May.  1901,  to  July.  1903. 

Rev.  1'.  .AI.  Schoenen,  August.  1900-1903. 

Rev.  E.  M.  O'Malley.  July,  1903. 

Rev.  Owen  Clark,  1903. 

St.  Bernard's  Church,  Mount  Hope,  Morris  Co.,  N.  J. 

In  1 861  the  Rew  heather  Callan,  of  St.  Mary's,  Dover,  built  a 
hall  for  the  Catholic  congregation  of  Mount  Hope,  which  until 
then  had  attended  Ma.ss  at  pri\ate  houses,  at  the  point  where  the 
Mount  Hope  road  branches  off  from  the  Rockavva}'  and  Port  Oram 
road.  In  this  hall  Mass  was  said  once  a  month.  For  the  week 
days  it  was  rented  to  the  trustees  of  the  school  district. 

In  1869  the  Rev.  B.  Ouinn,  of  Dover,  built  St.  Bernard's 
Church  where  it  now  is,  on  a  plot  donated  by  John  Corrigan,  at  a 
cost  of  $2,200. 

On  the  i6th  of  September,  1875,  the  Rev.  Michael  Connolly, 
of  St.  Mary's,  bought  for  $110  a  i^lot  of  ground  of  about  three 
acres,  on  which  there  was  a  small  hall  used  by  the  A.  O.  H.  for 
meetings,  about  one-half  mile  away  from  the  church  toward 
Rockaway. 

About  November  ist,  1875,  the  Rev.  Walter  M.  Fleming 
was  appointed  hrst  resident  pastor  of  St.  Bernard's  Church.  He 
lost  no  time  in  building  the  present  rectory  for  $4,200. 

This  good,  simple,  generous  flock  have  never  failed  to  contribute 
to  the  support  of  their  church  and  priest  out  of  tlieir  earnings, 
scanty  enough  in  the  most  prosperous  times.  The  main  industry 
is  mining,  and  as  the  market  for  iron  rises  or  falls,  so  do  the  hard- 
working miners  fare  ill  or  well.  Father  Schneider  visited  the 
Catholics  at  Mount  Hope  as  early  as  October,  1774,  and,  judging 
from  the  number  of  baptisms  administered  by  him  until  1781, 
there  must  have  been  at  least  two  score  Catholic  families  in  this 
^dcinity.     To-day  there  is  barely  a  trace  of  their  descendants. 

The  Rev.  Patrick  McGahan,  born  in  Cully  Hannah,  county 
Armagh,  Ireland,  June  29th,  1850,  educated  at  Mount  Melleray 
and  St.  Nicholas's  Seminary,   Belgium,  was   ordained   priest  in 


404  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Louvain,  May  22d,  1875.  He  labored  in  St.  Bridget's,  Jersey- 
City,  St.  John's,  Trenton,  and  St.  John's,  Paterson.  He  was 
appointed  to  Mount  Hope  F'ebruary  19th,  1883,  was  acting  pastor 
of  the  Poles  in  Jersey  City,  and  died  in  St.  Vincent's  Hospital, 
New  York,  July  22d,  1894. 

Father  McGahan,  shortly  after  coming  to  Mount  Hope, 
enlarged  the  hall  of  the  A.  O.  H.  and  engaged  the  Sisters  of 
Charity  to  teach ;  they  lived  in  a  rented  house.  Father  Gillin 
first  bought  a  house  for  them  where  the  Whitemeadow  road 
branches  off  from  the  Rockaway  road,  and  in  the  fall  of  1 884  he 
built  a  convent  for  them  with  a  chapel,  costing  about  $3,000. 
When  in  1892  the  number  of  parishioners,  on  account  of  the 
closing  of  some  mines,  had  considerably  decreased,  Father  Hall 
had  to  discontinue  the  parochial  school.  The  chapel  is  still  used 
for  Mass  on  week  days.  The  names  and  terms  of  the  pastors 
are  as  follows : 

Rev.  Walter  "M.  Fleming,  November  1st,  1875,  to  August  20th.  1880. 
Rev.  r.  A.  McGahan,  August  20th.  18S0,  to  December  ist,  1882. 
Rev.  iAIichael  J.  Hickie,  December  ist.  1SS2,  to  December  ist,  1883. 
Rev.  C.  P.  Gillin,  December  ist,  1883,  to  Augu.st,  1S88. 
Rev.  J.  H.  Hill.  August.  1SS8,  to  January  ist,  1891. 
Rev.  J.J.  Hall,  January  ist,  1891,  to  March.  1896. 

Rev.  John  M.  McHale.  March,  1896,  to  December  12th,  1897;  died  in 
Mount  Hope. 

Rev.  John  McErlain.  December.  1897.  to  November  2d.  1900. 
Rev.  B.  W.  Ahne.  November  2d.  1900. 

The  Church  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  Jersey  City. 

The  parish  of  St  Paul  of  the  Cross  embraces  that  portion  of 
Jersey  City  which  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Paterson  Plank- 
road,  on  the  south  b}'  Manhattan  Avenue,  on  the  east  by  Ogden 
Avenue  or  the  edge  of  Jersey  City  Heights,  and  on  the  west  by 
the  Hackensack  River.  It  became  regularly  incorporated  accord- 
ing to  the  laws  of  New  Jersey  in  1 868. 

The  parish  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  was  in  its  infancy  under 
the  pastoral  care  of  the  Passionist  Fathers  of  West  Hoboken. 
In  the  year  1 869  it  seemed  necessary  to  the  good  fathers  to  build 
a  church  in  the  section  of  Jersey  City  already  described.  This 
section  of  Jersey  City  was  then  included  in  what  was  known  as 
Hudson  City,  N.  J.  With  devout  affection  for  the  sainted  founder 
of  their  congregation,  the  Passionist  Fathers  decided  to  place  the 
new  church  under  the  patronage  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross.     Father 


IN    NEW    JKRSEY 


405 


John  Philip  Baudinelli,  C.P.,  since  called  to  his  reward,  first 
assumed  pastoral  chari^e.  The  corner-stone  of  the  new  church 
was  laid  and  blessed  on  the  Feast  of  the  Assumption  of  B.  V. 
Mary,  August  15th,  1869.  We  cannot  do  better  than  quote  the 
Irish-American  describing  this  solemn  ceremony: 

On  Sunday,  August  15th,  1869,  the  corner-stone  of  the  new 
Church  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  in  Hancock  Avenue,  near  South 
Street,  Hudson  City,  N.  J.,  was  laid  in  presence  of  a  large  mul- 
titude. The  building  when 
completed  will  be  a  handsome 
and  substantial  brick  edifice, 
about  50  by  100  feet,  with  a 
spacious  basement  intended 
to  be  used  as  a  school-room. 
The  want  of  a  Catholic 
church  in  this  part  of  Hud- 
son City  has  long  been  felt, 
and  to  the  zealous  efforts  of 
the  Passionist  P"athers  the 
people  are  indebted  for  the 
erection  of  this  edifice,  which 
is  expected  to  be  ready  for 
divine  service  by  Christmas. 

The  ceremonies  were 
opened  b}'  a  discourse  by  the 
Rev.  F'ather  Reilly,  of  New- 
ark, who  dwelt  at  some  length 
on  the  characteristics  of  the 
true  Church,  which  traced  its 
origin  to  the  Redeemer  Him- 
self, and  whose  doctrine  and 
teachings  were  ever  the  same,  whether  enunciated  imder  the  mar- 
ble domes  of  magnificent  cathedrals  or  in  the  lowly  huts  of  the 
missionary,  whose  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls  had  led  him  into 
the  haunts  of  the  savages  of  the  wilderness. 

Rev.  F'ather  Vincent  then  delivered  a  discourse  in  German, 
after  which  the  ceremony  of  blessing  the  corner-stone  was  per- 
formed by  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  Seton  according  to  the  Catholic 
ritual.  Rev.  Fathers  John,  Philip,  Angelo,  and  Sebastian  of  the 
Passionist  Order  assisting. 

The  following  is  a  transcript  of  the  record  deposited  in  the 
foundation : 


ST.  PAUL  OF  THE  CROSS,   lERSKV  CITY. 


In  the  year  of  our  Lord  1869,  on  the  15th  day  of  August,  the 


4o6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

festival  of  the  Assumption  of  tlie  Blessed  Virgin  Mary;  Pius 
IX.  by  the  grace  of  God  being  Chief  Bishop  of  the  Church  of 
God;  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  President  of  the  United  States;  Most 
Rev.  James  R.  Bayley,  Bishop  of  this  Diocese;  Rev.  Father 
Dominick,  Provincial  of  the  Order  of  the  Passionists ;  and  Rev. 
John  Philip,  rector  of  this  parish,  this  corner-stone  of  a  church, 
in  the  presence  of  a  large  concourse  of  people,  was  blessed  and 
laid  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  Seton,  in  honor  of  St.  Paul  of  the 
Cross,  and  to  the  greater  glory  of  God ;  Rev.  Father  Reilly  being 
preacher  in  the  English  language,  and  Rev.  Vincent  Nagle  preacher 
in  the  German  language. 

P'ather  John  Philip  was  succeeded  by  his  brother.  Father  John 
Baudinelli. 

On  the  second  Sunday  of  October,  1 870,  the  new  church  of 
St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  Almighty. 

Father  John  was  succeeded  by  Father  Timothy  Pacetti,  who 
seems  to  have  been  full  of  activity  and  zeal.  In  the  year  1872  he 
organized  a  society  for  the  purpose  of  raising  funds  to  meet  the 
expenses  of  a  parochial  school,  and  in  1875  he  brought  together 
the  Young  Men's  Literary  Association  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross. 
Feather  Timoth}'  is  at  present  doing  missionary  work  in  Chili, 
South  America. 

In  1876  Father  James  P.  Smith,  a  secular  priest,  took  charge 
of  the  parish  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross. 

Many  regrets  were  expressed  at  the  departure  of  the  Passion- 
ist  Fathers  from  the  flock  they  had  guarded  so  well,  but  soon  the 
parishioners  in  a  degree  forgot  their  loss,  owing  to  the  kindly  dis- 
position and  many  excellent  qualities  of  their  new  pastor.  P"ather 
Smith  continued  to  grow  in  the  love  and  esteem  of  the  people  of 
St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  until  the  year  1887,  when  death  called  him 
away. 

Father  Smith  was  a  native  of  the  parish  of  Cluaneen,  having 
been  born  near  Fethard,  in  the  county  Tipperary,  Ireland.  At 
an  early  age,  having  evinced  a  vocation  for  the  sacred  ministry, 
he  received  his  preliminary  training  at  a  classical  school  in  his 
native  Cashel.  He  was  subsequently  sent  to  Mount  Melleray  and 
thence  to  All  Hallows  College,  whence,  having  concluded  to 
adopt  the  American  mission  as  his  future  field  of  labor,  he  came 
to  this  country  and  completed  his  theological  course  at  Seton 
Hall  College,  where  he  was  ordained  for  the  Diocese  of  Newark 
by  the  late  Archbishop  Bayley.  His  first  curacy  was  in  the  par- 
ish of  St.  Mary's,  Jersey  City,  where  he  officiated  for  some  years, 
endearing  himself  to  all  the  congregation  by  his  gentle  manner 


IN    NKW    JERSEY  407 

and  kindly  disposition.  When  the  Passionist  Fathers,  in  1876, 
gave  up  the  charges  of  the  parishes  in  which  they  had  up  to  that 
time  officiated,  Father  Smith  was  assigned  by  the  present  Arch- 
bishop of  New  York,  then  Bishop  of  Newark,  to  the  rectorship  of 
the  church  and  parish  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  which  at  that 
time  included  all  that  portion  of  Jersey  City  Heights  between 
the  parish  of  St.  Joseph's  and  that  of  St.  Michael's  Monastery. 
Here  Father  Smith  continued  to  labor  with  unflagging  zeal, 
winning  golden  opinions  from  all,  until  he  was  struck  down  by 
the  insidious  disease  to  which,  in  the  prime  of  life,  he  fell  a 
victim. 

The  parishioners  should  not  fail  to  remember  two  worthy 
priests  who  assisted  Father  Smyth  in  his  labors  for  the  advance- 
ment of  religion  in  this  parish, — Father  Esser,  who  died  in  Egg 
Harbor,  N.  J.,  and  Father  Huygen,  who  died  in  St.  Francis's 
Hospital,  Jersey  City. 

Both  these  good  priests  richly  deserve  the  high  admiration  in 
which  they  were  and  are  )-et  held  in  the  parish  of  St.  Paul  of  the 
Cross. 

In  December,  1887,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Ouinn  was  appointed 
by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Wigger  to  take  care  of  the  parish. 

St.  Bridget's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

This  parish,  as  has  been  noted,  was  organized  during  the  ad- 
ministration of  Dr.  Corrigan,  while  Bishop  Bay  ley  was  attending 
the  Vatican  Council,  by  the  Rev.  Patrick  Corrigan.  The  corner- 
stone of  the  little  frame  church  was  laid  November  14th,  1869. 
The  outlook  was  not  promising.  Cabbage-gardens,  sand-hills, 
and  rush-grown  swamps,  filling  the  air  with  their  poisonous  effluvia, 
presented  a  somewhat  discouraging  aspect  to  the  active  and  light- 
hearted  Father  Corrigan.  The  condition  of  the  flock  materially 
and  spiritually  was  in  harmony  with  the  environment.  But  in  a 
short  time  the  Catholics  gave  evidence  of  their  faith  and  gener- 
osity, of  a  veneration  and  docility  to  the  guidance  of  their  pastors, 
which  has  ever  since  been  a  distinguishing  feature  of  this  congre- 
gation. A  priest  who  began  his  career  among  these  lowly,  hum- 
ble people  has  declared  that  although  nearly  thirty  years  in  the 
priesthood,  and  during  that  time  coming  in  contact  with  many 
phases  of  Catholicity  in  many  fields,  he  has  never  seen  the  love 
and  veneration  of  the  people  of  St.  Bridget's  for  their  priests 
equalled.     To  him   their   grateful  appreciation  of  the  ordinary 


4o8 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


functions  of  the  priesthood  was  and  will  be  to  the  end  of  his  days 
a  precious  memory. 

In  1874  a  basement  was  built  under  the  church,  and  better 
accommodation  was  afforded  to  the  scholars  and  their  teachers. 
In  January,  1875,  the  Rev.  Patrick  E.  Smythe  was  transferred 
from  Madison  to  St.  Bridget's,  and  under  him  the  present  rectory 


ST.   BRIDGET'S   CHURCH    AND    RECTORY,    JERSEY    CITY. 


was  built.  Meanwhile  the  tide  of  population  flowed  thitherward, 
new  houses  were  built,  the  swamps  were  filled,  and  the  congrega- 
tion materially  increased  in  numbers.  The  Rev,  James  Hanly, 
who  had  labored  as  assistant  in  St.  Patrick's,  Elizabeth,  Philips- 
burg,  and  St.  John's,  Paterson,  was  transferred  to  this  flock  from 
Dover,  January,  1883.  Father  Hanly  erected  the  present  hand- 
some church.  He  died  in  the  parish  house  in  1889,  and  his  suc- 
cessor was  the  Rev.  P.  M.  Corr.  Father  Corr,  born  at  Ballintem- 
ple,  county  Kildare,  Ireland,  entered  Seton  Hall  in  September, 


IN    NKW   JERSEY  409 

1876,  and  was  ordained  priest  June  15th,  1878.  St.  James's, 
Newark,  and  St.  Mary's,  Jersey  City,  were  the  parishes  in  which 
he  labored  as  a  curate.  Appointed  pastor  of  Hackensack  in  1885, 
he  awakened  that  congregation  from  its  lethargy,  built  a  convent 
for  the  sisters,  improved  the  school,  and  left  the  parish  in  a 
healthy  financial  condition.  His  energy  was  felt  in  the  new  field 
of  his  activities,  and  his  principal  monument  is  the  large  and  well- 
appointed  parish  school.  But  his  health  began  to  fail,  and  in  the 
hope  of  recruiting  it  he  went  to  Ireland,  but  died  there  July  24th, 

1893- 

The  Rev.  William  Henry  Dornin,  who  was  born  in  New  York, 
October  15th,  1850,  educated  at  St.  Charles's  and  Seton  Hall,  a 
graduate  of  the  class  of  '71,  and  ordained  May  22d,  1875,  was 
destined  to  exhaust  in  this  parish  the  last  years  and  the  best 
efforts  of  a  fruitful  ministry.  Father  Dornin's  life  proved  how 
much  could  be  accomplished  by  devotion  to  duty  and  trust  in  God. 
He  pursued  his  studies  with  much  labor;  but  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  none  has  gone  forth  from  the  diocesan  seminary  who  has 
achieved  better  results  than  Father  Dornin.  There  was  no  cor- 
ner of  the  missionary  field  neglected  by  him,  and  whether  as 
assistant  or  pastor  he  never  shirked  work  and  never  tired  in  its 
discharge.  St.  John's,  Trenton,  St.  Patrick's,  Elizabeth,  and  St. 
John's,  Orange,  can  all  testify  to  his  zealous  labors  as  an  assistant. 
His  first  parochial  charge  was  St.  Peter's,  Belleville,  where  his 
memory  still  lives  and  where  he  is  blessed  in  his  work.  In  Belle- 
ville and  in  St.  Bridget's  he  brought  his  schools  to  a  high  de- 
gree of  efficiency.  He  loved  the  children,  and  sought  by  every 
means  in  his  power  to  fit  them  to  fight  successfully  the  battle  of 
life.  He  was  an  earnest,  forcible  preacher,  and  in  the  discharge 
of  the  responsibilities  resting  upon  him  he  literally  wore  himself 
out.  He  departed  this  life  to  enter  upon  his  reward  July  4th, 
1899.  The  Rev.  John  F.  Ryan,  born  in  Dover,  N.  J.,  October 
30th,  1863,  studied  at  Seton  Hall,  graduated  in  the  class  of  '83, 
and  ordained  June  4th,  1887,  is  Father  Dornin's  successor. 

Father  Ryan's  work  in  the  Arlington  Protectory  deserves 
never  to  be  forgotten.  He  infused  new  life  into  it,  organized 
trade  classes,  found  a  market  for  the  goods  manufactured  there, 
and  displayed  an  exceptional  talent  of  administrative  and  execu- 
tive ability  of  a  high  order.  In  him  St.  Bridget's  has  found  a 
worthy  pastor,  and  the  experience  gained  in  his  last  charge  will 
redound  to  the  benefit  of  his  present  flock. 

The  following  priests  have  been  connected  with  St.  Bridget's 


410  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

parish:  The  Revs.  Joseph  M.  Flynn,  P.  A.  McGahan,  J.  O'Reilly, 
H.  B.  Ward,  John  J.  McGrath,  N.  McMenamin,  Thomas  Ouinn, 
B.  Fitzpatrick,  Thomas  E.  Butler,  Joseph  H.  Hill,  P.  McGauran, 
William  Murphy,  Eugene  A.  Farrell,  John  J.  Murphy,  B.  M. 
Bogan,  John  J.  Shannessy,  William  J.  Foley,  James  P.  Smith, 
John  F."  Ryan,  L.  H.  Ryan,  D.  S.  Clancy,  E.  A.  Kelly,  W.  A. 
Brothers,  S.  A.  Halloran,  J.  E.  Sheehey,  W.  A.  Keyes,  L.  J. 
Bohl,  R.  A.  Mahoney,  John  J.  Murphy. 

St.  Patrick's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

This  parish  was  founded  December  23d,  1869,  when  by  ar- 
rangement with  Father  Venuta  Bishop  Corrigan,  then  administra- 
tor, assigned  the  Rev.  Patrick  Hennessy  to  take  charge  of  the 
new  congregation.  Father  Hennessy  was  born  in  the  county 
Limerick,  h-eland,  March  17th,  1833,  and  was  educated  in  Mount 
St.  Mary's,  Emmettsburg,  and  in  the  American  College,  Rome. 
He  was  ordained  in  the  Eternal  City  by  Cardinal  Patrizzi,  May 
30th,  1863.  He  was  an  assistant  with  Father  Kelly  in  Jersey 
City  until  December  12th,  1865,  when  he  was  sent  by  Bishop 
Bayley  to  Elizabethport  and  became  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's. 
Here  he  labored  four  years  until  he  was  called  to  "  South  Bergen," 
as  the  present  section  of  Jersey  City  covered  by  St.  Patrick's  par- 
ish was  then  called.  The  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  was  laid 
November  13th,  1870,  and  the  new  church  dedicated  August  19th, 
1877.  St.  Patrick's  parish  enjoys  the  distinction  of  possessing 
the  most  perfect  and  imposing  specimen  perhaps  of  Gothic  archi- 
tecture in  the  diocese  of  Newark,  and  another,  less  honorable,  of 
being  the  only  parish  of  any  considerable  size  without  a  parish 
school.  It  is  true,  indeed,  that  Father  Hennessy's  successor,  the 
Rev.  Lawrence  C.  M.  Carroll,  laid  the  corner-stone  of  a  sump- 
tuous structure,  October  13th,  1901,  which  promises  to  contain  all 
the  recjuirements  for  a  school,  club,  and  theatre,  so  that  ample 
provision  has  been  made  for  the  many-sided  wants  of  the  parish 
in  the  future.  The  building  is  still  in  an  inchoate  state,  but  its 
elaborateness  no  doubt  justifies  the  delay  of  its  completion.  It 
will  be  a  unique  parish  building.  Father  Carroll  was  born  in 
Newark,  N.  J.,  May  6th,  1854,  made  his  studies  at  St.  Charles's 
and  Seton  Hall,  of  the  class  of  '75,  and  was  ordained  in  the  cathe- 
dral June  7th,  1879.  He  was  an  assistant  in  St.  John's,  Orange, 
and  St.  Mary's,  Jersey  City.  He  was  appointed  pastor  of  South 
Orange,  and  built  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Sorrows,  the  school, 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


411 


and  the  rectory.  His  appointment  to  St.  Patrick's  dates  March 
15th,  1896.  Father  Hennessy's  body  is  buried  near  the  tower  of 
the  church.  The  following  priests  have  served  St.  Patrick's: 
Revs.  P.  McCahill.  M.  J.  Connolly,  M.  de  Stephano,  Hugh 
McManus,  J.  Canon  Moynihan,  James  A.  McP'aul,  D.D.  (now 
Bishop  of  Trenton ),  Michael  ¥.  Downes,  James  J.  Sheehan,  James 


ST.    PATRICK  S   CHURCH.   JERSEY   CITY. 

P.  Corrigan.  P.  MacDonald,  \\\  J.  C^3nle)-,  J.  C.  McErlain,  Wil- 
liam J.  O'Gorman,  J.  H.  Hennes,  M.  R.  Donahue,  Bernard  Hater, 
James  A.  Kelly,  Thomas  F.  Monaghan,  Walter  Tallon,  James  A. 
Keough,  J.  B.  Donahue,  John  McGeary. 


St.  Mark's  Church,  Rahway,  N.  J. 

In  the  spring  of  1870  several  meetings  were  held  by  the  Ger- 
man Catholics  of  Rahway,  the  result  being  that  Messrs.  George 
V.  Andelfinger,  Sr.,  August  Ritter,  Marcus  Schantz,  and  Joseph 


412  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Beecher  were  appointed  as  a  committee  to  purchase  a  suita- 
ble piece  of  property  whereon  to  build  a  church.  They  finally 
purchased  the  property  where  the  church  and  parsonage  now 
stand ;  the  afore-mentioned  together  with  eleven  others  formed 
a  building"  committee.  In  the  mean  time  the  spiritual  wants 
of  the  small  flock  were  looked  after  by  the  Rev.  Alber  Von 
Schilgen,  of  Elizabeth.  Meetings  were  held  in  an  old  hall  known 
as  Gibby's  Rink,  long  since  gone  to  ruin,  and  at  these  meetings 
it  was  concluded  to  call  the  church  after  St.  Mark;  hence  the 
credit  of  founding  St.  Mark's  Roman  Catholic  Church  must  be 
given  to  the  Rev.  Alber  Von  Schilgen,  of  Elizabeth.  The  first 
Mass  said  for  the  members  of  St.  Mark's  v/as  said  in  the  house 
of  Mr.  Andelfinger;  the  house  is  still  standing.  In  the  fall  of 
1 87 1  the  corner-stone  was  laid  and  the  basement  w^as  fitted  up  as 
a  temporary  chapel  until  the  church  was  finished  for  service — a 
year  and  a  half  later.  The  first  Mass  was  celebrated  by  Father 
Misdziol,  who  came  Sundays  for  about  si.x  months.  From  that 
time  until  1874  various  priests  attended  to  the  wants  of  the  peo- 
ple, when  the  Rev.  A.  Bergman  w^as  appointed.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  R.  Goodman,  O.S.B.,  in  1875,  and  he  in  the  fol- 
lowing year,  1876,  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  P.  H.  Rabanus,  O.S.B., 
who  remained  in  charge  until  1877,  when  the  Rev.  Theodosius 
Goth,  O.S.B.,  assumed  the  duties  of  pastor.  The  following  year, 
1878,  saw  two  changes — Rev.  J.J.  Schandel  succeeding  Father 
Goth,  and  he  in  turn  being  followed  by  Rev.  Mauritius  Kaeder, 
who  remained  until  1879,  when  the  church  was  closed  until 
1882. 

The  year  1882  will  always  be  remembered  with  feelings  of 
great  joy  by  the  members  of  St.  Mark's  Church,  as  it  marked  the 
reopening  of  the  church  by  our  late  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Wigger. 
Rev.  Eugene  Dikovitch  was  appointed  to  the  arduous  task  of  again 
gathering  back  the  stray  sheep.  He  performed  his  duties  well, 
and  it  was  his  pleasure  to  see  the  church  prosper  under  his  ardent 
and  tender  care.  He  remained  until  October,  1884,  when  he  ac- 
cepted a  parish  in  Paterson,  N.  J.  (St.  Boniface's),  where  he  is 
still  stationed.  His  successor  was  Rev.  Anthony  Wirtner,  O.S.B., 
who  remained  until  February,  1885,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  Hugo  Paff,  O.S.B.  He  remained  until  January,  1886.  In 
January,  1886,  Rev.  Leopold  Hof Schneider  assumed  charge  of  the 
parish,  and  he  will  always  be  revered  and  honored  for  the  amount 
of  work  and  good  he  accomplished,  among  which  were  the  build- 
ing of  a  parsonage,  sisters'  house,  tower  on  the  church,  including 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  413 

new  bells,  enlarging  the  church,  etc.,  and  all  this  in  the  short 
period  of  three  and  one-half  years.  In  August,  1889,  he  was 
removed  to  Hoboken,  to  establish  a  new  parish,  where  he  is  still 
stationed.  His  successor,  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Miller,  remained  until 
October,  1892,  when  Rev.  Henry  Kouse  assumed  ■  charge  and 
remained  until  1893,  his  successor,  Rev.  Philip  Henke,  remaining 
until  April  24th,  1895.  On  the  Sunday  following  Rev.  John  Bap- 
tist Kayser  assumed  charge,  and  during  the  eight  years  of  labor 
did  much  good  in  the  parish.  Words  fail  to  express  the  gratitude 
due  him,  but  God  will  reward  him  now  that  He  has  called  him  to 
Himself.  The  interior  of  the  church,  the  vestments,  a  new  altar 
erected  by  himself,  and  a  new  pipe  organ  stand  as  monuments  of 
his  works.  He  died  very  suddenly  September  nth,  1903,  and 
his  loss  was  keenly  felt.  His  successor,  Rev.  Henry  Duckgeischel, 
formerly  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  assumed  charge  of  the  parish  Septem- 
ber. 17th,  1903. 

This  parish  is  blessed  with  a  parochial  school,  founded  by  Rev. 
Eugene  Dikovitch  in  1883,  which  is  in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of 
St.  Dominic. 

Sacred  Heart  Church,  Elizabeth,  N.  J. 

In  April,  1870,  Rev.  Henry  Lemke,  O.S.B.,  bought  land  at 
the  corner  of  Magnolia  Avenue  and  Spring  Street.  He  built  a 
chapel,  which  was  incorporated  as  St.  Henry's  Church,  April 
24th,  1 871. 

April  2d,  1877,  he  was  followed  by  Rev.  Athanasius  Hinte- 
nach,  O.S  B. 

In  1 881  Rev.  Augustine  Wirth,  O.S.B.,  succeeded  to  the 
pastorate. 

In  1883  the  corner-stone  of  a  new  church  was  laid.  The 
church  was  named  the  "  Sacred  Heart,"  and  was  completed  in  the 
year  1888. 

In  1887  Rev.  Cornelius  Eckl,  O.S.B.,  was  appointed  pastor 
and  completed  the  church. 

In  1890  Rev.  Augustine  Wirth,  O.S.B.,  became  pastor. 

In  the  year  1897,  October  6th,  Rev.  Ambrose  Haebwr,  O.S.B  , 
the  present  pastor,  took  charge  of  this  congregation.  In  1899  a 
large  brick  school  was  built,  which  at  present  290  children 
attend. 

The  regular  assistants  of  this  church  have  been:  From  1900 
to  1902,  Rev.  Florian  Widman,  O.S.B. ;  from   1902  to  1903,  Rev. 


414 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


tHLiRCH    OF   THE   SACRED    HEART,    ELIZABETH. 

Henry  Becker,   O.S.B. ;  and  at  present   Rev.  James  Cullinane, 
O.S.B. 

The  church  was  consecrated  on  November  25th,  1894,  by  the 
Archbishop  of  New  York,  Most  Rev.  Michael  A.  Corrigan,  D.D. 


St.  Patrick's  Church,  Chatham,  N.  J. 

The  need  of  a  mission  at  Chatham  was  apparent  to  Dr.  Wig- 
ger  as  early  as  the  year  1870.  He  witnessed  how  at  least  one 
hundred  Chathamites  made  the  long  journc}'  of  tw(_)  and  a  half 
miles  over  the  hills  to  the  church  at  Madison ;  and,  be  it  said  to 
their  credit,  they  were  proverbially  first  at  Mass. 

The  rev.  doctor  awaited  his  opportunity,  and  in  the  mean  time 
consulted  many  of  the  resident  Catholics  regarding  his  plans  for 
their  benefit. 

Among  these  was  Mr.  John  McCormac.  This  gentleman  in- 
formed the  doctor  one  Sunday  that  some  land  on  Mr.  Paul  Lum's 
farm  vva.s  to  be  sold.     Accordingly,  at  a  meeting  of  the  trustees 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


415 


of  St.  Vincent's  Church,  Madison,  December  2d,  1870,  it  was 
resolved  to  pin-chase  the  property  for  a  school  site.  On  May  3d, 
1871,  Mr.  McTernan,  one  of  the  trustees,  was  authorized  to  make 
the  purchase.  In  conjunction  with  Mr.  James  S.  Coleman,  New 
York  City,  he  performed  this  dut)'.  Mr.  Coleman  paid  the  money 
and  passed  the  title  to  Mr.  McTernan,  who  in  turn  transferred 
the  property  to  the  trustees  of  St.  Vincent's  Church. 

The  minutes  of  the  meeting  of  the  trustees,  held  on  Ma\'  30th, 
1871,  read:  "  Jolin  McTernan  reported  that  he  })urchased  two  lots, 
150  by  50  feet  each,  for  the  sum  of  $500." 

It  does  not  seem  that  the  hcjldini;"  of  dixinc  serxice  was  the 
first  reason  of  the  purchase,  although  afterward  the  building 
served  the  twofold  purpose  of  church  and  school. 

There  seems  to  have  been  much  op[)()sition  to  the  purchase  on 
the  grounds  of  distance  from  tlie  lentre  of  population.  No  road 
yet  traversed  the  old  farm,  altliough  the  now  Washington  Avenue 
was  opened  shortly  afterward.  On  account  of  this  opposition 
some  of  the  Catholics  met  and  made  overtures  to  the  owner  of 
premises  near  where  Mr.  John  Doian  now  resides.  The  owner 
mentioned  consented  to  make  the  exchange  for  a  consideration. 
Mr.  Henry  H(.)uston  was  chosen  by  the  meeting  to  represent  the 
case  to  Dr.  W'igger,  the  pas- 
tor. After  listening  patient- 
ly to  the  statement,  Dr.  W'ig- 
ger replied,  "It  is  just  where 
I  want  it." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  trus- 
tees the  contracts  were  given 
out  to  erect  a  building  35  b)- 
50  feet,  the  walls  to  be  14 
feet  higli.  The  entire  cost  of 
the  building  was  $4,000. 

The  work  was  commenced 
in  January,  1872.  A  meet- 
ing of  the  parishioners  was  called  about  this  time  to  receive  dona- 
tions of  money  and  materials.  As  manv  Catholics  were  employed 
in  the  neighboring  brick-)ard,  it  was  found  more  convenient  to 
supply  material  than  to  give  money. 

In  this  manner  the  school  was  erected.  And  it  was  in  this 
case,  as  in  the  founding  of  all  new  jmrishcs,  a  common  sacrifice  of 
pastor  and  people,  he  with  an.xious  hope  and  patience,  they  with 
joy  and  privation.     \\'e  are  told  that  many  Catholics  contributed 


ST.    PATRICK'S,    CHATHAM. 


4i6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

as  high  as  five  thousand  bricks.  Brick  cost  in  those  days  ^lo  per 
thousand.     Many  also  gave  money. 

The  Rev.  P.  E.  Smyth  became  pastor  of  St.  Vincent's,  Madi- 
son. Father  Smyth  had  still  to  attend  to  th'^  spiritual  wants  of 
Whippany,  so  when  Dr.  Wigger  returned  to  take  charge  of  Sum- 
mit, Chatham  was  added  to  Summit. 

In  1894,  when  Bishop  McOuaid  came  to  preside  at  the  com- 
mencement of  Seton  Hall  College,  in  reply  to  the  question  of  his 
having  been  the  first  priest  to  celebrate  the  sacred  mysteries  in 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Borough  of  Chatham,  he  stated  that  he 
never  said  Mass  in  Chatham.  In  fact,  he  admitted  that  the  fog 
about  the  Passaic  "  was  a  damper  on  his  courage."  He  illustrated 
this  feeling  when  he  referred  to  his  journey  over  Hobart's  Hill  on 
his  way  from  Springfield ;  that  he  knew  that  he  was  near  Chatham 
by  the  fog,  "  and  then  I  closed  m)-  e}'es  and  whipped  my  horse 
until  I  had  passed  Chatham."  We  are  glad  to  say  that  no  fog 
now  exists  in  Chatham. 

After  Bishop  Wigger  had  resumed  charge  of  Summit  and 
Chatham  he  set  to  work  to  better  the  school  facilities,  and,  to 
prepare  for  the  opening  of  the  school-house  as  a  church  only,  he 
secured  the  premises  on  the  corner  of  Washington  Avenue,  now 
Chatham  Street.  There  were  three  lots  in  the  purchase.  It 
was  on  this  property  that  Dr.  Wigger  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
future  school-house.  However,  before  the  frame  was  placed  on 
these  foundations,  Dr.  Wigger  resumed  charge  of  St.  Vincent's 
Church,  Madison.  The  completion  of  this  building  was  the  first 
of  the  labors  of  the  Rev.  G.  A.  Vassallo,  of  Summit. 

Father  Vassallo  continued  the  work  of  his  predecessor.  New 
interest  was  established  by  ■  the  introduction  of  the  Sisters  of 
Charity,  who  took  the  place  of  the  lay  teachers  for  some  years 
employed  in  the  education  of  the  youths  of  Chatham. 

It  was  found  advisable  to  cut  off  Chatham  and  make  it  an 
independent  parish.  This  was  effected  by  the  bishop  appointing 
Father  Muhl.  His  appointment  dates  from  the  19th  of  January, 
1887. 

The  first  pastoral  residence  was  a  small  two-story  frame  house 
situated  on  the  south  side  of  Watchung  Avenue,  opposite  Wash- 
ington Avenue.  It  is  part  of  the  old  Dunning  estate.  The 
Ferdon  house  was  purchased  by  Father  Muhl,  but  he  never 
occupied  it. 

P^ather  Muhl,  a  native  of  Germany  and  a  graduate  of  the  Col- 
legium Germanicum  at  Rome,  died  at  the  Sanitarium,  Denville, 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  417 

N.  J.,  in  July,  1896.  After  Father  Muhl's  removal  to  take  charge 
of  the  i^arish  at  South  Orange,  the  Rev\  P.  A.  McGahan  took 
charge  of  Chatham,  November  5th,  1887. 

After  a  few  years'  administration  Father  McGahan  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  Joseph  C.  Dunn.  The  appointment  dates 
from  the  21st  of  September,  1889.  The  new  rector  came  from 
St.  James's  Church,  Newark. 

Livingston  had  been  added  to  Chatham  when  it  was  made  a 
separate  parish  in  1887.  The  honor  of  saying  the  first  Mass  in 
Livingston  belongs  to  the  late  Father  McGahan,  who  died  July 
1 8th,  1894.  Sterling  mission  was  opened  1886,  with  Father 
Julian  as  rector.  He  remained  in  charge  for  two  years,  and  was 
succeeded  by  the  Rev.  P.  A.  W'enzel,  now  of  Orange. 

On  Tuesday  e\ening,  February  27th,  1894,  a  fire  occurred 
which  for  an  hour  threatened  to  wipe  away  the  work  of  twenty 
years.     The  damage  amounted  to  $381.54. 

When  Father  Dunn  assumed  charge  of  the  parish  the  school 
was  taught  by  a  lay  teacher.  Miss  Murphy,  a  very  efficient  teacher, 
yet  unequal  to  the  task  of  so  many  grades.  In  August,  1890,  the 
sisters  returned  to  the  school  and  took  up  residence  there. 

Father  Dunn  was  succeeded  on  September  25th,  1897,  by 
Rev.  William  T.  McLaughlin,  who  was  transferred  to  St.  Augus- 
tine's Church,  Union  Hill,  May  31st,  1899.  His  successor  was 
the  Rev.  James  M.  McCormick,  who  died  May  29th,  1903;  and 
he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Hedges  in  June  of  the 
same  year. 

St.  Francis's  Church,  Metuchen. 

In  the  diary  of  Bishop  Corrigan  while  Vicar-General  and  Ad- 
ministrator of  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  under  date  of  September 
1 5th,  1 869,  is  found  this  entry :  "  New  church  needed  at  Metuchen ; 
cost  $10,000."  The  property  was  bought  and  the  church  was  built 
by  the  Rev.  Major  Charles  Duggan,  the  assistant  and  adminis- 
trator of  St.  Peter's,  New  Brunswick.  From  St.  Peter's  journeyed 
the  priests  in  all  kinds  of  weather  to  attend  this  mission,  but  the 
inconveniences  were  mitigated  by  the  ro}al  hospitality  of  Mr. 
Nat.  C.  Robbins,  who,  although  not  a  Catholic,  always  gave  a 
hearty  welcome  to  the  priests  and  generous  assistance  to  the 
church.  St.  Francis's  Church  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  December, 
1903.  The  first  resident  rector  was  the  Rev.  Stephen  Bettoni. 
It  is  regrettable  that  more  historic  details  cannot  be  given,  but 
'  27 


4iS  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

they  are  unavailable,  as  no  response  was  received  to  the  letter 
soliciting  information.  The  present  rector  is  the  Rev.  John  A. 
Graham. 

Most  Rev.   Michael  A.  Corrigan,  D.D,, 

Second  Bishop  of  Newark. 

Michael  Augustine  Corrigan,  born  in  the  city  of  Newark, 
August  1 3th,  1 839,  was  the  worthy  successor  of  Archbishop  Ba\- 
ley  in  the  See  of  Newark.  The  mantle  of  a  noble,  saintly  father 
descended  upon  the  shoulders  of  one  who  was  eminently  fitted  to 
carry  on  the  great  and  responsible  task  of  go\erning  a  di<jcese. 
His  preparatory  studies  were  made  at  St.  Mary's  College,  Wil- 
mington, Del.,  then  under  the  presidency  of  the  venerable  Father 
O'Reilly.  The  future  bishoi),  on  leaving  Wilmington,  entered 
the  nursery  of  bishops — Mount  St.  Mary's,  Emmettsburg,  Md. — 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1859.  He  was  one  of  the  little 
band  sent  by  the  bishops  of  the  United  States  to  start  in  the 
centre  of  Catholic  unity  the  American  College.  Here,  as  else- 
where, the  modest,  gentle  youth  won  for  himself  the  friendship  of 
his  professors  and  fellow-students.  His  talents  kei)t  pace  with 
his  piety,  for  none  applied  himself  with  greater  zest  to  his  studies 
nor  with  greater  success  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was 
ordained  to  holy  priesthood  September  19th,  1863,  in  the  Cathedral 
Basilica  of  St.  John  Lateranby  the  late  Cardinal  Patrizzi, 

Returning  to  America  in  August,  1864,  he  was  assigned  to 
teach  dogmatic  theology  and  Holy  Scripture  in  the  seminar)-, 
Seton  Hall,  by  Bishop  Bay  ley.  His  ability  and  talents,  which  an 
extreme  modesty  was  powerless  to  conceal,  attracted  the  attention 
of  many  prelates  in  this  country,  and  he  was  chosen  and  in  fact 
appointed  by  Pius  IX.  to  the  See  of  Columbus,  Ohio.  The  most 
earnest  pleadings  of  the  youthful  dignitary,  coupled  with  the 
influence  of  Bishop  Bayley— who  was  loath  to  lose  one  so  full  of 
promise  and  usefulness — combined  with  the  kind  offices  of  Arch- 
bishop, afterward  Cardinal,  McCloskey,  availed  to  put  off  for  a 
few  years  his  elevation.  Meanwhile  he  strained  every  ner\-e  and 
toiled  day  and  night,  in  his  endeavors  to  bring  Seton  Hall  Col- 
lege up  to  the  high  conceptions  of  its  founder  and  to  make  it 
second  to  no  other  Catholic  college  in  the  country.  The  student 
did  not  shrink  from  the  stern  gravity  which  seems  to  surround 
those  whom  circumstances  perhaps  had  placed  at  the  head  of  a 
school  or  a  college,  but  with  perfect  ease  and  vmdisturbed  confi- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  419 

dence  he  detailed  to  the  good  "doctor"  his  catalogue  of  troubles 
and  trials,  and,  whether  vindicated  or  not,  always  went  from  the 
president's  room  \ery  much  comforted  by  his  kind,  soft  words. 
Yet  none  dare  trespass  on  his  mild  rule,  for  all  knew  that  he  could 
be  firm  when  occasion  called  for  it. 

On  the  transfer  of  Archbishop  Bayley  to  Baltimore  he  was 
appointed  administrator  of  the  diocese.  In  Februar)',  1873,  the 
news  was  flashed  across  the  water  that  he  was  appointed  to  fill 
the  See.  ''  Is  there  no  escape  ?  "  said  he  to  Bishop  McQuaid,  then 
on  a  visit  to  Seton  Hall,  and  was  just  entering"  a  carriage  to  take 
the  train  when  the  messenger  brought  the  telegram  from  the  edi- 
tor of  77/e  Fircina  /i'  s  Jon  1 11(1 1  ■An\\^)v\nc\ng  his  promotion.  "  None," 
replied  the  bishop;  '"you  must  accept  the  burden."  The  follow- 
ing May  he  was  consecrated  by  Cardinal  McCloskey  in  St.  Pat- 
rick's pro-Cathedral,  Newark.  The  mitre  was  hardly  placed  on 
his  head  when  the  pricking"  thorns  roused  him  to  the  realization 
that  it  was  to  be  for  him  not  a  wreath  of  roses,  but  in  very  truth 
a  crown  of  thorns. 

Most  complicated  financial  entanglements  demanded  the  at- 
tention of  the  young  bishop  and  brought  into  play  his  wisdom  and 
prudence.  It  would  be  a  waste  of  time  to  dwell  longer  on  this 
dark  period  in  the  history  of  the  diocese ;  it  would  but  open  afresh 
wounds  long"  since  closed.  True,  another  form  filled  the  chair  of 
the  illustrious  and  lovable  J^ayley,  but  his  spirit  was  still  in  the 
diocese.  God  blessed  the  work  and  zeal  of  Bishop  Corrigan. 
His  time  was  wholly  taken  up  blessing"  corner-stones,  churches, 
hospitals;  making  the  visitation,  not  solely  of  large  city  churches, 
but  the  isolated,  distant,  almost  always  forgotten  and  neglected 
country  congregations.  Benign,  courteous,  willing",  he  never 
thought  of  self.  You  might  before  asking,  especially  if  it  re- 
quired his  personal  attention,  anticipate  that  your  request  was 
granted.  His  mind  might  be  racked  with  anguish,  his  body  suf- 
fering from  illness ;  none  would  be  the  wiser.  When  we  hear  of 
bishops  descending  from  their  throne,  condescending"  to  speak  to 
the  lowliest  as  to  the  loftiest  of  their  flock,  sitting"  for  hours  in  the 
confessional,  anxious  to  relieve  a  weary  pastor  of  a  little  of  his 
burden,  visiting  the  hovels  of  the  poor  to  administer  to  some  poor 
dying  Christian  the  sacrament  of  confirmation,  or  speaking"  a  kind 
word  to  some  querulous  old  grann)-,  we  lose  not  a  jot  of  that  high 
esteem  which  from  our  very  childhood  we  ha\'e  had  for  the  very 
name  of  bishop,  but  are  carried  back  to  the  charm  and  simplicity 
of  early  apostolic  days,  when  bishops  were  the  guardians  and 


420  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

fathers  of  the  faithful.  A  vaster  field  awaited  him.  In  October, 
1880,  he  was  made  Archbishop  of  Petra  and  Coadjutor  Archbishop 
of  New  York,  with  the  right  of  succession,  an  honor  which  he 
would  ha\-e  refused,  and  which  filled  the  hearts  of  the  clergy  and 
laity  of  the  flock  to  whom  he  had  endeared  himself  with  many 
and  sincere  regrets. 

On  May  12th,  1873,  Bishop  Corrigan  was  invited  to  attend  the 
second  cjuarterly  meeting  of  the  Catholic  Union,  which  was  held 
at  the  Catholic  Institute,  Jersey  City.  On  that  occasion  this  body 
of  prominent  Catholic  laymen  delivered  an  address  of  congratula- 
tion to  their  lately  consecrated  bishop,  in  which,  while  expressing 
their  regret  at  the  loss  of  Archbishop  Bayley,  they  declared  they 
were  consoled  by  the  double  consolation  that  His  Grace,  Arch- 
bishop Bayley,  would  add  to  the  glory  of  Holy  Church  in  a  more 
extended  field,  and  labor  unceasingly  to  obtain  a  good  pastor  for 
the  flock  he  had  watched  o\'er  so  long  and  so  tenderly. 

The  result  is  all  we  could  have  wished  or  expected,  and  since 
the  voice  of  our  infallible  Pontiff  called  you  to  the  vacant  See  of 
Newark,  our  hearts  have  been  gladdened  and  our  gloom  dispelled. 

We  have  anxiously  awaited  the  hour  of  anointment,  when  with 
mitre  and  crosier  you  would  ascend  the  episcopal  throne  in  your 
cathedral  and  be  officially  proclaimed  our  future  guide  and  pastor. 
This  happy  event  has  at  last  appeared,  and,  weary  of  restraint, 
we  hasten  to  proclaim  our  gratitude  to  God  and  affection  and 
loyalty  to  his  bishop.  .  .  .  May  God  add  to  your  youth  and  firm- 
ness the  necessary  strength  and  grace  for  this  great  work.  May 
the  blessed  Mother  of  God,  whose  month  we  celebrate,  favor  you 
with  her  powerful  patronage.  You  will  have  our  poor  prayers 
for  \'Our  assistance,  and  we  beg  that  )'ou  will  impart  your  benedic- 
tion to  the  members  of  the  union,  who  are  united  by  your  per- 
mission in  maintaining  truth  and  justice.  .  .  . 

"To  maintain  truth  and  justice  "  was  the  motto  which  inspired 
lo)-al  and  intelligent  Catholics  the  world  over  after  the  invasion  of 
the  rights  of  tlie  Holy  See,  and  rallied  them  to  the  defence  of 
their  faith  and  to  consolidation  exery where  of  their  coreligionists 
in  a  strong,  vigorous  body.  This  movement  spread  all  over 
Europe  and  ultimately  beyond  the  seas. 

A  council  was  formed  in  New  York  in  1871,  and  efforts  were 
made  at  that  early  date  to  establish  an  association  in  the  Diocese 
of  Newark.  But  for  one  reason  or  another  the  matter  was  left 
in  abeyance  until  after  the  transfer  of  Archbishop  Bayley  to 
Baltimore. 

The  Catholic  Union  of  New  Jersey  was  established  for  the 


IN    NKW   JERSEY  421 

larger  parishes,  and,  as  will  be  seen  later  on,  although  it  did  not 
accomplish  all  that  was  aimed  at,  yet  it  bore  certain  beneficial 
results. 

In  August,  1873,  Bishop  Corrigan  made  an  urgent  appeal  in 
favor  of  the  priesthood  and  on  the  necessity 

of  fostering  and  preserving  vocations  to  the  priesthood  and  to  the 
religious  life.  In  a  commercial  country  like  ours,  where  other 
careers  in  life  are  constantly  presenting  themselves  to  the  notice 
of  the  young,  we  should  not  forget  to  seek  to  stem  the  current  by 
putting  before  the  minds  of  parents  and  of  their  children,  as  occa- 
sion offers,  the  glory  and  the  great  reward,  as  well  as  the  self-sac- 
rifice and  the  voluntary  privation  for  God's  sake,  of  those  who 
devote  their  lives  to  the  service  of  the  altar. 

In  the  same  letter  he  called  the  attention  of  the  reverend 
clergy  to  some  points  of  the  statutes  of  the  diocese,  in  order  that 
there  might  be  uniformity  throughout. 

The  financial  embarrassment  of  St.  John's  Church,  Orange, 
has  been  alread}^  alluded  to.  In  February,  1874,  the  bishop  writes 
to  his  flock  to  thank  both  priests  and  people  for  the  efforts  they 
had  made  to  enable  him  to  meet  the  grave  obligations  of  this 
unfortunate  church. 

I  am  happy  to  state  that  the  disposition  of  both  the  reverend 
clergy  and  the  Catholic  laity  of  Newark  to  aid  in  this  labor  of  love 
for  the  glory  of  God's  house  is  beyond  all  praise.  By  their  con- 
duct they  have  shown  that  they  appreciate  keenly  the  difficulties 
of  the  situation ;  that  they  regard  it  as  one  unprecedented  in  our 
midst  and  to  be  treated  as  a  case  entirely  apart  from  ordinary  con- 
tingencies ;  that  it  is  not  a  question  of  simply  raising  a  collection 
to  pay  the  interest  on  the  great  debt  and  leave  the  future  blank 
and  unprovided  for,  but  an  occasion  that  calls  for  substantial  aid 
that  will  reduce  the  principal  to  such  an  extent  that  henceforth 
the  people  of  St.  John's  parish  may  themselves  and  by  their  own 
efforts,  not  only  take  up  the  burden,  but  also  with  God's  help 
and  blessing  carry  it  for  a  while  and  gradually  throw  it  aside. 

Again,  April  28th  of  the  same  }'ear,  in  conformity  with  the 
often-expressed  wishes  of  many  of  the  Catholic  laity.  Bishop  Cor- 
rigan expressed  his  resolve  to  do  all  that  was  possible  to  pay  off 
the  floating  debt  on  St.  John's. 

Though  most  unjustly  and  recklessly  incurred,  nevertheless  as 
it  stands  it  is  a  legal  debt,  and  not  only  the  honor  of  the  diocese 
but  the  good  name  of  Catholics  at  large  will  be  seriously  com- 
promised if  we  neglect  paying  it.     The  Catholic  Church  does  not 


4^2  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

accept  the  doctrine  of  repudiation.  Tlie  entire  debt  on  St.  John's 
Church  in  1873  was  $265,000,  with  interest  accruing  for  the  last 
months  of  the  previous  year.  The  extrication  of  St.  John's  parish 
from  its  present  difficulties  is  not  a  hopeless  task ;  it  is  practica- 
ble, is  presumptably  certain  and  guaranteed  even,  but  only  with 
the  generous  and  prompt  cooperation  of  the  sister  churches 
throughout  the  State. 

In  the  spring  of  1874,  mainly  through  the  efforts  of  three 
prominent  Catholic  laymen  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  the  Messrs. 
P.  Farrelh',  John  McAnerne}-,  and  Harold  Henwood,  the  first 
Catholic  pilgrimage  was  organized  in  the  United  States,  and  left 
our  shores  to  visit  the  different  shrines  in  France  and  Italy  and 
to  lay  at  the  feet  of  the  common  Father  of  Christendom  the 
pledges  of  loyalty  and  devotion  of  their  Catholic  fellow-countr}-- 
men.  A  reminiscence  of  tliis  pilgrimage  is  still  to  l:)e  seen  in  the 
Basilica  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes,  in  the  American  flag  which 
still  hangs  over  the  sanctuary  in  this  remarkable  shrine  of  the 
Mother  of  God.     It  was  successful  bcN'ond  expectation. 

The  opening  of  the  State  Reform  School  for  wayward  boys, 
and  the  eliminating  of  all  provision  for  the  religious  training  of 
those  who  profess  the  Catholic  faith  in  that  institution,  called 
forth  an  earnest  protest  from  the  Catholic  Union.  In  October, 
1873,  in  a  letter  to  the  trustees  of  the  school,  their  attention  was 
called  to  the  fact 

that  the  Catholic  Union  of  New  Jersey  expresses  the  earnest 
desire  of  at  least  200,000  fellow  Catholics,  citizens  within  the 
State,  who  ask  your  honorable  body  to  make  such  modifications 
of  the  rules  governing  the  Reform  School  as  will  enable  Catholic 
inmates  to  receive  the  ministrations  and  consolations  of  their  relig- 
ion, which  are  at  ]o resent  denied  them.  We  are  aware  that  a 
similar  application  has  been  made  by  a  priest  stationed  at  Free- 
hold, and  declined,  we  charitably  hope,  because  of  the  misappre- 
hension of  the  justice  involved  in  his  request.  .  .  .  We  want 
no  State  aid  or  chaplain's  commission,  only  the  simple  right  to 
administer  the  sacraments  of  the  Church  to  the  Catholic  children 
under  your  charge  wlio  desire  it.  It  need  conflict  with  no  rule 
nor  interfere  with  the  working  hours  of  your  establishment. 

A  second  letter^  December  20th,  1 873,  was  addressed  by  the 
advisory  board  of  the  Catholic  Union  to  the  Governor,  Chief  Jus- 
tice, and  Chancellor  of  New  Jersey,  comprising  the  Board  of  Con- 
trol of  the  State  Reform  School,  enclosing  copies  of  the  corre- 
spondence between  the  Catholic  Union  and  the  trustees  of  the 
Reform  School.     The  Catholic  Union  expressed  regret 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  41^ 

that  our  hopes  have  been  disappointed,  but  in  seeking  justice  a 
second  time  from  the  board  of  trustees  we  feel  that  we  pursue 
the  proper  course,  particularly  as  this  first  was  recommended  to 
us  by  His  Excellency,  Governor  Parker,  on  the  occasion  of  our 
appeal  t<>  him  as  chief  executor  and  member  of  your  honorable 
board. 

The  superintendent  of  the  school.  Rev.  Mr.  Sheldon,  held 
religious  exercises  every  day,  which  the  Catholic  children  as  well 
as  the  others  were  obliged  to  attend.  On  Sunday  he  also  had 
religious  services.  Mr.  Sheldon  informed  the  committee  of  the 
Catholic  Union,  which  visited  the  institution,  that  while  a  Catholic 
priest  niight  address  the  boys,  he  could  not  [permit  him  to  express 
himself  distiJictly  Catholic  in  his  remarks;  in  other  words,  not- 
withstanding the  large  number  of  unfortunate  Catholic  children  in 
this  public  institution,  a  Catholic  priest,  as  such,  had  no  right  to 
minister  to  those  of  his  own  flock ;  while  Protestant  clergymen 
were  permitted  to  pray  or  preach  to  their  own  satisfaction,  not 
only  to  the  Protestant  children,  but  to  the  Catholics  as  well.  It 
was  against  this  act  of  flagrant  injustice  that  these  Catholic  lay- 
men protested  in  the  name  of  the  Catholics  of  the  State  of  New 
Jersey,  and  at  the  same  time  called  to  attention  that  such  a  con- 
dition of  affairs  was  contrary  to  the  Constitution  of  our  State, 
which  in  Section  3,  Article  I.,  declares  "that  no  person  shall  be 
deprived  of  the  inestimable  pri\ileges  of  worshipping  Almighty 
God  in  a  manner  agreeable  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience, 
nor  under  an)'  pretence  whate\'er  be  compelled  to  attend  an}-  place 
of  worship  contrary  to  his  faith  and  judgment." 

The  condition  of  affairs  manifested  through  this  correspond- 
ence made  it  clear  to  Bishop  Corrigan  that  in  order  to  save  the 
faith  of  the  Catholic  children  it  was  necessary  that  the  diocese 
make  provision  for  them.  A  tract  of  land  was  purchased  in  Den- 
ville,  Morris  County,  about  thirty-five  miles  from  New  York,  on 
which  was  a  commodious  brick  mansion.  Neces.sary  improve- 
ments and  repairs  were  made,  and  in  the  month  of  September, 
1874,  St.  Francis's  Catholic  Protectory  for  boys  was  opened  and 
placed  in  charge  of  the  Franciscan  Brothers.  Many  priests  of  the 
diocese,  as  well  as  a  number  of  the  laity,  most  of  whom  were 
members  of  the  Catholic  Union,  were  present  on  the  occasion  to 
participate  in  the  formal  opening  of  the  premises.  The  property 
was  admirablv  adapted  for  its  purpose.  The  country  is  elevated 
and  healthy  in  the  highest  degree,  and  the  two  hundred  and  four- 
teen acres  of  fine  land  is  well  adapted  for  cultivation.     It  has  an 


424  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

abundance  of  wood  and  excellent  water,  a  tine  orchard  of  fruit- 
trees,  and  all  the  out-buildings  necessary  for  an  institution. 

Bishop  Corrigan  looked  to  the  faithful  of  the  diocese,  and  in  a 
particular  manner  to  the  members  of  the  Catholic  Union,  to 
enable  him  to  carry  on  to  a  successful  issue  the  work  thus  inaug- 
urated for  Catholic  wayward  boys. 

The  Catholic  Union  felt  that  the  time  had  come  to  make  an 
effort  to  secure  a  charter  from  the  State  for  the  new  institution, 
and  its  president,  John  McAnerney,  wrote  t-o  Bishop  Corrigan  on 
September  29th,  1874: 

The  Catholic  Union  proposes,  if  agreeable  to  you,  to  make  an 
effort  at  the  coming  election  to  ascertain,  as  far  as  possible,  the 
opinions  of  the  candidates  for  legislative  honors  in  regard  to 
the  reform  school.  This,  you  will  remember,  is  in  the  line  of  the 
agitation  we  have  begun  and  which  we  think  must  be  continued 
to  be  successful.  We  propose  to  do  this  work  in  our  usual  quiet 
manner  and  upon  our  own  responsibility,  if  the  proposed  action 
meets  with  your  approbation.  We  seek  your  approbation,  not 
for  public  or  general  use,  but  for  the  reason  that  we  do  not  desire 
to  undertake  anything  of  importance  without  your  sanction. 

Bishop  Corrigan  judged  that  it  would  be  desirable  to  obtain  a 
charter  for  the  Denville  protectory.  Mr.  McAnerney  consulted 
Judge  Bedle,  who  expressed  the  opinion  that  there  should  be  no 
serious  objection  to  the  charter  granting  the  judges  and  justices 
the  right  to  commit  Catholic  boys  to  the  protectory.  This  sug- 
gestion of  the  Ordinary  met  with  the  approval,  not  only  of  the 
Catholic  laity,  but  of  the  leading  priests  of  the  diocese.  Mr. 
McAnerney  writes : 

I  think  it  will  be  well  for  you  to  prepare  such  a  charter  as  you 
require,  and  if  you  could  have  it  all  ready  by  next  week,  we  could 
then  take  the  held  and  "  sound  "  the  candidates.  If  left  until  after 
the  election  I  am  sure  it  will  be  a  much  more  difficult  subject  to 
handle  than  the  reform-school  matter.  At  all  events  there  is  no 
time  to  be  lost. 

Every  effort  was  made  to  disseminate  the  campaign  documents 
to  be  used  throughout  the  State  in  order  to  secure  the  Catholic 
protectory  charter.  The  leading  men  of  the  Hudson  County 
Union  had  the  charter  printed,  and  it  was  proposed  to  make  a 
thorough  canvass  of  the  whole  State. 

This  movement  spread  consternation  in  the  ranks  of  both 
parties  of  politicians.  The  office  of  the  president  of  the  union 
was  besieged  day  and  night  by  Republicans  and  Democrats, 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  425 

all  groaning  about  the  misfortune  of  having  this  matter  in  the 
canvass.  I  never  saw  so  many  people  investigating  this  reform- 
school  subject  as  at  the  present  time.  Please  let  no  reports  from 
politicians  annoy  you.  The  agitation  will  be  grand  in  its  results. 
Our  people  will  be  educated  up  to  a  true  appreciation  of  the 
matter,  and  our  non- Catholic  fellow-citizens  will  be  obliged  to 
redress  the  present  injustice.  .  .  .  Next  Tuesday  the  excitement 
and  smoke  of  the  battle  will  clear  away,  and  the  people  of  New 
Jersey  will  have  a  better  idea  of  the  injustice  done  their  Catholic 
fellow-citizens  than  they  have  ever  had  before. 

In  another  letter,  written  on  October  30th,  Mr.  McAnerney 
says : 

The  breeze  is  now  blowing  in  our  favor.  It  is,  indeed,  curious 
to  see  Presbyterians,  Episcopalians,  etc.,  going  about  vigorously 
arguing  the  justice  of  the  Catholic  position  in  regard  to  the  reform 
school.  In  Jersey  City  copies  of  the  bill  have  been  printed  and 
generously  distributed  by  the  Democrats.  The  advocates  of  jus- 
tice are  growing  numerous  and  well-informed.  Would  that  our 
Catholic  citizens  would  everywhere  stand  up  like  men.  We  would 
then  have  no  dillficulty.  The  most  ignorant  people  I  have  found 
on  this  question  are  the  Catholic  politicians.  Thank  God !  the 
abuse  of  The  Evening  Journal  has  made  them  examine  the  mat- 
ter, and  our  people  are  better  informed  to-day  than  they  would 
ha\'e  been  by  Catholic-Union  meetings,  Church  sermons,  or  any- 
thing else.  Many  of  these  unfortunate  Catholics  never  go  to 
church  or  read  a  Catholic  book,  and  have  always  cried  "  Hush  !  " 
when  anything  in  relation  to  Catholic  interests  was  mentioned. 
This  time  the  "  Hobgoblin "  has  met  them  in  the  canvass  and 
would  not  down  at  their  bidding.  If  we  don't  get  our  charter, 
if  they  don't  pass  Assembly  Bill  413,  we  have  one  thing  beyond 
dispute ;  that  is,  the  sympathy  of  non-Catholics,  justly  disposed, 
and  our  own  people  united  and  well-informed  of  the  necessity  for 
a  protectory,  as  will  be  appreciated  when  the  bishop  deems  it  the 
proper  time  to  issue  his  circular  of  a  general  collection.  .  .  .  The 
time  is  not  far  distant  when  our  rights  in  all  the  public  institutions 
will  be  granted,  in  order  to  keep  this  "terrible"  question  out  of 
the  canvass.  ...  At  present  the  matter  has  gone  beyond  the 
control  of  the  politicians,  and  will  never  be  settled  until  our  rights 
are  granted.  .  .  .  Gentle  agitation  of  this  kind  likewise  prevents 
our  opponents  from  doing  us  further  injury. 

The  cause  was  lost.  The  bill  was  defeated.  The  usual  tricks 
which  stigmatize  legislation  which  has  for  its  object  the  redress- 
ing of  injustice  to  Catholics  were  successful. 

Contemplated  amendments  to  the  Constitution  of  the  State, 
some  of  which  seemed  calculated  to  impose  new  burdens  upon 
Catholics   or   which   might    be   construed   against   the   Church, 


426  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

prompted  Bishop  Corrigan,  after  having  taken  legal  advice,  to 
send  a  personal  letter  to  the  priests  of  the  diocese,  in  which  he 
recommended  them  to  influence  their  people  to  strike  out  the  ob- 
jectionable clause,  "  or,  better  still,  to  make  assurance  doubly  cer- 
tain, let  them  strike  out  the  whole  ballot." 

This  letter  unfortunately  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  press,  and 
the  enemies  of  our  faith  made  the  most  of  it  in  their  appeals  to 
the  large  body  of  bigoted,  because  ignorant,  voters  in  our  State, 
and  the  amendments  were  carried  by  a  large  majority. 

After  taking  the  advice  of  Cardinal  McCloskey,  Bishop  Corri- 
gan called  a  meeting  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Catholic 
Union  on  February  nth,  1876,  and  expressed  to  them  the  opinion 
that  further  efforts  in  this  line  should  be  indefinitely  postponed, 
to  avoid  stirring  up  the  rancor  and  bigotry  of  the  non-Catholics 
throughout  the  State.  This  sounded  the  death-knell  of  the  Cath- 
olic Union.  The  meeting  adjourned  sine  die.  The  work  of  the 
laymen  of  the  diocese  for  the  protection  of  Catholic  interests  and 
the  redress  of  the  wrongs  under  which  their  religion  groaned  was 
at  an  end.  But,  despite  all  that  was  said  and  done,  the  Catholic 
Union  accomplished  a  great  deal.  In  our  State  institutions  Cath- 
olics are  allowed  the  ministrations  of  their  priests,  and  in  the  State 
Reform  School  and  state-prison  there  is  a  Catholic  chaplain. 

As  provision  had  been  made  for  the  wayward  bo)'s,  it  seemed 
to  Bishop  Corrigan  that  the  time  had  now  come  when  a  similar 
institution  should  be  established  in  the  diocese  to  carry  out  the 
recommendation  of  Archbishop  Bayley  in  his  parting  address  to 
the  clergy  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  and  which  he  had  so  much 
at  heart  because  they  were  so  urgently  needed,  namely,  a  Catholic 
protectory  for  boys,  a  house  of  the  Good  Shepherd  for  girls,  and 
a  large  asylum  for  the  orphans  of  the  entire  diocese. 

Bishop's  House,  Newark, 
May  I  St,  1875. 

Rev.  Dear  Sir:  You  will  remember  that  in  his  parting  ad- 
dress to  the  clergy  of  this  diocese,  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop  Bay- 
ley  directed  their  zeal,  in  a  special  manner,  to  three  good  works 
which  he  would  ha\'e  undertaken  had  he  remained  in  New  Jersey, 
and  which  he  had  much  at  heart,  because  they  were  most  urgent!}^ 
needed,  namely,  a  Catholic  Protectory  for  boys,  a  House  of  the 
Good  Shepherd  for  girls,  and  a  large  asylum  for  the  orphans  of 
the  entire  diocese.  Of  these  three  wants,  the  last-mentioned  is 
the  least  pressing,  for  the  reason  that  there  are  already  four  local 
asylums  in  our  midst  which  give  shelter  to  some  five  hundred 


IN    NEW    TERSEY 


427 


orphans.  The  CathoHc  Protectory  and  the  House  of  the  Good 
Shepherd,  the  want  of  which  is  a  matter  of  sad  and  ahnost  daily 
experience,  have  hitherto  existed  only  in  intention  and  in  hope, 
but  the  time  has  now  come  when  our  desires  and  anticipations 
are  about  to  be  converted  into  reality. 

With  God's  blessing",  the  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  under 
the  charge  of  the  devoted  sisters  of  the  same  name,  will  be  o{)ened 
in  Newark  on  May  24th,  the  Feast  of  our  Lady,  Help  of  Chris- 
tians. About  the  same  time  the  Catholic  Protectory  will  be 
inaugurated  at  Denville,  Morris  County,  imder  the  direction  of 
the  Brothers  of  St.  Francis.  In  both  institutions,  besides  a  care- 
ful moral  and  religious  training",  the  inmates  will  be  taught  habits 


CONVI-:XT    OF    THE    (iOOD   SHEPHKRD,    NEWARK. 


of  industry  and  usefulness.  The  boys  will  be  taught  trades  and 
the  labors  of  the  farm ;  and  the  girls  to  ply  the  needle,  operate  on 
sewing-machines,  and  l)e  instructed  in  other  similar  employments 
suited  to  their  station  in  life,  so  that  in  the  course  of  two  or  three 
)ears,  when  the  first  expenses  shall  have  been  defrayed,  both 
institutions  in  a  large  measure  at  least  will  he  self-supporting. 

The  Protectory  farm  cost  $30,000.  It  contains  over  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  one-half  of  which  is  already  cleared ;  a  large 
brick  mansion,  in  good  repair,  capable  of  accommodating  at  once 
sixty  children;  a  neat  frame  cottage,  newly  built,  with  various 
out-buildings,  barns,  stables,  and  a  good  supph'  of  stock  and  farm- 
ing utensils. 

The  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd  consists  of  two  large  brick 
buildings,  in  good  order,  on  High  Street,  near  Central  Avenue, 
Newark,  in  a  most  healthy  location,  and  with  two  vacant  lots  ad- 
joining affording  sufficient  recreation  ground  for  the  sisters  and 
inmates.     The   buildings  and    property  cost    $27,500,   and   will 


428  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

afford  accommodations  for  one  hundred  children.  It  will  be  open 
for  inspection  on  the  20th,  21st,  and  22d  of  May. 

The  great  difficulty  in  maintaining  these  excellent  institutions 
wiJl  meet  us  at  the  very  start.  It  will  be  necessary  for  us  to 
raise  this  year  a  sum  sufficient  to  pay  the  interest  on  the  outlay, 
and,  if  possible,  something  on  the  principal ;  also  a  sum  sufficient 
to  defray  the  expenses  of  furnishing  plainly  and  fitting  up  both 
houses,  besides  contributing  to  their  support.  We  will  need  in 
all  fully  twice  as  much  as  is  raised  by  an  ordinary  diocesan  collec- 
tion. Year  by  year  it  is  expected  that  these  collections  will  pay 
the  interest  and  gradually  pay  off  the  principal.  To  meet  the 
wants  of  the  occasion,  I  hereby  order  a  collection  to  be  taken  up 
in  all  the  churches  of  the  diocese  on  Pentecost  Sunday,  the  i6th 
of  May.  Instead  of  a  separate  collection  for  each  charity,  only 
one  is  ordered  for  both ;  but  as  both  institutions  are  sadly  needed 
for  the  salvation  of  souls  throughout  the  whole  diocese,  it  is  con- 
fidently expected  that  the  returns  from  every  parish  will  be  large 
in  proportion.  It  is  specially  appropriate  that  the  commencement 
of  these  great  works  should  occur  in  the  year  of  Jubilee. 

I  need  not  remind  you,  reverend  sir,  of  the  necessity  which 
presses  on  us  all,  of  providing  a  shelter  and  the  means  of  reforma- 
tion for  the  many  poor  children  of  Catholic  parentage  who  other- 
wise would  be  lost  to  themselves  and  to  the  Church.  The  Sacred 
Heart  of  our  Saviour,  during  His  public  ministry  on  earth,  has 
given  us  the  most  touching  examples  of  tender  mercy  toward  the 
wayward  and  the  sinner.  His  parables  of  the  Prodigal  Son  and 
of  the  lost  sheep  have  suggested  to  penitents  from  century  to  cen- 
tury the  hope  of  pardon  and  of  reconciliation  with  Him.  Our 
Lord  Himself  foretold  that  wherever  His  gospel  should  be 
preached,  the  name  and  the  forgiveness  of  Magdalene  would  also 
be  recorded ;  and  it  is  not  without  significance  that  Divine  Provi- 
dence, who  ordains  all  things — even  the  number  of  sands  on 
the  seashore — should  divide  the  station  of  honor  at  the  foot  of 
the  Cross  of  Calvary  between  Mary  the  Immaculate  and  Mary  the 
Penitent,  and  that  of  the  various  apparitions  of  our  risen  Lord 
recorded  in  the  Scriptures  the  first  of  all  was  to  her  who  had  been 
a  sinner.  The  whole  history  of  the  Church  is  full  of  examples  of 
the  efforts  made  at  all  times  to  reclaim  the  souls  of  those  for 
whom  our  Saviour  died. 

Finally,  I  need  not  stop  to  remind  you  of  the  efforts  vainly 
made  thus  far  in  the  Legislature  of  this  State  to  obtain  freedom 
of  conscience  for  the  unfortunate  Catholic  children  confined  in 
the  State  Reform  Schools.  With  a  bigotry  which,  if  it  proceed 
from  honest  conviction,  argues  an  amount  of  ignorance  which  to 
our  minds  is  simply  astounding,  the  petition  to  grant  liberty  of 
religious  worship  to  those  confined  in  prisons,  reformatories,  and 
similar  institutions  has  been  shamefully  rejected  by  men  who 
claim  to  be  enlightened  enough  to  ask  our  suffrages  that  they 
may  make  our  laws;  men  in  whose  minds,  if  we  may  judge  from 
their  actions,  liberty  of  conscience  means  liberty  for  them  and 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  429 

intolerance  for  their  Catholic  fellow-citizens.  I  merely  allude  to 
this  utter  want  of  fairness  that  you  may  say  to  your  people  that, 
besides  the  divine  plea  of  charity,  they  are  bound  to  support  the 
Catholic  Protectory  in  self-defence  and  in  protection  of  the  natural 
rights  of  their  children,  lest,  should  they  have  the  misfortune  to 
enter  a  State  reform  school,  they  be  compelled  to  attend  regularly 
to  religious  exercises  that  their  conscience  must  indignantly  reject. 

Please  explain  this  matter  plainly  and  clearly  to  your  flock ; 
make  them  understand  that,  relying  on  little  or  no  help  from  with- 
out, we  must  build  and  maintain  our  own  institutions.  We  pay 
our  taxes  for  Protestant  reformatories,  but  we  must  support  our 
own. 

Many  a  bruised  heart  will  be  consoled  that  we  have  at  length 
a  home  where  wayward  children,  often  the  \'ictims  of  circum- 
stances or  of  temptation  more  than  of  wilful  crime,  may  be  sent 
for  protection  without  running  the  risk  of  losing  their  faith  and 
of  endangering  that  without  which  it  will  "profit  a  man  nothing 
to  gain  the  whole  world." 

I  rely  upon  your  zeal  for  souls  and  our  holy  religion  to  do  all 
that  you  can  to  promote  these  good  works,  and  I  trust  that  we 
may  all  have  the  satisfaction  of  feeling  at  our  last  moment  that 
no  soul  has  perished  through  any  fault  of  ours. 

The  returns  of  the  collections  will  be  made  as  soon  as  possible 
to  the  Very  Rev.  G.  H.  Doane,  V.G. 

I  remain.  Rev.  Dear  Sir, 
With  kind  regards. 

Very  truly  yours  in  Christ, 
4«  Michael, 

BisJiop  of  Newark. 

The  attention  of  Bishop  Corrigan  was  called  in  October,  1875, 
to  the  number  of  Italian  Catholic  immigrants  who  had  located  in 
his  episcopal  city.  Bishop  Corrigan  commissioned  the  Rev. 
Jos.  Borghese,  an  assistant  at  the  cathedral,  to  take  the  census 
of  the  Italian  Catholics  of  Newark,  with  the  result  that  they  were 
found  to  number  235  in  all. 

In  April,  1876,  owing  to  the  rapid  growth  of  Catholicity 
throughout  the  State,  and  the  difficulty  of  giving  the  Catholics 
spread  over  this  vast  territory  the  necessary  care  and  supervision, 
Bishop  Corrigan  began  lo  consider  the  division  of  the  diocese, 
and  the  separation  of  the  southern  part  into  a  distinct  diocese, 
with  Trenton  as  the  episcopal  city.  On  the  26th  of  the  same 
month  Seton  Hall  received  as  a  guest  His  Eminence  Cardinal 
McCloskey,  who  had  been  prostrated  with  an  attack  of  malaria, 
and  was  advised  by  his  physicians  to  seek  rest  and  restoration  of 
health  in  the  mountains.  His  Eminence  remained  five  weeks 
and  returned  to  New  York  entirely  restored. 


430  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

In  the  spring  of  this  same  year  an  event  occurred  which 
greatly  troubled  the  Catholics  of  Hudson  County.  A  railroad 
company,  desirous  of  shortening  its  line,  sought  to  obtain  a  strip 
of  the  Hudson  County  Catholic  Cemetery.  Without  seeking  to 
familiarize  himself  with  the  exact  conditions  prevalent  there, 
Bishop  Corrigan  gave  his  consent  to  the  proposed  sale.  Unfor- 
tunately the  section  to  be  sold  had  been  used  for  the  interment  of 
the  poorer  classes.  The  Catholics  were  greatly  agitated.  Meet- 
ings were  held  in  which  their  indignation  was  voiced,  and  protests 
were  passed  against  the  desecration  of  the  dead.  Both  the  bishop 
and  the  company  were  forced  to  retire  from  their  positions. 

On  May  8th,  1878,  an  important  .synod  of  the  clergy  of  the 
diocese  was  held  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  Newark,  and  lasted 
two  days.  Many  matters  were  discussed,  and  the  legislation  of 
former  synods  supplemented  here  and  there  by  extracts  from  the 
Council  of  Baltimore  and  more  recent  decisions  of  the  Holy 
See. 

The  establishment  of  the  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd  in 
Newark  and  the  Catholic  Protectory  in  Denville  proved  a  great 
financial  burden.  To  meet  the  obligations  of  these  institutions 
Bishop  Corrigan  was  obliged  to  use  temporarily  the  "  Peter's 
pence  "  collection  taken  up  in  the  diocese,  and  as  he  was  about  to 
make  his  visitation  ad  limina,  and  consequently  to  la)'  at  the  feet 
of  the  Holy  father  the  sums  collected  from  the  faithful,  he  was 
at  a  loss  whence  to  obtain  the  moneys.  A  young  priest  attached 
to  the  cathedral  staff,  the  Rev.  John  A.  Sheppard,  suggested  to 
Bishop  Corrigan  the  advisability  of  establishing  in  the  Diocese  of 
Newark  a  union  similar  to  that  organized  in  New  York  City  by 
the  Rev.  Father  Drumgoole. 

The  many  solicitors  for  this  noble  work  in  the  city  of  Newark, 
and  chief  among  them  a  most  worthy  and  devout  matron,  Mrs. 
Bridget  Maher,  had  repeatedly  urged  Father  Sheppard  to  induce 
the  bishop  to  establish  a  similar  union  in  Newark  for  the  Denville 
protectory. 

With  considerable  misgivings  and  assured  that  no  possible  loss 
would  accrue  to  the  diocese  Bishop  Corrigan  gave  a  somewhat 
reluctant  consent.  This  was  the  initial  movement  of  the  "  Sacred 
Heart  Union,"  which  from  that  day  to  this  has  accomplished  so 
much  of  good  for  the  support  of  the  boys,  not  onl\'  in  Denville, 
but  in  the  present  well-appointed  and  admirabl}-  conducted  pro- 
tectory at  Arlington.  It  is  but  just  to  allow  the  founder  of  this 
admirable  work  to  make  known  the  success  of  his  first  efforts. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  431 

The  following  words  were  printed  in  the  first  number  of  The 
Sacred  Heart  Union  by  Father  Sheppard,  who  outlines  the  scope 
of  the  work  and  details  the  results  of  the  first  efforts: 


Ol'r  Present  Success. 

We  have  been  anxiously  awaiting  the  day  when  we  could  put 
this  little  sheet  into  the  hands  of  our  many  friends.  We  have 
been  wanting  to  thank  them  for  their  efforts,  and  we  have  been 
wanting  to  say  to  them  that  their  efforts  have  always  filled  us  with 
courage.  They  assured  us  that  we  were  engaged  in  a  popular 
work,  and  that  the  people  themselves  would  see  to  it  that  the 
work  should  go  on  and  prosper. 

Our  first  undertaking  to  pay  off  the  debt  that  has  accumulated 
upon  our  protectory,  so  that  in  time  we  might  be  able  to  throw  its 
doors  wide  open  to  all  that  would  be  offered  us  or  recommended 
to  us  for  reformation,  we  need  scarcely  say  that  the  task  seemed 
a  heavy  one,  nay,  an  impractical  one ;  but  the  kind  words  of  our 
good  bishoj),  since  made  Coadjutor-Archbishop  of  New  York, 
filled  us  with  hope.  In  his  pastoral  letter  addressed  to  the  clergy 
he  recommended,  among  other  things,  this  institution  to  their 
special  care.  This  was  sufificient,  for  we  knew  that  a  word  from 
him  to  the  priests  who  ever  loved  him  would  guarantee  our 
success. 

The  clergy,  almost  without  exception,  thanks  to  their  kindness 
and  generosity,  though  they  were  struggling  under  heavy  debts 
of  their  own,  gave  us  their  assistance  and  bade  us,  each  one  in  his 
own  parish,  God-speed. 

A  word  from  the  clerg}-,  and  the  laity  were  ready  and  willing 
to  pay  their  mite  of  twenty-fi\'e  cents,  while  others,  more  charita- 
bly inclined,  sent  us  their  donations. 

Three  gentlemen  particularly  we  must  mention  for  their  kind- 
ness in  rendering  us  assistance  as  soon  as  they  heard  there  was  a 
united  effort  in  our  midst  to  give  our  many  wandering  boys  a 
chance  of  bettering  their  condition.  These  were  the  Rev.  P.  L. 
Connolly,  of  Amboy;  Dr.  Morrogh,  of  New  Brunswick;  and  D. 
F.  Cooney,  of  Jersey  City.  We  have  not  asked  permission  of 
these  gentlemen  to  use  their  names,  but  we  thought  their  example 
worthy  of  imitation,  and  we  saw  no  better  opportunity  of  present- 
ing our  thanks  in  a  manner  worthy  of  their  offering. 

Our  efforts  this  year  were  even  more  successful  than  we 
looked  for,  and  we  have  to  state  for  the  satisfaction  of  our  mem- 
bers that  we  have  been  enabled  by  their  offerings  to  reduce  the 
debt  $7,000,  to  pay  insurance,  interest  on  mortgages,  the  salary 
of  brothers  who  are  in  charge,  the  expenses  of  a  visiting  clergy- 
man, and  our  bills  for  printing  cards  of  membership  to  the  union, 
making  in  all  a  total  of  nearly  $10,000  raised  during  the  last  year. 

The  coming  year  we  will  expect  our  solicitors  to  again  favor 
us  with  their  valuable  and  duly  appreciated  services.     Faithfully 


432  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

and  energetically  indeed  have  they  laboreCi,  and  we  pray  God  to 
grant  them  their  reward.  One  letter  we  shall  never  forget.  It 
was  from  an  old  gentleman  in  a  country  district.  He  sent  us 
returns,  telling  us  at  the  same  time  of  the  miles  that  he  was 
obliged  to  walk  through  the  warm  sultry  days  of  July  in  order  to 
raise  the  sum  he  had  forwarded.  We  could  not  help  admiring  his 
earnestness  and  thinking  to  ourselves  that  the  good  angels  of  God 
must  have  looked  down  upon  his  footsteps  and  registered  them  in 
heaven  for  that  great  day  of  reckoning  when  time  for  him  will  be 
no  more.  Think  over  it,  kind  reader:  if,  in  every  city  where  there 
are  people  who  have  leisure,  some  would  make  it  their  business, 
like  this  good  man,  to  go  among  their  friends  and  collect  the 
small  sum  that  is  asked  for,  how  much  good  might  be  effected  in 
our  midst ! 

There  are  to-day  children  in  every  city  in  our  State,  young 
boys  showing  signs  of  intelligence,  who  would  be  able  to  go 
through  the  world  with  success,  were  it  not  that  they  are  thrown 
upon  the  streets,  where  they  contract  vicious  habits  that  grow 
upon  them  and  that  make  them  in  time  useless  members  of  society 
and  a  disgrace  to  their  religion.  The  object  of  our  union  is  to 
lay  hold  of  such  boys,  to  give  them  a  proper  idea  of  themselves, 
to  make  them  feel  that  they  are  not  neglected,  that  society  regards 
them  as  its  members,  and  that  the  Church  particularly  considers 
them  her  children.  But  this  object,  praiseworthy  though  it  may 
be,  can  never  be  accomplished  unless  there  be  united  and  untiring 
action  upon  the  part  of  the  members.  Hence  let  us  set  ourselves 
to  work  with  earnestness,  with  the  thought  that  there  are  hun- 
dreds in  our  midst  whom  we  may  aid  in  the  salvation  of  their 
souls. 

Often  during  the  past  year  have  they  been  brought  to  us  and 
we  have  been  asked  to  take  them  and  send  them  to  the  protec- 
tory, where  they  might  learn  their  religion  and  be  schooled  in  a 
way  that  would  be  of  profit  to  them  in  the  future.  Thanks  to 
God,  we  have  been  able  to  receive  some,  but  others  we  were 
obliged  to  send  away.  We  did  the  very  best  we  could.  Those 
we  thought  could  be  looked  after  by  their  parents  we  refused, 
while  others  we  received.  Many  indeed  there  were  that  we  would 
have  wished  to  receive,  but  in  our  present  crippled  condition  we 
found  it  impossible. 

To-day  our  house  is  full  and  the  good  brothers  in  charge  are 
doing  as  well  as  can  be  expected  for  the  present.  In  time,  when 
our  debt  has  been  paid,  we  hope  to  be  able  to  offer  a  home  to  our 
boys  similar  to  that  described  in  another  column  under  the  head- 
ing of  "Artane's  Industrial  School."  Read  that  article;  it  will 
afford  you  much  pleasure,  and  without  doubt  you  will  be  led  to 
believe  that  what  has  been  accomplished  be}-ond  the  ocean  may 
likewise  be  done  here,  if  we  only  exert  ourselves.  We  certainly 
should  do  as  much  for  our  boys,  if  not  more,  than  they  are  doing 
abroad.  We  have  more  people  of  means,  and  the  poorest  of  us  is 
able  to  do  something,  be  it  ever  so  little.     We  trust  then  that  this 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  433 

small  sheet  will  not  be  put  into  your  hands  in  vain.  We  speak  in 
behalf  of  the  poor,  asking  you  to  assist  them;  in  behalf  of  the 
children  who  are  going  about  our  streets,  looking  for  the  care  that 
parents,  if  living,  would  grant  them. 

We  beg  from  you  for  these  children.  We  wish  to  give  them 
a  home,  to  provide  for  their  wants,  to  see  that  they  are  instructed 
in  their  religion,  to  give  them  an  idea  of  how  they  must  meet  the 
world  and  succeed  in  it.  Doubtless  many  men  there  are  to-day 
tilling  positions  in  society  who,  if  they  had  been  left  to  the  care  of 
a  cold,  selfish  world,  would  be  on  our  streets,  doing  no  good  and 
capable  of  much  mischief. 


Newsboys'  Lodging  House. 

A  year  has  already  gone  by  since  we  had  the  pleasure  of  ad- 
dressing our  many  friends  in  behalf  of  the  Sacred  Heart  Union. 
It  has  been  a  year  of  joy  for  the  Diocese  of  Newark. 

It  affords  us  no  little  pleasure  to  say  to  our  members  that  his 
Lordship  fully  appreciates  the  services  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
Union,  and,  in  his  circular  letter  of  November  26th  to  the  clergy 
of  the  diocese,  states  that  the  "  money  contributed  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Union  has  helped  materially  to  sustain  the  protectory, 
and  has  gone  far  toward  liquidating  the  debt  on  the  same."  He 
therefore  "  bespeaks  for  it  the  same  zeal  and  interest  that  have 
been  so  beautifully  and  charitably  manifested  in  the  past  by  the 
reverend  clergy  and  laity  of  the  diocese."  With  such  words  of 
encouragement,  coming  as  they  do  from  our  bishop,  we  feel  assured 
that  the  clergy  will  do  all  in  their  power  to  favor  our  interests, 
and  that  the  laity  will  not  be  appealed  to  in  vain,  while  whatever 
of  time  and  of  labor  can  be  spared  by  the  director  of  the  Union 
apart  from  his  other  duties  will  be  given  unremittingly  to  the 
charitable  work  in  which  we  are  engaged. 

It  will  assuredly  be  most  stimulating  to  our  solicitors  to  know 
that  our  gross  receipts  for  1881,  through  their  labors,  have  been 
about  $13,000.  With  this  we  are  enabled  to  pay  off  $8,000  of  the 
debt,  make  some  improvements  about  the  protectory,  pay  the 
salary  of  those  in  charge,  beside  that  of  a  resident  clergyman, 
interest  on  mortgages,  insurance,  etc.,  and  furnish  our  members 
with  50,000  copies  of  our  Sacird  Heart  Union  and  an  equal  num- 
ber of  cards  of  membership,  and  this  all  through  the  small  offer- 
ing of  25  cents. 

In  June,  1880,  Bishop  Corrigan  introduced  into  the  city  of 
Newark  a  community  of  Dominican  nuns  whose  lives  are  devoted 
to  the  perpetual  adoration  of  the  most  Blessed  Sacrament.  Four 
sisters  arrived  in  Newark  from  the  Dominican  monastery  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament  at  Oullins,  near  Lyons,  in  France.  Of  these 
two  were  French  and  two  were  Americans  who  had  entered  the 
28 


434  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

convent  in  view  uf  this  present  foundation,  flie  Rev.  Mother 
Mary  of  Jesus,  one  vi  the  two  Americans,  was  the  first  prioress 
of  the  new  community.  She  remained  in  office  until  1889,  when 
Bishop  Corrigan  called  for  a  foundation  in  his  archdiocese.  Ac- 
cordingly Mother  Mary  of  Jesus  with  seven  sisters  left  Newark  to 
open  another  convent  of  perpetual  adoration  at  Hunt's  Point,  N.  Y. 
Sister  Mary  Immanuel  then  became  prioress  and  has  remained 
in  office  ever  since.  During  the  priorate  c^f  Mother  Mary  of 
Jesus  the  present  monastery  on  Thirteenth  Avenue  was  built. 
Here  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is  perpetually  exposed  and  the  chapel 
is  opened  to  the  faithful  every  day  from  five  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing until  half-past  eight  in  the  evening.  During  the  night  as  well 
as  during  the  day  the  enclosed  sisters  succeed  each  other  b}-  fours 
and  threes,  hour  by  hour,  keeping  watch  before  our  Eucharistic 
God.  The  community  is  composed  of  choir  nuns,  la)^  sisters,  and 
outside  sisters;  these  latter  attend  to  all  the  outside  business  of 
the  monastery. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Paterson,  N.  J. 

St.  Marv's  Church  was  founded  by  Very  Rev.  Dean  McNul- 
ty,  present  rector  of  St.  John's  Church.  On  June  i8th,  1872, 
eight  lots  were  purchased,  four  on  Sherman  Avenue  and  four  on 
Wayne  Avenue.  The  corner-stone  of  the  iiew  church,  a  two-story 
brick  building,  forty  feet  wide  by  one  hundred  feet  l<-)ng,  was  laid 
October  12th,  1873.  The  church  was  dedicated  May  9th  and  the 
first  Mass  was  .said  August  9th,  1875.  In  the  same  year,  Septem- 
ber 14th,  the  Dominican  Sisters  from  Second  Street,  New  York, 
came  to  teach  school.  For  six  years  the  new  parish  was  attended 
by  the  priests  of  St.  John's  Church,  and  in  September,  1880,  the 
Rev.  James  Curran  was  appointed  first  resident  rector.  Shortly 
after  his  arrival  he  built  a  substantial  two-story  brick  rectory  on 
Wayne  Avenue.  In  1883  Father  Curran  was  transferred  to  the 
Arlington  Protectory,  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Samuel  Walsh. 
The  new  rector  did  not  remain  long  in  charge,  as  death  called  him 
to  his  eternal  reward  February  25th,  1885,  and  the  Rev.  Isaac  P. 
Whelan  took  charge  March  6th  of  the  same  year. 

Young  and  energetic  he  soon  liquidated  the  debt  on  the  prop- 
erty. The  parish  grew  and  flourished  under  his  administration, 
and  in  a  short  time  it  became  apparent  that  it  was  necessary  to 
build  a  new  and  larger  church.  In  xA.ugust,  1889,  property  was 
bought  at  the  corner  of  Union  and  Albion  avenues,  in  a  more 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


435 


central  location.  On  Sunday,  October  12th,  1890,  the  corner- 
stone of  the  new  church  was  laid  by  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M.  Wigger. 
The  new  church  is  a  commodious  building  of  Roman  golden-mot- 
tled brick  in  the  old  Italian  style  of  architecture,  similar  to  the 
ancient   Roman  basilicas,   consisting  of  a  nave  and  two  aisles. 

It  was  dedicated  the  following 
October,  the  Very  Rev.  Dean 
McNulty  being  the  celebrant  of 
the  first  Mass.  Encouraged  by 
the  generous  support  of  the  peo- 
ple, Father  Whelan,  in  June,  1891, 
began  the  construction  of  a  new 
brick  rectory  near  the  church. 
When  the  rectory  was  finished  the 
old  priest's  liouse  became  tlic  home 


^ 


A 


bX.    .MARY  S    CHURCH,   PATERSOX. 
Rectory  on  the  right. 


of  the  sisters,  and  the  old  church  was  transformed  into  a  school 
and  hall.  Father  Whelan  remained  in  St.  Mary's  until  July, 
1896,  when  he  was  transferred  to  St.  Mar)''s,  Bayonne,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  M.  F.  Downes,  who  died  March  14th,  1898. 
It  was  during  the  administration  of  Father  Downes  that  the  first 
assistant  jiriest  was  appointed,  in  the  person  of  Rev.  Terence 
Maguire.  The  present  rector,  Rev.  M.  S.  Callan,  was  transferred 
from  St.  Lawrence's  Church,  W'eehax^'ken,  April  ist,  1898.     Dur- 


436 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


ing  his  administration,  besides  reducing  the  debt  considerably,  he 
purchased  a  house  and  two  lots  adjoining  the  school  for  the  pur- 
pose of  building  a  permanent  home  for  the  Young  Men's  Lyceum, 
who  were  using  the  hall  in  the  old  school  building  as  a  clubroom. 
In  August,  1902,  ground  was  broken  for  the  new  clubhouse,  which 
was  finished  in  November  of  the  same  year.  Father  Maguire  was 
succeeded,  September,  1902,  by  Rev.  William  Carlin,  who,  in 
June,  1903,  was  sent  to  Montclair  as  assistant  to  Father  Mendl 
The  present  assistant  is  Rev.  James  Smith. 

The  present  pastor,  the  Rev.  Matthew  S.  Callan,  was  born  in 
Dunber,  county  Louth,  Ireland,  in  July,  i860.  His  preparatory 
studies  were  made  in  St.  Charles's  College,  Maryland,  and  he  was 
graduated  from  Seton  Hall  in  the  class  of  '80.  He  was  ordained 
June  7th,  1884,  and  assigned  successively  to  St.  Joseph's,  Pater- 
son,  St.  Patrick's,  Elizabeth, 
St.  Aloysius's,  Newark,  and 
St.  Michael's,  Jersey  City. 
He  was  rector  of  St.  Law- 
rence's, Weehawken,  in 
March,  1892,  and  labored  in 
this  parish  until  his  promo- 
tion to  St.  Mary's,  Paterson 

St.  Joseph's  Parish, 
Hoboken,  N.  J. 

St.  Joseph's  Parish  was 
founded  in  the  year  1872  by 
the  Very  Rev.  Alphonsus 
Zoeller,  D.D ,  O.M.C.,  and 
was  in  the  beginning  com- 
posed entirely  of  Germans. 
It  was  not  long,  however, 
until  the  influ.x  of  English- 
and  Italian-speaking  people 
to  that  part  of  the  city  made 
it  necessary  that  they  also 
be  comprised  within  the  par- 
ish ;  and  it  thus  remained  a 
triple-speaking  parish  until  the  formation  of  a  separate  parish  for 
the  Italians,  and  a  similar  movement  for  the  Germans,  leaving  St. 
Joseph's  entirely  for  the  English. 

Father  Alphonsus  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Fathers  Dominic 


ST.   JOSEPH'S   CHURCH,    HOBOKEN. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  437 

Marzetti,  Francis  Lehner,  Anselm  Auling-,  Joseph  Frewin,  and 
Michael  McE\-o)^,  all  who,  like  the  founder,  belonged  to  the  Order 
of  Friars' Minor  Conventuals  of  St.  Francis. 

Under  the  wise  and  able  leadership  of  these  Fathers,  and 
seconded  by  the  hearty  cooperation  of  the  lay  members,  the  par- 
ish has  flourished  and  prospered.  At  present  it  possesses  a  beau- 
tiful new  church  of  Vermont  marble,  which  has  cost  $75,000,  a 
large  three-story  school  in  which  450  pupils  receive  their  educa- 
tion under  the  direction  of  Franciscan  Sisters ;  likewise  a  dwell- 
ing for  the  clergy  and  sisters.  The  plan  for  a  new  rectory  to  cost 
$20,000  is  being  prepared. 

The  number  of  families  belonging  to  the  parish  is  about  500. 
The  assistants  at  present  are  Rev.  Father  Nicholas  Donohoe, 
O.M.C.,  and  Rev.  H.  McMahon,  O.M.C. 

St,  Joseph's  Church,  Carlstadt. 

A  MEETING  of  the  Catholics  of  Carlstadt  was  called  on  the 
17th  of  January,  1872,  to  devise  measures  to  erect  a  church. 
The  little  frame  church  was  built  in  the  summer  of  1873.  The 
Rev.  John  Schandel,  at  that  time  pastor  of  Passaic,  supervised 
the  work  and  attended  to  the  wants  of  the  mission. 

In  May,  1876,  Father  Schandel  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  A. 
Shuttlehofer.  In  1877,  in  the  month  of  November,  the  Rev. 
Gerard  Funcke  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  parish. 
Father  Funcke  opened  a  school  in  the  basement  of  the  church 
and  served  the  parish  until  the  month  of  August,  1885,  when  he 
was  transferred  to  St.  Mary's,  Dover,  and  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
Camillus  Mondorf. 

Father  Mondorf,  born  October  21st,  1844,  at  Sieglar,  Rhine 
Provinces,  made  his  preparatory  and  theological  studies  in  Ger- 
many and  Belgium,  was  ordained  at  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  on  Janu- 
ary ist,  1877,  and  received  into  the  Diocese  of  Newark  in  1882. 

Holy  Trinity  Church,  Westfield. 

Since  1872  the  portion  of  Union  County  between  Plainfield 
and  Elizabeth  has  been  under  the  care  of  a  resident  pastor.  Holy 
Trinity  Church,  Westfield,  might  be  called  the  parent  church  of 
this  parish,  for  it  was  the  first  erected.  Before  1872  Westfield 
was  a  mission  station  attended  occasionally  by  priests  from  the 
neighboring  parishes.     Although  but  few  Catholics  resided  here 


438 


THE   CATHOLIC   CHlJRCH 


forty  years  ago,  their  spiritual  needs  were  attended  to  by  either 
the  pastor  of  Ston\-  Hill  or  tlie  pastor  of  Rahway.  To  these 
places  the  Catholics  went  to  Mass  on  Sundays.  Ab  a  later 
period,  it  is  said,  some  of  the  present  congregation  utilized  the 
railroad  hand-car  on  Sunda}'  mornings.  As  many  men  and  women 
as  it  would  accommodate  journeyed  to  Plainfield  or  Elizabeth  to 
attend  early  Mass.  Of  those  who  enjoyed  that  early  morning 
ride  but  few  now  remain.  The\'  give  evidence,  howe\'er,  in  their 
old  age  that  the  same  love  of  God's  service  continues  with  them, 
for  they  never  neglect  the  Sunday  Mass. 

There  are  no  authentic  records  of  the  visits  made  by  various 
priests  for  the  purpose  of  offering  the   Holy  Sacrifice.     Stony 

Hill,  Millburn,  Rahway,  and 
Elizabeth  seem  to  have  sent 
a  priest  occasionally  to  the 
people  of  West  field.  Since 
the  establishment  of  a  parish 
at  Plainfield  the  pastor  there 
has  often  lent  a  helping  hand 
when  necessity  required  it. 
Old  residents  remember  with 
pleasure  the  visits  of  the  Re\'. 
Thomas  Ouin,  of  Rahwa\-, 
who  on  many  occasions  came 
to  Westfield  and  enabled  the 
then  growing  congregation  to 
assist  at  Holy  Mass.  At  this 
time  blither  Ouin  did  not 
have  the  convenience  of  a  church,  but  he  gathered  his  little  con- 
gregation, as  did  the  early  missionary  fathers,  at  any  suitable 
dwelling.  The  place  usually  selected  was  a  house  on  Broad 
Street,  now  occupied  as  a  grocery  by  Mr.  D.  V.  Miller.  At 
length  Father  Ouin's  duties  in  Rahway  prevented  him  from  gi\- 
ing  further  attention  to  Westfield.  It  then  became  united  to 
Stony  Hill,  and,  together  with  Cranford,  formed  a  new  parish 
under  the  care  of  the  Rev.  G.  I.  Misdziol,  popularly  known  as 
"  Father  Mitchell." 

Father  Misdziol  celebrated  Mass  on  Sundays,  alternately,  for 
the  people  of  Cranford  and  Westfield,  and  resided  at  the  latter 
place.  St.  Mary's,  Stony  Hill,  continued  to  have  Mass  every 
Sunday.  It  had  been  a  parish  church  for  several  years.  From 
this  time  begins  the  history  of  Holy  Trinity  Church.     The  zealous 


HOLY  TRINITY,   WESTFIELD. 


IN    NFAV   JKRSKY  439 

labors  of  Father  Misdziol  were  directed  toward  the  formation  of 
the  new  parish  and  the  erection  of  a  church  in  each  town.  In  this 
latter  duty  he  met  with  considerable  difficulty — at  first  in  West- 
field  and  afterward  in  Cranford.  For  some  time  he  was  unable  to 
secure  an  eligible  site  in  Westfield.  The  only  available  spot 
seemed  to  be  that  on  which  the  church  now  stands.  This  was 
purchased  for  the  sum  of  $600  in  1872.  It  had  formerly  been  a 
part  of  the  Pierson  farm. 

The  church  was  incorporated  September  2d,  1872,  with  the 
following"  board  of  trustees:  President,  Rt.  Rev.  James  Roosevelt 
Ba}ley,  D.D. ;  vice-president,  \'ery  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan,  V.G.; 
secretar)-  and  treasurer,  Rev.  G.  I.  Misdziol;  lay  trustees,  John 
Feeley  and  Daniel  O'Connor. 

Father  Misdziol  at  once  began  preparations  for  building.  He 
received  generous  cooperation  from  his  congregation  and  from 
many  of  the  non-Catholics  of  Westfield.  A  considerable  time 
elapsed,  howexer,  before  the  new  building  was  read}'  for  the  con- 
gregation. The  only  convenient  place  in  whicli  they  could  gather 
was  the  freight-ht)use  of  the  Central  Railroad.  Many  of  the  men 
were  emplo)ees  of  the  railroad.  On  Satiuxlay  evenings  they  and 
their  wives  brought  brooms  and  dusting  brushes,  and  carefully 
prepared  that  which  was  to  become,  for  a  time  at  least,  the  temple 
of  God.  Many  will,  no  doubt,  remember  the  pleasure  that  came 
to  them  as  they  prepared  the  temporary  altar  in  the  freight-house. 
Their  experience,  however,  was  not  different  from  that  of  other 
Catholics  throughout  the  country. 

Wlien  P'ather  Misdziol  began  the  erection  of  the  church  his 
congregation  numbered  about  100  souls — men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren. To-day  they  number  over  300.  It  may  be  said  to  the  praise 
of  the  people  of  Hol\'  Trinity  that  they  celebrated  their  silver  jubi- 
lee free  from  debt. 

In  September,  1903,  Westfield  was  detached  from  Cranford 
by  Bishop  O'Connor  and  erected  into  a  separate  parish,  with  the 
Rev.  Peter  E.  Reilly  as  the  first  pastor.  P'athcr  Reilly  was  born 
in  Lambertville,  N.  J.,  and  his  theological  studies  were  made  in 
Innspruck,  Tyrol,  where  he  was  ordained.  P'or  some  years  he 
was  assistant  in  St.  Paul's,  Greenville,  and  after  in  St.  John's,  Pat- 
er.'ion.     He  met  his  new  congregation  September  13th,  1903. 


440  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


St.  Michael's  Church,  Cranford. 

The  name  of  Father  Misdziol  is  closely  connected  not  only 
with  Holy  Trinity  Church,  but  also  with  St.  Michael's,  Cranford. 
The  latter  church  was  incorporated  October  7th,  1872,  with  the 
following  board  of  trustees:  President,  Rt.  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan, 
D.D.;  vice-president.  Very  Rev.  G.  H.  Doane,  V.G. ;  secretary 
and  treasurer,  Rev.  G.  I.  Misdziol;  lay  trustees,  Sylvester  Cahill, 
Jr.,  and  Michael  O'Brien. 

Father  Misdziol  came  to  Cranford  every  second  Sunday  to 
celebrate  Mass.  For  a  time  the  small  congregation  gathered  at 
the  house  of  Terence  Brennan  on  South  Avenue.  When  the 
number  increased  they  secured  the  use  of  a  large  room  in  what 
was  known  as  "  the  Mill,"  situated  on  the  property  now  occupied 
by  Mr.  E.  Bookout.  For  some  time  the  Mill  continued  to  serve  as 
a  church.  The  devotion  of  the  people  was  not,  however,  satisfied 
with  this  condition  of  affairs.  They  desired  to  have  a  church  of 
their  own  in  which  they  might  have  Mass  every  Sunday.  With 
this  intention  a  delegation  visited  Bishop  Corrigan,  afterward  Arch- 
bishop of  New  York.  They  received  from  him  the  pleasing  as- 
surance that  if  the  congregation  would  build  the  church  he  would 
provide  a  priest  so  that  they  might  have  Mass  every  Sunday. 
On  the  return  of  the  committee  collectors  were  appointed  to 
solicit  subscriptions.  After  several  weeks  the  amount  collected 
was  so  trivial  that  the  project  was  almost  abandoned.  It  was  at 
this  time  that,  in  a  spirit  of  heroic  self-sacrifice,  a  number  of  the 
men  determined  to  take  upon  themselves  the  task  of  building  the 
church.  Michael  Hennessy,  Joseph  Stephenson,  James  Millon, 
Edward  Shea,  Michael  O'Brien,  and  Patrick  Corcoran  each  bound 
himself  to  the  amount  of  $500  to  raise  sufficient  funds  to  build 
the  church.  Some  of  them  even  offered  to  mortgage  their  homes 
to  secure  the  pledge  they  made.  Sylvester  Cahill,  Sr.,  gave  the 
use  of  two  lots  for  such  time  as  the  church  should  be  situated 
thereon.  After  the  church  had  been  dedicated,  however,  Mr. 
Cahill  removed  this  condition  and  gave  an  absolute  deed  of  sale  of 
the  two  lots  to  St.  Michael's  Church.  This  site  was  on  Orange 
Avenue,  and  was  the  first  location  of  the  church.  It  is  now  occu- 
pied by  the  residence  of  Mr.  W.  F.  Neipp.  Father  Misdziol,  who 
began  the  preliminary  work  of  the  church,  did  not  remain  to  com- 
plete it.  The  worry  and  annoyances  incident  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  two  parishes  undermined  his  health  and  compelled 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


441 


him  to  resign  his  pastorate.  He  still  retained  charge  of  Stony 
Hill,  and,  in  addition,  visited  Baskingridge  and  Sterling.  His 
memory  is  held  in  loving  esteem  b\-  the  people  of  Cranford  and 
Westfield.  Father  Misdziol  was  succeeded  by  Revs.  P.  S.  Dag- 
nault,  A.  Bergman,  and  Aug.  Eberhard.  Each  remained  but  a 
short  time. 

Bishop  Corrigan  then  made  a  new  assignment  of  priests  and  a 
new  arrangement  of  parish  lines.  On  June  12th,  1877,  the  two 
towns,  together  with  Roselle,  became  one  parish  under  the  Rev. 
W.  J.  Wiseman. 

Father  Wiseman  for  a  short  time  continued  to  reside  at  West- 
field,  but  in  order  that  he  might  be  equally  distant  from  the  ex- 


ST.  Michael's  church,  cranford. 


tremes  of  his  parish  he  soon  located  in  Cranford.  In  the  begin- 
ning of  his  pastorate  in  Cranford  he  experienced  a  great  many 
difficulties.  At  first  he  had  no  fixed  parochial  residence.  Sev- 
eral houses  are  still  pointed  out  as  "  the  former  residence "  of 
Father  Wiseman.  He  found  many  misunderstandings  existing 
between  the  mechanics  and  those  who  made  themselves  respon- 
sible for  the  fund.  Indeed,  his  arrival  as  the  pastor  of  the  new 
church  was  most  opportune.  His  first  act  was  to  assume  the 
payment  of  the  necessary  debts  in  connection  with  the  new  build- 
ing. It  had  been  enclosed,  but  by  no  means  finished,  as  it  pos- 
sessed neither  pews  nor  altar. 


442  THK    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Roselle,  in  the  mean  time,  had  begun  to  attract  attention.  By 
reason  of  the  increasing  number  of  Cathohcs  it  seemed  that  there 
would  soon  be  need  of  a  church.  An  effort  was  made  by  Father 
Wiseman  for  this  purpose,  but  without  success.  Many  of  the  Ro- 
selle people  thought  it  best  to  defer  the  building  of  a  church.  They 
signified  their  intention  of  attending  St.  Michael's,  provided  it 
might  be  more  conveniently  located.  With  the  intention  of  ac- 
commodating them  Father  Wiseman  purchased  property,  and, 
with  the  consent  of  the  bishop,  mo\ed  the  church  to  the  new  site, 
where  it  has  since  remained.  From  this  time,  and  during  the 
remainder  of  Father  Wiseman's  pastorate,  a  cloud  of  discontent 
seemed  to  hang  over  St.  Michael's  Church.  Many  of  the  Cran- 
f:)rd  people  were  displeased  with  his  action  in  moving  the  church. 

Father  Wiseman  is  no  longer  among  the  living,  but  in  defence 
of  his  memory  it  is  simple  justice  to  say  that  his  action  in  this 
matter  was  really  conscientious  and  done  with  the  best  intention 
for  the  spiritual  good  of  those  under  his  care.  In  many  congrega- 
tions there  may  be  found  men  who  ha\e  little  regard  for  the  diffi- 
culties that  surround  a  priest  in  the  performance  of  his  duty. 
They  are  ever  ready  to  impute  motives  and  to  criticise  any  line  of 
policy  not  in  accordance  with  their  own  \iews.  With  some  of 
these  Fathci-  Wiseman  had  to  contend.  Contrar}'  to  the  impres- 
sion of  many  of  St.  Michael's  people,  the  moving  of  the  church 
from  Orange  Avenue  to  Elizal)eth  Avenue  made  no  increase  in 
the  church  debt.  The  expenses  incurred  were  paid  for  almost 
entirely  b)'  the  Roselle  i)eople.  Time  has  made  many  changes 
in  the  congregations  of  Cranford  and  Westfield.  Probably  not 
more  than  eight  or  nine  families  now  reside  in  either  place  who 
were  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Father  Mi.sdziol.  A  tradition  of 
memories  surrounds  the  two  old  churches.  We  hear  at  times 
the  names  of  faithful  children  of  the  mother  church  who  are  now 
resting  with  their  brethren  in  the  cemeteries  at  Plainfteld,  Eliza- 
beth, or  New  York.  Their  faithful  observance  of  God's  com- 
mandments brought  honor  to  their  church.  A  new  generation 
now  takes  the  place  of  the  pioneers — new  arrivals  from  the  over- 
growth of  neighboring  large  cities.  The  homeseeker  has  found  in 
Roselle,  Cranford,  and  Westfield  a  hal^itation  that  combines  the 
pleasures  of  rural  and  cit}-  life. 

The  Rev.  James  P.  Smith  was  appointed  rector  of  Cranford, 
March  8th,  1891,  and  continued  his  truly  apostolic  labors  in  this 
field  until  his  promotion  to  St.  Peter'.s,  Belleville.  Father  Smith, 
born  in  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  December   14th,   1858,  was  educated 


IN    NEW   JERS£:Y  44J 

partly  at  St.  Charles's,  Maryland,  and  partly  at  Seton  Hall,  of 
which  he  is  an  alumnus  of  the  class  of  '81.  His  theological 
studies  were  made  in  Seton  Hall,  and  he  was  ordained  in  the 
cathedral  May  30th,  1885.  His  first  mission  was  the  Protectory 
at  Arlington,  then  St.  Mary's,  Morristovvn,  and  St.  Bridget's, 
Jersey  Cit\-,  where  he  remained  four  years,  until  his  appointment 
to  Cranford.  Like  Chaucer's  good  priest,  "always  afoot,"  he 
visited  every  nook  and  corner  of  his  parish,  allayed  discontent, 
and  built  up  a  united,  fervent  congregation.  He  is  not  forgotten 
by  his  old  flock,  nor  will  his  memory  soon  fade  from  their  hearts. 
His  successor  was  the  Rev.  Francis  J.  Murphy,  who  was  com- 
pelled by  ill  health  to  resign.  The  Rev.  John  A.  Westman,  Vice- 
President  of  Seton  Hall,  was  appointed  administrator  of  the  par- 
ish March  5th,  1902.  Father  Westman,  born  in  Paterson,  N.  J., 
September  29th,  1872,  was  educated  at  Seton  Hall,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  '93.  Having  finished  his 
course  of  theology  at  Seton  Hall  Seminary,  he  was  ordained  in 
the  cathedral,  Newark,  June  12th,  1897.  Father  Westman  has 
since  been  made  rector  of  the  parish,  and  to  his  appeals  and 
efforts  the  congregation  has  responded  so  generously  and  promptly 
that  it  now  possesses  a  new  church  and  rectory.  In  his  zeal  he 
has  not  overlooked  the  Italians,  who  have  flocked  during  the  last 
ten  years  into  the  different  missions  with  which  he  is  charged. 
A  chapel  and  school  have  been  opened  for  them,  and  his  efforts  in 
their  behalf  have  been  ably  seconded  by  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Dolan,  his 

assistant. 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  Roselle. 

Another  mission  of  the  Cranford  Parish,  comprising  the 
borough  of  Roselle  and  a  part  of  Union  township,  became  incor- 
porated in  1895  as  St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church,  Roselle,  N.  J. 
The  board  of  trustees  were  the  following:  President,  Rt.  Rev.  W. 
M.  Wigger,  D.D.;  vice-president.  Very  Rev.  John  J.  O'Connor, 
V.G.;  secretary  and  treasurer.  Rev.  J.  P.  Smith;  lay  trustees, 
James  Maguire  and  Charles  H.  Pennell. 

A  site  was  selected,  corner  Third  Avenue  and  Walnut  Street, 
and  was  purchased  October  ist,  1895.  The  corner-stone  of  the 
new  church  was  laid  October  24th,  1897,  and  the  dedication  took 
place  May  ist,  1898.  The  events  connected  with  the  short  life  of 
St.  Joseph's  Church  are  still  so  recent  that  they  need  not  be  here 
related.  The  new  parish  is  under  obligations  to  many  friends 
who  have  already  extended  to  it  a  generous  sympathy  and  by 
liberal  gifts  have  lightened  the  church  debt. 


444 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


The  plans  of  the  new  church  had  not  yet  been  completed 
when  death  claimed  two  members  of  the  parish.  They  were 
equally  enthusiastic  for  the  erection  of  the  church,  and  for  many 
years  had  yearned  for  the  day  when  they  should  see  a  Catholic 
church  in  Roselle;  but  this  pleasure  they  did  not  enjoy.  On 
May  13th,  1896,  Charles  H.  Pennell,  one  of  the  incorporators  of 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  died. 
Mr.  Pennell  for  many  years 
had  been  associated  with  St. 
Michael's,  Cranford,  as  lay 
trustee.  He  had  not,  how- 
ever, been  always  a  Catholic. 
From  the  time  of  his  recep- 
tion into  the  church  by 
Bishop  Corrigan  in  1878  he 
took  an  active  interest  in  all 
Its  affairs.  When  it  was  pro- 
posed to  establish  a  church 
in  Roselle,  he  became  equal- 
ly zealous  to  have  the  new 
church  meet  with  success. 
His  successor  as  lay  trustee, 
George  E.  Hardy,  died  with- 
in a  year,  April  15th,  1897. 
By  a  singular  coincidence  the  particulars  attending  their  last  ill- 
ness were  almost  the  same.  Mr.  Hardy  and  Mr.  Pennell  each 
merited  the  esteem  of  their  fellow-citizens,  and  each  died  deeply 
regretted  by  a  host  of  friends. 


ST.  JOSEPH  S   CHURCH,   ROSELLE. 


St.  Columba's  Church,  Newark, 

The  dream  of  the  Catholics  of  Newark  that  they  were  soon  to 
have  their  cathedral,  fronting  Lincoln  Park  and  rearing  aloft  its 
cross  among  the  mansions  of  the  city's  financial  magnates,  seemed 
to  be  on  the  verge  of  realization  when  Dr.  Corrigan,  the  adminis- 
trator, laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  cathedral  chapel,  November 
2ist,  1869.  The  chapel  was,  indeed,  erected,  but  the  cathedral 
was  not,  on  that  site  at  least.  In  the  autumn  of  1871  the  Rev. 
Charles  A.  Reilly,  one  of  the  pro-cathedral  staff,  was  appointed 
to  organize  a  new  parish  in  the  southern  section  of  the  city,  and 
around  the  cathedral  chapel  the  congregation  grew.  After  a 
short  time  the  name  of  the  church  was  changed  to  St.  Columba — 
the  "Dove  of  the  Church," a  scion  of  the  royal  house  of  Leinster, 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


445 


son  of  the  great  Niall,  and  the  Apostle  of  Caledonia.  Father 
Reilly  was  born  in  the  county  Cavan,  Ireland,  and  after  the  com- 
pletion of  his  classical  studies  in  St.  Francis  Xavier's  he  studied 
theology  both  at  St.  Mary's,  Baltimore,  and  Seton  Hall,  where  he 
was  ordained,  March  i6th,  1867.  His  talents  were  of  a  high 
order,  and  to  a  grace  of  manner  was  added  the  possession  of  a 
rare  tenor  voice,  which  he  used  in  his  speeches  and  sermons  with 


ST.   COLUMT.A  S   CHURCH,   NEWARK. 
Rectory  on  left. 


tact  and  ability.  The  latter  years  of  his  life  were  clouded  by 
physical  ailments,  which  held  in  thrall  a  nervous  and  active  tem- 
perament, and  prevented  him  from  accomplishing  for  the  parish 
all  that  he  yearned  to  do.     He  died  October  15th,  1879,  and  was 


446  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Michael  J.  Holland.  Father  Holland  was 
a  cathedral  boy,  educated  at  St.  Charles's,  Maryland,  and  a  gradu- 
ate of  Seton  Hall  in  the  class  of  '70.  He  completed  his  theologi- 
cal studies  in  the  American  College,  Rome,  where  he  was  ordained 
in  1875.  His  ministry,  exercised  in  St.  Joseph's,  Jersey  City,  St. 
Mary's,  Trenton,  and  St.  Joseph's,  Newark,  was  marked  by  ear- 
nest and  never-wearving  effort.  Kind  and  ol^liging  to  his  fellow- 
priests,  he  was  the  soul  of  loyalty  to  his  friends  and  to  his  pastors. 
He  lived  in  an  atmosphere  of  sunshine  and  contentment,  which 
radiated  out  to  those  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  And  among 
all  who  knew  him  by  none  was  he  held  in  greater  esteem  than  the 
charity  charges  in  the  poor-house  or  the  pestilent  victims  of  the 
isolated  wards.  In  times  of  smallpox  scourge  not  only  his  neigh- 
bors but  his  intimate  friends  gave  him  a  wide  berth,  as  all  knew  how 
assiduous  he  was  in  his  attention  to  these  unfortunates  and  how 
indifferent  to  the  loathsome  contagion.  Father  Holland  worked 
hard  to  reduce  the  debt,  so  as  to  build  a  church  more  befitting 
the  needs  and  dignity  of  the  parish.  He  built  a  temporary  school, 
but  the  realization  of  his  hopes  was  to  be  deferred  to  another. 
Father  Holland  died  of  a  pulmonary  malad)'  in  the  month  of 
August,  1896.  His  successor  is  the  Rev.  Michael  J.  White. 
Father  White  was  born  at  Tallow,  Waterford,  Ireland,  and  after 
finishing  his  classical  studies  in  Mount  Melleray,  he  entered  St. 
John's  Seminary,  Waterford,  and  afterward  Maynooth,  where  he 
was  ordained  in  June,  1878.  He  labored  as  assistant  in  St.  John's, 
Paterson,  St.  Mary's,  Dover,  St.  John's,  Newark,  and  the  cathe- 
dral. Bishop  Wigger  appointed  Father  White  to  found  tlie  new 
parish  of  St.  Bridget's,  Newark,  where  he  built  the  school  and  a 
substantial  brick  church.  He  at  once  made  the  parishioners  of 
St.  Columba's  realize  that  the  debt  had  to  disappear  and  the  new 
church  to  leaxe  the  domain  of  rhapsody  and  become  a  substantial 
fact.  And  to-day  they  worship  in  a  most  beautiful  and  finished 
church.  The  rectory  was  built  at  the  same  time  as  the  church,  and 
the  old  rectory  converted  into  a  convent  for  the  school  sisters. 

Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Shadyside  (Cliffside). 

The  Catholics  of  Shadyside  were  formed  into  a  congregation  in 
March,  1873,  and  the  Rev.  Eusebius  Sotis,  who  took  charge  of  the 
congregation,  opened  a  school  about  the  same  time.  The  priests 
who  have  ministered  to  the  congregation  were  the  Rev.  Eusebius 
Sotis,  M.J.  Kerwin,  J.  M.  Giraud,  Francis  O'Neill,  and  J,  H.  Hill. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  447 

The  Rev.  Walter  A.  Purcell  became  the  first  resident  pastor 
on  December  ist,  1893.  Father  Purcell  was  born  in  New  York 
City,  November  i8th,  1855.  He  made  his  preparatory  studies 
at  Manhattan  College  and  his  theological  studies  at  Seton  Hall. 
He  was  ordained  June  7th,  1884,  in  the  cathedral  in  Newark.  He 
served  as  assistant  at  the  college,  attending,  meanwhile,  the  mis- 
sions of  Caldwell  and  Verona.  He  was  likewise  attached  to  St. 
Michael's,  Jersey  City;  St.  Columba's,  Newark;  St.  Aloysius's, 
Newark;  Seton  Hall;  administered  to  Summit;  assisted  at  St. 
James's,  Newark,  and  St.  Mary's,  Bayonne,  until  his  appointment 
as  pastor  of  Shadyside. 

Church  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Valley,  Orange,  N.  J. 

The  parish  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Valley,  Orange,  N.  J.,  was 
organized  September  8th,  1873.  It  had  been  a  part  of  St.  John's 
Parish,  Orange.  The  first  rector  was  Rev.  G.  A.  Vassallo.  The 
lay  trustees  were  Messrs.  Patrick  Hayes  and  Edward  B.  Maroney. 
Mr.  Hayes  is  still  a  trustee. 

The  church,  a  small  but  elegant  stone  building,  had  been  a 
Protestant  church,  presumably  Congregationalist.  The  above 
trustees,  at  their  first  meeting,  voted  to  give  a  mortgage  for  the 
sum  of  $5,000  for  three  years  to  the  trustees  of  the  Valley  Con- 
gregationalist Church,  and  to  buy  two  lots  and  a  house  in  the  rear 
of  the  church,  for  which  they  were  to  pay  in  cash  $1,100  and  to 
give  a  mortgage  for  $800  for  one  year.  October  nth,  1874,  dur- 
ing the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  James  A.  Walsh,  the  trustees 
resolved  to  collect  funds  for  a  parochial  house. 

March  1st,  1878,  the  Rev.  Walter  M.  A.  Fleming  "entered 
into  an  agreement  with  Mr.  Patrick  O'Rourke  ...  to  extend, 
alter,  and  remodel  said  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Valley,"  at  a 
cost  of  $8,570. 

The  church  is  located  at  the  corner  of  Valley  and  Nassau 
streets. 

From  the  baptismal  records  we  learn  that  Rev.  G.  A.  Vassallo 
exercised  the  ministry  in  this  church  from  September  7th,  1873, 
to  August  15th,  1874.  Rev.  James  A.  Walsh,  O.M.C.,  Septem- 
ber 6th,  1874,  to  April  29th,  1877.  Rev.  Walter  M.  A.  Fleming, 
June  loth,  1877,  to  July  20th,  1879.  Rev.  W.  M.  R.  Callan,  July 
28th,  1879,  to  January  25th,  1898.     He  died  February  25th,  1898. 

In  1 891  Father  Callan  purchased  a  plot  of  ground  adjoining 
the  school  and  convent. 


448 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


September  7th,  1891,  the  trustees  resolved  "to  increase  the 
mortgage  by  $5,000,  ...  to  provide  suitable  quarters  for  the 
young  men  of  the  parish." 

December  nth,  1891,  it  was  resolved  to  erect  a  new  building 
for  the  young  men,  the  idea  of  enlarging  the  hall  having  been 
abandoned. 

September,  1892,  Mr.  D.  Brown  was  appointed  weekly  col- 
lector at  a  salary  of  $12  per  week,  to  raise  funds  for  the  erection 
of  a  new  church. 

The  above  collections  could  not  have  been  very  successful, 


OUR  LADY  OF  THE  VALLEY,  ORANGE  VALLEY. 


because  neither  of  the  buildings  was  erected  in  the  lifetime  of 
Father  Callan. 

Labor  Day,  September  3d,  1894,  a  festival  and  garden  party 
was  held  on  the  occasion  of  the  raising  of  the  flag,  which  together 
with  the  pole  had  been  donated  by  some  members  of  the  G.  A. 
R.  and  friends  of  the  school. 

October  29th,  1895,  the  parish  sustained  a  loss  by  a  fire. 
The  insurance  companies  offered  $1,793  as  compensation  for  the 
losses  sustained,  which  Father  Callan  declined  to  accept.  He 
preferred  to  have  recourse  to  arbitration.     His  wisdom  in  the 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  449 

matter  ai)pcarccl  when  the  insurance  companies  increased  their 
award  to  ;^2,700,  and  this  was  accepted.  On  the  death  of  Father 
Callan  the  Rev.  Thomas  A.  Wallace  succeeded  to  the  pastorate. 
Father  Wallace  was  born  in  New  York  City,  July  17th,  1857,  and 
made  his  preparatory  studies  in  St.  Francis  Xavier's  and  St. 
Charles's,  Maryland,  and  was  graduated  from  Seton  Hall  in  the 
class  of  '80.  Having"  completed  his  theology  in  the  diocesan 
seminary,  he  was  ordained  in  the  cathedral,  Newark,  June  7th, 
1884.  His  service  as  assistant  was  confined  to  the  cathedral, 
from  1884  to  February  7th,  1893.  He  held  the  offices  of  chan- 
cellor, master  of  ceremonies,  and  bishop's  secretary  under  Bishop 
Wigger,  and  has  been  honored  with  the  same  dignities  and  re- 
sponsibilities by  Bishop  O'Connor.  He  resigned  the  parish  to 
resume  his  official  duties  February  ist,  1903.  During  his  pastor- 
ate Father  Wallace  built  and  equipped  the  lyceum  for  the  young 
men  of  the  parish.  His  successor  is  the  present  rector,  the 
Rev.  John  F.  Boylan,  who  was  promoted  from  Franklin  Furnace. 
Father  Boylan  read  theology  in  Seton  Hall,  and  was  ordained  in 
the  cathedral,  Newark,  June  7th,  1884.  He  was  assistant  in  St. 
Mary's,  Hoboken,  from  June  21st,  1884,  to  the  date  of  his  ap- 
pointment to  Franklin  Furnace,  March  i6th,  1894.  By  his  apos- 
tolic work  in  the  extreme  northern  mission  of  the  State,  amid 
trials  and  difficulties  silently  and  cheerfully  borne,  he  endeared 
himself  to  his  flock.  Before  his  promotion  he  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  witnessing  the  dedication  of  the  new  church  of  the  Im- 
maculate Conception,  Franklin  Furnace,  which  he  built.  The 
Rev.  George  Doane  O'Neill,  later  diocesan  chancellor  and  secre- 
tary, who  died  in  Denver,  Col.,  November,  1902,  rendered  effi- 
cient services  as  assistant  in  the  "Valley."  His  successors  are 
the  Rev.  Owen  W.  Clarke  and  the  Rev.  M.  Donnelly.  The  par- 
ish school,  with  an  enrollment  of  si.\  hundred  pupils,  is  taught  by 
twelve  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph. 

Our  Lady,  Star  of  the  Sea,  Long  Branch. 

The  Catholics  of  this  seaside  resort  were  attended  from  the 
church  at  Red  Bank.  The  first  efforts  to  erect  a  church  were 
made  by  the  Rev.  John  Salaun,  pastor  of  Red  Bank,  who  took  up 
his  residence  in  Long  Branch  July  1st,  1876,  and  built  the  church. 

Upon  his  resignation  of  the  parish  to  return  to  France  he 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  James  A.  Walsh,  a  Capuchin,  who 
was  received  into  the  Diocese  of  Newark  on  September  7th, 
29 


450  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

1874,  and  was  made  pastor  of  Long  Branch  in  the  spring  of 
1877. 

Father  Walsh  built  the  pastoral  residence  and  also  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  at  Asbury  Park.  His  successor  was  the  Rev. 
James  Augustine  McFaul,  now  Bishop  of  Lrenton. 

Bishop  McFaul  was  born  June  6th,  1850,  in  the  parish  of 
Larne,  Diocese  of  Connor,  L-eland,  and  made  his  preparatory 
studies  at  St.  Vincent's,  Pennsylvania,  and  St.  Francis  Xavier's, 
New  York,  and  his  theological  studies  at  Seton  Hall,  where  he 
was  ordained  priest  May  26th,  1877.  ^^is  first  services  were  ren- 
dered to  St.  Patrick's  Parish,  Jersey  City;  later  to  the  cathedral 
in  Newark,  St.  Peter's,  New  Brunswick,  and  St.  Mary's,  Trenton. 

Bishop  McFaul  built  St.  Michael's  Church,  West  End,  and  on 
his  appointment  to  the  pastorate  of  St.  Mary's  Cathedral,  Tren- 
ton, and  vicar-general  of  the  diocese,  he  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  William  P.  Cantwell. 

Father  Cantwell  made  his  preparatory  studies  at  St.  Charles's, 
Maryland,  and  at  Seton  Hall,  where  he  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  '79.  His  theological  studies  were  made  at  Seton  Hall 
Seminary,  where  he  was  ordained  priest.  Father  Cantwell  has 
built  a  very  fine  stone  school,  hall,  and  lyceum  in  the  central  sec- 
tion of  Long  Branch. 

Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Trenton. 

Immigration  brought  to  Trenton  a  number  of  Catholics  from 
Italy  and  Germany,  who  made  their  home  principally  in  Cham- 
bersburg.  It  was  to  afford  these  an  opportunity  of  practising 
their  religion  that  Father  Jachetti,  in  1874,  purchased  a  plot  of 
ground  on  Chestnut  Avenue  and  erected  a  frame  church,  which 
was  dedicated  the  following  year  by  Bishop  Corrigan  and  called 
Our  Lady  of  Lourdes.  In  the  same  year  he  built  a  college  for 
the  education  of  young  men  who  wished  to  join  the  Franciscan 
Order.  Owing  to  the  increase  of  immigration  the  congregation 
soon  outgrew  the  capacity  of  the  church.  Therefore,  in  the  fall 
of  1887,  P'ather  Jachetti  laid  the  foundation  of  a  new  church  just 
to  the  north  of  the  old  one.  The  work  of  building  went  on  rather 
slowly,  but  was  finally  completed  and  the  church  solemnly  dedi- 
cated by  Bishop  O'Farrell  on  October  5th,  1890,  under  the  title 
of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  Solemn  Pontifical  Mass  was 
celebrated  by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Wigger,  of  Newark,  assisted  by 
many  priests,  and  the  sermon  was  preached  by  Bishop  O'Farrell. 
The  church  is  a  Gothic  stone  building,  capable  of  seating  twelve 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  451 

hundred  people.  In  1875  a  school  was  opened  in  the  basement 
of  the  convent,  and  continued  there  till  1880,  when  a  new  school 
was  built.  In  1892  Father  Jachetti  was  transferred  to  Albany 
and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Francis  Lehner.  He  was  in  charge 
till  nearly  the  end  of  1895,  and  was  followed  by  the  Rev.  Bona- 
venture  Zoller,  who,  finding  the  school  too  small  to  accommodate 
all  the  children,  built  in  1897  an  addition  to  it.  It  has  room  now 
for  over  six  hundred  pupils. 

In  June,  1898,  the  corner-stone  of  a  new  college  was  laid.  The 
work  on  the  building  was  advanced  so  rapidly  that  it  was  blessed 
by  Bishop  McFaul  and  opened  for  students  on  September  28th  of 
the  same  year.  The  college  is  a  three-story  brick  building,  hav- 
ing a  frontage  of  no  feet,  and  has  all  the  equipments  of  a  first- 
class  institution.  It  is  intended  only  for  students  who  wish  to 
become  members  of  the  Franciscan  Order.  One  of  the  Francis- 
can Fathers  is  the  Catholic  chaplain  to  the  State  Prison.  He  de- 
votes a  great  deal  of  time  and  care  to  the  inmates,  instructing 
them  in  their  faith  and  preparing  them  for  the  Sacraments.  Mass 
is  said  every  Sunday  and  instruction  given  twice  a  week.  Be- 
sides their  labors  in  Trenton,  the  Franciscan  Fathers  did  consid- 
erable missionary  work  in  different  parts  of  the  diocese  and  built 
churches  in  Camden,  Riverton,  Riverside,  Beverly,  Toms  River, 
New  Egypt,  and  Point  Pleasant.  The  population  of  the  Immacu- 
late Conception  Parish  is  somewhat  over  three  thousand.  There 
are  five  hundred  and  fifteen  children  in  the  parochial  school. 

St.  Augustine's  Church,  Newark,  N.  J. 

In  the  year  1874  it  was  decided  to  organize  a  congregation  for 
the  German  Catholics  in  the  northern  part  of  Newark.  This 
great  work  was  entrusted  to  the  zeal  of  the  Rev.  Carl  A.  Vogel, 
who,  aided  by  the  Rev.  G.  Prieth,  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  entered 
into  the  spirit  of  the  work  with  great  enthusiasm,  trusting  to  the 
help  of  the  Almighty  and  to  the  ready  assistance  of  the  faithful 
German  Catholics.  As  a  true  shepherd  of  his  new  fold.  Father 
Vogel  sought  to  gather  the  parishioners.  One  of  the  first  to  help 
the  rev.  Father  in  the  great  enterprise  was  Officer  H.  Schmidt, 
who  contributed  generously  to  the  necessary  funds.  Encouraged 
by  such  good  will.  Father  Vogel  was  soon  able  to  call  a  number 
of  Catholic  men  to  a  meeting,  at  which  John  J.  Bien  and  Albert 
Feller  were  elected  first  trustees  of  the  church.  By  permission 
of  the  Rt.  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan,  the  new  congregation  was  incor- 


452 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


ST.    AUGUSTINE  S   CHURCH,  NEWARK, 

Destroyed  by  fire. 


poratecl  on  October  21st,  1874,  under  the  title  of  St.  Augustine's 
Roman  Catholic  Church.  The  rector  resided  temporarily  at  302 
Sussex  Avenue,  later  removed  to  145  First  Street 

Rev.  Carl  A.  Vogel  received  Holy  Orders  July  25th,  1858, 
at    St.    Poelten    in    Austria,    came    to    America    in     1868,    and 

after  a  few  weeks'  stay  with 
the  Redemptorist  Fathers, 
became  assistant  priest  at 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Trin- 
ity, Williamsburgh,  Brook- 
lyn. The  following  year  he 
was  invited  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  McOuaid,  of  Roches- 
ter, to  the  rectorate  of  St. 
Alphonsus's  Church,  Au- 
burn, N.  Y.  After  five  years 
of  labor  at  this  place  he  ac- 
cepted the  invitation  of  Rt. 
Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan  to  or- 
ganize the  new  German  Catholic  congregation  in  Newark.  During 
the  erection  of  the  church  and  school,  Father  Vogel  adminis 
tered  partly  at  St.  Peter's  and  partly  at  St.  Columba's  Church, 
also  visiting  at  times  the  Poor  House.  On  October  24th,  1874, 
four  lots,  corner  Sussex  Avenue  and  Jay  Street,  were  bought 
from  Col.  Edward  H.  Wright  for  $7,100  as  a  site  for  the  church 
and  school.  December  8th,  1874,  the  corner-stone  was  laid  by 
the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Corrigan,  assisted  by  the  vicar-general,  Mon- 
signor  G.  D.  Doane,  and  a  number  of  priests.  The  parish  counted 
75  members  at  its  beginning,  with  a  fund  of  $1,056.90,  which  sum 
had  been  raised  partially  by  subscriptions,  and  also  by  donations 
from  members  of  St.  Peter's  and  St.  Mary's  churches.  The  church 
was  finished  and  dedicated  on  May  23d,  1875,  to  which  happy  event 
the  parishioners  were  summoned  by  the  ringing  of  a  new  bell  called 
St.  Augustine.  The  building  of  the  parish  house  was  begun  June 
15th  and  finished  November,  1875.  ^^'^  September  of  the  same 
year  the  school  opened  with  about  100  children  and  was  placed  in 
care  of  four  Sisters  of  Christian  Charity  from  Wilkesbarre,  Pa., 
Sister  Isabella  superior. 

A  valuable  gift  was  received  by  the  church  in  a  relic  of  the 
Holy  Cross  and  one  of  the  patron  saint,  St.  Augustine,  which 
were  donated  by  the  Superior-General  of  the  Redemptorist  Fa- 
thers, Rt.  Rev.  N.  Mauron,  in  Rome. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


453 


In  18S4  the  parish  owned  ten  lots  which  were  valued  at  $12,900. 

Space  does  not  permit  the  recital  of  the  heroic  exertions  of  the 
zealous  priest,  Father  Vogel,  and  it  is  not  astonishing  that  at  last 
his  health  and  strength  gave  out,  and  an  administrator  was  ap- 
pointed him  in  the  person  of  Rev.  Ruppert  Mueller.  Father 
Vogel  obtained  a  leave  of  absence  to  seek  recovery  at  his  home  in 
Gratz,  Austria,  but  his  condition  grew  worse  and  at  last  God 
relieved  his  sufferings  and  called  home  the  faithful  worker  to  his 
eternal  reward. 

Rev.  Ruppert  Mueller  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  Father 
Vogel. 

In  September,  1 890,  a  new  rector  was  appointed  in  the  person 
of  Rev.  G.  Niedermayer,  while  Rev.  R.  Mueller  was  transferred 
to  St.  Nicholas's  Church,  Jersey  City,  where  after  a  severe  and 
long  illness  he  died  in  the  year  1891. 

Rev.  G.  Niedermayer  thought  it  advisable  to  build  a  hall  for 
exhibitions  and  entertainments.  Lots  on  Norfolk  and  Jay  streets 
were  bought  as  a  site  for  a  new  school  building.  On  Christmas 
morning,  1892,  the  little  church  and  school-house  were  totally 
ruined  by  a  fire,  the  loss  being  estimated  at  about  $20,000.  The 
true  cause  of  the  dreadful  accident  has  never  been  discovered. 
Were  it  not  for  the  newly  erected  hall  the  congregation  would 
have  been  dissolved.  September  3d,  1893,  the  corner-stone  of 
the  new  school  building  was  laid  by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Wigger. 

Rev.  Rudolf  Huelsebusch,  successor  to  Rev.  G.  Niedermayer, 
was  born  December  6th, 
1868,  in  Steele,  Prussia.  He 
was  ordained  in  Tyrol  July 
26th,  1893.  September  i  ith, 
1893,  he  came  to  America; 
for  two  years  and  three 
months  he  was  assistant 
priest  at  the  Church  of  the 
Holy  Family  in  Union  Hill. 
November  19th,  1895,  he 
took  charge  of  St.  Augus- 
tine's Parish  in  Newark, 
N.  J.     At   present  the  congregation  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

Honorable  mention  must  be  made  of  the  venerable  Sister 
Wenzeslas,  who  was  superioress  for  nearly  twenty-three  years 
and  was  really  a  mother  to  St.  Augustine's  congregation. 

Eventful   as   the  past   has  been   to   St.  Augustine's   Parish, 


ST.  Augustine's  church,  new.ark. 


454 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


nevertheless  the  congregation  flourishes,  with  the  blessing  of  the 
Almighty,  and  its  members  trust  once  again  to  have  an  edifice 
worthy  of  the  service  of  God  for  the  sanctification  of  souls  and  a 
source  of  pride  for  the  German  Catholics  in  the  city  of  Newark. 

The  present  debt  on  the  St.  Augustine's  Church  property  is 
$25,750. 

St.  Antoninus's  Church,  Newark,  N.  J. 

The  parish  of  St.  Antoninus  was  founded  by  the  Dominican 
Fathers  in  the  year  1875.  The  first  pastor  to  assume  charge  was 
the  Rev.  Stephen  Byrne,  O.P.  For  a  short  time  Mass  was  cele- 
brated in  a  dwelling-house  on  Bank  Street,  near  Eighth.  The 
property  on  South   Orange  Avenue  between  Eighth  and  Ninth 

streets   was    purchased   and 


ST.    antoninus's  church,  NEWARK. 


the  Holy  Sacrifice  was  of- 
fered in  a  small  frame  struc- 
ture on  Ninth  Street  until 
1 882.  In  1 878  Father  Byrne 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  H.  D. 
Hoban,  O.P.,  S.T.L.  After 
a  term  of  three  years  Rev.  J. 
P.  Turner,  O.P.,  was  appoint- 
ed pastor  in  1881.  During 
the  pastorate  of  P^ather  Turn- 
er the  present  church  on 
South  Orange  Avenue  was 
erected.  The  dedicatory  cer- 
emonies of  the  new  church  took  place  on  Sunday,  May  14th, 
1882.  Shortly  after  the  opening  of  the  new  church  the  old  edifice 
was  converted  into  a  school  and  the  Sisters  of  Charity  were  en- 
gaged for  teaching. 

After  a  six-year  term  of  office  Father  Turner  retired,  and  Rev. 
J.  A.  Rochford,  O.P.,  was  appointed  for  three  years  from  1887  to 
1890.  Father  Rochford  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  E.  V.  Flood, 
O.P.  In  1893  Rev.  J.  Y.  Colbert,  O.P.,  took  charge  of  the  parish 
and  served  two  terms.  During  the  second  term  of  Father  Col- 
bert the  new  parochial  school  was  built  to  take  the  place  of  the 
small  wooden  structure.  The  present  pastor  of  the  church  is  Rev. 
J.  R.  Meagher,  O.P.,  S.T.L.,  and  has  entered  upon  his  second 
term  of  office,  having  been  appointed  in  October,  1899.  Fathers 
Byrne,  Turner,  and  Rochford  have  long  ago  passed  to  their  reward. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  455 


St.  Leo's  Church,  Irvington. 

The  venerable  Father  John  F.  Salaun  was  formally  commis- 
sioned by  Rt.  Rev.  Michael  A.  Corrigan,  to  look  after  the  wants 
of  the  Catholics  in  Irvington  and  nearby,  who  were,  however,  to 
continue  to  attend  divine  worship  in  the  beautiful  College  Chapel 
of  Seton  Hall. 

Many  indeed  are  the  stories  the  students  of  those  days  could 
tell  of  the  "  over-the-hill '■'  journeys  of  the  faithful  from  "Camp- 
town  "  and  Hilton.  In  vehicles,  various  in  kind  and  style  and 
size  (and  many  more  on  foot),  the  "  contingent "  could  be  seen, 
Sunday  after  Sunday,  with  commendable  regularity,  enter  the 
gate  and  reverently  wend  their  way  through  "  the  maple-shaded 
lane,"  to  kneel  before  the  common  altar  and  listen  to  the  eloquent 
words  that  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  sainted  pastor.  Father  Salaun. 

Like  most  of  the  growing  suburban  settlements,  Irvington  in 
turn  came  in  for  its  measure  of  care  for  more  perfect  organization 
from  the  ever-zealous  bishop. 

In  the  work  of  "starting  a  parish  "  bishops  are  wont  to  choose 
men  of  energy  and  sacrifice.  Such  a  one  was  Rev.  Walter  M. 
Fleming.     He  was  appointed  to  the  task  on  June  23d,  1878. 

It  is  almost  incredible  what  the  handful  of  Catholics  accom- 
plished in  the  five  months  that  followed,  led  on  by  this  young  and 
fearless  priest,  who  purchased  the  property  on  Myrtle  Avenue, 
built  the  church,  and  removed  and  improved  the  old  "  mansion  " 
for  the  purposes  of  a  rectory. 

On  December  15th,  1878,  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Corrigan,  with  the 
impressive  ceremony  of  the  Catholic  ritual,  dedicated  the  edifice 
to  the  service  of  God,  under  the  patronage  of  the  intrepid  St. 
Leo  I. 

The  work  thus  begun  was  continued  under  other  pastors, 
among  them  the  accomplished  Dr.  Messmer  who  labored  but  two 
and  a  half  years.  Father  Messmer's  name  will  be  held  in  bene- 
diction by  old  and  young. 

His  mantle  fell  upon  another  professor  of  Seton  Hall,  no  less 
worthy  of  their  esteem,  and  one,  too,  who  has  left  a  lasting  impres- 
sion. The  Rt.  Rev.  John  J.  O'Connor,  now  burdened  with  the 
onerous  duties  of  bishop  of  the  diocese,  was  appointed  by  Bishop 
Wigger  in  July,  1882.  His  relations  with  St.  Leo's  were  severed 
in  the  fall  of  1 883,  reluctantly,  owing  to  labors  at  the  college. 

The  Rev.  Benedictine  Fathers  from  St.  Mary's  Abbey,  High 


456 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Street,   Newark,  ruled  the  people  for  o\er  four  years  with   the 
same  zeal  and  tact  that  have  always  characterized  their  lives. 

The  secular  priests,  under  the  guidance  of  our  late  and 
lamented  Bishop  Wigger,  resumed  charge  in  the  person  of  Rev. 
W.  J.  Murphy,  whose  career  was  cut  short  by  death  from  hemor- 


(    IK    K(    II.    IK\  l\(,  1().\. 


rhages.  Father  J.  E.  McEvoy  enjcncd  tlic  longest  term,  of  four 
years  and  three  months.  He  succumbed  to  a  disease  that  at- 
tacked him  while  a  student  in  Seton  Hall.  The  labors  of  Rev.  J. 
J.  Boylan,  his  successor,  during  two  years  and  ten  months,  re- 
sulted in  a  general  rejuvenescence  in  every  department  of  pas- 
toral work.  The  church  was  beautified,  parochial  visitations  be- 
came more  frequent,  the  income  became  a  marvel.     It  was  indeed 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  457 

a  sad  day  that  witnessed  his  departure,  March  loth,  1895,  to  his 
field  of  labor  in  Jersey  City.  It  was  through  the  energy  and 
perseverance  of  Father  Boylan  that  the  school  (erected  by  his 
predecessor  and  in  debt)  was  opened  to  the  children  of  the  parish. 

Notwithstanding"  the  difficulties  and  opposition  that  such  new- 
works  enlist,  these  pastors  realized  how  needful  is  the  Catholic 
school  to  unfold  the  minds  of  our  children  and  at  the  same  time 
mould  the  character  and  the  conscience. 

The  rectory  was  next  looked  after,  and  with  the  church  was 
heated  by  steam,  etc. ;  and,  above  all,  the  debt  reduced  consid- 
erably. 

The  eloquent  and  venerable  Father  Byrne  next  succeeded  to 
the  rectorship.  Although  at  a  patriarchal  age,  yet  for  two  years 
his  parishioners  had  the  advantage  of  his  eloquence  as  well  as 
his  care. 

In  the  mean  while  the  school  continued  doing  its  work,  ec^ually 
successful  both  under  the  Sisters  of  Charity  and  under  the  Sisters 
of  Notre  Dame.  Imbued  with  the  same  spirit  of  prayer  and  sac- 
rifice, these  have  accomplished  much  to  bring  success  to  the 
growing  years. 

The  present  incumbent  of  the  parish,  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Dunn, 
assumed  the  office  September  24th,  1897,  and  with  his  predeces- 
sors pays  tribute  to  the  faithful  cooperation  of  St.  Leo's  people. 

When  we  look  back  over  a  c{uarter  of  a  century,  we  are 
astounded  that  so  much  has  been  accomplished. 

Not  only  has  the  regular  work  of  school  and  church  been  stead- 
ily continued,  but,  notwithstanding  almost  insuperable  difficulties, 
the  financial  side  has  much  to  encourage  us. 

To  meet  the  requirements  from  the  beginning  the  use  of  com- 
mercial paper  was  necessary.  The  labor  of  procuring  revenue 
for  interest  and  improvements  and  repairs  has  often  taxed  the 
ingenuity  of  pastor,  trustees,  and  willing  hands,  of  which  there 
were  not  a  few.  Even  from  without  the  parish  limits  generous 
friends  have  not  been  wanting. 

At  the  outset  an  outla)-  of  $7,000  was  needed  to  erect  and 
furnish  the  church  and  rectory.  The  purchase  of  additional  land 
on  Irvington  Place  at  $409.75,  subsequent  repairs,  and  additions 
to  the  rectory  brings  the  outlay  to  about  $4,000  more.  In  1892, 
by  consent  of  the  bishop,  land  was  purchased  for  the  school  site  at 
a  cost  of  $1,200,  of  which  amount  the  bishop  contributed  a  gener- 
ous donation  of  $500,  Father  McEvoy  and  a  relative  $500.  The 
school  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $5,452.68.     There  were 


458  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

many  alterations  besides  furnishings  for  this  and  the  following 
year  that  caused  an  expenditure  of  $1,445.83.  Although  in  earlier 
years  the  income  was  merely  nominal,  yet  an  investigation  re- 
cently made  shows  that  an  average  annual  income  of  $2,400  has 
carried  on  the  work  successfully. 

The  silver  jubilee  of  the  church  was  celebrated  appropriately 
November  13th,  1903,  in  the  presence  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
O'Connor  and  many  priests  of  the  diocese.  The  celebrant  of 
the  Mass  was  a  former  rector,  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Boy  Ian.  The  pres- 
ent active  and  efficient  pastor,  the  Rev.  Joseph  C.  Dunn,  was 
born  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  June  2d,  1862,  and  made  his  classical 
studies  in  St.  Benedict's,  Newark,  and  Seton  Hall,  where  he  was 
graduated  in  the  class  of  '82.  He  was  ordained  in  the  cathedral, 
June  19th,  1886.  He  has  rendered  services  as  assistant  in  Sum- 
mit, St.  Joseph's,  Jersey  City,  and  St.  James's,  Newark.  He  was 
appointed  rector  of  St.  Patrick's,  Chatham,  September  21st,  1889, 
and  of  St.  Leo's,  Irvington,  October  2d,  1897. 

Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Grace,  Avondale. 

The  mission  of  Avondale  had  been  attached  to  Belleville  until 
the  Rev.  Hubert  de  Burgh  undertook  to  build  a  church  for  the 
settlement  of  Catholics  in  that  parish.  Father  de  Burgh,  formerly 
of  the  Established  Church,  chaplain  of  the  British  army  in  the 
Crimea,  an  advanced  Ritualist,  became  a  Catholic  and  was  ordained 
for  the  Diocese  of  Westminster,  England. 

On  the  death  of  Father  Hogan,  October  i8th,  1867,  he  be- 
came pastor  of  St.  Peter's,  Belleville.  He  resigned  this  charge  to 
take  up  his  residence  and  become  the  first  pastor  of  Avondale  in 
August,  1877. 

The  church  of  Avondale  is  one  of  the  prettiest  specimens  of 
Gothic  architecture  in  the  diocese.  Father  de  Burgh  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  charge  of  St.  Mary's,  Plainfield,  in  1882,  but  resigned 
his  parish  and  returned  to  England. 

His  successor  is  the  Rev.  John  P.  Morris.  Father  Morris, 
born  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  on  July  14th,  1841,  made  his  preparatory 
studies  at  Seton  Hall  and  his  theological  studies  in  the  American 
College,  Rome,  where  he  was  ordained  June  15th,  1867.  Father 
Morris,  as  assistant,  served  at  St.  Peter's,  Jersey  City,  St.  Mary's, 
Jersey  City,  St.  Patrick's,  Elizabethport,  and  in  1870  he  was 
appointed  to  assist  the  Rev.  John  J.  Connolly,  pastor  of  Plainfield, 
then  in  very  delicate  health. 


IN  np:w  jersey 


459 


After  his  death  he  succeeded  as  pastor  and  built  the  new 
church  and  rectory.  The  church  was  blessed  on  September  8th, 
1880.  He  also  built  the  church  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist, 
Dunellen.     It  was  dedicated  on  October  24th,  1880.     This  parish 


CHURCH  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  GRACE,  AVONDALE. 

is  one  of  the  very  few  in  the  Diocese  of  Newark  which  has  no 
parochial  school  The  land  on  which  the  church  was  built  was 
the  gift  of  Mrs.  William  Joyce. 


St,  Joseph's  Church,  Keyport. 

The  first  resident  pastor  of  Keyport  was  the  Rev.  P.  McGov- 
ern.  Father  McGovern  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  G.  A.  Spier- 
ings,  a  Capuchin  who  came  to  the  Diocese  of  Newark  from  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  and  was  appointed  pastor  of  Fort  Lee.  On  October 
1st,  1876,  he  resigned  that  parish  to  the  Capuchin  Fathers  and 
went  to  Europe  for  a  visit.  There  he  became  secularized  and  on 
his  return  was  appointed  assistant  to  Father  de  Concilio,  with 
whom  he  remained  until  his  appointment  to  Keyport,  June,  1877. 

Father  Spierings  built  the  fine  brick  church  which  was  dedi- 
cated October  31st,  1880,  and  also  the  brick  rectory.  His  suc- 
cessor is  the  Rev.  Michael  C.  O'Donnell.  Father  O'Donnell  was 
born  in  Lambertville,  N.  J.,  and  studied  at  St.  Charles's  and 
Seton  Hall,  where  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  '81. 


460 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


St.  Bonaventure,  Paterson,  N.  J. 

The  infamous  May  Laws  of  Prussia  drove  the  religious  orders 
from  their  fatherland,  many  of  whom  came  to  the  United  States. 
Among"  them  the  Franciscan  Fathers  of  the  Province  of  St.  Eliza- 
beth of  Thuringia,  whose  mother  house  was  in  Fulda.  On  their 
arrival  in  New  York  September  5th,  1875,  they  were  most  cor- 
dially received  by  the  Capuchin  Fathers  of  that  city,  with  whom 
they  remained  several  months,  until  they  were  received  into  the 
Diocese  of  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  by  Bishop  Wadhams  and  assigned 
to  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Croghan.  Here  they  still  labor  for  the 
glory  and  honor  of  God. 

Other  fathers  arrived  later  and  were  received  into  the  diocese 
by  Bishop  Corrigan  in  1876.  The  bishop  expressed  the  wish  that 
they  would  establish  a  parish   in  the  neighboring  section  of  the 


ST.  bonaventuke's  church,  pateksox. 


city  of  Paterson.  This  little  party  of  P'ranciscans  arrived  in  Pat- 
erson August  26th,  1876,  and  took  possession  of  the  convent 
which  had  been  built  two  years  before  by  the  Carmelites,  who  had 
come  hither  from  Regensburg,  Bavaria. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


461 


ST.  ANTHONY  S  CHURCH,  BUTLER. 

Attended  from  St.  Honaventure's. 


Their  efforts  did  not  meet  with  the  success  they  had  hoped 
for  and  they  retLU'ned  to  their  mother  house. 

The  Sunday  following  the  arrival  of  the  Franciscans,  August 
27th,  1876,  Mass  was  cele- 
brated for  the  first  time  m 
the  little  chapel  of  the  con- 
vent by  the  Rev.  Ferdinand 
Miller,  O.F.M.,  the  superior- 
general  of  the  community, 
which  position  he  retained 
until  1885,  when  he  was  re 
called  to  Germany. 

The  community  consisted 
of  two  priests  and  three  cler- 
ics, preparing  for  the  priest- 
hood, and  three  lay  brothers. 
As  the  fathers  were  unable 
to  speak  English,  it  was  not 
until  February,  1877,  that 
they  obtained  permission  from  the  ordinary  to  establish  a  parish 
under  the  title  of  St.  Bonaventure. 

Previous  to  this  the  Catholics  living  in  this  section  of  Pater- 
son  were  attended  from  St.  John's  Church 

Father  Miller  was  the  first  rector  of  the  new  parish  and  re- 
mained in  charge  until  December,  1881.  His  assistant  was  the 
Rev.  A  Frobele. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  was  laid  by  Bishop  Corri- 
gan  on  Sunday,  November  25th,  1874,  but  the  church  was  not 
completed  until  June,  1880.  It  is  a  brick  structure  with  a  seatnig 
capacity  of  600.  Sunday,  July  4th,  1880,  it  was  solemnly  conse- 
crated by  Bishop  Corrigan,  who  also  celebrated  Pontifical  Mass. 
The  Rev.  J.  D.  Hoban,  O.P.,  of  Newark,  preached  an  eloquent 
sermon. 

Father  Miller  also  built  the  sexton's  house  in  1881.  The  par- 
ish school  was  opened  in  the  basement  of  the  church.  On  the 
departure  of  Father  Miller  the  Rev.  Francis  Koch,  O.F.M.,  was 
appointed  his  successor  and  the  Rev.  Father  Vincent,  O.F.M., 
his  assistant. 

Father  Koch  remained  as  pastor  until  July,  1884,  when  he 
took  charge  of  the  outside  missions  connected  with  St.  Bonaven- 
ture— Singac,  Butler,  Macopin — where  he  built  new  churches  and 
paid  for  them. 


462 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


The  next  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Pius  Manz,  O.F.M.,  who  served 
until  June,  1887,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Albert  Frobele, 
O.F.M.  Father  Frobele  purchased  additional  property  and  in 
1889  built  the  present  St.  Bonaventure's  School  at  a  cost  of 
$14,000. 

The  Rev.  Bernadin  Bidinger,  O.F.M.,  was  the  ne.xt  pastor  and 
remained  until  September,  1895.  His  successor  is  the  present 
rector,  the  Rev.  Anthony  Berghoff,  O.F.M. 

Father  Anthony  has  made  new  improvements — frescoing  the 
church,  replacing  the  old  windows  with  stained  glass,  and  install- 


ST.   JOSEPH'S    (THU<D)   CHURCH,    MACOPIN,    NOW   ECHO   LAKE. 

The  cradle  of  Catholicity  in  Northern  New  Jersey,  p.  io8. 


ing  a  heating  apparatus  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  The  silver  jubilee 
of  the  parish  was  observed  with  solemn  ceremonies  on  November 
1st,  1903,  in  the  presence  of  His  Excellency,  the  Most  Rev 
Diomede  Falconio,  O.F.M.,  the  Papal  Delegate  to  the  United 
States,  who  celebrated  Pontifical  Mass.  The  orator  of  the  occa- 
sion  was  the  Rev.   Isaac  P.  Whelan,   the  former  pastor  of  St. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  463 

Mary's,  Paterson.  Bishop  O'Connor,  Monsignor  Sheppard,  and 
many  priests  were  present  on  the  occasion.  A  remarkable  feature 
of  the  celebration  was  the  reception  accorded  to  the  delegate  of 
the  Holy  See  on  the  Saturday  preceding  the  event.  The  societies 
attached  to  the  church  proceeded  in  a  body  to  the  depot  to  meet 
His  Excellency,  who  was  received  with  great  enthusiasm  by  the 
entire  population  of  the  city.  The  houses  along  the  line  were 
decorated  with  flags  and  bunting  and  illuminated.  It  was  a  stir- 
ring sight  which  deeply  moved  the  representative  of  the  Holy  See. 

The  Catholic  Church  in  Bloomfield. 

The  Catholics  of  Bloomfield  formed  part  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception  Parish  of  Montclair  for  twenty-three  years,  under  the 
pastorate  of  the  Rev.  Fathers  Hogan,  Joslin,  and  Steets.  Many 
unsuccessful  attempts  were  made  by  them,  petitioning  Bishop 
Corrigan,  the  late  Archbishop  of  New  York,  for  the  establish- 
ment of  the  new  parish  in  Bloomfield.  At  last  their  wishes  were 
gratified  by  the  appointment  of  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Nardiello,  assist- 
ant pastor  of  St.  James's  Church,  Newark.  It  was  only  a  few  days 
previous  to  his  appointment  that  Bishop  Corrigan  had  ordered 
Rev.  Father  Steets  to  have  plans  made  for  a  small  chapel  to  be 
erected  in  Bloomfield  and  to  be  attended  by  the  fathers  from 
Montclair.  Father  Nardiello  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the 
formation  of  the  new  parish  on  the  21st  of  June,  1878. 

The  new  parish  of  the  Sacred  Heart  was  incorporated  under 
the  laws  of  New  Jersey  on  the  ist  of  July,  1878.  The  plans  for  a 
church  accommodating  about  five  hundred  people  were  prepared. 
During  this  interval  a  hall  was  secured  in  the  Bloomfield  Hotel, 
where  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass  was  offered  for  the  first  time  by 
the  new  pastor  on  July  6th  at  i  :30  and  10:30,  the  hall  being  well 
filled  at  both  Masses.  The  great  day  for  the  Catholics  was  com- 
ing nearer  and  nearer ;  that  is,  the  dedication  of  the  new  church. 
On  the  17th  of  November  of  the  same  year  Archbishop  Corrigan, 
assisted  by  a  number  of  priests,  performed  the  solemn  ceremony, 
and  preached  at  the  Solemn  High  Mass.  Notwithstanding  the 
inclemency  of  the  weather  a  large  congregation  was  present. 
Another  great  work  undertaken  was  the  establishment  of  the 
parochial  school.  So  the  rev.  pastor  put  himself  to  the  task,  and 
in  one  month  and  a  half  the  school  was  a  reality.  Two  lay  teachers 
from  Newark  were  engaged  and  ninety-four  scholars  were  enrolled. 

In  March,  1880,  the  house,  garden,  and  grounds  upon  which 


464  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

the  stone  school  building  now  stands,  on  the  corner  of  Liberty 
and  State  streets,  were  purchased.  The  necessary  repairs  being 
made,  the  house  was  occupied  by  the  rector,  and  thus  it  became 
for  ten  years  the  pastoral  residence.  The  frame  dwelling  in  the 
rear  of  the  church,  the  former  residence  of  the  pastor,  became 
the  sisters'  convent. 

Father  Nardiello  had  too  much  at  heart  the  welfare  of  the 
chikh"en  of  the  school  to  allow  them  to  remain  too  long  in  the 
basement  of  the  church.  He  therefore  began  to  agitate  the  sub- 
ject of  building  the  parochial  school.  The  project  was  carried 
into  execution  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1882.  On  the  17th  of 
September  of  the  same  year  the  school  was  blessed  by  Bishop 
Wigger.  The  following  day  it  was  occupied  by  the  scholars. 
The  building  consisted  of  six  class-rooms  and  a  large  hall  with  a 
seating  capacity  of  500.  The  people  of  Bloomfield  were  pro- 
foundly impressed  when  they  beheld  a  handsome  and  substantial 
building  of  stone,  erected  by  a  rising  congregation  comparatively 
poor. 

Li  April,  1885,  a  lot  was  purchased  from  Arthur  O' Hare  on 
the  north  side  of  the  school-house  on  State  Street  for  a  play- 
ground. In  May,  1886,  another  lot,  situated  on  the  north  side  of 
the  frame  church  on  Bloomfield  Avenue,  was  bought  from  Mr. 
Thomas  Taylor  for  a  future  church. 

The  Cemetery  and  Its  Beautiful  Chapel. 

A  resting-place  was  pro\'ided  for  those  who  died  in  the  Lord, 
by  the  purchase  of  a  tract  of  land  of  about  eleven  acres,  formerly 
owned  by  Mr.  Baldwin. 

The  New  Church. 

In  July,  1889,  Father  Nardiello  secured  the  magnificent  site 
located  on  the  corner  of  Broad  and  Liberty  streets,  facing  the 
beautiful  park  of  Bloomfield.  The  site  was  for  the  future  church 
of  the  Catholics  of  Bloomfield.  The  church  with  all  its  various 
branches  of  work  is  now  as  fully  equipped  and  stands  on  as  solid 
a  foundation  as  any  other  institution  of  its  kind  in  this  country, 
and  the  congregation  owe  their  splendid  success  largely  to  their 
present  pastor.  He  has  proved  himself  the  right  man  in  the  right 
place,  and  the  town  as  well  as  the  church  has  benefited  by  his 
presence  among  us.  A  well-known  architect  was  secured  to  make 
plans  for  the  new  church  to  the  satisfaction  of  Father  Nardiello 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


465 


and  the  people  of  the  parish.  The  dimensions  of  the  building  are 
as  follows :  sixty-six  feet  front  on  Broad  Street,  and  one  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  feet  on  Liberty  Street,  and  seventy-four  feet 
across  the  transept.  The  ceremony  of  the  laying  of  the  corner- 
stone took  place  on  Sunday,  October  19th. 

The  corner-stone  is  a  handsome  brown  stone  from  the  Glen 
Ridge  Quarry.     It  has  inserted  in  it  a  white  stone  about  six  inches 
square,  engraved  with  the  cross  of  the  Holy  Land.     The  stone 
was  brought  from  the  Holy 
Land    by    the    Rev.    Father 
Nardiello  on  the  occasion  of 
his  visit    there.     He    picked 
it  up  at  Capharnaum,  a  place 
closely    connected    with    im- 
portant events  in  the  life  of 
the  Saviour. 

The  dedication  of  the  new 
church  took  place  on  Sun- 
day, October  i6th,  1892.  The 
ceremony  was  a  solemn  and 
impressive  one  and  was  wit- 
nessed by  a  large  audience, 
in  which  every  church  de- 
nomination in  the  town  was 
represented. 

The  church  was  dedicat- 
ed by  the  Rev.  Bishop  Mc- 
Donnell, of  Brooklyn,  and 
Cardinal  Satolli  sang  the 
Mass  At  the  synod  held  in 
Seton  Hall,  at  the  end  of 
June,  1902,  Father    Nardiello  was  made   an    irremovable  rector. 

The  need  of  more  school  accommodations  for  children  of  the 
primary  department  was  felt  for  some  time.  Finally  Father 
Nardiello  decided  to  erect  the  present  building  on  Liberty  Street. 
The  work  was  completed  in  September,  1902,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing month  the  new  school  was  blessed.  The  structure  is  of  red 
brick,  with  white  brick  trimmings,  and  in  erecting  it  Father 
Nardiello  considered  the  future  growth  of  the  community.  The 
grounds  are  enclosed  by  an  iron  railing  and  beautified  by  a  numer- 
ous variety  of  plants  and  trees,  adding  more  charm  to  the  en- 
chanted spot. 
30 


CHURCH   OF   THE   SACRED    HEART, 
BLOOMFIELD. 


466  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

The  Young  Men's  Catholic  Lyceum,  composed  of  the  young 
men  of  the  parish,  has  existed  under  various  names,  as  Young 
Men's  Literary  Union,  Young  Men's  Cathohc  Union,  and  Cath- 
ohc  Ckib,  since  1879.  Father  Nardiello,  seeking  to  provide  a 
building  for  his  young  men,  purchased  in  1887  from  Mrs.  Baldwin 
a  lot  on  Bloomfield  Avenue,  north  of  the  Ward  property.  In 
the  same  year  a  commodious  club-house  was  erected  on  this  lot. 
It  consisted  of  a  gymnasium,  billiard-room,  parlor,  library,  cloak- 
room, and  two  meeting-rooms. 

St.  Michael's  Church,  Newark,  N.  J. 

In  1878  the  Rev.  Patrick  Leonard  was  missioned  by  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Michael  A.  Corrigan,  to  organize  a  parish  in  the  former 
Eighth  Ward  of  this  city.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  the  i6th 
of  June,  1878.  It  was  occupied  for  divine  service  in  December 
of  the  same  year,  the  first  Mass  in  the  sacred  edifice  being  cele- 
brated on  Christmas  Day  by  the  Rev.  Father  Leonard.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1879,  the  formal  dedicatory  services  were  celebrated  by  Rt. 
Rev.  Bishop  Corrigan,  and  the  church  was  placed  under  the 
patronage  of  St.  Michael  the  Archangel.  In  the  same  year  the 
rectory  was  built.  In  1881  a  school  and  convent  were  erected. 
In  1 886  a  chime  of  bells  was  placed  in  the  tower,  and  on  October 
7th,  1887,  the  church,  being  free  from  debt,  was  consecrated  by 
the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Wigger. 

On  November  26,  1892,  Father  Leonard  died.  He  was  born 
in  Ireland,  educated  for  the  priesthood  in  St.  Mary's  Seminary, 
Baltimore,  Md.,  had  been  successively  pastor  of  St.  Ann's  Church, 
at  Hampton  Junction,  N.  J.;  St.  Mary's  Church,  Bordentown, 
N.  J.,  and  St.  John's  Church,  Newark,  and  was  appointed  irre- 
movable rector  of  St.  Michael's  Church  three  years  previous  to 
his  death.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Denis  J.  McCartie 
who  was  also  born  in  Ireland;  received  his  ecclesiastical  education 
in  Maynooth  Seminary,  Ireland,  and  Louvain  University,  Belgium ; 
and  was,  previous  to  his  appointment,  for  ten  years  Chancellor  of 
Newark  diocese  and  professor  for  eight  years  of  Sacred  Scripture, 
Canon  Law,  and  Ecclesiastical  History,  for  six  years  of  Moral 
Theology,  and  for  two  years  of  Philosophy  and  English  Literature 
in  Seton  Hall  Seminary,  South  Orange,  N.  J. 

In  1893  a  new  school  and  convent  were  erected,  the  existing 
buildings  being  found  inadequate  to  the  increasing  requirements 
of  the  parish.     The  new  school  is  a  three-story  brick  building  to 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


467 


the  rear  of  the  church,  109  feet  long"  by  65  feet  wide.  The  first 
floor  is  occupied  by  the  club-rooms  and  bowling  alleys  of  St. 
Michael's  Young  Men's  Catholic  Association.  The  former  school 
and  convent  have  been  converted  into  the  Columbian  flats  and 
adjoining  residence. 

In  1902  the  interior  of  the  church  was  completely  renovated. 
The  sanctuary  was  enlarged  and  extended  to  the  entire  width  of 
the  nave  so  as  to  include  the 
space  previously  occupied  by 
sacristies.  The  former  low 
ceiling  was  removed  and  a 
metal  structure  of  handsome 
Gothic  design,  seven  and 
one-half  feet  higher,  was  sub- 
stituted. The  walls  were 
replastered  and  the  entire  in- 
terior was  painted  and  artis- 
tically decorated.  New  Sta- 
tions of  the  Cross  of  stone 
composition  in  ornamental 
relief  were  erected,  and  four- 
teen new  statues,  nearly  all 
of  life  size,  were  placed  in  the 
chancel.  All  the  stations 
and  statues  were  generously 
donated  by  meml^ers  of  the 
congregation.  The  stained- 
glass  windows  had  been  al- 
ready donated  by  liberal  ben- 
efactors when  the  church  was 
first  erected. 

St.  Michael's  Parish,when 
first  established,  extended  to 
the  lines  separating  the  city  from  Belleville  and  Bloomfield  town- 
ships. In  1890  a  section,  which  is  now  the  parish  of  the  new 
Cathedral  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  was  separated  from  its  territory. 
In  1901  another  section  was  detached  to  constitute  the  parish  of 
Our  Lady  of  Good  Counsel.  The  present  boundaries  of  the  par- 
ish are :  On  the  south,  the  southern  side  of  Seventh  Avenue  and 
Clay  Street  to  the  river ;  on  the  north,  the  northern  side  of  Chester 
Avenue ;  on  the  west,  the  city  line  to  a  line  in  continuation  of 
Fourth  Avenue,  and  thence  the  western  side  of  Mount  Prospect 


ST.  Michael's  church,  newakr. 


468  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Avenue;  on  the  east,  the  river  Passaic.  The  Catholic  population, 
as  shown  by  an  accurate  census  of  1902-1903,  numbers  3,600 
persons. 

The  present  pastor  is  the  Rev.  Denis  J.  McCartie,  M.R.;  the 
assistant,  the  Rev.  Thomas  A.  Walsh. 

St.  Michael's  Parish  celebrated  its  silver  jubilee  concurrently 
with  the  golden  jubilee  of  the  diocese,  1903. 

Church  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Asbury  Park. 

This,  the  well-known  seaside  resort,  Asbury  Park,  has  grown 
from  a  wilderness  by  the  sea  to  its  present  proportions  of  a  well- 
laid-out  and  well-governed  city  in  a  generation.  The  founder,  Mr. 
Bradley,  yielding  to  the  request  of  several  Protestants,  offered  the 
Catholics  a  lot  on  which  to  erect  a  church  on  the  corner  of  Sec- 
ond Avenue  and  Bond  Street,  a  most  desirable  location,  which  was 
accepted.  Meanwhile,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  servants  em- 
ployed in  the  homes  of  Asbury  Park,  he  provided  stages  which 
transferred  them  to  Long  Branch  on  Sunday  to  enable  them  to 
hear  Mass.  Bishop  Corrigan  requested  the  pastor  of  Long 
Branch  to  raise  the  funds  and  to  erect  the  church.  His  efforts 
met  with  exceptional  success  and  the  corner-stone  was  laid  in 
1879,  when  the  church  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Corrigan  in  1880. 

On  February  6th,  1880,  the  Rev.  Michael  L.  Glennon  was 
appointed  the  first  rector  of  Asbury  Park. 

The  following  charming  sketch  of  Father  Glennon  is  from  the 
pen  of  one  no  stranger  in  our  literature: 

It  was  in  the  townland  of  Crohan,  one  of  the  loveliest  parts  of 
lovely  Cavan,  that  on  September  2,  1852,  the  home  of  James  and 
Rose  Glennon  was  brightened  by  the  arrival  of  their  sixth  and  last 
child,  a  son  whom  they  called  Michael  in  memory  of  the  great 
archangel  of  his  birth  month. 

In  company  with  his  elder  brothers  and  sisters,  little  Michael 
was  sent  to  a  neighboring  school  at  the  early  age  of  six.  Fonder 
of  play  than  of  books,  the  child  was,  nevertheless,  so  naturally 
gifted  with  quick  intelligence  and  the  power  instantly  to  assimilate 
every  idea  even  passingly  presented  to  his  mind,  that  he  soon  out- 
stripped many  pupils  of  older  years  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen  was 
transfen-ed  to  a  classical  school  in  Castle  Rahan  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Mr.  Travis. 

The  hour  had  struck  in  the  life  of  the  young  Michael  Glennon. 
Sensitive  and  emotional  to  a  degree,  as  is  every  nature  rich  in 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  469 

character  and  possibilities,  he  found  it  vveUnigh  impossible  to 
quaff  that  bitterest  of  all  cups  which  can  be  held  to  the  lips  of 
youth,  the  cup  containing"  the  marah  of  disenchantment  and  dis- 
illusion. 

He  arrived  in  New  York  on  May  20th,  1870.  An  elder 
brother  had  already  preceded  him  to  the  strange  new  land,  so  that 
he  did  not  find  himself  utterly  alone  when  he  first  set  foot  upon 
these  shores. 

Entering  the  Seminary  of  the  Holy  Angels,  Suspension  Bridge, 
Niagara  Falls,  he  made  his  philosophical  studies  in  two  years,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  seminary  at  Seton  Hall,  South  Orange,  N.  J., 
in  the  autumn  of  1873.  After  a  brilliant  course  he  was  ordained 
priest  by  the  late  Most  Rev.  Michael  A.  Corrigan,  of  New  York, 
then  Bishop  of  Newark,  on  May  27th,  1877.  He  celebrated  his 
first  Mass  in  Newark,  at  St.  Joseph's  Church.  The  pastor  at 
that  time  was  the  Rev.  Father  Toomey. 

Among  those  ordained  on  the  same  day  were  the  present 
Bishop  of  Trenton,  Rt.  Rev.  James  A.  McFaul,  and  the  Rev. 
Maurice  O'Connor,  perhaps  the  only  members  of  the  class  now 
living. 

A  distinguished  friend  of  the  young  priest  in  those  days  and 
later  was  the  recently  deceased  Archbishop  of  New  York,  Dr. 
Corrigan,  then  Bishop  of  Newark,  and  in  residence  at  Seton 
Hall.  Mgr.  Corrigan  from  the  first  took  a  great  interest  in 
young  Mr.  Glennon,  whose  intellectual  gifts  were  so  exceptional, 
and  whose  appearance  and  manners  were  captivating  enough  to 
disarm  the  most  adverse  critic.  That  this  regard  and  affection 
were  maintained  by  that  saintly  prelate  to  his  dying  day  was 
evinced  by  the  manner  of  "  God  speed  "  with  which  the  Arch- 
bishop sent  an  exceptionally  gifted  young  nephew  of  Father  Glen- 
non on  his  way  to  the  American  College  in  Rome. 

It  was  Bishop  Corrigan  who  assigned  Father  Glennon  to  his 
first  appointment,  namely,  that  of  curate  to  the  Rev.  P.  E.  Smythe, 
of  St.  Bridget's  Church,  Jersey  City,  now  dean  of  the  counties  of 
Bergen  and  Hudson,  and  pastor  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Jersey 
City. 

Here  the  newly  ordained  priest,  in  the  fresh  vigor  of  early  man- 
hood, in  the  May-morn  of  his  youth,  with  a  heart  full  of  love  for 
"the  things  of  God,"  began  those  arduous  and  uplifting  labors  in 
behalf  of  his  fellow-men  which  were  to  end  only  with  his  death. 

Pitying  the  mites  who,  with  the  best  will  in  the  world,  hope- 
lessly failed  to  digest  the  truths  of  religion,  as  ambiguously  pre- 


470  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

sented  to  them  in  the  catechetical  books  of  the  day,  he  quietly  yet 
enthusiastically  undertook  the  preparation  of  a  catechism  suited 
to  their  needs. 

The  plan  was  submitted  to  his  friend  and  bishop,  Dr.  Corrigan, 
who  gave  it  his  hearty  sanction  and  approval,  and  early  in  the 
year  1878  the  little  book  was  issued  by  the  American  News 
Company  under  the  appropriate  title,  A  Simple,  Orderly,  and 
Comprehensive  Catechistn  of  the  Christian  Religion. 

Father  Glennon  remained  as  curate  at  St.  Bridget's  for  about 
a  year  and  a  half,  and  was  then  entrusted  by  his  bishop  with  the 
responsible  work  (doubly  responsible  for  one  so  young)  of  estab- 
lishing a  mission  and  building  a  chmxh  at  M orris ville.  Whilst 
engaged  in  this  work  his  temporary  home  w^as  to  be  with  Father 
Kane,  pastor  at  Red  Bank. 

Struck  with  the  phenomenal  success  which  he  had  made  of 
the  Morrisville  Mission,  the  bishop  next  appointed  him  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  at  Asbury  Park,  de- 
siring him,  however,  at  the  same  time  to  retain  charge  of  his  Mor- 
risville church.  The  church  edifice  in  Asbury  which  had  already 
been  begun  by  the  former  pastor  (Father  Walsh)  was  completed, 
almost  entirely  built,  indeed,  by  Father  Glennon,  and  the  parish 
started  anew. 

Asbury  Park  in  those  days  was  far  from  being  that  immense 
"  city  by  the  sea  "  which  it  is  to-day.  As  a  summer  resort  it  was 
but  just  beginning  to  be  known,  while  its  winter  population  was 
of  the  evanescent  kind,  here  now,  gone  to-morrow. 

In  addition,  Asbury  Park  was  a  place  of  beauty  even  more 
then,  in  its  comparatively  wild  picturesqueness,  than  it  is  to-day. 
With  the  sea  dashing  upon  a  stretch  of  sandy  beach  unsurpassed 
along  the  Jersey  coast,  with  its  several  charming  little  lakes, 
inlets  of  the  mighty  ocean,  with  the  thick  wooded  hills  at  its  back, 
woods  whose  bosky  depths  are  redolent  of  the  balmy  odor  of  the 
pines,  hill  summits  from  which  may  be  caught  glorious  views  of 
the  surrounding  country,  and  a  prospect  seaward  of  mile  beyond 
mile,  it  is  one  of  the  loveliest  spots  along  the  Atlantic  seaboard. 

Together  with  the  pastorate  of  the  Asbury  Park  church, 
Father  Glennon,  as  we  have  said,  still  retained  in  his  charge  the 
mission  at  Morrisville.  Morrisville  lies  twenty  miles  across  coun- 
try from  Asbury  Park.  And  thither  every  Sunday,  rain  or  shine, 
winter  as  well  as  summer,  after  saying  an  early  Mass  at  Asbury, 
he  drove  fasting  to  say  a  second  Mass  at  St.  Catherine's.  Later, 
when  relieved  of  this  charge,  the  care  of  the  Manchester  mission, 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  471 

thirty  miles  distant,  fell  to  him.  This  he  in  turn  likewise  faith- 
fully attended. 

For  some  years  now  his  health  had  been  failing  steadily;  in 
the  winter  of  1896  he  broke  down  for  a  while  completely.  He 
suffered  a  severe  attack  of  pneumonia,  from  which  he  recovered 
but  slowly.  A  sojourn  in  one  of  the  Southern  States  which  fol- 
lowed his  convalescence  unfortunately  developed  the  germs  of  the 
malarial  fever  taken  into  the  system  so  long  ago  in  the  Jersey 
City  rectory. 

"  I  ever  knew  him  to  be  a  warm-hearted  friend,"  writes  the 
present  Bishop  of  Newark,  Rt.  Rev.  John  J.  O'Connor,  D.D., 
"staunch,  loyal,  ready  to  do  any  service  for  those  for  whose 
friendship  he  cared.  His  acquaintances  knew  him  as  an  intellect- 
ual man,  with  a  mind  at  once  c|uick,  brilliant,  and  profound." 

The  last  two  years  of  Father  Glennon's  life  were  a  veritable 
martyrdom  of  physical  pain  and  complete  exhaustion.  Relieved 
by  the  bishop  of  his  missions  at  Spring  Lake  and  Belmar,  he  yet 
remained  true  to  his  post  at  Asbury  to  the  very  last. 

Suddenly  in  the  latter  part  of  September,  1900,  in  the  hope  of 
bettering  his  health,  and  unknown  except  to  a  very  few  friends, 
he  started  on  a  trip  abroad  accompanied  by  a  relative. 

A  brief  letter  from  on  board  ship,  another  from  Paris,  and 
then  silence  till  the  sad  telegram,  dated  Killarney,  October  15th, 
told  of  his  death.  Further  details  gave  the  comforting  assurance 
that  death,  though  sudden,  had  not  come  quite  unheralded,  and 
that  the  rites  and  consolations  of  Holy  Church  had  sustained  him 
in  those  hours. 

The  solemn  "  Month's  Mind  "  for  the  repose  of  his  soul  took 
place  in  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Asbury  Park,  on  Novem- 
ber 15th.  The  church  upon  this  sad  and  solemn  occasion  was 
crowded  to  the  doors  and  beyond,  many  being  unable  to  gain 
admission.  In  the  words  of  a  daily  journal  of  that  date:  "The 
esteem  in  which  Father  Glennon  was  held  was  testified  to  by  the 
fact  that  in  the  congregation  were  many  members  of  other  local 
churches."     (A  Alcmoir?) 

October  i8th,  1900,  Bishop  McFaul  appointed  Rev.  Thomas 
A.  Roche  to  succeed  P'ather  Glennon.  The  number  of  Catholics 
congregating  to  the  seaside  at  Asbury  Park  has  wonderfully  in- 
creased. The  present  church  is  entirely  inadequate  to  accommo- 
date the  pleasure  seekers  during  the  months  of  July  and  August. 
Mr.  Bradley  gives  the  free  use  of  his  spacious  auditorium  for  a 
nine  o'clock  Mass.     P"or  three  or  four  Sundays  at  the  height  of 


472  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

the  season  this  immense  building  is  filled  with  worshippers.  At 
no  distant  time  the  Catholics  of  Asbury  Park  hope  to  build  a 
large  church. 

St.  Aloysius's  Church,  Newark,  N.  J. 

Father  Walter  Fleming  has  written  the  introduction  to 
this  story  of  St.  Aloysius's  Parish: 

"July  26th,  1879,  the  Rt.  Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan,  D.D.,  then 
Bishop  of  Newark,  later  Archbishop  of  New  York,  appointed  the 
Rev.  Walter  M.  A.  Fleming  rector  of  St.  Aloysius's  Parish,  which 
had  been  the  extreme  northeast  portion  of  St.  James's  vineyard. 

"  The  area  of  the  new  parish  was  very  large,  but  unfortunately 
nineteen-twentieths  of  it  was  marshy  meadow  land,  irreclaimably 
irredeemable.  To  this  boundless,  barren,  wild  waste  P'ather  Flem- 
ing came  an  entire  stranger.  The  outlook  the  first  Sunday  was 
very,  very  blue. 

"  No  land,  no  chiuTh,  no  house  save  the  old,  piebald  frame 
building  called  St.  Thomas's  school-house,  which  had  for  anchor- 
age a  three  thousand  five  hundred  dollar  mortgage. 

"  In  cordial  compliance  with  a  previous  announcement  a  special 
collection  was  taken  up  that  day  for  the  Archdiocese  of  Cincin- 
nati, though  there  was  not  one  cent  in  the  coffers  of  the  new 
parish. 

"  Bed  and  board  was  for  a  time  kindly  given  the  rev.  Feather 
by  St.  Mary's  Orphan  Asylum,  South  Orange  Avenue;  and  at 
once,  for  fear  of  rust,  a  house-to-house  visit  was  begun,  and  thus 
unexpectedly  was  found  a  great  treasure — 1,487  persons. 

"  Good  heads,  large  hearts,  and  kind  purses  abounded  even  in 
cellar  and  garret. 

"Mount  Hope,  Orange  Valley,  Irvington  were  generous  al- 
most to  a  fault,  but  the  barren  waste  turned  out  to  be  the  richest 
soil  the  rev.  rector  ever  had  committed  to  his  care.  Not  a 
street  was  paved  with  stone;  but  the  palm  of  every  outstretched 
hand  was,  so  to  say,  paved  with  green  paper,  silver,  or  gold. 

"  The  continuously  given  mites  of  men  of  sweaty  brow  and 
horny  hand  form  nearly  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and  there 
is  not  to-day  a  dyspeptic  growler  nor  chronic  grumbler  in  the 
parish. 

"The  financial  statement  shows  how  this  generously  given 
money  was  expended,  and  the  census  indicates  that  to-day  [in 
1889]  the  parish  numbers  nigh  twenty-two  hundred  souls,  with  a 
mortgage  of  ;^25,ooo,  and  a  floating  debt  of  $1,600  odd. 


IN    NKW    JERSEY 


473 


"January  and  May,  1880,  contracts  amounting  to  $38,186.29 
were  awarded  for  the  beginning  and  completing  of  the  new  church, 
which  is  of  the  Gothic  style  of  architecture,  60  feet  wide  by  137 
feet  in  length,  and  built  of  Newark  and  Belleville  stone. 

"  On  June  20th,  1880,  the  corner-stone  was  laid  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  Corrigan,  the  Rev.  Joseph  M  Flynn  delivering  an  elo- 
quent discourse.  On  May  8th,  1 881,  the  new  church  was  dedicated 
and  Pontifical  Mass  was  celebrated  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Cor- 


ST.    ALOVSIUS'S    CHURCH,    NEWARK. 


rigan,  the  eloquent  and  erudite  lecturer  on  that  occasion  being  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Gross,  then  of  Savannah,  now  Archbishop  of 
Oregon." 

In  1882  Father  Fleming  built  the  rectory,  and  in  1884  the 
sisters'  convent,  both  substantial  stone  structures  in  harmony 
with  the  architectural  features  of  the  church. 

A  pronounced  school  man,  Father  Fleming  did  not  long  delay 
to  make  provision  for  the  children  of  the  parish,  and  November, 
1886,  the  pupils  and  their  teachers  were  comfortably  housed  in 
their  present  quarters. 


474  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Father  Fleming  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  his  early  struggles 
to  attain  his  aspirations  were  marked  by  many  disappointments 
and  by  earnest  and  inflexible  efforts.  As  the  trend  of  his  deeply 
religious  soul  was  toward  asceticism,  he  sought  the  severe  rule 
and  arduous  novitiate  of  the  Passionists.  But  his  naturally  rugged 
health  gave  way  under  the  austerities  of  the  religious  life,  and, 
although  somewhat  advanced  in  years  and  backward  in  his  educa- 
tional foundation,  he  entered  St.  Charles's  College,  where  his 
career  in  that  institution  and  in  Seton  Hall  was  characterized  by 
a  zest  and  intensity  which  followed  him  into  the  priesthood. 

He  was  ordained  at  Seton  Hall  on  the  Feast  of  the  Patronage 
of  St.  Joseph,  March,  1874.  St.  Mary's  parishioners,  Elizabeth, 
still  are  reminiscent  of  his  labors  and  zeal.  His  work  in  Mount 
Hope,  St.  Leo's,  Irvington,  and  Our  Lady's,  Orange  Valley,  has 
been  already  dwelt  upon.  Few  founders  of  parishes  have  endured 
the  pangs  of  poverty  and  self-denial  which  marked  the  first  years 
of  Father  Fleming  in  St.  Aloysius's,  but  always  with  a  jovial, 
light-hearted  gayety.  With  him  self  came  last,  and  his  heart 
and  soul  were  wholly  in  his  work.  Nothing  daunted  him,  and  he 
was  so  full  of  resource  that  he  might  have  taken  up  and  accom- 
plished any  undertaking.  His  premature  death  of  pneumonia 
occurred  in  the  early  days  of  January,  1892.  His  successor  is  the 
present  incumbent,  the  Rev.  Michael  A.  McManus,  promoted 
from  the  parish  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Newark 

Father  McManus  has  erected  a  club-house  for  the  young  men, 
which  was  opened  in  September,  1898.  The  assistant  priests  of 
St.  Aloysius  have  been  the  Revs.  Charles  J.  Kelly,  LL.D.,  M. 
T.  Callan,  Walter  Purccll,  P.  Julien,  G.  I.  Fitzpatrick,  Brady  and 
Brown,  and  at  present  Father  Keough  ministers  to  the  spiritual 
needs  of  the  parish. 

St.  Michael's  Church,  Netcong,  N.  J. 

St.  Michael's  Church,  Netcong,  N.  J.,  was  founded  Sep- 
tember 27th,  1880,  and  in  the  same  year  its  corner-stone  was  laid 
with  imposing  ceremonies.  Before  that  time  the  congregation 
worshipped  in  an  old  warehouse  near  the  Morris  Canal. 

The  church  building  is  a  frame  gabled  structure  occupying 
one  of  the  most  commanding  sites  of  the  borough,  and  it  can  be 
seen  for  miles  around.     Its  dimensions  are  60  x  30  feet. 

The  interior  of  the  church  is  very  devotional.  The  main  altar 
is  decorated  in  white  and  gold,  and  its  tabernacle  is  surmounted 


IN    NEW    JERSIsY 


475 


by  a  beautiful  statue  of  the  Sacred  Heart  Pleading.  There  are 
two  side  altars,  one  in  honor  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  the  other 
in  honor  of  St.  Joseph.  Near  the  entrance  are  the  Baptistery  and 
the  confessionals.  The  church  has  nine  stained-glass  windows. 
Its  seating  capacity  is  260. 

The  first  resident  pastor  of  St.  Michael's  was  the  Rev.  William 
Orem,  whose  labors  date  from  1880  to  1887.  Father  Orem  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Gerard 
Huygens,  who  after  two 
years  of  service  was  followed 
by  Rev.  James  H.  Brady. 
Father  Brady  remained  from 
1889  to  1894,  when  the  Rev. 
Joseph  H.  Dolan  assumed 
charge.  In  1897  Father 
Dolan  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  Paul  T.  Carew,  who  con- 
tinued as  pastor  until  July 
1 2th,  1 901,  when  the  present 
incumbent,  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph 
P.  A.  M.  McCormick  was 
appointed. 

In  addition  to  the  church 
building  the  corporation  in 
its  legal  title  of  "St.  Mich- 
ael's Church,  Stanhope,  N. 
J.,"  owns  the   cemetery    on 

the  Flanders  road,  which  was  opened  May  15th,  1889;  the 
handsome  rectory  on  Maine  Street,  which  was  completed  Feb- 
ruary 22d,  1889,  and  Union  Hall,  on  Prospect  Hill,  which  was 
finished  May  30th,  1901.  A  retaining  wall  three  feet  high  fronts 
the  church  and  rectory  grounds,  which  cover  an  area  of  26,000 
square  feet. 

Rt.  Rev.  Winand  Michael  Wigger,  D.D., 

Third  Bishop  of  Newark. 

A  COMPLEX  problem  fronts  a  biographer,  for  every  man's 
character  is  so  many-sided  and  varied  that  the  virtue  which  shines 
in  the  eyes  of  one  may  be  obscured  by  a  fault  in  the  mind  of 
another.  Hence  the  conflicting  presentation  of  public  characters, 
which  need  not  disconcert  the  student,  but  rather  incline  him  to 


ST.    MICHAEL  S   CHURCH,    NETCOXG. 


476  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

strike  a  middle  balance  between  the  two  extremes,  in  each  of 
which  may  be  found  something  of  truth  and  something  also  of 
prejudice.  So  manifold  are  the  phases  of  each  individual  soul, 
that  its  very  antagonistic  emanations  bespeak  its  Godlike  origin 
and  its  infinite  superiority  over  the  other  kingdoms  of  nature. 
The  canon  of  Cicero,  rejuvenated  and  emphasized  by  Leo  XIII. , 
"  Above  all  things  let  writers  bear  in  mind  that  the  first  law  of 
history  is  never  to  dare  say  that  which  is  not  true ;  and  the  sec- 
ond, never  to  fear  to  say  that  which  is  true ;  lest  the  suspicion  of 
hate  or  favor  fall  upon  their  statements,"  must  be  the  rule  from 
which  it  is  never  permissible  to  deviate.  If,  as  a  consequence, 
some  of  oiu-  idols  prove  to  have  limbs  of  clay,  truth  is  vindicated 
and  men  take  courage,  contemplating  their  own  weakness,  in  the 
conviction  that  the  best  of  men  are  still  mortal,  and  that  they 
have  not  been  exempt  from  that  fatal  inheritance  which  requires 
constant  vigilance  and  effort  to  forestall  disaster.  Nothing,  as  St. 
Leo  remarks  in  one  of  his  homilies,  is  so  good  that  it  might  not 
be  better;  and  he  might  have  added  with  equal  truth  that  nothing 
is  so  bad  that  it  might  not  be  worse.  In  the  year  1880  the  rumor 
was  widespread  that  his  Eminence,  the  Archbishop  of  New  York, 
Cardinal  McCloskey,  had  petitioned  the  Holy  See  in  view  of  his 
increasing  infirmities  to  appoint  a  coadjutor  with  the  right  of 
succession.  Gossip  was  busy  fixing  now  on  this  and  then  on 
another  as  the  candidate  for  the  new  honor,  and  the  future  arch- 
bishop of  the  great  metropolitan  diocese.  It  has  been  declared 
more  than  once  that  the  Cardinal  did  not  want  the  Bishop  of 
Newark  as  his  coadjutor,  and  that  his  name  was  not  on  the  list 
sent  to  Rome.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  permissible  to  give  publicity 
to  information  acquired  from  reliable  sources,  and  to  tell  a  story 
long  locked  in  secrecy.  In  this  very  year  Bishop  Corrigan's  sec- 
retary went  abroad,  and  among  other  places  that  he  purposed 
visiting  was  the  City  of  the  Popes.  Before  his  departure  he  had 
spoken  frequently  with  his  superior  relative  to  the  rumored  pro- 
motion, and  almost  the  last  charge  he  received  was  that  in  case 
the  appointment  was  made  during  his  stay  in  Rome,  and  the 
choice  fell  on  Bishop  Corrigan,  the  secretary  was  to  cable  the  one 
word  "  Charitas."  From  this  it  may  be  inferred  that  Archbishop 
Corrigan's  name  was  the  third  on  the  list,  as  charity  is  the  third 
of  the  theological  virtues.  When  in  Rome  the  secretary  met 
many  distinguished  ecclesiastics,  among  them  Cardinal  Simeoni, 
and  while  he  was  not  able  to  glean  any  precise  information,  it 
was  evident  from  all  that  was  said  and  heard  that  there  was  no 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  477 

chance  for  any  other  candidate.  In  this  tenor  he  wrote  to  Bishop 
Corrii;an  a  long-  letter,  which  necessitated  a  hrilliant  array  of 
stamps,  but  it  never  reached  its  destination.  Some  one  in  the 
hotel,  perhaps,  tempted  by  the  value  of  the  stamps,  filched  the 
letter,  as  is  not  infrequently  done,  removed  the  stamps,  and  con- 
signed the  contents  to  the  flames.  At  a  later  day  he  wrote  another 
letter,  containing  substantially  the  same  information,  to  one  of 
his  fellow-priests.  This  was  more  favored  by  fortune,  for  it  came 
duly  to  hand,  and  was  read  with  considerable  interest  by  Bishop 
Corrigan.  "  He  is  mistaken,  entirely  mistaken,"  was  the  Bishop's 
comment  when  he  returned  the  letter  to  the  owner.  But  while 
the  vessel,  which  was  bearing  the  secretary  back  to  his  native  soil 
over  the  great  blue  ocean,  was  beating  its  way  westward,  the  elec- 
tric spark  beneath  the  water  conveyed  to  Bishop  Corrigan  the 
message  that  he  had  been  created  Archbishop  of  Petra,  and  coad- 
jutor with  the  right  of  succession  to  the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of 
New  York.  He  left  the  Diocese  of  Newark  in  the  month  of 
October,  and  entered  upon  a  career  that  brought  him  a  wealth  of 
honors  as  well  as  crosses  and  heart-burnings.  The  See  of  Newark 
was  without  a  head.  At  that  time  there  was  no  arrangement  by 
which  a  Metropolitan  might  provide  for  his  suffragans  in  case  any 
was  removed  by  death  or  promotion.  A  request  was  sent  to  the 
Propaganda  to  make  Monsignor  Doane  administrator,  and  to 
give  him  the  necessary  faculties.  The  following  letter  of  Monsig- 
nor Hostlot,  the  rector  of  the  American  College,  gives  some  inter- 
esting details  relative  to  this  matter : 

Rome,  Nov.  12,  1880. 
Rev.  and  Dear  Friend: 

Your  letter  of  October  26th  has  been  duly  received.  As 
requested,  I  proceeded  again  immediately  to  H.  E.  Card.  Simeoni 
regarding  the  faculties  for  Mgr.  Doane ;  they  having  been  granted. 

I  telegraphed  the  same  this  morning  to  H.  E.  Cardinal 
McCloskey,  as  such  was  the  desire  of  the  Cardinal  Prefect.  I 
called  on  Card.  Simeoni  two  days  ago  with  a  cablegram  from 
Mgr.  Doane  rec|uesting  me  to  send  word  immediately  on  the 
granting  of  faculties  for  administrator;  but  H.  E.  desired  me  to 
state  that  he  did  not  wish  the  permission  to  be  cabled,  but  rather 
to  await  the  documents  herein  enclosed.  However,  insisting  in 
the  name  of  His  Grace  Abp.  Corrigan,  as  you  requested  me  to 
do,  Cardinal  Simeoni  in  my  second  interview  allowed  me  to  send 
the  cablegram  granting  the  faculties  as  referred  to  above.  This 
explains  the  two  telegrams. 

One  of  the  telegrams  had  an  important  bearing  some  months 
later.     It  was  necessary  to  use  a  dispensation  for  a  diriment  im- 


478  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

pediment,  and  under  the  advisement  of  Archbishop  Corrigan  the 
acting  chancellor  cabled  for  it  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hostlot.  The 
answer  was  immediate  and  the  dispensation  duly  recorded. 

A  rigid  inspection  of  the  chancery  books  revealed  it,  and  it 
was  made  the  basis  of  a  charge  for  assuming  and  exercising 
powers  unwarranted  during  the  vacancy.  A  simple  request  would 
have  explained  everything,  and  much  unpleasantness  would  have 
been  avoided.  It  was  generally  known  that  the  diocese  of  New- 
ark was  to  be  divided,  and  speculation  was  rife  as  to  those  chosen 
by  the  bishops  of  the  province.  On  his  way  from  Rochester  to 
New  York  to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  bishops,  the  old  vicar 
general,  Bishop  McQuaid,  alighted  at  Paterson  to  see  Father 
McNulty.  Many  years  had  elapsed  since  his  departure  from 
Newark.  Many  changes  had  taken  place.  So  that  to  the  priests 
of  New  Jersey  Bishop  McQuaid  was  wholly  a  stranger.  As  they 
chatted  the  Bishop  asked  Father  McNulty  who  was  the  fittest 
man  in  the  diocese  to  succeed  Archbishop  Corrigan. 

Father  McNulty,  resting  his  head  upon  his  hand,  pondered 
awhile  in  deep  thought,  and  then  looking  at  the  Bishop,  said, 
"There  is  only  one  man  worthy  to  be  chosen,  and  that  one  is 
Doctor  Wigger  of  Madison." 

When  the  bishops  assembled  to  discuss  the  nominations  it 
was  agreed  among  them  that  a  scholarly  man  should  be  appointed 
to  Newark,  to  consult  the  best  interests  of  the  diocesan  college, 
and  hence  the  name  of  the  Rev.  Michael  J.  O'Farrell,  pastor  of 
St.  Peter'.s,  Barclay  Street,  New  York,  was  placed  at  the  head  of 
the  list  for  Newark,  and  that  of  Doctor  Wigger  second. 

Doctor  Wigger'sname  was  placed  first  on  the  list  for  Trenton. 
The  contraposition  of  the  names  then  caused  considerable  discus- 
sion, and  various  groundless  causes  were  alleged  therefor.  The 
truth  is  that  among  the  cardinals  to  whom  the  choice  was  referred 
was  Cardinal  Franzelin. 

With  that  racial  loyalty  which  is  characteristic  of  the  German 
family  his  eminence,  perceiving  that  Doctor  Wigger  was  first  on 
one  list  and  second  on  another,  contended,  and  successfully,  that 
the  more  important  diocese  should  be  assigned  to  him. 

At  the  end  of  the  month  of  August,  on  a  Sunday  afternoon, 
the  cable  announced  to  Doctor  Wigger,  pastor  of  Madison,  that 
he  was  chosen  by  the  Holy  See  third  Bishop  of  Newark. 

Winand  Michael  Wigger  was  born  in  New  York  City  Decem- 
ber 9th,  1 841.  His  parents  were  natives  of  Westphalia,  the  father 
having  been  born  in  the  village  of  Rape,  in  the  diocese  of  Fader- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  479 

born.  The  future  bishop  proved  to  be  a  cleHcate  child,  so  that  his 
parents  despaired  of  seeing  him  grow  to  manhood.  In  the  hope 
of  benefiting  him  the  family  undertook  a  voyage  over  sea,  and  re- 
mained in  their  old  home  nearly  two  years.  He  made  his  classical 
studies  in  St.  Francis  Xavier's,  New  York,  and  received  the  degree 
of  15achelor  of  Arts  at  St.  John's  College,  Fordham,  in  July,  i860. 
His  theological  studies  were  made  at  Seton  Hall  and  the  College 
Brignole-Sale,  Genoa,  and  he  was  ordained  by  Mgr.  Charres,  Arch- 
bishop of  Genoa,  June  loth,  1865.  On  his  return  Father  Wigger 
was  attached  to  the  Cathedral,  where  for  four  years  he  gave  edifi- 
cation as  a  pious,  zealous,  faithful  priest.  His  zeal  never  flagged, 
and  in  his  devotion  to  the  sick  and  afflicted  he  never  wearied.  In 
1869  he  was  appointed  pastor  of  St.  Vincent's  Church,  Madison, 
made  vacant  by  the  death  of  the  talented  and  amiable  Father 
D'Arcy. 

In  May,  1 873,  Bishop  Corrigan  looked  to  him  as  one  in  every 
way  fitted  to  wrestle  with  the  difficulties  in  Orange,  and  without 
hesitation  he  obeyed  the  voice  of  his  superior,  and  gave  up  his 
comparatively  easy  mission  for  the  discouraging  and  almost  de- 
spaired-of  charge  of  St.  John's  Church,  Orange.  In  less  than  six 
months  he  paid  off  $11,000  of  the  debt;  but  believing  the  task  to 
be  a  hopeless  one  he  asked  to  be  relieved,  and  was  made  pastor 
of  Summit,  February,  1874.  In  June,  1876,  he  was  again  trans- 
ferred to  Madison,  and  remained  in  comparative  obscurity,  re- 
spected and  loved  by  all,  until  the  voice  of  the  Vicar  of  Christ 
called  upon  him  to  take  up  the  cross  and  govern  the  faithful  of 
the  Diocese  of  Newark. 

September  8th,  1881,  the  bishop-elect  issued  the  invitation  to 
his  consecration  on  the  Feast  of  St.  Luke,  October  i8th,  at  9  a.m. 
September  12th  he  issued  the  following  letter: 

This  is  to  inform  you  that  the  Papal  Bulls  appointing  me 
Bishop  of  Newark  were  received  by  me  from  his  Eminence, 
Cardinal  McCloskey,  on  the  30th  ult.,  and  that,  after  exhibiting 
them  to  the  Rt.  Rev.  Administrator,  Monsignor  Doane,  I  have 
now  assumed  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark.  For  the 
future,  until  further  notice,  all  official  letters  asking  for  dispensa- 
tions, etc.,  must  be  addressed  to  me.  My  place  of  residence  for 
thepresent  will  continue  to  be  Madison.  ...  I  would  avail  myself 
of  this  opportunity  to  recommend  to  the  prayers  of  the  rev.  clergy, 
and  of  the  laity  of  the  diocese,  our  President,  Mr.  Garfield,  so  cruelly 
stricken  down  in  the  health  and  vigor  of  his  manhood  by  the 
hands  of  an  unprincipled  assassin.  Let  us  beg  of  the  Almighty 
that  in  his  goodness  and  mercy  he  may  restore  him  to  health 


48o  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

and  preserve  him  for  yet  many  years  of  labor  and  usefulness  for 
his  family  and  his  country. 

Bishop  Wigger  was  consecrated  October  i8th  in  the  Cathe- 
dral, by  his  predecessor,  Archbishop  Corrigan,  and  during  the 
Mass  Bishop  McQuaid,  of  Rochester,  preached  a  touching  and 
appropriate  sermon.  There  were  present  almost  all  the  priests  of 
the  diocese,  and  the  laity  filled  the  church. 

The  first  work  of  the  new  bishop  was  to  revalidate  some  of 
the  appointments  made  during  the  vacancy  of  the  See,  which 
were  held  by  Bishop  Wigger  and  his  advisers  to  be  irregular,  "  to 
say  the  least,  doubtful  as  to  their  validity."  In  the  month  of 
November  he  changed  his  residence  to  Belleville  Avenue,  and  a 
few  months  later  to  Bloomfield  Avenue.  Eventually  he  made 
Seton  Hall  his  residence,  and  the  college  continued  to  be  the 
home  of  the  bishop  until  his  death. 

His  first  pastoral  letter  appeared  February  17th,  1882,  of 
which  a  few  extracts  are  given : 

Beloved  Brethren:  The  holy  season  of  Lent  commences 
this  year  on  the  22d  of  February  and  terminates  on  the  8th  of 
April.  Ajipropriately  inaugurated  by  the  impressive  ceremonial 
of  Ash  Wednesday,  the  period  thus  designated  has  been  conse- 
crated by  apostolic  institution  and  immemorial  usage  to  the  salu- 
tary exercises  of  penitential  austerity  and  religious  devotion.  The 
Church,  in  consonance  with  the  guiding  spirit  of  divine  dispensa- 
tion, has  dedicated  these  forty  days,  as  the  appointed  tithing  of 
the  year,  in  homage  and  tribute  to  the  Supreme  Giver  of  all  good 
gifts.  It  is  hallowed  by  the  revered  associations  of  venerable 
antiquity  and  Christian  tradition.  It  is  enforced  by  the  authorita- 
tive sanctions  of  ecclesiastical  legislation.  Its  chastening  and 
purifying  influence  is  attested  not  less  by  the  dictates  of  reason 
and  experience  than  by  the  lights  of  heavenly  revelation.  This 
ordinance  was  the  first  positive  precept  immediately  delivered  by 
God  to  man  in  Eden.  It  was  the  first  law  promulgated  to  the 
remnant  of  the  human  race  preserved  from  the  Deluge  when 
emerging  from  the  Ark  on  Ararat  to  populate  and  possess  the 
earth.  It  constitutes  an  important  element  in  every  system  of 
religious  worship  which  is  not  purely  human  or  negative.  It 
formed  a  distinguishing  feature  in  the  ancient  Jewish  covenant. 
It  is  comprised  in  the  decree  of  the  first  Ecumenical  Council,  and 
was  enunciated  in  the  first  authentic  pronouncement  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  Pagan  philosophy  approved  it  on  rational  ]orinci- 
ples,  and  the  servants  of  God  in  all  ages  adopted  it  on  religious 
grounds.  The  seekers  of  knowledge  and  virtue  at  all  times  have 
found  it  the  most  effectual  means  of  subordinating  the  inferior  to 
the  superior  nature  of  man,  of  emancipating  the  human  spirit 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  481 

from  the  gross  material  bondage  which  enslaves  its  faculties  and 
enchains  its  powers,  of  purifying  the  intellect  from  the  dark  mists 
which  obscure  it,  and  of  rendering  it  buoyant  to  ascend  in  the 
bright  dawn  of  science  the  loftiest  heights  of  wisdom  and  truth 
(Wisdom,  ix.)  Its  obligation  as  imposed  under  the  Mosaic  dis- 
pensation by  the  command  of  God  was  exceedingly  stringent  and 
severe.  Rigorous  fasts  were  enjoined  on  His  chosen  people,  at 
different  periods  and  on  various  occasions  This  discipline  inva- 
riably preceded  the  celebration  of  the  religious  solemnities  and 
was  an  essential  preparation  for  the  reception  of  celestial  com- 
munications, privileges,  and  favors  It  was  an  indispensable  por- 
tion of  the  penance  which  they  were  required  to  perform  for  sin. 
It  was  the  recognized  and  prescribed  means  of  propitiating  the 
mercy  of  God,  of  averting  his  wrath,  of  in\'oking  his  aid  in  time 
of  need,  and  of  rendering  him  favorable  to  the  petitions  of  his 
suppliants  In  addition  to  these  fasts,  abstinence  from  various 
delicate  meats  was  enjoined  These  viands  were  denominated 
unclean.  To  partake  of  them  under  any  circumstances  was 
considered  an  abomination  and  a  defilement.  "  Do  not  defile  your 
souls,  nor  touch  aught  thereof  (saith  the  Lord),  lest  you  be  un- 
clean. For  I  am  the  Lord,  your  God ;  be  you  holy  because  I  am 
holy."  (Levit  xi)  This  ordinance  was  observed  for  centuries 
with  scrupulous  fidelity.  The  faithful  Jews,  as  we  learn  from  the 
Book  of  Macchabees,  preferred  to  endure  persecution,  torment, 
and  death  rather  than  transgress  it.  Under  the  new  Covenant 
the  law  of  fast  and  abstinence  was  not  abrogated  Our  Divine 
Saviour,  on  the  contrary,  confirmed  it  by  his  precepts  and  com- 
mended it  by  his  example  (Matt  ix  )  His  forty  days'  fast 
in  the  wilderness  furnished  a  model  and  incentive  to  the  imitation 
of  his  followers  From  the  authentic  records  of  coeval  history 
we  discover  that  the  observance  of  Lent,  introduced  to  commemo- 
rate that  mysterious  ordeal  of  retirement  and  temptation,  was  in- 
stituted by  the  Apostles  or  their  immediate  successors,  and  gen- 
erally established  among  all  Christian  communities  in  apostolic 
times.  During  the  primitive  ages  of  pristine  faith  and  fervor  the 
prevalent  penitential  discipline,  as  described  by  contemporary 
writers,  was  characterized  by  a  rigorous  severity  which  to  our  lax 
indolence  and  enervated  piety  would  appear  harsh  and  extreme. 
Young  men  and  old,  rich  and  poor,  matrons  and  maidens,  sailors 
on  the  stormy  ocean,  armies  on  the  tented  fields,  those  who  were 
occupied  in  agriculture  or  commerce,  business  and  professional 
men,  all,  without  distinction,  engaged  in  those  penitential  exer- 
cises, and  submitted  to  those  rigid  privations.  The  infirmity  of 
age,  or  the  delicacy  of  sex,  or  the  hardship  and  fatigue  of  exhaust- 
ing labor,  was  not  willingly  pleaded  as  a  justifying  cause  for 
exemption.  (Coloss.  i.)  They  set  before  their  eyes  as  the  great 
model  and  ideal  of  Christian  perfection.  Him  who  is  the  Author 
and  Consummator  of  our  faith,  and,  obedient  to  His  sweet  invita- 
tion, cheerfully  renouncing  all  earthly  pleasures,  honors,  and  pos- 
sessions, they  followed  the  bloodstained  footsteps  of  their  cruci- 
31 


482  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

fied  Master,  joyfully  treading  the  rugged  pathway  of  suffering, 
wearing  the  sorrowful  crown  of  thorns,  and  bearing  the  heavy 
cross  of  self-denial  and  affliction.  But,  to  them,  the  burden  was 
light  and  the  yoke  was  sweet,  for  their  hearts  were  inflamed  with 
love.  These  virtues  and  austerities  were  not  confined  to  the 
anchorites  of  the  desert,  or  the  inmates  of  the  cloister.  They 
were  practised  by  multitudes  of  devout  people,  who,  though  living 
in  the  midst  of  worldly  society,  and  engaged  in  tempoi'al  avoca- 
tions, found  time  and  opportunities  for  their  devotional  and  peni- 
tential exercises,  and  could  not  be  deterred  by  fear  of  derision  or 
human  respect  from  conforming  to  their  religious  convictions. 

Many  other  persuasive  considerations  might  be  suggested  to 
demonstrate  the  utility  and  importance  of  the  Lenten  fast.  The 
foregoing,  however,  will  be  sufficient  to  convince  sincere  Chris- 
tians, and  induce  them  to  observe  this  precept  faithfully  and  con- 
scientiously 

A  mere  perfunctory  compliance  with  the  regulations  will  not 
be  sufficient  to  secure  the  spiritual  advantages  of  which  the  law 
should  be  productive.  Our  obser\'ance  must  be  accompanied  by 
proper  dispositions,  and  sanctified  by  religious  influences.  Neither 
fasting  nor  any  good  work  can  be  meritorious  before  God  unless 
performed  in  the  state  of  grace.  It  is  only  through  the  applica- 
tion of  our  Redeemer's  infinite  merits  and  all-atoning  sacrifice, 
that  we  can  obtain  remission  of  sin,  or  expiate  by  penitential  sat- 
isfaction the  penalties  due  to  our  offences.  Our  first  duty  at  the 
commencement  of  Lent  is  to  dispose  our  souls,  by  sacramental 
confession  and  reconciliation,  for  the  worthy  reception  of  these 
celestial  favors.  The  necessity  of  this  preparation  was,  in  the 
ages  of  faith,  duly  appreciated  The  period  immediately  preced- 
ing Lent  was  named  Shrovetide,  from  the  fact  that  Christians 
generally  considered  themselves  obliged,  during  that  time,  to  seek 
shriving  and  absolution  from  their  priests  in  the  tribunal  of 
penance. 

Hideously  conspicuous  among  the  prevalent  evils  of  the  age 
the  monster  iniquity  of  intemperance  holds  a  fatal  prominence. 
What  terrible  ravages  are  wrought  by  this  ruinous  and  soul-de- 
stroying vice,  what  myriads  of  guilty  and  innocent  victims  are 
continually  sacrificed,  what  irremediable  injuries  are  inflicted  on  our 
paramount  spiritual  and  temporal  interests  in  church  and  state, 
what  intolerable  miseries  are  entailed  on  society,  on  families,  on 
individuals,  what  dissensions  and  strife,  what  injustice  and  vio- 
lence, what  hardened  indifference  to  the  tenderest  ties  and  most 
sacred  duties,  what  brutal  inhumanity,  what  heartrending  suffer- 
ing result  from  its  indulgence,  what  appalling  calamities  are  occa- 
sioned, what  incalculable  destruction  of  human  life  and  happiness 
is  caused,  what  vials  of  wrath  and  indignation  are  in  consequence 
outpoured  upon  the  land !  All  this  chronicle  of  ruin  and  disaster 
is  painfully  attested  by  daily  experience.  No  one  endowed  with 
the  commonest  sentiments  of  religion  or  humanity  can  witness 
without  grief  and  horror  the  woes  and  miseries  caused  by  the 


IN    NKW    JERSEY  483 

blighting  influence  of  this  moral  pestilence,  withering  youth,  defil- 
ing innocence,  disgracing  hoary  age.  No  one  can  think  of  the 
havoc  and  desolation  which  it  spreads  around,  of  the  wretched  and 
untimely  deaths  which  it  causes,  of  the  poverty,  squalor,  and  des- 
titution which  it  produces,  of  the  repulsive  forms  of  profligacy, 
disease,  and  crime  to  which  it  gives  prolific  birth,  without  desir- 
ing to  arrest  its  fatal  progress.  No  one  can  behold  so  many  un- 
happy beings  continually  sinking  into  the  unfathomable  depths 
of  the  most  degrading  social  debasement  and  personal  degrada- 
tion, and  continually  descending  into  that  eternal  gulf  of  torture, 
remorse,  and  despair  into  which  it  plunges  its  victims  after 
death,  without  resolving  to  do  everything  that  can  be  accom- 
plished by  religious  or  human  instrumentality  to  reform  and  save 
the  drunkard.  We  therefore  earnestly  invoke  the  continued 
sympathy  and  aid  of  the  zealous  priests  of  this  Diocese  in  the 
sacred  cause  of  temperance.  We  ask  them  to  promote  as  actively, 
and  even,  if  possible,  more  energetically  than  before,  this  vital 
interest.  We  desire  that  they  shall  do  so  by  frequent  and  impres- 
sive exhortations  from  the  pulpit,  by  the  organization  of  religious 
associations,  by  public  advice  and  private  admonition,  by  mutual 
cooperation  and  personal  example,  by  discountenancing  on  all 
occasions  the  use  of  intoxicating  drink  among  their  parishioners, 
and  even  of  liquors  which  are  but  slightly  alcoholic,  at  church 
fairs  or  entertainments,  and,  in  a  word,  by  every  legitimate  means 
in  their  power  not  inconsistent  with  the  respect  due  to  their  char- 
acter and  ministry. 

Following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  predecessors,  the  diocesan 
seminary  was  the  object  of  Bishop  Wigger's  solicitude.  In 
August,  1882,  he  writes  to  his  flock  through  his  priests  that 

the  educating  of  young  men  and  the  training  of  them  for  the 
sublime  state  and  onerous  duties  of  the  priesthood  should  enlist 
the  warmest  sympathy  of  every  true  and  sincere  Catholic.  Great 
and  sublime  is  the  dignity  of  the  priesthood !  Those  who  are 
called  to  that  holy  state  are  required  by  our  blessed  Lord  to  work 
for  the  eternal  sah^ation  of  souls.  Their  duty  is  7iot  merely  to 
labor  for  themselves,  to  endeavor  to  work  out  the  salvation  of 
their  owti  soul.  No!  More  than  this  is  required  of  the  priest  of 
God.  He  is  bound  to  labor  for  the  souls  of  others,  to  endeavor 
to  gain  them  to  Christ,  to  lead  them  to  Heaven.  ...  Is  it 
not  clear  and  evident  from  this  that  those  who  are  instrumental 
in  enabling  young  men  to  become  priests  are  doing  a  work  which 
is  highly  pleasing  to  God  ? 

The  question  of  the  new  bishop's  appointment  of  a  vicar-gen- 
eral agitated  the  hearts  of  his  clergy  not  a  little.  Bishop  Wigger 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Januarius  de  Concilio,  a  very  learned 
priest  and  an  able  theologian,  appointing  him  to  the  most  impor- 


484  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

tant  office  in  the  diocese,  that  of  vicar-general,  but  coupled  with 
the  request  that  it  was  not  to  be  made  public  until  the  bishop 
would  give  him  leave  The  news,  however,  leaked  out,  and 
although  none  took  exception  to  the  ability  of  the  appointee,  yet 
the  greater  part  of  the  clergy  felt  that  the  honor  belonged  to  one 
who  had  labored  longer  in  the  diocese,  and  whose  nationality  had 
a  larger  representation  in  the  flock. 

The  letter  was  withdrawn,  and  the  diocese  remained  for  a 
period  of  years  without  a  vicar-general. 

The  Catholic  Protectory  at  Denville,  while  in  a  healthy  finan- 
cial condition,  was  found  to  be  too  distant  from  commercial  cen- 
tres to  procure  work  for  the  manual  training  of  the  boys,  and 
required  a  change  not  only  of  location  but  also  of  management. 
The  brothers  failed  dismally,  and  the  sisters  were  powerless  to 
cope  with  the  difficulties  All  this  is  summed  up  in  Bishop 
Wigger's  letter  of  March  7th,  1883: 

Rev.  Dear  Sir:  Last  summer  I  was  fortunate  enough  to 
acquire,  by  purchase,  a  valuable  property  of  ten  acres  of  land,  on 
which,  in  addition  to  smaller  buildings,  stands  a  large,  elegant 
mansion,  containing  twenty-nine  rooms.  The  property  is  situated 
in  Arlington,  on  the  Passaic  River,  about  two  miles  from  Newark. 
It  was  bought  at  the  extremely  low  price  of  $16,000  Many  per- 
sons, both  lay  and  clerical,  have  since  gone  to  see  the  place  and 
examine  the  mansion,  and  all  have  expressed  their  unqualified 
pleasure  and  their  great  wonder  that  it  should  have  been  bought 
at  so  low  a  figure.  My  intention,  when  making  the  purchase, 
was  eventually  to  use  it  as  a  Protectory  and  Industrial  School  for 
Boys.  The  conviction  had  gradually  grown  upon  me  that  it  was 
not  sufficient  to  give  shelter  to  homeless  or  wayward  boys,  to 
feed  and  clothe  them,  to  give  them  a  religious  and  secular  educa- 
tion ;  I  felt  that,  if  we  wished  to  save  them  for  good,  to  make 
them  useful  citizens  in  after  life,  we  should,  whilst  they  are  under 
our  care,  teach  them  some  trade  or  profession  which  would  enable 
them,  after  leaving  the  Institution,  to  earn  for  themselves  an 
honest  livelihood.  It  was  for  this  reason  that  I  considered  it  right 
and  prudent  to  purchase  the  property  at  Arlington,  and  I  can 
truthfully  add  that  all  to  whom  I  have  spoken  about  the  matter 
have  approved  of  my  action. 

My  next  step,  after  buying  the  place,  was  to  endeavor  to  find 
some  competent  person  to  assume  the  direction  of  the  Institution. 
I  am  happy  to  state  that  I  found  such  a  person  in  the  Rev.  J.  J. 
Curran,  formerly  rector  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Paterson.  I  knew 
him  to  be  competent  to  fulfil  the  duties  of  the  position,  and,  to 
my  delight,  I  also  found  him  willing  to  undertake  the  work,  by  no 
means  pleasant  or  easy,  but  calculated  to  effect  much  temporal 
and  spiritual  good.     He  resigned  his  parish  February  loth  and 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  485 

assumed  the  duties  of  Director  of  the  Catholic  Protectory  and 
Sacred  Heart  Industrial  School,  at  Arlington.  Since  tlien  he 
has  labored  diligently  to  prepare  the  place  for  the  reception  of  the 
boys,  and  in  the  course  of  this  week  he  will  be  able  to  take  about 
ten  from  Denville  and  bring  them  to  the  new  institution.  The 
work  of  instructing  them  in  some  useful  trade  will  at  once  be 
commenced. 

As  the  Sacred  Heart  Union  was  established  for  the  purpose 
of  aiding  the  Protectory,  its  direction  was  also  given  into  the  hands 
of  the  Rev  J  J  Curran.  The  former  Director,  the  Rev.  J.  A. 
Sheppard,  who  has  recently  been  promoted  to  the  parish  of  Dover, 
has,  by  his  able  management  and  the  zealous  cooperation  of  the 
clergy  and  laity  of  the  diocese,  accomplished  a  great  deal  during 
the  last  three  years. 

From  time  to  time  the  different  bishops  of  the  diocese  had 
reason  to  complain  of  the  lack  of  interest  in  the  diocesan  semi- 
nary, and  the  inadequate  support  which  was  doled  out  to  it  in  the 
seminary  collections 

Various  schemes  were  devised  and  were  temporarily  success- 
ful, but  ultimately  abandoned.  The  burden  was  unequally  borne, 
some  parishes  contributing  more  and  others  less  than  their  quota. 
Therefore,  in  August,  1885,  Bishop  Wigger  determined  to  do 
away  with  the  collections  for  the  seminary,  and  to  substitute  a  tax. 

After  much  reflection  I  have  concluded  that  it  would  be 
much  better  to  raise  funds  for  the  diocesan  seminary  by  taxa- 
tion than  by  the  annual  collections,  taken  up  heretofore  .  .  I 
consider  this  a  better  and  a  fairer  method  than  the  one  hitherto 
followed  in  this  diocese  Many  churches  formerly  contributed 
more  than  their  just  share,  whilst  a  considerable  number  did  not 
at  all  give  what  was  reasonably  expected  of  them 

At  the  fall  conference  the  Rev.  William  P.  Salt  was  declared 
vicar-general,  an  appointment  which  met  with  universal  approval 

In  the  month  of  September,  1886,  Bishop  Wigger  started  to 
make  the  decennial  visit  to  the  Tomb  of  the  Apostles,  Saints  Peter 
and  Paul,  which  is  required  of  every  bishop  in  the  United  States, 
and  he  was  presented  with  a  purse  by  his  clergy.  On  his  return 
the  clergy  \\  re  summoned  to  the  Fifth  Synod,  in  the  Cathedral, 
November  17th,  1886,  of  which  two  sessions  were  held,  and  the 
legislation  enacted  by  the  III.  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore  pro- 
claimed and  applied.  The  salary  of  pastors  was  fixed  at  $1,000, 
and  of  assistants  at  $600,  and  where  the  stole  offerings  failed  to 
meet  the  household  expenses  it  was  hereafter  permitted  to  take 
the  deficit   from   the  Christmas  collection.     The   Rev.  William 


486  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

McNulty  was  appointed  rural  dean  of  Passaic  County,  and  the 
Rev.  Joseph  M.  Flynn,  of  Morris  and  Sussex  counties 

Stringent  regulations  were  made  with  regard  to  funerals,  and 
among  others  that  of  prohibiting  eulogies  to  be  delivered  over  the 
remains  of  the  laity. 

This  was  enforced  vigorously,  although  at  times,  as  in  the  case 
of  John  Gilmary  Shea,  it  was  felt  that  an  exception  should  be 
made;  but  the  bishop  refused  to  recede  from  his  position.  A 
firm  adherent  of  the  Catholic  parish  school.  Bishop  Wigger  strove 
to  better  prevailing  conditions,  by  requiring  the  examination  of 
teachers,  and  appointing  inspectors  to  visit  the  school  and  examine 
the  children  He  likewise  declared  that  absolution  should  be  re- 
fused both  to  the  parents  and  children,  when  the  latter  attended 
the  public  schools  without  his  permission. 

A  very  grave  question  which  had  its  origin  in  the  West  arose 
which  was  fraught  with  serious  complications  and  bitter  strife, 
and  almost  threatened  a  schism  A  document,  the  "State  of  the 
German  Question  in  the  United  States,'  written  by  the  Rev  P. 
M.  Abbelen,  a  priest  of  the  Milwaukee  diocese,  and  approved  by 
Archbishop  Heiss,  was  submitted  to  the  congregation  of  the 
Propaganda.  The  entire  hierarchy  almost  without  exception  arose 
to  refute  the  charges  made  in  this  declaration,  and  protest  after 
protest  went  to  Rome  to  block  the  remedies  asked  for  the  alleged 
grievances  Counter  relations  were  written,  and  the  discussion 
continued  until  the  climax  was  reached  in  1891,  when  the  field 
cleared  and  the  era  of  peace  again  dawned  upon  a  distracted  and 
widely  divided  church. 

Notwithstanding  the  legislation  by  which  the  Baltimore  Coun 
cil  gave  a  certain  number  of  the  diocesan  clergy  a  preferential 
declaration  of  their  choice  with  regard  to  the  future  head  of  the 
See,  when  the  diocese  became  vacant  there  existed  a  certain 
amount  of  dissatisfaction,  since  it  was  thought  that  the  time  had 
come  when  the  Church  in  the  United  States,  numerically  consid 
ered,  deserved  to  put  aside  its  swaddling  clothes,  and  the  clergy 
invested  with  the  rights  and  prerogatives  enjoyed  by  parish  priests 
in  countries  where  canon  law  prevails  A  more  or  less  arbitrary 
exercise  of  power  on  the  part  of  bishops  toward  their  priests  accen 
tuated  the  contention,  which  led  to  the  publication  of  the  ''  Canon 
ical  Status  of  Priests  in  the  United  States,'  by  the  Rev  Richard 
L.  Burtsell,  D.D.,  and  to  a  brochure  on  the  same  topic  by  the 
Rev.  Patrick  Corrigan  P'ather  Corrigan's  views  were  printed 
while  he  was  on  a  visit  abroad  in  Italy,  and  again  when  on  his  re- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  487 

turn  to  his  parish  in  Hoboken.  This  led  to  considerable  friction 
between  the  priest  and  his  Ordinary,  which  resulted  in  Father 
Corrigan's  suspension. 

The  letter  of  suspension  written  by  Bishop  VVigger  explains 
fully  the  reasons  that  led  him  to  take  this  extreme  measure 

Rev.  Patrick  Corrigan, 

Rector  of  St.  Marys  Church, 
Hoboken,  N.J. 

Rev.  Dear  Sir:  In  June,  1883,  without  our  permission  or 
knowledge,  you  published  a  pamphlet  entitled  "  Episcopal  Nomi- 
nations." For  good  and  valid  reasons,  given  to  you  in  our  letter 
of  June  28th,  1883,  we  suppressed  the  pamphlet.  Subsequently, 
in  our  letter  to  you  dated  July  i8th,  1883,  having  heard  a  report 
to  the  effect  that  the  pamphlet  was  to  be  republished,  we  wrote 
to  you  warning  you  that,  as  you  owned  the  copyright  and  could 
forbid  its  republication  by  others,  we  would  hold  you  responsible 
for  its  republication.  We  then  directed  you  "  to  see  Mr.  Sulli- 
van "  (your  publisher)  "  or  write  to  him  at  once,  warning  him  of 
the  consequences  in  case  he  were  to  carry  out  his  plan  of  having 
the  pamphlet  republished  by  another  firm."  You  replied  July 
20th,  1883,  by  saying:  "I  do  not  think  that  my  seeing  or  writing 
to  Mr.  SulliA'an  can  strengthen  the  legal  control  which  the  copy- 
right gives  me  over  the  work."  In  the  same  letter  you  asked  us 
to  allow  you  "  to  publish  the  pamphlet  with  such  changes  as  you 
may  think  necessary."  We  replied  July  23d,  1883,  saying :  "  W^ith 
regard  to  your  proposition  of  leaving  out  the  school  question  and 
then  republishing  the  pamphlet,  I  have  to  observe  that  there  are 
many  other  objectionable  things  in  it.  If  you  procure  The  Sun- 
day lilercury  of  July  15th,  you  will  find  what  sort  of  interpretation 
is  put  on  your  remarks  in  the  course  of  the  work." 

Subsequently  you  came  to  see  us  personally,  again  asking  the 
same  permission.  We  replied,  saying  that  if  all  the  objectionable 
things  in  the  pamphlet  were  eliminated  there  would  be  very  little 
left  to  publish.  Some  time  after  this  interview,  having  again 
heard  that  the  pamphlet  was  to  be  republished,  we  wrote  you 
another  letter,  dated  May  17th,  1884,  calling  your  attention  to  the 
report,  warning  you  of  the  consequences  in  case  you  had  the 
pamphlet  republished. 

We  thus  clearly  showed  you  our  strong  and  decided  opposition 
to  the  republication  in  whole  or  in  part  of  your  first  pamphlet. 
In  utter  disregard,  however,  of  these  our  warnings,  and  publicly 
and  notoriously  despising  our  episcopal  authority,  you,  in  May, 
1884,  substantially  republished  it,  and  made  comments  on  and 
additions  to  it  of  very  objectionable  character.  That  you  publicly 
and  notoriously  despised  our  episcopal  authority  is  clear  from  what 
you  yourself  say  on  page  10  of  your  second  pamphlet,  entitled 
"What  the  Catholic  Church  Most  Needs  in  the  United  States." 
There  you  say :  "  I  do  not,  however,  complain  of  the  suppression 


488  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

of  the  work,  for  it  is  strictly  within  the  letter  of  the  law.  I  have 
even  submitted  to  things  in  connection  with  the  suppression 
which  no  law  reciuired  of  me,  in  the  hope  of  being  allowed  to  pub- 
lish it  with  whatever  eliminations  the  bishop  or  his  censors  might 
suggest.  This  request,  however,  which  might  have  resulted  in  a 
clear  vindication  of  my  orthodoxy  by  the  pamphlet  itself,  was  not 
granted."  Again,  on  page  12  of  the  same  pamphlet,  you  say:  "I 
offered  more  than  once,  though  without  a  shadow  of  success,  to 
purchase  non-inteifercnce  on  his "  (the  bishop's)  "  part  by  the 
elimination  of  everything  to  which  he  or  his  censors  might  ob- 
ject." The  above  passages  clearly  show  that  you  publish  to  the 
world  that  you  have  repeatedly  endeavored  to  obtain  our  permis- 
sion to  republish  at  least  a  portion  of  your  first  pamphlet,  but 
failed  in  every  attempt  Still  you  publish  large  portions  of  it, 
thus  notoriously  defying  our  episcopal  authority.  Nay,  more,  on 
pages  5  and  1 2  you  publicly  deny  our  authority  in  this  matter  and 
comment  on  our  action  in  a  manner  to  bring  odium  and  contempt 
on  our  authority,  by  stating  that  that  action  was  "  calculated  to 
excite  alarm  in  the  minds  of  those  who  are  most  anxious  for  the 
future  of  the  Church  in  America."  In  your  second  and  third 
pamphlets  there  are  also  several  other  propositions  derogatory  to 
the  respect  due  to  the  authorities  at  Rome  and  to  episcopal 
authority.  Among  them  may  be  indicated  those  contained  on 
pages  47  and  48  of  your  second  pamphlet,  where  you  state  that 
Rome  is  afraid  to  take  independent  action  "with  regard  to  the 
nominating  of  bishops  or  any  other  very  important  measure " ; 
and  further  on  you  insinuate  that  the  bishops  may  be  coerced  by 
the  clergy  and  laity,  inasmuch  as  "  they  depend  upon  the  volun- 
tary offerings  of  the  people  and  the  personal  efforts  of  the  priests, 
whose  zeal  may  increase  or  diminish  those  offerings  at  will  " 
You  also  erroneously  teach  that  priests,  as  priests,  have  a  right 
derived  from  "divine  concession  "  and  from  the  normal  law  of  the 
Church  "  to  a  voice  in  the  election  of  their  bishops." 

In  your  third  pamphlet,  which  you  also  published  without  ask- 
ing our  permission  to  do  so,  and,  in  fact,  without  our  knowledge, 
in  October,  1884,  you  make  some  remarkable  statements,  going  so 
far  as  to  say  that  "  Rome  raised  her  authoritative  voice,  and  not 
only  sustained  the  person  who  commenced  the  discussion,  but 
praised  him  for  his  sacerdotal  zeal";  that  "a  most  distinguished 
theologian  and  doctor  of  the  Church,  who  represented  me  in  my 
appeal  to  the  Propaganda  against  the  action  of  Bishop  Wigger 
regarding  my  pamphlet,  has  informed  me  by  letter,  dated  Rome, 
June  29th,  1884,  that  His  Eminence,  Cardinal  Jacobini"  (you 
should  have  said  His  Grace,  Archbishop  Jacobini),  "  Secretary  of 
the  Propaganda,  has  given  permission  to  circulate  my  pamphlet 
in  English  or  in  Italian,  even  in  the  very  city  of  Rome."  A  little 
further  on  you  state :  "  I  claim  no  personal  triumph,  but  I  cannot 
help  rejoicing  that  my  conduct  has  the  approval  of  Rome.  Roma 
locuta  est,  causa  finita  est!'' 

Although  we  had  good  reason  to  doubt  the  truth  of  the  asser- 


IN    NEW    JKRSEY  489 

tion  that  the  pamphlet  had  the  approval  of  Rome,  still  our  great 
respect  and  veneration  for  the  authorities  at  Rome  induced  us, 
before  taking  any  decisive  steps  against  you,  to  first  write  to  His 
Eminence,  Cardinal  Simeoni,  Prefect  of  the  Propaganda,  giving 
him  a  full  account  of  our  action  with  regard  to  the  suppression  of 
your  first  pamphlet,  telling  him  of  your  own  disregard  of  our 
authority,  at  the  same  time  asking  whether  or  not  His  Grace, 
Archbishop  Jacobini,  had  approved  your  first  pamphlet.  The 
answer  soon  came,  and  in  it  His  Eminence,  after  acknowledging 
the  receipt  of  your  two  first  pamphlets,  which  I  had  sent  him,  ex- 
presses his  displeasure  that  "this  priest  shows  himself  so  regard- 
less of  the  authority  of  his  bishop,  and  that,  in  spite  of  the  pro- 
hibition of  his  own  superior,  he  dares  to  publish  works  from  which 
certainly  no  good  can  be  expected."  He  also  says  that,  "as  to 
the  assertion  of  Rev.  Corrigan  that  Monsignor  Jacobini  has  ap- 
proved his  first  pamphlet,  I  am  free  to  declare  that  such  assertion 
is  entirely  unfounded  and  false."  He  adds;  "So  far  was  Mon- 
signor Jacobini  from  approving  the  pamphlet  in  any  manner,  that 
he  has  never  had  time  to  read  it." 

Now,  after  calmly  and  maturely  reflecting  on  your  conduct, 
which  His  Eminence,  Cardinal  Simeoni,  calls  reprehensible — on 
your  bold  and  public  and  notorious  defiance  of  our  episcopal 
authority,  repeatedly  republishing  considerable  portions  of  your 
first  pamphlet,  although  we  had  repeatedly  refused  you  permis- 
sion to  do  so,  and  finding  that  impunity  only  makes  )'ou  the  bolder 
and  the  more  defiant,  we  hereby  suspend  you  ab  ordine  et  officio 
for  twenty-one  days,  the  suspension  to  begin  to-day  and  at  once, 
and  we  command  you  to  write  out  within  these  twenty -one  days  a 
statement  to  the  effect  that  His  Grace,  Archbishop  Jacobini,  Sec- 
retary of  the  Propaganda,  has  not  approved  your  first  pamphlet, 
and  that  the  Propaganda  has  not  entertained  your  appeal  against 
our  action  with  regard  to  the  suppression  of  your  first  pamphlet. 
We  reserve  to  ourselves  the  right  to  make  whatever  use  we  think 
proper  of  that  statement. 

Given  at  Seton  Hall  College,  South  Orange,  this  loth  day  of 
March,  a.d.  1885. 

WiNAND  Michael  Wigger, 

BisJiop  of  Newark. 

Tn  October,  1888,  to  comply  with  the  decree  of  the  HI.  Plen- 
ary Council  of  Baltimore,  Bishop  Wigger  declared  the  pastors  of 
St.  John's  and  St.  Michael's,  Newark,  St.  Mary's  and  St.  Joseph's, 
Jersey  City,  St.  Patrick's,  Elizabeth,  and  the  Assumption,  Morris- 
town,  permanent  rectors,  a  privilege  which  makes  them  irremova- 
ble, and  carries  with  it  the  right,  together  with  the  consultors,  to 
declare  their  choice  in  the  selection  of  three  names  when  the 
diocese  becomes  vacant. 

The  incessant  labor  which  Bishop  Wigger  exercised  in  the 


490  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

administration  of  the  diocese,  involving  a  tremendous  strain  upon 
a  naturally  delicate  constitution,  began  to  tell  on  his  health. 

He  allowed  no  official  to  share  his  responsibilities  or  lighten 
his  labor.  He  did  not  seem  capable  of  giving  a  refusal  when  asked 
to  exercise  his  episcopal  office.  In  the  early  morning  he  would 
administer  confirmation  in  one  church,  in  the  afternoon  in  another, 
miles  away,  and,  at  night,  still  in  another  distant  mission,  return- 
ing to  his  college  home  thoroughly  beaten  out  and  exhausted.  In 
the  morning,  however,  he  was  up  with  the  earliest,  never  failing 
to  celebrate  Mass  for  the  seminarians  at  the  exact  appointed  hour, 
and  to  resume  the  daily  grind  of  receiving  visitors  and  answering 
personally  all  his  numerous  correspondents.  The  first  American 
pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land  was  organized,  and  Bishop  Wigger 
determined  to  avail  himself  of  it  to  recruit  his  health  and  gratify  a 
long-entertained  desire  to  visit  the  places  sanctified  by  the  foot- 
steps and  sufferings  of  Jesus  Christ.  During  the  voyage  he  was 
stricken  with  pneumonia,  and  almost  expired  on  the  journey.  On 
his  arrival  in  Rome  he  was  taken  to  St.  Bartholemew's  Hospital, 
and  later  removed  to  the  American  College.  He  rallied,  and  al- 
though prevented  from  fulfilling  his  heart's  yearning  to  go  to  Jeru- 
salem, he  visited  the  home  of  his  parents  in  Westphalia,  and  re- 
turned to  his  diocese  in  impro\'ed  health.  After  his  departure  from 
New  York  the  Administrator  of  the  diocese,  the  Very  Rev.  Wil- 
liam P.  Salt,  V.G.,  in  view  of  the  centennial  anniversary  of  the 
inauguration  of  the  first  President  of  the  United  States,  addressed, 
April  1 8th,  the  following  letter  to  the  diocese: 

On  the  last  day  of  this  month  the  first  centennial  of  Washing- 
ton's inauguration  will  be  commemorated.  .  .  . 

I  hereby  request  you  to  arrange  that  a  Mass  of  Thanksgiving 
be  celebrated  in  your  church,  Tuesday,  April  30th,  in  honor  of 
this  memorable  occasion. 

After  the  Mass  the  clergy  will  please  recite  with  the  faithful 
the  subjoined  prayer  for  the  authorities,  that  the  Almighty  in  his 
infinite  mercy  may  vouchsafe  to  continue  his  gracious  blessings 
on  our  beloved  country. 

The  VI.  Synod  was  held  in  the  month  of  June,  1890,  but 
nothing  of  special  interest  was  done. 

In  this  same  month  Bishop  Wigger  celebrated  the  silver  jubilee 
of  his  priesthood.  The  clergy  presented  him  with  a  purse,  which 
was  presented  by  him  to  the  recently  opened  Leo  House  for  the 
reception  of  German  immigrants. 

In   February   of    1901  appeared  a  letter  which   Peter   Paul 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  491 

Cahensly  wrote  to  Leo  XIII.,  and  which  gave  great  offence  to 
the  CathoUcs  m  the  United  States. 

To  avoid  any  appearance  of  partisanship  it  is  judged  advisable, 
in  describing  this  movement,  to  transcribe  the  account  of  it, 
which  was  written  by  Mr.  Charles  G.  Heberman,  LL.D.,  in  the 
Historical  Records  and  Studies,  Vol.  II.,  Part  II.,  pp.  307-310: 

Mr.  Peter  Paul  Cahensly  was  a  German  merchant  who,  while 
a  resident  of  Havre,  had  been  impressed  with  the  hardships,  im- 
positions, and  moral  and  religious  dangers  to  which  European  emi- 
grants seeking  a  new  home  in  foreign  lands  were  frequently  ex- 
posed. After  a  careful  study  of  the  entire  question  he  felt  sure 
that  much  might  be  done  to  safeguard  these  helpless  people.  He 
laid  his  plans  before  the  representatives  of  the  Catholic  German 
laity  and  clergy  and  secured  their  support.  The  St.  Raphael 
Society,  an  international  association  for  the  protection  of  Catholic 
emigrants,  was  founded  and  branches  established  in  the  principal 
ports  not  only  of  the  European  continent  but  of  the  world.  It 
was  to  further  this  commendable  work  that  Mr.  Cahensly  came  to 
the  United  States  in  the  year  1883.  He  visited  both  the  East 
and  the  West,  striving  to  interest  prelates  and  laymen  in  the 
project.  Bishop  Wigger,  who  was  ever  ready  to  promote  works 
of  charity,  consented  to  take  the  presidency  of  a  branch  of  the 
Raphael  Society  established  in  New  York  shortly  before  Mr. 
Cahensly's  return  to  Europe.  The  new  society  did  not  meet  with 
success  until  several  years  afterward.  Meanwhile  a  movement 
was  launched  among  the  German  Catholics,  especially  the  clergy 
in  the  West,  which  found  some  support  among  the  Eastern  Ger- 
mans. Its  most  characteristic  symptom  was  the  insistence  of 
many  non-English  Catholic  papers  that  millions  of  Catholics  had 
been  lost  to  the  Church,  and  that  this  loss  was  due  to  the  indiffer- 
ence or  ignorance  or  lack  of  tact  of  the  American  episcopate. 
From  these  assertions  was  drawn  the  inference  that  the  immi- 
grants who  did  not  speak  English  must  be  put  into  more  capable 
and  sympathetic  hands ;  in  other  words,  that  "  national "  bishops 
should  be  appointed  alongside  of  the  nominal  hierarchy  of  the 
country  to  care  for  the  immigrants  just  mentioned.  The  move- 
ment had  its  strongest  advocates  in  the  German- American  Catho- 
lic journals  and  among  the  German,  Italian,  and  Canadian-Ameri- 
can clergy.  In  Germany  itself  similar  views  were  expressed  in 
the  Catholic  press.  Naturally  the  American  Episcopate  indig- 
nantly objected  to  these  statements,  and  men  like  Dr.  J.  G.  Shea 
manifestly  proved  the  gross  exaggeration  of  Catholic  "  leakage." 
The  controversy  raged  fierce  and  hot,  when,  in  1891,  Mr.  Cahensly 
presented  a  memorial  to  Cardinal  Rampolla,  in  the  name  of  the 
International  St.  Raphael  Society,  repeating  these  statements  of 
Catholic  losses  in  America,  as  well  as  containing  suggestions  as 
to  appointing  representatives  of  the  various  immigrating  nation- 
alities as  bishops,  and  other  measures  at  least  seeming  to  suggest 


492  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

that  some  power  be  exercised  on  the  government  of  the  Church 
m  the  United  States  by  transatlantic  influences  other  than  the 
Pope's.  The  spark  had  fallen  into  a  mass  of  explosives ;  one  long 
and  strong  protest  was  raised  against  these  plans  and  projects 
now  denounced  as  "  Cahenslyism." 

In  imitation  of  the  annual  Catholic  Congress  held  in  Germany 
for  many  years,  which  had  attracted  great  attention  and  notably 
influenced  the  course  of  religious  events  in  that  country,  since 
1885,  the  German  Catholics  of  the  Union  had  held  similar  meet- 
ings in  various  cities  of  the  United  States  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Priester-Verein,  or  Society  of  German  Priests.  These  assem- 
blies had  hitherto  been  summoned  to  Western  cities.  In  1892 
the  "  commissary  "  of  the  Priester-Verein  called  on  Bishop  Wig- 
ger  to  authorize  the  meeting  at  Newark.  The  permission  was 
given  as  a  matter  of  course,  as  it  had  been  given  by  American 
bishops  in  the  West  in  former  years.  This  meeting  became  the 
occasion  of  a  lengthy  controversy  of  which  the  Bishop  of  Newark 
was  one  of  the  central  figures. 

The  opening  of  the  congress  was  fixed  for  Monday,  September 
26th,  1892.  For  the  evening  of  Sunday,  the  25th  of  September, 
the  bishop  invited  some  of  the  leading  men  of  the  congress, 
mostly  Western  clergymen,  to  dine  with  him  at  Seton  Hall  Col- 
lege and  to  discuss  the  programme  of  the  proceedings.  Among 
the  gentlemen  present  were  the  Very  Rev.  H.  Muhlsiepen,  of  St. 
Louis,  Rev.  Dr.  P.  J.  Schroeder  of  the  Catholic  University, 
Rev.  George  Bornemann,  and  the  president  of  the  congress.  Dr. 
Schroeder  had  returned  from  Germany  only  a  day  or  two  before, 
where  he  had  been  the  guest  of  Mr.  P.  P.  Cahensly.  He  had  been 
deeply  impressed  with  the  character,  the  aims,  and  the  motives  of 
his  host.  Naturally  he  was  enthusiastic  in  his  praise,  and  pro- 
posed that  the  congress  should  take  a  strong  stand,  defending 
Mr.  Cahensly's  honor  and  honesty,  and  denouncing  those  who 
misinterpreted  that  gentleman's  words  and  deeds.  Bishop  Wig- 
ger  listened  to  the  Washington  professor's  discourse  without 
interrupting  him.  At  its  close,  in  his  usual  quiet  tones,  but  posi- 
tively and  emphatically,  the  bishop  signified  his  dissent  from  Rev. 
Dr.  Schroeder.  Without  wishing  in  any  manner  to  cast  any  slur 
on  the  German  statesman,  he  declared  he  wished  to  state  his 
entire  dissent  from  the  views  which  had  recently  been  discussed 
as  "  Cahenslyism."  He  disapproved  strongly  of  "  national  bishops  " 
and  of  the  charges  of  negligence  made  against  the  American 
episcopate.  He  added  that  not  a  single  German-American  bishop 
in  the  United  States  sympathized  with  those  views.  In  reply  to 
some  remarks  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Schroeder  contending  that  Mr. 
Cahensly's  memorial  to  Cardinal  Rampolla  had  been  misinter- 
preted, the  Bishop  of  Newark  pointedly  replied  that  he  had  read 
and  studied  the  memorial  both  carefully  and  often,  and  that  he 
found  therein  the  views  ascribed  to  it  by  Dr.  Schroeder's  oppo- 
nents; indeed,  if  it  did  not  bear  this  construction  he  declared  he 
did  not  see  what  it  meant.     In  conclusion,  the  bishop  expressed 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  493 

the  wish  that  the  Cahcnsly  controversy  should  be  cxcUided  from 
the  proceedings  of  the  congress. 

Bishop  Wigger's  wise  words  were  disregarded.  It  is  true  not 
a  word  was  said  at  the  congress  in  favor  of  "Cahenslyism,"  but 
Dr.  Schroeder,  in  speech  and  resokitions,  ardently  defended  the 
purity  and  nobility  of  Mr.  Cahensly's  character,  and  vigorously 
denounced  his  assailants.  The  result  became  apparent  in  less 
than  twenty-four  hours.  The  New  York  and  Newark  journals, 
secular  and  religious,  rang  the  changes  on  "Cahenslyism,"  con- 
demning Mr.  Cahensly  and  all  his  works  and  words  both  loudly 
and  deeply.  The  German  priests  were  assailed  not  only  as  Cahen- 
slyists,  but  also  for  some  of  their  national  and  personal  habits, 
and,  worst  of  all,  some  priests  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark  openly 
attacked  their  superior.  Bishop  Wigger,  without  any  fault  of  his 
own,  was  in  a  difficult  position.  Though  the  leaders  of  the  con- 
gress had  rejected  his  advice,  he  felt  it  would  be  wrong  to  aban- 
don them  now  that  their  characters  were  assailed ;  for,  however 
he  differed  from  them  on  the  question  involved  in  Cahenslyism, 
they  were  personally  spotless  men  and  his  friends.  The  bishop's 
loyalty  to  them  left  him  no  outlet.  With  the  advice  of  the  fore- 
most canonist  of  his  diocese,  he  formulated  charges  against  the 
E.ev.  Patrick  Corrigan,  the  protagonist  of  the  opposition.  When 
it  was  too  late  he  recognized  that  the  charges,  as  made,  were  a 
blunder,  and  he  met  defeat. 

Father  Corrigan  had  fretted  under  the  indignity  of  his  sus- 
pension years  agone,  and  as  this  question  was  taken  up  by  the 
press  and  discussed  warmly  on  every  side,  unleashed  from  all 
restraint  the  pastor  of  Hoboken  rushed  on  his  prey.  To  his  mind 
his  bishop,  the  one  who  wounded  him  in  his  tenderest  part — his 
honor — was  the  protector  and  adviser  of  these  disturbers  of  the 
peace  of  the  Church.  His  pen,  always  facile,  now  dripped  with 
gall.  He  wrote  a  fierce  article — descending  to  abuse  and  person- 
ality— and  finally  accused  the  Germans  of  treason. 

Bishop  Wigger  felt  keenly  this  attack. 

"  Father  Corrigan' s  attack  was  entirely  unwarranted.  I  have 
said  or  done  nothing  to  him  that  could  have  given  him  the  slight- 
est reason  for  so  cruelly  and  publicly  attacking  me,  accusing  me 
of  tyranny  and  ridiculing  me." 

Father  Corrigan' s  friends  had  endeavored  in  vain  to  dissuade 
him  from  publishing  the  offensive  article.  His  eyes  gleamed  with 
repressed,  contentious  indignation.  An  unnatural  pallor  over- 
spread his  face,  a  striking  background  of  the  dark  circles  around 
his  eyes,  which  told  of  the  lengthened  vigils  and  tense  purpose. 
His  pressed  lips  and  set  jaws  bespoke  the  decision  and  determina- 
tion of  a  man  whom  none  could  move  from  his  position.     His 


494  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

former  punishment  gnawed  at  his  heart  and  ahnost  bereft  him  of 
his  reason.  His  was  the  figure  of  a  force,  uncontrollable  and 
irresistible,  ready  to  break  forth  and  shatter  into  atoms  every  ele- 
ment of  opposition,  at  the  cost  of  his  reputation,  even  of  his  life. 

When  the  summons  for  trial  reached  Father  Corrigan,  mutual 
friends  of  both  the  bishop  and  the  priest  intervened  and  labored 
to  bring  about  a  reconciliation,  and  put  a  stop  to  proceedings  which 
intensified  the  spirit  of  discontent  and  discord  day  by  day  and  was 
no  little  scandal  to  the  flock. 

Bishop  Wigger's  conditions  are  contained  in  the  following 
letter : 

According  to  promise  I  have,  after  praying  and  offering  up 
Mass  for  the  purpose,  carefully  weighed  all  the  reasons  pro  and 
con  in  the  matter  of  prosecuting  the  trial  of  Rev.  P.  Corrigan.  I 
have  always,  I  think,  been  a  man  of  peace  and  I  dislike  any  kind 
of  contention  or  quarrel.  I  will  discontinue  Father  Corrigan's 
trial  if  he  publicly  states,  ist,  That  as  far  as  he  knows  the  late 
German  Catholic  Congress  of  Newark  said  or  did  nothing  treason- 
able or  disloyal  to  the  United  States  Government.  (I  cannot 
think  of  anything  said  or  done  that  would  indicate  treason  or  dis- 
loyalty. If  I  had,  I  would  have  arisen  at  once  and  remonstrated 
against  it,  or  condemned  it.)  2d,  That  he  believes  that  I  have 
tried  to  be  just  in  the  administration  of  the  diocese,  and  that  he  is 
satisfied  that  whatever  mistakes  I  may  have  made  did  not  proceed 
from  malice.  3d,  That  he  apologizes  to  Archbishop  Corrigan 
and  to  me  for  what  disrespect  he  manifested  toward  us  in  his 
publication.  4th,  That  he  promises  for  the  future  never  again  to 
attack  me  or  my  administration  of  the  diocese,  or  have  me  or  my 
administration  attacked  in  the  pulDlic  papers.  (I  cannot  object 
and  I  do  not  object  to  any  priest  carrying  any  complaints  he  may 
have  against  me  to  my  ecclesiastical  superiors.  Before  the  supe- 
riors I  am  always  willing  to  defend  my  actions,  or  to  acknowledge 
my  mistake,  and  submit  to  whatever  punishment  they  may  deem 
it  fit  to  inflict.  It  cannot,  however,  do  any  good  to  priest,  bishop, 
or  religion  to  ventilate  such  matters  in  the  public  journals.  It 
will  only  do  harm.)  5th,  That  Father  Corrigan  after  New  Year's 
Day  go  on  a  two  weeks'  retreat. 

Archbishop  Corrigan  was  called  upon  and  shown  the  letter  of 
Bishop  Wigger.  He  too  was  anxious  for  peace.  So  far  as  he 
was  concerned  he  needed  no  apology  from  Father  Corrigan,  for 
Father  Corrigan  could  not  insult  him.  As  to  the  charge  of 
treason  against  the  government  the  Archbishop  declared  that  the 
United  States  authorities  might  with  safety  be  entrusted  with  a 
matter  which  concerned  them  chiefly.  This  eliminated  the  grave 
obstacles  to  the  apology  which  was  demanded,  and  Bishop  Wigger 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  495 

declared  that  he  would  be  satisfied  with  a  personal  apology  made 
to  himself,  a  statement  from  the  priest  that  the  bishop  had  not 
been  tyrannical  or  imjust  in  the  administration  of  the  diocese,  and 
a  promise  that  in  the  future  Father  Corrigan  would  bring  his 
grievances  before  the  proper  tribunal,  and  refrain  from  publishing 
them  in  the  press.  All  this  was  agreed  to.  And  the  Christmas 
festivities  were  celebrated  with  a  deeper  realization  of  the  mes- 
sage of  peace  and  good  will. 

This  peculiar  "  ism  "  first  cropped  out  when  Monsignor  Bedini 
visited  this  country,  and  his  Rclafionc,  submitted  to  the  Holy  See, 
contained  these  words: 

It  is  enough  to  reflect  that  no  Englishman,  American,  or  Irish- 
man learns  German,  and  that  every  German  seeks  earnestly  to  ac- 
quire the  English  language.  The  rising  German  generation  speaks 
and  understands  English  wonderfully,  so  that  mothers  complain 
that  they  cannot  understand  their  children  when  they  converse 
together.     (Rome,  July  12th,  1854.) 

The  wisdom  of  these  words  is  indicated  in  our  day.  In  almost 
all  the  German  parishes  sermons  are  preached  and  announcements 
made  in  English.  And  the  same  is  true  of  the  children  of  other 
races,  v^rho  grow  up  entirely  incapable  of  understanding  or  speak- 
ing the  language  of  their  forebears.  It  would  seem  under  these 
circumstances  a  mistake  to  make  provision  for  the  various  nation- 
alities which  flock  to  our  shores,  unless  with  a  view  of  temporary 
assistance,  and  ultimately  throwing  oj^en  the  churches  to  Catholics 
irrespective  of  their  native  tongue,  as  the  time  must  come  when 
all  will  speak  and  understand,  and  they  themselves  will  desire  to 
be  addressed  in,  the  language  of  the  country. 

In  the  spring  of  1892  the  Holy  See  chose  a  priest  of  the  dio- 
cese for  episcopal  honors  and  appointed  the  Rev.  Sebastian  G. 
Messmer,  J.U.D.,  bishop  of  Green  Bay,  Wis.  Doctor  Messmer 
was  born  August  27,  1847,  at  Goldack,  in  the  diocese  of  the  old 
Celtic  monastic  foundation,  St.  Gall,  Switzerland.  His  prepara- 
tory studies  were  made  at  St.  George's  and  his  theology  in  the 
Jesuit  College  at  Innsbruck,  where  he  was  ordained  July  23,  1871. 
He  taught  theology,  Sacred  Scripture,  and  canon  law  in  the  dio- 
cesan seminary  from  1871  to  1884,  when  on  the  death  of  Father 
Prieth,  his  old  friend  and  countryman,  he  was  made  rector  of  St. 
Peter's  Church,  Newark.  When  the  Catholic  University  of 
Washington  was  opened.  Doctor  Messmer  was  called  to  the  chair 
of  canon  law.     March  27th,  1892,  he  was  consecrated  Bishop  of 


496  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Green  Bay  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Zardetti,  then  Bishop  of  St. 
Cloud,  Minn. 

Bishop  Wigger  thought  it  fitting  that  the  priests  of  the  dio- 
cese, especially  his  old  pupils,  should  recognize  in  a  substantial 
way  this  promotion  of  a  member  of  the  diocesan  body. 

"  I  think,"  he  wrote,  March  7th,  to  one  of  Doctor  Messmer's 
old  pupils,  "  you  told  me,  some  few  weeks  ago,  that  you  were  one 
of  the  first  students  of  Bishop-elect  Messmer.  Would  you,  there- 
fore, consent  to  open  among  the  priests  of  the  diocese  who  studied 
under  him,  a  subscription  list  for  a  purse  to  be  presented  to  him  1 
In  case  you  consent  you  may  put  down  my  name  for  $200.  This, 
of  course,  is  on  the  supposition  that  no  list  has  yet  been  opened." 

Fifty  priests  of  the  diocese  contributed  a  purse  of  $1,000, 
which  together  with  an  illuminated  address  was  presented  to 
Bishop  Messmer  at  Seton  Hall.     The  address  was  as  follows: 

Right  Reverend  Bishop  Messmer:  The  pleasing  duty  has 
been  assigned  to  me  to  present  to  you  from  your  friends  in  the 
ministry  of  the  Dioceses  of  Newark  and  Trenton  a  slight  testi- 
monial of  the  esteem  in  which  you  are  held  by  them,  and  to  give 
expression  to  their  good  wishes  and  congratulations  in  the  new 
dignity  which  has  just  crowned  your  learning  and  piety.  One 
and  twenty  years  ago,  if  I  mistake  not — it  does  not  seem  so  long, 
but  we  are  growing  old — you  came  among  us.  I  well  remember 
your  youthful,  even  boyish  appearance.  It  did  not  take  long  to 
impress  the  seminarists  that  in  the  new  professor  they  had  a 
staunch,  sympathetic  friend.  Your  door  was  always  open  to  us; 
the  bright,  cheerful  glance  from  your  honest  face  assured  us  that 
we  were  welcome.  It  seemed  of  little  account  to  you  whether  by 
the  minute  or  hour  we  purloined  your  valuable  time.  That  readi- 
ness to  be  of  service  to  your  students  was  not  confined  to  the 
class-room  and  the  seminary,  it  followed  us  out  in  the  mission. 
Nor  were  your  labors  restricted  within  the  narrow  limits  of  the 
seminary.  I  can  see  you  now,  in  the  bitter  cold  of  winter,  in  the 
scorching  heats  of  summer,  like  Chaucer's  pastor, 

"  Ahvays  afoot — " 

wending  your  way,  either  to  serve  the  orphans  or  to  aid  the  flock 
of  a  brother  priest  who  had  grown  feeble  in  the  ministry. 

"  This  noble  example  to  your  class  you  gave, 
That  first  you  wrought,  and  afterwards  you  taught." 

The  tender  thoughtfulness  as  your  feast  days  came  around  we 
have  not  forgotten.  Shall  I  allude  to  the  precious  mementoes 
which  greeted  us  as  we  advanced  step  by  step  from  tonsure  until 
the  holy  balm  of  priesthood  was  fragrant  on  our  hands .?  There 
is  a  charming  monotony  of  benevolence  in  your  career  of  the  last 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


497 


two  decades.  It  is  like  the  monotony  of  Nature.  In  grace, 
beauty,  and  fragrance  she  is  ever  the  same.  It  is  the  generations 
which  come  to  admire,  and  which  pass  away  to  permit  others  to 
gaze  upon  her  splendors.  It  is  not  for  us  to  say  how  much  we 
owe  to  you ;  not  for  us  to  measure  the  influence  e.xerted  by  your 
clustered  virtues  on  our  lives.  In  you  we  have  seen  mirrored  all 
the  virtues  which  should  adorn  a  priest ;  in  you  we  have  seen  that 
it  is  possible  to  combine  the 
life  of  a  student  and  an  apos- 
tle;  and  in  you  we  have  seen 
how  much  singleness  of  pur- 
pose and  devotion  to  duty 
may  accomplish. 

The  same  spirit  of  self- 
denial  and  zeal  in  God's  serv- 
ice which  prompted  you  years 
ago  to  break  away  from  the 
ties  of  home  and  friends,  to 
turn,  perhaps  forever,  from 
the  sweet  charms  of  home 
and  kindred,  and  to  conse- 
crate your  talents  to  the  no- 
blest of  noble  tasks,  the 
moulding  of  the  Levite  unto 
the  perfect  priest,  that  same 
spirit  bids  you  now  to  bow 
your  head  to  the  authority  of 
the  Supreme  Pontiff,  and  to 
assume  a  dignity  from  which 
your  modesty  would  have  you 
shrink,  and  a  burden  for 
which  your  piety  and  learn- 
ing eminently  fit  you. 

In  the  difficulties  of  your 
new  charge  may  God 
strengthen  you !  May  His 
angels  lighten  your  burden ! 
May  the  flock  which  is  priv- 
ileged to  have  you  as  Chief 
Pastor  recognize  your  worth 

and  virtue !      And  may  the  richest  fruits  here  and  hereafter  at- 
tend your  efforts ! 

Accept,  then,  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop,  this  slight  token  of  our  friend- 
ship, and  accept,  likewise,  the  assurance  of  our  esteem  and  grateful 
appreciation. 

Bishop  Messmer  made  a  touching  reply ;  but  he  treasured  the 
memory   of  this  testimonial  of  affectionate  gratitude   so  highly 
that  after  taking  possession  of  his  new  See  he  sent  to  his  Newark 
friends  this  additional  pledge  of  his  appreciation: 
32 


THE   MOST    KEY.    SEBASTIAN 
MESSMER. 


498  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

When  you  surprised  me  with  that  beautiful  address  and  purse 
at  our  last  meeting  at  Seton  Hall  I  was  too  much  moved  to  say 
all  that  was  in  me.  The  address  has  come  to  hand  all  right,  and  I 
take  this  occasion  again  to  thank  you  and  through  you  all  who  took 
part  in  that  manifestation  of  old  love  and  affection. 

Will  you  kindly  tell  them  when  you  meet  one  or  the  other,  that 
my  episcopal  residence  here  in  Green  Bay  will  always  be  wide 
open  for  any  of  my  clerical  friends  in  New  Jersey ;  in  particular — 
as  I  need  not  specially  say — to  every  one  of  my  Seton ian  pupils  ? 

In  the  month  of  September  the  Rev.  John  J.  O'Connor,  the 
director  of  the  diocesan  seminary,  was  named  by  Bishop  Wigger 
vicar-general.  This  appointment  was  hailed  with  joy,  particularly 
by  the  )'ounger  clergy,  most  of  whom  had  made  their  theological 
studies  under  him. 

The  fall  elections  in  1892,  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  resulted 
in  a  Democratic  victory,  the  governor  and  the  majority  of  both 
Houses  representing  that  party  were  to  control  the  destinies 
of  the  State,  and  mark  an  epoch  in  its  history.  The  Very 
Rev.  Dean  Mulligan,  of  Camden,  was  at  that  time  pastor  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  Church,  New  Brunswick.  He  was  on  intimate 
terms  of  friendship  with  Mr.  Miles  Ross,  the  political  leader  of 
Somerset  County  and  a  citizen  of  New  Brunswick,  a  prominent 
lawyer,  and  a  former  State  Superintendent  of  Schools.  Dean 
Mulligan,  one  of  the  most  progressive  and  determined  priests  of 
the  Trenton  diocese,  had  often  talked  over  with  his  legal  friend 
the  injustice  Catholics  labored  under  by  the  necessity  of  support- 
ing their  own  schools  and  at  the  same  time  paying  taxes  for  the 
support  of  the  State  schools.  His  friend,  thoroughly  versed  in 
the  school  laws  of  the  State,  informed  the  dean,  as  the  result  of 
his  investigation  and  experience,  that  there  was  no  reason  why  a 
law  could  not  be  framed  which  would  make  the  parish  schools 
additional  public  schools,  and  by  securing  for  the  teachers  State 
support,  remove  the  injustice  under  which  the  Catholics  labored 
and  against  which  they  protested.  The  bill  was  carefully  drawn, 
and  Mr.  Ross's  advice  sought.  If  the  influence  and  support  of  the 
Democratic  leader  of  the  northern  part  could  be  secured,  he 
declared,  he  saw  no  reason  why  the  bill  should  not  pass.  Dean 
O'Grady  and  Father  Mulligan  called  on  the  aforesaid  leader,  and 
sought  his  influence  in  support  of  the  bill.  At  the  same  time  he 
was  informed  of  the  attitude  of  Mr.  Ross.  Time  was  asked  that 
he  might  submit  the  bill  to  Mr.  Thomas  N.  McCarter,  the 
acknowledged  leader  of  the  Newark  bar,  and  one  of  the  ablest 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  499 

lawyers  in  the  State.  Mr.  McCartcr  declared  as  his  opinion  that 
the  bill  was  thoroughly  constitutional,  and  the  priests  were  dis- 
missed with  the  assurance  that  every  possible  support  would  be 
given  to  the  bill,  and  they  were,  furthermore,  urged  to  rally  to  its 
support  the  priests  of  both  dioceses. 

Bishop  O'Farrell  had  already  given  to  it  his  unqualified  ap- 
proval, and  promised  to  do  everything  in  his  power  that  his  flock 
might  be  relieved  of  this  oppressive  and  unjust  burden;  but  he 
was  somewhat  timid  of  declaring  publicly  his  position  until  the 
Metropolitan  had  spoken.  An  active  campaign  was  begun  by  the 
priests  of  both  dioceses;  meetings  were  held,  and  at  one  held  in 
New  Brunswick  a  resolution  was  passed  that  before  any  action  be 
taken  the  bill  be  submitted  to  the  Apostolic  Delegate  for  his 
perusal  and  that  his  decision  should  be  awaited.  A  committee  of 
two,  Dean  O'Grady  and  Dean  Flynn,  were  requested  to  lay  the 
matter  before  Archbishop  Satolli. 

On  Washington's  Birthday,  February  22d,  1893,  the  committee 
placed  the  bill  in  the  hands  of  the  Delegate  in  the  University, 
Washington.  His  Excellency  carefully  read  over  the  bill,  and 
wrote  the  following  letter  of  approval : 

I,  the  undersigned.  Apostolic  Delegate  of  the  Holy  See  in  the 
United  States  of  North  America,  testify  that  I  have  read  the 
bill  entitled,  "  A  Supplement  to  an  Act  to  establish  a  system  of 
public  instruction,  approved  March  27th,  1874."  And  I  am  of 
the  opinion  that  it  will  bring  great  good  to  the  Catholic  Church 
in  this  State  [New  Jersey]  if,  perchance,  the  bill  passes.  Hence, 
I  desire,  in  order  that  it  may  have  a  happy  issue,  that  it  may  be 
commended  and  furthered  prudently  both  by  the  bishops  and 
priests  and  by  the  Catholic  laity.  I  desire  to  inform  every  one 
without  reserve  that  this  will  meet  with  the  approval  and  assent 
of  His  Holiness,  Leo  XHI  Francis,  Abp.  Satolli, 

Deleg.  Apost. 

On  their  return  the  bill  was  submitted  to  Bishop  Wigger,  who 
after  reading  it  and  the  letter  of  Archbishop  Satolli  promised  to 
do  what  was  in  his  power,  and  to  write  to  the  political  leader. 
The  text  of  bill  416  is  as  follows: 

A   Supplement   to    "An    Act    to    Establish  a  System    of 
Public  Instruction"  Approved  March  27,  1874. 

Be  it  enacted,  by  the  Senate  and  General  Assembly  of  the 
State  of  New  Jersey,  in  order  to  increase  the  public-school  accom- 
modations and  to  carry  out  more  fully  the  provisions  of  the  Con- 
stitution of  this  State,  wherein  the  Legislature  is  empowered  and 


500  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

commanded  to  provide  for  the  maintenance  and  support  of  a  thor- 
ough and  efficient  system  of  free  pubUc  schools  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  all  the  children  in  this  State,  between  the  ages  of  five  and 
eighteen  years,  that  whenever  any  private-school  corporation  in- 
corporated under  the  laws  of  this  State,  having  an  average  yearly 
attendance  of  forty-five  or  more  pupils  within  the  school  age,  shall 
file  in  the  office  of  the  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction, 
and  in  the  office  of  the  County  Superintendent  of  Schools,  in 
which  said  private-school  corporation  is  located,  a  certified  copy  of 
incorporation,  together  with  an  agreement  signed  by  the  officers 
of  said  corporation  to  maintain  their  said  school  a  free  public 
school,  according  to  law,  it  shall  be  lawful  for,  and  the  duty  of  the 
County  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  of  the  county  from 
which  application  is  made,  to  appoint  within  a  reasonable  time 
the  president,  secretary,  and  treasurer  of  the  said  corporation,  a 
board  of  school  trustees,  of  which  the  secretary  shall  act  as  clerk 
and  discharge  the  duties  of  district  clerk,  now  required  by  law. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  said  board  of  school  trustees  shall  be 
vested  with  all  powers  and  privileges  and  subject  to  all  the  condi- 
tions, requirements,  duties,  and  penalties  contained  in  an  act  en- 
titled, "An  Act  to  establish  a  system  of  public  instruction"  ap- 
proved March  27th,  1874,  with  the  supplements  thereto  and  the 
acts  amendatory  thereof,  excepting  such  parts  of  said  act  referring 
to  district  public  schools  as  are  not  applicable  to  said  additional 
free  public  schools  herein  provided  for. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  no  person  shall  be  employed  as  a  teacher 
by  such  board  of  trustees,  unless  he  or  she  holds  a  regular  teacher's 
certificate  in  full  force  and  effect,  according  to  law  at  the  time  the 
engagement  is  made ;  and  any  contract  entered  into  between  any 
teacher  and  said  board  of  trustees  shall  not  be  \^alid  unless  the 
teacher  has  fully  complied  with  the  law. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  said  board  of 
trustees,  through  the  clerk  of  said  board,  to  make  all  the  school 
reports  within  the  time  now  required  by  law,  and  to  make  the 
additional  report,  duly  verified  to  the  State  Superintendent  and 
the  County  Superintendent,  aforesaid,  on  or  before  the  first  day  of 
April  of  each  and  every  year  hereafter,  with  the  name,  age,  name 
of  parents  or  guardians  of  all  the  pupils  residing  within  the  city  or 
school  district  in  which  said  additional  free  public  school  is  located, 
taught  in  said  school  or  schools,  during  the  school  year,  together 
with  the  average  yearly  attendance. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  board  of 
trustees  to  maintain  and  furnish  for  the  use  of  said  additional  free 
public  schools  all  suitable  school  buildings  with  the  necessary  ap- 
pliances as  now  required  by  law,  at  the  expense  of  said  corporation 
and  free  from  all  cost  or  expense  to  the  State  therefor,  and  to 
maintain  said  schools  free  from  all  sectarian  instruction  during 
the  school  hour  or  school  sessions. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  said  additional  free  public  schools  so 
established,  whether  in  city,  town,  or  rural  district,  shall  be  under 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  501 

the  supcrintcndcncy  and  inspection  of  the  county  superintendent 
of  the  county  in  which  said  school  or  schools  are  located. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  the  county  superintendent  of  the  county 
in  which  said  additional  free  public  schools  are  located  shall  in- 
clude the  said  additional  free  public  schools  in  making  his  annual 
apportionment  of  })ublic-school  moneys  for  the  free  public  schools 
of  the  county. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  it  shall  be  lawful  for  and  the  duty  of 
the  county  superintendent  as  aforesaid,  in  making  the  yearly 
apportionment  of  school  moneys,  to  assign  to  the  said  additional 
free  public  schools,  from  the  State  school  money  due  any  city  or 
school  district,  the  same  amount  per  child  residing  in  city  or  dis- 
trict and  attending  said  additional  free  public  schools,  that  it  cost 
the  State,  in  the  preceding  year,  for  each  child  taught  within  the 
school  age,  determined  by  the  yearly  average  attendance  in  the 
State. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  the  county  collector,  in  and  for  each 
county,  shall  be  and  is  hereby  authorized  to  deduct  from  the 
State  school  moneys  due  any  city,  town,  or  school  district,  in  which 
said  additional  free  public  schools  are  located,  the  portion  of  State 
school  moneys  to  which  said  additional  free  public  schools  are 
entitled. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  the  county  collector  in  each  county 
shall  be  the  custodian  of,  and  shall  hold  in  trust,  all  such  moneys 
as  are  apportioned  to  said  additional  free  public  schools,  and  he 
shall  pay  them  out  only  on  the  order  of  the  county  superin- 
tendent. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  the  county  superintendent  shall,  upon 
the  warrant  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  said  additional  free  public 
schools,  duly  signed  by  the  clerk  and  at  least  one  other  member 
of  the  board,  draw  a  school  order  or  orders  upon  the  county  col- 
lector, in  favor  of  the  teacher  or  teachers  in  the  said  additional 
free  public  schools  and  for  the  payment  of  such  incidental  expenses 
as  the  law  allows  for  public  schools. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  all  such  school  orders  shall  be  endorsed 
by  the  person  or  persons  entitled  to  receive  said  money,  and  that 
the  purposes  for  which  payment  is  demanded  shall  be  stated  in 
each  order. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  county  super- 
intendent to  withhold  aforesaid  school  order  or  orders  on  county 
collector  whenever  the  provisions  of  this  act,  and  the  act  to  which 
this  is  a  supplement,  are  not  fully  complied  with  in  good  faith. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  all  acts  and  parts  of  acts,  general,  spe- 
cial, or  local,  as  far  as  they  are  inconsistent  with  this  act,  be  and 
the  same  are  hereby  repealed. 

And  be  it  enacted,  that  this  is  a  public  act  and  shall  take  effect 
immediately. 

The  consternation  of  the  politicians  was  pitiable.  To  their 
credit  be  it  said  that  the  most  manly  and  courageous  of  the  legisla- 


502 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


tors  were  the  non-Catholics.  Had  it  not  been  for  a  well-known 
factor  in  politics  in  South  Jersey — not  a  Catholic — the  bill  would 
never  have  emerged  from  the  Erebean  darkness  and  deep  dam- 
nation of  the  committee-room.  It  did,  however,  see  the  light,  but 
the  leaders  resolved  in  caucus  to  kill  it. 

It  was  read  and  referred  to  Attorney-General  Stockton  for 
an  opinion.  As  he  afterward  declared  to  the  rev.  promoters  of 
the  bill,  "  that  it  was  customary  when  the  legislators  wished  to 
shunt  the  responsibility  of  passing  a  bill  to  refer  it  to  the  attorney- 
general.  There  are  two  ways  of  regarding  every  piece  of  legis- 
lation :  giving  it  a  broad  and  liberal  construction,  or  confining  it 
to  a  strict  interpretation  of  the  Constitution.  By  the  applica- 
tion of  the  latter  method  there  is  not  a  single  law  that  is  passed 
which  might  not  be  declared  unconstitutional.  I  knew  what  I 
was  wanted  to  do,  and  I  did  it." 

The  bill  was  declared  unconstitutional.  The  priests  were 
chagrined,  men  and  women  breathed  more  freely,  for  the  prayers 
of  many  had  been  heard. 

It  was  perhaps  unfortunate  that  the  militant  pastor  of  Hoboken 
was  considered  its  protagonist,  in  view  of  his  still-remembered 
attacks  on  the  Germans,  which  alienated  them  from  any  move- 
ment with  which  he  was  connected.  The  whole  credit  of  the  agi- 
tation is  given  to  Father  Corrigan  in  a  garbled  mass  of  misstate- 
ments in  what  purports  to  be  history — the  "  Battles  of  Trenton," 
pages  119  ct  scqq.  That  such  an  opinion  was  held  by  others  was 
clear  when  the  bill  was  attacked  by  the  Priester-Verein  assembled 
at  Harrisburg,  Pa.  Some  of  those  who  were  foremost  on  that 
occasion  in  denouncing  it  met  Dean  Mulligan  later,  and  rallied 
him  on  the  defeat  of  his  pet  project.  Upon  being  asked  if  they 
were  familiar  with  the  bill,  they  were  compelled  to  confess  that 
they  were  not;  and  when  given  a  copy  of  the  bill  to  read,  they 
admitted  that  they  had  been  in  the  wrong  and  regretted  that  they 
had  not  given  it  their  support.  Dean  Mulligan  did  not  propose  to 
give  up  the  fight,  and  had  a  second  bill  drawn  up,  to  which  the 
following  correspondence  refers : 

June  26th,  1893. 

In  my  letter  to  you  of  the  2d  inst.,  I  requested  some  informa- 
tion from  you  with  regard  to  the  proposed  bill  and  the  Catholic 
schools  of  New  Jersey,  but  so  far  no  reply  has  come  to  hand. 
As  it  is  a  matter  of  great  importance,  which  requires  accurate 
consideration  and  deep  study,  I  beg  of  you  to  send  the  information 
desired  as  soon  as  possible. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  503 

May  I  ask  you  at  the  same  time  to  mail  a  copy  of  the  bill  to 
the  Bishop  of  Newark,  who  wishes  to  be  fully  informed  in  regard 
to  it?  DoNATUS  Sbaretti,  Auditor. 

For  the  Delegate. 

July  2d,  1893. 

Rev.  Sir:  I  have  read  over  carefully  and  honestly  examined 
the  proposed  legislation  regarding  Catholic  schools  in  the  State 
of  New  Jersey,  which  you  sent  to  me  on  the  5th  day  of  last  June. 
Many  things  are  carefully  set  forth  and  accurately  put  together, 
yet  there  are  two  things  asserted  in  it  without  any  apparent 
reason.  The  first  with  regard  to  the  statement  of  the  attorney- 
general,  who  claims  that  the  proposed  law  would  violate  the  con- 
stitution, which  forbids  the  State  and  municipalities  from  giving 
any  support  to  societies  or  any  public  funds.  It  is  hard  to  under- 
stand how,  if  this  follows  from  the  first  bill,  it  does  not  follow 
from  the  second.  It  looks  to  the  creation  of  a  second  school 
board.  It  does  not  appear  how,  in  view  of  an  agreement  between 
the  church  and  the  state,  the  ecclesiastical  authority  would  have 
a  right  to  form  a  board  of  directors  and  retain  Catholic  teachers. 
Is  this  right  based  on  some  one  article  of  the  proposed  law,  or  is 
it  to  be  found  in  some  other  law  of  your  State }  Please  examine 
both  questions  carefully  and  send  the  reply  to  the  Apostolic  Dele- 
gate as  soon  as  possible.  Donatus  Sbaretti,  Auditor. 

The  Catholic  University,  Washington,  D.  C, 
August  31st,  1893. 
Rev.  Father  Mulligan  :  In  regard  to  the  bill  referring  to 
the  Catholic  schools  of  New  Jersey,  I  have  already  expressed  my 
views ;  but  the  Propaganda  having  determined  to  treat  itself  scho- 
lastic questions,  it  is  not  proper  for  this  Apostolic  Delegation  to 
interfere  with  such  a  matter.  Therefore  you  should  apply  directly 
to  the  said  congregation. 

With  my  best  wishes,  I  remain. 

Yours  sincerely. 

Archbishop  Satolli, 

Delegate  Apostolic. 

Madison  Avenue,  New  York, 
October  i6th,  1893. 
My  Dear  Father  Mulligan:  Your  letter  and  enclosures  (a 
copy  of  school  bill,  commentary  on  laws  of  the  State,  Satolli' s  let- 
ter, and  letters  from  Rome  to  date)  came  in  due  course,  but  I  ex- 
pected to  see  you  the  following  Saturday  as  I  proposed.  But  I 
put  away  the  documents  so  carefully  that  they  escaped  my  notice 
altogether.  Of  course  I  would  most  gladly  approve  the  plan, 
although  I  do  not  wish  to  speak  on  the  subject  on  account  of 
further  complications. 

I  am,  dear  sir,  with  very  kind  regards, 

Very  faithfully  yours, 

M.  A.  Corrigan. 


504  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

452  Madison  Avenue,  New  York. 
November  ist,  1893. 
Rev.  and  Dear  Father  Mulligan:  Considering  that  you 
have  obtained  the  sanction  of  the  Delegate  Apostohc,  I  feel  reluc- 
tant to  write  to  the  Cardinal  Prefect,  as  such  an  act  would  not 
only  be  superfluous,  but  also,  on  account  of  complications  in  the 
Diocese  of   Newark,    unwarranted   and   imprudent  on  my  part. 
As,  moreover,  the  matter  was  not  to  be  acted  on  this  year,  no 
harm  will  come  of  your  not  having  my  cooperation  at  present. 
I  am,  reverend  and  dear  sir, 

With  sincere  regard. 

Very  faithfully  yours, 

M.    A.    CORRIGAN. 

The  battle  for  justice  was  lost,  but  the  field  was  strewn  with 
political  corpses — never  again  to  figure  on  the  hustings  or  in  the 
legislative  halls.  On  a  similar  occasion,  when  appealed  to  in  the 
hope  of  securing  a  chaplain  for  the  State  Prison,  Governor  Abbett 
remarked  that  when  the  charter  for  the  first  Protectory  was  asked 
and  granted.  Senators  Sewall,  Potts,  and  himself  had  advocated  it 
and  worked  for  its  passage,  and  still  that  had  never  hurt  any  of 
them  politically. 

That  the  whole  movement  was  in  line  with  the  policy  of  the 
Holy  See  was  made  evident  by  the  letter  of  Leo  XIII.  to  the 
Bishops  of  the  Province  of  New  York,  June  2d,  1893.  Touching 
on  this  point  the  Holy  Father  wrote : 

We  have  the  conviction,  based  on  the  fair-mindedness  of  your 
countrymen,  that  they  can  be  easily  brought  to  lay  aside  suspi- 
cions and  prejudices  offensive  to  the  Church,  and  to  recognize 
freely  the  services  of  that  power  which  dissipated  pagan  barbar- 
ism with  the  light  of  the  Gospel,  and  created  a  new  society  with 
all  its  glory  of  Christian  virtues  and  human  culture.  Such  con- 
siderations will,  we  hope,  lead  every  man  in  your  country  to  the 
conclusion  that  Catholic  parents  should  not  be  forced  to  build  and 
support  schools  and  institutions  tJicy  cannot  use  for  the  education  of 
their  children. 

The  objection  to  the  public-school  system  as  at  present  con- 
stituted comes  not  only  from  Catholics,  but  from  Lutherans  and 
Episcopalians.  The  members  of  this  latter  religious  body  ex- 
pressed themselves  in  strong' and  certain  language  in  a  resolution 
passed  by  the  Episcopal  Convention  in  May,  1856: 

Whereas,  man  is  a  religious  as  well  as  an  intellectual  being; 
has  a  conscience  and  sensibilities,  on  the  right  training  of  which 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  505 

depends  the  happiness  of  individuals  and  the  welfare  of  society, 
infinitely  more  than  on  the  highest  intellectual  attainments ; 

And,  Whereas,  this  education  of  the  heart  and  conscience 
should,  during  the  season  of  childhood,  receive  the  same  daily 
attention  as  the  cultivation  of  the  intellect — a  truth  declared  by 
our  Heaveiily  Father  Himself,  who  says,  "These  words  which  I 
command  thee  this  day  shall  be  in  thy  heart,  and  thou  shalt  teach 
than  diligently  to  thy  children,  and  shalt  talk  of'  them  ivhen  tho/t 
sittest  in  thy  house,  and  when  thou  zvalkest  by  the  zvay,  and  zvhen 
thou  liest  doivn,  and  zvhen  thon  rises t  up''  \ 

And,  Whereas,  there  can  scarcely  be  a  more  favorable  sphere 
for  instilling  divine  truth,  ^'  here  a  little  and  tJiere  a  little,''  and  for 
giving  a  happy  and  lasting  direction  to  the  young,  than  in  the 
school-room  and  on  the  school-ground,  in  that  association  with 
equals  in  which  the  most  intense  feelings  are  enlisted ; 

And,  Whereas,  it  was  the  conviction  of  both  the  early  Chris- 
tians and  the  Reformers,  and  was  expressed  by  the  framers  of 
our  national  Constitution,  as  follows,  that  "  Religion,  morality, 
and  knowledge,  being  necessary  to  good  government  and  the 
happiness  of  mankind,  schools  should  be  forever  encouraged"; 
and  was  thus  expressed  by  the  Father  of  our'country:  "Reason 
and  experience  both  forbid  us  to  expect  that  national  morality 
can  prevail  in  the  exclusion  of  religious  principle,"  and  "  there  is 
no  security  for  property,  for  reputation,  and  for  life  if  the  sense  of 
religious  obligation  desert  the  oaths  which  are  the  instruments  of 
investigation  in  courts  of  justice  "  ;  and,  consequently. 

Whereas,  that  plan  of  secular  training  which  leaves,  as  esti- 
mated, two  niillions  of  the  children  of  our  land  uninstructed  in 
their  moral  obligations  and  their  solemn  relations  to  eternity,  is 
alike  dishonorable  to  God,  subversive  of  national  morality,  and 
awfully  dangerous  to  individual  happiness  both  present  and  future ; 
therefore. 

Resolved,  That  this  convention  do  recommend  to  every  parish 
or  association  of  parishes  throughout  the  diocese  to  establish,  as 
soon  as  circumstances  will  allow,  a  school,  under  the  supervision 
of  the  rector  or  rectors,  in  which  the  young  may  be  carefully  and 
faithfully  moulded  for  God  and  Heaven,  as  well  as  thoroughly  in- 
structed in  secular  knowledge. 

Resolved,  That,  in  the  opinion  of  this  convention,  such  mingled 
intellectual  and  religious  training  will,  with  the  Divine  blessing, 
prove  a  most  efficient  agency  in  checking  the  rapid  growth  of 
both  juvenile  and  adult  crime;  in  preventing  our  youths  from 
being  drawn  away  into  the  ranks  of  fanaticism  on  the  one  hand, 
or  induced  by  the  plausibilities  of  modern  infidelity  to  repudiate 
the  Gospel  on  the  other ;  and  will  raise  up  a  generation  of  men 
more  obedient  to  law,  more  rooted  in  our  most  Holy  Faith,  more 
exemplary  in  Christian  practice,  and  will  afford  a  fruitful  supply 
for  the  now  deficient  ranks  of  the  Christian  ministry. 

And  Whereas,  Christian  men  do  not  and  should  not  feel 
themselves  at  liberty  to  place  their  children  for  six  or  more  hours 


5o6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

daily,  during  years  when  they  are  most  susceptible  of  impressions, 
in  those  schools  where  the  glory  of  God  and  that  eternity  which 
gives  value  to  the  present  life  are  practically  forgotten;  and 
whereas  these  same  Christian  men  do  and  should  feel  a  very  great 
reluctance  in  contributing  to  the  maintenance  of  an  education 
which  tends  neither  to  the  security  of  human  life  and  property 
nor  to  the  prevention  of  crime  in  general ;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That,  in  the  opinion  of  this  convention,  any  religious 
denomination  or  separate  congregation  which  desires  to  establish 
a  school  of  its  own,  in  any  particular  locality,  ought  not  to  be 
compelled  by  law  to  pay  for  schools  in  which  it  cannot  conscien- 
tiously have  its  children  instructed ;  but  ought  to  have  the  legal 
right  to  claim  for  its  own  school  the  school  assessment  of  its  own 
members — and  enjoy  all  the  benefits  now  received  by  a  few. 

An  Act  to  Establish  Public  Schools,  Approved  April 
17TH,  1846. 

Sec.  12.  When  the  patrons  or  proprietors  of  any  school  already 
organized  and  established  under  the  care  of  any  religious  society 
or  denomination  of  Christians,  whose  church  discipline  provides 
for  the  establishment  of  schools  and  the  appointment  of  trustees, 
are  unwilling  to  relinquish  such  school  and  become  subject  to  all 
the  provisions  of  this  act,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  trustees  of 
said  school  to  transmit  to  the  town  superintendent  of  their  respec- 
tive townships  a  certificate  of  their  organization,  together  with  a 
list  of  the  children  of  such  patrons  and  proprietors,  between  the 
ages  of  five  and  sixteen  years,  who  are  capable  of  attending  school ; 
whereupon  every  such  school  shall  be  entitled  to  receive  its  just 
and  ratable  proportion  of  the  money  assigned  to  said  township 
out  of  the  income  of  the  school  fund,  and  of  such  additional  sum 
as  may  be  raised  or  appropriated  by  said  township  for  the  support 
of  public  schools;  which  apportionment  shall  be  made  by  the 
town  superintendent  of  the  respective  townships  and  a  copy 
thereof  filed  with  the  township  collector,  whose  duty  it  shall  be 
to  pay  to  the  trustees  of  said  school  their  just  proportion  of  such 
moneys  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  said  school 

In  the  VII.  Synod,  held  at  Seton  Hall,  June  21st,  1893, 
Bishop  Wigger  withdrew  his  prohibition  of  giving  absolution  to 
the  children  who  attended  the  public  schools  and  their  parents ; 
and  in  the  VIII.  Synod,  held  in  1896,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor 
Doane  was  named  Dean  of  Esse.x  and  the  Rev.  Louis  Senez,  of 
Hudson  County.  The  rule  relative  to  the  preaching  at  funerals 
was  rescinded. 

Although  Bishop  Wigger  had  often  declared  that  he  would 
never  build  his  cathedral  until  every  church  in  the  diocese  was 
freed  from  debt,  he  suddenly  became  impressed  with  the  project, 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  507 

and  having  laid  the  matter  before  a  special  meeting  of  his  priests 
in  1897  and  received  their  almost  unanimous  approval,  he  invited 
plans  from  various  architects  and  appointed  a  commission  to  assist 
him  in  selecting  the  most  desirable.  The  plan  of  Mr.  Jeremiah 
O'Rourke  was  decided  upon,  and  the  limit  of  its  construction, 
$1,000,000.  In  January,  1898,  Bishop  Wigger  "carved  out,"  as 
he  playfully  said,  the  first  sod  for  the  foundation  of  the  new  cathe- 
dral. His  health  again  failing  at  the  end  of  the  year,  he  was 
forced  to  go  to  Bermuda;  but  deriving  little  benefit  from  his  trip, 
he  set  out  early  in  1899  to  make  his  visit  to  the  tomb  of  the  Apos- 
tles and  aftCx"  to  go  to  the  Holy  Land. 

June  nth,  1899,  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  cathedral  was 
laid  in  the  presence  of  an  immense  throng,  gathered  from  every 
quarter  of  the  diocese,  by  Bishop  Wigger,  assisted  by  Archbishop 
Corrigan,  Bishop  McOuaid  of  Rochester,  Bishop  Burke  of  Al- 
bany, and  Bishop  McFaul  of  Trenton,  and  attended  by  almost  all 
the  priests  of  the  diocese.  Preceding  the  laying  of  the  corner- 
stone there  was  a  procession  of  the  Catholic  societies  of  the  dio- 
cese, of  whom  nearly  eighteen  thousand  were  in  line.  Bishop 
McOuaid  preached  on  the  occasion      Among  other  things  he  said : 

The  Catholics  of  Newark  are  about  to  erect  a  truly  monu- 
mental cathedral.  Bishop  Bayley  contended  that  unless  it  were 
possible  to  hold  all  the  Catholics  together,  including  the  large 
number  of  immigrants  that  came  here,  large  churches  would  be 
crimes.  He  assembled  his  priests  about  him  and  succeeded  in 
getting  them  to  amalgamate  the  Catholics,  and  the  first  work  of 
great  importance  was  the  establishment  of  Seton  Hall  College. 
Bishop  Bayley  believed  in  tutoring  the  minds  of  children  so  as  to 
spread  Catholicity,  and  in  this  he  was  successful. 

Now  we  come  to  the  present  time.  The  present  bishop  is  a 
man  of  courage,  but  he  is  not  premature.  He  is  not  in  advance 
of  the  day,  and  is  not  putting  an  impossible  burden  on  his  people 
by  the  building  of  this  grand  edifice.  These  churches  are  occu 
pied  by  his  own  priests,  and  with  such  support  he  should  be  sue 
cessful.  I  do  not  believe  in  monumental  churches  as  a  rule,  but 
when  we  have  Greater  Newark,  and  this  magnificent  city  expands, 
this  cathedral  will  stand  in  the  centre  of  it  and  will  be  a  fitting 
monument  to  the  faith.  The  edifice  will  rise  up  stone  by  stone, 
and  will  tower  above  the  structures  surrounding  it  Such  will  be 
the  growth  of  this  section  that  the  cathedral  will  not  be  too  large 
for  the  people. 

Then  you  will  rejoice  that  you  have  done  a  good  and  a  noble 
work.  I  have  not  seen  a  list  of  the  contributions  toward  the 
building  of  this  church,  which  is  held  by  the  bishop,  but  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  even  if  there  are  millionaires  in  New 


5o8  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

ark  that  may  have  done  their  duty  in  the  matter,  this  cathedral 
is  being  built  by  a  faithful  and  loyal  priesthood  aided  by  a  filial 
and  God-loving  community.  Here  in  Newark  we  have  a  resource 
which  is  found  in  the  living  and  practising  faith  of  the  people. 

In  these  days,  when  non-Catholics  are  running  away  from  the 
teachings  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  when  even  the  ministers 
of  the  Gospel  are  afraid  to  come  out  and  declare  themselves,  here 
we  are  building  this  glorious  temple  of  our  faith. 

This  edifice  will  be  open  to  the  world.  It  will  be  a  house  of 
prayer  and  a  tabernacle  of  the  Church  of  Bethlehem  and  Calvary, 
where  Catholics  will  come  and  worship  Him  who  bestows  His 
blessings  upon  us  to-day. 

In  September,  1 899,  Bishop  Wigger  signed  a  contract  for  the 
erection  of  fifty  feet  of  the  side  walls,  and  this,  together  with  the 
foundation,  cost  $294,000. 

But  the  inflexible  will  of  the  bishop  could  no  longer  control  a 
body  which  for  nearly  a  score  of  years  he  had  worked  under  high 
pressure,  and  again  he  was  forced  to  go  abroad  in  search  of  rest 
and  health.  He  returned  bronzed  and  bearded,  and  seemingly 
with  a  new  lease  of  life,  only  to  plunge  again  into  the  many  cares 
of  his  office  with  his  old-time  activity  and  zest.  Christmas,  1900, 
he  celebrated  Pontifical  Mass  in  the  cathedral,  which  he  was  never 
to  see  again.  It  was  difficult  to  persuade  him  to  send  for  his 
physician  and  to  submit  to  treatment.  Sunday,  December  30th, 
he  tried  to  rise  from  his  bed.  Nature  rebelled.  He  had  come  to 
the  parting  of  the  ways.  Without  fear,  but  with  great  fervor,  he 
received  the  consolations  of  the  Church  and  made  his  profession 
of  faith.  He  was  attacked  with  virulent  pneumonia.  January  3d 
he  was  visited  by  Archbishop  Corrigan,  who  consoled  and  en- 
couraged him. 

Saturday  the  5th  he  gradually  grew  weaker,  and  about  mid- 
night he  breathed  his  soul  into  the  hands  of  his  Maker.  The 
funeral  services  were  held  on  the  loth  of  January  in  the  cathe- 
dral. The  day  was  storm-swept,  and  in  spite  of  the  pelting  rain 
thousands  assembled  in  and  around  the  cathedral  and  accompanied 
the  remains  to  the  cemetery  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  The  Pon- 
tifical Mass  was  celebrated  by  Archbishop  Corrigan,  four  other 
bishops,  the  priests  of  the  diocese,  and  many  from  Trenton  and 
New  York  were  present.  Bishop  McFaul  paid  a  fitting  tribute 
to  the  zeal  and  virtue  of  the  deceased  prelate. 

Bishop  Wigger  was  of  medium  height  and  slender  frame,  and 
withal  he  undertook  labors  under  which  a  stronger  man  would 
succumb.     In  his  friendships  he  was  firm  and  loyal.     To  the  un- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  509 

fortunate  he  was  Christ-like  in  his  tenderness  and  sympathy. 
Bishop  Wigger  was  absokitely  disinterested  and  unselfish,  and  his 
poverty  truly  apostolic,  as  may  be  judged  from  this  extract  from 
his  diary : 

This  morning  I  go  for  the  first  time  to  Saratoga,  to  drink  the 
waters,  and  see  if  they  will  cure  my  biliousness,  which  has  troubled 
me  for  some  time  back.  I  will  be  away  all  the  week.  Mr.  J.J. 
Keane,  of  Jersey  City,  accompanies  me,  and  pays  all  expenses. 
Had  he  not  invited  me  and  kindly  volunteered  to  pay  all  expenses 
I  could  not  have  gone,  I  am  so  poor.  When  I  was  only  a  simple 
priest  I  was  always  more  or  less  in  debt.  Only  once  did  I  suc- 
ceed in  laying  by  $100.  In  less  than  three  months  ^//had  disap- 
peared. Since  I  have  been  bishop  things  are  worse  even.  My 
personal  debts  are  larger  than  formerly.  There  is  some  comfort 
in  knowing  that  I  have  not  spent  much  on  myself;  I  have  never 
done  that.  The  money  has  been  given  to  others,  generally  in 
charity.  I  hope  God  will  reward  me  for  it.  There  is  very  little 
besides  this  for  which  to  reward  me. — Reg.  Dice.  271. 

The  asperity  which  sometimes  appeared  in  his  letters  was  soft- 
ened away  when  one  visited  him  in  his  room.  His  was  a  some- 
what impressionable  nature,  prone  to  self-consciousness  and  influ- 
enced on  the  side  of  his  emotions.  In  the  beginning  of  his 
administration  he  made  errors  for  which  in  later  years  he  amply 
atoned.  This  fault  was  not  peculiar  to  him.  It  is  the  lot  of 
every  one  whose  sphere  of  activity  is  increased,  and  in  lines  for- 
eign to  his  training  and  experience.  When  Julius  II.  began  his 
pontifical  career  some  of  the  cardinals  complained  to  a  tried  and 
aged  veteran  of  the  Sacred  College  about  the  new  Pope's  severity. 
"The  Pope  is  still  new,  and  in  his  newness  he  thinks  that  small 
things  are  big,"  was  the  wise  remark  of  his  Eminence. 


St.  Agnes's  Church,  Paterson. 

In  the  fall  of  1872  the  Very  Rev.  William  McNulty,  of  St. 
John's  Church,  erected  a  frame  school  building,  18  by  36  feet,  on 
a  portion  of  the  property  which  had  been  purchased  by  the  Sisters 
of  Charity  for  a  hospital,  with  the  view  of  erecting  a  more  suit- 
able church  when  the  demands  of  the  congregation  made  it  neces- 
sary. In  the  fall  of  1882  a  two-story  brick  building,  55  by  80  feet, 
was  erected — the  property  and  the  construction  of  the  building 
cost  $18,482.98.  The  first  Mass  was  celebrated  Christmas  morn- 
ing, 1883,  by  the  Rev.  Daniel  Y .  McCarthy,  an  assistant  of  St. 


5IO  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

John's  Church.  Divine  service  was  thus  continued  until  June 
20th,  1884,  when  the  Rev.  Patrick  F.  Downes  was  appointed  the 
first  resident  rector.  The  first  floor  was  used  for  the  school  and 
the  second  floor  for  the  church. 

In  July,  1887,  steps  were  taken  to  secure  a  rectory,  which  was 
eventually  built  and  occupied  by  the  Rev.  Father  Downes  in  May, 
1888.  It  cost  in  the  neighborhood  of  $8,000.  The  Rev.  Father 
Downes  died  after  a  short  illness,  June  20th,  1888. 

The  Rev.  George  W.  Corrigan,  the  rector  of  Hohokus,  was 
appointed  by  Bishop  Wigger  as  Father  Downes's  successor. 
Father  George's  first  efforts  were  to  collect  the  working  boys  of 
the  parish  in  Sunday-school.  That  his  influence  might  success- 
fully reach  all,  he  endeavored  to  provide  for  them  innocent  amuse- 
ment and  recreation.  The  only  place  available  was  the  cellar. 
Fifty-four  earnest  and  delighted  boys  spent  their  evenings  after  a 
hard  day's  work  putting  their  room  in  order.  Here  Father  George 
delighted  to  spend  his  evenings  and  participate  in  the  games  of 
the  boys.  Dissatisfied  with  their  temporary  quarters,  he  deter- 
mined to  provide  them  with  something  better.  Hence  the  great 
building  on  Mary  Street,  a  model  of  its  kind,  was  opened  in  De- 
cember, 1898. 

In  October,  1 889,  four  lots  were  bought  on  Main  Street  with  a 
view  of  erecting  a  larger  school.  Built  in  the  summer  of  1890,  at 
a  cost  of  $21,000,  the  new  school  was  opened  in  1891.  From  that 
time  the  standard  of  studies  gradually  advanced,  and  to-day  this 
school  ranks  among  the  first  in  the  diocese.  In  1892  the  first 
class  of  graduates  received  their  diplomas,  and  every  year  since 
has  witnessed  some  pupils  completing  the  prescribed  course. 

Realizing  the  importance  of  keeping  the  graduates  together 
and  preserving  the  spirit  of  study,  also  of  shielding  them  from 
the  dangers  incident  to  youth.  Father  George  organized  the 
Alumni  Association.  In  addition  to  their  monthly  meetings,  a 
public  debate  is  held  periodically. 

Having  made  provision  for  the  children.  Father  George  turned 
his  attention  to  the  church,  which  was  sadly  in  need  of  repairs, 
and  in  1891  he  had  the  building  remodelled.  The  upper  floor  was 
removed,  thus  giving  it  more  the  appearance  of  a  church.  The 
building  was  renovated,  and  stained-glass  windows  and  pews  capa- 
ble of  seating  750  people  were  put  in. 

The  march  of  improvement  extending  to  that  part  of  the  city 
prompted  Father  George  to  provide  for  the  future.  A  favorable 
opportunity  was  offered  in  the  sale  of  an  old  public-school  build- 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


511 


ing.  It  was  in  excellent  condition,  and,  together  with  the  five 
lots,  had  cost  the  city  $25,000.  It  was  bought  at  auction  for 
$4,035  in  July,  1897. 


St.  George's  Church,  Paterson. 

In  September  St.  George's  Church  and  school  were  opened, 
and  the  Rev.  Joseph  F.  Dolan,  who  during  six  years  had  been  the 
assistant  at  St.  Agnes's  Parish,  was  chosen,  which  succession  has 
justified  the  wisdom  and  foresight  shown  in  the  purchase.  On 
September  19th  Mass  was  celebrated  for  the  first  time.  In  June, 
1898,  a  plot  of  ground,  100  by  125  feet,  on  the  northwest  corner 
of  Getty  and  Michigan  av- 
enues, was  purchased,  and 
shortly  after  the  present  rec- 
tory was  built.  An  addition- 
al piece  of  land,  100  by  125 
feet,  adjoining  the  rectory, 
was  purchased  in  July,  1899, 
as  a  site  for  a  church.  The 
new  church  was  dedicated 
January  14th,  1900,  by  the 
Very  Rev.  Dean  McNulty, 
assisted  by  the  many  priests 
of  the  city  and  adjoining  par- 
ishes. Father  George  Corri- 
gan,  rector  of  St.  Agnes's  and  founder  of  the  new  parish,  cele- 
brated the  Mass.  The  Rev.  Isaac  P.  Whelan  preached  an  elo- 
quent sermon,  in  which  he  referred  to  the  growth  of  the  church, 
and  paid  a  glowing  tribute  to  Dean  McNulty  and  Fathers  Corri- 
gan  and  Dolan. 

Father  Dolan  thus  far  has  encountered  very  little  difficulty  in 
building  up  a  centre  for  the  religious  welfare  of  the  toilers  who 
are  striving  to  become  the  owners  of  their  own  homes,  and  in 
many  cases  involved  in  debt  for  the  same. 

A  bright  future  is  in  store  for  St.  George's,  and  both  pastor 
and  people  deserve  the  highest  gratitude  for  the  efforts  so  far 
successfully  made. 

July  1 2th,  1900,  Father  Corrigan  was  appointed  rector  of  St. 
Joseph's,  Newark,  in  succession  to  the  Rt.  Rev.  John  J.  O'Con- 
nor. Rev.  Edward  A.  Kelly,  rector  of  the  Church  of  Mount 
Carmel,  Ridgewood,  was  transferred  to  St.  Agnes's. 


ST.  George's  church,  paterson. 


512  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Father  Kelly,  born  in  New  York  on  January  22d,  1859,  made 
his  preparatory  studies  at  St.  Benedict's,  Newark,  and  at  St. 
Charles's,  Maryland,  also  at  Seton  Hall,  where  he  was  graduated 
in  the  class  of  '81.  He  studied  theology  in  Seton  Hall  Seminary 
and  was  ordained  on  May  30th,  1885,  in  the  cathedral,  Newark. 
He  served  as  assistant  at  St.  Joseph's,  Paterson,  St.  Lucy's,  Jer- 
sey City,  St.  Bridget's  and  St.  John's,  Jersey  City,  and  also  in 
Ridgewood.  The  many  societies  connected  with  the  church  are 
doing  effective  work. 

On  July  29th,  1903,  a  destructive  tornado  swept  over  the  south- 
ern section  of  Paterson,  marking  its  path  with  disaster.  St. 
Agnes' s  Church,  rectory,  lyceum,  school,  and  sisters'  house  sus- 
tained considerable  damage. 

The  following  priests  have  administered  as  assistants  at  St. 
Agnes's:  Rev.  P'athers  Peter  Julian,  J.  F.  Duffy,  J.  ¥.  Dolan, 
William  O'Gorman,  J.  C.  McErlain,  James  McCormack,  Matthew 
J.  P'arley,  J.  B.  Donahue,  and  T.  J.  McDermott. 

Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes,  Paterson. 

The  corner-stone  of  this  church  was  laid  Sunday,  September 
3d,  1882.  The  founder  of  this  parish  was  the  Rev.  Nicholas  Hens, 
at  that  time  pastor  of  St.  Boniface's  Church,  Paterson.  The 
dedication  services  were  held  May  14th,  1883.  The  first  resident 
pastor  was  the  Rev.  Alphonsus  M.  Schaeken.  When  Father 
Schaeken  took  charge  of  the  parish  there  were  at  that  time  in  the 
congregation  738  souls.  A  parish  school  was  opened  on  Septem- 
ber I  St,  1883,  with  ninety  children  on  the  roll,  and  placed  in 
charge  of  three  Sisters  of  St.  Dominic.  A  convent  was  erected 
in  1890  and  blessed  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Smith,  October  5th  of  that 
same  year.  Father  Schaeken  worked  most  generously  for  seven- 
teen years,  and  when  he  left  the  parish,  in  August,  1900,  both  the 
spiritual  and  material  conditions  were  of  the  best. 

The  Rev.  Anton  H.  Stein  was  Father  Schaeken's  successor. 
Father  Stein,  born  in  Elizabeth,  made  his  classical  studies  at 
Seton  Hall  and  was  a  graduate  of  the  class  of  '88.  He  was  or- 
dained priest  before  the  completion  of  his  theology,  owing  to  his 
delicate  condition  of  health.  The  fields  of  his  labors  as  assistant 
were  at  Union  Hill,  Morristown,  South  Orange,  St.  Michael's, 
Newark,  and  St.  Vincent's,  Madison.  The  parish  is  most  cosmo- 
politan, for  it  probably  has  almoet  every  nationality  represented. 
Its  growth  has  been  characteristic.     The  census  shows  the  num 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  513 

ber  of  parishioners  at  present  to  be  3,996.  The  following  children 
of  the  parish  have  been  elevated  to  the  dignity  of  the  priesthood : 
Fathers  D.  E.  Laad,  Lill,  Bohl,  and  Van  Zele.  The  following 
priests  have  been  the  curates:  the  Rev.  Felix  O'Neill,  S.T.L., 
and  the  Rev.  Theo.  Peters;  the  present  assistant  is  the  Rev. 
Father  Kurtz. 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  Trenton. 

In  1882  the  Very  Rev.  Anthony  Smith,  V.G.,  the  rector  of 
St.  Mary's  Cathedral,  Trenton,  erected  a  brick  building  on  Sher- 
man Avenue,  to  be  used  as  a  school  and  church  by  the  residents 
of  the  eastern  section. 

In  1 89 1  the  Rev.  James  McFaul,  now  bishop  of  the  diocese, 
converted  this  building  into  a  sisters'  house  and  erected  a  three- 
story  brick  building  adjoining  it  to  be  used  as  a  school  and  a 
chapel.  It  serves  this  purpose  up  to  the  present  time,  but  the 
parish  hopes  to  erect  a  new  church  in  the  near  future. 

In  April,  1893,  the  parish  was  separated  from  the  cathedral, 
and  the  Rev.  John  H.  Fox  appointed  its  first  pastor. 

February  ist,  1895,  Father  Fox  became  rector  of  St.  Mary's 
Cathedral  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Bernard  T.  O'Connell, 
who  resigned  the  pastorate  after  a  month. 

His  successor  was  the  Rev.  Michael  O'Reilley,  who  remained 
until  September  8th,  1898,  when  he  was  transferred  to  Metuchen, 
where  he  died  one  year  later. 

On  September  8th,  1898,  the  Rev.  Henry  Ward,  the  present 
pastor,  was  installed.  In  1899  Father  Ward  purchased  a  new 
house  for  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  and  converted  the  old  con.vent 
into  a  rectory.  About  four  hundred  pupils  attend  the  school  and 
the  population  of  the  parish  is  twenty-five  hundred.  The  assistant 
priests  of  the  parish  are  the  Fathers  Russi,  O'Farrell,  John 
Sweeney,  James  Morrison,  and  John  A.  Carroll,  who  is  the 
assistant  at  the  present  time. 

Our  Lady  Help  of  Christians,  East  Orange. 

The  parish  of  Our  Lady  Help  of  Christians  was  founded  in 
the  spring  of  1882  by  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M.  Wigger.  Its  first  rector 
was  Rev.  M.  P.  O'Connor,  at  present  rector  of  the  Holy  Cross 
Church,  Harrison.  After  a  short  administration  he  was  succeeded 
by  Rev.  Pierce  McCarthy  and  Rev.  Michael  J.  Kerwin.  Both  of 
these  labored  zealously  in  building  up  and  placing  the  parish  on  a 
33 


SH 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


firm  footing.  Father  Kerwin  was  stricken  with  paralysis  on  Sep- 
tember 15th,  1893,  and  it  resulted  in  his  death  on  May  loth,  1894. 
The  present  incumbent,  Rev.  J.  P.  Callaghan,  was  appointed  ad- 
ministrator during  his  illness,  and  upon  his  demise  was  regularly 
appointed  rector.  It  is  through  his  energy  and  efforts  that  the 
new  church  has  been  erected. 

The  church  is  situated  on  the  corner  of  North  Clinton  and  Main 
streets,  and  is  joined  to  the  handsome  brick  rectory  which  was 
completed  some  years  ago  by  the  late  Father  Kerwin. 

In  design  the  edifice  is  Gothic  of  the  latest  French  type,  some- 
what decorative  in  treatment  as  compared  with  Gothic  architecture 


CHURCH    OF    OUR    LAI>V    HKLP    OK   CHRISTIANS,    EAST   ORANGE. 

in  this  country.  The  principal  feature  of  the  Main  Street  front  is 
the  pointed  spire,  rising  to  a  height  of  160  feet.  The  main  door- 
way, at  the  centre  of  the  front,  has  a  width  of  twelve  feet  and  is 
enclosed  within  a  subordinate  gable  on  the  face  of  the  vestibule 
wall.  This  doorway  is  flanked  by  clustered  columns  and  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  large  pointed  arch,  deeply  moulded,  enclosing  a 
tympanum  of  marble. 

The  Rev.  John  P.  Callaghan,  born  in  Newark,  February  7th, 
1855,  made  his  preparatory  studies  in  St.  Charles's,  Maryland,  and 
at  Seton  Hall,  and  his  theology  in  the  American  College,  Louvain, 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  515 

Belgium.  He  was  ordained  ii\  the  Cathedral  of  Mechlin,  Decem- 
ber 22d,  1877.  He  labored  in  St.  Mary's,  Jersey  City,  and  locimi 
tenens  at  Mendham  and  Plainficld,  rector  of  Hibernia,  and  pro- 
moted to  East  Orange  in  1894. 


St.  Joseph's  Church,  North  Plainfield. 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  North  Plainfiekl,  was  established  by 
Bishop  O'Farrell  in  1882.  The  Rev.  Thomas  J.  O'Hanlon  was 
appointed  the  first  jmstor.  The  Sisters  of  Mercy  established  a 
sanitarium  and  home  for  working  girls,  on  August  31st,  1897,  on 
Manning  A\-enue,  and  the  same  order  opened  St.  Gabriel's  Acad- 
emy as  a  select  school  for  young  ladies  and  boys  up  to  the  age  of 
thirteen  years,  on  Jackson  Avenue,  in  September,  1892.  Father 
O'Hanlon  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Michael  Freeman  on  Sep- 
tember 1 2th,  1888,  who  remained  in  the  parish  until  March  ist, 
1 891,  when  he  was  succeeded  b}-  the  Rev.  James  McKernan. 

Father  McKernan  was  in  turn  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  William 
Miller,  the  present  rector,  in  April,  1893. 

The  Sacred  Heart  Church,  New  Brunswick. 

The  parish  of  the  Sacred  Heart  Church  eml^races  the  first 
and  second  wards  of  the  city  of  New  Brunswick.  It  was  regu- 
larly incorporated  according  to  the  laws  of  New  Jersey  in  1883. 
The  selection  of  the  site  was  entrusted  to  the  \^ery  Rev.  J.  A. 
O'Grady,  under  the  supervision  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  l^ishop  O'F'arrell. 
Rev.  B.  J.  Mulligan  was  appointed  first  pastor. 

Tlie  first  parochial  meeting  was  held  in  the  basement  of  St. 
Peter's  Church  on  August  15th,  1883.  Bishop  O'F'arrell  presided, 
and  seventy  heads  of  families  in  the  newl)'  erected  parochial  limits 
answered  to  their  names.  At  this  meeting  it  was  decided  to 
build  a  church  and  name  it  "  the  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart." 

Plans  for  the  new  church  weie  prepared  b}'  Mr.  C.  P.  Keeley, 
of  Brooklyn,  the  dimensions  to  be  122  b)'  60  feet,  the  material 
brick,  with  brownstone  trimming.  The  work  was  puslied  forward 
with  much  energ)'.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  by  Bishop  O'Far- 
rell on  October  14th,  1883.  A  temporary  roof  was  built  over  the 
basement,  and  Mass  was  celebrated  on  Christmas  Day  of  the  same 
year. 

The  high  altar  is  the  gift  of  the  people  of  the  parish,  in  mem- 
ory of  the  fiftieth  )ear  of  the  ordination  of  the  Rev.  Father  Rogers. 


5i6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

It  was  solemnly  consecrated  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  O'Farrell  on 
May  26th,  1886,  a  few  weeks  after  the  dedication  of  the  church. 

In  July,  1886,  the  frame  building  on  Throop  Avenue  was  re- 
moved to  Suydam  Street,  where  it  was  enlarged  and  fitted  up  for 
the  sisters.  The  rectory  on  Throop  Avenue  was  built  in  the  fall 
of  1886,  and  it  was  occupied  in  1887. 

In  1889  it  was  felt  that  the  basement  of  the  church  was  ill 
adapted  for  school  piu"poses,  and  that  a  new  school  was  a  neces- 
sity. To  provide  for  this  want  the  old  cemetery  was  purchased 
from  St.  Peter's  Church,  and  a  portion  of  it  set  apart  for  a  school 
building.  The  corner-stone  of  the  school  was  laid  on  October  6th, 
1889.  It  was  finished  early  in  the  following  year.  In  September 
it  opened  with  two  hundred  and  twenty  children.  At  present  the 
number  is  two  hundred  and  eighty-eight. 

In  October,  1893,  Father  Mulligan  was  promoted  to  a  more 
important  charge,  the  parish  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Cam- 
den, N.  J.  Regret  was  general  among  the  parishioners  of  the 
Sacred  Heart  Church  at  his  departure.  In  twelve  years  he  ac- 
complished a  great  work,  to  which  the  church  and  school  and  rec- 
tory bear  testimony.  He  watched  over  the  interests  of  his  flock 
and  guarded  them  well,  and  although  the  people  grieved,  their 
sorrow  was  somewhat  assuaged  by  the  knowledge  of  the  fact  that 
he  was  invited  to  "  go  up  higher." 

The  unfinished  state  of  the  tower  had  been  a  matter  of  concern 
for  priest  and  people  for  some  years  Both  felt  that  something 
should  be  done  during  this  first  year  of  the  new  century.  Toward 
this  end  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  was  held,  when  it  was 
resolved  to  complete  the  tower  and  erect  the  spire. 

At  present  a  convent  is  being  built,  costing  almost  $7,000. 

Church  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Seabright. 

This  parish  was  founded  in  May,  1883,  by  the  Rev.  John  H. 
Fox,  who  was  sent  to  Seabright  by  Bishop  O'Farrell  to  provide 
for  the  large  contingent  of  visitors  to  the  seaside.  The  church 
and  house  were  built  in  1885  and  the  parish  hall  in  1893. 

The  young  men  of  the  parish  were  formed  into  an  association 
under  the  name  of  Young  Men's  Institute  (Y.  M.  I.),  in  1893,  and 
is  in  a  flourishing  condition.  The  parish  continues  to  prosper,  and 
its  finances  are  in  a  sound  condition. 

Father  Fox  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Edw.  J.  Egan,  the  pres- 
ent pastor  of  the  church. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


517 


The  Church  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  Jersey  City. 

On  November  20th,  1894,  the  Rev.  Father  Ter  Woert  was 
appointed  by  Bishop  Wigger  to  found  a  new  parish  in  Jersey  City. 
The  territory  was  to  be  taken  from  St.  Joseph's  and  St.  Paul's, 
Jersey  City,  as  these  parishes  at  that  time  were  very  extensive. 

Father  Ter  Woert  started  ni  at  once,  and  in  two  weeks'  time 
had  bousrht  four  lots  on  the  corner  of  Huron  and  Van  Winkle 


CHURCH    OF   ST.    JOHN    THE   BAPTIST,   JERSEY   CITY. 

avenues,  and  erected  a  small  frame  church  which  would  accom- 
modate six  hundred  people.  The  first  Mass  was  celebrated  in  the 
church  on  December  7th,  1884. 

At  the  time  of  the  establishment  of  the  parish  there  were 
about  nine  hundred  parishioners. 


5i8  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

In  March,  1886,  eight  lots  adjoining  the  church  were  purchased, 
and  immediately  the  erection  of  a  fine  brick  school  was  begun. 
The  building  was  completed  and  opened  for  the  children  in  Sep- 
tember, 1887,  and  five  Dominican  Sisters  were  placed  in  charge. 

The  legal  title  of  the  parish  is  "  St.  John's  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  Jersey  City,  N.  J." 

The  same  year,  1887,  was  begun  the  erection  of  a  handsome 
parochial  residence,  which  was  completed  and  ready  for  occupancy 
in  1888.  In  1 891  sev'eral  new  lots  were  l^ought,  and  on  Novem 
bcr  24th,  1892,  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  was  laid 
by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Wigger.  On  November  14th,  1897,  the 
magnificent  granite  building  was  dedicated  by  the  same  bishop; 
Mgr.  De  (\)ncili(),  now  deceased,  being  the  preacher  on  the  oc- 
casion. 

In  1895  were  purchased  four  more  lots  and  a  small  frame 
building  to  be  used  as  a  con\'ent.  The  parish  now  owned  the 
entire  square,  bounded  by  the  Boulevard,  St.  Paul's  and  Van  Win- 
kle avenues. 

Father  Ter  Woert  had  as  assistants,  in  order  of  appointment, 
Revs.  M.  F.  Downes,  Edward  Kelly,  J.  M.  McCormac,  M.  J. 
Donncll}',  and  James  T.  Delehanty. 

On  June  ist,  1900,  Father  Ter  Woert  was  promoted  to  the  irre- 
movable rectorship  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Jersey  City,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  P.  M.  Smith,  who  had  been  pastor  of  St.  Mary 
Magdalen's  Church,  Newark;  and  formerly  an  assistant  for  ten 
years  at  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Jersey  City.  Father  Smith  has  as 
assistants  l^^athers  Preston  and  Kane. 

The  small  frame  building  which  was  bought  in  1895,  and  occu- 
pied by  the  sisters  ever  since,  is  now  too  small  to  accommodate 
the  large  number  of  sisters  required  for  school  work;  and,  in  con- 
sequence, a  large  and  magnificent  brick  convent  is  to  be  built  in 
1904;  also  a  new  hall  and  an  addition  to  the  school,  all  costing 
about  $50,000. 

When  all  improvements  are  made  the  jiarish  will  be  wt)rth 
about  $250,000. 

St.  Anthony's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

The  Catholic  Poles  of  Jersey  City  were  formed  into  a  parish 
by  the  Rev.  Ignatius  Barzoz  in  1884,  and  a  small  frame  church, 
40  by  90  feet,  built  on  Monmouth  Street  near  Sixth. 

The  ne.xt  rector  of  the  parish  was  the  Rev.  A.  Mischnowski, 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


5T9 


and  on  his  resignation  in  1891  Bishop  Wigger  appointed  the  Rev 
V.  Kukowski.  Under  his  pastorate  the  new  stone  church  was 
erected  on  the  old  site. 

On  October  i8th,  1895. 
the  Rev.  B.  Kwiatkowski, 
who  was  appointed  rector, 
built  the  parochial  school  and 
placed  it  in  charge  of  the 
Felician  Sisters  of  Detroit, 
Mich.  Father  Kwiatkowski 
also  built  the  rectory  and  con- 
vent at  the  corner  of  Sixtli 
and  Brunswick  streets.  The 
school  has  an  attendance  of 
six  hundred  and  thirty-fi\'e 
pupils. 

St.     Lucy's     Catholic 
Church,  Jersey  City. 

After  serving  several 
years  as  a  "chapel  of  ease" 
to  St.  Michael's  Catholic 
Church,  under  the  Rev.  Jan- 
uarius  De  Concilio,  rector, 
St.  Lucy's  Catholic  Church 
was  formally  established  as 
a  separate  parish,  under  the 
above  legal  title,  June  22d. 
1884.  The  Rev.  A.M.  Ram- 
mer was  the  hrst  rector,  and 
under  his  care  the  old  frame 
church  building  was  renovat- 
ed and  fitted  for  divine  wor- 
ship. In  1885  a  rectory  was 
built,  at  a  cost  of  $5,000,  on 
the  westerly  side  of  Grove 
Street.  In  the  year  1886  he 
built  a  one-story  frame  build- 
ing, to  serve  as  a  school,  on  the  southerly  side  of  Sixteenth 
Street,  and  in  1887  purchased  at  $6,500  the  four  lots  facing  on 
Grove  Street,  for  a  future  school.  In  September,  1888,  Rev. 
Charles  P.    Gillen   succeeded    Rev.   A.   M.   Kammer,    who  was 


CHURCH    OF   ST.  ANTHONY   OF   PADUA, 
jERSEV   CITY. 


520 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


called  by  Bishop  Wigger  to  found  and  to  build  St.  Anne's  Ger- 
man Church  in  Newark.  In  March,  1889,  an  opportunity  was 
offered  to  complete  the  entire  block  of  Church  property  by  secur- 


HT.    LUCY  S    CHURCH,    JERSEY    CITY. 


ing  the  two  remaining  lots  facing  on  Grove  Street,  and  Rev.  C.  P. 
Gillen  purchased  them  at  a  cost  of  $3,600.  A  lover  of  Catholic 
education.  Father  Gillen  began  Jhe  erection  of  a  modern  brick 
school-house   in   August,    1899,  on  the  southwesterly  corner   of 


IN    NKW    JERSEY  521 

Grove  and  Sixteenth  streets,  and  completed  it  at  a  cost  of  $26,000. 
The  old  frame  church  building,  that  had  served  in  the  past  as  a 
public  school  and  house  of  divine  worship,  now  began  to  show  the 
decay  of  years  Father  Gillen's  energy  was  therefore  directed  to 
a  new  church  on  the  northwesterly  corner  of  Grove  and  Fifteenth 
streets  In  September,  1894,  he  began  the  work,  piling  and  set- 
ting" the  concrete  foundation  To  enable  him  to  raise  funds,  the 
work  on  the  building  rested  for  one  year.  The  completion  of  the 
work,  however,  fell  to  the  portion  of  his  successor.  In  March, 
1895,  Rev.  C.  P  Gillen  was  appointed  rector  of  St.  Joseph's 
Church,  Paterson,  m  place  of  the  Rev.  S.  B.  Smith,  D.D.,  de- 
ceased, and  was  succeeded  in  St.  Lucy's  by  Rev.  John  J.  Boylan. 
The  new  rector  took  up  the  work  his  predecessor  had  laid  down. 
In  July,  1895,  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  was  laid  by 
Rt.  Rev.  W.  M  Wigger,  D.D.  The  work  progressed  rapidly,  and 
in  the  following  year  the  church  was  completed  from  spire  to  altar 
at  a  cost  of  $60,000,  and  dedicated  May  17th,  1896. 

The  rapid  increase  in  the  parochial  school  necessitated  a  larger 
staff  of  teachers.  But  the  convent  was  too  small,  and  in  June, 
1897,  Rev  John  J.  Boylan  built  a  new  and  commodious  convent 
for  the  sisters  on  the  northerly  side  of  Fifteenth  Street  at  a  cost 
of  $10,000  In  1898,  through  the  generosity  of  parishioners  a 
bell  was  placed  in  the  belfry  of  the  church  and  school,  and  marble 
altars  were  placed  in  the  church.  In  1899  the  parish  limits  were 
extended  to  the  northerly  side  of  Thirteenth  Street,  giving  an  in- 
creased population  of  fifteen  hundred  souls.  In  consequence  new 
rooms  were  opened  in  the  school,  the  cellar  was  arranged  into 
courts  for  the  children,  the  unfinished  hall  was  completed,  and 
the  building  was  comfortably  heated  by  steam. 

In  1 901  a  marked  increase  in  the  school  necessitated  the  reno- 
vation of  the  old  frame  school  building  into  a  school  annex  at  a 
cost  of  $3,700.  The  rectory  built  by  Father  Kammer  was  con- 
sidered inadequate  as  a  home  for  three  priests.  In  June,  1903, 
Rev.  John  J.  Boylan  moved  the  old  rectory  from  its  site  to  the 
rear  of  the  school,  so  as  to  clear  the  ground  for  a  suitable  rectory. 

The  parish  has  a  population  of  thirty-five  hundred,  and  its 
buildings  are  finished  and  permanent.  The  assistants  have  been 
Rev.  E.  A.  Kelly,  Rev.  W.  T.  McLoughlin,  Rev.  J.  A.  Brown, 
Rev.  Thomas  McEnery,  and  the  present.  Rev.  H.  J.  Watterson. 

The  Rev.  John  J.  Boylan,  born  in  Jersey  City  December  27th, 
1858,  made  his  classical  studies  at  St.  Charles's,  Maryland,  and 
Seton  Hall,  where  he  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  '80. 


^12 


THK    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Having  completed  his  tlieolugy  he  was  ordainecl  in  the  cathe- 
dral, Newark,  June  7th,  1884.  He  was  an  assistant  in  St.  Mi- 
chael's, Jersey  City,  until  his  appointment  to  the  |)astorate  of 
St.  Leo's  ]\arish,  Irvington,  June  gth.  1892,  from  which  he  was 
transferred  to  St.  Lucy's,  Jersey  City. 

St.  Andrew's  Church,  Westwood,  N.  J. 

This  churcli  was  built  June  17th,  1888,  by  the  Rev.  George 
W.  Corrigan.  ])astor  of  St.  Luke's,  Hohokus.  The  following 
])riests  have  ministered  to  the  wants  of  this  little  parish :  the  Rev. 
l^^athers  M.  Nevin,  Dr.  Muhl,  John  A.  Sullivan,  and  James  P. 
Corrigan. 

An  offsho(jt  of  St.  Andrew's  is  St.  Mary's  Church,  Park  Ridge, 
the  corner-stone  of  which  was  laid  July  12th,  1903,  and  dedicated 
on  November  22d  of  the  same  year. 


St.  Nicholas's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

St.  Nicholas's  Church  was  founded  on  March,  1886,  by  the 
Rev.  J.  N.  Grieff,  pastor  of  the  Holy  P'amily  Church  at  Union 
Hill.     The  first  resident  pastor  is  the  Rev.  J.  Wey land,  who  came 

to  this  countr}'  in  June,  1886, 
from  the  diocese  of  Grant, 
Duchy  of  Luxembourg,  and 
was  appointed  rector  of  the 
new  parish  by  Bishop  Wigger. 
The  first  Mass  was  cele- 
brated in  Leitz's  Hall  on 
Beacon  Avenue  on  March 
2 1  St,  1886. 

The  present  frame  church 
was  opened  and  dedicated 
August  29th,  1886.  The  par- 
ish school  was  opened  in  Sep- 
tember, 1886,  in  the  basement 
of  the  church,  and  placed  in 
charge  of  the  Sisters  of  Christian  Charity,  whose  first  residence 
was  the  basement  of  the  church  building.    • 

The  present  convent  was  built  in  1887,  and  the  rectory  in  the 
same  year.     Four  lots  were  purchased   in   1890  and  five  others 


ST.  Nicholas's  church,  jersey  city. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  523 

in  1894,  to  make  provision  for  a  more  commodious  school  and 
recreation  ground  for  the  children  and  a  new  sisters'  convent 

The  present  imposing  school  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$40,000,  and  was  opened  in  1895. 

There  is  no  debt  on  the  church,  but,  nevertheless,  the  congre- 
gation is  struggling  bravely  to  acquire  funds  to  build  a  new  church 
and  rectory,  which  are  now  an  absolute  necessit)' 

The  assistants  of  the  parish  were  the  Rev  Fathers  George 
Neidermeyr,  Rupert  Muller,  H.  Stennesbeck,  and  Louis  Gabriel. 


Church  of  the  Holy  Rosary,  Jersey  City. 

The  Italians  of  Jersey  City  were,  it  is  said,  first  brought 
together  and  a  church  was  erected  for  them  by  the  Rt  Rev  Mgr. 
De  Concilio  some  time  before  1886  Different  priests  have  min- 
istered in  the  little  chapel,  and  among  them  are  Fathers  Joseph 
Chuiso,  Shaunessy,  Mazziotta,  Mooney,  and  Marangella. 

In  1886  the  Rev.  Leonard  A.  Mazziotta  was  appointed  rector 
by  Bishop  Wigger;  and,  as  the  chapel  was  insufficient  to  accom 
modate  the  increasing  number  of  the  congregation,  an  addition 
was  built  and  the  rectory  enlarged  at  the  same  time. 

The  Rev.  Father  Schoenan  succeeded  Father  Mazziotta  and 
remained  three  years.  The  Rev.  George  Issa,  a  native  of  Jeru 
salem,  then  took  charge  of  the  parish  and  remained  until  1901, 
when  his  health  compelled  him  to  return  to  his  native  land. 

His  successor  in  1901  was  the  Rev.  Vincent  Sciolla.  A  new 
brick  church  is  now  in  course  of  construction  since  the  congre- 
gation has  outgrow  n  the  original  frame  structure,  which  is  in  a 
dilapidated  condition  and  beyond  repair.  If  possible,  it  will  be 
renovated  and  used  for  school  purposes. 

St.  Aloysius's  Church,  Caldwell. 

The  Catholics  of  Caldwell  were  attended  once  a  month  from 
Montclair,  and  Mass  was  celebrated  in  private  houses. 

The  county  of  Essex  built  a  penitentiar)-  in  Caldwell,  and  the 
city  of  Newark  established  a  reformatoiy  and  an  insane  asylum  in 
the  neighborhood.  The  Catholic  inmates  of  these  institutions 
required  the  attention  of  a  priest. 

Later  on  the  Sisters  of  St.  Dominic  purchased  a  tract  of  land 
and  established  a  convent  and  an  academy. 


524 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


To  provide  for  these  different  Catholic  wants  Bishop  Wigger 
arranged  between  the  nuns  and  the  few  CathoHcs  scattered  about 
the  hills,  that  the  laity  provide  a  church  and  rectory,  and  that  all 
three  parties  interested  should  contribute  to  the  support  of  the 
priest. 

The  resident  population  did  provide  the  church  and  rectory, 
yet  not  without  incurring  a  heavy  debt. 

The  following  priests  have  been  connected  with  the  parish: 
the  Rev.  Fathers  J.  J.  Shaunessy,  J.  F.  Nolan,  John  F.  Boy  Ian, 
and  Henry  Kruse. 

In  1895  the  Rev.  Patrick  Byrne  took  charge  of  the  parish  and 
is  the  present  incumbent. 


St.  Lawrence's  Church,  Weehawken. 

St,  Lawrence's  parish,  Weehawken,  was  founded  in  the 
year  1886.  On  the  27th  day  of  October  of  that  year  the  act  of  in- 
corporation was  signed  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M.  Wigger,  bishop, 
the  Very  Rev.  William  P.  Salt,  vicar-general,  the  Rev.  Constan- 

tine  Colclough,  C.P.,  rector, 
and  by  Simon  Kelly  and 
Michael  Hannon,  lay  trus- 
tees. They  chose  the  cor- 
porate title,  "  St.  Lawrence's 
Catholic  Church,  Weehaw- 
ken, N.  J."  Rev.  John  J. 
Murphy  was  appointed  rector 
on  the  I  St  day  of  December, 
1886,  and  celebrated  the  first 
Mass  in  Weehawken  on  De- 
cember 19th,  1886,  in  Bed- 
ford's Hall,  which,  through 
the  courtesy  of  the  owner,  was  used  as  a  temporary  chapel.  Liv- 
ing in  rented  apartments.  Father  Murphy  immediately  set  to  work 
to  build  a  composite  structure  which  would  serve  as  church, 
school,  and  rectory. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  church  was  laid  by  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
Wigger  on  March  20th,  1 887,  and  the  church  was  dedicated  by 
him  on  August  21st,  1887.  Encountering  and  overcoming  many 
difficulties,  Father  Murphy  labored  faithfully  in  this  parish  until 
August,  1893,  when  he  was  transferred  to  St.  Peter's  Church, 
Belleville,  where  he  died  on  June  6th,  1895. 


ST.    LAWKENX'E  S     CHURCH,    WEE- 
HAWKEN. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  525 

Rev.  Matthew  Callan  succeeded  Father  Murphy  in  August, 
1893.  The  number  of  pupils  in  the  school  had  increased  so  that 
there  was  urgent  need  of  more  room  and  better  accommodations. 
Father  Callan  saw  the  want  and  supplied  it  by  building  a  new 
school  in  the  year  1894.  The  spiritual  work,  inaugurated  by  his 
heroic  predecessor,  progressed  under  Father  Callan's  wise  super- 
vision during  the  five  years  of  his  incumbency.  He  was  made  rec- 
tor of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Paterson,  in  March,  1898. 

Rev.  John  A.  Dooley  came  after  Father  Callan.  A  youth  in 
the  priesthood.  Father  Dooley  possessed  a  rarely  sensitive  nature 
upon  which  care  preyed  noticeably.  Anxiety  meant  for  him  rest- 
less nights  begetting  nervousness.  He  struggled,  but  he  lost  in 
strength.  His  courage  bore  him  up  while  his  health  rapidly  failed. 
His  brief  period  of  administration  brought  to  an  end  a  short  and 
useful  career  in  the  priesthood.  He  died  in  St.  Lawrence's  rec- 
tory on  August  29thj  1899. 

On  September  9th  of  the  same  year  Rev,  William  A.  Brothers 
was  appointed  pastor.  Two  years  later  he  bought  property  on 
which  to  build  a  sisters' house,  and  St.  Lawrence's  convent  was 
added  to  the  parish  buildings  in  the  year  1901.  Father  Brothers 
was  educated  at  St.  Charles's,  Md.,  and  Seton  Hall,  where  he  was 
ordained  January  29thj  1893. 


St,  Augustine's  Church,  Union  Hill. 

St.  Augustine's  parish.  Union  Hill,  was  organized  on  Febru- 
ary 2d,  1886,  by  Rev.  Augustine  M.  Brady,  who  was  appointed  its 
first  rector  by  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M.  Wigger,  D.D. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  church  was  laid  on  Easter  Sunday, 
1886,  and  a  few  months  afterward  the  church  was  dedicated. 
Father  Brady  worked  zealously  to  build  up  the  parish,  and  secured 
a  rectory  and  convent  and  built  a  fine  brick  school. 

He  was  forced  on  account  of  ill  health  to  lay  down  the  burden 
of  parish  work  in  1897.  On  June  26th  of  that  same  year  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Mgr.  Stafford  was  appointed  to  succeed  him. 

Mgr.  Stafford  labored  successfully  as  rector  until  May,  1897. 
On  the  31st  of  May,  1899,  Rev.  William  T.  McLoughlin,  the  pres- 
ent rector,  was  appointed  his  successor. 

The  parish  is  in  a  flourishing  condition.  The  parochial  school 
under  the  care  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  gives  instruction,  at  pres- 
ent, to  four  hundred  and  seventy-five  children. 


526 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


The  assistants  who  labored  here  are  Revs.  James  Lundy, 
Roger  McGinley,  and  James  Hangley. 

Father  Miskella  followed  and  labored  in  the  parish  until  June, 
1903,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  present  assistant,  the  Rev. 
M.  J.  Farrelly. 

Father  McLouglilin  was    born  in  Paterson,   February   15th, 
1861,  and  was  educated  in   St.  Francis's  College,  Wisconsin,  and 


ST,    ACC.USTIXK  S    t  IICKCU,    KKCTOKV    AM)    SCHOOL,    UXIOX    JIILL. 

Seton  Hall,  and  is  a  member  of  the  class  of  '87.  He  studied  the- 
ology in  the  diocesan  seminary,  and  received  holy  orders  in  the 
cathedral  May  23d,  1891. 

He  was  an  assistant  in  St.  Lucy's,  Jersey  City,  and  in  the 
cathedral,  and  also  in  St.  Mary's,  Jersey  City.  His  first  appoint- 
ment as  rector  was  October  2d,  1897,  to  St.  Patrick's,  Chatham, 
whence  he  was  promoted  to  Union  Hill. 


St.   Bridg-it's  Church,   New  Durham. 

St.  BRiT«;rr's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  New  Durham, 
North  Bergen  township,  was  founded  1)\'  the  Rev.  William  Mc- 
Laughlin in  1900.  The  corner-stone  was  laitl  b}'  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M. 
Wigger  on  June  3d  of  that  year. 

The  chinch  was  dedicated  on  the  second  Sunday  of  October 
of  the  same  year.  It  was  separated  from  St.  Augustine's  on  June 
5th,  1902,  and  the  Rev.  Roger  McGinley  was  appointed  first  resi- 
dent  pastor.     Father   McGinley's   activity  has   found    an   ample 


IN    NEW    yp'RSKY 


527 


field,  and  the  future  of  the  parish  is  bright.  The  new  rectory  was 
opened  in  November,  1903.  Father  McGinley  was  born  in  New 
York  City,  August  6th,  1870,  and  educated  at  St.  Laurent's, 
Canada,  and  Seton  Hall,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with  the 
class  of  '91.  Having"  completed  his  theological  studies  in  the 
diocesan  seminary,  he  was  ordained  in  the  cathedral,  June  8th, 
1895.  He  has  exercised  his  ministry  in  St.  Michael's  and  St. 
Joseph's,  Jersey  City,  St.  John's,  Paterson,  St.  Mary's,  Bayonne, 
and  Union  Hill. 

The  Holy  Rosary  Church,  Elizabeth. 

The  parish  of  the  Most  Holy  Rosary  was  founded  in  1886. 

The  necessity  of  building  a  church  in  that  section  was  orig- 
inally suggested  by  the  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  parish. 

The  Catholics  who  lived  in  this  section  went  some  to  St. 
Mary's,  some  to  St.  Patrick's,  and  were  glad  to  have  a  church  of 
their  own  convenient  to  their  homes.     They  willingly  made  finan- 


IIOI.V    KOSARV    tlU'KCll    AM.)    S(  IIOUI.,    ICLl/ ABETII. 


cial  sacrifices,  and  soon  the  congregation  was  founded.  Rt,  Rev. 
Bishop  Wigger  gave  them  a  pastor  in  the  person  of  Rev.  J.  P. 
Callahan,  who  offered  Mass  for  them  and  held  other  services, 
through  the  kindness  of  l'""athervon  Schilgenand  his  congregation, 
in  St.  Michael's  Church  for  almost  a  year. 


528  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

On  July  nth,  1887,  the  Church  of  the  Most  Holy  Rosary  was 
dedicated  by  the  bishop,  and  the  congregation  from  that  on  wor- 
shipped in  their  own  modest  edifice. 

The  parish  passed  through  many  hardships,  and  the  first  pas- 
tors, the  Rev.  Fathers  J.  P.  Callahan,  J.  J.  McKeever,  J,  J.  Cur- 
ran,  and  P.  J.  Connolly,  labored  earnestly  and  courageously. 

On  July  30th,  1892,  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  J.  J  Smith,  was 
sent  by  the  bishop,  and  under  his  administration  great  progress 
has  been  made. 

This  young  priest  found  the  parish  in  a  very  precarious  con- 
dition, with  nearly  $20,000  debt,  and  went  immediately  and  ear- 
nestly to  work,  so  that  in  a  short  time  he  not  only  brought  down 
the  debt  to  less  than  half,  but  built  a  school  hall,  and  made  many 
other  improvements. 

Under  his  management  was  built  the  house  for  the  sisters, 
who  teach  four  hundred  children  of  the  parochial  school.  P'ather 
Smith  has  made  all  these  improvements,  and  cut  down  the  entire 
indebtedness  to  $2,500. 

Father  Smith  was  born  in  Jersey  City  in  1856,  and  in  1872 
his  parents  sent  him  to  Montreal,  to  St.  Mary's  College,  where  he 
first  'studied  in  the  commercial  department.  He  took,  later  on, 
the  classics.  P^rom  Montreal  he  went  to  St.  Francis  Xavier's 
College,  in  New  York  City,  where  he  was  graduated. 

Father  Smith  was  ordained  in  Seton  Hall  College,  after  finish- 
ing his  studies  there,  on  May  19th,  1883.  He  celebrated  his  first 
High  Mass  on  May  27th,  in  St.  Bridget's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

The  bishop  appointed  P^ather  Smith,  after  his  ordination,  as 
assistant  to  St.  Columba's  parish,  where  he  remained  till  1887, 
when  he  was  appointed  curate  to  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  Newark. 

St.  Venantius's  Church,  Orange. 

The  parish  of  St.  Venantius  was  separated  from  St.  John's 
in  August,  1887,  by  Bishop  Wigger,  and  P^ather  Seeber  appointed 
as  pastor. 

He  remained  until  1889,  when  the  Rev.  Dr.  Messmer,  now 
Archbishop  of  Milwaukee,  took  charge  of  the  congregation  until 
the  appointment  of  the  Rev.  P.  A.  Wenzel  in  July,  1899. 

Shortly  after  his  appointment  P^ather  Wenzel  built  a  school 
and  in  1892  the  present  rectory. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


529 


Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Sorrows,  South  Orange. 

The  Catholics  of  the  village  of  South  Orange  were  attended 
by  the  priests  of  St.  John's  Church,  Orange,  as  far  back  as  the 
year  1853.  Mass  was  said  more  than  fifty  years  ago  by  the  Rev. 
Father  Murray,  of  St.  John's  Church,  Orange,  in  the  house  of  one 
John  Fitzsimmons.  The  old  house  still  stands  on  the  corner  of 
Irvington  and  Tichenor  avenues.  Afterward  the  few  scattered 
Catholics  of  the  village  assembled  for  Mass  in  the  marble  man- 
sion, then  old  Seton  Hall.  When  the  chapel  of  the  Immaculate 
Conception,  at  Seton  Hall,  was  constructed,  priests  of  the  college 
attended  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  villagers. 

We  find  on  the  baptismal  register  the  following  names  of 
priests:  Rev.  E.  M.  Hickey,  Rev.  B.  J.McQuaid,  Rev.  Dr.  Brann, 
Rev.  M.  A.  Corrigan,  D.D., 
Rev.  P.  J.  Cody,  Rev.  Pierce 
McCarthy,  Rev.  J.  H.  Cor- 
rigan, Rev.  L.  Schneider, 
Rev.  William  Wiseman,  Rev. 
G.  W.  Corrigan,  Rev.  W.  P. 
Salt,  Rev.  J.  Joseph  Schan- 
del.  Rev.  S.  G.  Messmer,  and 
Rev.  J.  J.  O'Connor. 

In  the  year  1887  Rev.  J. 
F.  Salaum  became  the  first 
resident  rector,  and  remained 
until  the  year  1888.  In  this 
year  the  Rev.  Charles  Miill, 
D.D.,  was  appointed  to  succeed  Father  Salaum.  Dr.  Miill  be- 
gan the  construction  of  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Sorrows  in 
the  village  of  South  Orange,  which  was  completed  by  the  Rev. 
L.  C.  M.  Carroll,  who  was  appointed  rector  September  12th, 
1889.  The  new  church  was  dedicated  on  the  third  Sunday  of 
September,  1889.  Father  Carroll  purchased  as  temporary  rec- 
tory the  present  convent  on  Academy  Street.  In  the  year  1890 
he  built  St.  Mary's  School,  also  the  present  rectory. 

Rev.  A.  H.  Stein  was  appointed  as  assistant  priest  in  June, 
1893,  and  remained  until  October,  1894.  On  March  15th,  1894, 
Rev.  J.  J.  Hall  was  appointed  to  succeed  the  Rev.  L.  C.  M.  Car- 
roll. 

Father  Hall,  born  at  Providence,  R.   I.,  April  4th,   1856,  was 
34 


CHURCH   OF   ol'K   I.ADV    (il     SORROWS, 
SOUTH     ORANGE. 


530  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

educated  at  the  Academy  of  the  Christian  Brothers,  Provi- 
dence, and  at  Manhattan  College,  New  York.  His  theologi- 
cal studies  were  made  in  Seton  Hall,  and  he  was  ordained  in  the 
cathedral,  Newark,  June  3d,  1882.  The  following  congregations 
have  been  the  field  of  his  priestly  labors:  the  cathedral,  St.  Jo- 
seph's, Jersey  Cit}',  St.  John's,  Paterson,  and  six  \ears  rector  of 
Mount  Hope. 

There  are  over  one  thousand  members  in  the  parish,  which 
makes  it  the  largest  congregation  of  any  church  in  the  village. 
The  grounds  about  the  church  are  attractive  and  kept  very 
neatly.  Many  shade  trees  have  been  placed  along  the  Fourth 
Street  and  Academy  Street  fronts,  and  in  summer  they  lend  a 
very  pleasing  effect  to  the  beauty  of  the  place.  The  church  prop- 
erty extends  from  Academy  Street  to  Prospect  Street,  and  has  a 
frontage  for  the  whole  block  on  Fourth  Street. 

There  is  a  parochial  school  connected  with  the  parish,  and 
this  has  a  daily  attendance  of  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  chil- 
dren. Besides  the  grammar  grades  there  is  a  high-school  course, 
and  })rovision  is  also  made  for  a  business  course  in  bookkeeping, 
typewriting,  and  stenography.  The  expenses  of  this  school  are 
provided  for  by  the  members  of  the  parish. 

St.   Bridgit's  Church,   Newark. 

St.  Bridgit's  parish  was  founded  'January  5th,  1887,  and 
Mass  was  celebrated  for  the  first  time  in  the  chapel,  which  now 
serves  as  a  school,  on  Sunday,  April  3d,  1887.  The  first  pastor 
was  the  Rev.  Michael  J.  White. 

Father  White  was  born  at  Tallow,  county  Waterford,  Ireland, 
on  September  i6th,  1854;  was  educated  in  Mount  Melleray  and 
St.  John's  seminary,  Waterford.  He  entered  Maynooth  Col- 
lege for  his  theological  course,  and  was  ordained  priest  there  in 
1878. 

His  ministry  covers  St.  John's,  Paterson,  St  Mary's,  Dover, 
St.  John's,  Newark,  and  the  cathedral. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  present  church  was  laid  October  i8th, 
1 891,  and  the  church  was  dedicated  June  12th,  1892,  by  Bishop 
Wigger.  September  14th,  1896,  Father  White  was  transferred  to 
St.  Columba's,  Newark,  and  the  Rev.  Eugene  P.  Carroll  was  ap- 
jwinted  his  successor. 

heather  Carroll,  born  in  Morristown,  N.  J.,  on  April  19th,  1859, 
educated  at  St,  Charles's,  Maryland,  and  at  Seton  Hall,  was  gradu- 


IN  NEW  jersp:y 


S3^ 


ated  with  the  class  of  '8i. 
He  was  ordained  in  Seton 
Hall  Chapel  on  March  8th, 
1885. 

As  assistant  he  labored 
most  faithfully  at  St.  Mary's 
Church,  Elizabeth,  from 
March  12th,  1885,  until  his 
appointment  as  rector  of  St. 
Bridgit's. 

The  sickness  of  Fathers 
Thebaud  and  Corrigan  threw 
the  responsibility  of  the  atl- 
ministration  of  St.  Mary's  on 
the  shoulders  of  Father  Car- 
roll. He  not  only  discharged 
all  the  duties  of  the  pastorate 
carefully,  but  was  the  devot 
ed  friend  who  consecrated  his 
services,  in  season  and  out 
of  season,  ungrudgingly  to 
both  pastors. 

Father  Carroll  purchased 
the  new  rectory  on  Washing- 
ton Street,  and  remodelled 
the  old  rectory  for  the  Sisters 
of  Charity  in  the  early  part 
of  1,899.  Members  of  the 
Carmelite  order  have,  from 
time  to  time,  rendered  assistance  to  the  pari 
liam  B,  Masterson  is  a  child  of  the  parish 


ST.    BRIDGIT  S    CHURCH,    NEWARK. 


sh.     The  Rev.  Wil- 


St.   Francis's  Church,   Hoboken, 

The  Church  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  Hoboken,  was  founded 
on  May  5th,  1888,  by  the  Very  Rev.  Dominic  Marzetti,  D.D., 
O.M.C.,  for  the  Italians  of  Hoboken.  Father  Marzetti  labored 
most  faithfully  and  assiduously  among  his  compatriots  until  his 
death  on  April  12th,  1902.  He  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Peter 
Jachetti. 

Father  Jachetti,  who  died  a  few  )'ears  ago  in  Italy,  deserves  to 
be  remembered  by  the  Catholics  o[  the  diocese  of  Newark,  where, 


s?>^ 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


during  his  long  period  of  ministry,  he  built  more  than  a  dozen 

churches  in  different  sections. 

The  Rev.  Ambrose  R,  Rhiner,  O.M.C.,  was  appointed  pastor 

April  15th,  1902,  and  he  was  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Fathers  Camil- 

lus  Eichenlaub,  O.M.C.,  and 
Pacificus  Jachetti,  O.M.C. 

Father  Ambrose  opened 
the  first  parochial  school  Sep- 
tember 8th,  1902,  with  the 
enrolment  of  one  hundred 
and  thirty  children  in  charge 
(^f  the  Franciscan  Sisters  of 
Syracuse,  New  York. 

St.  Joseph's  Church, 
Bayonne. 

St.  Joseph's  Church, 
Bayonne,  was  bought  from 
the  Lutheran  congregation  in 
1888  for  the  sum  of  ^7,500, 
to  be  used  for  the  Catholic 
Slovaks  of  Bayonne. 

Their  first  pastor  was  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Bela,  who  re- 
mained until  1895,  when  the 
Rev.  John  Hlebik  became  his 
successor. 

During  his  administration  the  rectory  was  built. 
The  Rev.  Frank  Sismonik,  after  a  brief  service,  was  succeeded 
by  the  Rev.  E.  F.   Richtartsick,  the  present  rector.     This  is  a 
large  and  prosperous  congregation. 


ST.    FRAN'CIS  S   CHURCH,    HOUOKEX. 


St.   Anne's  Church,  Newark. 

The  corner-stone  of  St.  Anne's  Church,  Newark,  was  laid 
October  21st,  1888,  during  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  A.  M.  Kam- 
mer,  who  remained  in  charge  of  this  congregation  until  1898, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  present  pastor,  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Gruber. 

The  parish  is  well  equipped  with  church,  school,  convent,  and 
rectory.  There  are  four  hundred  and  fifty-two  pupils  in  the 
school.     When  this  parish  was  first  organized,  four  rooms  were 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  533 

rented  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Sixteenth  Avenue  and  Sixth 
Street  as  a  temporary  rectory. 

On  September  23d,  1888,  the  Holy  Sacrifice  was  offered  for 
the  first  time  in  a  store-room  next  door  to  the  corner.  These 
were  the  initial  efforts  of  the  new  congregation.  Nine  teaching 
Sisters  of  the  order  of  St.  Dominic  occupied  the  dwelling  on 
South  Sixth  Street,  rented  by  the  rector. 

Church  of  St.  Rose,  Belmar,  N.  J. 

Belmar  is  one  of  the  most  popular  and  attractive  of  the  sea- 
side resorts  which  line  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  from  Sandy  Hook 
to  Cape  May. 

About  the  year  1888  the  corner-stone  of  the  first  church  was 
laid ;  but  the  congregation  increased  so  rapidly  that  a  larger 
church  became  necessary,  the  corner-stone  of  which  was  laid  in 
1890  by  the  late  Bishop  O'Farrell. 

Belmar  is  one  of  the  many  missions  founded  along  the  coast 
by  the  Rev.  Michael  L.  Glennon,  late  pastor  of  Asbury  Park. 

The  Rev.  John  W.  Norris  in  1895  was  named  pastor  of  Spring 
Lake  and  Belmar,  now  detached  from  Asbury  Park. 

In  1896  the  Rev.  Thomas  J.  McLaughlin  succeeded  Father 
Norris,  and  in  1902  Belmar  was  made  a  separate  parish,  and  the 
first  pastor,  the  present  incumbent,  the  Rev.  Thomas  B.  Nolan, 
was  appointed  by  Bishop  McFaul. 

During  the  summer  months  so  great  is  the  number  of  visiting 
Catholics  that  each  year  the  number  of  Masses  is  increased,  and 
measures  have  been  taken  to  build  a  church  in  the  nearby  settle- 
ment of  Avon. 

Father  Nolan  has  proved  himself  well  fitted  for  the  difficult 
position  of  his  new  charge ;  and  since  his  advent  has  built  a  rec- 
tory and  entirely  renovated  the  old  church,  now  used  as  a  hall,  and 
the  present  church  edifice. 

Church  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Lake,  Mount  Arlington,  N.  J. 

Attached  to  St.  Michael's  Church,  Netcong,  is  the  mission  of 
Our  Lady  of  the  Lake,  Mount  Arlington,  originally  known  as  the 
mission  of  St.  Matthew.  The  church  is  a  frame  structure  60  by 
26  feet,  with  all  rubrical  appurtenances.  The  corner-stone  was 
laid  July  29th,  1888,  by  Rev.  James  H.  Brady,  and  Mass  was  cele- 
brated in  it  for  the  first  time  on  September  2d  of  the  same  year. 


534 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Previous  to  this  date  services  were  held  in  the  Hotel  Breslin. 
The  church  was  dedicated  August  15th,  1889.  Its  grounds  cover 
an  area  of  46,500  square  feet. 

The  mission  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Lake  is  for  the  benefit  of  sum- 
mer boarders  and  cottagers  at  Lake  Hopatcong  and  its  surround- 
ings. 

Church  of  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul,   Hoboken. 

To  make  provision  for  the  German  Catholic  population  of 
Hoboken,   Bishop  Wigger  appointed  the  Rev.   L.   Hofschneider 

pastor  of  the  German  Cath- 
olics of  Hoboken  in  the 
spring  of  1889. 

The  dwelling-house  on 
Hudson  Street  was  pur- 
chased and  the  first  floor  ad- 
apted for  a  chapel,  in  which 
divine  service  was  held  for  a 
year,  beginning  May  19th, 
1889. 

Bishop  Wigger  laid  the 
corner-stone  of  the  present 
Church  of  Sts.  Peter  and 
Paul  on  December  1 6th,  1889. 

A  parish  school  was 
opened  in  the  basement  of 
the  priests'  house  on  Septem- 
l)er  1st  of  the  same  year. 

On  July  13th,  1900,  the 
Church  of  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul 
was  dedicated  by  Bishop 
Wigger. 

St.   Stanislaus's    Church, 
Newark. 

Prior  to  the  year  1888 
the  Polish  Catholics  resident 
in  Newark  had  no  place  of 
worship  of  their  own.  The 
most  zealous  among  them  en- 
deavored— and  successfully — to  form  the  Poles  into  a  congregation. 
Having  waited  on  Bishop  Wigger  and  presented  to  him  the 


CHURCH   OF   STS.    PETER    AND   PAUL, 
HOBOKEN. 


IN    NKW    yp.RSEY 


535 


names  and  numbers  of  the  Polish  Cathohcs,  they  received  permis- 
sion from  the  Ordinary  of  the  diocese  to  take  the  necessary  meas- 
ures   to    obtain    the    means 
whereby  a  church  might  be 
built. 

Thus  in  the  year  1889  the 
parish  of  St.  Stanislaus's  was 
established.  In  that  same 
year  the  first  rector,  the 
Rev.  J.  Machnikowski,  was 
appointed. 

Three  lots,  on  which  was 
a  small  frame  building,  were 
purchased  on  Belmont  Av- 
enue. 

Father  Machnikowski' s 
successor  was  the  Rev.  A. 
Klawiter,  who  after  a  short 
time  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  C.  Labuzinski. 

Under  this  pastor  the  par- 
ish made  considerable  prog- 
ress, and  a  parochial  school 
was  opened  in  the  year  1893 
with  thirty  pupils. 

In  1895  the  Rev.  Valen- 
tine Chlebowski  took  charge 
for  a  few  months,  and  his 
successors  were  the  Rev.  B. 
Kwiatkowski  and  the  Rev. 
E.  Kucharski. 

On     February    29th    the 
Rev.  Vitus  J.   Masnicki,  or- 
dained to  the  holy  priesthood  at  Seton  Hall,  was  appointed  to  take 
charge  of  St.  Stanislaus. 

Under  his  administration  the  parish  made  great  progress,  so 
that  it  became  necessary  to  secure  more  land  in  order  to  build  a 
school  and  a  new  church. 

In  1899  the  fine  new  school  and  sisters'  house  were  erected, 
and  solemnly  blessed  September  15th. 

In  1901  the  present  brick  and  stone  church  on  Belmont  Avenue 
was  erected,  the  dedication  of  which  took  place  December  15th, 


ST.  STANISLAUS  S    CHURCH,  NEWARK. 


S36  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

1901,  Bishop  O'Connor  and  many  priests  of  the  diocese  being 
present 

Father  Masnicki  and  his  generous  flock  deserve  the  greatest 
credit  since  they  have  placed  the  parish  in  a  flourishing  condition 
in  a  short  space  of  time  There  are  over  three  thousand  souls  in 
the  parish,  and  three  hundred  and  eighty  pupils  in  the  school. 
The  church  is  supplied  with  more  than  a  dozen  societies  to  sup- 
plement the  work  of  the  pastor  and  promote  devotion  among  the 
flock. 

Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Newark. 

The  Rev.  Michael  A.  McManus  was  appointed  by  Bishop 
Wigger  in  the  fall  of  1 890  to  erect  a  church  on  the  new  cathedral 
property.  A  one-story  frame  structure  was  erected,  to  which  a 
brick  superstructure  was  added  the  following  year.  In  the  lower 
part  of  the  building  arrangements  were  made  for  a  school. 

Father  McManus  was  born  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  in  1849.  He 
made  his  preparatory  studies  at  St.  Charles's,  Maryland,  and  at 
Seton  Hall,  and  was  a  graduate  of  the  class  of  '70.  Having  com- 
pleted his  theological  studies,  he  was  ordained  priest  in  the  college 
chapel  April  26th,  1874.  His  first  mission  was  St.  Michael's,  Jer- 
sey City,  where  he  fell  dangerously  ill  and  went  to  Florida  to 
recuperate.  On  his  return  he  was  named  chaplain  of  the  Protec- 
tory at  Denville,  and  later  assistant  at  Morristown.  In  1876  he 
was  transferred  to  St  Joseph's,  Newark,  and  in  1877  named  first 
resident  pastor  of  Woodbury  and  its  missions,  Snowhill  and  Glass- 
boro.  He  was  appointed  rector  of  St.  Joseph's,  Newton,  Octo- 
ber 28th,  1881,  where  he  opened  a  parish  school  and  established 
the  Sisters  of  Charity.  In  February,  1892,  Father  McManus  was 
appointed  pastor  of  St.  Aloysius's  Church,  Newark,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Brennan,  pastor  of  Morris  Plains  and 
Whippany. 

Father  Brennan  labored  in  this  field  for  five  years,  and  died 
March  20th,  1897.  It  is  said  that  Father  Brennan  inspired  Bishop 
Wigger  with  the  idea  of  building  the  new  cathedral. 

The  present  rector  is  the  Rev.  James  J.  Sheehan.  Father 
Sheehan  was  born  in  New  York  City  December  4th,  1858.  His 
preparatory  studies  were  made  at  St.  Francis  Xavier's  College  and 
his  theological  studies  at  Seton  Hall,  where  he  was  ordained  May 
19th,  1883.  He  was  appointed  as  assistant  at  St.  Patrick's,  Jersey 
City,  June  6th,  1883,  and  here  he  rendered  efficient  services  for 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


537 


fourteen  years.  Father  Sheehan  built  Bayley  Hall  to  accommo- 
date the  parish  needs  and  for  public  purposes.  He  has  likewise 
built  a  convent  for  the  sisters  who  teach  in  the  school. 


Our  Lady  of  Mount  Carmel,  Newark. 

The  foundation  of  this  parish  dates  from  the  year  1890  The 
Rev.  Conrad  M.  Shotthoefer,  D.D.,  was  appointed  by  Bishop 
Wigger  to  minister  to  the  Italians  of  the  city  of  Newark.  The 
present  church  was  formerly  the  Second  Reformed  Church,  and 
was  purchased  from  the  Ppot- 
estants. 

Father  Shotthoefer's  suc- 
cessor was  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Ali.  Father  Ali  was  born  in 
Jerusalem,  Palestine ;  made 
his  preparatory  studies  in 
France,  and  his  theology  in 
the  College  Brignole-Sale, 
where  he  was  ordained  Au- 
gust 31st,  1890. 

Previous  to  his  appoint- 
ment he  had  acted  as  assist- 
ant at  St.  Nicholas's,  Pas- 
saic, and  at  St.  Philip's, 
Newark,  January  9th,  1894. 

His  successor  was  the 
Rev.  Ernest  d'Aquila.  Fa- 
ther d'Aquila  was  born  May 
20th,  1868,  at  Vinchiaturo, 
Italy,  and  made  his  prepara- 
tory studies  at  that  city  in 
Campobasso,  and  his  theo- 
logical studies  at  Boiano.  He 
was  ordained  at  San  Severo, 

province  of  Foggia.  He  discharged  the  duties  of  professor  in  the 
French  college  in  Cairo,  Egypt,  and  in  Syria,  Asia ;  and  was  pro- 
fessor of  music  and  French  in  the  theological  seminary  of  Boiano 
and  Termoli.  He  was  affiliated  to  the  diocese  of  Newark,  and 
appointed  rector  of  Our  Lady  of  Mount  Carmel  in  1893. 

Under  Father  d'Aquila's  pastorate  this  parish  has  made  great 
advancement  in  the  character  and  growth  of  its  numbers  and  in 


CHURCH  OF  OUR  LADY  OF  MOUNT 
CARMEL,  NEWARK. 


53  8 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


the  improvements  which  have  been  wrought  in  the  church 
There  is  a  parish  school  attached  to  this  church  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Missionary  Sisters  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  with  an  attend- 
ance of  four  hundred  children. 

St.   Lucy's  Church,  Newark, 

St.  Lucy's  Catholic  Church,  Newark,  was  incorporated  on 
September  30th,  1891,  by  Bishop  Wigger.     The  corner-stone  was 

laid  December  13th,  1891,  the 
feast  of  the  patroness  of  the 
church;  and  the  Rev.  James 
J.  Mooney  preached  the  ser- 
mon on  the  occasion. 

In  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1 893  Father  Shotthoefer 
resigned  and  the  Rev.  An- 
tonio Saponio  was  his  suc- 
cessor, and  labored  among 
the  Italians  of  this  })arish  un- 
til October.  1895.  On  the 
25th  of  the  same  month  the 
Rev.  Felix  Morelli,  the  pastor 
of  St.  Philip's  Church,  was 
requested  by  the  Ordinary 
of  the  diocese  to  attend  to 
the  wants  of  St.  Lucy's ;  but, 
as  he  was  unable  to  give  to 
it  his  personal  supervision,  different  priests  from  St.  Philip's  ex- 
ercised the  ministry  of  this  parish. 

December  20th,  1897,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Perrotti  was  placed  as 
administrator,  and  November  17th,  1899,  Bishop  Wigger  appointed 
him  pastor  of  St.  Lucy's.  During  this  year  the  church  had  made 
considerable  progress. 

Ten  additional  lots  have  been  purchased  with  a  view  of  erect- 
ing a  new  church  and  school.  At  the  close  of  the  year  1900  a 
parochial  school  was  opened  on  Amity  Place. 

Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Hackensack. 

Owing  to  the  influx  of  foreigners  into  this  section  of  Hacken- 
sack, many  of  whom  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  brick-yards, 
the  establishment  of  this  parish  became  a  necessit)-.  The  only 
Catholic  Church  in  Hackensack  was  two  and  a  half  miles  distant. 


ST,    LUCY  S    CHURCH,    XEW.\RK. 


IN    NF.W   JKRSEY 


539 


Bishop  Wigger  presented  a  })lot  of  ground  to  the  Rev,  J.  H. 
Hennes,  then  pastor  of  St.  I^^rancis's  Church  at  Ridgeheld  Park, 
and  requested  him  to  build  a  church.  The  corner-stone  was  laid 
June  8th,  1 891,  and  the  churcli  was  dedicated  November  8th,  1891. 

Father  Hennes  took  up  his  residence  in  Hackensack  and  at- 
tended Ridgefield  Park  as  a  mission. 

March  15th,  1892,  on  the  resignation  of  T^ather  Hennes,  Bishop 
Wigger  appointed  tlie  present  rector,  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Lambert. 

Father  Lambert  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  on  ]^>bruary  20th, 
1864,  and  made  his  classical  course  in  St.  John's  College,  Brooklyn, 
and  his  theological  studies  in  Brignole-Sale,  and  Innsbruck,  Tyrol, 
where  he  was  ordained  July  27th,  1890.  He  served  as  assistant  at 
St.  Peter's,  Newark,  until  appointed  rector  of  Lower  Hackensack. 

During  eight  years  St.  Francis's,  Ridgefield  Park,  and  during 
one  year,  St.  Matthew's,  Ridgefield  Park,  were  attended  from  the 
Church  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  Hacken.sack. 

In  July,  1900,  this  mission  was  detached  and  a  resident  pastor 
appointed. 

Father  Lambert  built  a  rectory  in  1894  and  a  club-house  for  the 
young  men  in  1900,  and  now  contemplates  the  purchase  of  a  large 
public-school  building  near  the  church,  in  which  he  hopes  to  open 
in  a  few  months  a  parish  school.  This  polyglot  parish  is  com- 
posed of  English,  Germans,  Poles,  Bohemians,  and  Italians. 


CHURlU    Ul-    bi.    KUiL    Ul-    Ll.MA,    .NKWARK. 


540  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


St.  Anthony  of  Padua,  Butler,  N.  J. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  Church  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua  was 
laid  by  the  Most  Rev.  Robert  Seton,  then  pastor  of  Jersey  City, 
June  13th,  1892.  On  this  occasion  a  Solemn  High  Mass  was  cele- 
brated on  a  temporary  altar  under  the  shadow  of  an  immense  and 
venerable  chestnut  tree. 

June  13th,  1893,  the  first  service  was  held  in  the  new  church. 
Bishop  Wigger  celebrated  Pontifical  High  Mass,  and  the  Rt.  Rev. 
H.  Gabriel,  Bishop  of  Ogdensburg,  N.  Y.,  preached  the  panegyric 
of  St.  Anthony.  The  Apostolic  delegate,  the  Most  Rev.  Arch- 
bishop Satolli,  dedicated  the  new  church  and  celebrated  Pontifical 
High  Mass  August  15th,  1894. 

Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  East  Orange. 

This  parish  was  formed  October  nth,  1892,  and  the  Rev. 
James  McManus,  at  that  time  a  professor  in  Seton  Hall,  was 
made  the  first  rector. 

The  parish  school  was  blessed  and  formally  opened  by  Bishop 
Wigger  on  February  12th,  1893. 

St.  Cecilia's  Church,  Kearny,  N.  J. 

The  corner-stone  of  St.  Cecilia's  Church  was  laid  October 
29th,  1893,  and  the  church  was  dedicated  by  the  late  bishop  Wig- 
ger, April  23d,  1894.  Father  Kernan  was  then  pastor,  and  Father 
Doyle,  the  Paulist,  preached. 

At  the  dedication  Rev.  Maurice  O'Connor  said  the  Mass,  the 
present  bishop  was  deacon,  the  late  Father  Downes  was  sub 
deacon,  Father  Wallace  master  of  ceremonies. 

The  parish  was  created  September  ist,  1893,  and  the  following 
October  Father  Kernan  was  appointed  pastor. 

Before  this  time  the  people  of  Kearny  attended  Holy  Cross 
Church,  and  the  people  of  Arlington,  now  a  mission  of  St.  Cecilia's, 
Kearny,  were  looked  after  by  Father  Ryan  at  the  Protectory, 

Father  Ryan,  before  St.  Cecilia's  parish  was  created,  had  pur- 
chased gro.und  for  the  erection  of  a  church  for  the  people  of 
Kearny  and  ArHngton.  Before  Father  Ryan  commenced  opera- 
tions. Father  Kernan  was  appointed  rector.  Father  Kernan 
resided  at  the  Protectory  in  Arlington,  and  his  people  attended 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


541 


Mass  there.  The  new  pastor  bought  ground  in  Kearny  proper, 
Kearny  Avenue  and  Hoyt  Street,  and  there  built  the  present  St. 
CeciHa's  Church.  He  provided  class-rooms,  two  in  number,  ad- 
joining the  church,  which  were  sufficient  for  the  number  of  chil- 
dren. He  also  secured  a  rec- 
tory and  sisters'  house. 

About  three  years  later 
he  was  succeeded  by  Father 
James  Mooney. 

Father  Mooney  added  to 
the  school  four  class-rooms 
and  a  hall.  The  Rev.  Thom- 
as A.  Conroy  succeeded  Fa- 
ther Mooney  August  ist, 
1901. 

Father  Conroy  has  made 
an  addition  to  the  school  and 
hall,  beautified  the  grounds, 
and  repaired  all  the  build- 
ings. 

"  In  the  near  future  we 
hope  with  God's  help  to  grace 
our  most  beautiful  church 
grounds  in  the  diocese  with  a 
church,  school,  and  rectory." 

Up  to  July  1st,  1 901,  a 
Benedictine  priest  helped  the 
pastors  here  on  Sundays,  and 
Father  Bohl  of  the  Protectory  attended  St.  Stephen's,  Arlington. 

July  1st,  1 90 1,  Father  McGuirk,  now  in  Passaic,  was  assist- 
ant. He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Father  Mackinson  June 
20th,  1902.  Father  Conroy  was  born  in  Orange,  N.  J.,  August 
2ist,  i860,  and  was  educated  in  St.  Benedict's,  Newark,  St. 
Charles's,  Maryland,  and  Seton  Hall,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
in  1886.  His  theology  was  made  in  the  diocesan  seminary,  and 
he  was  raised  to  the  priesthood  May  31st,  1890.  His  entire  ser- 
vice as  assistant  was  in  St.  Joseph's,  Newark,  until  his  appointment 
to  Kearny. 


ST.   CECILIA  S   CHURCH,    KKARXY 


542 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Church  of  St.  Mary  Magdalen,  Newark. 

The  parish  of  St.  Mary  Magdalen  was  separated  from  St. 
Aloysius's  July  22d,  1893,  and  the  ground  was  bought  and  the 
church  erected  by  the  late  Rev.  Walter  M.  Fleming.  The  Rev. 
William  J.  Wiseman,  S.T.L.,  was  appointed  first  jiastor. 

In  the  course  of  time  Father  Wiseman  built  a  convent  for  the 
Sisters  of  St.  Dominic,  who  taught  the  parish  school,  and  a  rec- 


ST.    MARY    MA(;i)ALEX  S    CHURCH,    NEWARK. 


tory  for  himself,  both  buildings  adjacent  to  the  church  and  school 
on  Esther  Street.  Father  Wiseman  died  October  14th,  1897,  and 
was  succeeded  b}-  the  Rev.  Patrick  Smith  on  November  19th, 
1897. 

Father  Smith  was  born  in  Jersey  City  on  March  12th,  1864, 
and  made  his  prei)arator)-  studies  at  St.  Peter's  College,  Jersey 
City,  and  his  theological  studies  at  Seton  Hall  Seminary.  He 
was  ordained  in  the  cathedral,  Newark,  May  26th,  1888,  and 
served  as  assistant  at  St.  Joseph's,  Jersey  City,  until  his  appoint- 
ment to  Newark. 

Father  Smith  was  transferred  to  the  rectorship  of  St.  John's, 
Jersey  City,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  George  V.  Brown, 
formerly  vice-president  of  Seton  Hall,  January  i8th,  1869.  He 
was  educated  at  St.  P^rancis  Xavier's  College,  New  York,  and  pur- 


IN    NEW    JKRSKY 


543 


sued  his  theological  studies  at  Seton  Hall  Seminary,  being  ordained 
priest  May  23d,  1891. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Bayonne,  Church  of  the  Holy  Cross,  Har- 
rison, and  St.  Mary's  Church,  Hoboken,  have  been  the  fields  of 
his  labor. 

Various  additions  and  ini[)rovements  to  both  church  and  school 
ha\-e  been  made  under  F'ather  Brown's  administration,  which  the 
demands  of  a  generous  and  growing  congregation  have  required. 

St.  Vincent  de  Paul's  Church,  Bayonne. 

St.  Vincp:nt  de  Paul's  parish  was  formed  from  the  parishes 
of  St.  Henry  and  St.  Mary,  and  incorporated  June  i6th,  1894. 
The  first  Mass  was  celebrated  in  the  church  on  West  Centre 
Street,  July  7th,  1895. 

The  parish  was  attended  from  St.  Henry's  Church  until  the 
appointment  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  Gately,  July  2d,  1900. 

The  pastor  contemplates  the  erection  of  a  new  church  on 
Avenue  C  and  r^>rtv-scventh  Street. 


ST.  HEXRY  S  CHURCH,  BAYONNE. 


St.  Augustine's  Church,  Ocean  City,  N.  J. 

The  history  of  the  Catholic  Church  iiere  dates  back  to  the 
year  1894,  when  in  the  spring  of  that  year  tiie  few  Catholics  who 
owned  cottages  desired  to  ha\'e  a  little  church,  and  hence  a  build- 


544  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

ing  was  erected  at  the  cost  of  $1,250.  Mass  was  first  said  in 
this  church,  which  was  afterward  called  St.  Augustine's,  by  the 
Jesuit  Fathers  from  Philadelphia.  Previous  to  Its  erection  Mass 
was  celebrated  in  a  small  two-story  house  on  West  Avenue. 
During  the  whole  of  the  season  of  1894  Mass  was  celebrated  by 
the  Jesuit  Fathers. 

By  the  ist  of  June,  1895,  the  church  was  completed,  and  the 
Rev.  Stephen  Lyons  was  appointed  the  first  summer  pastor.  On 
July  28th  the  Rt.  Rev.  James  A.  McFaul,  bishop  of  Trenton, 
blessed  it,  assisted  by  Revs.  Fathers  Mulligan,  of  Camden,  Geise, 
of  Millville,  Petri,  of  Atlantic  City,  and  L)'ons,  of  Trenton.  The 
Rev.  J.  P.  Dooley,  S.J.,  of  Philadelphia,  preached  the  sermon. 
Father  Lyons  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Russi,  who  re- 
mained for  three  summers,  returning  to  Oxford  Furnace,  where 
he  lived  in  the  winter  months.  He  resided  here  during  the  sea- 
sons of  1896,  1897,  1898,  and  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
Thomas  McCullough,  whose  pastorate  extended  over  the  season 
of  1899.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  P.  J.  Hart  in  the  year 
1900.  Father  Hart  was  succeeded  by  the  present  incumbent, 
the  Rev.  J.  B.  McCloskey,  who  was  appointed  resident  pastor 
June  i6th,  1901.  Father  McCloskey  began  immediately  to  col- 
lect funds  to  build  a  new  parochial  residence  on  the  ground  ad- 
joining the  church.  By  the  ist  of  September  of  that  year  a 
building  fund  of  $1,200  had  been  raised,  and  ground  was  broken 
for  the  new  residence  on  September  8th.  It  cost  $3,100,  and 
is  clear  of  all  indebtedness.  At  the  present  time  the  church  is 
being  extensively  enlarged,  and  the  whole  of  the  interior  will  be 
refitted  with  entirely  new  furniture  at  the  cost  of  $6,000,  and 
when  completed  will  be  by  far  the  finest  church  edifice  in  Ocean 
City.  In  connection  with  this  place  there  are  three  stations,  Ris- 
ley,  Dorothy,  and  Milmay.  During  the  past  year  Father  McClos- 
key has  erected  a  church  at  Risley,  which  is  free  of  debt ;  another  at 
Dorothy,  which  was  dedicated  by  Rt.  Rev.  James  A.  McFaul,  the 
cost  of  which  was  $1,200,  and  it  has  an  indebtedness  of  only  $300. 

Our   Lady  Help    of  Christians,  West  New   York,  N.  J. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  Help  of  Chris- 
tians was  laid  July  14th,  1895,  and  the  church  was  dedicated 
October  28th,  1895. 

The  first  resident  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Alexander  Berghold.  The 
Rev.  P.  D.  Lill  succeeded  Father  Berghold  on  October  25th,  1903. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


545 


Father  Lill  enlarged  the  church,  doubling  the  seatmg  capacity; 
built  a  new  hall;  and  enlarged  the  sisters'  house  and  school.  He 
has  likewise  added  to  the  property  of  the  parish,  so  that  to-day  it 
owns  an  entire  block. 

All  Saints'  Church,  Jersey  City,  N.   J. 

All  Saints'  parish  was  established  in  the  fall  of  1896.  It 
was  a  part  of  St.  Patrick's  parish,  which  was  known  as  the  "  La- 
fayette Section."  The  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Meehan  was  appointed  its 
first  rector,  October  31st,  1896. 

Mass  was  celebrated  for  the  first  time  in  Lafayette  Battery 
Hall  on  Whiton  Street,  November  15th,  1896,  and  on  all  Sundays 
and  holydays  thereafter  until 
December,  1897.  During  the 
week  Mass  was  celebrated 
in  the  rectory  on  Pacific  Av- 
enue. 

On  April  29th,  1897, 
ground  was  broken  for  the 
new  church,  school,  and  1)- 
ceum  in  the  presence  of  one 
thousand  people,  and  the 
corner  -  stone  was  laid  b\- 
Bishop  Wigger  in  June,  1897. 
Father  Meehan  did  not  find 
a  very  lively  faith  among  the 
people  when  he  first  assumed 
charge.  He  argued,  how- 
ever, that  if  he  could  only 
get  the  children  he  would 
soon  be  able  to  know  their 
parents.  Conseciuently  his 
first  efforts  were  directed  toward  the  erection  of  a  building  that 
would  contain  both  church  and  school.  Rapid  strides  in  that  di- 
rection were  made.  In  August,  1897,  three  sisters  arrived. 
Although  the  school  was  far  from  being  completed,  P^ather  Mee- 
han thought  that  by  having  the  sisters  in  their  midst,  the  parents 
and  children  (very  few  of  the  latter  ever  having  attended  a  Cath- 
olic school)  would  be  attracted  by  their  gentle  manner,  and  thus 
learn  to  know  and  love  them.  The  sisters  occupied  the  present 
building  adjoining  the  school.  The  number  now  has  increased 
to  ten. 

35 


ALL   saints'   church   AND   SCHOOL, 
JERSEY   CITY. 


546  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

On  December  19th,  1897,  the  building  was  completed,  and 
on  that  day  the  chapel  was  dedicated  l)y  Bishop  WMgger.  A 
Solemn  High  Mass  was  offered  up  for  the  first  time,  the  Rt  Rev. 
Bishop  O'Connor,  then  vicar-general  of  the  diocese,  being  cele- 
brant, the  Rev.  Eugene  Carroll,  deacon,  and  the  Rev.  John  A. 
Westman,  subdeacon. 

The  school  was  opened  in  January,  1898,  with  four  hundred 
and  fifty-three  children,  the  people  having  responded  most  will- 
ingly to  Father  Meehan's  appeal  to  send  them  to  their  own  school. 
Societies  were  formed  and  soon  hunth'eds  were  seen  approaching 
the  sacraments. 

The  new  parish  had  been  a  long-needed  want  for  this  section. 
as  the  people  had  been  gradually  drifting  awa)'  from  God  and  his 
church.  Now  a  large  percentage  of  the  three  thousand  parishion- 
ers attend  Mass,  and  about  five  hundred  and  seventy-five  chil- 
dren's names  may  be  found  on  the  school  roll. 

It  has  been  a  success  not  only  spiritually  but  financially,  Father 
Meehan  having  collected  during  the  first  seven  years  almost  ;^I50,- 
000.  He  has  also  paid  off  all  the  debt,  and  has  on  hand  a  surplus 
of  $20,000.  In  Ma)',  1 90 1,  a  new  rectory  was  purchased  at  a  cost 
of  $10,000,  which  sum  was  jmid  before  the  year  had  expired. 

In  the  near  future  Father  Meehan  contemplates  building  a 
new  church;  the  present  chapel  will  then  be  used  as  parish 
hall. 

Father  Meehan  was  born  in  St.  Michael's  parish,  Jersey  City, 
November  22d,  1859,  and  educated  at  St.  Francis  Xavier's  and 
De  La  Salle,  New  York,  St.  Charles',  Maryland,  and  Seton  Hall, 
and  graduated  with  the  class  of  '81.  He  was  ordained  after  the 
completion  of  his  theological  studies,  in  the  college  chapel,  March 
8th,  1885.  He  served  as  assistant  in  Elizabethport  until  his  ap- 
pointment to  All  Saints'  parish. 

St.  Aloysius's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

The  parish  of  St.  Aloysius  was  organized  May  12th,  1897,  and 
the  Rev.  John  A.  Sullixan  a})pointed  first  pastor. 

Father  Sullivan  was  born  in  New  York  City  on  January  nth, 
i860,  and  made  his  preparatory  studies  at  the  Laurents'  College, 
Canada,  and  St.  Francis  Xavier,  New  York  City.  He  finished  his 
theological  course  in  Seton  Hall  Seminary,  and  was  ordained  in 
the  seminary  chapel  May  19th,  1883. 

He  has  served  as  assistant  at  St.  Joseph's  and   St.  Michael's, 


IN    NEW    JKRSKY 


547 


Jersey  ("it}-,  at  St.  Columba's,  Newaik,  and  at  St.  John's,  Pater- 
son. 

Previous  to  his  appointment  to  St.  Aloysius's  he  was  rector  of 
Ridg'ewood  and  lIohol<us.  The  first  Mass  in  the  new  parish  was 
said  May  30th,  1897,  in  Donahue's  Hall  on  Westside  Avenue. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  present  building",  which  is  a  combina- 
tion church  and  school,  was  laid  October  17th,  1S97,  by  the  Very 


ST.    ALOVSIUS  S    SCHOOL,   JERSEY   CITY. 

Rev.  John  J.  O'Connor,  at  that  time  vicar-general  of  the  diocese, 
and  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Wigger  in  P'ebruary,  1898. 

The  rectory  was  built  the  following  year,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1903  a  house  was  purchased  and  converted  into  a  convent  for  the 
sisters. 

This  congregation  owns  a  fine  property  covering  an  entire 
city  block. 


Church  of  Our  Lady   of   Perpetual    Help,    Bernardsville. 

Bernardsville,  the  attractive  and  romantic  resort  in  which 
the  wealthy  merchants  of  New  York  have  erected  stately  homes, 
until  the  last  five  years  was  attended  from  Mendham. 

June  17th,  1898,  Bishop  McFaul,  at  the  urgent  request  of  the 
guests  of  the  hotels  and  inns  and  also  of  the  residents,  appointed 
the  Rev.  Joseph  A.  Ryan  to  establish  a  parish  and  erect  a  church. 


548 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Ml-.  Frederick  P.  Alcott,  an  ardent  admirer  of  Father  Ryan's 
work,  assisted  him  v'ery  generously  by  donating  one  dollar  for 
every  dollar  Father  Ryan  would  collect.  Within  eighteen  months 
the  Catholics  of  Bernardsville  had  one  of  the  prettiest  churches  in 
the  State  Owing  to  the  generosity  of  Mr.  Alcott  and  the  per- 
sistent efforts  of  the  young  pastor  the  church  stands  to-day  unique 


— 4i  f__, : 

o)iir  |i  aiiij  pf  pfr>flual  Kflb  E.'^   1^  is 
pmnnlsullf  Jifui  JfrOT  *  r" 


u 


in  the  history  of  Catholicity  in  the  United  States,  as  it  is,  perhaps, 
the  only  one  on  record  to  be  ojiened  and  consecrated  on  the  same 
day,  May  2d,  1900. 

Father  Ryan  has  imi:)roved  the  property  around  the  church, 
and  j^ractically  made  a  new  house  out  of  the  old  building  which 
formerly  stood  upon  the  land. 


Church  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua  (Italian)  West 
Hoboken,  N.  J. 

St.  Michael'.s  parish  of  West  Hoboken  originall)-  embraced 
a  territory  which  now  has  ten  flourishing  churches.  Under  the 
care  of  the  Passionist  P'athers  half  that  number  of  churches  were 
erected  and  attended  by  them  when  priests  were  less  numerous 
in  the  half-century  that  has  gone  by.  The  last  of  these  churches 
erected  by  the  Passionists  is  the  Church  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua 
on  Morris  Street,  West  Hoboken.     Father  Andrew  Kenny,  C.P., 


IN    NEW   JERSKY  549 

was  designated  by  liis  superiors  to  take  eharge  of  the  Italians,  and 
on  Oetober  9th,  1898,  the  natives  of  Italy  had  Mass  celebrated  for 
them  in  the  basement  chapel  of  the  monastery  church  and  a  ser- 
mon was  preached  in  their  native  tongue  With  the  consent  of 
Bishop  Wigger  the  Fathers  undertook  to  erect  the  new  church. 
Two  lots  were  i)urchased  on  Morris  Street,  and  May  ist,  1899, 
ground  was  broken  for  the  new  Church  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua. 
The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  June  4th  of  the  same  year  by  Mon- 
signor  (now  Archbishop)  Seton. 

The  senior  and  junior  Holy  Name  societies  of  the  monastery 
church,  St.  Michael's  Young  Men's  Lyceum,  and  the  St.  Anthony's 
Society  of  the  new  church  with  St.  Joseph's  Society  of  Ploboken 
participated  in  the  parade  from  the  monastery  to  the  site  of  the 
new  church  The  procession  was  headed  by  the  Cosmopolitan 
Military  Band  of  West  Hoboken,  composed  exclusively  of  Italians. 

On  Sunday,  August  13th,  the  new  church  was  dedicated  by 
Bishop  W'igger,  assisted  by  his  chancellor,  Father  O'Neil,  as  mas- 
ter of  ceremonies.  After  the  dedication  a  Solemn  Higli  Mass  was 
sung,  "  Coram  Episcopo,"  by  Very  Rev.  John  Baudinelli,  C.P., 
formerly  provincial  of  the  Passionists  in  America,  but  shortly 
before  elected  general  consultor,  with  residence  in  Rome. 

Among  those  present  on  this  occasion  was  Father  (now  Mon- 
signor)  Stafford  of  Seton  Hall  College,  Leather  Thomas  Ouinn  of 
the  Church  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  Jersey  City  Heights,  Rev. 
Dr.  Burke  of  St.  Philip  Neri's  Church,  New  York,  Father  Oreste 
Lussi  of  the  Roosevelt  Street  Italian  Church,  New  York,  Father 
Alexander  ludelli  of  West  New  York,  and  Father  Ubaltlo, 
O.F.M.  The  sermon  on  this  occasion  was  preached  by  P'athcr 
Ubaldo  of  the  P"ranciscan  P^athers,  Sullivan  Street,  New  York. 
He  said : 

Without  religion  life  is  a  blank.  We  are  not  in  this  world 
without  an  end.  We  are  here  to  prepare  for  another  world,  and 
we  must  have  a  place  to  prepare  ourselves,  a  spot  where  Christ 
himself  is  at  all  times  waiting  for  us  in  the  sacrament  of  the  altar, 
waiting  to  hear  our  appeal  and  help  us.  The  element  of  our  nation 
who  oppose  the  practice  of  religion  is  composed  of  the  very  lowest 
strata  of  humanity.  These  not  only  oppose  the  Church,  but  their 
views  are  so  distorted  and  their  intelligence  so  small  that  they 
would  wish  to  abolish  all  forms  of  government. 

Father  Ubaldo  exhorted  his  hearers  to  avoid  temptation,  to  be 
faithful  to  their  religion,  and  as  far  as  possible  to  avokl  any  ming- 
ing  with  the  class  he  referred  to  in  his  sermon. 


550  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

In  the  afternoon  at  3:30  o'clock  solemn  vespers  were  sung  in 
the  new  church,  during  which  St.  Michael's  choir  rendered  the 
music.  St.  Anthony's  choir,  composed  of  Italians,  sang  in  the 
morning 

St.  Anthon}'s  Church  is  two  stories  in  height  and  covers  a 
plot  of  ground  96  by  44  feet.  The  building  is  of  Roman  architec- 
tural design,  exceedingly  plain,  and  is  built  upon  lines  of  remark- 
able grace  and  symmetry.  The  ground  floor  of  the  church  will  be 
used  as  a  meeting  and  Sunday-school  room.  The  first  story  is  of 
brick,  the  church  proper  being  frame. 

Father  Andrew  Kenny,  C.P.,  the  pastor  of  St.  Anthony's,  is 
a  native  of  West  Hoboken.  At  an  early  age  he  was  sent  by  his 
superiors  to  Rome,  where  he  was  ordained  and  learned  the  Italian 
language,  which  has  enabled  him  to  accomplish  a  good  work  for 
the  preservation  of  the  Catholic  faith  among  the  Italians  of  West 
Hoboken. 

St.   Rocco's  Church,  Newark. 

August  5th,  1899,  the  Rev.  James  Zuccarelli  was  appointed 
by  Bishop  Wigger  to  open  a  new  mission  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  Italians  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  present  church  of  St. 
Roch. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  church  was  laid  on  March  12th,  1900, 
and  the  dedication  ceremonies  were  held  on  Decoration  Day,  May 
30th,  1900,  by  the  late  Bishop  Wigger. 

Property  has  been  acquired  on  Bedford  Street  for  a  school,  and 
additional  property  for  a  sisters'  house  on  Prospect  Street  in  the 
rear  of  the  church.  The  rectory  is  a  substantial  brick  building 
and  is  annexed  to  the  church. 

The  church,  a  neat  brick  structure  with  white  trimmings,  24 
by  80  feet,  contains  a  beautiful  high  altar  of  Carrara  marble, 
erected  by  a  member  of  the  parish  in  memor}-  of  his  deceased 
wife.  The  sanctuary  has  been  beautifully  embellished  by  the 
parishioners. 

Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  Passaic. 

The  parish  of  the  Holy  Trinity  was  organized  by  the  Francis- 
can Fathers  for  the  benefit  of  the  Germans  of  Passaic  in  the  year 
1900.  Services  were  held  on  Sunday  afternoon  in  a  public  hall 
once  a  month.  The  parish  was  incorporated  by  the  late  Bishop 
Wigger  August  17th,  1902. 


IN    NI^W    JERSEY 


5S^ 


The  Germans  attended  Mass  in  St.  Joseph's  (old)  Tohsh 
Church  for  five  months  until  the  appointment  of  the  Rev.  Joseph 
Hasel.  Father  Hasel  has  purchased  nine  city  lots  valued  at 
$10,000,  and  taken  the  first  steps  to  erect  a  new  church,  the  cor- 
ner-stone of  which  was  laid  hy  the  Rt.  Rev.  Mgr.  Sheppard  in  the 
month  of  Ma)'.  It  was  dedicated  on  September  6th,  1903,  by 
Bishop  O'Connor. 


ST.    PHILIP    NEIil,    NEWARK. 
For  Italian  Catholics. 


The  Rt.  Rev.  John  Joseph  O'Connor,  D.D., 

Fourth  Bishop  of  Newark. 

The  Very  Rev.  John  J.  O'Connor,  V.G.,  after  the  death  of 
Bishop  Wigger,  was  appointed  during  the  widowhood  of  the  Dio- 
cese of  Newark  the  administrator.  A  few  weeks  later  he  sum- 
moned by  direction  of  the  Metropolitan  the  rev.  consultors  and 
permanent  rectors  of  the  diocese  to  meet  at  the  See  house.  New 
York,  to  select  three  names  as  the  expression  of  their  choice,  to 
be  submitted  to  the  bishops  of  the  province  and  to  be  forwarded 
to  Rome. 

In  obedience  to  this  call  the  following  priests  of  the  Diocese 
of  Newark  presented  themselves  to  exercise  for  the  first  time  the 
privilege  conceded  by  the  Third  Plenary  Council  of  Baltimore  to 
the  clergy  of  the  United  States:  the  Very  Rev.  Administrator 
John  J.  O'Connor,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  G.  H.  Doane,  P.A., 


551  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

the  Very  Rev.  William  McNulty,  V.F.,  the  Very  Rev.  Joseph  M. 
Flynn,  V.F.,  the  Rev.  H.  P.  Fleming,  Martin  Gessner,  Dennis 
McCartie,  B.  H.  Ter  Woert,  Charles  P.  Gillen,  and  Charles  J. 
Kelly.  The  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  Robert  Seton,  P.A.,  D.D., 
arrived  after  the  first  ballot  was  cast.  Archbishop  Corrigan  pre- 
sided over  the  meeting,  which  was  held  in  the  library  of  the  archi- 
episcopal  residence.  The  Vr7ii  Creator  was  recited,  and  after 
making  a  few  remarks  on  the  object  of  the  meeting,  and  remind- 
ing the  priests  of  the  grave  responsibility  resting  upon  them  to 
select  the  worthiest  among  ecclesiastics  for  the  exalted  ofifice  of 
bishop,  tellers  were  appointed  and  the  body  of  clergymen  pro- 
ceeded to  cast  their  ballot.  On  the  first  ballot  Father  O'Connor's 
name  was  found  six  times ;  and  after  two  other  names  were  se- 
lected, balloting  was  again  resumed  to  determine  the  rank  of  the 
nominees.  As  Father  O'Connor  received  seven  out  of  the  twelve 
votes  cast,  his  name  was  placed  digiiissimns  on  the  priests'  list. 
The  clergy  were  afterward  entertained  most  hospitably  b}'  the 
archbishop.  In  the  latter  part  of  April  the  information  was 
flashed  across  the  ocean  that  Father  O'Connor  had  been  chosen 
by  the  Holy  Father  Leo  XIIL  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
Propaganda  to  be  the  successor  of  the  late  Bishop  Wigger,  The 
choice  was  well  received  by  both  the  clergy  and  the  laity.  Bishop 
O'Connor  was  born  in  Newark,  in  St.  James's  Parish,  June  nth, 
1855,  and  made  his  preparatory  studies  in  Seton  Hall,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  '73.  As  Archbishop  Corrigan 
stated  in  his  address  on  the  day  of  Bi.shop  O'Connor's  consecra- 
tion, the  young  graduate  was  sent  to  Rome  that  he  might  one  day 
succeed  him  as  bi.shop  of  the  diocese.  He  spent  four  years  in  the 
American  College,  Rome,  and  one  year  in  Louvain ;  and  he  was 
ordained  priest  by  Monsigneur  Ch.  de  Anthonis,  December  22d, 
1877. 

On  his  return  he  was  ap[)()inted  professor  in  Seton  Hall,  both 
in  the  college  and  seminary,  of  which  latter  he  became  director 
On  the  death  of  the  Very  Rev.  William  P.  Salt,  V.G.,  he  was 
named  vicar-general;  and  later,  October  30th,  1895,  appointed 
rector  of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Newark.  During  the  eighteen 
years  that  he  assisted  in  the  diocesan  seminary  in  training  the 
young  Levites,  as  professor  of  both  philosophy  and  theology,  by 
his  unremittent  care,  gentleness,  and  piety  he  endeared  himself 
to  all.  In  this  difficult  and  most  divine  of  all  works  his  career  was 
marked  by  firmness  without  obstinacy,  kindness  without  weakness, 
and  by  zeal  tempered  with  charity.     How  richly  he  stored  his 


IN   NEW   JERSEY 


S53 


RT.    REV.   JOHN   J,    O'CONNOR,  D.D., 
Fourth  Bishop  of  Newark. 


554 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


mind  while  imparting  Catholic  teaching"  to  those  under  his  care  is 
clearly  evident  in  his  discourses,  addresses,  and  letters,  which  show 
him  to  be  the  finished  scholar  and  an  orator  of  rare  merit.  Bishop 
O'Connor  was  preconized  Bishop  of  Newark  May  20th,  1891, 
and  was  consecrated  in  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  Newark,  by  the 
Most  Rev.  Michael  A.  Corrigan,  D.D.,  July  25th,  1901,  assisted 
by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Charles  McDonnell,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Brooklyn, 
and  the  Rt.  Rev.  James  A.  McFaul,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Trenton. 

Bishop  McOuaid  was  the  orator  of  the  day  and  preached  in 
his  usually  eloquent  and  reminiscent  style.     The  cathedral  was 


PROCESSION     KNTERlN(i     .ST.    PATRICK  S    PRO-CATHEDRAL    ON     THE    OCCA- 
SION  OF   THE   CONSECRATION    OF  BISHOP   O'CONNOR. 

The  Bishops  from   left  to  right  are,  Hishop  McDonnell,  Bishop  O'Connor,  Bishop  Mc- 
Qnaid,  Bishop  Ludden. 


crowded  with  the  laity,  and  not  only  the  priests  of  the  Newark 
diocese,  but  many  from  Trenton  and  New  York  were  jiresent. 

Bishop  O'Connor  was  fortunate  enough  to  secure  from  the 
heirs  of  the  late  Eugene  Kelly,  Esq.,  his  country  home,  which 
adjoins  the  college  property,  and  this  he  has  made  his  episcopal 
residence. 

December  22d,  1902,  he  was  obliged  to  yield  to  the  importunity 
of  his  priests  and  celebrate  in  a  befitting  manner  the  sih'er  jubilee 
of  his  priesthood.     In  these  festivities  the  clergy  were  not  alone  in 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  555 

testifying,  and  substantially,  their  affection  for  their  bishop,  but  the 
laity  likewise  proved  their  devotion  and  loyalty  to  their  ecclesias- 
tical superior. 

Inheriting"  from  iiis  })redecessor  the  burden  of  completing  the 
cathedral,  he  lost  no  time  to  adojjt  measures  whereby  the  means 
necessary  to  carry  on  the  work  might  be  obtained.  To  this  end 
he  acquiesced  in  the  suggestion  made  at  the  meeting  of  the  con- 
suitors  and  permanent  rectors  of  the  diocese  in  St.  Michael's  rec- 
tory, Jersey  City,  called  for  the  purpose  of  taking  suitable  measures 
for  the  celebration  of  his  silver  jubilee,  and  appointed  the  Very 
Rev.  Vicar-General,  John  A.  Sheppard,  the  Very  Rev.  Joseph  M. 
Flynn,  and  the  Rev.  Charles  J.  Kelly,  LI..D.,  a  committee  to  call 
upon  the  prominent  and  wealthy  members  of  the  laity  and  solicit 
from  them  a  generous  offering  for  the  new  cathedral,  in  view  of 
the  approaching  golden  jubilee  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark.  To 
emphasize  his  desire  and  to  imiMCss  upon  the  clergy  and  laity 
alike  the  propriet)'  of  recognizing  in  this  way  the  boundless  mercy 
of  God  as  manifest  in  the  blessings  bestowed  upon  the  Catholics 
of  the  Newark  diocese  during  fifty  years  about  to  elapse,  Bishop 
O'Connor  addressed  the  following  pastoral  to  his  diocesans: 

Bishop's  House,  552  South  Orange  Ave., 
South  Orange,  N.  J.,  Nov.  ist,  1902. 

Rev.  dear  Sir:  During  the  year  1903  the  Catholics  of  this 
diocese  will  celebrate  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  erection  of 
the  See  of  Newark  and  the  appointment  of  its  first  bishop.  It  is 
certainly  fitting  that  we  should  observe  with  appropriate  cere- 
monies the  golden  jubilee  of  so  noteworthy  an  event  in  the  history 
of  religion  in  this  State.  The  formation  of  the  new  diocese 
marked  the  beginning  of  a  more  prosperous  era.  It  was  hailed 
with  delight  as  a  triumph  of  our  faith  and  the  fulfilment  of  an 
ardently  cherished  hope.  It  crowned  with  success  the  self-sacri- 
ficing efforts  of  the  early  pioneers,  who  in  spite  of  difficulty  and 
discouragement  laid  deep  and  solid  in  the  soil  of  New  Jersey  the 
foundations  of  the  spiritual  edifice  of  which  we  are  at  present 
justly  proud  and  for  which  we  are  deeply  grateful  to  Almighty 
God. 

On  October  30th,  1853,  James  Roosevelt  Bayley,  a  distin- 
guished convert  to  our  faith,  who  was  revered  and  loved  by  all 
who  knew  him,  and  whose  name  will  be  held  in  grateful  remem- 
brance by  all  future  generations  of  Catholics  in  this  diocese,  as 
well  as  in  the  Archdiocese  of  Baltimore,  to  which  he  was  subse- 
quently transferred,  was  consecrated  first  Bishop  of  Newark  in  the 
venerable  church  of  St.  Patrick's,  New  York,  by  Archbishop 
Bedini,  Apostolic  Nuncio  to  Brazil.  Two  days  later  he  appeared 
on  the  scene  of  his  new  labors  in  the  city  of  Newark,  to  which  in 


556  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

1827  the  Rev.  Gregory  B.  Pardovv  had  been  sent  by  Bishop  Dubois 
to  build  its  first  CathoHc  church. 

God  alone  knows,  and  He  alone  can  adequately  reward,  the 
privations,  the  trials,  the  sufferings  which  the  few  scattered  Cath- 
olics heroically  sustained  during  the  period  which  elapsed  from  the 
day  of  their  coming  to  New  Jersey  in  the  reign  of  James  the 
Second,  until  the  advent  of  their  first  resident  bishop.  When  he 
arrived  among  them,  the  prospect  which  greeted  him  was  not  en- 
couraging. "He  found,"  says  the  late  Archbishop  Corrigan,  "a 
diocese  with  twenty-five  priests  and  as  many  churches,  but  unpro- 
vided with  a  single  house  of  learning,  with  no  religious  orders,  and 
no  charitable  institutions  except  a  small  frame  building  rented  as 
a  temporary  orphan  asylum  under  the  care  of  five  Sisters  of 
Charity.  The  field  was  large  and  inviting,  but  not  only  was  the 
harvest  not  ripe,  the  seeds  were  hardly  yet  planted.  Situated  be- 
tween two  great  cities,  the  new  bishopric  received  the  surplus  of 
an  overflowing  tide  of  immigration,  rich  indeed  in  prospective 
blessings,  like  the  inundations  of  the  Nile,  but  bringing  also  mul- 
titudinous wants  demanding  instant  attention.  To  meet  and 
direct  the  rising  flood  it  was  necessary  to  multiply  the  number  of 
devoted  laborers  and  to  introduce  religious  orders  as  auxiliaries,  so 
that  churches,  schools,  hospitals,  asylums  might  everywhere  be 
erected." 

At  that  time  Catholics  were  not  only  destitute  of  worldly 
means,  they  were  a  despised  race,  often  contemned  by  their  neigh- 
bors and  persecuted  by  fanatical  bigots.  But  they  were  of  ster- 
ling character,  unimpeachable  in  morals,  loyal  to  the  faith  of  their 
fathers,  and  anxious  to  cooperate  by  every  means  in  their  power 
with  their  new  chief  pastor  in  promoting  the  interests  of  their 
holy  religion,  for  which  he  and  they  were  willing"  to  suffer,  or  if 
need  be  to  die. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  inquire  what  results  were  accom- 
plished by  those  who  sowed  in  tears  that  we  might  reap  in  joy. 
The  answer  is  evident  in  the  glorious  record  of  fifty  years  of  apos- 
tolic zeal,  of  unswerving  fidelity,  of  sublime  devotion  worthy  of 
the  earliest  and  most  saintly  adherents  of  the  Christian  faith.  So 
astonishing  was  the  growth  of  the  Church  in  this  diocese  that  a 
single  parish  had  to  be  divided  eighteen  times  in  as  many  years — 
thirty-six  priests  doing  duty  in  a  district  where  a  few  years  previ- 
ously only  three  stood  watch  and  guard  over  the  interests  of  souls. 

The  territory  in  which  Bishop  Bayley  and  a  mere  handful  of 
priests  labored  so  zealously  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation 
of  souls  now  comprises  two  large  and  flourishing  dioceses.  In 
fact,  it  is  difficult  to  realize  the  almost  incredible  achievements  of 
Bishops  Bayley,  Corrigan,  and  Wigger  and  of  their  faithful  and 
devoted  priests  and  people,  the  worthy  successors  of  the  heroic 
confessors  of  the  faith,  whose  spiritual  needs  were  ministered  to 
by  Fathers  Farmer,  Beeston,  Keating,  Graesel,  Malou,  Bulger, 
Brennan,  Conroy,  Pardow,  Donahue,  and  Herard.  We  can  only 
marvel  at  the  goodness  of  God  who  has  blessed  this  portion  of 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  557 

his  vineyard  so  abundantly.  The  monuments  of  their  piety  and 
zeal  may  be  seen  in  every  section  of  the  State,  the  churches,  col- 
leges, schools,  orphanages,  hospitals,  and  other  institutions  of 
benevolence  in  which  the  divine  virtue  of  charity  blossoms  and 
bears  its  life-giving  fruit.  The  25  churches  of  1853  have  so  mul- 
tiplied that  to-day  there  are  in  the  Uiocese  of  Newark  155  and  in 
the  Uiocese  of  Trenton  114,  a  total  of  269  in  the  State.  The 
number  of  priests  has  increased  from  25  to  387.  In  the  two  dio- 
ceses there  are  now  1 50  parochial  schools,  with  an  attendance  of 
nearly  50,000  children.  The  religious  orders,  too,  with  their  ven- 
erable traditions,  have  flourished  and  prospered  among  us,  keeping 
pace  with  our  development,  and  sharing  in  its  rewards  and  bless- 
ings. To  mention  one  instance,  the  little  community  of  five  Sis- 
ters of  Charity,  who  came  to  this  diocese  from  New  York  fifty 
years  ago,  has  grown  like  the  mustard  seed  until  at  present  with 
nearly  900  members  it  spreads  its  benign  branches  not  only  over 
the  dioceses  of  Newark  and  Trenton,  but  far  away  to  the  land  of 
the  Pilgrim  Fathers  in  the  dioceses  of  Boston  and  Hartford. 
The  Benedictines,  the  Passionists,  the  Carmelites,  the  children  of 
St.  Dominic,  St.  Francis,  St.  tgnatius,  and  the  various  communi- 
ties of  religious  women  are  all  arrayed  in  a  compact  and  devoted 
phalanx  consecrated  to  the  spiritual  and  temporal  welfare  of  hu- 
manity, and  especially  to  the  duty  of  training  the  minds  and  hearts 
of  those  of  whom  Christ  said,  "  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come 
unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven." 

The  first  laborers  in  the  vineyard  who,  with  Bishop  Bayley  and 
his  most  efficient  aid  and  counsellor.  Bishop  McQuaid,  bore  the 
burdens  of  the  day  and  the  heat,  have  in  great  numbers  passed  to 
their  eternal  reward.  But  while  priests  and  people  disappear  from 
the  earthly  scene,  the  ever-living  Church  survives  in  undimin- 
ished vigor.  There  are  at  present  in  the  Diocese  of  Newark 
alone  300,000  Catholics,  of  whom  it  can  truthfully  be  said  that 
nowhere  in  the  world  are  they  surpassed  in  loyalty  and  devotion  to 
their  faith,  in  the  excellence  of  their  charitable  institutions,  or  in 
the  thorough  ec[uipment  of  their  schools  and  churches. 

Needless  to  say,  these  facts  are  not  recalled  in  a  vain  spirit  of 
pride  and  boasting.  God  forbid  !  They  are  mentioned  with  a  pro- 
found sense  of  our  own  unworthiness,  but  with  deep  and  heartfelt 
sentiments  of  gratitude  to  God.  They  should  be  for  us  of  the 
jM'esent  generation  an  inspiration  and  incentive  to  continue  with 
increased  zeal  and  energy  the  good  works  of  religion  and  charity 
so  nobly  begun  by  those  who  have  gone  before  us.  The  results 
hitherto  accomplished  have  provided  for  our  essential  needs.  But 
there  is  one  very  important  requisite  of  a  well-organized  diocese 
still  in  abeyance.  To  crown  the  magnificent  edifice  we  have 
erected  and  to  complete  the  task  assigned  us  by  divine  Provi- 
dence, it  is  necessary  for  us  to  continue  the  work,  inaugurated  by 
my  predecessor,  of  building  a  cathedral — a  temple  to  the  living 
God  worthy  of  his  divine  presence,  typical  of  the  grandeur  of  our 


558  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

religion,  a  fitting  embodiment  of  our  united  faith  and  zeal,  and  a 
centre  from  which  the  blessings  of  episcopal  guidance  and  author- 
ity may  radiate  to  every  portion  of  the  diocese. 

From  the  very  beginning  of  our  history  as  a  distinct  diocese  the 
thought  of  this  urgent  duty  has  been  kept  steadily  in  view.  But 
its  fulfilment  has  been  deferred  until  recently,  so  that  all  other 
needs  might  first  be  supplied.  When  e\er}-  parish  had  been  am- 
ply provided  for,  in  all  that  concerns  its  spiritual  progress,  Bisho[) 
Wigger  concluded  that  the  time  had  arrix'ed  when  we  could,  with- 
out injury  to  any  local  interest,  devote  our  energies  to  the  realiza- 
tion of  the  grand  diocesan  idea  so  fondly  cherished  by  Bishop 
Bayley  and  his  successor  hi  the  See  of  Newark.  F"our  years  ago 
the  work  was  begun.  Nearly  three  hundred  thousand  dollars 
have  already  been  contributed  by  priests  and  j^eople,  and  the  gen- 
erosity thus  far  manifested  justifies  the  wisdom  of  the  undertaking 
and  proves  our  ability  to  carry  it  on  to  successful  com])letion. 
The  glory  of  God,  the  honor  of  the  diocese,  the  welfare  of  religion, 
all  demand  that  we  make  ever)-  effort  to  attain  that  end  as  sjieed- 
ily  as  possible.  How  can  we  celebrate  more  fittingly  the  golden 
jubilee  of  our  diocese  or  furnish  a  more  convincing  proof  of  our 
gratitude  to  (k)d  for  his  innumerable  blessings  during  the  past 
fifty  years  than  by  an  earnest  endeavor  to  raise  the  funds  still  re- 
quirecl  for  the  execution  of  a  design  so  creditable  to  our  faith, 
loyalty,  and  zeal  ? 

If  all  the  Catholics  in  the  diocese  would  contribute  for  this 
purpose  in  proportion  to  their  means,  the  question  of  the  necessary 
funds  would  be  answered  during  the  coming  year.  There  are 
among  us  many  devoted  children  of  the  Church  who  have  been 
endowed  with  an  abundance  of  worldly  means,  and  it  is  to  them 
more  particularly  we  appeal  to  manifest  their  fidelity  to  the  faith 
and  traditions  of  their  fathers  by  their  generous  subscriptions. 
The  total  amount  required  could  be  tlonated  at  once  by  the 
wealthy  men  of  t)ur  diocese,  without  imposing  on  themselves  an 
excessive  burden  or  diminishing  to  an  appreciable  extent  the 
sources  of  their  income.  From  God's  goodness  they  have  received 
all  they  possess.  Will  they  not  for  his  honor  and  glory  bestow 
upon  his  Church  a  portion  of  that  abundance  which  they  owe  to 
him  ?  If  their  fathers  were  so  generous  in  spite  of  their  scanty 
resources,  what  may  we  not  expect  from  those  who  have  accumu- 
lated wealth  ?  They  know  well  that  their  liberalit)-  will  merit  a 
bountiful  reward.  Whatever  they  give  to  (lod  will  be  returned 
to  them  a  hundredfold  either  in  temporal  or  in  spiritual  blessings. 
In  a  few  years  at  most  they  must  relinquish  the  treasures  of  this 
world,  for  life  is  short  and  the  approach  of  death  inevitable.  But 
the  benefits  of  religion  which  they  can  foster  and  increase  by  a 
generous  use  of  their  wealth  wih  continue  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration, and  will  build  in  immortal  souls  the  noblest  of  all  monu- 
ments to  the  memory  of  those  who  have  employed  their  riches  to 
promote  the  glory  of  God. 

Were  it  possible  for  me  to  do  so,  I  should  visit  personally  dur- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  559 

ing  the  coming  year  all  those  who  can  easily  afford  to  contribute 
generousl)'  to  the  cathedral  fund,  and  appeal  to  them  to  assume 
their  proportionate  share  of  this  necessary  expenditure.  But  as 
my  manifold  duties  will  not  jiermit  me  to  undertake  this  personal 
visitation,  I  have  appointed  a  committee  for  the  purpose,  consisting 
of  the  Very  Rev.  Vicar-General,  Father  Sheppard,  the  Very  Rev. 
Dean  Flynn,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Kelly.  They  have  kindly  con- 
sented to  visit  in  my  name  all  the  prominent  and  more  prosperous 
Catholics  of  the  diocese,  to  appeal  to  their  generosity  and  public 
spirit,  and  to  afford  them  an  opportunity  of  making  an  offering  of 
thanksgiving  to  God  for  the  blessings  we  have  all  received  during 
the  past  hfty  years.  In  their  visitation  of  the  respective  parishes 
the  members  of  the  committee  will  be  accompanied  by  the  rev. 
pastor,  and  I  trust  that  he  will  in  every  instance  heartily  cooper- 
ate with  them  and  endeavor  to  secure  the  fullest  measure  of  suc- 
cess for  their  efforts. 

It  is  not  my  intention,  however,  to  limit  this  diocesan  offering 
to  those  who  are  wealthy.  The  great  body  of  the  people  will  also 
be  invited  to  contribute  to  a  special  collection  which  will  be  taken 
up  in  all  the  churches  of  the  diocese  and  of  which  due  notice  will 
be  given  hereafter.  Thus  all  without  exception  will  be  exjjected 
to  share  in  this  pledge  of  our  gratitude  and  this  testimony  of  our 
faith.  Never  before  has  the  whole  diocese  been  called  upon  to 
exert  all  its  energy  in  a  general  movement  of  this  kind.  But  in 
union  there  is  strength,  and  with  cordial  good  will  on  the  part  of 
all,  both  priests  and  jjcople,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  a  happy 
result. 

This  is  one  of  the  methods,  adopted  after  mature  deliberation, 
which  I  have  deemed  most  suitable  for  the  proper  celebration  of 
the  golden  jubilee  of  our  diocese.  Our  whole  history  in  the  past 
affords  me  the  assurance  that  this  appeal  will  not  be  in  vain.  I 
am  confident  that  the  Catholics  of  the  present  day  will  prove 
themselves  on  this  occasion  worthy  descendants  of  the  heroic  and 
self-sacrificing  pioneers  who  in  the  face  of  almost  insuperable  ob- 
stacles preserved  and  handed  down  to  us  unimpaired  the  priceless 
heritage  of  our  faith. 

That  our  efforts  may  not  be  fruitless  and  that  the  celebration 
of  our  jubilee  may  be  a  source  of  increased  graces  and  blessings 
to  every  Catholic  in  the  diocese,  I  desire  that  all  the  faithful,  rich 
and  poor,  young  and  old,  shall  make  the  coming  }ear  a  season  of 
special  prayer  and  thanksgiving.  To  this  end,  I  request  all  the 
pastors  to  assemble  their  people  in  their  respective  churches  at 
least  once  every  month  during  the  year  for  the  recitation  of  the 
Rosary  and  Benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament;  and  to  join 
with  them  after  Mass  every  Sunday  in  reciting  the  prayer  to  St. 
Joseph  for  the  temporal  and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  diocese.  I 
would  also  suggest  that  from  time  to  time  during  the  year  an  ap- 
propriate sermon  be  preached  recalling  the  most  important  events 
in  the  history  and  development  of  the  Church  in  this  State.  By 
this  means  the  present  generation  will  be  reminded  of  what  their 


560  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

fathers  willingly  suffered  for  the  faith ;  they  will  learn  to  appre- 
ciate more  fully  the  blessings  which  they  now  enjoy;  they  will  see 
more  clearly  that  the  secret  of  true  religious  progress  and  success 
in  the  future,  as  in  the  past,  is  to  be  found  in  fervent  prayer,  in 
devoted  self-sacrifice,  and  in  humble  fidelity  to  the  teachings  and 
commands  of  the  one  true  Church  founded  by  our  Lord  and 
Saviour,  Jesus  Christ. 

Wishing  you  every  blessing,  I  am. 

Yours  sincerely  in  Xto, 

•J*  John  J.  O'Connor, 

Bishop  of  Nczuark. 

The  great  structure,  now  rearing  aloft  its  towers  and  clere- 
story on  the  commanding  summit  of  Branch  Brook  Park,  is  un- 
doubtedly a  great  undertaking,  but  one  to  which  the  Catholics  of 
the  peerless  Diocese  of  Newark  are  committed.  Their  numbers, 
their  wealth,  the  wonderful  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  episcopal 
city,  the  thorough  equipment  of  the  diocese  in  churches,  schools, 
convents,  hospitals,  orphanages,  and  homes — in  a  word,  with  every 
requisite  for  the  spread  and  maintenance  of  religion — all  demand 
that  this  one  void  shall  be  filled  and  that  the  diocese  must  have  its 
cathedral.  There  is  not  wanting  a  cavilling  spirit,  which  seeks  to 
cloak  its  meanness  in  complaints  regarding  the  location.  These 
objections  have  always  been  raised,  and  time  has  proven  their 
futility.  A  cathedral  is  not  built  for  a  day,  for  an  age.  It  is  built 
for  all  time.  And  who  will  dare  predict  the  magnitude  of  Newark 
twenty-five  and  fifty  years  hence .?  It  seems  but  yesterday  that 
its  population  was  but  20,000,  that  its  Catholic  churches  numbered 
only  four,  that  its  northern  boundary  was  the  stone  bridge  and  its 
southern  Lincoln  Park ;  that  little  evidence  of  dwellings  was  seen 
in  the  west  beyond  Roseville,  and  the  gas-house  beyond  the  rail- 
road was  the  last  landmark  on  the  east.  There  were  then  no 
Sunday  trains,  no  horse-cars — the  trolley  was  not  even  dreamed 
of.  Newark  was  then  a  drowsy  city,  a  suburb  of  New  York,  too 
listless  to  afford  a  decent  hotel  to  the  buyers  of  its  wares.  But 
how  changed !  And  how  great  and  far-reaching  will  be  the 
changes  when  the  diocese  will  celebrate  its  centenary ! 

Following  the  circular  of  the  bishop  the  committee  sent  out  in 
advance  of  their  projected  visit  the  subjoined: 

The  enclosed  circular  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  J.  O'Connor,  D.D., 
Bishop  of  Newark,  will  fully  explain  the  object  of  this  note.  Our 
task  has  been  called  stupendous,  Jicrculeait,  and  we  realize  that  it 
is  not  easy ;  but  the  kindness  with  which  we  have  been  received, 
and  the  opportunity  afforded  us  to  meet  our  co-religionists,  not 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  561 

only  abreast  with  the  most  successful  of  our  business  men,  but  in 
many  instances  leaders  in  their  spheres  of  industry,  has  encouraged 
and  cheered  us,  and,  above  all,  has  been  for  us  a  source  of  gratifi- 
cation. 

We  find,  however,  that  to  enable  us  to  cover  the  field  and  carry 
out  the  purpose  of  our  bishop  within  a  reasonable  limit  of  time — 
and  to  enable  those  upon  whom  it  is  our  privilege  to  call  to  deter- 
mine just  how  generously  they  will  respond  to  the  appeal  of  their 
first  pastor — it  is  imperative  to  advise  them  in  advance  of  the  time 
of  our  visit. 

We  beg  then  to  inform  you  that  we  will  have  the  honor  of  call- 
ing on  you 

and  hoj^e  that  you  will  be  prepared  to  give  substantial  aid  in  a 
work  which  is  to  prove  to  the  world  the  loyalty  and  gratitude  of 
the  Catholics  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark. 

The  committee  pursued  their  quest  for  nearly  a  year,  and  if 
their  hopes  were  not  fully  realized,  they  were  at  least  successful 
in  bringing  the  leading  Catholics  of  the  diocese  into  line  with  the 
action  of  the  bishop  and  convincing  them  of  the  necessity  of 
cooperation  in  this  great  work  in  which  the  honor  of  the  diocese 
was  at  stake. 

As  the  day  of  the  jubilee  approached.  Bishop  O'Connor  ad- 
dressed another  circular,  in  which  he  appealed  to  the  diocese  in 
general  to  make  a  thanksgiving  offering  to  be  devoted  to  the 
cathedral  fund.  A  prompt  and  generally  generous  response  to 
this  circular  •realized  $34,645.71. 

Bishop's  House,  552  South  Orange  Ave., 
South  Orange,  N.  J.,  Oct.  ist,  1903. 

Rev.  dear  Sir  :  In  November  of  last  year  you  received  a  let- 
ter, a  copy  of  which  is  herewith  enclosed,  in  regard  to  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  golden  jubilee  of  the  diocese.  As  stated  at  that  time, 
a  committee,  consisting  of  the  Very  Rev.  Vicar-General,  Father 
Sheppard,  Very  Rev.  Dean  Flynn,  and  Rev.  Dr.  Kelly,  was  ap- 
pointed to  visit  the  more  prosperous  and  wealthy  Catholics  of  the 
respective  parishes  and  request  them  to  contribute  generously  to 
the  fund  for  our  new  cathedral. 

You  will  be  pleased  to  learn  that  the  efforts  of  the  committee 
have  been  repaid  with  considerable  success.  The  members  of 
that  committee  are  deserving  of  our  heartfelt  gratitude.  To  them 
and  to  all  who  responded  to  their  appeal  the  whole  diocese  is 
deeply  indebted.  They  have  performed  a  service  of  permanent 
value,  and  in  a  spirit  of  genuine  charity  and  self-sacrifice  have 
materially  diminished  the  weight  of  a  heavy  burden. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  however,  that  we  are  far  from 
having  obtained  the  amount  required  to  permit  our  proceeding  at 
36 


562  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

once  to  the  completion  of  the  cathedral.  Yet  the  duty  of  press- 
ing forward  in  this  work  is  the  most  imperative  that  at  present 
demands  our  attention.  To  interrupt  in  its  present  stage  an 
undertaking  so  important  and  already  so  far-advanced  would  be 
highly  discreditable  to  the  diocese  and  might  involve  serious  injury 
to  the  partly  finished  edifice. 

In  view  of  these  facts  it  has  been  deemed  advisable  to  have  re- 
course to  a  special  collection  for  the  cathedral  fund  as  a  means  of 
overcoming  our  present  difficulties.  This  collection  will  take 
place  in  every  church  of  the  diocese  on  the  third  Sunday  of  Octo- 
ber, and  you  are  most  earnestly  requested  to  exert  yourself  to  the 
utmost  in  persuading  your  parishioners  to  be  more  than  usually 
generous  in  their  offerings  to  this  collection.  If  its  object  and 
importance  be  clearly  explained  to  them,  they  will  doubtless  be 
willing  to  make  an  extraordinary  effort  for  this  purpose  as  a  fitting 
recognitifjn  of  our  golden  jubilee  and  as  a  timely  response  to  a 
most  urgent  and  pressing  need. 

The  completion  of  the  cathedral  would  be  such  a  source  of  re- 
lief and  of  gratification  to  all  of  us,  antl  such  an  honor  to  the  entire 
diocese,  that  you  will  certainl)-  make  this  appeal  as  forcible  as 
words  will  permit.  It  would  be  a  bitter  disappointment  if  the  re- 
sult of  this  collection  should  fail  to  be  worthy  of  the  occasion. 

There  is  every  reason  to  beliexe  and  expect  that  the  sum  real- 
ized in  each  church  will  at  least  be  equal  to  that  of  a  Christmas 
collection. 

This  expectation  will  be  more  than  fulfilled  if  all  the  pastors 
will  take  effective  measures  in  advance  to  secure  the  success  of 
the  collection.  A  mere  announcement  of  the  date  on  which  the 
jubilee  offering  is  to  be  made  would  of  course  doom  it  to  certain 
failure.  But  if  every  pastor  will  devote  himself  to  promoting  its 
success,  with  the  energy  and  earnestness  employed  on  extraordi- 
nary occasions  of  parish  needs,  the  results  will  beyond  doubt  be 
very  gratifying.  You  will  please  therefore,  at  all  the  Masses  on 
the  two  Sundays  preceding  the  collection  urge  your  people  to 
make  a  supreme  eflFort,  reminding  them  that  this  is  a  jubilee  offer- 
ing and  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  the  history  of  the  diocese. 

To  each  of  the  churches  a  number  of  envelopes  will  be  sent, 
corresponding  to  the  number  of  adults  in  the  congregation  as  indi- 
cated in  the  annual  financial  statement.  Kindly  have  these  enve- 
lopes distributed  to  every  household  in  your  parish  during  the  week 
preceding  the  collection.  This  can  be  easily  accomplished  through 
the  children  of  the  parochial  school  or  the  members  of  the  sodali- 
ties—provided the  parish  be  properly  districted  for  the  jun-pose. 

As  you  are  aware,  the  hopes  entertained  by  the  late  Bishop 
Wigger  of  obtaining  for  the  cathedral  fund  $100,000  every  year 
by  assessments  and  other  similar  means  have  proved  futile.  Six 
years  have  elapsed  and  only  $§332,000  have  been  received;  and  of 
this  amount  more  than  one-fourth  has  been  subscribed  by  the 
priests  of  the  diocese  from  their  own  personal  income.  When  the 
clergy  have  so  liberally  borne  their  portion  of  the  burden,  it  is 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  ^63 

surely  not  unreasonable  to  expect  that  every  adult  among  the  laity 
will  give  at  least  one  dollar  to  this  collection.  Doubtless  the 
majority  of  the  faithful  will  be  far  more  generous,  contributing  on 
so  noteworthy  an  occasion  in  proportion  to  the  means  with  which 
God  has  blessed  them. 

It  is  true  that  every  parish  has  its  own  needs  which  require 
constant  demands  on  the  financial  cooperation  of  the  peo[)le.  But 
you  need  not  be  reminded  that  the  one  object  for  which  all  of  us 
—bishop,  priests,  and  laity — are  laboring  is  the  glory  of  God  and 
the  salvation  of  souls.  Whether  our  charitable  donations  be 
directed  to  the  local  parish  church  or  to  a  diocesan  institution 
such  as  the  cathedral,  our  motive  is  the  same  and  with  equal 
reason  we  may  anticipate  an  abundant  reward.  Precedence  o\er 
other  works  of  zeal  and  charity  is  this  year  rec[uested  for  the  build- 
ing of  the  cathedral,  only  because  it  is  a  heavier  burden  and  a  more 
urgent  need.  The  clergy  and  laity  of  this  diocese  have  never 
been  appealed  to  in  vain  during  previous  }ears.  May  God  grant 
that  they  will  now  prove  themselves  worthy  of  the  high  esteem 
which  they  have  always  merited  in  the  past,  when  called  upon  to 
make  a  sacrifice  of  earthly  possessions  for  the  interests  of  religion. 
Needless  to  say,  their  warm-liearted  response  to  this  appeal  will 
be  deeply  and  gratefully  appreciated  b)' 

Yours  very  sincerely  in  Xto,  *  John  J.  O'Connor. 

Tuesday,  November  3d,  1903,  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the 
arrival  in  the  diocese  of  its  first  bishop,  the  Rt.  Rev.  James  Roose- 
velt Bayley,  D.D.,  was  celebrated  in  St.  Patrick's  pro-Cathedral, 
Newark,  in  the  presence  of  his  Excellency,  the  Most  Rev.  Dio- 
mede  Ealconio,  Apostolic  Delegate,  the  Most  Rev.  Archbishop 
F'arley  of  New  York,  Bishop  McOuaid  of  Rochester,  Bishop 
McDonnell  of  Brooklyn,  and  Bishop  McF"aul  of  Trenton.  More 
than  three  hundred  priests,  from  the  dioceses  of  Newark,  Tren- 
ton, and  New  York,  were  present.  The  Mass  was  celebrated  by 
the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  O'Connor,  with  Monsignor  Stafford  as  assist- 
ant priest,  the  Rev.  P'rancis  O'Neill  deacon,  the  Rev.  Isaac  P. 
Whelan  sub-deacon,  and  the  Rev.  Thomas  A.  Wallace  master 
of  ceremonies. 

The  sermon  was  preached  by  the  venerable  Bishop  of  Roches- 
ter, the  only  survivor  of  all  the  clergymen  who  took  part  in  the 
installation  of  Bishop  Bayley  fifty  years  before. 

Bishop  McOuaid  was  the  third  rector  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 
dral. His  topic  was  the  early  history  of  Catholicity  in  New  Jer- 
sey, going  back  to  colonial  days,  he  spoke  of  missionary  priests  in 
the  early  ]iart  of  the  last  century,  the  formation  of  New  Jersey 
into  a  diocese,  the  obstacles  bishops,  priests,  and  people  had  to 
overcome  before  the  diocese  became  strong. 


564  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Though  he  is  eighty  years  old  he  talked  for  an  hour.  He  was 
as  eloquent  as  of  old,  but  unfortunately  his  voice  did  not  reach  to 
all  parts  of  the  church.     He  said : 

At  all  times  the  Christian  praises. God  for  blessings,  and  every 
day  and  hour  we  should  thank  God  for  what  he  does  for  us.  We 
should  pray  to  him  in  sunlight  and  darkness,  success  and  failure. 
But  a  day  like  this,  when  the  memory  is  filled  with  pictures  of 
the  trials  of  our  diocese  and  its  final  success,  we  have  special  cause 
for  joy  and  praise  and  prayer  for  God's  mercy. 

He  spoke  of  a  Catholic  priest  working  in  New  Jersey  in  the 
seventeenth  century,  and  he  then  told  of  Catholics  in  the  eigh- 
teenth century  settling  at  the  iron  mines  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  State.  Two  German  Jesuit  priests,  Schneider  and  Farmer, 
men  of  God,  who  made  every  sacrifice  to  save  souls,  visited  the 
people  in  the  forest  cabins.  There  was  no  bishop  in  the  United 
States  except  in  Baltimore,  and  there  were  no  priests  but  mission- 
aries, who  tramped  from  cabin  to  cabin. 

But  after  New  York  obtained  a  bishop  a  priest  was  put  in 
charge  of  northern  New  Jersey.  He  first  went  to  Paterson. 
Father  Bulger  also  trudged  up  to  Madison  and  other  places  where 
a  few  Catholic  families  had  settled.  He  did  it  in  the  coldest  win- 
ter weather.  Bishop  McOuaid  went  himself  over  the  same  route 
as  a  mission  priest.  In  1805  a  priest  from  New  York  sailed  regu- 
larly in  a  sloop  to  Elizabethport,  and  then  trudged  up  to  Morris- 
town,  Madison,  and  the  mines  to  minister  to  souls. 

Bishop  McQuaid  described  the  work  of  Father  Powers  and 
the  Rev.  Gregory  B.  Pardow  in  Newark  more  than  a  decade  after 
1820,  and  how  Catholic  immigrants  began  to  settle  in  Elizabeth, 
Belleville,  and  other  places.  But  as  late  as  1 847  there  were  less 
than  a  dozen  priests  resident  in  New  Jersey.  Paterson  had  the 
first  church,  and  Newark  the  first  resident  pastor. 

Bishop  McQuaid  told  of  the  bigotry  and  prejudice  in  Newark 
long  after  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  was  opened  in  1850.  There  was 
so  much  prejudice  against  Catholics  that  banks  would  not  loan 
money  to  pay  for  the  ground  on  which  the  cathedral  stood.  But 
education  finally  killed  most  of  the  prejudice.  J.  Roosevelt  Bay- 
ley,  a  convert,  was  consecrated  a  bishop  in  1853,  and  assigned  to 
New  Jersey,  and  St.  Patrick's  Church  was  selected  as  the  cathe- 
dral church.     Bishop  McOuaid  said  :  . 

Very  few  men  knew  Dr.  Bayley  as  well  as  Monsignor  Doane 
and  myself,  and  we  are  the  only  ones  now  living  who  can  speak  of 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  565 

him  as  he  was.  He  was  a  true  gentleman,  an  educated  man  of 
good  family,  and  he  loved  the  poor  and  always  worked  for  their 
betterment.  He  was  a  Catholic  in  mind,  walk,  talk,  and  in  every 
fibre  of  his  body.  He  sacrificed  a  fortune  of  $100,000  by  joining 
our  faith,  because  he  believed  in  heart  and  soul  it  was  the  only 
true  faith.  He  believed  in  education,  and  brought  the  Sisters  of 
Charity  here  to  teach  the  young  children.  He  established  Seton 
Hall  College  to  educate  young  men  for  the  priesthood,  and  St. 
Elizabeth's  Convent  for  educating  young  women  as  sisters  to 
teach  your  daughters. 

Bishop  McQuaid  rose  to  the  eloquence,  dramatic  force,  and 
beauty  of  expression  of  his  early  days  in  speaking  of  the  work  of 
Dr  Bayley  and  also  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  and  their  work  in 
teaching  little  boys  and  girls. 

Bishop  McQuaid  told  of  the  great  immigration  from  Ireland 
and  Germany  while  Bishop  Bayley  was  here,  and  how  he  provided 
schools  and  teachers  for  the  children  of  these  poor  people,  and 
the  fatherly  interest  he  took  in  them.  He  impressed  upon  his 
priests  continually  the  importance  of  educating  the  young,  and  for 
that  purpose  starting  parochial  schools  and  giving  religious  as  well 
as  secular  instruction. 

Tributes  were  paid  by  Bishop  McQuaid  to  the  work  of  the 
early  missionaries  and  the  priests  who  labored  with  him.  He 
spoke  of  the  Rev.  Patrick  Moran,  who  built  old  St.  John's  Church, 
in  Mulberry  Street,  St.  Peter's,  in  Belleville,  and  started  St. 
Patrick's  Cathedral,  drawing  the  plans  for  each  building,  as  "the 
grand  old  patriarch,  a  man  of  God,  whose  heart  loved  humanity." 

Then  addressing  the  many  young  priests  in  front  of  him, 
Bishop  McQuaid  told  them  that  these  sacrifices  of  the  older 
priests,  almost  all  of  whom  had  passed  to  their  reward,  was  a 
grand  example  for  them.  If  they  continued  to  work  as  zealously 
for  the  faith  as  the  clergy  of  the  past  did,  fifty  years  hence  the 
Catholic  faith  might  be  the  greatest  power  in  our  country  and 
save  it  from  moral  destruction. 

The  evil  of  divorce,  which  was  destroying  American  homes, 
must  be  crushed  by  Christian  work,  and  people  should  be  taught 
that  such  love  of  money  as  tempted  men  to  evil  means  to  get  it 
would  in  time  ruin  the  country.  The  Catholic  Church  could, 
with  a  loyal  clergy  and  faithful,  virtuous  people,  do  much  for  this 
glorious  land  of  liberty. 

At  the  close  of  the  services  in  the  pro-cathedral  the  clergy  at- 
tended a  banquet  in  the  Krueger  Auditorium.  The  Rev.  James 
J.  Sheehan  was  the  thaliarchus  of  the  occasion,  and  introduced 


566  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

successively  his  Excellency  Archbishop  l^^alconio,  who  lesponded 
to  the  toast,  '•  Pius  X.'";  the  Most  Rev.  John  M.  1^'arley,  D.D., 
"Our  Ruler";  the  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  Doane,  P.A.,  "The  Pio- 
neers—Lay and  Clerical  "  ;  the  Rt.  Rev.  R.  J.  McQuaid,  D.U.,  "  The 
Old  Guard";  the  Very  Rev.  William  McNulty,  V.F.,  "Our  Co- 
workers, the  Religious";  the  Rev.  Andrew  M.  Egan,  "The  Im- 
migrant of  To-day'";  and,  tinally.  l^ishop  O'Connor. 

His  Excellency  the  Apostolic  Delegate  at  the  beginning  of 
his  remarks  expressed  the  pleasure  he  felt  in  this  his  first  visit  to 
the  Diocese  of  Newark. 

It  was,  he  said,  one  of  the  man}'  happ}'  surprises  he  had  experi- 
enced in  his  travels  throughout  the  United  States.  The  numer- 
ous churches,  schools,  orphanages,  hosjMtals,  and  similar  charitable 
institutions  he  found  here  testify  in  an  emphatic  manner  to  the 
zeal  of  the  members  of  the  faith  and  the  energ}'  of  the  diocesan 
priests  in  jiarticular. 

Reference  was  made  by  the  speaker  of  the  death  of  Pope  Leo 
XIII.  and  the  selection  of  his  successor.  The  world-wide  expres- 
sion of  sorrow  at  the  Pontiff's  death,  he  declared,  was  a  sign  of 
the  growing  tendency  toward  the  general  betterment  of  mankind, 
and  one  that  was  brought  about  to  a  great  extent  by  the  example 
of  the  Pope's  life.  The  selection  of  Cardinal  Sarto  as  successor 
to  Leo  XIII.,  the  archbishop  went  on,  exemplified  the  general 
desire  of  the  Catholic  Church  to  follow  in  the  predecessor's  foot- 
steps. Mention  was  made  of  the  spirit  of  humbleness  that  \vas 
displayed  by  the  present  Pope  when  his  election  was  assured,  and 
attention  was  called  to  the  example  shown  in  his  simplicity  of 
habits.  The  world  is  growing,  said  the  distinguished  guest,  to 
realize  that  the  papacy  is  something  more  than  a  past  history,  that 
it  has  a  mission  to  perform,  and  that  it  is  a  divine  one.  In  closing 
he  tendered  his  congratulations  and  good  wishes  to  the  diocese  in 
general. 

Archbishop  P^arley,  after  a  few  preliminary  remarks,  told  of  the 
happiness  he  experienced  in  listening  at  the  morning  service  to  the 
story  of  the  pioneer  Catholics  of  New  Jersey  and  New  York,  as 
told  by  the  venerable  Bishop  McQuaid.  Then  returning  to  his 
subject  he  first  expressed  himself  b)-  declaring  that  his  greatest 
worldly  privilege  he  considered  was  that  of  being  an  American 
citizen.     The  prelate  said : 

Our  country  is  the  most  respected  of  the  nations  of  the  earth. 
We  believe  in  finance,  and  our  reputation  in  this  respect  has  by 


IN    NF.W    JERSEY  567 

our  commercial  dealings  lifted  us  far  above  other  nations.  My 
personal  experiences  in  the  lands  beyond  the  seas  has  led  me  to 
this  conclusion,  I  found  that  in  Jerusalem  the  American  green- 
back which  I  had  was  always  welcomed,  even  more  than  the 
English  sovereign. 

Another  reason  for  this  great  reputation  which  the  American 
nation  possesses  is  that  the  ],)eople  of  whom  I  am  proud  to  say  I 
am  a  single  factor  has  the  highest  conception  of  the  dignity  of 
mankind.  There  is  no  other  nation  that  can  come  together  and 
in  the  space  of  a  few  hours  place  the  guardianship  of  the  country 
into  the  hands  of  one  man.  This  nation  has  existed  one  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  years  and  has  seen  many  Presidents.  The  trust 
granted  to  these  rulers  has  never  been  betrayed,  never  violated 
to  any  extent.  This  is  not  like  some  of  the  alleged  republics  that 
are  said  to  believe  in  libert)",  ec|ualit}',  and  fraternity  They  betray 
the  liberty  of  the  people  who  place  them  in  power  for  the  sake 
only  of  private  opinion  and  to  attain  their  own  personal  ends. 

Our  rulers  have  always  been  men  of  sterling  qualities,  irre- 
spective of  political  opinion.  Of  our  present  Pr:sident,  I  feel  free 
to  say  that  there  is  no  other  denomination  in  the  United  States 
that  he  has  more  profound  respect  for  than  the  people  and  priests 
of  the  Catholic  Church  Let  us  show  ourselves  worthy  always  of 
his  appro\-al  I  feel  from  m}-  personal  knowledge  that  what  jus- 
tice demands  our  ruler  will  not  withhold  from  us. 

Bishop  McOuaid  was  the  next  speaker.  He  replied  to  the 
toast,  "The  Old  Guard— by  the  Last  of  the  Old  Guard."  The 
remarks  of  the  bishop  were  directed  to  the  labors  of  the  pioneer 
priests  of  New  Jersey  and  the  results  of  their  work.  He  exhorted 
his  hearers  to  continue  in  the  same  line  of  energy,  and  asserted 
that  the  young  men  of  to-day  that  are  working  in  God's  vineyard 
are  but  the  old  guard  of  to-morrow — ever  fighting  and  dying,  but 
never  surrendering.  The  growth  of  Catholicity  in  New  Jersey 
was  a  noble  testimonial  to  the  men  that  braved  intolerance  and 
physical  dangers  in  the  da}'S  pre\'ious  to  fifty  years  ago,  and  even 
afterward  In  the  faith  of  the  Church,  he  said,  there  was  every 
reason  to  fight  on.  It  is  a  battle  for  souls,  he  declared,  and  one 
that  always  has  resulted  in  religious  and  physical  benefit.  He 
told  of  personal  experiences  with  Bishop  Bayley  at  the  time  the 
latter  was  head  of  the  Newark  diocese,  and  of  the  labors  of  the 
Sisters  of  Charity  in  the  causes  of  religion  and  education. 

"The  Pioneers"  was  the  subject  to  which  Monsignor  Doane 
made  reply.  He  spoke  reminiscently  of  the  days  of  Father 
Moran,  the  first  pastor  of  the  cathedral  parish  of  this  city,  of 
Fathers  Roger,  Kelly,  Powers,  Ouinn,  and  other  priests  who,  he 
said,  were  often  forced  to  carry  their  vestments  about  with  them 


568  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

in  laboring  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  Catholics  of  this  sec- 
tion. The  Monsignor  ended  his  discourse  by  quoting  statistics 
showing  the  growth  in  the  Newark  diocese  during  the  last  fifty 
years.  The  number  of  priests,  he  said,  had  increased  from  about 
twenty  to  more  than  three  hundred  and  twenty,  and  the  growth  in 
point  of  members  of  the  faith  was  even  greater  in  proportion. 

Dean  McNulty  followed  the  Newark  clergyman  and  answered 
to  "Our  Co-workers,  the  Religious."  The  tall,  white-haired, 
priest  made  a  venerable  picture  as  he  rose  to  respond.  After  a 
comparison  of  the  institutions  that  were  erected  by  the  Catholics 
of  New  Jersey  with  those  of  the  public  he  reverted  to  the  princi- 
ple of  Christian  education.  This,  he  said,  was  carried  out  in  a 
definite  way  by  the  Catholics  alone.  Bishop  Bay  ley,  he  said, 
started  the  system  of  Catholic  parochial  schools  in  New  Jersey. 
He  praised  the  work  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  particularly  for 
their  efforts  in  behalf  of  education. 

Father  Egan  then  paid  an  eloquent  tribute  to  the  immigrants 
who  helped  to  build  up  the  country. 

When  we  consider  the  magnificent  progress  and  prosperity  of 
the  Catholic  Church  in  this  country,  and  especially  in  this  diocese, 
whose  golden  jubilee  we  thus  commemorate;  and  when  we  still 
further  remember  the  noble  part  that  the  immigrant  of  the  past 
had  in  this  marvellous  development,  we  can  readily  realize  at 
once  the  happy  thought  that  must  have  filled  the  mind  of  him 
whose  pleasant  task  it  was  to  assign  "The  Immigrant  of  To-day  " 
as  one  of  the  toasts  at  this  festive  banquet,  and  on  which  I  have 
the  honor  to  address  you ;  and  in  rising  to  respond  to  it  I  do  so 
with  somewhat  of  diffidence  and  a  feeling  of  inability  adequately  to 
treat  what  must  be  apparent  to  us  all  as  one  of  the  great  problems 
calling  for  solution  on  the  part  of  church  and  state  in  this  grand 
and  glorious  country  of  ours. 

But  the  remembrance  of  the  past  marvellous  history  of  the 
Church  in  this  country  will,  I  trust,  bring  me  some  inspiration  to 
unfold  somewhat  of  the  thought  suggested  by  this  trust. 

In  terminating  here  at  this  festive  board  the  great  joy  that 
has  filled  our  hearts  to-day,  mindful  of  what  has  been  its  source 
— that  happy  and  auspicious  moment  when  the  first  bishop  of  this 
diocese,  the  lamented  Archbishop  Bayley,  of  sweetest  and  beloved 
memory,  came  to  this  city  of  Newark  to  begin  that  work  of  apos- 
tolic rule  so  grandly  fruitful  and  so  nobly  perpetuated  by  his  emi- 
nent successors — we,  to-day.  Right  Reverend  Bishop  and  fellow- 
priests,  rightly  and  gladly  sing  out  to  the  Most  High  our  Te 
Dcum,  and  join  in  the  warmest  hope  that  when  the  centennial  of 
our  ecclesiastical  existence  shall  come  around,  other  voices  and 
other  hearts  shall  similarly  chant  their  alleluia  in  tones  equal  to 
it;  not  surpassing  those  that  form  to-day  the  anthem  of  our  joy. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  569 

The  Catholic  Church  in  this  country  was  primarily  and  funda- 
mentally built  up  by  a  magnificent  band  of  immigrants,  driven 
from  their  beloved  lands  by  causes  that  I  need  not  mention.  Set- 
tling here  among  a  people  ever  ready  to  extend  the  warm  hand  of 
welcome  to  the  stranger,  they  brought  with  them  the  flaming 
torch  of  their  undying  faith ;  that  faith  that  has  been  so  effulgent 
over  many  a  land,  whose  brightness  is  as  undimmed  as  the  day 
when  the  Divine  Spirit  irradiated  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the 
apostles  on  the  Pentecost  of  long  ago.  Truly  may  we  say  the 
finger  of  God  is  here. 

The  immigrant  of  the  past  and  his  noble  descendants  have 
done  a  mighty  work  in  the  cause  of  God,  and  under  conditions  and 
circumstances  that  none  but  the  stanchest  could  have  braved  and 
conquered.  Great  battles  have  been  fought  in  this  land  of  relig- 
ious tolerance — a  truth  providentially  enshrined  as  a  jewel  in  a 
casket,  in  the  basic  constitution  of  this  country. 

The  religious  warriors  of  the  past  struggled  valiantly  to  main- 
tain even  at  the  cost  of  life  that  constitution !  And  that  particu- 
lar part  of  it  that  has  made  this  country  what  it  is  to-day  in  relig- 
ion, the  home  of  the  free,  in  the  practice  of  one's  conscientious 
duty  to  his  God  and  his  neighbor. 

If  then  we  have  cause  for  joy  at  what  has  been  accomplished 
by  our  forefathers,  if  we  rejoice  at  what  has  been  the  gigantic 
task  of  that  memorable  band  of  missionaries  that  crossed  the 
mighty  deep,  we  must  likewise  look  upon  the  immigrants  of  to- 
day as  coming  hither  filled  with  the  same  spirit  of  maintaining  the 
priceless  legacy  of  their  faith. 

Who  are  the  immigrants  of  to-day .?  They  are  chiefly  from 
Ireland,  Germany,  Austria-Hungary,  and  Italy,  all  Catholic  coun- 
tries but  one.  It  is  not  mine  to  tell  you  why  they  come  hither, 
but  of  one  thing  I  am  certain,  that  they  bring  with  them  the  same 
faith  that  characterized  those  whose  work  we  are  to-day  rejoicing 
in.  They  come  from  lands  Catholic  to  the  core — lands  conse- 
crated by  saintly  steps  and  the  martyr's  blood.  They  have  not, 
it  is  true,  the  battlefields  as  of  yore ;  they  have  but  to  perpetuate 
what  is  dearer  than  life  itself — their  holy  religion.  And  this,  I 
believe,  will  be  providentially  carried  out,  for  I  cannot  think  that 
God  will  permit  that  their  advent  here  shall  be  the  stepping-stone 
of  the  destruction  of  their  faith. 

We  cannot  deny  that  difference  of  speech  is  an  obstacle  to  the 
full  and  immediate  accomplishment  of  one's  religious  duty  in  all 
respects,  but  it  is  only  temporary.  "  Nemo  propheta  in  patria 
sua."  Yet  I  venture  the  prediction  that  the  multitude  of  immi- 
grants of  to-day  will  carry  on  the  same  work  in  the  cause  of  God 
and  his  holy  religion  as  has  been  done  in  the  past.  A  loss  of 
faith  here  and  there,  while  saddening,  it  is  true,  should  not  dis- 
hearten us  Such  sorrow  has  pierced  the  heart  of  the  Church  in 
the  many  centuries  of  her  glorious  existence,  and  yet  she  is  to-day 
brilliant  of  progress  in  many  lands,  and  nowhere  more  potently 
than  in  our  own  beloved  America. 


570  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

There  is  then  the  same  work  for  the  immigrant  of  to-day  as  for 
the  immigrant  of  the  past,  and  under  God,  through  the  instru- 
mentahty  of  the  ecclesiastical  powers  and  their  subordinates,  time 
will  show,  as  formerly,  that  our  hopes  will  be  fulfilled  in  the  effec- 
tive part  that  the  Irishman,  the  German,  the  Pole,  the  Slav,  and 
the  Italian  shall  play  in  the  furtherance  of  the  Church's  interests 
and  its  certain  progress  in  the  years  to  come. 

In  this  very  diocese  whose  golden  jubilee  we  are  joyfully  com- 
memorating, here,  as  elsewhere,  we  are  the  witnesses  of  the  shep- 
herd's zeal  in  pro\'iding  for  the  spiritual  wants  of  those  who  come 
to  our  shores,  strangers  to  our  ways  and  our  speech.  Everywhere 
their  spiritual  interests  are  being  cared  for,  as  is  evidenced  in  the 
erection  of  parishes  conformable  to  their  respective  languages. 
We  must  not  be  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  in  the  past  building 
up  of  the  Church  in  this  country  by  the  immigrant  there  was  no 
such  handicapping  in  the  knowledge  of  the  language  as  confronts 
the  newcomer  of  to-day,  and  therefore  little  wonder  is  it  if  we  be- 
hold not  the  direct  and  immediate  results  which  characterized  the 
times  and  labors  of  those  whose  splendid  and  mai'vellous  heroism 
in  the  face  of  the  most  bitter  and  most  unrelenting  jiersecution 
we  to-day  so  joyfully  commemorate. 

Explain  as  we  may  the  cause  of  the  great  tide  of  immigration 
hither  we  cannot  but  look  upon  it  as  a  divine  instrument  in  the 
still  further  building  up  of  the  Church.  It  may  not  be  our  hap- 
piness to  behold  the  full  accomplishment  of  this  divine  jnu-pose, 
but  I  cannot  doubt — I  am  possessed  of  the  strongest  faith — that 
the  immigrant  of  to-day  will  Imt  imitate  and  execute  the  brilliant 
task  of  former  days. 

I  know  further  that  on  the  pages  of  the  future  history  of 
Catholicity  here  and  of  the  onward  growth  of  our  hoi)'  religion  no 
name  shall  be  more  resplendent  and  none  merit  more  the  approba- 
tion of  posterity  than  our  own  Diocese  of  Newark,  built  up  as  it 
has  been  by  the  immigrants  of  the  past  and  enlarged  b\-  the  immi- 
grants of  to-day.  To  its  reverend  and  noble  shepherd  my  most 
affectionate  greetings.  It  is  a  great  i:)leasure  for  me  to  see  this 
day,  because  I  am  the  son  of  one,  still  living,  who  was  a  witness 
to  and  a  humble  sharer  in  that  royal  welcome  accorded  the  first 
Bishop  of  Newark  fifty  years  ago — ad  rnnltos pluriniosque  annos. 

The  final  address  was  made  by  Bishop  O'Connor,  who  was 
greeted  with  a  series  of  cheers.  He  spoke  in  a  general  way  of  the 
work  of  the  Catholic  clergy  in  the  Newark  diocese  and  the  schools 
which  they  had  caused  to  be  erected.  The  first  half-century  of 
the  diocese,  he  declared,  was  something  to  be  proud  of.  There 
were  more  cheers  when  the  bishoj)  announced  the  formal  close  of 
the  occasion. 

Wednesday  evening,  November  4th,  the  laity  of  the  diocese 
who  had  responded  to  the  appeal  of  Bishop  O'Connor  assembled 


IN    NKW    JERSEY  571 

ill  the  Krueger  Auditorium.  As  they  entered  the  hall  they  were 
met  by  the  Cathedral  Fund  Committee,  Monsignor  Sheppard, 
Dean  Flynn,  and  Dr.  Kelly,  and  introduced  individually  to  Bishop 
O'Connor.  It  was  a  remarkable  gathering,  one  of  the  most  note- 
worthy in  the  history  of  the  diocese.  Every  section,  every  profes- 
sion, every  age  was  represented.  The  venerable  Michael  Rowe, 
who  remembered  the  first  resident  pastor  of  Newark,  Father  Par- 
dow;  the  honorable  /Eneas  Fitzpatrick,  whose  erect  form  and 
youthful  activity  gave  no  indication  that  he  was  one  of  the  last 
survivors  of  the  early  pioneers,  the  patriarchal  father  of  the  Rev. 
Bernard  M  Bogan,  were  foremost  among  the  guests  to  whom 
special  honor  was  paid. 

During  the  repast  an  orchestra  played  popular  airs,  and  when 
it  was  concluded  Dr.  Kelly  introduced  former  United  States  Sena- 
tor James  Smith,  Jr.,  to  answer  to  the  toast,  "The  Charms  of  the 
Old  Cathedral." 

The  former  senator  referred  to  the  pleasure  he  felt  in  being 
called  on  to  answer  to  the  toast.  He  said  he  was  born  in  St.  Pat- 
rick's parish  and  baptized  in  the  cathedral,  and  had  been  granted 
the  privilege  of  making  his  first  communion  and  receiving  other 
sacraments  of  the  Church  in  the  edifice.  There  was  an  added 
personal  charm  to  him,  he  went  on,  in  the  fact  that  he  had  seen 
his  family  grow  up  within  its  loving  care. 

Continuing,  he  said  in  part: 

The  greatest  of  all  the  charms  of  the  old  cathedral  is  the  affec- 
tion that  has  always  existed  between  its  clergy  and  people.  No 
differences  have  ever  arisen  in  the  parish  since  its  organization, 
and  when  a  pastor  asked  for  aid  for  any  purpose,  the  loyal  people 
responded  liberally. 

When  the  new  Cathedral  of  the  Sacred  Heart  is  finished,  the 
Catholics  of  New  Jersey  will  have  one  of  the  grandest  edifices  in 
this  country,  and  dear  old  St.  Patrick's,  which  was  the  cradle  of 
the  diocese,  will  cease  to  be  its  cathedral  church.  All  Catholics 
will  be  proud  of  the  new  edifice,  but  those  of  Newark  particularly 
will  always  retain  their  love  for  the  old  cathedral.  With  all  the 
grandeur,  the  new  cathedral  will  never  rob  the  old  of  the  associa- 
tions and  memories  which  have  made  it  so  dear  to  the  people. 
Thousands  of  them  were  married  in  St.  Patrick's,  their  children 
were  baptized  in  it,  and  a  great  many  buried  from  it. 

The  present  generations  and  those  of  the  past  who  yet  remain 
in  the  land  of  the  living  as  they  enter  its  doors  to  worship  or  in 
passing  look  upon  its  modest  exterior  will  recall  many  events  con- 
nected with  their  lives.  They  will  remember  the  trial  incident  to 
its  erection.     That  within  its  walls  labored  men  whose  lives  were 


572  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

consecrated  to  the  service  of  God,  from  Moran  to  Doane,  every 
one  of  whom  gained  an  honorable  place  in  the  hierarchy  of  the 
Church.  That  from  the  children  of  the  old  cathedral  parish  were 
sent  many  priests  who  went  to  other  fields  of  labor  and  erected 
churches  for  the  people  to  worship  in  and  schools  in  which  their 
children  were  given  a  good  religious  and  secular  education,  fitting 
them  to  be  good  citizens.  That  many  young  women  of  the  old 
parish  joined  religious  orders  and  consecrated  their  lives  to  the 
education  of  children  and  the  care  of  the  orphans,  the  sick,  and 
the  aged.  Finally,  that  from  those  who  labored  within  the  sanctu- 
ary sprung  institutions  of  learning  second  to  none,  institutions  for 
the  physical  and  religious  welfare  of  those  who  were  left  without 
home  or  parents,  and  for  the  treatment  of  the  afflicted. 

"  Our  Charitable  Institutions  "  was  the  toast  replied  to  by  John 
F.  Griffin,  of  Jersey  City,  county  counsel  for  Hudson  County. 
He  asserted  that  the  Catholic  Church  always  exercised  charity, 
and  was  especially  adapted  for  carrying  out  charitable  objects. 
There  was  no  other  organization  in  the  world,  he  declared,  that 
went  to  the  extent  this  Church  did  in  consecrating  lives  of  its 
men  and  women  to  the  purpose  of  aiding  and  bettering  mankind 
physically  and  religiously. 

"In  the  majority  of  cases  the  state,"  he  said,  "has  failed  in 
its  charity  where  the  Catholic  institution  has  been  most  successful." 

Here  the  speaker  referred  to  systems  in  this  State  whereby 
men,  women,  and  children  were  kept  in  almshouses.  In  contrast- 
ing the  work  of  the  State  Board  of  Children's  Guardians  with 
that  of  the  Catholic  institutions,  he  declared  that  the  former  in 
the  entire  State  had  but  800  in  its  care,  while  the  Newark  diocese 
alone  cared  for  more  than  1,200  children. 

To  Jesse  Albert  Locke,  of  Hackensack,  was  assigned  the 
toast,  "  Our  Educational  Institutions."  In  summing  up  the  ex- 
tent to  which  the  Catholic  of  the  Newark  diocese  goes  in  order 
that  his  child  may  have  a  Christian  education,  he  declared  that 
there  were  more  than  37,000  children  in  its  parochial  schools,  and 
that  the  number  promised  to  reach  40,000  before  another  year. 
He  added : 

The  education  they  are  getting  is  well  worth  while.  Our  edu- 
cators are  qualified  teachers  in  every  respect,  and  I  know  person- 
ally that  our  graduates  are  equal  to  those  educated  in  the  public 
schools.  I  have  heard  talk  of  inferior  education  in  the  Catholic 
schools.  This  is  not  so,  for  competitive  tests  that  have  come 
under  my  notice  have  proved  otherwise  to  my  entire  satisfaction 

The  best  people  outside  our  faith  openly  express  the  belief 
that  mental  education  is  not  sufficient.     We  find  this  declaration 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  573 

coming  from  prominent  members  of  other  beliefs.  Tlie  question 
at  issue  in  respect  to  our  schools  and  the  double  demand  on  their 
supporters  is  whether  or  not  an  injustice  is  being  done.  The 
State  wants  intelligent  and  patriotic  citizens.  We  are  turning 
them  out.  Law-abiding  citizens  are  desired,  not  from  fear  but 
from  choice.  A  person  with  the  fear  of  God  in  his  heart  is  a  law- 
abiding  citizen,  and  the  fear  of  God  is  one  of  our  educational  prin- 
ciples. The  majority  of  the  people  are  against  us  if  we  ask  that 
the  State  shall  assist  us  in  developing  good  citizens  for  her. 
Some  say  it  would  be  un-American,  but  it  is  not  American  to  be 
unfair.  If  freedom  of  conscience  is  an  American  principle,  then 
it  is  manifest  that  it  would  only  be  a  further  step  in  that  direction 
to  assist  us. 

Stephen  Horgan,  of  Hoboken,  answered  to  the  toast,  "  Fifty 
Years  Ago."  He  said  he  spoke  as  the  son  of  a  man  who  fifty 
years  ago  in  Norfolk  was  taken  out  to  be  hanged  for  the  '"  crime 
of  being  a  Catholic."  He  told  stories  of  the  Know-Nothing  period 
at  that  time,  and  then  read  a  newspaper  account,  published  in 
November,  1853,  of  the  arrival  in  this  city  of  Rt.  Rev.  James 
Roosevelt  Bayley,  the  first  bishop  of  the  Newark  diocese. 

Patrick  Farrelly,  of  Morristown,  vice-president  of  the  Ameri- 
can News  Company,  was  the  next  speaker,  replying  to  the  toast, 
"The  Laity."  He  voiced  the  thanks  of  the  laymen  of  the  diocese 
for  being  allowed  to  contribute  toward  the  erection  of  a  fitting 
cathedral  to  crown  the  work  of  the  diocese  on  its  golden  jubilee. 

William  J.  Kearns,  of  this  city,  responded  to  the  toast,  "Our 
New  Cathedral."     He  said: 

The  new  cathedral  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark  must  be  viewed 
by  us  of  to-day  as  an  existing  and  accomplished  fact,  even  though 
it  has  not  been  entirely  built,  for  behind  the  project  is  the  will 
and  force  and  ability  of  this  great  and  growing  diocese. 

The  speaker  then  gave  an  interesting  technical  description  of 
the  edifice  as  it  will  be,  and  added : 

Such  is  the  noble  edifice  to  the  construction  of  which  the 
Catholics  of  the  diocese  stand  willing  to  contribute,  for  we  cer- 
tainly have  the  same  practical,  abiding  faith,  although  perhaps 
less  demonstrative  and  enthusiastic  in  the  outward  manifestation 
of  it,  as  had  the  people  of  the  ages  past.  We  believe  as  firmly  and 
as  sincerely  as  did  they  that  no  outlay  is  too  great,  no  sacrifice 
too  hard,  no  burden  too  heavy,  which  we  make  and  assume  for 
the  proper  housing  of  our  Eucharistic  King  of  kings,  the  ador- 
able Victim  of  Love,  for  whose  greater  honor  and  glory  we  gladly 
make  every  expenditure. 


574 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


This  is  the  motive  which  prompts  our  sacrifice.  This  is  the 
mainspring  of  all  Catholic  action  in  cathedral  and  church  build- 
ing, so  little  understood,  so  much  misunderstood  by  the  non-Cath- 
olic world.  Therefore  it  is  that,  like 
David,  "  we  have  vowed  a  vow  to  the  God 
of  Jacob." 

"  If  I  shall  enter  into  the  tabernacle 
of  my  house,  if  I  shall  go  up  to  the  bed 
where  I  lie ;  if  I  shall  give  sleep  to  mine 
eyes,  or  slumber  to  my  eyelids,  or  rest 
to  my  temples,  until  I  find  out  a  place  for 
the  I.ord,  a  habitation  for  the  mighty 
God  of  Jacob." 


Dean  Flynn  spoke  on  behalf  of  the 
cathedral  collecting  committee, 
and  told  of  its  work.  He  report- 
ed that  the  three  priests  had 
gone  among  upward  of  1,400 
families  of  the  diocese  and  that 
donations  had  been  received 
from  about  400.  The  sum  of 
$5,000  each  had  been  contrib- 
uted, he  announced,  by  John 
F.  Shanley  and  James  Smith, 
Jr.,  of  Newark.  William  Noonan,  of  Elizabethport,  subscribed 
$2,000.  The  sum  of  $500  each  was  received  from  Thomas  Ma- 
loney,  of  St.  Patrick's  parish,  Jersey  City;  Patrick  Farrelly,  of 
Morristown ;  and  James  McGuire,  of  Elizabeth.  The  balance  of 
the  fund.  Dean  Flynn  explained,  was  made  up  of  subscriptions 
principally  of  $100  each. 

The  banquet  was  brought  to  a  close  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop 
O'Connor,  whose  speech  is  given  verbatim : 


CHURCH     OF    THE   ASSUMPTION,   PAS- 
SAIC. 
For  Slovak  Catholics, 


Gentlemen:  I  thank  you  one  and  all  for  your  presence  here 
this  evening  and  for  your  kind  greeting.  More  than  two  years 
have  elapsecl  since  I  was  chosen  to  assume  the  burden  and  respon- 
sibilities of  the  bishopric  of  this  diocese.  During  that  time  it  has 
been  my  good  fortune  to  be  the  recipient  of  many  tokens  of 
esteem,  for  which  I  can  never  be  sufficiently  grateful.  Priests 
and  people  have  rallied  around  me  with  a  unanimity  and  good 
will  which  not  only  was  gratifying  in  itself,  but  inspired  me  with 
zeal  to  carry  on  to  the  best  of  my  ability  the  projects  inaugurated 
by  my  predecessors  for  the  welfare  of  those  committed  to  my 
pastoral  care. 

On  various  occasions  I  ha\e  met  the  assembled  clergy  and  ex- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


575 


changed  views  with  them  as  to  the  means  best  adapted  to  advance 
the  cause  of  rehgion  in  this  portion  of  the  Lord's  vineyard.  But 
not  until  to-night  have  I  enjoyed  the  opportunity  of  coming  face 
to  face  with  the  representative  laymen  of  the  diocese,  though 
never  for  a  moment  did  I  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  it  was  my 
duty,  as  I  knew  it  would  be  a  pleasure,  to  bring  them  together 
and  to  address  them,  as  I  have  the  honor  to  do  this  evening. 
With  sentiments,  then,  of  sincere  admiration  for  your  steadfast 
loyalty  to  your  faith  and  of  heartfelt  gratitude  for  the  important 
share  you  ha\e  borne  in  building  up  the  diocese  and  making  it 
what  it  is  to-day,  I  greet  you,  gentlemen,  and  beg  to  express  my 
cordial  good  wishes  toward  }'0u  all,  and  through  you  toward  all 
the  laymen  of  the  diocese. 

It  is  peculiarly  fitting  that  we  should  thus  assemble  at  this 
time  when  we  are  commemorating  an  event  which  for  fifty  years 
has  exercised  a  profound  influence  on  the  history  of  religion  in 
this  State.  Half  a  century  ago  Catholics  in  New  Jersey  were 
few,  poor,  and  despised.  To-day  they  number  nearly  400,000,  and 
are  reckoned  by  friend  and  foe  as  among  the  most  virtuous,  pros- 
perous, and  highly  respected  citizens  of  the  community. 

When  we  inquire  into  the  causes  of  our  progress,  we  may 
safely  conclude  that  our  rapid  advance  has  been  due  in  a  great 
measure  to  the  unity  of  thought  and  action  produced  by  the  erec- 
tion of  the  See  of  Newark  and  the  organization  of  our  religious 
forces  and  capabilities  con- 
sequent on  the  formation  of 
the  new  diocese. 

My  predecessors  were 
men  of  more  than  ordinary 
ability  and  learning — Bishops 
Bayley,  Corrigan,  and  Wig- 
ger — and  they  were  upheld 
and  assisted  in  their  endeav- 
ors by  as  zealous  and  devoted 
a  band  of  clergy  as  ever 
adorned  the  history  of  the 
Church .  But  while  conscious 
of  their  own  lofty  aims  and 
of  the  integrity  of  their  mo- 
tives in  advancing  the  cause 
of  God  and  religion,  they — 
both  prelates  and  priests — 
would  be  the  first  to  declare 
if  they  were  here  to-night 
that  their  labors,  heroic  and 
self-sacrificing  as  they  were, 

would  have  been  futile  had  it  not  been  for  the  constant,  unremit- 
ting, and  whole-souled  cooperation  of  the  loyal  and  generous  lay- 
men, who  in  spite  of  difficult)-  and  discouragement  seconded  every 
effort  of  the  clergy,  and  by  their  financial  aid  enabled  them  to 


ST.  Joseph's  church,  passaic. 

For  Poli.',h  Catholics. 


576 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


bring  to  a  successful  issue  what  otherwise  would  have  remained  a 
subhme  but  vain  ideal. 

To  the  laity  it  may  seem  at  times  that  they  have  not  been 
accorded  their  full  share  of  credit  for  the  progress  of  which  we  are 
so  justly  proud  and  for  which  we  are  deeply  grateful  to  God.  But 
you  may  feel  assured  that  in  the  heart  of  every  priest  and  bishop 
there  is  a  deep  and  abiding  sentiment  of  appreciation  for  their 
efforts,  and  a  keen  realization  of  the  fact  that  without  their  cooper- 
ation the  success  we  have  achieved  would  have  been  impossible. 
Nor  do  I  wish  to  imply  that  it  is  merely  by  their  generous  dona- 
tions that  the  laity  have  fostered  the  progress  of  religion.     Far 

more  than  by  such  opportune 
aid,  they  have  advanced  the 
cause  of  the  Church  by  the 
nobility  and  virtue  of  their 
lives,  affording  a  practical 
proof  of  the  power  of  our 
faith  to  influence  the  lives  of 
men  for  good,  to  maintain  and 
uplift  the  moral  standards  of 
society,  and  thus  to  promote 
the  true  welfare  of  both 
Church  and  state. 

It  is  my  fond  hope  that 
during  the  years  of  my  ad- 
ministration the  clergy  will 
continue  to  receive  at  your 
hands  the  same  loyal  support 
you  have  accorded  them  in 
the  past.  And  it  is  particu- 
larly gratifying  to  me  person- 
ally to  know  that  you  have  re- 
sponded so  generously  to  the 
appeal  which  I  felt  obliged 
to  address  to  you  during  the 
present  year.  The  great  work  which  now  engrosses  our  attention 
is  the  erection  of  the  new  cathedral,  which  is  to  serve  as  a  fitting 
embodiment  of  our  united  faith  and  zeal,  and  as  a  centre  from 
which  the  blessings  of  episcopal  guidance  may  radiate  to  every 
portion  of  the  diocese. 

Not  until  the  local  needs  of  the  various  parishes  had  been 
supplied  was  this  undertaking  begun.  To  my  predecessor  the 
past  was  the  best  guarantee  for  the  future,  and  it  inspired  him 
with  the  design  of  completing  the  equipment  of  the  diocese  and 
supplying  one  of  its  essential  needs  by  building  a  cathedral.  He 
trusted  implicitly  in  the  faith  and  generosity  of  a  people  who  had 
never  been  called  upon  in  vain  to  sacrifice  temporal  possessions 
for  the  interests  of  religion.  The  noble  response  which  you  made 
to  my  appeal  proves  the  accuracy  of  his  estimate,  and  it  has  placed 
me  under  a  debt  of  obligation  to  you  all,  for  which  I  take  advan- 


CHURCH  OF  MT.  CARMEL,  ORANGE. 

For  Italian  Catholics. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  577 

tage  of  this  opportunity  to  express  my  profound  gratitude.  You 
have  performed  a  service  of  permanent  value  to  the  Church  and 
you  have  materially  lessened  the  weight  of  a  heavy  burden.  In 
my  own  name  and  in  the  name  of  the  committee  who  represented 
me,  I  thank  you  from  my  heart.  Our  present  difficulties  have 
been  successfully  surmounted  and  our  great  diocesan  undertaking 
need  not  be  interrupted.  Years  may  elapse  before  it  is  brought 
to  completion,  but  yours  will  be  the  honor  of  having  come  to  the 
rescue  at  a  critical  moment  and  of  having  saved  us  from  the 
dishonor  of  discontinuing  even  for  a  time  an  enterprise  so  impor- 
tant and  so  necessary  for  the  diocese. 

As  we  look  into  the  future,  our  prospects  seem  radiant  with 
hope.  If  with  the  meagre  resources  of  the  past  we  have  been 
able  to  advance  with  such  rapid  strides,  what  may  we  not  antici- 
pate when  the  chief  obstacles  have  been  overcome  and  we  enter 
upon  a  second  half-century  with  a  thoroughl)'  organized  diocese 
and  a  numerous,  devoted,  and  united  clergy  and  people .''  In 
point  of  material  equipment  our  task  has  been  almost  accom- 
plished. Our  churches,  schools,  and  institutions  of  charity  are 
sufficient  to  supply  our  needs  for  many  years  to  come,  and  their 
financial  condition  is  such  as  to  warrant  us  in  the  belief  that 
within  a  brief  period  they  will  be  comparatively  free  from  debt. 
The  path  of  our  progress  in  the  future  will  be  in  the  direction  of 
intellectual,  moral,  and  spiritual  development.  Our  growth  in 
numbers  is  certain  to  continue,  and  the  constant  influx  of  immi- 
grants from  Catholic  lands  will  augment  our  ranks  if  only  we  can 
control  the  education  of  the  rising  generation.  It  is  to  this  end 
that  we  must  direct  our  most  strenuous  exertions.  Our  Catholic 
schools  must  be  maintained  and  defended  by  every  means  in  our 
power.  They  are  our  most  precious  treasure,  to  be  preserved, 
strengthened,  and  brought  to  the  highest  plane  of  perfection. 
Even  should  we  continue  to  be  subjected  to  the  necessity  of  pay- 
ing for  two  sets  of  schools,  one  of  which  we  cannot  conscientiously 
make  use  of  for  our  children,  we  must  not  rest  until  every  Cath- 
olic child  has  an  opportunity  of  receiving  the  priceless  benefits  of 
a  thorough  Christian  education.  To  support,  improve,  and  ex- 
tend our  Catholic  schools,  academies,  colleges  will  doubtless  be 
the  chief  aim  of  our  endeavors  during  the  next  fifty  years.  Of 
our  success  no  reasonable  man  can  doubt,  for  if  God  is  with  us 
who  will  stand  against  us .?  But  in  this  as  in  all  other  efforts  to 
promote  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  your  earnest, 
active  cooperation  will  be  required  and  I  am  sure  it  will  not  be 
lacking.  When  the  centenary  of  our  diocese  will  be  celebrated,  it 
will  be  recorded  as  a  matter  of  just  pride  and  glory  that  in  this  all- 
important  work  of  Christian  education  the  clergy  have  been  loyally 
upheld  and  supported,  as  they  have  been  during  the  past  fifty 
years,  by  the  generous,  zealous,  and  self-sacrificing  laymen  of  the 
Diocese  of  Newark. 

Once  more  I  thank  you  for  your  presence  here  this  evening, 
and  I  assure  you  that  to  me  one  of  the  most  pleasant  memories  of 
37 


57H  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

our  jubilee  will  be  the  recollection  of  your  cordial  greeting,  and  the 
proof  you  have  evinced  of  the  intimate  bonds  of  friendship  and 
good  will  which  unite  the  laity  of  the  diocese  with  their  clergy  and 
bishop. 

Thus  were  the  jubilee  exercises  brought  to  a  close.  It  was, 
indeed,  a  memorable  event,  which  commemorated  the  initial  strug- 
gles of  a  new  diocese,  with  its  faithful  people,  poor  in  purse  but 
strong  in  faith,  despised  and  barely  tolerated  by  the  inhabitants  of 
the  State,  without  priests,  churches,  or  schools,  or  religious  insti- 
tutions of  any  kind  whatever ;  and  in  the  brief  span  of  fifty  )'ears 
an  increase  of  tenfold  in  the  number  of  churches  and  ninefold  in 
population,  a  Catholic  poiuilation  in  both  dioceses — Newark  and 
Trenton — of  378,000,  nearly  50,000  children  attending  167  Catho- 
lic schools  and  institutions,  and  396  priests  attending  the  416 
churches  and  chapels  throughout  the  State. 

And  the  work  still  goes  on — new  churches  are  in  process  of 
erection,  young  men  are  filling  up  the  gaps  in  the  ranks  of  the 
priesthood,  and  the  flower  of  the  devout  female  sex  is  consecrating 
itself  to  the  service  of  the  Master  in  his  children  and  in  his  poor 
and  afifiicted.  The  same  spirit  of  generosity,  aye,  and  a  greater 
spirit,  characterizes  the  children  of  the  early  pioneers  and  con- 
fessors of  the  faith,  the  same  self-sacrifice  is  manifest  to-day  as 
fifty  years  ago,  and  the  fervor  and  faith  of  the  present  generation 
do  not  pale  before  the  splendid  manifestation  of  these  virtues  by 
their  forefathers  of  yore. 

Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  Perth  Amboy. 

Diocese  of  Trenton. 

This  parish  was  founded  in  Perth  Amboy  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Slovak  Catholics  on  April  22d,  1900.  The  first  pastor  was  the 
Rev.  Francis  Januschek. 

The  church  was  built  in  1901,  and  the  first  Mass  celebrated 
December  15th  of  the  same  year. 

The  dedication  services  were  held  by  Bishop  McFaul  on  No- 
vember 27th,  1902. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  East  Vineland. 

Diocese  of  Trenton. 

This  parish  was  organized  in  September,  1887,  by  the  Rev. 
Father  Porcile,  and  until  1897  was  attached  to  the  Vineland  mis- 
sion.    Bishop  McFaul  then  made  it  a  separate  parish  and  ap- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  579 

pointed  the  Rev.  Luigi  Pozzi  pastor.  Father  Pozzi  labored  with 
great  success  and  improxed  the  parish  both  spiritually  and  mate- 
rially. On  his  transfer  to  another  field  in  the  episcopal  city  he 
was  succeeded  by  the  present  pastor,  the  Rev.  Nicola  Coscia, 
August,  1901.  There  is  no  parish  school,  as  the  congregation  is 
a  farming  class  and  too  much  scattered  to  make  a  school  ax-ailable. 
Attached  to  the  parish  is  a  well-ordered  cemetery  of  four  acres. 
There  is  no  debt  on  the  parish,  and  as  the  members  are  all  poor, 
hard-working  Italians  this  fact  is  the  best  eulogy  of  their  faith. 

Until  1902  the  mission  of  Landisville  was  attended  from  this 
parish,  when  it  was  detached  and  together  with  Minotola  formed 
into  an  independent  parish.  In  the  latter  place  is  a  neat  stone 
church,  erected  by  P'ather  Coscia.  The  present  pastor  of  the  new 
parish  is  the  Rev.  Nicola  Leone. 

St.  Anne's  Church,  Hoboken. 

St.  Anne's  Church  was  founded  in  May,  1900,  for  the  Italians 
of  Hoboken.  The  Rev.  ¥.  De  Persia  was  the  first  pastor,  assisted 
by  the  Rev.  Vimoselli. 

In  March,  1903,  the  Rev.  John  Rongetti  was  appointed  rector, 
with  the  Rev.  Alphonso  d'Angelo  as  assistant.  The  corner-stone 
of  the  new  church  was  laid  November  8th,  1903,  by  the  Rev. 
Father  Hofschneider,  of  the  Church  of  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul. 

St.  Stephen's  Polish  Church,  Newark. 

The  church  of  St.  Stephen  proto-martyr  was  founded  for  the 
Slavs  of  the  city  of  Newark.  The  first  rector  of  this  church  was 
the  Rev  Polycarp  Scherer,  O.S.B.,  whose  assistant,  the  Rev. 
Immanuel  Zdenck,  discharged  all  the  duties  of  the  ministry  until 
August  1 6th,  1 90 1. 

In  December,  1901,  the  Rev.  Julius  Szabo  was  appointed  rector 
and  labored  until  October,  1902.  His  successor  for  a  brief  period 
was  the  Rev.  Paul  Viragh,  who  was  succeeded  by  the  present  rec- 
tor, the  Rev.  Joseph  Pospech,  on  November  3d,  1902. 

The  church  was  built  in  1902  on  Bruce  Street,  and  on  the  14th 
of  December  of  the  same  year  was  blessed  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  John 
J.  O'Connor,  D.D.  The  same  year  the  rectory  was  also  built. 
Circumstances  do  not  as  yet  justify  the  erection  of  a  school. 


58o  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Church  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua,  East  Newark. 

On  April  7th,  1901,  the  Rev.  Peter  Catalano  had  opened  a 
mission  chapel  for  the  Catholic  Italians  of  Harrison,  N.  J.,  and 
nearby.  The  Italians  were  very  poor  and  very  ignorant,  and  to 
educate  their  children  and  by  this  means  the  better  to  reach  their 
parents  a  small  school  was  opened. 

Their  first  chapel  and  school  were  in  a  vacant  store  on  Thir- 
teenth Street.  An  opportunity  presented  itself  to  purchase  a 
small  Protestant  chapel  on  Second  Street.  This  was  bought  and 
prepared  for  divine  service  and  dedicated  by  Bishop  O'Connor  on 
June  24th,  1 90 1. 

The  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Good  Counsel, 
Newark,  N.  J. 

The  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  O'Connor  appointed  the  Rev.  William  J. 
Richmond  to  this  parish  on  Christmas  Day,  1901,  leaving  him  free 
to  select  the  site  of  the  new  church  building ;  and  he  succeeded  in 
securing  twenty-four  lots  in  all,  bounded  by  Summer  and  Wood- 
side  avenues  on  east  and  west,  and  north  by  Heller  Parkway,  for- 
merly known  as  Fredonia  Avenue. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  the  episcopal  residence,  South  Orange, 
N.  J.,  January  nth,  1902,  the  parish  was  formally  incorporated, 
with  Rt.  Rev.  J.  J.  O'Connor,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of 
Newark;  Rev.  W.  J.  Richmond  as  pastor  and  secretary,  and  P. 
L.  Bryce  and  Ernest  Roloff  as  lay  trustees,  who  as  an  incorporat- 
ing body  formally  instituted  the  new  parish  at  Woodside  or  North 
Newark  under  the  title  of  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Good 
Counsel. 

This  parish  was  formed  from  the  northern  portion  of  St. 
Michael's  parish  and  the  southern  portion  of  St.  Peter's  of  Belle- 
ville, extending  from  the  Passaic  River  to  Branch  Brook  Park. 

As  there  was  no  suitable  hall  in  Woodside  wherein  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  could  be  offered,  an  effort  was  made  to 
lease  the  old  Morton  House,  37  Carteret  Street.  To  this  the 
owner  would  not  consent,  but  offered  to  sell  it,  and  as  the  price 
seemed  reasonable  it  was  purchased,  with  a  view  of  using  the  first 
floor  and  halls  as  a  chapel  and  the  part  above  as  a  residence,  as  it 
has  been  used  since. 

The  census  showed  about  seven  hundred  souls  who  should  be 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  581 

Catholics,  but  owint^  to  many  intermarriages  with  non-Catholics 
the  indifference  and  neglect  of  religion  were  most  apparent. 
Many  have  shown  a  very  friendly  spirit,  and  the  relations  with 
these  have  been  very  pleasant. 

At  first  two  Masses  were  said,  seven  and  ten  o'clock  each 
Sunday,  but  it  was  found  necessary  to  have  three  Masses  and  to 
secure  assistance  for  one  Mass.  Rev.  Luigi  Davdeha  has  been 
assisting  regularly. 

Plans  were  drawn  for  a  two-story  utility  building,  main  floor 
to  be  used  as  a  temporary  church  and  the  lower  floor  as  an  enter- 
tainment hall,  with  a  view  of  ultimately  using  it  for  a  school.  The 
structure  is  of  brick,  107  by  45  feet.  There  will  be  an  organ  loft 
but  no  gallery,  and  the  sitting  capacity  will  be  580. 

The  corner-stone  was  to  have  been  laid  on  August  29th,  but 
owing  to  stormy  weather  it  was  postponed  until  the  next  week, 
September  6th.  The  Rt.  Rev.  J.  J.  O'Connor,  D.D.,  officiated, 
and  a  score  or  more  of  the  clergy  were  present.  The  different 
societies  had  been  invited  and  fprmed  at  Military  Park,  marching 
several  hundred  strong  up  Broad  Street,  Third  Avenue,  and  Sum- 
mer Avenue  to  the  grounds.  The  mounted  squad  of  police  led 
the  line,  followed  by  Grand  Marshall  Hugh  Gilligan  with  several 
aides-de-camp,  all  mounted  The  societies  were  well  represented, 
especially  the  Knights  of  Columbus  and  the  Holy  Name  societies. 
At  least  two  thousand  people  were  present.  The  ceremonies 
were  imposing  and  the  sermon  was  eloquent.  While  a  school, 
with  the  influence  of  the  good  sisters  over  the  children,  is  greatly 
needed,  yet  the  struggling  condition  of  the  parish  does  not  war- 
rant its  establishment  at  the  present  time. 

Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Kingsland,  N.  J. 

For  twenty  years  the  people  of  Kingsland,  Lyndhurst,  and 
vicinity  had  longed  for  a  church,  as  they  were  obliged  to  travel 
five  miles  to  Avondale  to  assist  at  Mass. 

A  .small  store  wns  hired  and  Mass  celebrated  on  the  first  Sun- 
day of  F"ebruary,  1902.  Three  months  later  two  lots  were  pur- 
chased in  Kingsland,  on  which  was  erected  a  brick  and  frame 
church.  Mass  is  celebrated  here  every  Sunday  and  the  parish  is 
attached  to  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Arlington,  of  which  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Hedges  is  pastor. 


582 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


The  Church  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  Newark. 

The  organization  of  the  Catholics  of  Chnton  Hill  into  a  sepa- 
rate parish,  to  be  attended  from  St.  Leo's  Church,  Irvington, 
antedates  the  annexation  of  that  territory  to  the  city  of  Newark. 
In  April,  1902,  Bishop  O'Connor  permitted  the  Holy  Sacrifice  to 
be  offered  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Frank  J.  Finley  for  the  convenience 
of  the  Catholics  in  this  growing  locality.     Soon  the  hundred  and 

more  families  resolved  to 
make  an  earnest  effort  to  se- 
cure a  site  for  a  future  church. 
Three  acres  of  undeveloped 
land  were  purchased  from  the 
Schwartz  estate  at  a  cost  of 
$12,000,  and  the  corner  of 
Clinton  Place  and  Millington 
Avenue  was  chosen  for  the 
new  church.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  Sunday  after- 
noon, September  27th,  in  the 
presence  of  a  multitude  of 
the  lait)'  and  a  considerable 
number  of  priests.  The  dedication  took  place  Thanksgiving  Day, 
November  26th,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  O'Connor  presiding  at  the 
function,  and  at  the  Mass,  which  was  sung  by  Monsignor  Stafford, 
the  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  S.  Hedges. 

Church  of  the  Madonna  Delia   Libra,  West    New    York. 

The  Italians  of  West  New  York  have  been  formed  into  a  con- 
gregation by  Father  Rongetti,  and  services  were  held  on  October 
19th,  1902,  in  a  temporary  chapel. 

A  permanent  church  and  rectory  are  about  to  be  built  on  the 
Hudson  Boulevard. 


CHURCH    OF   THE   BLESSED   SACRA- 
MENT,   NEWARK. 


Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Mount  Carmel,  Bayonne. 

The  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Mount  Carmel  was  built  in  1902 
for  the  Poles  of  Bayonne  and  dedicated  by  BLshop  O'Connor. 

The  Catholics  of  this  nationality  have  unfortunately  been 
divided  for  the  last  four  or  five  }'ears,  and  a  ]:)orti()n  of  them  have 
become  schismatics. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  583 

The  Rev.  Sigismund  Swider  was  appointed  to  this  flock  in 
1900,  and  under  his  active  administration  those  who  had  strayed 
away  are  being  gradually  brought  back  to  the  fold. 

Father  Swider  purchased  property  and  erected  the  basement 
of  a  new  church,  in  which  divine  service  is  held  and  a  school  taught 
by  four  Franciscan  Sisters.     He  has  likewise  built  a  rectory. 

Church  of  the  Assumption,  Bayonne. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  Church  of  the  Assumption  on  West 
Twenty-third  Street,  Bayonne,  was  laid  November  i6th,  1902, 
and  the  church  dedicated  December,  1902,  by  Bishop  O'Connor. 

This  church  is  intended  for  the  Italians.  The  present  rector 
is  the  Rev.  Michael  Mercolino,  assisted  by  the  Rev.  Vincent 
Arienzo. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Deal  and  AUenhurst. 

Diocese  of  Trenton. 

This  congregation  owes  its  origin  to  the  development  of  this 
section  of  the  New  Jersey  coast  and  to  the  settlement  of  many 
Catholic  families  of  wealth  and  prominence,  especially  during  the 
summer  months. 

Until  September,  1902,  services  were  held  in  a  large  tent  in 
the  meadow  by  the  Rev.  R.  A.  Crean,  of  West  End. 

One  of  the  parishioners,  Mr.  Daniel  O'Day,  having  made  an 
offer  of  $10,000  on  condition  that  the  Catholics  of  Deal  raise  an 
additional  $10,000,  and  this  condition  having  been  complied  with, 
a  new  stone  church  is  in  process  of  erection  and  will  be  ready  for 
the  season  of  1904. 

The  pastor  is  the  Rev.  John  W.  Norris,  J. CD.,  Chancellor  of 
the  Diocese  of  Trenton. 

St.  Mary's  Church,  Jersey  City. 

•  Sunday,  October  i8th,  1903,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  O'Connor 
dedicated  the  completed  portion  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Erie  and 
Second  streets.  Even  in  its  uncompleted  state  the  basement 
church  presented  a  most  cheerful  and  inviting  appearance,  and  its 
full  seating  capacity  of  sixteen  hundred  was  more  than  taxed  when 
the  Mass  commenced.  Rev.  Father  Maher  was  celebrant.  Rev, 
Father   Corcoran  deacon,  and   Rev.  John  F.  Boyle  sub-deacon. 


584  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Bishop  O'Connor  occupied  a  throne  on  the  Gospel  side  of  the 
altar. 

Rev.  Father  Burke,  C.S.P.,  preached  an  eloquent  sermon  on 
the  subject,  "  The  Church  the  Teacher  of  Mankind."  The  altar 
was  beautifully  decorated.  Collections  were  taken  up  for  the  new 
cathedral  and  St.  Mary's  parish  church  building  fund. 

The  congregation  will  from  henceforth  until  the  main  church 
is  completed  have  in  the  basement  church  a  structure  large 
enough  to  seat  without  undue  crowding  over  sixteen  hundred  per- 
sons. The  fittings,  while  plain,  are  of  the  most  substantial  kind, 
and  there  is  an  abundance  of  light  and  air. 

The  interior  is  very  cheerful  because  cosiness  is  imparted  by 
the  neatly  wainscoted  walls.  The  pews  are  of  quartered  oak  and 
are  roomy  and  very  comfortable.  The  main  altar  rests  in  a  circu- 
lar alcove  lighted  from  above  by  a  ground-glass  cupola. 

The  Church  of  the  Holy  Rosary,  Jersey  City. 

Sunday,  October  25th,  1903,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  John  A. 
Sheppard,  Vicar-General,  presided  at  the  ceremonies  incident  to 
the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  Italian  Church  of  Our 
Lady  of  the  Most  Holy  Rosary,  on  Sixth  Street,  between  Mon- 
mouth and  Brunswick  streets.  A  parade  through  the  lower  north- 
ern portion  of  the  city  preceded  the  exercises.  All  the  Italian 
societies  in  the  city,  as  well  as  large  delegations  from  others  in  Pas- 
saic, Paterson,  and  Newark,  took  part,  and  music  was  provided 
by  three  first-class  bands.  The  clergymen  invited  by  Rev.  Vin- 
cent Sciolla,  rector  of  the  parish,  rode  in  carriages. 

At  the  church  a  gathering  of  between  three  thousand  and  four 
thousand  people  awaited  the  return  of  the  paraders.  The  street 
for  an  entire  block  was  crowded  from  curb  to  curb,  and  hundreds 
viewed  the  proceedings  from  the  Pennsylvania  RR.  elevation. 

The  corner-stone  of  polished  gray  marble  was  laid  at  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  building  after  the  impressive  ritual  usual  in 
such  cases  had  been  read  by  Monsignor  Sheppard.  A  sermon  in 
Italian  followed,  Rev.  Ernesto  d'Aquila,  rector  of  the  Church  of 
Our  Lady  of  Mount  Carmel,  Newark,  being  the  preacher,  and  a 
brief  sermon  in  English  was  afterward  given  by  Rev.  Father  An- 
drew, of  the  Passionist  Monastery,  West  Hoboken. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  585 


St.  Joseph's  Church,  Oradell. 

On  Sunday  afternoon,  November  22d,  1903,  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.J. 
O'Connor,  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  laid  the  corner-stone 
of  the  new  Cathohc  church  at  Oradell,  N.J.  The  ceremonies 
were  conducted  before  an  assemblage  of  about  five  hundred 
people. 

The  Rev.  J.J.  Cunneely  worked  earnestly  to  build  this  church. 
When  completed  the  church  will  be  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in 
that  section  of  the  State. 

In  addition  to  Trinity  Council,  K.  of  C,  a  number  of  Knights 
from  Madonna  Council,  Englewood,  Hoboken,  and  other  councils 
formed  in  line  outside  the  council  chamber,  marched  in  a  body  to 
the  train,  and  from  the  train  to  the  site  of  the  new  church,  and 
took  part  in  the  musical  programme.  The  choir  of  Holy  Trinity 
Church,  Hackensack,  under  the  direction  of  Professor  Klaas,  ren- 
dered the  musical  part  of  the  services. 

The  following  visiting  priests  were  present :  The  Rev.  T.  A. 
Wallace,  the  Rev.  T.  J.  McDonald,  and  the  Rev.  Benedict  J. 
O'Neill,  of  Englewood;  the  Rev.  Patrick  Cody,  of  Newark;  the 
Rev.  James  Flanagan,  Ridgefield  Park;  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Lambert, 
St.  Mary's  Church,  Hackensack ;  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  Ascheri, 
Lodi. 

The  sermon  was  preached  by  heather  Cody,  rector  of  St.  James's 
Church,  Newark,  who  was  in  charge  of  Holy  Trinity  Church, 
Hackensack,  from  1867  to  1870.  His  remarks  were  of  exceptional 
interest.  He  described  the  various  ceremonies  to  be  conducted 
in  the  future  church,  from  the  baptism  of  the  infant  to  the  solemn 
service  for  the  dead. 

Father  Cunneely,  of  Holy  Trinity  Church,  Hackensack,  then 
thanked  those  present  for  their  attendance,  especially  the  Knights 
of  Columbus  of  Trinity  Council,  Hackensack,  and  Madonna 
Council,  Englewood. 

This  church  has  been  erected  for  the  convenience  of  the  Cath- 
olics in  Peetzburg,  Oradell,  and  New  Milford.  For  some  months 
divine  service  was  held  in  the  home  of  Mr.  Bird. 


586  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


St.  Michael's  Church,  Paterson. 

Sunday,  October  25th,  1903,  Bishop  O'Connor  dedicated  to 
the  service  of  God  the  church  of  St.  Michael,  Paterson.  This 
building  for  many  years  was  the  stronghold  of  Methodism  in  Pat- 
erson, and  was  known  far  and  wide  as  the  Cross  Street  Church. 
It  was  purchased  for  the  use  of  the  many  thousand  Italians  who 
find  occupation  in  the  silk  industry  of  Paterson.  Father  Felix 
De  Persia,  who  labored  successfully  in  Hoboken,  is  the  pastor. 
Immediately  following  the  dedication  of  the  church  a  mission  by 
the  Passionists  was  opened,  which  proved  a  source  of  many  graces 
and  blessings — over  nine  hundred  approached  the  sacraments. 
Father  De  Persia  is  making  arrangements  to  open  a  parish  school. 

On  New  Year's  Day,  1904,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Monsignor  Sheppard, 
V.G.,  dedicated  St.  Anthony's  Church,  Elizabeth,  for  the  use  of 
the  Italians.     This  church  formerly  belonged  to  the  Protestants. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  587 


DIOCESAN  INSTITUTIONS 


Sisters  of  Charity,  Convent  Station,  N.  J. 

The  history  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity 
is  so  closely  identified  with  the  prosperity  of  the  Church  in  the 
Diocese  of  Newark  that  it  is  proper  that  a  history  of  their  founda- 
tion should  find  place  in  this  history  of  Catholicity. 

On  the  23d  of  January,  1847,  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  who  had 
come  from  Emmettsburg,  the  first  mother  house  of  the  order  in 
the  United  States,  founded  by  the  revered  Mother  Elizabeth 
Seton,  were  constituted  a  local  community  in  the  diocese  of  New 
York,  under  the  patronage  of  the  Most  Rev.  John  Hughes,  and 
were  incorporated  under  the  title  of  "  The  Sisters  of  Charity  of 
St.  Vincent  de  Paul."  The  first  novitiate  was  regularly  opened 
on  the  13th  of  February,  1847,  at  St.  Mary's  Convent,  East  Broad- 
way, New  York  City.  Catharine  Mehegan,  a  native  of  Cork,  Ire- 
land, known  in  religion  as  Sister  Mary  Xavier,  was  one  of  the  first 
three  to  receive  the  novice  habit  in  the  new  community.  The 
sisters  were  at  once  engaged  in  the  service  of  the  sick  poor  and 
in  the  work  of  the  schools.  Sister  Mary  Xavier  being  appointed 
to  assist  Sister  Angela  Hughes,  the  local  superior  of  St.  Vincent's 
Hospital,  now  on  East  Thirteenth  Street.  Sister  M.  Xavier 
labored  among  the  sick  until  she  was  sent  to  take  charge  of  a  mis- 
sion which  had  been  previously  opened  in  Newark,  N.J.  Shortly 
after  her  appointment  as  superior  of  the  orphan  asylum  attached 
to  St.  Patrick's  Church,  New  York,  four  or  five  sisters  were  sent 
from  the  mother  house  in  New  York,  at  the  request  of  Bishop- 
elect  Bayley,  to  take  charge  of  the  orphan  asylum  in  Newark  and 
teach  in  the  parochial  school  connected  with  St.  Patrick's  Church. 
A  few  weeks  later  other  missions  were  opened  in  Paterson  and  in 
Jersey  City.  The  last  superior  of  the  mother  house  in  Newark 
was  Sister  Mary  Xavier,  while  Sister  Mary  Catharine  Nevin, 
whose  name  is  so  closely  identified  with  that  of  Mother  Xavier  in 
the  foundation  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  in  New  Jersey,  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  Paterson  mission,  then  situated  on  Church  Street. 

As  the  wants  of  the  diocese  increased,  and  as  it  was  impossible 


588  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

to  secure  from  the  mother  house  in  New  York  subjects  to  carry 
on  the  work  inaugurated  in  the  parisli  schools  of  the  new  diocese, 
on  April  ist,  1856,  Bishop  Bayley  wrote  to  the  Very  Rev.  William 
Starr,  V.G.,  ecclesiastical  superior  of  the  community,  making 
application  for  some  sisters  to  take  charge  of  the  domestic  ar- 
rangements in  Seton  Hall  College,  then  located  in  Madison. 
Again,  on  June  9th,  1858,  Bishop  Bayley  wrote  to  Archbishop 
Hughes,  enclosing  a  copy  of  his  letter  to  Mother  Angela  in  regard 
to  letting  him  have  sisters  to  form  a  mother  house  in  Newark. 
A  similar  letter  was  written  to  the  Very  Rev.  Father  Starr  and  to 
Mother  Angela,  requesting  sisters  to  establish  a  community.  His 
request  at  first  was  not  considered.  Disappointed  but  undaunted 
the  bishop  appealed  to  the  mother  house  at  Emmettsburg,  but 
here  again  he  was  unsuccessful.  Meanwhile  Providence  seemed 
to  bless  his  resolution,  for  five  young  ladies  volunteered  to  conse- 
crate their  lives  and  their  talents  in  the  noble  work  of  instructing 
children  and  caring  for  the  orphans  and  the  destitute.  As  there 
was  as  yet  no  house  within  the  limits  of  his  diocese  where  these 
young  women  might  be  properly  trained,  Bishop  Bayley  requested 
Mother  Angela  and  also  the  mother  superior  of  Emmettsburg  to 
receive  the  young  postulants  and  prepare  them  in  the  novitiate 
for  the  great  work  he  hoped  to  see  carried  on  in  the  diocese. 
This  was  found  to  be  impracticable,  as  both  houses  felt  that  they 
were  unable  to  devote  to  the  probationers  the  necessary  time  and 
attention. 

In  August,  1858,  Bishop  Bayley  wrote  to  Bishop  Neuman,  of 
Philadelphia,  requesting  him  to  use  his  good  offices  to  secure  for 
the  diocese  the  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph.  Disappointed  in  his  hopes 
with  regard  to  the  training  of  his  five  young  candidates,  on  June 
loth,  1858,  Bishop  Bayley  wrote  to  Archbishop  Purcell  and  to 
Mother  Margaret,  the  Superior  of  the  Cincinnati  branch  of  the 
Sisters  of  Charity,  begging  her  to  receive  and  train  his  five  candi- 
dates. Mother  Margaret  had  known  Mother  Seton,  and  because 
of  her  admiration  of  the  virtues  of  that  saintly  woman  she  could 
not  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  the  pleadings  of  her  nephew,  and  accord- 
ingly consented  to  the  request  of  Bishop  Bayley.  Father  McOuaid 
without  delay  conducted  the  Misses  Margaret  O'Neill  of  Paterson, 
Mary  Linah,  Bridget  Daley,  Mary  A.  Duffy,  and  Margaret  Plun- 
kett  of  Newark,  to  Cincinnati  and  installed  them  in  the  novitiate. 

Letters  of  Bishop  Bayley,  dated  January  nth,  1859,  Septem- 
ber 24th  and  October  24th  of  the  same  year,  contained  checks  in 
payment  for  the  training  of  these  novices. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


5^9 


590  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

At  the  end  of  one  year,  and  because  of  the  pressing  demands 
for  their  services  in  the  young  community  at  home,  the  five  novices 
bade  farewell  to  their  Cincinnati  friends  and  set  out  to  begin  their 
apostolic  labors  in  New  Jersey.  They  were  recei\ed  with  joy  by 
the  home  community,  and  upon  their  arrival  those  of  the  Mt.  St. 
Vincent  sisters  who  had  remained  with  Mother  Mary  Xavier  to 
assist  her  until  the  return  of  her  own  subjects  withdrew  to  the 
mother  house  in  New  York.  Thus,  on  the  29th  of  September, 
1859,  ^^-^s  formally  opened,  in  the  humble  dwelling  known  as  St. 
Mary's,  the  first  mother  house  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  in  New 
Jersey.  This  lowly  house  was  a  mansion  of  the  old  colonial  times, 
belonging  to  Colonel  Ward,  and  stood  on  the  corner  of  Washing- 
ton and  Bleecker  streets.  In  this  antiquated  and  historic  building 
the  young  community,  in  poverty  and  humility,  but  filled  with 
Christian  joy  and  a  yearning  for  souls,  began  its  career  of  useful- 
ness and  blessedness.  Here  was  the  first  novitiate,  and  here  also 
was  a  select  school  for  young  ladies,  whose  tuition  fees  helped  to 
support  the  struggling  community.  Incredible  as  it  may  seem 
now  when  the  size  of  the  modest  mother  house  is  considered  and 
the  many  uses  to  which  each  room  was  put,  Mother  Mary  Xavier 
relates  that  the  sisters  had  a  portion  of  the  building  set  off  for  a 
hospital,  and  at  the  time  of  leaving  old  St.  Mar)''s  to  take  up  their 
abode  in  Madison  there  were  thirteen  patients  under  the  care  of 
the  sisters  in  the  Newark  house. 

This  then  was  the  first  Catholic  hospital  in  the  State  of  New 
Jersey,  and  the  blessings  which  have  attended  her  every  effort 
since  those  days  of  trial  and  sufferings  were  the  reward,  as  the 
venerable  Mother  Xavier  declares,  of  their  first  labors  among  the 
sick  and  the  poor.  Later  on  these  thirteen  patients  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  hospital  o])ened  by  the  Sisters  of  the  Poor.  In  the 
midst  of  poverty  the  little  community  flourished,  and  although 
the  seeds  of  the  order  were  sown  amidst  thorns  and  sorrows  the 
harvest  has  indeed  been  most  abundant.  In  the  course  of  time 
the  work  of  the  sisters  prospered  and  their  numbers  increased  so 
rapidly  that  the  little  mother  house  became  too  small  for  the 
growing  needs  of  the  community.  The  old  Chegaray  property 
at  Madison,  in  which  the  first  diocesan  college  and  seminary  was 
opened  in  1856,  after  four  years  of  experiment  was  found  too  far 
removed  from  the  episcopal  residence  at  Newark  to  enable  the 
seminarists  to  take  part  in  the  sacred  offices  of  the  Church,  as 
Bishop  Baylev  desired.  It  was  also  thought  that  a  site  nearer 
New   York   would   induce   the  well-to-do  Catholics  to  send  their 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


59^ 


boys  to  Seton  Hall  in  larger  numbers.  April  3d,  i860,  Mr. 
Charles  J.  Osborne  proposed  to  Bishop  Bay  ley  the  purchase  of  his 
beautiful  residence  at  South  Orange.  The  negotiations  were 
closed,  and  the  site  of  the  present  magnificent  college  and  semi- 
nary known  as  Seton  Hall  was  purchased.  Contracts  for  addi- 
tional buildings  were  given  out  and  measures  taken  to  expedite 
the  work,  so  that  ever)'thing  would  be  in  readiness  for  the  opening 
in  the  following  September. 

The  Madison  property  was  sold  by  the  bishop  to  the  Sisters 
of  Charity  for  the  sum  of  $25,000.     July  2d,  i860,  the  sisters  left 
their  Newark  home  and  took 
possession     of      their     new 
mother  house. 

They  opened  also  a  select 
boarding-school  for  young 
ladies  and  named  it  St.  Eliza- 
beth's, to  commemorate  their 
foundation  on  the  Feast  of 
the  Visitation,  and  also  in 
honor  of  their  revered  foun- 
dress. Mother  Elizabeth  Se- 
ton. The  original  purchase 
made  by  Bishop  Bayley  con- 
sisted of  forty-eight  acres,  to 
which  he  later  added  thirteen 
more  acres,  e.xtending  the 
property  to  the  site  of  the 
old  railroad  station.  When 
the  sisters  took  possession  of 
the  property  they  set  to  work 
at  once  to  improve  the  estate ; 

oftentimes  they  themselves  did  the  work  of  building  roadways, 
planting  and  harvesting"  the  crops,  and  many  of  the  senior  sisters 
of  the  community  recall  the  days  they  spent  in  carrying  stones  or 
in  husking  corn  in  the  fields.  Farm  lands  were  soon  added  and 
valuable  accessions  were  made  from  time  to  time,  as  the  prudence 
and  foresight  of  Mother  Mary  Xavier  saw  that  encroachments 
might  be  made  by  residents  unless  the  sisters  secured  the  adjoin- 
ing property.  Whenever  she  made  application  for  the  desired 
permission  to  good  Bishop  Bayley,  he  always  replied  with  a  touch 
of  kindliness  and  humor,  "Oh,  yes,  mother;  buy  up  all  the  little 
patches  about  your  place  to  keep  the  neighbors  from  looking  in 


MOTHER   MARY   XAVIER   MEHEGAN. 


592 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


the  convent  windows."  The  bishop's  wise  advice  was  literally  fol- 
lowed, with  all  the  margin  that  the  Mother's  own  shrewdness  and 
business  tact  could  command.     In  a  short  time  the  "patches  "  of 

property  grew  to  stretches  of 
country  about  the  convent, 
and  the  energetic  Mother 
Xavier  availed  herself  of  the 
permission  so  freely  given, 
and  added  acre  upon  acre  of 
noble  forests  and  smiling 
glebe  lands,  which  to-day  are 
prominent  features  in  the 
beautiful  landscape. 

The  first  postulant  re- 
ceived by  the  new  community 
after  its  foundation  was  Miss 
Mary  Anne  Dornin,  of  New- 
ark, known  in  religion  as 
Sister  Mary  Teresa.  Of  the 
original  members  who  formed 
the  nucleus  of  the  community 
proper,  three  of  the  number 
are  still  living,  reaping  the  rewards  of  their  long  years  of  toil  in 
witnessing  the  progress  and  marvellous  development  of  their 
community  and  its  numerous  works,  both  educational  and  chari- 
table. These  three  are  the  venerable  foundress.  Mother  Mary 
Xavier,  Sister  Mary  Vincent,  and  Sister  Mary  Joseph.  Sister 
Mary  Catharine  Nevin,  the  faithful  and  helpful  assistant  to  the 
venerable  foundress,  died  on  January  26th,  1903.  She,  too,  had 
the  happiness  of  seeing  her  community,  over  which  she  watched 
for  fifty  long  years,  prospering  and  extending  more  and  more  its 
sphere  of  usefulness.  She  presided  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
time  as  superior  of  St.  Mary's  in  Newark,  an  academy  which  she 
erected  on  the  site  of  the  first  mother  house  and  in  which  she  died. 
Sister  Mary  Cleoj^has  passed  to  her  reward  on  May  22d,  1903, 
having  spent  most  of  her  long  life  in  religion  among  the  orphans 
at  South  Orange,  N.J. 

It  appears  from  Bishop  Bayley's  Journal  that  in  1863  the 
mother  house  in  New  York  determined  to  withdraw  Mother 
Xavier  from  the  Diocese  of  Newark.  "  October  20th,  I  wrote 
to  Mother  Jerome,  Mount  St.  Vincent's,  in  regard  to  the  report 
that  they  intended  to  recall  Mother  Xavier.     I  will  make  a  fuss 


SISTER   MARY   CATHARINE   NEVIN. 
First  Assi-stant  Mother. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


593 


if  they  do :  to  Mother  Xavier  about  the  same  thing : — must  stick 
to  the  ship."  Fortunately  for  the  Diocese  of  Newark  these  re- 
monstrances had  the  desired  effect,  for  on  December  3d,  1863,  he 
wrote  to  Mother  Xavier  in  answer  to  her  letter  "  informing  me 
that  she  had  made  up  her  mind  to  cast  in  her  lot  with  the  new 
community — and  expressing  my  great  satisfaction." 

The  present  excellence  of  St.  Elizabeth's  Academy  and  Col- 
lege is  due  in  a  large  measure  to  the  efforts  and  ability  of  Sister 
Mary  Agnes  O'Neill.  Sister  Mary  Agnes  was  the  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Margaret  O'Neill,  and  was  born  in  Paterson,  N.  J., 
August  15th,  1837,  ancl  was  educated  at  Mount  St.  Vincent's  on 
the  Hudson.  She  was  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  young 
community.  After  one  year's  probation  she  returned  from  Cin- 
cinnati, and,  with  Mother  Mary  Xavier,  Sister  Mary  Catharine, 
and  the  other  members,  took  up  the  work  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity 
in  New  Jersey.  Sister  Mary  Agnes  was  made  the  first  directress 
of  the  newly  founded  St.  Elizabeth's  Academy.  She  held  this 
position  till  the  time  of  her  death,  November  9th,  1877.  She  was 
most  energetic  in  furthering 
the  educational  interests  of 
her  community  and  in  pro- 
moting the  welfare  of  the 
schools  under  the  charge  of 
the  sisters.  She  was  also  the 
promoter  of  St.  Joseph's 
Academy  for  boys.  She  was 
the  lifelong  assistant  of  the 
venerable  Mother  Xavier, 
who  found  in  Sister  Mary 
Agnes  a  devoted  and  helpful 
aid  in  the  many  works  under- 
taken by  the  growing  com- 
munity. Always  unselfish  in 
her  aims  and  purposes  and 
devoted  to  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation. Sister  Mary  Agnes 
was  called  by  the  sisters  of 
her  community  "The  Angel 
of    Cheerfulness,"    and    she 

was  indeed  a  veritable  ray  of  sunshine  to  all  about  her.     To  the 
}-oung  and  struggling  community  she  was  a  support  in  the  hours 
of  trial,  and  an  encouragement  when  the  triumph  dawned. 
38 


^_>i^^ 

M 

L 

^^Li  ••  —^^       r  ^ 

■ 

mM 

1 

SISTER   MARY   AGNES   O'NEILL. 


594 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


She  resided  during  her  entire  religious  life  at  the  mother  house 
in  Madison,  and  besides  the  office  of  directress  of  the  academy  she 
filled  at  various  times  the  post  of  treasurer  of  the  community. 

She  contracted  a  pulmonary  disease,  to  which  she  succumbed 
November  9th,  1877,  mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
pupils.  It  was  her  one  ambition  to  see  the  new  buildings  begun, 
but  it  was  not  until  three  months  after  her  death  that  the  ground 


ST.    MARY'S   academy,    NEWARK,    N.  J. 


was  broken  for  the  magnificent  group  of  buildings  which  domi- 
nates the  hills  and  valleys  of  historic  Morris  County  m  every 
direction. 

A^  years  passed  on  the  community  so  wisely  governed  by 
Mother  Mary  Xavier  constantly  increased  in  membership. 
Schools  were  opened  in  nearly  every  parish  in  the  State,  works  of 
charity  and  zeal  multiplied  as  rapidly  as  sisters  could  be  found  to 
take  charge  of  them,  and  God's  blessing  withal  rested  upon  the 
labors  of  those  who  so  generously  sacrificed  themselves  for  his 
work.  With  a  largely  increased  community  the  mother  house 
was  found  too  small  to  accommodate  all,  and  plans  were  made  for 
the  erection  of  a  new  convent  and  academy  at  the  top  of  the  hill, 
which  property  had  been  gradually  accjuired  by  the  community. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  595 

On  March  25th,  1878,  the  first  ground  was  broken  for  the  new 
buildings,  and  in  1880  the  sisters  and  pupils  occupied  their  new- 
home.  The  old  mother  house  was  then  renovated  for  the  use  of 
the  invalid  sisters  of  the  community,  being  renamed,  in  honor  of 
the  mother  of  Our  Lady,  St.  Anne's  Villa.  In  1885  the  south 
wing  of  the  new  academy  was  erected,  but  it  was  not  until  1901 
that  the  splendid  group  of  buildings,  consisting  of  a  new  convent 
wing  to  the  west,  a  rectory,  and  a  magnificent  college  build- 
ing, named  by  Bishop  Wigger  "  Xavier  Hall,"  in  honor  of  the 
venerable  foundress  of  the  community,  was  completed.  This 
building  is  devoted  to  the  work  of  a  college  course  for  young 
ladies,  and,  as  it  was  the  first  institution  of  the  kind  in  the  coun- 
try, it  marked  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  Catholic  education  in 
the  United  States.  The  need  of  just  such  an  institution  in  our 
day,  when  secular  colleges  take  so  many  of  our  Catholic  young 
women,  is  reason  sufficient  for  the  generous  cooperation  of  all  who 
are  interested  in  the  salvation  of  souls  and  the  preservation  of  the 
faith  among  the  rising  generations. 

The  marvellous  growth  of  the  community  as  witnessed  at  the 
mother  house  has  been  manifested  also  wherever  the  sisters  have 
gone  to  labor,  whether  it  be  for  the  education  of  the  young,  the 
care  of  the  sick,  the  orphan,  or  the  foundling.  Since  the  founda- 
tion of  the  community  in  1859,  many  charitable  institutions  owe 
their  rise  and  progress  to  the  energy  and  zeal  of  the  venerable 
Mother  Xavier. 

During  the  Civil  War,  when  the  sick  and  the  wounded  were 
sent  from  the  front,  many  soldiers  were  cared  for  in  the  old  trunk 
factory,  near  the  Centre  Street  depot,  Newark,  which  had  been 
converted  into  a  temporary  hospital.  Pitying  the  distress  of  the 
poor  soldiers  and  without  any  of  the  skill  for  nursing  which  pre- 
vails in  our  day,  but  with  hearts  overflowing  with  charity  and  com- 
passion, a  number  of  sisters  of  the  little  community  volunteered 
for  this  noble  work  and  were  constant  day  and  night  in  their  devo- 
tion to  the  sick. 

Apart  from  the  many  schools  to  which  the  sisters  are  assigned 
for  parochial  work,  the  following  institutions  have  been  founded 
by  Mother  Xavier:  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  Paterson;  the  Hou.se 
of  Divine  Providence,  a  home  for  incurables,  at  Ridgewood,  N.  J.; 
St.  Mary's  Hospital,  Passaic,  N.  J.;  St.  Vincent's  Foundling  Asy- 
lum, at  Montclair,  N.  J.;  and  the  hospital  of  the  Good  Samaritan, 
Suffern,  N.  Y.  Among  the  academies  which  have  been  founded 
by  her  as  auxiliaries  to  the  mother  house,  college,  and  academy  at 


596 


THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


Convent  Station,  are :  the  Academy  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  Hobo- 
ken,  N.  J.;  St.  Mary's  Academy  and  St.  Vincent's  Academy  and 
Commercial  School,  Newark ;  Seton  Academy,  Orange ;  St. 
Aloysius's  Academy,  Paterson ;  St.  Aloysius's  Academy  and  Com- 
mercial School,  Jersey  City ;  the  Star  of  the  Sea  Academy,  Long 
Branch ;  and  St.  John's  Academy,  Trenton.  The  order  has  rami- 
fications throughout  the  State  of  New  Jersey  and  also  in  Massa- 
chusetts, Connecticut,  and  New  York — the  sisters  teaching  school 
in  Boston,  Salem,  Newton,  Waterbury,  New  Britain,  and  Suffern. 
The  number  of  those  who  have  entered  the  community  from 
the  first  day  is  1,126.     Of  these  188  have  died.     There  are  sixty- 


HOUSE   OK    IJIVIXK   l>K()\II)i;XC  K,    KII)(iEW( )( )1J,    X.    J. 
The  Home  for  Incurables. 


three  mission  houses  in  New  Jersey  and  nine  in  other  States. 
The  work  of  the  little  band  of  fifty  years  ago  has  been  blessed  be- 
yond their  most  sanguine  expectations. 

"  God  alone  "  has  been  the  watchword  of  the  venerable  foun- 
dress, who  takes  no  credit  to  herself  for  the  growth  and  present 
prosperity  of  the  community.  "  God  has  done  all,  and  He  has 
done  still  more  in  permitting  his  insignificant  little  creature  to 
work  for  Him,"  remarked  good  Mother  Xavier,  when  once  spoken 
to  about  the  wonderful  growth  of  her  community.  To  God  alone 
she  refers  all  the  honor  and  glory  that  He  has  permitted  her  sis- 
ters to  glean  in  the  harvest  field  of  the  Church. 

Mother  Xavier  is  now  in  the  se\-ent\-ninth  vear  of  her  age  and 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  597 

the  fifty-seventh  of  her  religious  hfe.  She  still  conducts  the  work 
of  her  large  community  as  accurately  and  as  energetically  as  she 
did  in  the  early  sixties. 


Seton  Hall  College,  South  Orange,  N.  J. 

When  the  Rt.  Re\^  James  Roosevelt  Bayley,  D.D.,  took  pos- 
session of  the  newly  erected  See  of  Newark,  he  set  his  heart  on 
Catholic  education  and  planned  to  have  a  school  attached  to  every 
church  in  his  diocese.  How  earnest  was  he  in  this  purpose  may 
be  seen  in  the  letters  written  to  the  priests,  who,  responding  to  the 
wishes  of  their  bishop,  put  forth  every  effort  to  open  and  support 
a  Catholic  school.  In  July,  1855,  Bishop  Bayley  wrote  to  the 
Rev.  J.  D.  Bowles,  the  pastor  of  Bordentown: 

I  want  to  express  my  satisfaction  at  the  account  of  the  exami- 
nation of  your  school.  Nothing  is  nearer  to  my  heart  than  the 
establishment  of  good  parochial  schools.  This  must  be  done  at 
any  sacrifice,  for  in  them  is  our  only  hope  of  making  Catholicity 
take  root  here.  I  thank  3-ou  for  the  encouragement  you  have 
given  to  my  efforts  by  your  example. 

In  December  of  the  same  year  he  wrote  to  the  Rev.  John  A. 
Kelly,  South  Amboy:  "You  must  have  a  school,  if  all  the  ladies 
of  South  Amboy  have  to  sell  their  jewelry  and  you  your  best 
coat."  He  determined  likewise  to  provide  an  institution  of  high 
standing,  which  would  afford  superior  advantages  for  the  educa- 
tion of  secular  students,  and  at  the  .same  time  open  a  theological 
department  for  the  training  of  the  future  priests  of  the  diocese 
under  the  eye  of  their  bishop.  Bishop  Bayley  was  ably  seconded 
in  this  venture  by  the  Rev.  Bernard  J.  McOuaid,  then  in  the  prime 
of  his  manhood. 

The  purpose  and  plans  having  been  determined,  the  next  thing 
to  be  fixed  upon  was  a  suitable  location  for  the  proposed  college. 
After  carefully  investigating  the  claims  of  different  localities  sug- 
gested, it  was  decided  to  purchase  the  Young  Ladies'  Academy  at 
Madison,  N.  J.,  then  under  the  direction  of  Madame  Chegary,  one 
of  the  famous  educators  of  her  day.  The  neat  frame  building 
was  situated  in  a  grove  of  willow  trees  some  distance  back  from 
the  highway,  and  at  the  time  was  thought  to  be  commodious 
enough  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  prospective  college  for  some 
years  to  come.  Alterations  were  rapidly  pushed  to  completion, 
and  on  September   ist,  1856,  the  college  was  formally  opened. 


598  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

The  following  five  students  answered  to  the  first  roll  call,  viz., 
Leo  G.  Thebaud,  Louis  Boisaubin,  Alfred  Boisaubin,  of  Madison 
N.  J.;  John  Moore,  of  New  York  City;  and  Peter  Meehan,  of 
Hoboken,  N.  J.  Before  the  end  of  the  month  twenty  additional 
names  of  students  were  registered. 

Bishop  Bayley  named  the  college  ''  Seton  Hall,"  in  honor  of 
his  revered  aunt.  Mother  Elizabeth  Seton,  the  daughter  of  Dr. 
Richard  Bayley,  of  New  York  City,  who  was  the  first  professor 
of  anatomy  in  Columbia  College  and  the  originator  of  the  New 
York  quarantine  system. 

Bishop  Bayley's  connection  with  St.  John's  College,  Fordham, 
his  great  executive  ability,  and  superior  knowledge  of  men,  made 
him  eminently  fitted  to  be  the  founder  of  a  seat  of  learning 
of  high  standing,  such  as  he  proposed  to  have  in  Seton  Hall  Col- 
lege. He  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  charter  which  gives  to  the 
college  all  the  privileges  of  a  university  and  is  as  liberal  in  its  pro- 
visions as  any  ever  granted  by  the  State  of  New  Jersey. 

Bishop  Bayley  never  better  evinced  his  thorough  knowledge 
of  men  than  in  his  selection  of  Father  McOuaid,  who  had  been 
his  able  helper  and  adviser  in  the  organization  of  Seton  Hall,  as 
first  president.  In  fact,  it  may  justly  be  said  that  the  early  suc- 
cess and  establishment  on  a  firm  basis  of  the  institution  was  due 
to  the  untiring  energy  and  zealous  devotion  of  Father  McOuaid, 
who  was  in  his  time  the  life  and  soul  of  the  college. 

At  the  close  of  the  first  year  of  this  institution  the  number  of 
pupils  had  increased  from  five  to  fifty-four.  Of  the  termination 
of  this  initiatory  year  Bishop  Bayley  says  in  his  diurnal :  "  We 
held  the  first  commencement  of  Seton  Hall  College,  if  it  may  be 
called  by  so  dignified  a  name,  on  June  25th,  1857;  the  weather 
was  beautiful,  and  everything  went  off  well." 

Rev.  Alfred  Young,  who  subsequently  identified  himself  with 
the  Paulist  community,  was  first  vice-president  of  the  college. 
He  joined  the  Paulist  community  in  i86i,  and  attained  a  wide 
reputation  as  an  author,  a  ready  and  caustic  writer,  and  composer 
of  sacred  music.  Prof.  James  Fagan,  of  Kansas,  was  first  chief 
prefect. 

After  successfully  filling  the  office  of  president  for  one  year, 
Father  McOuaid  was  recalled  to  Newark  to  assume  his  old  posi- 
tion as  rector  of  the  cathedral. 

On  July  1st,  1857,  Rev.  Daniel  J.  Fisher  succeeded  Father 
McQuaid  as  president  of  Seton  Hall.  He  was  educated  at  St. 
John's  College,  Fordham,  and  was  a  student  in  the  seminary  there 


IN  nf:w  jersey 


S99 


6oo  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

while  Bishop  Bayley  was  president.  In  1852  he  went  west  to 
labor  as  a  missionary  among  the  Indians  and  scattered  families  of 
Catholics  in  Minnesota.  He  worked  faithfully  and  laboriously 
for  several  years  in  this  missionary  field,  but  the  rigor  of  the  cli- 
mate and  constant  exposure  so  impaired  his  health  that  his  physi- 
cians advised  him  to  return  east.  He  affiliated  himself  with  the 
Diocese  of  Newark  on  October  30th,  1855.  Bishop  Bayley 
thought  highly  of  his  attainments  and  paid  the  following  tribute 
to  his  talents :  "  He  was  a  beautiful  English  scholar,  preached 
well,  and  read  the  Gospel  better  than  almost  an}'  one  I  ever  lis- 
tened to."  Dr.  Fisher  served  as  an  assistant  to  Rev.  Father 
Cauvin,  at  Hoboken,  until  appointed  rector  of  Seton  Hall.  He 
was  president  for  two  years,  and  had  associated  with  him  as  vice- 
president  the  Very  Rev.  William  McNulty,  of  Paterson,  N.  J. 

Prominent  among  the  officers  and  instructors  who  were  con- 
nected with  Seton  Hall  while  it  was  located  at  Madison  may  be 
mentioned:  Rev.  Lawrence  Hoey,  Rev.  Father  Cody,  Rev.  F'ather 
Brown,  Rev.  P"ather  Gessner,  and  Rev.  Father  Gervais,  Rev. 
P'ather  Lovejoy,  and  Rev.  P'ather  Kehoe,  Profs.  Francis  and 
Philip  Ryan,  Magui,  Toland,  and  Brady,  with  Mr.  T.  J.  Ryan, 
superintendent  of  the  Newark  Catholic  Institute,  as  instructor  of 
calisthenics  and  gymnastics.  After  resigning  the  presidency  of 
Seton  Hall  College,  Father  Fisher  resumed  his  missionary  work 
in  Minnesota,  but  subsequently  returned  to  New  Jersey  and 
served  as  assistant  rector  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Hoboken,  until 
his  death,  which  he  met,  with  entire  resignation  to  the  divine 
Will,  April  28th,  1869,  in  the  hospital  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Poor, 
Hoboken. 

The  college  at  Madison  had  continued  to  grow  and  prosper, 
and  already  the  original  building  was  becoming  too  small  to 
accommodate  the  demands  of  the  growing  institution.  Father 
McOuaid  began  his  second  term  as  president  July  16th,  1859, 
Bishop  Bayley  being  unable  to  find  any  one  who  he  thought 
could  so  acceptably  fill  the  place  and  push  to  success  the  plans  he 
had  in  view  for  enlarging  the  institution.  Father  McOuaid  was 
also  still  retained  as  rector  of  the  cathedral. 

On  June  29th,  1859,  the  third  annual  commencement  of  Seton 
Hall  was  held.  Dr.  Orestes  Augustus  Brownson  gave  the  closing 
address.  This  distinguished  man  of  letters  subsequently  served 
for  a  number  of  years  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
Seton  Hall  and  also  lectured  at  the  college  on  civil  polity. 

Bishop  Bayley  and  the  board  of  trustees  had  for  some  time 


IN    NKW   JERSEY  6oi 

been  contemplating  the  removal  of  the  college  to  a  site  more  ac- 
cessible to  Newark,  as  Madison  was  found  to  be  too  far  away  from 
the  cathedral  for  the  convenience  of  a  theological  department  of 
the  institution;  but  it  was  not  until  i860  that  a  site  was  finally 
determined  upon,  and  then  only  after  a  careful  survey  of  every 
desirable  location.  The  venture  at  this  time  was  thought  very 
hazardous,  the  country  being  in  a  chaotic  and  unsettled  state  pend- 
ing the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War.  The  college  had  already  be- 
gun to  draw  on  the  South  for  many  of  its  pupils,  and  no  one  could 
presage  what  would  be  the  outcome  of  the  next  four  years ;  but 
"  Hazard,  zit  forward  "  has  ever  been  the  watchword  of  Setonia, 
and  success  crowned  the  move. 

One  bright  day  in  the  early  spring  of  i860  Bishop  Bayley  and 
Father  McOuaid  were  returning  from  a  long  drive  over  the  Orange 
Hills  from  what  had  proved  a  fruitless  search  for  a  location  for 
the  new  college;  rather  discouraged,  they  were  driving  slowly 
homeward  over  the  South  Orange  and  Newark  turnpike,  when 
Bishop  Bayley's  attention  was  attracted  to  a  large  white  marble 
villa  surrounded  by  superb  grounds  and  stately  trees.  He  turned 
to  Father  McOuaid  and  said,  "  Do  you  think  that  property  can 
be  purchased.?"  "I  don't  know,  but  we'll  try,"  answered  the 
young  priest  with  assurance  and  ready  promptness.  For  Father 
McOuaid  to  will  was  to  accomplish,  when  he  once  set  to  work 
with  a  purpose  in  view,  and  despite  several  obstacles  it  was  not 
long  before  the  property  was  bought  and  the  deed  transferred  to 
Bishop  Bayley.  Chief  among  the  impediments  that  made  it 
necessary  to  go  slowly  was  the  prejudice  of  the  times,  which  made 
it  difficult  for  Catholics,  particularly  churchmen  in  high  authority, 
to  obtain  legal  possession  of  real-estate.  Mr.  Michael  McEntee, 
of  Vailsburgh,  N.  J.,  a  Catholic  real-estate  dealer,  was  therefore 
commissioned  to  make  the  purchase,  and  on  April  2d,  i860,  the 
formal  transfer  of  the  deed  was  made  to  Bishop  Bayley. 

The  property  consisted  of  a  valuable  tract  of  land  covering 
sixty  acres,  on  which  were  a  farmhouse,  stables,  and  the  palatial 
residence  already  spoken  of,  which  had  been  built  at  a  cost  of  over 
$40,000.  This  building  had  been  erected  by  two  brothers  who 
lived  for  some  years  under  the  same  roof.  The  entire  estate  was 
sacrificed  for  the  sum  of  $35,000,  less  than  the  marble  villa  had 
originally  cost.  This  was  naturally  conceded  to  be  a  great  bargain 
and  a  happy  termination  of  the  difficulties  Bishop  Bayley  and 
Father  McOuaid  had  met  in  determining  upon  a  change  of  loca- 
tion for  Seton  Hall  College. 


6o2  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

No  more  healthful  or  inviting  site  could  have  been  chosen, 
situated  as  the  college  buildings  are  at  South  Orange,  N.  J.,  in 
full  view  of  the  Orange  Mountains,  on  high  rolling  ground,  one  of 
the  most  elevated  points  between  the  Oranges  and  Newark,  and 
surrounded  with  well-kept  lawns  and  fine  shade  trees  which  afford 
charming  fields  for  the  pupils  to  enjoy  recreation  and  practise 
athletic  sports. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  new  college  building  was  laid  on  May 
15th,  i860,  by  Bishop  Bay  ley,  who  addressed  the  assemblage  of 
people.  This  building  of  brick  was,  in  construction  and  architec- 
tural design,  in  accordance  with  the  marble  villa  which  was  adapted 
for  a  seminary.  Through  the  energy  of  Father  McQuaid  the 
new  college  was  completed  and  ready  for  occupancy  by  the  begin- 
ning of  the  scholastic  year  and  was  opened  September  loth, 
i860,  with  fifty  pupils.  On  September  29th  of  this  year  Rev. 
Father  Cody,  who  had  been  connected  with  Seton  Hall  since 
its  foundation,  sailed  for  Europe.  At  the  seventh  annual  com- 
mencement he  was  awarded  the  honorary  degree  of  Master  of 
Arts. 

About  twenty  acres  of  the  grounds  were  set  apart  for  recrea- 
tion purposes,  and  the  students  provided  with  a  gymnasium,  ball 
alleys,  basebalj  and  football  fields.  The  remaining  portion  of  the 
land  was  set  apart  for  farming  purposes,  the  products  partly  sup- 
plying the  institution  with  milk  and  vegetables.  Seton  Hall  grew 
in  popularity  after  its  removal  to  South  Orange,  and  new  names 
were  constantly  added  to  the  roll-call,  pupils  coming  from  all  parts 
of  the  country.  The  academic  year  then  consisted  of  two  sessions 
oijivc  montJts  each,  the  scholastic  year  beginning  the  last  Wednes- 
day in  August  and  ending  the  last  Wednesday  in  June ;  a  vacation 
of  ten  days  was  allowed  at  Christmas  and  two  days  in  May.  There 
was  no  Easter  vacation. 

The  officers  and  professors  in  i860  were: 

Rev.  B.  J.  McQuAiD,  President,  Professor  of  Rhetoric. 

Rev.  Januarius  De  Concilio,  Chaplain  and  Professor  of 
Logic  and  Metaphysics. 

James  VV.  Fitzpatrick,  Professor  of  Latin  and  Greek. 

James  Fagan,  A.M.,  Professor  of  Mathematics,  Chemistry, 
and  Natural  Philosophy. 

Theodore  Blume,  A.M.,  Professor  of  Ancient  and  Modern 
Languages. 

George  F.  Klinkhardt,  Assistant  Professor  of  Languages. 

Leo  G.  Thebaud,  Professor  of  French. 


IN    NKW    JERSEY  603 

W'iNAND  WiGGER,  A.B.,  Assistant  Professor  of  Mathematics 
anc'  English. 

F.  H.  CuvPERS,  Professor  of  Drawing  and  Painting. 

William  A.  S.  Schmidt,  Professor  of  Music. 

T.  J.  Ryan,  Instructor  of  Gymnastics  and  CaHsthenics. 

James  Donelan,         | 

P.  G.  Duffy,  | 

I  ■     ■    -iir      '  ^  Prefects  and  Tutors. 

James  Ward,  [ 

Pierce  McCarthy,     | 

Leonardo  A.  Giro,    J 

After  Father  De  ConciHo  left  the  seminary,  where  he  had 
been  professor  of  theology.  Rev.  Henry  A.  Brann,  D.D.,  who  had 
been  ordained  in  Rome  on  June  14th,  1862,  was  appointed  vice- 
president  of  Seton  Hall  in  September  of  the  same  year.  He  held 
this  office  for  two  years,  when  he  was  transferred  to  St.  Mary's 
Church,  Jersey  City,  in  September,  1864.  Dr.  Brann  was  also 
professor  in  the  seminary,  where  he  taught  dogmatic  theology  and 
mental  philosophy.  The  Hon.  John  D.  Kernan,  of  New  York, 
was  the  most  conspicuous  pupil  in  the  college  during  those  two 
years.  In  the  seminary,  among  others,  were  the  Rev.  Michael 
Kain,  who  died  pastor  of  Red  Bank ;  Rev.  Pierce  McCarthy,  who 
died  pastor  of  East  Orange;  Rev.  James  F.  Dalton,  who  died 
pastor  of  Bergen  Point,  now  called  Bayonne ;  and  the  Rev.  Charles 
Reilly,  who  died  pastor  of  St.  Columba's  Church,  Newark. 

A  clever  seminarian  of  those  years  was  the  Rev.  James  A. 
D'Arcy,  who  died  young.  He  made  a  public  defence  in  dogmatic 
theology,  the  first  that  had  ever  been  made  in  the  seminary,  and 
sustained  with  distinction  a  number  of  theses  against  the  Rev.  Dr. 
McGlynn,  the  Rev.  Dr.  McSweeney,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Burtsell,  and 
the  Rev.  Father  De  Concilio,  later  Monsignor,  who  all  came  by 
invitation  to  the  college  to  object.  Another  seminarian  of  the 
time  was  the  Rev.  Sebastian  Smith,  D.D.,  who  afterward  became 
well  known  for  his  works  on  canon  law. 

Rev.  Sebastian  Smith  received  the  degrees  of  A.B.  and  A.M. 
from  Seton  Hall  and  was  professor  of  metaphysics  in  the  college. 
He  evinced  his  affection  for  his  alma  mater  by  a  remembrance 
in  his  will,  whereby  he  left  a  sum  of  money  to  found  a  scholarship 
in  Seton  Hall. 

'  Father  McQuaid  was  a  rigid  disciplinarian,  insisted  on  prompt- 
ness and  exactness  in  every  detail,  laying  particular  stress  upon 
students  returning  to  the  college  on  the  day  and  hour  appointed. 


6o4  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

He  was  also  the  spirit  of  kindness  and  delighted  in  giving  talks 
to  the  bo}'s,  and  had  a  happy  way  of  calling  attention  to  faults 
without  seeming  to  reprimand  any  individual  severel}',  unless  the 
occasion  was  one  of  grave  importance,  and  then  no  one  could  be 
more  severe  than  Father  McQuaid.  Always  vigilant,  no  derelic- 
tion of  duty  ever  escaped  his  keen  eye,  whether  it  occurred  on 
playground,  refectory,  study  hall,  or  chapel. 

At  the  time  Seton  Hall  was  removed  to  South  Orange  the 
house  chapel  was  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  students  and 
the  twenty-five  Catholics  of  the  vicinity  who  were  granted  the 
privilege  of  attending  Mass  at  the  college  on  Sundays.  The 
memory  of  this  chapel  is  hallowed  by  the  fact  that  it  was  there 
Bishop  Bayley  performed  his  first  function  of  ordination,  which 
was  also  remarkable  from  the  coincidence  that  one  of  the  candi- 
dates, Winaiid  M.  Wigger,  was  later  called  to  become  Bis  hop  of 
Nezvaj-k.  The  other  candidate  was  Leo  G.  Thebaud,  one  of  the 
first  students  of  Seton  Hall. 

Catholicity  in  South  Orange  was  fostered  by  the  presence  of  a 
Catholic  seat  of  learning  in  the  vicinity,  and  it  was  not  long  be- 
fore the  congregation  had  grown  io  such  a  size  that  with  the  con- 
tinued increase  in  the  number  of  i:)upils  the  house  chapel  was  no 
longer  large  enough.  It  was  accordingly  decided  to  build  a  new 
church,  which  would  meet  the  demands  of  students  and  parish 
for  many  years. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  present  chapel  was  laid  by  Bishop 
Bayley  on  May  2ist,  1863.  The  sermon  of  the  day  was  preached 
by  Father  McOuaid;  and  Bishop,  afterward  Cardinal,  McCloskey, 
honored  the  occasion  by  his  presence. 

At  the  annual  commencement,  June  24th,  1863,  a  gold  medal 
was  given  in  th.e  class  of  philosophy  for  the  best  essay  on  the  sub- 
ject, "A  Refutation  oi  Nominalism  and  a  Vindication  of  Real- 
ism." This  was  awarded  ex  ceqiioio  John  D.  Kernan  and  John  V. 
Kerran.  The  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  was  conferred 
on  Jeremiah  W.  Cummings,  D.U.,  of  St.  Stephen's  Church,  New 
York  City.  This  distinguished  clergyman  had  been  a  frequent 
visitor  of  Seton  Hall  in  the  early  days  of  the  institution  when  it 
was  located  at  Madison,  and  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  he  evinced 
the  liveliest  interest  in  the  progress  of  the  college.  In  1865  Dr. 
Henry  A.  Brann,  of  Jersey  City,  gave  a  gold  medal  in  the  class  of 
philosophy  for  the  best  essay  on  the  "  Immortality  of  the  Soul," 
which  was  awarded  to  W.  T.  Tiers,  of  Philadelphia.  Besides 
building  the  chapel,  in  1863,  a  large  stone  building  was  erected 


IN    NKW    JKRSKY  605 

for  an  infirmary  and  also  as  a  residence  for  the  Sisters  of  Charity, 
who  have  charge  of  the  infirmary  and  domestic  affairs  of  the  col- 
lege. This  house  is  of  rough  brownstone,  is  shaped  like  the  let- 
ter T,  with  a  frontage  of  ninety  feet,  and  is  harmonious  in  design 
with  the  other  edifices  located  on  the  grounds.  It  is  three  hun- 
dred and  two  feet  from  the  college  building,  and  in  case  of  an  out- 
break of  a  contagious  disease  a  perfect  quarantine  may  be  effected. 
The  interior  is  bright,  home-like,  and  cheery,  and  students  who 
are  ill  receive  the  most  careful  nursing  at  the  hands  of  the  good 
Sisters  of  Charity.  We  cannot  pass  away  from  the  infirmary 
without  mentioning  Sister  Josephus,  who  was  infirmarian  for  over 
thirty  years  and  grew  old  in  the  serxice  of  Seton  Hall.  Her  name 
will  recall  pleasant  recollections  to  the  old  students,  who  will  well 
remember  her  kindly  ministrations  to  them  during  major  or  minor 
spells  of  illness.  Sister  Josephus  was  recalled  to  the  mother 
house  at  Madison,  the  original  home  of  Seton  Hall,  in  August, 
1893,  for  a  well-earned  rest  after  her  long  labors  at  the  college. 
During  the  severe  winter  of  1894-95  there  was  sickness  among 
the  boys  at  St.  Joseph's  Preparatory  School,  conducted  by  the 
Sisters  of  Charity.  The  doctor,  well  knowing  Sister  Josephus's 
superior  ability  as  a  nurse,  insisted  that  no  one  else  could  take 
care  of  two  patients  who  were  critically  ill.  The  good  sister  will- 
ingly took  charge  of  the  case,  but  in  her  anxiety  for  the  boys  re- 
mained on  \\'atch  over  time,  overta.xed  her  strength,  caught  cold, 
contracted  pneumonia,  and  died  in  a  few  days. 

July  1 8th,  1864,  Bishop  Bayley  wrote  to  the  Rev^  William 
McCloskey,  the  I'ector  of  the  American  College,  Rome :  "  You 
must  send  the  Rev.  Mr.  Corrigan  home.  You  need  not  mind 
sending  Father  Edward  (Hopkins).  Our  finances  are  all  going  to 
the  dogs,  and  the  country  with  them — for  a  few  years  at  any  rate." 
Dr.  M.  A.  Corrigan  returned  from  Rome,  September  5th,  1864, 
and  was  appointed  by  Bishop  Bayley  to  succeed  Dr.  Brann  as  pro- 
fessor of  dogmatic  theology  and  sacred  Scripture  in  the  Ecclesias- 
tical Seminary  of  Seton  Hall. 

During  the  trying  days  of  the  Civil  War,  when  so  many  insti- 
tutions of  learning  were  obliged  to  close  their  doors,  at  least //'c? 
tempore,  Seton  Hall  not  only  held  its  own,  but  through  the  per- 
sistent energy  and  able  management  of  Father  McOuaid  the  num- 
ber of  students  so  increased  that  in  1865  the  college  building  had 
to  be  enlarged  to  twice  its  original  size.  This  building  had  hardly 
been  completed  before  a  cloud  arose  on  the  horizon. 

Near  midnight,  on  Saturday,  January  27th,   1866,  when  the 


6o6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

temperature  was  at  the  freezing  point  and  sleet  and  snow  lay  on 
the  ground,  the  college  was  roused  by  the  cry,  Fire  !  Fire !  and  in 
less  than  four  hours  all  that  was  left  of  the  once  beautiful  marble 
villa  was  a  smoking  mass  of  ruins.  The  fire  originated  in  the 
third  story  of  the  seminary  building.  At  first  all  efforts  were 
bent  toward  saving  the  structure,  but  the  flames  spread  rapidly  to 
the  roof,  and  it  was  soon  evident  that  no  means  at  hand  could 
prevent  the  entire  destruction  of  the  building.  Attention  was 
then  turned  toward  removing  the  furniture,  books,  and  valuable 
papers.  Priests,  professors,  and  students  set  to  work  with  a  will, 
and  through  their  bravery  and  activity  some  of  the  furniture  and 
valuable  books  and  papers  were  saved  and  the  fire  confined  to  the 
building"  in  which  it  originated. 

Father  McOuaid  faced  the  exigencies  of  the  fire  bravely,  but 
when  it  came  to  the  point  of  breaking  the  news  to  the  bishop  his 
courage  failed  and  he  showed  unusual  temerity  for  one  of  his 
calibre,  which  was  portrayed  in  his  countenance.  It  was  evident 
that  this  thought  was  in  his  mind:  "  How  shall  I  ever  break  the 
news  to  the  bishop  ?  The  burning  of  the  beautiful  building  will 
be  a  heavy  blow  to  him.  He  may  attribute  it  to  some  negligence 
on  my  part.'^  Father  Doane  having  learned  of  the  fire  early  the 
next  morning  (Sunday),  drove  in  a  sleigh  to  the  Passionist  Mon- 
astery, at  Hoboken,  where  Bishop  Bay  ley  was  making  a  \'isitation, 
and  told  him  of  the  burning  of  the  marble  house  at  the  college. 
Bishop  Bayley  and  Father  Doane  then  went  to  the  college  to 
view  the  ruins  and  to  comfort  Father  McQuaid. 

The  bishop  perceiving  Father  McQuaid's  anxiety,  his  first 
question,  after  hearing  no  lives  were  lost  or  injury  received,  was, 
"  Father  McOuaid,  did  they  save  my  grandmother's  blue  arm- 
chair?" When  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  said,  "That's 
good;  we  can  build  another  college,  but  could  not  replace  my 
grandmother's  armchair."  Reassured  and  encouraged  by  the 
bishop.  Father  McOuaid  rose  equal  to  the  emergency  and  went  to 
work  with  his  accustomed  energy.  In  a  few  days  the  following 
circular  was  issued : 


To  the  Patrons  ami  Friends  of  Set  on  Hall : 

The  ruins  of  the  burnt  building  are  being  removed.  Arrange- 
ments for  rebuilding  the  new  college  are  going  on. 

I  would  be  the  most  faint-hearted  of  men  if  I  were  to  hesitate 
one  moment  in  going  on  with  my  work.  The  general  cry  is, 
"  Give  us  something  larger,  grander,  more  suitable  for  college  pur- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  607 

poses."     It  is  my  intention,  with   God's  blessing  and  your  kind 
help,  to  do  so. 

A  little  plain  talk  with  regard  to  my  financial  means  will  not 
be  out  of  place.  The  new  building  will  cost  $50,000.  My  insur- 
ance amounts  to  $19,000;  there  are  $4,000  worth  of  materials  on 
hand.  Bishop  Bayley  will  order  a  general  collection  in  all  the 
churches  of  the  diocese,  which  will  amount  to  $10,000.  The  bal- 
ance I  must  find  elsewhere.  I  can  look  only  to  those  parents 
who  appreciate  the  work  Seton  Hall  is  doing  for  their  children; 
to  the  personal  friends  of  Bishop  Bayley,  who  deeply  sympathize 
with  him  in  the  heavy  and  unexpected  burden  that  has  been  placed 
upon  him  by  this  calamity;  and  to  those  friends  that  I  have  found 
in  my  labors  in  behalf  of  education,  and  who  have  felt  kindly 
toward  me  for  all  that  I  have  tried  to  do  for  the  welfare  of  their 
children. 

I  therefore  look  anxiously  and  earnestly  for  the  assistance  that 
the  well-wishers  of  Seton  Hall  may  be  able  to  render  in  this  try- 
ing moment.  Whatever  they  may  be  able  to  give  or  obtain  from 
their  friends,  be  it  much  or  little,  will  be  most  thankfully  and 
gratefully  received.  I  need  not  add  that  all  our  benefactors  will 
be  earnestly  remembered  in  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass. 

B.  J.  McOuAiD. 

Seton  Hall,  February  2d,  1866. 

The  response  to  this  appeal  was  prompt  and  generous ;  nearly 
$10,000  was  subscribed. 

These  generous  donations  were  supplemented  by  an  amateur 
concert  that  was  given  in  aid  of  Seton  Hall,  at  Delmonico's, 
Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City,  April  i8th,  1866,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Ranieri  Vilanova.  The  concert  was  suggested  by  Mrs. 
F.  A.  Bruguiere  and  Mrs.  J.J.  Barril,  who  were  untiring  in  their 
efforts  to  make  it  a  success.  Mr.  Delmonico  kindly  donated  the 
use  of  his  elegant  rooms,  and  among  the  patrons  appear  names  of 
the  most  distinguished  and  aristocratic  Catholics  in  New  York. 
The  handsome  sum  of  $2,000  was  realized  from  the  entertain- 
ment and  handed  over  to  Father  McOuaid.  The  collections 
in  the  diocese  exceeded  the  most  sanguine  expectations,  and 
Father  McOuaid  was  enabled  to  begin  the  erection  of  a  new 
building  larger  and  handsomer  than  had  at  first  been  contem- 
plated. 

Bishop  Bayley  was  far  more  timorous  than  Father  McOuaid 
when  it  came  to  drawing  plans  for  the  new  Seminary  of  the  Im- 
maculate Conception ;  he  feared  to  incur  too  heavy  a  responsibil- 
ity, while  Father  McQuaid  felt,  from  the  encouragement  already 
received,  that  he  was  prepared  to  cope  with  the  emergency  and  was 
ambitious  to  erect  a  building  worthy  of  the  institution;  but  it  was 


6o8  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

only  by  innocent  conniving  with  the  architect  that  he  was  enabled 
to  secure  for  Seton  Hall  the  present  handsome  seminary  edifice 
with  a  facade  of  1 34  feet,  with  a  depth  of  50  feet,  and  complete  in 
all  its  interior  appointments.  Seeing  that  Bishop  Bayley  was  dis- 
posed to  move  slowly  he  took  this  means  of  effecting  his  purpose ; 
he  first  had  the  architect  draw  plans  of  what  he  proposed  to  make 
the  centre  of  the  building.  Bishop  Bayley  naturally  thought  the 
height  too  great  for  the  width.  Father  McOuaid  agreed  with  him 
perfectly  and  took  the  plans  to  the  architect  for  alteration.  Little 
by  little  the  plans  were  modified  and  enlarged  to  suit  Father 
McOuaid's  ambitious  ideas  until  the  drawing  of  the  present  struc- 
ture was  approved  and  work  on  the  handsome  Gothic  building  of 
dressed  brownstone  was  immediately  begun.  This  edifice  is  three 
stories  high  and  more  than  double  the  dimensions  of  the  marble 
villa  which  was  burned ;  it  contains  fifty-four  rooms  finished  in 
walnut  and  ash,  with  a  flooring  of  Georgia  pine,  and  is  principally 
devoted  to  the  use  of  seminarians.  The  erection  of  the  seminary 
involved  a  large  outla}'  in  those  days  when  materials  were  expen- 
sive and  the  price  of  labor  high,  but  Father  McOuaid  was  not  to 
be  daunted,  the  work  was  pushed  forward,  and  early  in  1867  the 
building  was  ready  for  occupancy. 

In  July,  1866,  the  seminary  lost  one  of  its  most  earnest  and 
steadfast  friends  in  the  Very  Rev.  Patrick  Moran,  V.G.,  who  went 
to  his  eternal  rest  after  a  long  and  laborious  life  spent  in  the  ser- 
vice of  God.  As  the  deeds  of  good  men  live  after  them,  he  left  a 
testimonial  by  which  his  name  was  forever  to  be  perpetuated  at 
Seton  Hall.  Besides  donating  his  valuable  library  to  the  semi- 
nary, he  bequeathed  the  sum  of  $6,000  as  a  permanent  fund  for 
the  support  of  ecclesiastical  students.  This  has  since  been  known 
as  the  Moran  Burse.  His  dying  loish  zuas  tliat  otlicrs  viigJit  cniii- 
late  his  example  and  a  fund  be  provided  ivhereby  many  students 
eould  be  educated  for  tJie  priest Jiood. 

Rev.  Louis  A.  Schneider  was  admitted  to  the  Diocese  of  New- 
ark in  November,  1866.  After  serving  for  a  time  as  rector  of  St. 
John's  Church  in  that  city  he  went  to  California,  and  soon  after 
his  return,  in  1867,  was  appointed  professor  of  dogmatic  and  moral 
theology  in  the  Seminary  of  the  Immaculate  Conception.  He 
served  in  this  capacity  for  three  years,  until  he  was  named  rector 
of  St.  Nicholas's  Church  in  Passaic.  Father  Schneider  was  be- 
loved by  the  seminarians.  He  had  a  genial,  happy  disposition, 
and,  while  exacting  in  recitations,  he  often  enlivened  the  class- 
room with  appropriate  stories.     His  knowledge  of  theology  was 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  609 

most  profound.  On  August  15th,  1884,  his  busy  and  useful  life 
was  brought  to  a  close. 

On  May  19th,  1868,  Rev.  M.  A.  Madden,  a  member  of  the 
original  board  of  trustees  and  one  of  the  earliest  friends  and  bene- 
factors of  Setonia,  died  suddenly. 

Hardly  had  the  new  seminary  building  been  occupied  when  he 
who  had  labored  so  long  and  well,  who  had  done  all  the  hard  work 
from  the  outset — in  laying  the  foundation  of  the  Seton  Hall  of  to- 
day, and  to  whose  energy,  toil,  and  tact  the  institution  owed  its 
life  and  strength — the  first  president,  Rev.  B.  J.  McOuaid,  was 
called  in  1868  to  leave  the  quiet  shades  of  Setonia  and  go  forth  to 
labor  in  another  vineyard,  the  newly  erected  See  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y.  He  was  consecrated  first  Bishop  of  Rochester  on  July  12th, 
1868;  there  he  found  ample  field  for  his  talents  as  an  organizer 
and  worker. 

Dr.  M.  A.  Corrigan,  who  was  vice-president,  was  appointed  by 
Bishop  Bayley  to  succeed  Bishop  McOuaid  as  president  of  Seton 
Hall  College.  Father  Corrigan  was  hardly  twenty-eight  years  of 
age  when  he  was  placed  in  the  important  position  of  president  of 
one  of  the  foremost  Catholic  institutions  in  this  country.  On 
October  8th,  1868,  Father  Corrigan  was  further  honored  by  Bishop 
Bayley  in  being  named  Vicar-General  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark. 

He  expended  the  first  year  $5,000  in  the  construction  of  roads 
and  walks,  improving  the  drainage,  and  extending  the  gas  and  steam 
apparatus.  During  his  term  of  ofBce  he  also  made  many  repairs, 
purchased  sacred  vestments,  refitted  class-rooms,  and  finished  cer- 
tain portions  of  the  college  theretofore  incomplete.  About  this 
time  Bishop  Bayley  donated  to  the  college  library  two  hundred 
volumes  of  books  and  a  valuable  collection  of  coins.  Monsignor 
George  H.  Doane,  who  succeeded  Bishop  McQuaid  as  rector  of 
the  cathedral,  was  on  June  24th,  1868,  elected  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  Seton  Hall.  During  his  term  of  office  Dr. 
Corrigan  had  associated  with  him  as  vice-president  at  different 
times  Rev.  William  R.  Callen,  Rev.  Pierce  McCarthy,  and  his 
brother,  the  late  Rev.  James  H.  Corrigan. 

On  June  20th,  1870,  Mr.  Philip  Corrigan  and  his  brother.  Dr. 
Joseph  Corrigan,  founded  a  burse  for  the  seminary,  which  is 
known  as  the  Corrigan  Burse.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Corrigan  was  very 
popular  with  the  students ;  no  detail  in  the  management  of  the 
college  escaped  his  attention,  and  his  cultivated  taste  was  every- 
where apparent  in  and  about  Seton  Hall.  During  the  absence  of 
Bishop  Bayley  at  the  Vatican  Council  of  1870  Dr.  Corrigan  occu- 
39 


6io  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

pied  the  office  of  administrator.  He  dedicated  the  college  chapel 
on  February  6th,  1870,  Monsignor  Doane  delivering  the  sermon 
and  Monsignor  Seton  celebrating  the  Solemn  Mass  on  that  occa- 
sion. 

On  June  3d,  1871,  Rev^  William  P.  Salt,  who  subsequently  be- 
came so  thoroughly  identified  with  Seton  Hall,  and  who,  from  the 
time  he  entered  the  institution,  was  revered  and  loved  by  all  who 
knew  him,  was  ordained  a  priest  in  the  college  chapel  by  Bishop 
Bayley.  Father  Salt's  history  reads  more  like  a  romance  than  a 
page  from  real  life. 

William  Salt  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  September  19th, 
1837,  the  eldest  of  nine  children.  In  1847  his  parents  removed  to 
Bath,  a  small  village  in  western  New  York,  where  he  received  his 
primary  education.  At  an  early  age  he  was  taken  from  school 
and  placed  in  his  father's  shop  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  carpenter. 
It  was  a  hard  trial  to  the  lad,  who  had  an  insatiable  thirst  for 
knowledge,  to  be  deprived  of  the  advantages  of  school,  and  he 
therefore  spent  his  evenings  and  every  leisure  moment  reading 
and  studying.  In  this  way  he  completed  the  usual  academic  course 
and  also  became  acquainted  with  several  modern  languages,  which 
he  studied  under  a  private  tutor.  Of  these  years  he  wrote  later 
when  encouraging  others  to  persevere  in  the  face  of  difficulties: 
"  A  great  deal  of  what  little  I  know  was  gained  after  a  hard  day's 
work,  when  tired  Nature  would  soon  compel  me  to  lay  aside  the 
extra  task  I  was  imposing  on  her  and  go  to  bed  wondering  if  I  ever 
would  learn  anything." 

After  reaching  his  majority  he  began  to  read  law  in  the  office 
of  Judge  Rumse)',  of  Bath ;  supporting  himself  by  doing  odd  jobs 
at  his  trade  and  during  the  winter  teaching  a  country  school.  His 
parents  were  Baptists,  but  Mr.  Salt  was  not  attracted  b)-  that  form 
of  worship,  and  in  1859  joined  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 
About  this  time  he  became  dissatisfied  with  the  profession  of  law, 
and,  at  the  advice  of  friends,  decided  to  enter  the  ministry.  He 
received  an  offer  in  i860,  which  then  seemed  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity, to  teach  in  a  parish  school  and  at  the  same  time  have  lei- 
sure.to  study.  He  started  on  his  long  journey,  full  of  hope  for  the 
future,  for  Van  Buren,  Ark.,  where  the  school  was  located.  He 
was  rewarded  by  being  appointed  a  reader  by  Bishop  Lay  in  the 
spring  of  i86r,  and  while  conducting  the  bishop's  school  in  Fort 
Smith  also  pursued  his  studies  for  the  ministry. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  before  he  could  procure 
means  to  return  north,  the  closing  of  the  lines  shut  him  within 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


6ii 


the  Confederacy  and  his  school  was  broken  up.  By  the  advice  of 
the  bishop,  in  the  fall  of  1861  he  entered  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary at  Camden,  S.  C. 

A  year  afterward  he  wrote  that  "  the  perils  of  the  pestilence 
and  sword  were  making  him  prematurely  gray."  Later,  with  other 
students  of  the  seminar)^,  he  was  drafted  into  the  Confederate 
army,  where  he  served  for  nearl}-  three  years  in  the  Marion  Artil- 
lery, stationed  as  a  defence  for  Charleston,  being  the  greater  part 
of  the  time  on  John's  Island.  In  Mr.  Salt's  company  there  were 
three  other  theological  students,  who  added  to  their  regular  duties 
those  of  volunteer  chaplain, 
attending  to  the  sick  and 
dying  in  camp  and  field. 
During  this  time  he  contin- 
ued his  studies,  making  pro- 
gress slowly  but  surely,  and 
whenever  opportunity  offered 
he  sent  a  letter  home,  but  it 
was  near  the  close  of  the  war 
before  a  letter  reached  him. 
Failing  at  Charleston  to  pro- 
cure the  transportation  north 
for  which  he  had  applied,  or 
to  receive  the  necessary  funds 
for  the  journey  which  had 
been  sent  him  from  home, 
he  and  a  friend,  a  German 
soldier,  resolved  to  make  the 
journey  on  foot.  Unused  to 
forced  marches,  they  soon  became  footsore,  and  his  companion 
being  quite  disabled,  Mr.  Salt  made  efforts  to  procure  work  at 
different  plantations  in  order  that  his  friend's  feet  might  become 
healed  and  they  could  pursue  their  journey.  They  were  unsuc- 
cessful, however,  until  they  met  with  a  German  farmer,  who, 
pleased  with  their  ability  to  speak  his  nati\e  tongue,  took  them  in 
and  gave  them  employment.  He  at  first  doubted  their  abilities 
for  the  harvest  field,  but  at  the  end  of  a  week's  stay  offered  them 
special  inducements  to  remain. 

Mr.  Salt,  however,  declined,  as  his  companion  was  able  to  travel ; 
they  resumed  their  tramp  and  pursued  their  way  to  the  nearest 
railway  station.  On  the  4th  of  July,  1865,  he  was  at  Hilton  Head, 
"a  waif  of  the  war  thrown  upon  a  sandy  beach,  with  the  past  a 


REV.    WILLIAM   P.   SALT. 

Fifth  Vicar-General  and  Rector  of  Seton 

Hall  Seminary. 


6i2  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

pain  and  the  future  a  blank  "  From  this  place  they  were  trans- 
ported to  New  York. 

Upon  arriving  at  Bath  he  found  the  old  homestead  sold  and  his 
father  struggling"  to  support  a  large  family.  He  began  at  once  to 
work  for  his  father  at  his  trade,  but  offered  himself  a  candidate 
for  orders  and  resumed  his  studies.  He  soon  accepted  a  place  to 
teach  in  the  academy  at  Bath  and  renounced  finally  the  carpenter's 
bench,  but  never  failed  to  praise  the  advantages  offered  by  a  trade, 
and  always  declared  that  "  the  saw  and  the  hammer  had  done  him 
good  service."  Late  in  the  following  winter,  1865,  he  was  or- 
dained a  deacon  by  Bishop  Coxe  and  in  the  spring  assigned  to  the 
churches  at  Sodus  Point,  where  he  remained  for  some  time,  com- 
mended for  "  faithfulness,  zeal,  and  usefulness."  Arrangements 
had  been  made  for  him  to  pursue  his  studies  at  Geneva,  N.  Y., 
and  take  temporary  charge  of  Grace  Church,  but  he  had  for  some 
time  doubted  the  tenets  of  the  Episcopal  Church  and  he  entered 
into  an  investigation.  "When  convinced  of  the  authority  of  the 
Catholic  Church  to  teach,"  he  said,  "then  all  doubt  vanished;  my 
duty  was  clearly  defined."  He  left  Geneva  for  New  York  City, 
where  on  October  12th,  1867,  he  was  baptized  by  Rt.  Rev.  Mon- 
signor  Preston  at  St.  Ann's  Church.  That  this  step  was  not  a 
hasty  one  is  shown  by  letters  written  the  year  previous  and  by 
remembered  conversations  with  friends  to  whom  he  had  expressed 
his  doubts  and  perplexities.  When  confronted  with  the  fact  that 
from  his  mother  he  inherited  the  blood  of  Welsh  Dissenter  and 
French  Huguenot  and  from  his  father  that  of  English  Quaker, 
Scotch-Irish  Presbyterian,  and  Holland  Puritan,  as  an  argument 
against  his  sanity  because  he  became  "  one  of  the  despised  papists," 
he  simply  replied,  "  Go  back  far  enough  and  you  will  find  that  my 
ancestors  were  all  Catholics."  Very  soon  after  his  baptism  Mr. 
Salt  entered  the  seminary  at  Seton  Hall.  While  expressing  his 
sorrow  at  crossing  his  father's  wishes  in  studying  for  the  priest- 
hood, he  wrote  home :  "  I  should  not  be  content  anywhere  else. 
I  feel  that  the  past  has  produced  no  fruit,  and  it  is  time  for  my 
life-work  to  begin." 

After  a  brief  course  of  study  of  philosophy  at  Seton  Hall,  Mr. 
Salt  was  sent  by  Bishop  Bay  ley  to  the  American  College  at  Rome 
to  make  his  theological  studies.  He  was  in  the  Eternal  City  dur- 
ing the  turbulent  times  when  Garibaldi  attacked  the  city  and 
despoiled  the  Church  of  its  temporal  power  and  imprisoned  the 
aged  Pontiff,  Pius  IX.  Mr.  Salt  on  this  occasion  displayed  the 
fire  that  was  in  his  nature  by  proposing  to  volunteer  in  the  Papal 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  613 

Zouaves.  In  after  years  he  must  have  liad  that  experience  in 
mind  when  he  wrote  the  following  in  a  sermon  on  the  virtue  of 
hope : 

On  one  of  the  plains  of  Italy  lies  a  young  soldier,  with  his  life- 
blood  slowly  ebbing  away,  while  the  only  sound  which  comes  to 
his  ears  above  the  roar  of  the  battle  is  the  bugle  sounding  a  retreat 
to  his  comrades.  That  morning  he  had  gone  out  to  battle  with  a 
conscience  free  from  sin,  and  with  his  life,  his  all,  offered  to  God 
and  his  Church  in  defence  of  Clirisfs  Vicar  on  eart/i,  and  now 
though  that  sound,  the  most  painful  to  the  soldier,  is  ringing  in 
his  ears — the  call  to  retreat — yet  a  light  of  joy  is  in  his  counte- 
nance, for  his  last  sigh  is  an  act  of  contrition  and  he  knows  that 
he  is  going  home  to  his  reward. 

Mr.  Salt's  health  failed  him  in  Rome  and  he  was  obliged  to 
return  to  America  before  completing  his  theological  studies.  He 
returned  to  Seton  Hall,  continued  his  course,  and  was  ordained 
a  priest  June  3d,  1871. 

Soon  after  ordination  he  was  appointed  professor  of  logic  at 
Seton  Hall.  He  afterward  filled  various  chairs,  including  eccle- 
siastical history,  political  economy,  civil  polity.  Christian  evidences, 
mathematics,  physics,  and  chemistry.  He  was  director  of  the 
seminary  and  treasurer  for  many  years  during  the  presidency  of 
Dr.  Corrigan  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Corrigan,  and  was  made  Vicar-Gen- 
eral of  the  Diocese  of  Newark  by  Bishop  Wigger. 

On  account  of  failing  health,  in  September,  1881,  he  resigned 
the  office  of  treasurer,  and  the  Rev.  William  F.  Marshall  was 
appointed  his  successor. 

Father  Salt  continued  to  teach  and  direct  the  affairs  of  the 
seminary  until  within  two  years  of  his  death,  which  occurred  on 
October  7th,  1891.  He  received  the  holy  viaticum  at  Mass  that 
morning  from  the  hand  of  Rev.  Dennis  McCartie,  in  the  private 
chapel,  and  came  down  to  the  dining-room  for  breakfast.  When 
seated  at  the  table  he  gave  signs  of  suffering,  and  begging  the  rev. 
father  to  excuse  him,  he  left,  and  while  walking  along  the  corridor 
on  the  second  floor  was  seized  with  a  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs  and 
was  falling  to  the  floor  from  weakness  when  the  Rev.  John  J. 
O'Connor  saw  him  and  hastened  to  his  assistance.  Father 
O'Connor  quickly  perceived  that  Father  Salt  was  dying  and  ad- 
ministered to  him  the  Sacrament  of  Extreme  Unction.  In  a  few 
moments  the  holy  man  expired. 

He  was  buried  from  Seton  Hall  Chapel  and  the  ceremonies 
were  most  impressive. 


6i4  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

His  aged  father  and  mother  were  present,  and  a  few  other 
members  of  his  family,  and  about  seventy  priests  of  the  dioceses 
of  Newark  and  Trenton. 

The  Mass  was  celebrated  by  the  Rev.  J.J.  O'Connor,  the  ser- 
mon preached  by  Monsignor  Doane,  and  Bishop  Wigger  pro- 
nounced the  absolution. 

He  bequeathed  to  Seton  Hall  his  large  and  well-selected 
library 

Father  Salt's  remains  were  laid  at  rest,  as  he  had  requested, 
in  the  Cemetery  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  in  Newark.  The  grave  is 
surmounted  by  a  neat  marble  monument  which  was  erected  by 
Bishop  Wigger. 

The  perfume  of  Father  Salt's  memory  is  as  sweet  and  fresh 
to-day  as  it  was  on  the  day  he  passed  over  the  bridgeless  river  to 
the  longed-for  valley  of  rest.  The  recollection  of  his  gentle  life  is 
as  grateful  as  the  breath  of  a  melody,  as  wholesome  as  the  hand 
of  benediction.  Father  Salt's  memory  would  live,  though  he  had 
pra}'ed  that  it  might  die.  It  is  enshrined  in  many  hearts,  and 
shall  be  reverently  cherished  until  those  hearts  are  pulseless  and 
still  To  know  him  was  to  love  him,  and  remembrance  is  the 
flower  of  love — a  flower  that  blossoms  with  perennial  bloom. 

He  was  a  mirror  of  true  manhood  and  a  model  for  imitation. 
His  was  a  pure  life,  a  pattern  and  exemplar  for  the  army  of  sol- 
diers he  trained  for  God's  sanctuary  in  the  seminary  he  graced  and 
elevated  by  his  guidance. 

If  silence  is  greatness,  as  Carlyle  thinks  it  is,  on  this  count  also 
was  he  a  great  man. 

As  a  teacher  he  was  careful,  exact,  conscientious,  practical. 
He  had  a  strong  logical  turn,  a  power  of  keen  analysis,  and  great 
faculty  for  condensation.  Superfluous  issues  he  avoided  with  in- 
fallible instinct;  he  struck  straight  at  the  heart  of  the  subject,  and 
never  wearied  his  pupils  with  irrelevant  discussions.  He  inspired 
a  certain  fear,  but  it  was  reverential,  and  was  tempered  with  respect 
and  confidence. 

His  learning  was  solid  and  accurate  and  varied,  but  he  did  not 
parade  it.  A  certain  bishop  once  remarked,  "  I  lived  se\'eral 
years  in  the  house  with  him  before  I  knew  he  was  acquainted  with 
my  native  tongue."  His  pupils  loved  him  and  bore  frequent  tes- 
timony of  their  affection. 

The  Rev.  Sebastian  Gebhard  Messmer  came  to  Seton  Hall, 
November  17th,  1871,  from  the  Jesuit  College  at  Innsbruck  to  fill 
the  chair  of  Scripture  and  canon  law.     To  the  old  graduates  of 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  615 

Seton  Hall  no  name  brings  up  happier  recollections  than  that  of 
Sebastian  Gebhard  Messmer.  Eighteen  years  of  his  busy  life 
found  a  sphere  of  usefulness  in  and  about  the  college.  A  thor- 
ough scholar  and  an  humble  man,  he  was  equally  at  home  in  the 
lecture  hall  of  the  seminary  or  on  the  lawn  of  St.  Mary's  Orphan 
Asylum  near  by,  where  he  was  almost  a  daily  visitor,  and,  if  his 
disciples  were  delighted  to  be  under  the  guidance  of  such  a  mas- 
ter, the  orphans  were  no  less  enthusiastic  over  the  good  priest 
who  found  his  joy  in  whatever  might  add  to  theirs. 

Father  Messmer  during  his  long  residence  filled  at  different 
times  the  chairs  of  sacred  Scripture,  canon  law,  and  dogmatic 
and  moral  theology. 

He  succeeded  Father  Schandel  as  chaplain  of  St.  Mary's 
Orphan  Asylum  and  continued  his  good  offices  there  until  1885, 
when  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  Newark. 
He  had  previously  been  rector  of  St.  Leo's  Church,  Irvington;  and 
from  February,  1 889,  until  August  of  the  same  year  he  was  rector 
of  St.  Venantius's  Church,  Orange,  when  he  was  called  to  become 
professor  of  canon  law  in  the  Catholic  University  at  Washington. 

After  receiving  the  appointment  of  professor  of  canon  law  in 
the  Catholic  University  at  Washington,  Dr.  Messmer  left  Seton 
Hall,  August  7th,  1889,  and  sailed  for  Europe.  Eight  months  of 
his  absence  were  spent  in  Rome,  perfecting  his  already  thorough 
knowledge  of  canon  law.  During  this  time  he  had  the  pleasure 
of  hearing  Professor  Giustini  at  the  Apollinari  College  lecture  on 
Roman  civil  (Justinian)  law.  In  June,  1890,  he  receiv^ed  the  de- 
gree of  Doctor  of  Canon  Law,  and  in  September  of  the  same  year 
began  his  lectures  at  the  Catholic  University.  He  here  showed 
himself  to  be  not  only  thoroughly  familiar  with  canon  law,  but 
also  to  have  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  civil  law  of  the  United 
States,  and  to  possess  a  comprehensive  understanding  of  the  pecu- 
liar circumstances  which  environ  the  Catholic  Church  in  America. 

On  December  14th,  1891,  Dr.  Messmer  was  appointed  Bishop 
of  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  to  succeed  Bishop  Katzer,  who  had  been 
made  Archbishop  of  Milwaukee,  and  in  the  fall  of  1903  was  pro- 
moted by  his  Holiness,  Pius  X.,  Archbishop  of  Milwaukee. 

Bishop  Bayley,  on  September  2d,  1872,  received  the  apostolic 
letters  appointing  him  Archbishop  of  Baltimore.  Six  weeks  later, 
October  13th,  1872,  he  was  installed  in  the  Baltimore  Cathedral. 
Dr.  M.  A.  Corrigan,  President  of  Seton  Hall,  was  made  adminis- 
trator of  the  Diocese  of  Newark  pending  the  appointment  of  a 
new  bishop. 


6i6  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Dr.  Corrigan,  on  February  nth,  1873,  received  a  telegram  an- 
nouncing that  he  had  been  appointed,  by  Pope  Pius  IX.,  Bishop 
of  Newark.  There  was  joy  at  Seton  Hall  over  the  honor  done 
their  president,  but  it  was  not  unmingled  with  sorrow  at  the 
thought  of  parting  with  one  who  had  always  held  a  warm  place 
in  the  hearts  of  the  students  and  had  gained  well-deserved  popu- 
larity in  both  college  and  seminary  while  filling  the  various  offices 
of  professor,  vice-president,  and  president. 

During  his  last  illness  it  was  the  one  pleasure  Archbishop 
Bayley  enjoyed  to  drive  out  to  Seton  Hall.  His  last  visits  were 
made  September  25th  and  26th,  1877,  accompanied  by  Archbishop 
Corrigan.  It  was  on  one  of  these  drives  that  Archbishop  Ba\le)-, 
looking  back  on  the  past,  told  the  Bishop  of  Newark  of  his  desire 
after  his  conversion  to  become  a  Jesuit,  and  before  his  consecra- 
tion to  become  a  Redemptorist,  but  that  on  both  occasions  his 
director  had  dissuaded  him  from  taking  this  step,  insisting  that  he 
could  do  more  good  in  the  world. 

On  May  6th,  1877,  at  Seton  Hall  Seminary  was  witnessed  the 
ordination  of  Mr.  W.  N.  Hoyt,  formerly  an  Episcopal  clergyman, 
then  sixty-five  years  of  age,  stationed  in  Burlington,  Vt.,  who  be- 
came a  Catholic  about  1852.  On  the  death  of  his  wife  in  the  early 
seventies  he  applied  to  Cardinal  McCloskey  for  permission  to  study 
for  the  priesthood,  and,  being  of  the  very  best  character,  the  cardi- 
nal favored  the  idea  and  requested  Bishop  Corrigan  to  admit  Mr. 
Hoyt  to  Seton  Hall.  He  studied  there  for  two  years,  performing 
all  the  exercises  of  the  seminary  with  the  most  exemplary  regular- 
ity, joining  the  youngest  students  in  their  walks,  conversation,  etc. 
Of  his  eleven  children  two  are  religious  and  all  are  converts. 
Father  Hoyt  after  his  ordination  was  assigned  assistant  to  Father 
Donnelly,  St.  Michael's  Church,  New  York,  and  appointed  super- 
intendent of  the  immense  parish  schools. 

In  1884  Archbishop  Corrigan  was  summoned  to  Rome  and 
represented  the  New  York  Archdiocese  in  the  Ecumenical  Council 
called  by  the  Holy  Father  Leo  XIII.  The  death  of  Cardinal 
McCloskey,  on  October  loth,  1885,  made  Archbishop  Corrigan 
Metropolitan  of  the  Archdiocese  of  New  York ;  he  was  the  young- 
est archbishop  as  he  had  been  the  youngest  bishop  in  the  Catholic 
hierarchy  of  America,  and  primate  of  a  see  which,  in  point  of  im- 
portance and  size,  outranks  any  other  in  the  United  States. 

Archbishop  Corrigan's  successor  in  the  See  of  Newark  was 
the  Rev.  Winand  M  Wigger,  D.D.,  pastor  of  St.  Vincent's 
Church,  Madison,  N.  J. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  617 

At  the  seventeenth  annual  commencement  of  Seton  Hall  the 
degree  of  Master  of  Arts,  Honoris  Causa,  was  conferred  on  Rev. 
W.  P.  Salt.  Among  the  graduates  of  that  year  are  two  nanies 
that  have  since  become  prominent  in  the  history  of  the  Catholic 
Church  of  New  Jersey — those  of  James  Augustine  McFaul,  the 
Bishop  of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  and  John  Joseph  O'Connor,  the  honor 
man  of  the  class  of  1873,  who,  September,  1892,  succeeded  Father 
Salt  as  Vicar-General  of  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  and  who  at  differ- 
ent times  filled  the  chairs  of  metaphysics,  and  dogmatic  and  moral 
theology  in  his  alma  mater,  and  fs  now  fourth  Bishop  of  Newark. 

After  graduating  in  1873  he  went  abroad,  where  he  pursued 
his  studies  at  Rome,  in  the  American  College,  for  three  years, 
and  in  Louvain,  Belgium,  one  year,  where,  December  22d,  1877, 
he  was  ordained  a  priest. 

After  his  return  to  America,  Father  O'Connor  was  appointed 
professor  in  Seton  Hall.  In  October,  1892,  he  was  appointed 
rector  of  the  seminary. 

June  19th,  1876,  Bishop  Corrigan  resigned  the  oflfice  of  presi- 
dent, and  the  trustees  elected  his  brother.  Rev.  James  H.  Corri- 
gan, who  had  been  a  professor  in  the  institution  and  director  of  the 
seminary  since  1868,  and  was  made  vice-president  in  1872,  when 
Dr.  M.  A.  Corrigan  succeeded  Bishop  McOuaid  as  president. 

James  H.  Corrigan  was  born  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  June  29th, 
1844,  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  English  Corrigan,  natives 
of  Leinster,  Ireland.  His  father  determined  to  give  his  sons  a 
liberal  education,  a  decision  which  was  doubtless  prompted  and 
without  doubt  fostered  by  his  mother,  who  was  a  woman  of  fine 
intellect  and  rare  energy  and  strength  of  character.  Upon  com- 
pleting his  preparatory  course,  he  was  sent  to  Mount  St.  Mary's 
College,  Emmettsburg,  afterward  going  to  the  American  College 
at  Rome,  where  he  made  his  theological  studies ;  returning  to 
America,  he  was  ordained  at  Seton  Hall  College,  October  20th, 
1867.  He  celebrated  his  first  Mass  at  St.  John's  Church,  New- 
ark, where  he  and  his  brothers  had  been  baptized. 

About  1879  Father  James  Corrigan  began  to  take  steps  to 
organize  an  alumni  association  for  Seton  Hall.  His  efforts  met 
with  a  success  that  was  both  flattering  and  encouraging,  and  no 
higher  testimonial  could  have  been  paid  to  the  college  than  the 
responses  that  came  from  numerous  clergymen,  lawyers,  physi- 
cians, and  merchants,  all  of  whom  had  proved  themselves  worthy 
sons  of  their  alma  mater. 

After  the  Alumni  Association  had  been  established  on  a  solid 


6i8  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

basis,  it  was  Father  Corrigan  who  jDroposed  to  them  tne  erection 
of  Alumni  Hall,  and  to  his  untiring  efforts  must  be  accorded  the 
success  of  the  enterprise  that  inspired  the  old  graduates  to  unite 
and  present  to  the  college  a  building  worthy  of  the  alumni  and 
worthy  of  the  institution  and  the  other  edifices  that  grace  the 
beautiful  grounds  of  Setonia.  It  was  several  years  before  Father 
Corrigan  could  mature  his  plans,  and  the  corner-stone  was  not 
laid  until  October  25th,  1883.  Many  of  the  old  graduates  and 
their  friends  were  present. 

Alumni  Hall  is  built  of  undressed  stone,  presenting  a  solid  but 
not  ungraceful  aspect.  It  is  70  feet  long,  40  feet  wide,  and  60  feet 
from  the  ground  to  the  ridge  of  the  roof.  On  the  lower  floor  are 
two  billiard  parlors,  one  for  the  younger  and  one  for  the  older  col- 
legians, a  reading-room  and  a  library,  and  a  recreation-room  for 
the  theological  students.  In  the  vestibule  are  two  staircases  lead- 
ing to  the  iloor  above,  which  furnishes  a  spacious  hall  provided 
with  a  stage  for  literary  and  musical  entertainments.  The  hall  is 
also  designed  to  serve  for  the  general  meetings  of  the  Setonian 
Alumni  Association,  for  an  indoor  gymnasium,  and  for  cadet  drills. 

At  the  commencement,  June  i6th,  1880,  the  degree  of  D.D. 
was  conferred  on  the  Very  Rev.  Thomas  S.  Preston,  V.G.,  of  New 
York  City,  and  the  degree  of  LL.D.  on  Frederick  R.  Coudert. 

The  Rev.  William  F.  Marshall  was  appointed  treasurer  of  the 
college,  September,  1881,  the  Rev.  William  P.  Salt  retiring  on 
account  of  ill  health 

Gen.  Ellakim  Parker  Scammon,  who  died  in  New  York  City, 
was  for  a  number  of  years  professor  of  mathematics  at  Seton 
Hall.  His  name  will  recall  many  pleasant  recollections  to  those 
w^ho  were  here  in  his  time  and  were  associated  with  him  either  as 
professors  or  as  students.  He  was  born  December  27th,  1816,  at 
Whitefield,  Me.,  graduating  from  We.st  Poin-  in  1837,  fifth  in  a 
class  of  fifty-two,  and  was  afterward  appointed  tutor  of  mathe- 
matics in  that  institution,  having  as  his  pupils  Generals  Grant, 
Rosecrans,  and  Newton,  and  was  a  room-mate  of  General  Bragrsf. 
He  took  an  active  part  in  the  Seminole  War  and  served  on  astro- 
nomical work  at  Oswego,  in  1840,  and  also  in  the  States  of  Iowa, 
Nebraska,  Minnesota,  and  Dakota.  In  1846-47  he  was  aide  to 
General  Scott  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  was  recommended  for 
promotion  at  the  battle  of  Vera  Cruz.  He  had  the  happiness  of 
making  his  first  communion,  August  9th,  1846,  in  St.  Peter's 
Church,  New  York.  From  1847  to  1854  he  was  engaged  in  a 
survey  of  the  upper  Lakes,  and  in  1856  resigned  from  the  army 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  619 

and  for  a  time  lived  in  Virginia.  He  subsequently  became  pro- 
fessor of  mathematics  at  St.  Mary's  College,  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
and  later  director  and  professor  of  the  Polytechnic  College  of  that 
city. 

In  1875  he  accepted  the  chair  of  mathematics  in  Seton  Hall, 
which  he  held  until  1882. 

He  led  an  active  life  until  1893,  when  he  was  stricken  with 
the  fatal  disease  which  caused  his  death,  December  7th,  1894. 

On  March  9th,  1 886,  while  the  students  and  professors  were 
all  assembled  at  dinner,  the  college  was  again  aroused  by  the 
dreaded  cry  of  "  Fire,  fire  1 "  This  time  the  flames  were  seen 
issuing  from  the  college  building,  the  fire,  as  was  afterward  dis- 
covered, having  originated  in  one  of  the  dormitories  on  the  third 
floor.  The  fire  was  discovered  by  Henry  Feindt,  the  college  shoe- 
maker. All  hands  at  once  set  to  work  to  extinguish  the  fiames, 
but  very  little  was  saved  and  the  building  was  almost  a  total  loss. 

Rev.  James  Corrigan  sent  out  a  circular,  as  Bishop  McOuaid 
had  clone  on  a  previous  occasion.     It  reads  as  follows: 

Seton  Hall  College, 

South  Orange,  N.  J., 
March  23d,  1886. 

After  the  generous  response  to  the  soliciting  of  subscriptions 
for  the  erection  of  our  Alumni  Hall,  it  would  seem  a  trespass  on 
the  goodness  of  friends  to  ask  for  new  aid  for  our  institution,  but 
owing  to  the  fire  which  on  March  9th  destroyed  the  college  brick 
structure  from  roof  to  foundation,  I  have  been  urged  to  have 
recourse  again  to  well-wishers  of  Seton  Hall. 

Happily  the  buildings  left  uninjured  are  sufficiently  extensive 
to  afford  temporary  accommodations  for  the  collegiate  as  well  as 
the  theological  department,  and  studies  were  resumed  last  week 
for  the  seminarians  and  will  be  resumed  this  week  for  the  col- 
legians. Our  loss  by  the  late  fire  was  $35,000.  This  was  partially 
covered  by  an  insurance — $14,000  on  the  burned  building  and 
$4,000  on  the  furniture. 

Already  some  have  either  given  or  promised  help.  The  list 
begins  with  $1,000  from  each  of  two  friends ;  then  follow  contribu- 
tions down  to  $50. 

The  aid  thus  volunteered  is  most  encouraging  to  start  with, 
and  strengthens  the  assurance  that  an  appeal  now  will  not  go  un- 
answered. I  look,  therefore,  with  great  confidence  for  assistance 
from  the  friends  of  our  institution  and  from  my  own  personal 
friends.     The  sooner  the  aid  comes  the  better  it  will  be. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  many  Masses  and  earnest  prayers 
will  be  offered  for  our  benefactors. 

With  hopefulness  in  your  kindly  generosity,  I  am,  sincerely 
yours,  James  H.  Corrigan,  President. 


620  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

The  Alumni  Hall  did  good  service  in  this  emergency ;  the  spa- 
cious upper  floor  was  converted  into  a  study  hall,  while  the  lower 
floors  were  utilized  for  sleeping  apartments.  Students  who  could 
not  be  accommodated  in  this  building  were  made  comfortable  in 
the  seminary,  where  all  took  their  meals. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  trustees  it  was  decided  to  rebuild 
the  college  as  soon  as  possible,  and  Rev.  William  F.  Marshall, 
vice-president  and  treasurer,  was  appointed  by  Bishop  Wigger 
to  adjust  the  insurance  and  superintend  the  erection  of  the  new 
structure.  Phoenix-like,  Seton  Hall  again  arose  from  the  ashes, 
and  by  January,  1887,  the  class-rooms  were  ready  for  occupancy, 
but  the  dormitories  were  not  used  until  the  following  May. 

On  account  of  poor  health,  in  1888,  Rev.  James  H.  Corrigan 
resigned  the  presidency  of  Seton  Hall  and  went  abroad.  He  was 
but  little  improved  when  he  returned,  and  Bishop  Wigger  ap- 
pointed him  rector  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  the 
congregation  being  one  of  the  most  important  in  the  diocese. 
Father  Corrigan  had  been  rector  of  this  church  barely  two  years 
when,  on  November  27th,  1891,  he  died  of  heart  disease. 

The  memory  of  "  Father  James  "  will  long  be  cherished  by 
the  old  alumni  of  the  college  and  seminary.  He  was  always  the 
gentleman,  courteous  and  condescending  to  the  youngest  as  well 
as  to  the  oldest  scholar.  Ever  watchful  of  their  intellectual 
advancement,  he  was  equally  vigilant  with  regard  to  their  phys- 
ical well-being,  and  deeply  and  sincerely  sympathetic  with  them  in 
the  many  trials  incidental  to  college  training.  It  was  always  an 
effort  for  him  to  appear  stern,  and  the  suppressed  merriment  was 
easily  transparent  through  the  frown  which  clouded  his  brow. 
And  after  the  glories  of  commencement  or  ordination  day  none 
was  more  sincere  or  more  hearty  in  his  congratulations  than  he. 
This  same  kind  and  solicitous  spirit  accompanied  him  when  he 
exercised  but  too  briefly  the  active  ministry  in  St.  Mary's,  Eliza- 
beth. 

William  Francis  Marshall  was  born  at  Millville,  Cumberland 
County,  N.  J.,  January  29th,  1849,  the  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
Marshall. 

The  continued  ill  health  of  Father  Marshall  obliged  him  to  ten- 
der his  resignation  to  the  board  of  trustees.  He  was  succeeded 
in  the  presidency  of  Seton  Hall  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Synnott.  Joseph 
Joachim  Synnott  was  born  in  the  \-illage  of  Great  Neck,  Long 
Island,  N.  Y.,  February  6th,  1863;  and,  while  he  was  of  a  tender 
age,  his  parents  moved  to  Montclair,  N.  J.     He  made  his  first 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  621 

studies  in  the  local  parish  school,  and  afterward  in  the  Montclair 
High  School.  He  then  entered  St.  Francis  Xavier's  College, 
and  was  graduated  from  that  institution  in  June,  1882.  He 
entered  the  University  of  Innspruck,  T}'rol,  where  he  was  ordained 
Jul}'  26th,  1886.  He  remained  in  the  university  more  than  two 
years  after  his  ordination,  and  was  made  a  doctor  of  theology  in 
the  fall  of  1888.  He  returned  to  America  in  December,  1888, 
and  in  the  beginning  of  1889  he  was  appointed  assistant  to  St. 
John's  Church,  Paterson.  In  September  of  the  same  }ear  he  was 
transferred  to  the  diocesan  seminary,  Seton  Hall,  as  professor  of 
Scripture  and  Hebrew,  and  subsequently  of  moral  theology  and 
canon  law.  October  31st,  1895,  when  Father  O'Connor,  the  rec- 
tor of  the  seminary,  was  transferred  to  St.  Joseph's  Church, 
Newark,  Dr.  Synnott  was  named  his  successor  by  Bishop  Wigger. 
He  was  elected  president  by  the  board  of  trustees  of  Seton  Hall 
June  1 6th,  1897.  To  a  rarely  gifted  mind  were  superadded  extra- 
ordinary industr}',  a  charming  grace  of  manner,  extreme  modesty, 
and  a  character  firm  as  it  was  gentle.  He  was  eminently  fitted 
for  his  position,  and  it  is  certain,  if  God  had  spared  his  life,  that 
far  higher  honors  and  graver  responsibilities  awaited  him.  But 
his  too  brief  career  was  cut  short  by  his  untimely  death,  March 
i6th,  1899.  His  loss  to  the  college  and  to  the  diocese  was 
irreparable.  He  had  theories  and  aspirations  with  regard  to  the 
diocesan  seminary  which  he  had  both  the  ability  and  courage  to 
carry  through  to  success  and  which  would  have  redounded  to  the 
well-being  of  the  diocese  at  large.  But  Providence  ruled  other- 
wise. The  Rev.  John  A.  Stafford,  after  the  death  of  Dr.  Synnott, 
was  appointed  president.  Father  Stafford  was  born  in  Pater- 
son, N.  J.,  March  13th,  1857,  and  received  his  early  training  in 
St.  John's  parish  school.  His  classical  studies,  commenced  in 
St.  Vincent's,  Pennsylvania,  were  completed  at  Seton  Hall.  His 
theological  studies  were  made  in  the  American  College,  Rome, 
where  he  was  ordained  April  8th,  1 888,  by  Cardinal  Parocchi.  On 
his  return  Father  Stafford  served  as  assistant  in  St.  Mary's,  Plain- 
field,  and  St.  Mary's,  Jersey  City ;  and,  for  a  short  time,  lociim 
tcnens  at  South  Orange.  In  September,  1893,  he  was  made  vice- 
president  of  Seton  Hall,  a  position  he  held  until  his  appointment 
to  the  rectorship  of  St.  Augustine's,  Union  Hill.  May  loth, 
1899,  he  was  elected  president  of  Seton  Hall;  and  in  March,  1903, 
he  was  named  domestic  prelate  by  our  late  Holy  Father,  Leo 
XIII., /^/.  man. 

Under  Monsignor  Stafford's  administration  Seton  Hall  is  fol- 


622  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

lowing  out  its  traditionary  policy,  and,  despite  the  attractions  of 
the  larger  colleges,  it  finds  patrons  who  realize  that  numbers  can- 
not count  for  everything  in  the  training  of  youth,  and  that  in  a 
smaller  college,  where  not  only  the  intellect  is  trained,  but,  more 
than  all,  the  soul  is  safeguarded  by  the  upbuilding  of  an  ethical 
standard  grounded  on  religion,  is  found  after  all  the  ideal  for 
Catholic  parents. 

In  the  forty-eight  years  of  its  existence  Seton  Hall  has  shel- 
tered almost  four  thousand  pupils,  and  of  these  nearly  four  hun- 
dred were  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  The 
alumni  are  found  in  every  walk  of  life,  filling"  honorable  positions 
in  the  different  professions,  and  many  of  them  ranking  high  in 
civil  and  priestly  life.  Alma  Mater  has  no  reason  to  blush  for  her 
children,  who,  likewise,  are  not  ashamed  of  their  mother.  Since 
its  opening  Seton  Hall  has  conferred  twenty-five  honorary  degrees. 
In  the  seminary  there  have  been  four  hundred  and  ten  semina- 
rists, and  of  this  number  two  hundred  and  thirty  were  ordained  to 
holy  priesthood,  in  which  most  of  them  still  labor  with  zeal  and 
devotion  to  the  cause  of  religion  and  education.  Three  of  them 
have  been  honored  with  the  episcopal  dignity.  These  figures  at 
once  attest  the  wisdom  and  foresight  of  the  founders  of  Seton 
Hall,  and  form  the  glorious  aureola  around  their  names  and 
memory. 

Sisters  of  the  Poor  of  St.  Francis. 

Mother  Frances  Schervier,  born  in  the  imperial  city  of 
Aix-la-Chapelle,  January  3d,  1816,  was  the  foundress  of  the  con- 
gregation of  the  Sisters  of  the  Poor  of  St.  Francis.  From  her 
tenderest  years  her  sympathies  were  with  the  poor,  and  nothing 
pleased  her  more  than  to  serve  and  assist  them.  On  the  Feast  of 
Pentecost,  1845,  a  little  band  of  five  devoted  women  consecrated 
themselves  to  the  service  of  the  sick,  the  incurables,  and  the  poor, 
and  inaugurated  a  work  which  has  been  fraught  with  blessings  to 
thousands  and  thousands  in  every  quarter  of  Christendom. 

In  1858  Mrs.  Sarah  Peters,  a  resident  of  Cincinnati  and  a  re- 
cent convert  to  the  faith,  visited  Rome,  where  she  submitted  to 
Pius  IX.  a  plan  of  introducing  German  sisters  for  the  sick  poor  of 
German  nationality,  and  Irish  sisters  for  the  Irish  poor,  into  the 
United  States.  The  Hol\-  Father  blessed  and  approved  her  pro- 
ject, and  advised  her  to  apply  to  some  Austrian  bishop  for  the 
German  sisters.  After  failing  in  her  endeavors  in  the  Austrian 
capital,  she  was  successful  through  the  kind  ofifices  of  Cardinal 


IN    NEW    JKRSKY  623 

von  Geissel,  the  Archbishop  of  Cologne.  On  the  loth  of  August, 
1858,  five  sisters  and  a  postulant,  with  Sister  Augustine  as  their 
superioress,  set  out  for  their  new  home  in  distant  America.  They 
arrived  in  New  York  September  8th,  and  continued  their  journey 
without  delay  to  Cincinnati. 

In  the  following  year  they  were  joined  by  three  other  sisters 
from  the  mother  house,  and  thus  the  beneficent  work,  which  in  its 
ministration  was  to  recognize  neither  sex,  color,  nationality,  nor 
condition,  was  launched  on  its  mission  of  peace  and  charity.  In 
1864  hospitals  were  opened  by  them  in  Hoboken  and  Jersey  City, 
St.  Mary's  and  St.  Francis's,  and  in  1867  St.  Michael's  Hospital 
in  Newark  opened  wide  its  doors,  which  from  that  day  to  this 
have  never  been  shut  against  misery  and  poverty,  against  the 
abandoned  and  the  afflicted. 

The  good  that  has  been  accomplished  for  the  souls  and  bodies 
of  the  thousands  which  have  thronged  the  wards  of  these  institu- 
tions, the  poverty  relieved  at  their  doors,  the  words  of  cheer  and 
comfort  whispered  into  the  ears  of  the  disconsolate  and  the  dis- 
heartened, will  never  be  known  in  this  world.  They  are  registered 
in  the  Book  of  Life.  From  very  humble  beginnings  the  three  in- 
stitutions in  the  diocese  of  Newark  have  grown  to  their  present 
stately  proportions. 

Sisters  of  Mercy,  Bordentown,  N.  J. 

The  mother  house  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  in  Bordentown, 
was  founded  in  September,  1873.  The  new  home,  which  was 
built  in  September,  1 886,  was  solemnly  blessed  by  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  O'Farrell,  assisted  by  the  pastor.  Rev.  P.  F.  Connolly. 

Connected  with  the  mother  house  is  St.  Joseph's  Academy, 
which  holds  conspicuous  rank  among  the  educational  institutions 
in  the  State  of  New  Jersey.  It  is  under  the  direct  supervision  of 
the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  A.  McFaul,  Bishop  of  Trenton. 

The  sisters  belonging  to  this  community  are  engaged  as 
teachers  in  eighteen  parishes  throughout  the  Diocese  of  Trenton. 
They  also  conduct  homes  for  working-girls  in  Plainfield  and 
Phillipsburg. 

Sisters  of  St.  Dominic,  Jersey  City. 

The  Sisters  of  St.  Dominic  came  to  Jersey  City  at  the  request 
of  the  Rev.  D.  Kraus  in  1872;  at  this  time  five  sisters  came  from 


624  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

the  mother  house  in  New  York  and  took  charge  of  the  parochial 
school,  which  was  then  in  the  lower  church.  The  work  of  the 
sisters  in  this  humble  capacity  prospered  so  well  that  the  small 
frame  building  which  had  hitherto  served  them  became  too  small, 
and  it  was  found  necessary  to  erect  a  larger  house.  The  present 
site  of  property  was  purchased,  and  in  the  month  of  May,  1878, 
the  corner-stone  was  laid,  and  on  the  17th  of  November  the  same 
year  the  new  convent  was  dedicated.  The  sisters  then  opened  an 
academy,  in  which  a  number  of  pupils  have  received  an  advanced 
education  and  have  been  prepared  to  face  the  battle  of  life. 

In  the  year  1881,  through  the  influence  of  the  Rev.  D.  Kraus, 
the  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M.  Wigger,  D.D.,  then  bishop  of  the  diocese, 
severed  connection  between  the  convent  here  and  the  mother 
house  in  New  York,  making  this  convent  a  separate  mother  house. 
The  title  "The  Community  of  the  Sisters  of  St.  Dominic  of  Jer- 
sey City  "  was  then  adopted  as  the  legal  title,  and  Mother  Mary 
Catherine  became  prioress  of  the  little  community.  In  May,  1884, 
the  sisters  opened  a  house  at  Caldwell,  N.  J.,  for  the  recuperation 
of  the  sisters,  whose  health  had  been  impaired  by  the  strenuous 
labors  of  the  school-room.  This  house  has  since  developed  into  a 
very  flourishing  academy  and  boarding-school. 

Various  other  missions  were  opened,  and  the  sisters  have 
charge  of  a  number  of  schools. 

In  the  year  1894,  on  account  of  the  ill  health  of  Mother  Mary 
Catherine,  Mother  Mary  Mechtilde  was  appointed  prioress  of  the 
community,  and  has  had  a  successful  regime,  having  opened  a 
number  of  new  houses,  so  that  at  the  present  time  the  sisters 
teach  in  the  dioceses  of  Newark,  Cleveland,  and  Boston. 

Connected  with  the  academy  is  a  fine  commercial  class,  and  the 
fame  of  the  musical  ability  of  the  sisters  is  well  known  throughout 
the  city. 

The  Institute  of  Holy  Angels. 

School  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,  Fort  Lee,  N.  J. 

The  dedication  of  the  new  chapel  of  Holy  Angels,  erected  for 
the  use  of  the  Convent  of  School  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame  and  their 
institute  at  Fort  Lee,  N.  J.,  on  the  Palisades  of  the  Hudson,  over- 
looking the  great  city  of  New  York,  was  celebrated  with  great 
pomp  and  splendor  on  the  25th  of  March,  1895,  the  Feast  of  the 
Annunciation,  under  the  direction  of  the  acting  chaplain,  the  Rev. 
Patrick  Byrne. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  625 

The  late  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M.  Wigger  performed  the  service  of 
dedication,  beginning  at  9  o'clock  a.m.,  and  afterward  sang  a  Sol- 
emn Pontifical  Mass.  The  Very  Rev.  J.J.  O'Connor,  V.G.,  now 
the  present  bishop  of  the  diocese,  laid  the  corner-stone  in  the 
absence  of  the  late  right  rev.  bishop,  and  preached  at  the  Mass. 
The  little  chapel,  so  dear  to  the  sisters  and  full  of  the  sweetest 
reminiscences,  had  been  to  visitors  an  eyesore  on  account  of  its 
cramped  and  overcrowded  condition,  and  they  wished  to  see  it  re- 
placed by  some  structure  worthier  of  the  majesty  of  God  and  the 
requirements  of  the  community.  Their  wish  is  satisfied  in  the 
beautiful  and  spacious  chapel  devoted  to-day  to  the  worship  of 
God  under  the  patronage  of  His  Holy  Angels. 

The  chapel,  a  very  pretty  Gothic  structure,  is  of  brick  trimmed 
with  North  River  stone  and  terra-cotta.  It  is  about  100  feet  long 
and  45  feet  wide,  and  has  an  elegant  and  commodious  hall  beneath 
it.  This  hall  is  for  a  recreation-room  for  the  young  ladies,  where 
commencements  will  be  held  and  entertainments  given.  It  is 
chastely  yet  superbly  finished,  and  supplied  with  every  recjuisite 
necessary  for  its  purpose.  The  chapel,  however,  is  the  gem.  It 
consists  of  a  nave  and  two  aisles.  The  handsome  cluster  columns 
which  support  the  roof  mark  this  division.  Then  come  the 
.sanctuary  and  its  adjoining  sacristies,  all  richly  and  tastefully 
furnished.  The  sanctuary  contains  three  very  handsome  altars, 
adorned  with  a  wealth  of  beautiful  statues. 

The  Institute  of  Holy  Angels  is  located  in  Fort  Lee,  on  the 
Palisades  of  the  Hudson,  the  most  desirable  part  of  Bergen 
County.  It  possesses  all  the  advantages  that  a  healthy  and  de- 
lightful climate  can  afford ;  it  commands  a  view  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  and  can  happily  boast  of  beautiful  and  romantic  scenery. 
This  property  was  purchased  on  October  2d,  1879,  by  the  School 
Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,  one  of  the  important  teaching  communities 
in  the  United  States,  under  the  direction  of  the  late  Rev.  Mother 
Mary  Caroline,  superior-general  of  the  community. 

The  convent  was  once  the  residence  of  the  late  Dr.  Anderson, 
a  well-known  scientist  and  philanthropist.  Being  a  private  resi- 
dence, it  afforded  the  sisters  and  pupils  but  few  of  the  comforts 
requisite  in  a  school,  and  the  want  of  an  additional  building  was 
long  felt.  Finally,  in  1890,  a  new  school  building  was  erected  on 
the  north  side  of  the  old  residence,  facing  Linwood  Avenue. 

The  system  of  government  combines  strict  discipline  with  kind 
and  gentle  treatment.  The  pupils  are  taught  to  practise  self-con- 
trol, punctuality,  and  obedience  from  a  sense  of  duty  rather  than 
40 


626  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

from  fear  of  reproof.  The  aim  of  the  institute  is  to  impart  edu- 
cation in  the  highest  sense  of  the  word — to  train  the  moral,  intel- 
lectual, and  physical  being.  Every  effort  is  made  to  develop  in 
the  youthful  mind  the  principles  of  virtue  and  religion,  which 
alone  can  render  education  profitable. 

In  lieu  of  the  "grade  certificate"  which  is  issued  to  schools  in 
New  York  State,  the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York  as- 
sured the  Collegiate  Institute  of  Holy  Angels,  Fort  Lee,  N.  J., 
that  its  English  and  Latin  scientific  courses  were  registered  in 
full  by  the  university,  and  that  it  enjoys  all  the  privileges  extended 
to  the  schools  recognized  by  such  registrations.  There  are  three 
regular  departments  of  instruction,  viz.,  preparatory,  commercial, 
and  academic.  The  preparatory  classes  are  open  to  students  not 
sufficiently  advanced  to  enter  academic  schools.  A  diploma  is 
conferred  for  the  satisfactory  completion  of  a  four-year  course  in 
the  academic  department. 

The  Aquinas  Literary  Club  founded  an  academic  scholarship 
open  to  all  the  female  pupils  of  the  parochial  school  under  the 
direction  of  the  School  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame  of  New  York  and 
New  Jersey.  The  scholarship  entitled  the  recipient  to  free  tuition, 
board,  and  residence  for  one  year.  The  school  has  an  excellent 
reference  library,  containing  encylopaedia,  gazetteers,  dictionaries, 
standard  works  on  history,  science,  fiction,  etc.,  selected  with  re- 
gard to  the  needs  of  the  pupils  in  the  various  classes.  Additions 
of  useful  literature  are  needed  and  will  be  most  acceptable. 

Mount  St.  Dominic's  Academy,  Caldwell,  N.  J. 

The  Sisters  of  St.  Dominic,  who  founded  Mount  St.  Dominic's 
Academy,  Caldwell,  N.  J.,  came  to  Roseland,  and  rented  a  house 
there  temporarily  on  the  26th  of  May,  1 884 ;  on  November  i  st,  the 
same  year,  the  Harrison  House,  Caldwell.  Rev.  Father  Bona- 
venture,  O.S.B.,  celebrated  the  first  Mass  for  the  sisters  in  Rose- 
land.  From  1884  to  October,  1885,  they  were  attended  by  the 
Rev  W.  A.  Purcell,  from  Seton  Hall  College,  who  said  Mass  on 
Sundays  for  them  and  in  the  Newark  City  Home  in  Verona; 
afterward  the  same  service  was  performed  by  Rev.  Father  Duffy 
till  January,  1887.  The  first  resident  chaplain  was  Father  Shaugh- 
nessy,  who  left  in  1888.  On  January  loth,  1888,  by  the  advice  of 
the  bishop,  the  sisters  purchased  the  Beach  House,  on  Bloomfield 
Avenue,  Caldwell,  and  about  thirty  acres  belonging  to  the  prop- 
ertv.     Father  McGuire,  the  next  chaplain,  remained  three  years. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


627 


and  was  succeeded  by  Father  Henry  Kruse,  who  stayed  but  a  few 
months.  He  was  succeeded  by  Father  Nolan,  who  founded  the 
parish  of  St.  Aloysius,  Caldwell,  the  ground  for  the  church  having 
been  donated  by  the  sisters.  On  the  Feast  of  St.  Joseph,  1892, 
the  ground  for  the  new  convent  and  academy  was  broken,  and  on 
the  24th  of  May,  the  following  year,  the  corner-stone  was  laid. 
On  the  3d  of  September,  1 895,  the  building  was  blessed  by  the 
Rt.  Rev.  W.  M.  Wigger,  D.D.,  Rev.  H.  Kruse  celebrating  Sol- 


MOUNT   ST.    DOMIXIC  S    ACADEMY,    CALDWELL,    N.   J. 

emn  High  Mass,  Rev.  B.  Bogan  deacon.  Rev.  P  Smith  sub- 
deacon.  The  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  J.  Tighe.  From 
Father  Nolan's  time  till  1903  the  sisters  were  attended  by  the 
successive  pastors  of  St.  Aloysius's  parish.  Rev.  J.  F.  Boylan, 
Rev.  H.  Kruse,  Rev.  P.  Byrne.  In  May,  1903,  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Bishop  O'Connor  appointed  as  resident  chaplain  Rev.  J.  H.  A. 
Hagan,  who  in  December  of  the  same  year  was  succeeded  by  the 
Rev.  T.  J.  McEnery,  the  present  chaplain.  Mother  Mary  Cathe- 
rine, O.S.D.,  the  first  superioress,  was  succeeded  in  1894  by  Mother 
Mary  Avelline,  the  present  superioress.  Rev.  Mother  M.  Mech- 
tilde,  prioress  of  Jersey  City,  exercises  a  general  supervision  over 
the  institution,  which  at  present  has  about  40  sisters  and  100 
pupils. 


628  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 


The  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  Newark,  N.  J. 

The  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd  was  founded  by  the  late 
Archbishop  Corrigan  on  May  24th,  1875,  on  High  Street,  Newark, 
the  site  of  the  Woman's  Hospital,  now  attached  to  St.  Michael's. 
In  1 880  the  present  property  on  Thirteenth  Avenue  was  purchased, 
and  the  sisters  and  children  were  transferred  to  it.  The  scope  of 
the  work  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Good  Shepherd  is  the  reformation  of 
fallen  women.  In  every  house  there  is  a  Magdalen  class,  in  which 
those  among  the  penitents  who  wish  to  consecrate  themselves  to 
a  life  of  penance  enter,  and  after  two  years'  probation,  if  judged 
worthy,  are  permitted  to  take  vows,  which  they  renew  annually, 
on  the  feast  of  their  patroness,  St.  Mary  Magdalen,  July  22d. 
The  house  for  Magdalens  was  opened  April  21st,  1881,  and  since 
that  date  eighty-five  have  been  received,  of  whom  eleven  died  and 
thirty  persevered  and  are  still  in  the  house.  They  are  self-sup- 
porting, employing  their  time  in  plain  and  fancy  sewing.  They 
wear  a  religious  habit  and  follow  the  rule  of  the  Carmelites.  Their 
superior  is  always  a  religious  of  the  Good  Shepherd.  Their  chapel, 
dormitory,  class-room,  refectory,  and  garden  are  entirely  separate 
from  the  convent.  These  holy  souls  are  the  greatest  consolation 
of  the  religious  women  who  watch  over  them,  and  are  looked  upon 
by  them  as  their  greatest  trophies.  Since  the  opening  of  this  in- 
stitution fifteen  hundred  and  seventy-five  penitents  have  been 
received,  provided  for,  and  given  a  trade,  either  sewing,  machine, 
or  laundry  work,  thereby  enabling  them  to  earn  an  honest  living 
on  their  return  to  the  world.  A  history  might  be  written  of  the 
life  of  each  of  the  inmates.  Some  are  young  in  years,  but  old  in 
every  kind  of  crime ;  and  some  wasted  by  sickness  and  disease, 
the  result  of  the  pace  that  kills.  As  soon  as  a  penitent  enters  she 
receives  a  new  name,  by  which  she  is  known  and  called  while  in 
the  house,  so  that  nobody  is  acquainted  with  her  history  or  her 
family  except  the  superior  and  the  religious  in  charge  of  the  peni- 
tent. Ninety-seven  have  died  since  the  institution  was  opened, 
eighty  entered  the  Magdalen  class,  and  twelve  hundred  and  forty- 
five  were  returned  to  their  parents  or  guardians  or  provided  with 
situations.  At  present  there  are  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  in- 
mates. While  we  must  admit  that  all  who  return  to  the  world 
do  not  walk  in  the  narrow  path  that  leads  to  the  green  pastures 
of  the  Good  Shepherd,  we  are  greatly  consoled  by  the  good  con- 
duct of  the  majority,  who  after  leaving  u.s  persevere  in  virtue. 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  629 

despite  all  the  temptations  and  allurements  of  a  wicked  world. 
We  have  at  present  some  who  have  been  here  twenty  years,  and 
who  will  probably  end  their  days  with  their  good  mothers,  as  they 
affectionately  call  the  religious.  Others  there  are  who  count  the 
da}'s  from  their  entrance,  only  too  anxious  to  return  to  the  world 
and  in  some  instances  to  the  scenes  of  vice  and  degradation  from 
which  they  have  been  snatched,  but  which,  alas !  they  lo\'e  too 
well.  There  is  also  a  third  class,  separate  and  distinct  from  the 
Magdalens  and  penitents,  called  the  preservation  class.  This  con- 
sists of  orphans  or  the  children  of  careless,  negligent,  or  some- 
times destitute  parents.  As  they  are  all  innocent,  they  never  hold 
any  communication  with  the  penitents.  One  hundred  and  fifty 
have  been  received,  from  the  age  of  three  to  eighteen  years.  At 
the  present  time  there  are  sixty-three  in  this  class.  This  institu- 
tion is  self-supporting,  and  receives  no  appropriation  or  remunera- 
tion from  the  city  or  the  State. 

In  the  little  God's  Acre  of  the  convent  chapel  repose  three 
superiors,  and  eight  sisters  of  the  House  of  the  Good  Shepherd, 
calmly  awaiting  the  dawn  of  the  resurrection. 

Home  for  the  Aged. 

The  Little  Sisters  of  the  Poor,  Newark,  N.  J. 

Had  Jeanne  Jugan  lived  in  mediaeval  days,  instead  of  in  the 
nineteenth  century,  she  would  certainly  have  taken  high  rank  as 
a  worker  of  miracles,  always  providing  she  had  not  been  burned 
as  a  witch.  For  she  spent  many  long  years  of  her  life  doing  just 
what  all  common-sense  folk  declare  cannot  be  done — making 
bricks  without  straw,  feeding  multitudes  without  even  a  loaf  or  a 
fish.  At  an  age  when  most  women  feel  that  their  work  in  this 
world  is  done,  she  took  on  herself  a  burden  so  overwhelmingly 
heavy  that  the  strongest  man's  courage  might  well  have  quailed 
before  it.  She  was  a  tall  woman,  taller  by  far  than  a  good  half  of 
the  men ;  and  she  was  thin,  nay,  gaunt  as  the  veriest  scarecrow. 
Once  black,  her  garments  now  had  that  grayish  shade  that  tells 
of  hard  wear,  of  exposure  to  dust  and  sun,  or  struggles  against 
wind  and  rain.  She|had  an  old  face,  a  face  of  the  kind  that  makes 
one  think  instinctively  of  some  weatherbeaten  rock.  It  was  ugly ; 
that  is  a  point  on  which  there  could  be  no  doubt ;  not  only  was  it 
rugged,  but  ill-shapen,  as  if  it  had  been  cut  out  with  blunt  scissors. 
Her  voice  was  low,  sweet,  and  persuasive.  "  It  is  terrible  to  hear 
old  men  and  women  crying  for  bread,  you  know,"  she  would  whis- 


630  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

per  confidentially.  "  It  just  breaks  one's  heart  to  see  them  suffer. 
You  must  give  me  something  for  my  poor  old  folk,  you  must,  in- 
deed, good  sirs.  And  you  will,  I  know  you  will.  Why,  you  could 
not  find  it  in  your  hearts  to  let  me  go  home  to  them  empty-handed. 
Now  could  you,  so  good  and  so  kind  are  you  ?  " 

This  was  the  foundress  of  the  Little  Sisters  of  the  Poor,  and 
this  was  the  foundation  of  the  noble  work  begun  in  1842.  These 
were  the  sisters  who  founded  a  house  on  the  corner  of  Broad  and 
Murray  streets  in  the  city  of  Newark  in  1878,  under  the  patronage 
of  St.  Rose  of  Lima. 

Bishop  Bayley  had  been  most  desirous  to  have  these  sisters 
installed  in  his  episcopal  city,  so  that  provision  might  be  made  for 
the  aged  poor  of  both  sexes  without  regard  to  their  religious  be- 
lief or  color.  There  were  accommodations  in  the  first  house  for 
about  forty  inmates.  The  present  site  on  Warren  Street  was 
bought  in  1 880  and  the  first  Mass  was  celebrated  on  the  Feast  of 
the  Purification,  1883. 

The  building  was  completed  in  1 888  and  the  chapel  built  in 
1896.  The  house  accommodates  about  two  hundred  and  twenty. 
The  Rev.  Augustine  Brady  is  the  resident  chaplain. 

The  Alexian  Brothers'  Hospital,  Elizabeth,  N.  J. 

The  Alexian  Brothers'  Hospital,  a  branch  of  the  hospital  con- 
ducted by  the  same  brotherhood  in  Chicago,  111.,  was  founded  in 
1892  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Wigger.  The  Alexian  brotherhood 
dates  back  to  the  fourteenth  century,  and  its  vocation  is  the 
management  of  hospitals,  insane  asylums,  and  cemeteries,  and, 
in  some  parts  of  Europe,  the  burial  of  the  dead.  They  have  four 
hospitals  in  the  United  States,  of  which  the  one  in  Elizabeth  is 
the  latest  foundation.  The  brothers  nurse  only  male  patients, 
but  connected  with  the  hospital  is  a  dispensary  for  the  poor  of 
both  sexes.  During  the  year  1903,  675  patients  were  treated  in 
the  hospital  and  2,400  found  relief  in  the  dispensary.  The  gen- 
eral of  the  order  and  the  mother  house  is  in  Aix-la-Chapelle,  Ger- 
many. The  province  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  in  the  United 
States  is  under  Brother  Bernard  Kleppl,  Provincial.  The  rector 
of  the  hospital  in  Elizabeth  is  Brother  Cajetan  Theisen.  The 
total  number  of  male  patients  treated  since  the  opening  of  the 
hospital  is  5,015,  and  of  outdoor  patients  235,000.  The  hospital 
is  mainly  supported  by  charity.  There  are  at  present  fifteen 
brothers  in  the  Elizabeth  hospital. 


IN    NEW   JERSEY 


631 


St.  Francis's  Sanitarium,    Denville,  Morris  County,  N.  J. 

(Kneipp  Water  Cure.) 

This  institution  is  situated  in  northern  New  Jersey,  about 
seven  hundred  feet  above  sea  level,  in  a  mountainous  region  of 
superb  and  unrivalled  scenery.  It  was  opened  in  1895  by  the  Sis- 
ters of  the  Sorrowful  Mother,  whose  life  is  devoted  to  nursing  and 
caring  for  the  sick. 

The  sanitarium  property  comprises  an  area  of  about  two  hun- 
dred acres.  From  a  sanitary  standpoint  its  location  is  very  favor- 
able, abounding  in  pure  air,  pure  water,  and  a  sandy  soil  which 
insures  perfect  drainage.     The  main  building  is  surrounded  by 


f^ 


t1 


ST.   FRANCIS'S   SANITARIUM,   DENVILLE,    MORRIS   COUNTY,    N.    J. 

fruit  and  flower  gardens,  and  the  entire  view  of  the  extensive 
landscape  is  both  gorgeous  and  pleasing.  The  ample  grounds, 
comprising  over  two  hundred  acres,  with  their  picturesque  plateaus 
and  wooded  hills  and  varied  attractions,  and  traversed  by  elegant 
drives  and  footpaths,  afford  the  guests  many  and  pleasant  excur- 
sions. These  natural  attractions  are  amplified  by  various  other 
means  of  entertainment,  such  as  table  tennis,  billiards,  pool,  roque, 
bowling,  etc.,  as  well  as  rowing  on  the  Rockaway  River,  a  beau- 
tiful little  stream  which  flows  throu^rh  the  grounds.     Numerous 


632  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

lakes  in  the  neighborhood,  one  of  which  is  on  the  sanitarium  prop- 
erty, lend  additional  attraction  to  the  scenery. 

The  institution  is  conducted  solely  on  the  Kneipp  system,  and 
inasmuch  as  it  is  not  a  hospital,  only  light  cases  are  accepted, 
such  as  anaemia,  neurasthenia,  scrofula,  chronic  stomach  troubles 
of  a  functional  nature,  convalescents,  and  especially  those  in  need 
of  rest  and  recuperation.  The  sanitarium  offers  no  panaceas  or 
secret  methods  of  treatment,  but  aims  to  be  a  school  where  is 
taught  a  rational  hygiene  and  method  of  living  by  practical  demon- 
strations ;  with  these  are  combined  suitable  water  applications,  by 
means  of  which  the  body  is  freed  of  morbid  material.  In  this 
way  health-seekers  learn  the  essential  principles  to  obtain  a  sound 
condition  of  mind  and  body. 

The  domestic  arrangements  are  in  charge  of  the  Sisters  of  the 
Sorrowful  Mother,  an  institution  which  was  founded  in  Ital}-. 
The  Rev.  Joseph  Joch  is  the  director  and  manager,  and  the  resi- 
dent physician  Dr.  M.  Schmitz,  assisted  by  Dr.  Joseph  F.  Som- 
merhoff  and  Dr.  F.  W.  Flagge. 

The  Sisters    of   Charity,  Gray    Nuns,   Morristown,  N.  J. 

Marv  Margaret  Dufrost  de  Lajemmerais,  the  widow  of 
M.  Francis-Magdalen  d'Youville,  was  inspired  by  her  director,  the 
saintly  Sulpician,  M.  de  Lescoat,  to  consecrate  her  life  to  the  ser- 
vice of  the  poor.  Her  early  life  and  education  had  been  watched 
over  by  her  stepfather,  M.  T.  Sullivan,  or,  in  its  Gallicised  form, 
Silvain.  In  1694  three  devout  laymen  of  Montreal  had  founded 
the  General  Hospital  for  the  service  of  poor  and  infirm  men,  and 
placed  it  in  charge  of  a  brotherhood  of  Hospitallers.  But  the 
community  did  not  prosper.  This  was  the  institution  the  good 
priest  had  in  view  and  over  which  he  hoped  one  day  to  place  Mme. 
d'Youville.  On  the  Feast  of  All  Saints,  1738,  as  Mme.  d'Youville 
with  her  little  band  was  on  her  way  to  the  parish  church,  they 
were  greeted  by  an  angry  mob,  who  jeered  at  them  in  abusive 
language  and  even  pelted  them  with  stones.  Worse  still,  the 
grossest  calumnies  were  invented  and  circulated  against  them — 
their  traducers  going  so  far  as  to  accuse  them  of  selling  liquor  to 
the  Indians  and  even  of  using  it  themselves.  These  calumnies, 
strange  to  say,  were  the  origin  of  their  name,  ''  Les  Soeurs  Grises," 
"  the  Gray  Sisters."  The  word  giis  has  two  meanings — g}'aj'  and 
tipsy — and  in  the  latter  unfavorable  sense  it  was  applied  to  the 
good  nuns.     Many  trials  accentuated  the  first  days  of  the  founda- 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  633 

tion,  but  many  triumphs  came  to  console  the  foundress  and  her 
tirst  companions.  February  2d,  1745,  Mme.  d'Youville  and  her 
five  companions  signed  the  act  of  renouncement  by  virtue  of  which 
they  renounced  the  world,  consecrated  their  life,  time,  and  toil  to 
the  care  of  the  poor,  transferred  to  them  all  their  earthly  posses- 
sions, and  bound  themselves  to  live  in  ties  of  charity  and  obedience 
under  a  common  rule.  December  23d,  1771,  Mme  d'Youville, 
surrounded  by  her  sisters,  peacefully  yielded  her  soul  to  God  and 
entered  upon  her  eternal  reward  The  process  of  her  canoniza- 
tion has  already  been  begun,  and  Mother  d'Youville  has  been 
declared  Venerable. 

In  1823  a  special  ward  in  the  General  Hospital  was  opened  for 
the  reception  of  Irish  orphan  children.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  St.  Patrick's  Orphan  Asylum,  Montreal.  June  17th,  1847, 
a  report  reached  the  Gray  Nunnery  that  hundreds  of  Irish  immi- 
grants were  dying  unaided  and  unattended  on  the  shores  of 
Point  St.  Charles,  at  the  outskirts  of  the  city  of  Montreal.  The 
superior  at  that  time,  the  venerable  Sister  Elizabeth  Forbes,  in 
religion  Sister  McMullen,  of  Glengarry,  accompanied  by  Sister 
Sainte-Croix,  visited  the  locality  and  was  horrified  at  the  condi- 
tions she  found  there.  She  asked  and  obtained  permission  for 
her  sisters  to  minister  to  the  wants  of  the  lonely  and  pest- 
stricken  exiles.  It  was  the  hour  of  recreation  when  the  two  sisters 
returned  to  the  communit}'.  The  old  and  young  sisters  were 
gathered  in  the  community-room,  the  conversation  was  animated, 
and  from  time  to  time  peals  of  laughter  broke  out  from  one  or 
another  group.  Taking  her  seat  in  the  circle.  Sister  McMullen 
said,  after  a  short  pause :  "  Sisters,  I  have  seen  a  sight  to-day  that 
I  shall  never  forget.  I  went  to  Point  St.  Charles  and  found  hun- 
dreds of  sick  and  dying  huddled  together.  The  stench  emanating 
from  them  is  unendurable.  The  atmosphere  is  impregnated  with 
it  and  the  air  is  filled  with  the  groans  of  the  sufferers.  Death  is 
there  in  its  most  appalling  form.  Those  who  thus  cry  out  in  their 
agony  are  strangers,  but  their  hands  are  lifted  up  in  pity  and 
despair.  Sisters,  the  plague  is  contagious."  Here  the  venerable 
superior  burst  into  tears,  and  with  a  voice  broken  by  sobs  con- 
tinued :  "  In  sending  you  there  I  am  signing  your  death-warrant, 
but  you  are  free  to  accept  or  refuse."  For  a  moment  there  was  a 
breathless  stillness.  Then  all  arose  and  stood  before  their  supe- 
rior, and  one  and  the  same  word  fell  from  their  lips :  "  I  am  leady." 
Eight  of  the  volunteers  were  chosen.  On  arriving  at  Point  St. 
Charles,  three  large  sheds,  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hun- 


634  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

dred  feet  long  and  forty  or  fifty  feet  wide,  met  their  view.  What 
a  sight  greeted  their  eyes !  "  I  nearly  fainted,''  said  one  of  the 
sisters,  relating  her  emotions  on  that  eventful  day,  "  when  I  ap- 
proached the  entrance  of  this  sepulchre.  The  stench  stifled  me. 
I  saw  a  number  of  beings  with  distorted  features  and  discolored 
bodies  heaped  together  on  the  ground,  looking  like  so  many 
corpses.  I  knew  not  what  to  do.  I  could  not  walk  without  step- 
ping on  one  or  another  of  the  helpless  creatures  in  my  way.  I 
was  brought  to  my  senses  by  the  frantic  efforts  of  a  poor  man 
trying  to  extricate  himself  from  the  burden  of  bodies  which  held 
him  down,  his  face  the  picture  of  horror  and  despair.  Picking  my 
steps  with  care,  after  a  while  I  got  near  the  poor  fellow,  who,  over- 
come by  the  efforts  he  had  made,  fell  back — dear  God,  what  a 
sight ! — on  two  discolored  corpses  in  an  advanced  stage  of  decom- 
position. We  set  to  work  quickly.  Clearing  a  small  space,  we 
first  carried  out  the  dead,  and  then,  after  strewing  the  floor  with 
straw,  we  made  the  living  as  comfortable  as  possible ;  but  they, 
too,  soon  had  to  be  carried  out."  Many  sisters  laid  down  their 
lives  and  received  their  crown  as  martyrs  of  charity.  The  traveller, 
as  he  enters  Montreal,  sees  an  immense  boulder,  which  recalls 
this  touching  episode  and  bears  the  following  inscription : 

TO  PRESERVE  FROM  DESECRATION  THE 
REMAINS  OF  6.000  IMMIGRANTS  WHO  DIED 
OF  SHIP  FEVER.  A.D.  1847-4S,  THIS  STONE  IS 
ERECTED  BY  THE  WORKMEN  OF  MESSRS. 
PETO,  BRASSEY  AND  BETES,  EMPLOYED  IN 
THE  CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE  VICTORIA 
BRIDGE.  A.D.  1S59. 

When  the  Hospital  of  All  Souls  was  opened  in  Morristown, 
September  5th,  1892,  it  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  good  daugh- 
ters of  Mother  d'Youville,  who  still  perpetuate  the  traditions  of 
the  community,  and  cherish,  as  did  their  mother,  the  sick  and  the 
poor,  the  needy  and  the  afflicted.  The  first  superior  was  Sister 
Shannessy,  who  died  at  the  hospital  March  nth,  1898. 

St.  James's  Hospital. 

St.  James's  Hospital  owes  its  origin  to  the  generosity  of  Mr. 
Nicholas  Moore,  a  former  resident  of  the  fifth  ward  of  New- 
ark.    Mr.  Moore  left  about  ^25,000  for  the  purpose  of  starting  a 


IN    NEW   JERSEY  635 

hospital  and  asylum  for  the  residents  of  that  section  of  Newark 
east  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad. 

The  first  trustees  of  the  hospital  were  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Gervais 
and  Gen.  Theodore  Runyon,  who  were  executors  of  the  will  and 
trustees  of  the  estate  for  hospital  and  asylum.  In  the  course  of 
time  General  Runyon  resigned  as  trustee,  and,  on  the  death  of  the 
Rev.  J.  M.  Gervais,  Rev.  P.  Cody,  the  present  pastor  of  St.  James's 
Church,  and  Mr.  Thomas  O'Connor  were  appointed  trustees  under 
the  will. 

Massive  foundations  of  the  building  had  been  laid  for  some 
years,  and  when  the  time  came  for  incorporating  the  hospital  the 
trustees  requested  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Wigger,  Messrs.  Owen 
M'Cabe,  Patrick  Brady,  Capt.  William  P.  Daly,  and  Mr.  Edward 
Maher  to  join  them  as  incorporators  and  members  of  the  board  of 
trustees.     Incorporation  papers  were  filed  in  1894. 

Through  the  untiring  efforts  and  persevering  zeal  of  the  Rev. 
Father  Cody  the  hospital  building  was  finished.  It  is  200  feet 
long  on  Jefferson  Street  and  75  feet  on  Elm  Street,  of  brown 
stone,  four  stories  high,  with  a  large  liasement  under  the  entire 
building. 

From  subscriptions  raised  at  various  times  Father  Cody  ob- 
tained money  enough  to  get  the  building  ready  for  use.  His  next 
step  was  to  get  sisters  to  carry  on  the  work.  He  applied  at  the 
Sisters  of  St.  Francis's  mother  house  in  Syracuse,  July  26th,  1899, 
and  obtained  the  promise  of  sisters  to  come  in  the  fall ;  and  on  the 
feast  of  St.  Francis,  October  4th,  1899,  the  sisters  took  charge. 

The  hospital  is  for  all  classes  and  nationalities,  without  relig- 
ious distinction.  It  contains  all  the  modern  equipments  and  it  is 
constructed  on  the  latest  scientific  plans  and  of  the  best  material. 
It  will  accommodate  one  hundred  patients,  and  was  formally 
opened  for  the  reception  of  patients  on  May  24th,  1900. 

A  training-school  for  nurses  was  established  in  connection  with 
the  hospital,  May  ist,  1901,  and  has  advanced  rapidly. 

Sisters  of  St.  Joseph  of  Peace. 

The  novitiate  for  the  United  States  is  at  St.  Joseph's  Home, 
81  York  Street,  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  Sister  M.  Ambrose,  superior. 
The  sisters  conduct  establishments  in  the  dioceses  of  Newark  and 
Nesqually,  United  States,  and  New  Westminster,  B.  C,  Canada. 

This  congregation  was  founded  for  the  training  of  girls  for 
domestic  service   and   all   branches  pertaining  to  housekeeping. 


636  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

The  first  sisters  came  to  this  country  from  England  in  1884.  In 
1885  the  home  for  working-girls  was  established  at  78  Grand 
Street,  Jersey  City,  N.J.  The  same  year  the  work  for  nursing 
the  sick  in  their  own  homes  was  commenced  and  has  been  done 
with  great  success.  In  May,  1887,  the  convalescent  and  summer 
home  for  working-girls  was  opened  at  Englewood,  N.  J.,  where 
o\'erworked  girls  can  spend  a  few  weeks  in  a  quiet  and  peaceful 
retreat.  In  August,  1890,  a  Home  for  the  Blind  was  opened  in 
Jersey  City.  In  the  same  year  the  sisters  were  placed  in  charge 
of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital  at  Fairhaven.  In  1894  a  school  for  the 
thorough  education  of  blind  children  was  opened  by  the  sisters, 
aided  by  a  competent  teacher  from  the  Blind  Institute.  In  1896 
the  sisters  opened  the  Hospital  of  Mater  Misericordiae  in  the  city 
of  Rossland,  B.  C,  for  the  benefit  of  poor  working-men  in  the 
mining  district  of  Kooting  County.  In  1899  they  opened  a  board- 
ing and  day  school  at  Nelson,  B.  C.  In  1901  they  opened  the 
Sacred  Heart  Hospital  at  Greenwood,  B.  C. 

Sisters  in  the  United  States,  45  ;  in  Canada,  B.  C,  10;  novices, 
4 ;  postulants,  6 ;  houses,  5 ;  pupils,  85 ;  orphans,  218;  aged,  24. 

Number  of  sisters  in  the  Diocese  of  Newark,  36  professed,  7 
novices,  and  5  postulants. 

Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  and   their   Establishments    in   the 
Diocese  of  Newark. 

When,  in  161 7,  under  the  influence  of  Monsignor  de  Marque- 
mont,  Archbishop  of  Lyons,  the  gentle  St.  Francis  de  Sales  reluc- 
tantly consented  so  to  change  the  first  plan  of  the  Order  of  the 
Visitation  as  to  enforce  cloister  on  his  religious,  previously  devoted 
to  extern  labors  among  the  i^oor  and  sick,  the  needy  and  the 
ignorant,  the  void  thus  created  became  speedily  felt,  and  prelates 
zealous  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  advancement  of  religion 
were  impelled  to  found  or  urge  the  foundation  of  religious  congre- 
gations that  would  labor  in  the  fields  thus  left  vacant. 

Among  those  beneficent  creations,  one  of  the  first  was  that  of 
the  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  founded  in  Le  Puy  in  Velay,  in  1650,  by 
the  Rev.  John  P.  Medaille,  a  noted  missionary  of  the  Society  of 
Jesus,  and  Monsignor  Henry  de  Maupas,  Bishop  of  Le  Puy,  who, 
as  a  member  of  the  illustrious  family  de  Gordi,  had  the  happiness 
of  claiming  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  as  his  friend  and  confessor. 

The  "little  Institute  of  St.  Joseph"  spread  rapidly,  and  at  the 
disastrous  epocli  of  the  French  Revolution  its  houses  were  many 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  637 

and  its  members  numerous.  To  them,  as  to  other  religious,  the 
Revolution  brought  sequestration  and  destruction  of  convents  and 
l^roperty,  imprisonment,  and  in  many  cases  death  to  the  religious. 

Under  the  patronage  of  Cardinal  Fesch,  a  few  of  the  scattered 
religious  reopened  a  convent  in  Lyons  in  181 1,  the  superior  ap- 
pointed by  his  Eminence  being  Mother  St.  John  Fontbonne,  who 
had  been  rescued  from  the  guillotine  only  by  the  death  of  Robe- 
spierre. From  this  convent  of  Lyons  colonies  of  religious  began 
again  to  go  forth  and  spread  the  good  odor  of  Christ  not  only 
throughout  France,  but  even  into  foreign  countries.  In  1836,  at 
the  request  of  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Rosati,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  six  sis- 
ters came  from  Lyons  and  established  at  Carondelet,  a  suburb  of 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  the  first  house  of  the  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph  in 
America. 

In  1847  three  sisters  came  from  St.  Louis  to  Philadelphia,  at 
the  request  of  the  saintly  Bishop  Kendrick,  to  take  charge  of  St. 
John's  Male  Orphan  Asylum.  The  community  took  deep  root  in 
the  soil  of  Philadelphia,  and  in  1858  the  Venerable  Bishop  Neu- 
mann decided  to  establish  a  mother  house  at  Chestnut  Hill,  a 
suburb  of  Philadelphia,  which  was  called  Mount  St.  Joseph.  On 
this  mother  house  now  depend  about  forty-five  convents,  contain- 
ing more  than  six  hundred  religious. 

The  community  of  the  Sisters  of  St.  Joseph  was  introduced 
into  the  Diocese  of  Newark  in  1872  by  Rev.  Thomas  Killeen,  then 
pastor  of  St.  John's  Church,  who  engaged  them  to  take  charge  of 
his  parish  school.  Mother  Mary  Ignatius  Ryan,  a  saintly  relig- 
ious and  woman  of  fine  culture  and  wide  experience,  was  the  first 
superior;  the  colony  numbered  four  religious.  The  academy,  a 
pay  school,  numbered  at  first  about  forty  pupils.  In  the  parochial 
school  there  were  about  one  hundred  and  fifty.  The  boys  were 
under  charge  of  a  lay  teacher. 

Some  years  ago  the  pay  school  was  discontinued  and  the  sis- 
ters took  charge  of  both  boys  and  girls,  devoting  all  their  energy 
to  the  parish  school,  which  at  present  numbers  more  than  two 
hundred  children,  under  four  teachers. 

The  second  establishment  in  the  diocese  was  at  Our  Lady  of 
the  Valley,  Orange  Valley,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  William 
Callen,  now  deceased.  In  September,  1881,  three  religious,  under 
Mother  Mary  Raphael  Mullen,  took  charge  of  his  school,  although 
for  several  months  they  resided  at  St.  John's,  Newark,  whence  they 
went  daily  to  Orange.  However,  in  January,  1882,  their  new  con- 
vent being  finished,  they  became  resident  at  the  valley.     The 


638  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

school  now  numbers  nearly  five  hundred  boys  and  girls,  under 
twelve  teachers,  of  whom  Mother  M.  Fabiana  Farry  is  the  superior. 
When  from  St.  John's  Rev.  Father  Killeen  was  transferred  to 
St.  Mary's  Star  of  the  Sea,  Bayonne,  he  asked  for  the  Sisters  of 
St.  Joseph  to  take  charge  of  the  school,  and  Mother  M.  Angela 
Crowley  and  three  teachers  were  sent  to  Bayonne,  August  26th, 
1879.  The  pupils  at  first  numbered  about  four  hundred;  by  the 
close  of  the  year  two  additional  teachers  were  needed.  The  school 
now  contains  about  fourteen  hundred  pupils,  who  are  taught  by 
nineteen  teachers,  under  the  supervision  of  Mother  Mary  James 
Rods^ers. 


St.  Virgilius's  Church,  Morris  Plains,  N.  J. 

In  1882  Bishop  Wigger  detached  Morris  Plains  and  Whippany 
from  St.  Mary's,  Morristown,  and  erected  these  congregations 
into  a  separate  parish  and  placed  over  them  as  pastor  the  Rev. 
James  J.  Brennan. 

On  July  13th  the  Rev.  D.  McCartie,  the  Bishop's  secretary, 
wrote  to  Father  Flynn  : 

The  absence  of  several  rectors  and  assistants,  who  have  ob- 
tained permission  to  travel  for  the  restoration  of  health,  has  caused 
a  deficiency  of  priests  in  some  parishes  of  the  diocese.  In  order 
to  supply  the  wants  of  the  churches  deprived  of  this  ministration, 
the  bishop  finds  it  necessary  to  distribute  more  equally  the  rever- 
end assistants  who  are  at  present  available. 

For  this  reason  he  is  constrained  to  remove  Father  Whelan 
from  Morristown  and  transfer  him  to  a  parish  where  his  services 
are  more  urgently  required.  As  the  duty  of  attending  Morris 
Plains  would  be  too  onerous  a  task  for  you  unaided,  his  lordship 
has  considered  it  advisable  to  annex  that  mission  to  the  parish  of 
Whippany,  the  revenues  of  which  will  be  thus  rendered  more 
easily  adequate  to  the  support  of  a  priest. 

You  are  requested  to  furnish  Father  Brennan  with  all  requi- 
site information  regarding  the  condition  and  management  of  the 
mission,  and  to  effect  such  arrangements  as  may  enable  him  to 
assume  full  charge  of  it  within  one  week  from  the  present  date. 

Father  Brennan  entered  with  zeal  upon  his  new  duties.  The 
fine  weather  tempted  him  to  gather  his  little  flock  under  the  shel- 
ter of  a  tent,  and  thus  the  Catholics  of  Morris  Plains  worshipped 
their  God  as  did  the  Israelites  of  old.  On  October  nth,  1882, 
Bishop  Wigger  wrote  to  Father  Plynn : 


IN    NEW    JERSEY 


639 


I  hereby  formally  delegate  you,  and  ask  you  to  be  kind  enough 
to  lay  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  to  be  built  in  Morris 
Plains. 

When  the  erection  of  the  church  was  first  contemplated, 
Father  Flynn  desired  and  intended  to  place  it  under  the  patron- 
age of  St.  Virgil,  Archbishop  of  Saltzburg,  one  of  the  most  illus- 
trious of  God's  servants,  and  likewise  eminent  for  his  learning, 
apostolic  zeal,  and  ceaseless  energy  in  preaching  the  faith  and 
exterminating  heresy.  Fear- 
gal,  or  the  modernized  O'Far- 
rell,  was  born  in  the  south  of 
Ireland  of  a  princely  family. 
He  profited  so  well  by  the 
teaching  in  the  schools  for 
which  Ireland  was  noted  that, 
on  his  arrival  in  France, 
about  the  year  743,  he  was 
most  graciously  received  by 
Pepin,  son  of  the  great  Char- 
lemagne, and  recommended 
by  him  to  Otilo,  Duke  of 
Bavaria.  It  is  interesting  to 
know  that  this  Irish  monk 
was  among  the  first,  if  not 
the  very  first,  to  teach  the 
existence  of  antipodes  and 
the  sphericity  of  the  earth. 
The  fact  is  easily  demonstrat- 
ed and  comprehended  in  our 
day,  but  in  the  time  of  St. 
Virgil  it  was  a  bold  doctrine  to  broach,  and  required  unusual 
strength  of  character  to  stand  by  convictions  so  counter  to  all  pre- 
conceived notions  and  to  the  erroneous  views  on  cosmogony  in 
full  vigor  at  that  period.  He  built  a  magnificent  basilica  in  honor 
of  his  predecessor  St.  Rupert,  in  which  he  enshrined  the  relics 
of  the  saint  and  which  he  made  his  cathedral  church.  He  was 
canonized  in  the  Lateran  Basilica,  July,  1233,  by  Pope  Gregory 
IX.  In  life  and  after  his  soul  was  freed  from  its  prison  of  clay 
God  set  the  seal  of  His  approval  on  the  virtues  of  our  saint 
by  the  many  miraculous  cures  effected.  St.  Mary's,  Morris 
town,  prides  itself  on  the  possession  of  a  portion  of  his  precious 
relics. 


ST.    VIRGILIUS  S   CHURCH,   MORRIS 
PLAINS,    N.   J. 


640  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

Father  Brennan  entered  warmly  into  the  views  of  his  prede- 
cessor and  decided  to  place  the  little  church  under  the  protection 
of  this  great  confessor.  For  the  first  time  in  America  did  St. 
Virgil  receive  this  honor.  New  interest  was  awakened  in  the 
history  of  his  life  and  labors,  and  the  descendants  of  his  fellow- 
countrymen  were  quick  to  give  him  the  love  and  reverence  to 
which  the  servants  of  God  are  entitled,  and  which  redound  en- 
tirely to  His  greater  honor  and  glory. 

Soon  after  his  appointment  the  Rev.  Joseph  M.  Flynn  sought 
to  collect  the  few  scattered  Catholics  north  of  Morristown.  He 
wished  also  to  afford  the  opportunity  of  hearing  Mass  to  those 
employed  in  the  State  Hospital  for  the  Insane  at  Morris  Plains. 
Consequently,  after  due  announcement,  the  Holy  Sacrifice  was 
offered  on  Christmas  Day,  1881,  in  the  parlor  of  Mr.  Andrew 
Murphy,  at  Wilsonville,  near  the  asylum,  three  miles  from  Mor- 
ristown and  one  from  Morris  Plains. 

For  over  six  months  he  continued  the  service,  made  collections, 
and  obtained  subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  ^444.68,  which  he 
used  to  purchase  an  acre  of  ground,  at  a  cost  of  ^500,  on  Hanover 
Avenue. 

On  June  14th,  1882,  the  Rev.  James  Joseph  Brennan,  recently 
of  St.  John's  Church,  Paterson,  was  appointed  pastor  of  Whip- 
pany  and  Northfield.  On  July  20th  Morris  Plains  was  substituted 
for  Northfield,  and  on  the  23d  of  the  month,  at  10:30  a.m.,  he 
celebrated  Holy  Mass  at  Wilsonville  as  successor  to  Father  Flynn, 
the  collection  being  $1.53. 

In  order  to  accommodate  some  who  desired  a  more  convenient 
location  he  borrowed  from  the  Morristown  Catholics  a  large  tent, 
which  he  pitched  near  the  new  church  lot.  In  that  frail  and  tem- 
porary shelter,  which  might  be  likened  to  the  stable  of  Bethle- 
hem, he  offered  the  Holy  Sacrifice  for  the  first  time  on  the  6th  of 
August. 

At  first  in  this  humble  sanctuary  there  were  no  pews,  but  a 
few  boards  and  chairs ;  no  floor  but  the  bare  ground,  no  carpet 
but  the  stubble  of  new-mown  wheat ;  the  altar  was  a  pine  table 
with  the  bare  requisites  for  the  Holy  Sacrifice  and  a  few  fresh 
flowers.  The  people  went  to  confession  in  public  view  back  of 
the  altar-table,  behind  a  few  hemlock  boards. 

On  the  approach  of  cold  weather,  September  24th,  the  hall  of 
the  public  school  was  procured  and  used  until  near  the  close  of 
the  year. 

Meanwhile,    on   September   28th,    Rt.   Rev.  W.   M.  Wigger 


IN    NEW    JERSEY  641 

grantal  permission  to  erect  a  church  at  Morris  Plains  at  a  prob- 
able cost  of  $1,200.  He  afterward  allowed  a  debt  of  $1,500  to  be 
incurred. 

On  October  15th  the  corner-stone  of  an  edifice,  30  by  45  feet, 
was  laid  in  the  presence  of  several  hundred  persons  by  Rev.  Jo- 
seph M.  Flynn,  who  also  deli\-ered  an  api)ropriate  sermon  on  the 
glory  and  perpetuity  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

Before  the  building  was  half  comi^leted  the  Holy  Sacrifice 
was  offered  up  in  it,  at  10:30  a.m.,  on  Christmas,  1882,  exactly  one 
year  from  the  celebration  of  the  first  Mass  at  Wilsonville. 

It  was  nearly  another  year  before  it  was  completed  and  dedi- 
cated to  the  service  of  God  by  Bishop  Wigger,  December  i6th, 
1883.  It  took  a  few  more  years  to  provide  the  necessary  and 
suitable  means  for  the  proper  celebration  of  the  various  offices  of 
religion. 

On  December  13th,  1886,  through  the  liberality  of  Mr.  Corne- 
lius Conklin  and  wife,  a  large  and  more  eligible  site  was  purchased 
for  $1,500,  with  the  expectation  of  some  day  having  the  church, 
the  school,  and  the  rectory  in  close  proximity.  In  August,  1888, 
the  church  was  moved  to  the  new  property,  which  comprises  more 
than  two  acres  at  the  junction  of  Mountain  Way  and  Hanover  and 
Speedwell  avenues,  in  the  very  heart  of  Morris  Plains.  At  the 
same  time  the  church  was  enlarged  and  a  belfry  and  a  gallery 
were  built.  Then  the  grounds  were  graded,  laid  out,  planted  with 
trees,  and  enclosed. 

On  the  evening  of  December  20th,  1889,  a  new  bell,  weighing 
nine  hundred  and  eighty-one  pounds,  was  blessed  by  Bishop  Wig- 
ger, assisted  by  Very  Rev.  Joseph  M.  Flynn,  Rev.  Maurice  P. 
O'Connor,  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Hill,  Rev.  Joseph  C.  Dunn,  and  the 
Rev.  Rector.  The  bell,  called  for  the  Apostle  of  Ireland,  bears  the 
following  inscription : 

"  St.  Patrick, 

Gift  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  S.  Conklin 

To  THE  Church  of  St.  Virgilius, 

Morris  Plains,  N.  J. 

W.  M.  Wigger,  Bishop. 

James  Joseph  Brennan,  Pastor, 

1889." 

After  the  blessing  an  appropriate  sermon  on  the  history  of 
bells  was  delivered  by  Dean  Flynn,  who  also  concluded  the  ser- 
vices by  giving  the  Benediction  of  the  Most  Blessed  Sacrament. 
41 


642  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

The  value  of  its  propert)',  exclusive  of  debts,  is  over  $2C,000; 
and  the  number  of  souls  about  two  hundred.  When  Father 
Brennan  was  transferred  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Sacred  Heart 
Church,  Newark,  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Andrew  M.  Egan. 
I'^ither  Egan,  in  the  ten  years  of  his  stay  in  Morris  Plains,  accom- 
plished a  great  deal  He  built  the  rector)'  and  the  hall,  beautified 
the  church,  and  endeared  himself  not  only  to  his  flock  but  to  all 
classes  in  the  communit)'  His  successor  in  1902  was  the  present 
rector,  the  Rev.  James  T.  Brown  l^^ather  Brown  was  born  in 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  Januar\'  19th,  1866,  and  was  educated  at  St. 
Charles's,  Maryland,  and  for  theolog}'  in  St.  Marv's,  Baltimore, 
and  Seton  Hall  He  was  ordained  in  the  cathedral,  Newark,  June 
iith,  1892.  He  has  ministered  as  assistant  in  St.  John's  and  St. 
Joseph's,  Paterson,  St  Joseph's,  St.  Paul's,  and  St  Lucy's,  Jersey 
City.  The  State  hospital  and  the  county  almshouse  are  attended 
by  P^ather  Brown  without  compensation 


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MEMORANDA   OF  ARCHBISHOP  CORRIGAN. 

RECEIVED    TOO    LATE   TO   CLASSIFY. 


Pleasant  Mills. 

I  VISITED  the  abandoned  Church  of  Pleasant  Mills,  about  seven 
miles  from  Egg  Harbor,  and  not  far  from  the  coast,  though  a  few 
miles  inland.  Long  ago  a  ship  with  many  Catholic  passengers 
was  wrecked  on  the  neighboring  coast,  and  the  poor  people  settled 
at  Balsto,  in  Burlington  County,  two  or  three  miles  distant,  where 
some  factories  ga\'e  them  temporary  emplo)'ment.  An  old  book, 
still  kept  by  Mrs.  Alber,  a  German  Catholic,  reveals  the  fact  that 
in  1834  the  Rev.  Mr.  Loughran  used  to  say  Mass  occasionally.  In 
1835  and  1836  the  Rev.  Edward  McCarthy,  S.J.,  used  to  say  Mass 
in  Pleasant  Mills  once  a  month.  A  stray  leaf  of  the  Baptismal 
Register  noted  his  baptizing  six  infants  in  August,  1835,  others 
in  September,  others  in  October.  About  one  hundred  names  of 
men,  chiefiy  Irish,  who  contributed  to  the  "yearly  stipend  "  of  the 
priest,  also  appear.  The  little  church  will  seat  comfortably  about 
one  hundred.  It  is  still  (1879)  well  preserved,  ceiling  perfect, 
with  a  good  frame.  Adjoining"  is  the  cemetery,  which  has  been 
made  use  of  quite  recently  even  for  the  few  Catholics  lost  in  this 
wilderness  of  sand.  At  present  there  are  two  practical  Catholics 
in  the  place — Mrs.  Alber  and  Miss  Nineleck,  the  public-school 
teacher;  a  third,  married  to  an  Irish  Presbyterian  (P^'ord),  is  said  to 
have  fallen  away.  The  last  service  was  held  in  i860,  the  mills 
having  closed  and  the  population  dwindled  away  (Bishop  Corri- 
gan's  Register  of  Diocese,  86). 

Port  Elizabeth, 

There  is  another  desolate  altar  in  Port  Elizabeth,  six  miles 
from  Millville,  once  a  resort  of  charcoal  burners.  The  church  was 
formei'ly  some  kind  of  an  academy,  as  is  evident  from  its  construc- 
tion and  the  tower.  It  seemed  to  have  been  originally  divided 
into  two  stories,  and  the  beams  afterward  removed  when  it  be- 
came a  church.  There  are  two  tiers  of  windows.  No  Mass  has 
been  said  in  it  for  many  years.  Father  Gessner  removed  the 
altar  stone  and  altar  furniture  and  gave  the  key  to  "  Black  Mary,"  a 
good  old  colored  soul — the  last  surviving  Catholic,  since  deceased. 


678  THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH 

The  whole  appearance  of  the  place  is  ruinous — windows  smashed 
and  destroyed,  the  roof  partially  fallen,  the  floors  covered  with 
debris  of  plaster.  The  altar,  confessional,  and  pews  are  still  good. 
Adjoining  the  church  is  the  graveyard.  I  noticed  a  recent  head- 
stone wdth  the  date  1875.  At  the  time  of  the  foundation  of  the 
parish  Millville  did  not  exist.  Many  workmen  gathered  at  the 
factories  of  the  "  Port."  Now  the  factories  are  closed  and  grass 
is  growing  in  the  streets  of  the  once-thriving  village  (p.  97,  Reg.  of 
Dioc).  The  church  was  moved  on  a  raft  to  Dennisville.  In  1843 
a  German  colony  of  Hungarians  and  Bohemians  settled  at  Port 
Elizabeth,  Cumberland  County,  working  at  a  glass  factory  owned 
by  a  Catholic.  From  the  name  of  the  place  and  their  nationality 
they  dedicated  the  academ}^  which  they  purchased  for  a  church  to 
St.  Elizabeth  of  Hungary.  Bishop  Gartland,  then  a  priest  of  the 
Diocese  of  Philadelphia,  blessed  the  church.  In  the  course  of 
time  the  glass-works  were  suspended  and  the  Catholics  moved 
away.  About  1859  Port  Elizabeth  Church  was  completely  aban- 
doned. On  July  27th,  1879,  Father  Dwyer  had  it  moved  to  Den- 
nisville (Goshen),  where  it  was  revamped,  rebuilt,  and  dedicated 
by  Bishop  Corrigan.  The  next  morning  Requiem  Mass  was  said 
by  the  bishop  for  the  founders  of  Catholicity  in  Goshen. 

Morrisville. 

Church,  erected  by  Rev.  M.  J.  Glennon,  25  by  46  feet.  The 
altar  a  gift  from  Mrs.  Patrick  Farrelly  in  honor  of  her  patroness. 
Then  the  only  church  of  any  kind  in  Morrisville,  and  the  only  one 
in  New  Jersey  dedicated  to  St.  Catherine  of  Genoa.  Cost,  $1,600. 
Dedicated  by  Bishop  Corrigan,  November  25th,  1879. 

Bayonne. 

Our  Lady  Star  of  the  Sea.  Corner-stone  contains  a  fragment 
from  the  subterranean  church  of  St.  Clement,  Rome,  sent  by 
Prior  Mulooly,  fragments  from  the  altar  of  Fort  St.  Maro,  Florida, 
1645,  and  the  cathedral  of  St.  Augustine,  1795. 


INDEX 


Abbelin,  Rev.  P.  M.,  486 

Acadians,  The,  42 

Agnes,  Sister,  362 

Agnes,  Sister  Mary,  593 

Ahne,  Rev.  B.,  380,  404 

Alexian  Brothers,  630 

Allaire,  Rev.  B.  F.,   182.  305,  312, 

357 
Allen,  Rev    J.  H.,  351 
Albania,  4 

AH,  Rev.  Joseph,  328,  537 
Allenhurst,   5S3 
Alsatians  in  Pennsylvania,  18 
Amat,  Rev.  I.,  179 
American  Celt,  112 
Ambrose,  Sr.  Mary.  635 
Ancellein,  5c 

Anelli,  Rev.  Francis,  155,  368 
Anas,  Rev.  Celestine,  161 
Andros,  Governor,  5,  6 
Anderson,  Rev.  Dr.,  245 
Anderson,  Dr.,  154,  368 
Angela,  Mother,  5 88" 
Anne,  Queen,  13 
Anthony,  Fr.  C.  P.,  241 
Anti-Catholic  Legislation,  8 
Andros,  Sir  Edmund,  11 
Andover  Mine,  52 
Andover,  317 
Antoine,  218 
Armand,  41 

Arnold's  Tavern,  Morristown,  230 
Assembly,  Kilkenny,  11 

First  General,  at  Eliza- 

bethtown,  8 
Provincial,  5 
"  at  New  York,  5 

Ascheri,  Rev.  Joseph,  325 
Assumption,  Church  of, Morristown, 

204,  213 
Assumption  Church,  Bayonne,  583 
Asbury  Park,  468 
Atlantic  City,  330,  332 
Atalanta  (Steamer).  120 
Atlantic,   i 
Augustinians,  233 
Augustine,  Sister,  623 
Auling,  Rev.  Anselm,  O.M.C.,  437 


B 

Bacon,  Rev.  D.  W.,  112 

Bacon,  Rev.  Wm  ,  iio 

Bahamas,  i 

Baker,  Father,  160 

Balleis,  Rev.  N.,  135,  205,  257 

Baltes,  Bishop,  92 

Baltimore,  Lord,  3 

Bandol,  Rev.  S.,  40 

Baran,  Rev.  F.,  389 

Barbadoes,  16 

Barclay,  Gov.,  20 

Barney,  56 

Barry,  Saucy  Dick,  41 

Barron,  Rev.  E.,  98 

Barzoz,  Rev.  J.,  518 

Basil,  Rev.  G.,  9 

Baudinelli,  Rev.  J.,  394,  406 

Baxter,  Capt.,  352,  11 

Baxter,  Rev.  J.,  320,  355 

Bay  ley.  Most  Rev.  J.  R.,  72,  iir, 
112,  119,  120,  201,  202,  235,  241, 
242,  245,  247,  256,  266,  276,  300, 
301,  304,  322,  325,  334,  340,  343, 
347.  350.  353.  356,  360,  367,  373. 
384,  392,  396,  407,  419,  605, 606, 
615,  616,  630 

Bayonne,  357 

Beaudevin,  Father,  38 

Becker,  Rev.  H.,  414 

Becker,  Bishop,  140 

Bedeni,  Archbishop,  159,  495: 

Beckman,  Christopher,  19 

Behr,  Rev.  H.  J.,  259,  364 

Bcla,  Rev.  L,  532 

Bellemont,  Earl  of,  8 

Belgium,  50 

Benedictine  Sisters,  258,  28*',  350 

Berault,  Charles,  214 

Bergen,  Settlement  of,  3 

Bergen  Point,  106 

Bergman,  Father,  189,  412 

Berkeley,  Lord,  4,  7 

Bernard,  Gov.,  28 

Bernardine,  Father,  353 

Berto,  Rev.  B.,  352 

Bettoni,  Rev.  S.,  417 

Biggio,  Father,  175 

Birk,  Rev.  P.,  394 


68o 


INDEX 


Binssc,  Dr.,  36 

Blanchets,  49 

Bloem,  Rev.  J.,  396 

Bloomfield,  463 

Blume,  Prof.  Thco.,  620 

Bogaard,  V.  d.,  Rev.  F.,  354,  369 

Bohl,  Rev.  L.  J.,  351,  377 

Bogan,  Rev.  B,  M.";  18S,  377,  410 

Borsatibin,  A.  Von  S.,  121 

Boissinot,  50 

Bolting,  Frances,  156,  161 

Bona,  50 

Borden  town,  20 

Borghese,  Rev.  J.,  429 

Bound  Brook,  236,  352 

Boylan,  Rev.  J.  J.,  107.  521 

Boylan,  Rev.  J.  F.,  449,  456,  524, 

627 
Boylen,  20 
Bradevelt,  354 
Bradv,  Rev.  A.  M.,  525,  630 
Brady,  Rev.  J.   H.,'12'4,  328,  364, 

402,  533 
Brady,  Rev.  D.  J.,  377,  403 
Brann,  Rev.  H.,  100,  243,  244,  364, 

367.  371-  396, 605 
Breeka,  Rev.  F.  E.,  256 
Brignolc,  Cardinal,   158 
Brennan,  Rev.  J.  J.,  326,  536 
Brennan,  Rev.  M.  J.,  239 
Brennan,  Rev.  C,  i 
Bridgeton,  392 
Britten,  Elizabeth,  9 
Brockholes,  H.,  6,  7, 
Brothers,  Rev.  W.  A.,  410,  525 
Brothers,  Franciscan,  427 
Brougham,  Lord,  149 
Brownson,  O.  A.,  148 
Brown,  Rev.  G.  F.,  542 
Brown,  Rev.  J.   F.,  367,  377.  403, 

474 
Bulger,  Father,  34,  39 
Burke,  Rev.  T.  N.,  399 
Burke,  Rev.  R.  E.,  313,  351,  361, 

364,  399 
Butler,  Rev.  Thos.  E.,  410 
Burns,  Rev.  W.,  103 
Burtsell,  Rev.  R.  L.,  486 
Bvrnes,  Rev.  W.,  no 
Byrne,  Rev.  S.,  O.P.,  454 
Byrne,  Rev.  P.,  62,   194,  334,  364, 

457,  524,  624, 627 
Byliinge,  Edw. ,  7 


Cabot,  Voyage,  2 
Cahensley,  Peter  Paul,  491 
Cahill,  Rev.  Dr.,  162 
Callan,  Rev.  John,  191,  193 
Callan,  Rev.  James,  38,  83,  123,  247 
305>  357.  316 


Callan,  Rev.   M.  S.,  402,  435,  474, 

Callen,  Rev.  Wm.  R.,  447,  609 
Callahan,  Rev.  J.  P.,  250,  364,  370, 

514,  527 
Calandri,  Very  Rev.  Anthony,  244 
Caldwell,   312 
Camden,  333 
Cannon,  Rev.  Cornelius,   180,   279, 

340,  397 
Canonical  Status  of  Priests,  486 
Canadian  Clergy,  40 
Cantwell,  Rev.  Wm.,  450 
Cape  May,  4,  233 
Capuchins,  369 
Carew,  Rev.  P.  T.,  379,  475 
Carew,  Rev.  Wm.,  436 
Carlstadt,  437 
Carmelites,  396,  460 
Carroll,  Archbishop,   40,   53,59,96, 

115,  260 
Carroll,  Rev.  L.  C.  M.,  364,  410,  529 
Carroll,  Rev.  E.  P.,   147,  233,  530, 

531 
Carroll,  Charles   (of  Carrollton),  57 
Carr,  Rev.  Matthew,  60 
Carr,  J.  Harris,  14 
Carre,  Sir  Robert,  4 
Cartaret,  Sir  George,  4,  7,  16 
Cartet,  Father,  191 
Carey,  Matthew,  54 
Carey,  Very  Rev.  Jvistin,  C.P.,  246 
Caroline,  Mother  Mary,  625 
Carunchio,  Very  Rev.  Victor,  242 
Cassesse,  Rev.  Anthony,  180,  341 
Cassian's,  St.,  Church,  311 
Cassidy,  Rev.  Peter  (S.J.),  100 
Cathedral  of  Sacred  Heart,  507 
Catherine,  Mother  Mary,  627 
Catholic  Union,  420 

Protectory,  Denville,  427 
"         Population  of  Phila.,  22 
"         Expositor,  100 
"         Constitution,  54 
"         Settlement   in    N.   J.    (the 
oldest) ,  31 
Church  (the  first  in  N.Y.), 
48 
"         France,  55 
"         Soldiers,  5 
Catholics  in  N .  Y.  and  N .  J . ,  48 

"   (incorporated),   48 
"     N.Y.  City,  262 
"         "     America,    11 
"         "     Elizabeth,   9 

"     N.J.,30 
"         Devotion  to  Country,  40 
"         in    Barbadoes    and    Am. 
Islands,  14 
Catholicity  in  N.Y.  (first  traces  of) , 

5 
Cauvin,   Rev.    Anthony,    150,    240, 
241,  242,  336 


INDEX 


68i 


Cavelier,  2 

Cedar  Grove,  50 

Celt,  2 

Chapel,  Catholic,  at  Ft.  James,  6 

Charles  1,1,3 

Charles  11,4 

Cliarlottenburg,  31,  59 

Charter  of  Liberties,  5 

Chartier,  Rev.  Stephen,  115 

Chases,  The,  56 

Chatham,  414 

Chegarry,  Madaine,  279 

Cherry  Valley,  50 

Cheverus,  Bishop,  50 

Chielon,  50 

Chlebowski,  Rev.  V.,  535 

Christian  Brothers,  86,  103,  214 

Church  of  Sacred  Heart,  Newark 
536 

Churches: 

Asbury  Park — Holy  Spirit,  468 
Atlantic  City — St.  Nicholas,  330 
Avondale — Our  Lady   of  Grace, 

458 
Belmar — St.   Rose,   533 
Bayonne — St.  Mary's,  357 
Mt.  Carmel,  582 
"  Asstmiption ,    583 

St.   Vincent   de   Paul, 

543 
Belleville, — St.  Peter's,  109 
Bernardsville  —  Our     Lady    of 

Help,  547 
Bloomfield — Sacred  Heart,  463 
Boonton — Mt.  Carmel,   190 
Bordentown — St.  Mary's,   172 
Bound  Brook — St.  Joseph's,  352 
Bridgeton — Immaculate  Concep- 
tion,  3Q2 
Butler — St.  Anthony,  540 
Caldwell — St.  Aloysius,  523 
Camden — Immaculate   Concep- 
tion, :^s^ 
Carlstadt — St.  Joseph's,  437 
Carteret — St.  Joseph's,  131 
Cape  May — Star  of  the  Sea,  233 
Chatham — St.  Patrick's,  414 
Clinton — Immaculate  Concep- 
tion, 134 
Cranford — St.  Michael,  440 
Deal — St.  Mary's,  583 
Dover — St.  Mary's,  193 
East  Newark — St.  Antony,  580 
East  Orange — Help  of  Christians, 

513 
"  Sacred  Heart,  540 

East  Vineland — St.  Mary's,  578 
Egg  Harbor  City — St.  Nicholas, 

Elizabeth — Holy  Rosary,  527 
St. Michael's,  256 
"  St.  Patrick's,  356 

"  Sacred  Heart,  413 


Churches: 

Elizabeth — St.  Marv's,  141 

St.  Anthony,  586 
Englewood — St.  Cecilia,  396 
Flemington — St.  Mary  Magdalen, 

135 
Fort  Lee — Madonna,  368 
Freehold,  St.  Rose,  324 
Gloucester — St.  Mary,  194 
Greenville — St.  Paul's,  365 
Guttenberg — St.  Joseph,  393 
Hackensack — Holy  Trinity,   371 
Immaculate    Con- 
ception, 538 
Hampton  Junction — St.      Anne, 

367 
Harrison — Holy  Cross,  373 
Hibernia — St.  Patrick,  370 
Hoboken — St.  Mary's,  150 
"  St.  Anne,  597 

St.  Francis,  531 
St.  Joseph's,  436 
Sts.  Peter  and   Paul, 

534 
Hohokus — St.  Luke,  378 
Irvington — St.  Leo,  455 
Jobstown — St.  Andrew,  313 
Jersey  City — St.  Anthony,  518 
St.  Aloysius,  546 
"        All  Saints,  545 
"        St.  Boniface,  379 
"        St.     John     Baptist, 

517 
"       St.  Joseph,  336 
"       St.  Bridget,  407 
"       St .  Lucy ,519 
"       St.  Mary,  362,  583 
"       St.  Nicholas,  522 
"       St.  Patrick,  410 

St.      Paul     of     the 
Cross,  404 
"       Holy   Rosary,    523, 

584 
"        St.  Michael,  344 
Kearney — St.  Cecilia,  540 
Keyport — St.  Joseph,  459 
Kingsland — Sacred  Heart,  581 
Lakewood — St.  Mary,  237 
Lambertville — St.  John,  132 
Lodi — St.  Francis  de  Sales,  324 
Long  Branch — Star  of  the  Sea, 

449 
Macopin — St.  Luke's,  108 
Madison — St.  Vincent's,  115 
Mendham — St.  Joseph's,  355 
Metuchen — St.  Francis,  417 
Millville — St.     Mary     Magdalen, 

364 
Montclair — Immaculate  Concep- 
tion, 309 
Moorestown — L  adv   of  Good 

Counsel,  313 
Morristown — Assumption  ,213 


682 


INDEX 


Churches: 

Morristown — St.  Margaret's,  217 
Mount     ArUngton — Our      Lady, 

533 
Mount  Holly — Sacred  Heart,  312 
Mount  Hope — St.  Bernard,  403 
Netcong — St.  Michael,  474 
Newton — St.  Joseph,  314 
Newark — St.  Aloysius,  472 
St.  Anne,  532 
St.  Antoninus,  454 
St.  Augustine,  451 
St.  Benedict,  349 
St.  Bridgit's,  530 
St.  Coluniba,  444 
St.  James,  305 
St.  John,  67 
St.  Joseph,  398 
St.  Lucy,  538 
St.     Mary     Magdalene, 

542 
St.  Mary,  135 
St.  Michael,  466 
Mount  Carmel,  537 
Our    Lady    of       Good 

Counsel,  580 
St.  Peter,  329 
St.    Patrick's   Pro  -  Ca- 
thedral, 197 
St.  Rocco,  550 
Sacred  Heart,  536 
Blessed  Sacrament,  582 
St.  Stanislaus,  534 
St.  Stephen,  579 
New  Brunswick — St.  Peter's,  88 
— Sacred    Heart, 

515 
New  Durham — St.  Bridget,  526 
North  Plainfield — St.  Joseph,  515 
Ocean  City — St.  Augustine,  543 
Oradell — St.  Joseph,  585 
Orange — Our  Lady  of  the  Valley, 

447 
"  St.  John,  321 

"  St.  Venantius,  528 

Passaic — Holy  Trinity,  550 
"  St.  Nicholas,  326 

Paterson — St.  Mary,  434 
"  St.  Joseph,  401 

"  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes, 

512 
"  St.  George,  51 1 

"  St.  Agnes,   509 

"  St.  Boniface,  255 

"  St.   Bonaventure,  460 

"  St.  John,  75 

St.  Michael,  585 
Perth  Amboy — Holy  Trinity,  578 
"  "  St.  Mary,  124 

"  "  St.  Stephen,  132 

Plainfield— St.  Mary,  248 
Philipsburg  —  Sts.     Philip     and 
James,  359 


Churches: 

Pleasant  Mills — St.  Mar>^  321 
Princeton — St.  Paul,  181 
Rah  way — St.  Mark,  411 
St.  Mary,  186 
Raritan — St.  Bernard,  236 
Redbank — St.  James,  247 
Rockaway — St.  Cecilia,  369 
Roselle — St.  Joseph,  443 
Sandy  Hook — Mission,  350 
Salem — St.  Mary,  178 
Seabright — Holy  Cross,  516 
Short  Hills — St.  Rose,  251 
Sommerville — Immaculate    Con- 
ception, 135 
South  Amboy — St.  Man>-,  122 
South  Orange — Our  Lady  of  Sor- 
rows, 529 
Stony  Hill — St.  Mary,  188 
Summit — St.  Teresa,  370 
Swedesboro — St.  Joseph,  339 
Trenton — St.    Mary's   Cathedral, 

383 
"  Immaculate      Concep- 

tion, 450 
"  Sacred  Heart  (formerly 

St.  John),  60 
St.  Joseph,  513 
"  St,  Francis,  234 

"  St.  Stanislaus,  389 

"  Holy  Cross,  389 

St.  Mar)^  (Greek),  390 
St.  Joseph,  390 
Union  Hill — St.  Augustine,  525 
"        "         Holy  Family,  351 
Vineland — Sacred  Heart,  381 
Weehawken — St.  Lawrence,   524 
Westfield — Holy  Trinity,  437 
West     Hoboken — St.     Anthony, 
548 
Church  of  West 
Hoboken,    152 
St.    Michael's 
Monastery,  2  39 
West   New    York — Church  of  the 
Madonna,  582 
Help  of  Chris- 
tians, 544 
Westwood — St.  Andrew,  522 
Whippany — Our  Lady  of  Mercy, 

325 

Woodbridge — St.  James,  129 

Wyckoff— St.  Elizabeth,  379 
Church,  First  Catholic,  in     Phi  la., 

22 
City  of  Caesars,  2 
Circular  Letter  of  Bay  ley,  Rt.  Rev. 

R.,  286 
Clancey,  Rev.  Daniel  S.,  328,  410 
Claim  of  the  Plowdens,  4 
Clark,  Rev.  Owen,  403 
Clement  XIV.,  Pope,  59 
Cleophas,  Sister  Mary,  592 


INDEX 


683 


Cleveland,  Grover,  238 

Cody,  Rev.  Patrick,  308,  357,  369, 

371.  635 

Codman,  John,  Letter  of,  268 

Coghlan.  Daniel,  251,  325 

Colclough,  Rev.  Constantine,  524 

Columbus,  I 

"  Prayer,  i 

"  Crew,  2 

Companions,  2 

Coleman,  Rev.,  331 

Colbert,  Rev.  J.  F.,  454 

Colvin,  Patrick,  46 

Collins,  Isaac,  61 

Colt,  Roswell  L.,  76 

Company  of  London  Adventurers, 
2 

Company  of  East  India  Adventur- 
ers, 3 

Company   of  Plymouth  Adventur- 
ers, 2 

Committee  of  Public  Safety,  53 

Concanen,  Rev.  Richard  Luke,  64 

Conley,  Rev.  W.  J.,  411 

Connolly,  Bishop,  75,  77,   108,  260 

Connolly,    Rev.    M.    J.,    360,     403, 
411 

Connolly,  Rev.  P.  L.,  197,  431 

Connolly,  Rev.  P.  J.  F.,  401,  528 

Connolly,  Rev.  P.  F.,  176,  361,  623 

Connolly,  Rev.  John,  64,  249 

Connery,  Rev.  Hugh,  328 

Conroy,  Father,  36 

Conroy,  Rt.  Rev.  J.  J.,  Bp.  Albany, 
361 

Conroy,  Rev.  John,  78,  loi,  103 

Conroy,  Rev.  Thos.  A.,  401,  541 

Conwell,  Bp.,  265 

Convent  Station,  587 

Conover,  Richard,  161 

Condition    of    Grant    (to    Sir    Th. 
Danby) ,  3 

Connecticut,  58 

Congress,  55 

Constitution  of  N.  J.  (Art.  7th  of), 

4 
Cornbury",  Lord,  12,  13 
Corrigan,  Rev.  M.  A.,  62,  108,  109, 

121,  123,  236,  245,  250,  253,  293, 

303.  310.  323.  33^'  341,  344,  351. 

361,  368,  370,  372,  374,  375,  384, 

391,  407,  410,  414,  417,  433,  440, 

441,  466,  479,  494,  605,  609,  615, 

628 
Corrigan,  Rev.  M.  A.,  Life  of,  418 
Corrigan,  Rev.  M.  A.,  Letter,  428 
Corrigan,  Rev.  Geo.  W.,  253,  255, 

319,  378,  400,  510,  511,  522 
Corrigan,    Rev.    Patrick,    99,    103, 

170,  251,  369,  371,  407,  486,  487, 

493 
Corrigan,   Rev.   Jas.    P.,    147,    378, 
411 


Corrigan,  Rev.  J.  II.,  253,  609,  617, 

619 
Corr,  Rev.  P.  M.,  364,  371,  408 
Corcoran,  Rev.  M.  P.,  401 
Courvoisier,  Rev.  J.,  383 
Coyle,  Rev.,  106,  158,  336,  364 
Coyle,  Rev.  Francis,  112 
Coyne,  Rev.  H.  S.,  377 
Coinmonwealth,  Cromwell "s,  3,  16 
Cook,  Martha,  156 
Cooney,  D.  F.,  431 
Coote,  Col.,  8 
Coree,  Daniel,  20 
Cowpens,  57 
Coscia,  Rev.  N.,  237 
Crane,  Rev.  Peter,  331 
Crane,  Rev.  Mark,  331 
Cranford,  440 
Cross,  The,  i 

Csurgovich,  Rev.  Jno.,  390 
Cullinane,  Rev.  Jas.,  O.S.B.,  414 
Cunneely,  Rev.  Jos.,  371,  585 
Cummings,  Rev.  Dr.,  83,  156,  272, 

336 
Cummiskey,  Rev.  Jas.,  321 
Cunningham,  Capt.  Wm.,  16 
Curran.'^Rev.  J.  J.,  434,  485,  528 
Curran,  Rev.  Mich.,  270 
Curoe,  Rev.  John,  112 
Curtain,  Rev.  Wm.,  360 
Cusick,  Rev.  Jas.,  360 
Czclusniok,  Rev.,  389 
Czcrnecki,  Rev.  Francis,  389 


Daly,  Rev.  James,  195 
Daly,  Rev.  F.,  O.S.D.,  237 
Davis,  Rosanna,  152 
Davis,  James,  Jr.,  152 
Dankers,  Joseph,  9 
Dautner,  Rev.  Aug.,  257 
D'Arcy,  Rev.  James,  120,  221 
Dagnault,  Rev.  D.  S.,  255,  355 
Dagnault,  Rev.  P.  S.,  371,  441 
Dalton,   Rev.  James   F.,   358,   398, 

116 
Daggett,  Mate,  1 1 
Danielson,  Rev.  Stanislaus,  350 
Danby,  Sir  Thomas  Grantto,  3 
Damjanovis,   Rev.  Theodore,   390 
De  Concilio,  Rt.  Rev.  J.,  245,  343, 

364,  519,  523 
De  Marquemont,  Mons.,  636 
Deans,  486 
Denville,    St.    Francis    Protectory, 

423 
Delehanty,  Rev.  J.  Fr.,  250,  364 
De  Persia,  Rev.  F.,  586 
De  Bogaard,  Rev.  M.  A.  V.,  135 
D'Aquilla,  Rev.  E.,  537 
De  Burgh,  Rev.  Hubert,  11 1 
De  Maupas,  Henrj',  250,  458,  636 


684 


INDEX 


De  Stephani,  Rev.  M.,  411 

Delano V,  Maria,  19 

Deckertown,  316 

Delaney,  Martin,  52 

Degan,  Rev.  Theophilus,  234,  365 

Degan,  Rev.  Father,  234,  381,  392 

D'Anterroches,        Count        Joseph 

Louis,  141 
Dernis,  Father,  181 
de  la  Neuville,  41 
Devine,  Rev.  James,  354 
de  Miralles,  Don  Juan,  46 
Delaware  River,  3 
Denvillc  Sanatorium,  631 
Denmark,  53 
Dillon,  Rev.  Dr.,  377 
Dillin's  Brigade, 
Dolan,  Rev.  J.  F.,  443,  475,  511 
Dolan,  Rev.  M.,  368 
Dido,  56 

Dickerson  Mine,  53 
Dikovich,  Rev.  Eugene,  256,  412 
Dittrich,  Rev.  Wm.  Fr.,  383 
Diocese  of  Newark,  The,  260 
Donovan,  Rev.  W.  J.,  368 
de  Gardequi,  Don  Diego,  48 
Donnelly,  Rev.  M.  J.,  364 
Doane,  Rt.   Rev.   G.   H.,   197,   209, 

211,  242,  373,  376,  399,  429,  477, 

606,  609,  614 
Donohoe,    Rev.    Nicholas,    O.M.C., 

437 
Doneher,  Rev.  Patrick,  91,  112 
Donahue,  Rev.  J.  R.,  411 
Don  gen,  8 

Dougherty,  Rev.  James,  112 
Dougherty,  Henry  J.,  375 
Dubois,  Bishop,  49,  78,  90,  92,  98, 

loi ,  104,  109,  115,  260 
Durich,  Rev.  J.  J.,  365,  382 
Dubercau,  49 
Duer,  John  Judge,  302 
Du  Coudrav,  41 
Duffy,  Father,  36 
Duffy,  Rev.  J.  Fr.,  355 
Duffy,  Father  Patrick,  79 
Duffy,  Rev.  M.,  626 
Duggan,   Rev.    Major  Charles,    94, 

169,  417 
Duggan,  Rev.  D.  J.,  176 
Duggan,  Rev.  J.,  181 
Duggan,  Rev.  D.  D.,  392 
Duke  of  Genoa,  157,  160 
Duke  of  York,  patent  to,  4 
Duchess  of  Genoa,  160 
Dutch,  The,  3 

Duckglischel,  Rev.  Henry,  413 
Dulaneys,  The,  56 
Dunn,  Rev.  Wm.  V.,  233,  328 
Dunn,  Rev.  J.  C,  328,  417 
Dunn,  Thomas,  19 
Dunn,  Hugh,  6 
Dunphy,  Rev.  Wm.,  124 


Duportail,  41 

Durning,  Rev.  Daniel  G.,  71 

Durthaller,  Father  S.  J.,  167 

Donoghue,  Rev.  Jeremiah,  94 

Dooley,  Rev.  J.  A.,  525 

Donahue,  Father,  36,  122 

Donaghoe,  Rev.  Francis,  108,  116 

Don  Rachel,  14 

Doniinick,  Rev.  (C.  P.),  406 

Dongan,  Colonel,  65 

Dominican  Sisters,  433,  434 

Dominic,  V.  Rev.,  242 

Dornin,  Rev.  Wm.  H,,  iii,  409 

Douglass,  Wm.,  8 

Douglass,  Benj.,  205 

Dolweck,  Rev.  Bernardino,  350 

Drummer  Boy,  a  Monument,  45 

Dr.  Elsi,  Rev.  Michael,  383 

Dover,  53,  193 

Downes,  Rev.  Patrick  F.,  94,   192, 

510 
Downes,    Rev.     Michael    Fr.,    370, 

378,  411,  435 
Dwyer,  Rev.  Wm.,  365,  382 


Earl  of  Limerick,  5 

Earl  Palatinate,  3 

Eberhard,  Rev.  Aug.,  441 

Echo  Lake,  108 

Ecke,  Rev.  Cornelius,  O.S.B.,  413 

Edict  of  Nantes,  18 

Egg  Harbor,  58 

Egg  Harbor  City,  15,  397 

Egan,  Rev.  E.  J.,  516 

Egan,  Rev.  Andrew  M.,   250,  326, 

^351     .^      ^ 
Eagan,  Rt.  Rev.  Michael,  61 
Elert,  Rev.  C,  S.P.M.,  383 
Elizabeth,  Queen,  2 
Elizabeth,  St.,  Convent,  591 
Elizabeth's,  St.,  Academy,  593 
Elizabeth,  49,  53,  356,  413 
Elizabeth's  Kil,  9 
Elizabethtown,  6,  24,  141 
Elison,  Rev.  Conrad,  235 
Emigration  to  America,  42 
Emigration,  Irish,  14 
England,  Bishop,  109 
Englowood,  396,  636 
English  neighborhood,  154 
English  claim,  2 
Esser,  Rev.  Joseph,  397,  407 
Esmond,  Father  S.  J.,  270 
Esper,  Rev.  Nicholas,  352 


Fanaticism,  29 

Farrelly,  Patrick,  422,  573,  574 
Farrell,    Rev.    Eugene,     112,    227, 
355.  364,  370.  410 


INDEX 


68 


Faulkner,  Mr.,  220 

Falconio,  Most  Rev.,  462 

Farmer,  Father  Ferdinand,  24,  2S, 

31,  40,  46,  48,  52,  53,  135,  214 
Fathers,  Passionist,  405 
Fcnwick,  John,  7 
Fen  wick.  Bishop,  97 
Fero;uson,  Rev.  T-  B.,  367 
Felder,  Rev.  Valentine,  O.S.B.,  137 
Fedigan,  Rev.  J.  J.,  O.S.A.,  332 
Ferrall,  Rev.  Francis,  109,  112 
Fehlings,  Rev.  Henry,  365 
Fisher,   Rev.   D.  J.,   166,   219,   236, 

249 
Fitzpatrick,  Rev.  G.  I.,  474 
Fitzpatrick,  Bishop,  273 
Fitzpatrick,  Rev.  B.,  410 
Fitzgerald,  General,  41 
Fitzgerald,  43 

Fitzgerald,  Rev.  Wm.  J.,  365 
Fitzsimmons,  Rev.  P.,  194,  335 
Fitzsimmons,  Thomas,  53 
Fitzsimmons,  John,  529 
First  Amendinent,  S5 
First  Catholics  in  Ivfew  York,  48 
First  white  child,  9 
Finnegan,  Rev.  H.  B.,  195 
Fink,  Rev.  L.,  255 
Fink,  Rev.  Louis,  O.S.B.,  352 
Five  Corners,  158 
Fleming,  Rev.  W.  M.,  100,  403,  447, 

455'  542 
Fleming,  Rev.  Walter  M.  A.,  472, 

473 
Fleming,  Rev.  Hugh  P.,  323 
Flynn,   Rev.  Joseph   M.,   225,  410 

574 
Flood,  Father,  250 
Fogarty,  James,  362 
Fort  Orange,  Catholic  Soldiers  at 

^  5 

Fort  James,  Catholic  Chapel  at,  6 

Fort  Lee,  154,  368 

Foley,  Rev.  Wm.  J.,  410 

Formative  Period,  The,  52 

Ford,  Rev.  John,  233 

Fordham,  St.  John's  College,  107 

Fox,  Rev.  John  W.  (S.J.),  100 

Fox,  Rev.  John  H.,  351,  354,  387, 

390,  513.  516 
Freeman's  Journal,  264,  301 
Freeman,  Rev.  N.  M.,  368,  515 
Frey,  Rev.  Adalbert,  256 
Freehold,  324 

French  Catholic  families,  43 
French  families,  50 
French  Catholics,  18 
French  Fathers,  36 
French  refugees,  49 
French,  Rev.  Chas.,  D.O.P.,  108 
Frewin,  Rev.  J.,  437 
Friends  of  the  Liberalists,  20 
Franzoni,  Cardinal,  116 


Franklin  Furnace,  316 
Franciscans,    109,    235,    256,    370, 

389,  451,  460, 461 
Franciscan  Sisters,  437 
Funke,  Rev.  G.,  193,  194,  374,  437 
Furgler,  Francis,  30 
Franciscan  College,  Trenton,  451 
Franklyn,  Pres.,  291 
Funerals,  4S6 


Gates,  Thomas,  2 

Garvey,  Rev.  Dr.,  371 

Galwav,  2 

Gallagher,    Rev.    Michael,    O.S.A,. 

33° 
Gaston,  Jtidge  Wm.,  185 
Gardner,  Rev.  P.  H.,  324 
Gage,  Rev.  Charles,  S.J.,  6 
Gahr,  Rev.  Eberhard,  O.S.B.,  138 
Gaudentius,  Father,  241 
Gallows  Hill,  29 

Gambosville,  Rev.  Louis,  74,  192 
Gammell,  Rev.  John,  362,  383,  393 
Geaghan,  Rev.  D.,  124 
Gessner,  Rev.  Martin,  234,  357,  36-1, 

381,  392 
German  Catholics,  52,  257,  281 
German  churches,  281 
Genevieve,  Mother,  362 
German  priests,  281 
Geisler,  Rev.  Aug.,  256 
Gervais,  Father,  305,  306 
Gerber,  Rev.  Francis,  D.D.,  235 
Geigers,  31 
Geigers,  Matthew,  52 
George  IL,  Ordinance  of,  28 
Geoghen,  Father,  61 
German  question  in  U.  S.,  486 
Gervais,  Rev.  J.  M.,  635 
Geyerstanger,  Rev.  Charles,  O.S.B.„ 

136 
Gillespie,  Mr.,  36 
Gillespie,  Michael,  75 
Giese,  Rev.  Chas.,  197,  365,  3S2 
Gibbons,  Cardinal,  246 
Gillin,  Rev.  C.  P.,  402,  404,  521 
Giraud,    Rev.    John   M.,   394,   400.. 

446 
Gilbert,  Humphrey,  2 
Gilbert,  Richard,  2 
Gillick,  Rev.  Peter,  no 
Gillick,  Rev.  Philip,  112 
Girard,  Stephen,  58 
Gist,  56 

Glennan,  Rev.  M.  L.,  468,  533 
Gloucester,  194 
Gmeiner,  Rev.  J.,  234 
Gonzaga,  Sister,  239 
Goth,  2 
Goth,  Rev.  Theo.,  O.S.B.,  138,  350,. 

353.  412 


686 


INDEX 


Goodman,  Rev.  R.,  O.S.B.,  412 

Goshenhoppen,  30 

Goshenhoppen  Records,  315 

Grady,  Rev.  W.  F.,  328 

Greenwood  Lake,  53 

Greenville,  106,  365 

Greiff,   Rev.  J.   N.,   256,   352,   378, 

Griffen,  Rev,  J.J.,  360 

Guttenberg,  107,  393 

Green,  Arthur,  154 

Graham,  Rev.  John  A..  324,  418 

Graessl,  Father,  59 

Greater,  Father,  22  et  seqq. 

Gray  Nuns,  231,  632 

Grover,  James,  155 

Gruber,  Rev.  Jos.,  532 

Guadeloupe,  18,  49 

Guth,  Rev.  Francis,  115,  254 


H 


Hackensack,  371,  538 
Haeber,  Rev.  A.,  413 
Hagan,  Rev.  J.  H.,  627 
Hall,  Rev.  J.  J.,  404,  529 
Halloran,  Rev.  S.,  410 
Hamill,  Robert,  88 
Hamilton,  Alexander,  53 
Ha:npton  Junction,  367 
Hampton,  Jonathan,  52 
Hanahan,  Thos.,  2 
Hangley,  Rev.  J.  B.,  403 
Hanley,  Rev.  J.,  193,  360,  408 
Hannigan,  Rev.  J.  N.,  195 
Hardy,  Geo.  E.,  444 
Harding,  Rev.  R.  B.,  24,  31,  321 
Hargous,  Peter,  234 
Harkins,  Father,  206 
Harold,  Rev.  P.  }.,  239 
Harold,  Rev.  W.^.,  61 
Harpers,  The,  56 
Harper,  Rev.  J.,  S.J.,  100 
Harvey,  Rev.  Thomas,  S.J.,  6 
Harrison,  Rev.  H.,  6 
Harrison,  255,  257 
Hospital,  First  Catholic,  590 
Hasel,  Rev.  J.,  352 
Hart,  Rev.  P.,  124 
Hater,  Rev.  J.,  41 1 
Hater,  Rev.  B.,  367 
Haviland,  Rev.  A.,  179 
Hartlaub,  Rev.,  255,  257 
Hasslinger,  Rev.  M.,  137,  329 
Haycock,   18 
Hayes,  Patrick,  447 
Haj'luke,  Richard,  2 
Havman,  Rev.  T-.  364 
Healey,  Rev.  T.  B.,  238 
Hecchinger, 
Hehl,  Rev.  B.,  352 
Heberman,    Charles    G.,  9;  on   Ca- 
hensleyism,  491 


Hecker,  Father,  160 
Heckinger,  Rev.  A.,  367,  397 
Hedges,  Rev.  S.,  417 
Hegele,  Rev.  P.  B.,  138,  150 
Hendricks,  Rev.  J.  H.,  383 
Hennessy,  Rev.   P.,   107,   313,  338, 

357.  410 
Hens,  Rev.  N.,  194,  256.  378,  512 
Henke,  Rev.  P..  413 
Hennes,  Rev.  J.  H.,  411,  539 
Henwood,  Harold,  344,  422 
Hermit  of   Mt.  Holly,  30 
Herrard,  Rev.  M.,  71,  115 
Herries,  Wm.,  2 
Hetzinger,  Rev.  P.  E.,  135 
Hibernia,  370 
Hickey,  Rev.  E.  H.,  322 
Hickey,  Rev.  M.,  328,  404 
Hill,  Rev.  J.  H..  320,  395,  404,  410, 

446 
Hintenach,  Rev.  A.,  413 
Hlebik,  Rev.  J.,  532 
Hoboken,  36,  63,  150 
Hoebuck's  Ferry,  63 
Hoeg,  Rev.  L.,  219 
Hofschneider,  Rev.  L.,  412,  534 
Hogan ,  Rev .  J . ,  1 1 1 ,  112 
Hogan,    Rev.     T.,    312,    374,    377, 

458 
Hohokus,  378 
Holland,  Rev.  M.  J.,  69,  209,  339, 

385,  401,  446 
Hood,  Father,  250 
Hopkins,  Rev.  J.  T.,  367 
Horgan,  S.  H.,  573 
Hospital,  All  Souls,  223 
St.  James,  634 
Home  for  the  Aged,  629 
House  of  the  Good  Shepherd,  427, 

628 
Hornblower,  Chief  Jiistice,  25 
Hostlot,  Mons.,  Letters,  477 
Howard,  J.  E.,  56 
Howell,  Rev.   L  P.,   142,   186,  215, 

236 
Hoyt,  Rev.  William,  616 
Huber,  Rev.  P.,  137 
Hurage,  50 

Hurley,  Rev.  M.,  60,  233,  265 
Huguenots,  18,  50 
Hundridges,  18 
Huygens,     Rev.     J.    A.,    352,    369, 

407 
Hymn  of  St.  Ambrose,  313 
Hubbersty,  Rev.  R.,  322 
Huber,  Rev.  P.,  137 
Hudson,  3 

Hudson  Co.  Cath.  cemeteries,  430 
Hughes,    Most   Rev.   John,   81,   83. 

92, 93, 97, 107,  116,  119,  127, 228 

239,  240,  248,  262,  266,  587 
Hulsebusch,  Rev.  R.,  352,  453 
Huygens,  Rev.  G,  475 


INDKX 


687 


Institute  of  Young  Men,  204 

Indians,  3 

Indian  trails,  24 

Intolerance ,  8 

Inscription   on    Michael    Kearney's 

tomlj,   10 
Irish  Exiles,  14 
Irish,  The,  52 

Irish  women  sold  as  slaves,  16 
Iron  furnaces,  30 
Irish  Lott,  9 

Irish  soldiers  in  France,  14 
Irish  in  Continental  Army,  41 
Irish  Protestants,  254 
Ires,  Gullicrnio,  2 
Issa,  Rev.  Geo.,  523 


Jacketti,  Rev.  Peter,  235,  450,531 

Jamesburg,  324 

James  II.,  King,  2,11 

James,  Duke  of  York,  7 

Jar\'is,  Rev.  Samuel,  270 

Jay, John,  40 

Jefferson,  Thomas,  55 

Jego,  Father,  134 

Jersey     City,     Early      history     of 

Catholicity    (Rev.   John    McGui- 

gan)  ,101 
Jesuit  Fathers,  16 
Jockey  Hollow  Road,  53 
Joch,  Rev.  J.,  632 
Jogues,  Father,  5 
Jerome,  Mother,  592 
Joseph,  Sister  Mary,  592 
Joseph,  St.,  Academy,  623 
Joslin,  Rev.  Titus,  iii 
Joubert,  50 
Jourdan,  Prof.,  621 
Jugan, Jeanne,  629 
Julian,  Rev.  P.,  417,  474 
Justin,  Rev.,  O.S.F.,  378 
Jersey  City,    16,   63,   96,    10 i,   343, 

362,  404, 407, 410, 420 

K 

Kaeder,  Rev.  Mauritius,  236,  353, 

412 
Kammer,    Rev.    A.    M.,    319,    395, 

519.  532 
Kane,  Rev.  Michael  E.,  146,  247 
Kars,  Rev.  Egbert,  196 
Katen,  Father,  32 
Kayser,  Rev.  John  Baptist,  413 
Keams,  Wm.  J.,  573 
Kearney,  Michael,  9,  10 
Kearney,  Bernard,  211 
Kearney's  School,  212 
Keenahan,  Rev.  J.  F.,  403 
Kelly,  R.  E.,  S.P.M.,  383 


Kelly,  John,  6 

Kelly,  James,  6 

Kelly,  Smith,  14 

Kelly,  James  E.,  43 

Kelly,  Rev.  John,  92,  97,  103,  106, 

123,  151. 336, 380 
Kelly,   Rev.    E.   A.,  379,  402,  410, 

511 
Kelly,  Rev.  CharUs  J.,  LL.D.,  172, 

364, 474 
Kelly,  Rev.  D.  S.,  234 
Kelly,   Rev.   John,    247,   345,   357. 

362 
Kelly,  John  A.,  279 
Kelly,  Rev.  Peter  J.,  324,  362 
Kelly,  Rev.  James  A.,  411 
Kempen,  Rev.  Angelus,  167,  365 
Kennebec  River,  2 
Kennedy,  John  J.,  216,  368 
Kenny,  Rev.  James,  103 
Kenny,  Rev.  Patrick,  97,  116,  321 
Kenny,  Rev.  Hugh,  233,  312 
Kenny,  Michael,  211 
Kwiatkowski,  Father,  519 
Kenrick,    Rt.    Rev.     Bishop,     179, 

194,  356 
Keogh,  Rev.  James,  417,  474 
Kerrigan,  James,  152,  240 
Kerrigan,  John,  156 
Kernan,  Rev.  Thomas  J.,  328,  540 
Kerwan,  Rev.  M.  }.,  446,  394 
Kettner,  Rev.  P.  Lambert,  O.S.B., 

138.  350 
Keyes,  Rev.  W.  A.,  410 
Kerins,  Father,  367 
Key  port,  459 
Kidnapper,  16 

Kiernan,  Father,  236,  249,  321 
Killahy.  Rev.  M.  L.,  375 
Killeen,  Rev.  Thomas  M.,  70,  247, 

350.  358,  364 
Kilpatrick,  Gen.  Judson,  319 
Kingsland,  581 
King's  Farm,  6 
King  Joseph,  178 
King  Louis  of  Bavaria,  235 
King  of  Sardinia,  Charles  Felix,  157 
Kirwin,  Rev.  M.  J.,  371 
Kirwan,  Rev.  P.  F.,  403 
Kirby,  William,  52 
Kivlitz,  Rev.  Frederick,  324 
Knez,  Father,  38 
Klawiter,  Rev.  A.,  535 
Kleppe,  Brother,  630 
Knickerbockers,  Early,  3 
Koch,  Father,  461 
Kohlman,  Rev.  S.  J.,  108 
Kosciusko,  41 

Kraus,  Rev.  Doininic,  107,  380,  623 
Kruse,  Rev.  Henry,  413,  524,  626 
Kresgel,  Rev.,  32 
Kurtz,  Rev.  Peter,  352,  380 
Kukowski,  Rev.,  519 


688 


INDEX 


Lane,  Rev.   Hugh,    175,    179,   312, 

321 
Lang,  Rev.  Charles  C.  P.,  246 
Lakewood,  237 
Lafayette,  41 ,  141 
Lamiaert,  Rev.  J.  E.,  539 
Lartigue,  Bishop,  92 
La  Prarire,  6 

Lariscy,  Rev.  PhiUp,  60,  75 
La  Rue,  50 
Laferty,  Ruth,   19 
Law,  The,  of  1698.  12 
Laws,  Adverse  to  Catholics,  5 
Laws  of  the  Duke  of  York,  5 
Laws  against  Catholics  in  Virginia, 

16 
Laws  of  First  Proprietors,  17 
Lavey,  Rev.  M.  J.,  124 
Langdill,  Rev.  Arthur,  75 
Labadie,  9 

Labuzinski,  Rev.  C,  535 
Lawrence,  Rev.  John  W.,  124 
Leahy,  Rev.  Walter  T.,  342 
Le  Chaudronnier,  9 
Lejo}',  50 

Lee,  Rev.  Th.,  367,  377 
L'Homme,  50 

Lehner,  Rev.  Francis,  437,  451 
Lemke,   Rev.   Henry,   O.S.B.,    1S9, 

257  ^ 

Leonard,    Rev.    Patrick,    74,    175, 

367, 466 
Leone,  Rev.,  383 
Levins,  Rev.  Thos.  C,  90 
Lerche,  Rev.,  351 
Leacy,  Rev.  Wm.,  124 
Leimgruber,  Rev.  W.,  256 
Leisler's  Usurpation,  6,  8,  19 
Letters    of    Bayley,   Bishop,     282, 

424 
Liberty  of  Conscience,  5 
Lill,  Rev.  Peter,  367,  380 
Lingard,  Dr.,  14 
Lilla,  Rev.  Vitalian,  394 
Lvither,  i 
Littell,  Mrs.,  32 
Livingston,  54 
Lodi,  324 
London  Adventurers,  Company  of, 

2 
Locke,     Mr.      Jesse     Albert,     272, 

572 
Lornitz,  Maurice,  52 
Lockwood  ,211 
Long  Pond,  31 

Loughlin,  Rt.  Rev.  John,  91,  252 
Loughlin,  Rev.  W.,  321 
Lyon,  Rev.  Stephen  M.,  181 
Lynch,  Rev.  Wm.  H.,  181 
Lyman,  Dr.,  209 
Lynch,  Bishop,  245 


M 


Mackel,  Rev.  C,  100,  347,  356 
Mackinson,  Rev.  J.  A.,  358,  541 
Mackin,  Rev.  John,  61,  174,  234 
Macopin,  loS 
Madden,  Rev.  M.  A.,  119,  122,  21 8, 

247,  252,  254,  272,  370,  609 
Madison,  James,  57 
Madison,  49,  53,  115,  310 
Madrano,    Rev.    Yldephonsus,    91, 

126, 143 
Maher,  Rev.  P.  A.,  364 
Maher,  Rev.  J.  J.,  371,  403 
Mahoney,  Sarah,  161 
Mahon,  Mrs.  Peter,  161 
Maguire,  Rev.  T.,  126,  135 
Maguire,  Rev.  Terence,  435 
Malnix,  Father,  32 
Malone,  Rev.  S.,  336 
Maloney,  Thomas,  574 
Malou,  Pierre,  50 
Malou,  John  Baptist,  50 
Manahan,  Rev.  A.,  79,  116 
Manchester,   470 
Manhattan  Island,  3,  4. 
Maroney,  Rev.  J.,  362 
Maroney,  Edw.,  447 
Matthew,  Father,  195 
Margaret,  Mother,  588 
Marshall,  Father,  236 
Marshall,  Rev.  J.  A.,  353 
Martens,  The,  56 
Martens,  Father,  167 
Martinelli,   Archbishop,    246 
Marshall,  Rev.  Wm.  F.,  613,  620 
Masnicki,  Rev.  V.,  535 
Mauser,  Rev.  P.  B.,  13S 
Martinique,  18,  49 
Mar\-  Xavier,  Mother,  587 
Marj'    Margaret     Du  frost     de     La- 

gemmerais,  632 
Mary  Catherine,  Sister,  274,  5876 
Mary  Agnes,  Sister,  239 
Maryland  Colony,  16 
Marzetti,  Rev.  D.,  437,  531 
Mazziotta,  Father,  523 
Mayer,  Rev.  P.  L.,  13& 
Meagher,  Rev.  J.  R.,  454 
Mechtildc,  Mother,  627 
Medaille,  Rev.  J.,  636 
Meehan,  Peter,  156 
Mehegan,  Mother  M.  Xavier,  274 
Menavi,  38 
Mendham,  355 
Mendl,  Rev.  J.,  307,  310,  397 
Metropolitan,  The,  211 
Metuchen,  417 
Messmer,  Most  Rev.  S.  B.,  307,  310, 

33°<  397.  414,  455.  528,  495.  496 
Miller,  Rev.  W.  H.,  124,  515 
Miller,  Rev.  J.  A.,  321,  413,  461 
Miller,  Mrs.  Chas.,  392 


INDEX 


689 


Millstone,  236 

Millville,  364 

Minisink,  19 

Misdziol,    Father,    189,    355,    412, 

438,  440 
Mischnowski,  Rev.  A.,  518 
Molly  Pitcher,  44 
MoUoy,  Rev.  N.,  400 
Mollyneaux,  Father,  40 
Monahan,  Rev.  T.  F.,  411 
Monahan,  Mr.,  154 
Monastery,  St.  Michael's,  240 
Monk,  Maria,  205 
Monmouth,  Woods  of,  3 
Montalembert,  262 
Montague,  316 
Montclair,  309 
Mooney,  Rev.  J.  T.,  364,  377,  521, 

538,  541 
Mooney,  Mgr.,  250 
Moore,  Nicholas,  634 
Moosmueller,  Rev.  O.,  137 
Moran,  Rev.  Thomas  R.,  186,  324 
Moran,   Very   Rev.    P.,   V.G.,    109, 

143-  213,  272,  399,  608 
Moran,  Rev.  Michael,  103 
Moran,  Rev.  James,  74,  333 
Moore,  Mr.,  307 
MorelH,  Rev.  F.,  538 
Moriarty, Very  Rev.  Patrick.O.S.A., 

180 
Morris,  Rev.  John  P.,  87,  249.  364, 

458 
Morris  County,  31 
Morris  Plains,  225 
Morrogh,  Dr.,  431 
Morristown,  46,  47,  225,  313 
Morrisville,  470 
Mother  M.  Aveline,  627 
Mount  St.  Dominic's  Academy,  626 
Mount  Hope,  31,  53,  403 
Mount  Pleasant,  53 
Mount  Holly,  58,  312 
Mount  St.  Vincent's,  274 
Moylan,  General,  41 
Moynihan,  V.  Rev.  J.  C,  411 
Mt.  St.  Mary's,  98 
Mulhall,  Rev.  James  J.,   233,   321, 

401 
Mueller,  Rev.  Ruppert,  453 
Mulligan,   Very    Rev.    Bernard   J., 

134,  335.  355.  360,  392,  515,  516 
Mueller,  Rev.  George  H.,  259,  356 
Mull,  Rev.  C.,  379,  380,  416,  529 
MuUer,  Father,  38 
Muller,  Rev.  Anton,  235 
MuUowney,  Capt.,  45 
Mullowney,  John,  44 
Mundorf,  Rev.  C,  437 
Mumane,  Very  Rev.  Benedict,  C. P., 

243 
Murray,   Rev.   John   E.,    279,   362, 

529 

44 


Murray,  Rev.  James,  322 
Murphy,   Rev.  John  J.,    112,   375, 

410,  524 
Murphy,  Rev.  James,  103 
Murphy,  Rev.  Francis,  250,  443 
Murphy,  Rev.  William,  410 
Murphy,  Rev.  Henry,  403 
McArdle,    Rev.    Bernard    90,    no, 

112,  124 
McAvoy,  Rev.  J.  E.,  403 
McAnemey,  Mr.  John,  422 
McBride,  John,  19 
McCabe,  Rev.  Bernard,  112 
McCaffrey,  Rev.  John,  261 
McCahill,  Rev.  P.,  411 
McCarthy,  Rev.  Patrick,  128,  187 
McCarthy,   Rev.    Pierce,    193,   369, 

374,  609 
McCarthy,  Rev.  Daniel  F.,  255,  374, 

509 
McCartie,  Rev.  D.,  364,  466,  613 
McCarren,  Rev.  Patrick,  324 
McCloskey,  Cardinal,  51,  265,  273, 

386,  419,  426, 429, 476 
McCosker,  Rev.  Edward,   188,  316 
McConkey,  46 
McCormick,  Patrick,  125 
McCoriston,  Rev.  M.  C,  368 
McCormack,  Rev.  Thos.  J.,  196 
McCormick,  Rev.  Jos.  P.  A.,  Ph.D., 

100 
McCormack,    Rev.  J.   P.    M.,    250, 

417-  475      ^ 
McCuUough,  Rev.  John  J.,  S.P.M., 

239,  383 
McDermott,  Rev.  John,    180,   233, 

339 
McDonnell,  Rt.  Rev.  C,  465 
McDonough,  Rev.  J.,  88,  236,  248 
McDowell,  Rev.  H.,  245 
McDowell,    Rev.   Jos.    W.,    D.C.L., 

122,  366 
MacDonald,  Rev.  P.,  411 
McDonald,  Rev.  Mathew,  S.J.,  100 
McDonald,   Rev.  Theo.  J.,  O.C.C, 

396,  397 
McEvoy,  Rev.  Michael,  O.M.C.,  437 
McEvoy,  Rev.  J.  E.,  456 
McErlain,  Rev.  J.  C,  411 
McEnery,  Rev.  T.,  627 
McFaul,    Rt.    Rev.   James   A.,    95, 

176,  201,  239,  335,  343,  353,  361, 

376,  383.  386,  388,  411,  45°.  617, 

623 
McFarland,  Rt.  Rev.  F.  P.,  244 
McGeogehan,  Abbe,  14 
McGauran,  Rev.  P.,  410 
McGeary,  Rev.  Jno.,  250,  411 
McGinley,  Rt.  Rev.,  526,  527 
McGlynn,  Rev.  Dr.,  242 
McGahan,    Rev.    Patrick    A..    312, 

403,  410,  417 
McGahan,  Rev.  James  J.,  373 


690 


INDEX 


McGorien,  Rev.  Daniel,  174 
McGovern,  "Tom,"  211 
McGovcrn,  Rev.  P.,  221,  358,  459 
McGorgan,  Rev.  Andrew,  C.P.,  394 
McGuirc,  Rev.  Httgh,  135 
McGuinness,  Rev.  M.  F.,  364 
McGuire,  Father,  91,  122 
McGuire,  James,  574,  626 
McGuirk,  Rev.  Michael  J.,  328,  541 
McGrath,  Rev.  John  J.,  410 
McGnigan,  Mr.  John,  108 
McHale,  Rev.  John  M.,  328,  404 
McKernan,  Rev.  James,    181,   364, 

374,  515 
McKee,  Rev.,  360 
McKcever,  Rev.  J.  J.,  528 
McKeon,  Catherine,  152 
McKay,  Rev.  James.  517,  322 
McLoughlin,  Rev.  Wm.  T.,\S7,  364, 

4T7 
McLoughlin.  Rev.  W.  T.,  525 
McMahon,  Rev.  James,  87,  118 
McMahon,  Rev.  "Hyacinth,  O.M.C., 

4.U 
McMahon,  Philip,  279 
McMahon,  Father,  317 
McMahon,  Rev.  G.,83,  364 
McMaster,  James,  301 
McManus,    Rev.    M.    A.,    320,    370, 

401,  536 
McMenamin,  Rev.  Neal,  362,  367, 

410 
McManns,  Rev.  Daniel.  112 
McManiis,  Rev.  liugh,  313,  411 
McManus,  Rev.  Jaines.  540 
McNulty,   Very    Rev.    W.,    38,    85, 

219,  311,  378,  355,  434,  478,  511 
McQuaid,  Rt.  Rev.  B.  J.,  301,  302, 

,S,SO.  334.  35.S.  373.  398,  416 
McQuaid,  Rt.  Rev.  B.  J.,  102.  nS, 

190,  194,  228,  244,  251,  253,  292, 

306, 478, 605,  607, 609 
McQuaid,  Rev.  John,  S.  J.,  100 
McQuade,  Rev.  Paul,  67,  68 
McQuade,  Father  Chaplain,  204 
McSweeney,  Dr.,  245 
McShane,  Rev.  J.  F.\  O.S.A.,  332 
McTeague    Rev.,  Fathers  of  Mercy, 

382 


N 


Narration  of  Critical  History,  2 
Nagel,  C.  S.  S.  R.,  Father,  255,  256 
Nagel,  Rev.  J.,  256 
Nagel,  Rev.  Vincent,  C.P.,  357,  405 
Nassau,  Fort,  3 
Nardiello,  Rev.  J.  M., 
Neligan,  Rev.  Dr.,  153,  209 
Nelson's  History,  86 
Neiderhauser,  Father,  106,  357,  365 
Nidermayer,  Rev.  G.,  453 
Negro  insurrection,  43 


Negro  plot,  22 

Neumann,  Bishop,  234,  588 

Nevins,  Rev.  F.,  378 

Newell,  Rev.  Richard,  115 

Newman  School,  372 

Newton,  52 

Newbie,  Mark,  10 

New  x^lbion,  3 

New  Amsterdam,  3 

New  Brunswick,  18,  515 

New  Brunswick,  St.  Peter's,  88 

New  England  States,  2 

Newsboys'  Lodging  House,  433 

New  Hampshire,  55 

New  Jersev,  3 

New  Milford,  585 

New  York ,  5  5 

New  York  Boat,  126 

Nolan,  Rev.  T.,  124,  533,  626 

Nolan,  Rev.  James,  377 

Noon  an,  Wm.,  574 

Norris,  Rev.  J.  W.,  368,  533 

Noguet,  Mr.,  157 

Nostrajanni,  Rev.  Nihis,   C.P.,  394 

Nova  Caesaria,  4,  17 

North  Carolina,  s  S 

Nugent,  Rev.  A. '48 


O 


Oath  of  Civil  and  Militarv  Officers, 

28 
Obach,  Rev.  L,C.P.,  394 
O'Bercamp,  M.  L'Abbe,  235 
O'Brien,  19 
O'Brien,  Daniel.  20 
O'Brien,  Matthew,  208 
O'Brien,  Rev.  J.,  364 
O'Brien,  Rev.  Wm.,  48,  53 
O'Callaghan,  Father,  272 
O'Connor,  Rev.  M.  P.,  375,  401,  515 
O'Connor,  Rev.  Martin,  74 
O'Connor,  Rev.  Charles,  375 
O'Connor,  Rev.  Roger,  179 
O'Connor,   Rt.   Rev.  J.  J.   F.,    11  i, 

339.  346,  348,  35°'  364,  381,  396, 

397,  400,  439,  455,  498,  574,  613, 

614,  617,  625,  627 
O'Connor,  Bishop  of  Pittsburg, 
O'Connor,  Rev.  Timothy,  C.P.,  357 
O'Connor,  Rev.  John  R.,  239 
O'Connor,  Rev.  Thomas,  C.P.,  357 
O'Connor,  Rt.  Rev.  Michael,  D.D., 

245 
O'Connell,    Rev.    Bernard   T.,   354, 

362,  390,  513 
O'Donoghue,  Rev.  Francis,  78 
O' Donahue,  Father,  215 
O'Donahue,  Rev.  Jeremiah,  179 
O'Donnell,  Rev.  E.  M,,  403 
O'Donnell,  Rev.  M.  C,  459 
O'Donnell,  Rev.  James  J.,  186,  324 
O'Donnell,  Rev.  Peter.  371,  399 


INDEX 


691 


O'Farrcll,  Bishop,  62,  94,  123,   124, 
235.  238,  239,  332,  342,  351,  354, 
360,  361,  382,  386,  388.  3S9,  390, 
478.  533.  516,  623 
O'Farrell,  Father,  ^93 
O'Farrell,  Rev.  R.  J.',   124 
O'Gorman,  Father,  36,  328,  411 
O 'Gorman,  Dr.  Wm..  621 
O'Grady,  Rev.  John  A.,  94,  192 
O'Grady,  Mgr.  J.  A.,  116,  515 
O'Grady,  Esther,  211 
O'Hara,   Bishop   of  Scranton,   214, 

245       ^ 
O'Hara,  Rev.  Wm.,  178 
O'Hanlon,  Rev.  Thomas,  51^ 
O'Keefe,  Rev.  E.,  364 
Old  Independence  Boat,  126 
O'Leary,  Rev.  John.  360 
O'Malley,  Rev.'R.,  377 
O'Malley,  Rev.  E.  M.,  401,  403 
O'Neill,  Rev.  G.  D.,  449 
O'Neill,    Rev.    Francis,     147,    368 

395.  446 
O'Neill,  Rev.  Charles,  88 
O'Reilly,  Father,  38 
O'Reilly,  Bishop,  90,  97 
O'Reilly,  Rev.  T-.  410 
O'Reilly,  Rev.  Philip,  Si 
Orange  Lodges,  206 
O'Reilly,  Rev.C.  J.,  360 
0'Reill3^  Rev.  Michael,  390,  513 
O'Shea,  Rev.  Thomas,  328 
Orem,  Rev.  Wm.,  475 


Paci,  Ippolite  Nicholas,  152 

Pacetti,  Rev.  Timothy,  C.P.,  394, 
406 

Palisades,  3 

Paganini,  Rev.,  397 

Pardow,  Rev.  Gregory  Brvan,  68 

PafF,  Rev.  Hugo,  O.S.B.,  y^o,  412 

Parker,  Wm.,  2 

Parezyck,  Rev.  Stanislaus,  Pas- 
sionist,  394 

Pastoral  Letters  of  Rt.  Rev.  Roose- 
velt Bayley,  288 

Park  Ridge,  522 

Passionists,  107,  287,  352,  357,  365, 
394,  404 

Passaic,  St.  Mary's  Hospital,  328 

Paterson,  7 

Paterson,  First  Mass  in,  36 

Passaic,  326 

Patrick  Pence,  10 

Patent  of  Virginia,  2 

Patent  of  Charles  IL,  4 

Patent  of  Duke  of  York,  4 

Pattle,  Rev.  Secundino,  180,  340 

Paulus  Hook,  63 

Paulists,  394 

Peace  of  Westminster,  7 


Pennington,  235 

Pee tz burg,  585 

Pennsylvania,  52 

Pennell,  Chas.  H.,  443,  444 

Penal  Laws  against  Catholics,  12 

Perth  Amboy,  578 

Perth  Amboy,  St.  Mary's,   124 

Pere,  Rev.  Joseph,  116 

Perrotti,  Rev.  J.,  538 

Peters,  Mrs.  Sarah,  622 

Petri,  Rev.  P.,  393 

Pett3',  The  famine  in  Ireland,  i  3 

Petri,  Rev.  P.  J.,  332 

Phelan,  John,  88 

Phelan,  Rev.  H.  C,  D.D.,  401 

Phoebe  (Steamer),  126 

Philadelphia,  58 

Philadelphia,  First  Mass  in,  22 

Philipsburg,  359 

Pfraengle,  Rev.  Hilar)-,  O.S.B.,  139 

Pvchowska,  Lucia,  161 

Pilz,  Rev.  Gerard,  O.S.B.,  138 

Pilgrimage,    First    Catholics    from 

V.  S..  422,  490 
Pindar,  Dennis,  98 
Pincknej',  Charles,  55 
Pinckneys,  The,  56 
Pise,  Rev.  Dr., 
Pius  IX.,  n;9,  244,  373 
Pope  Pius  X.,  348 
Plainfield,  248 
Plowden,  Thomas,  3 
Plowden,  George,  3 
Plowden 's  claim,  4 
Plowden,  Sir  Edmund,  3 
Plowman,  Matthew,   11 
Pleasant  Vallev,  154 
Pleasant  Mills,' 321 
Poels,  Rev.  J.  P.,  74,  192,  193,  355 
Pointe  St.  Charles,  Montreal,  6-53 
Porcile,  Rev.  E.,  S.P.M.,  3S2 
Pomp  ton,  7 
Poli.sh  Catholic,  535 
Popham,  George,  2 
Population  of  Ireland,   13 
Pothier,  50 
Pottery  industry,  20 
Power,  Rev.  Dr.  John,   49,    69,   89, 

103,  108,  260 
Pozzi,  Rev.  Louis,  383 
Prayer  of  Columbus,  i 
Preston,  Very  Rev.  Mgr.,  302,  612 
Presbyterians  and  the  Constitution, 

42 
Prendergast,  Rev.  James,  362 
Princeton,  50 

Priest,  First  in  New  Jersey,  24 
Prieth,  Rev.  G.,  329,  380,  451 
Proprietors  of  New  Jersey,  4 
Propagation  of  Faith,  281 
Protectory,   Catholic,   484 
Provincial  Council,  53 
Provincial  Assembly,  5 


692 


INDEX 


Protector,  i 

Purcell,  Archbishop,  588 

Ptircell,  Rev.  Walter,  474,  626 


Quakers,  13 

Quarter,  Rev.   Walter  J.,   97,    103, 

105,  150,  151 
Queen  Anne  Spirit  of  Intolerance, 

21 
Quinn,    Rev.    Thos.,   82,    107,    128, 

187 
Quinlan,  Rev.  A.  T.,  324 
Quinn,  Rev.  James,  82 
Quinn,  Father,  38 
Quinn,  Rev.  Thos.,   374,  407,  4:0, 

438 
Quinn,  Rev.  B.  A.,  193,  369,  403 
Quirk,  Rev.  E.  F.,  324 


Rogers.    Father  John,   91,   95,    97, 

122,  128,  151,  216,  236 
Rolando,    Rev.    Joseph,    121,    255, 

321,  342,  371 
RoUand,  Rev.  Claude,  135,  367 
Rosenberger,  Rev.  Thomas,  O.S.B  , 

^  350    ^ 

Rosse,  Rev.  A.,  CM.,  179 

Rossiter,  Rev.  Alphonse,  87 

Roselle,  443 

Rosseter,  Rev.  John,  59 

Roosevelt,  James,  301 

Roundhead,  2 

Runyon,  Gen.  Theodore,  635 

Russia,  51 

Rudder,  Rev.  T.,  237,  362 

Russell ,  1 1 

Ryan,  Rev.  Joseph  A.,  239 

Ryan,  Archbishop,  62 

Ryan,  Rev.  L.  H.,  410 

Ryan,  Rev.  John  F.,  409,  540 


R 

Rabanus,  Rev.  P.  H.,  O.S.B. ,  412 
RaflEeiner,   Rev.   John   S..   38,    135, 

188,  189 
Raflferty,  Rev.  P.,  71 
Raleigh,  Walter,  2 
Raritan,  236 

Ratisbonne,  Rev.  M.  Alphonse,  116 
Raybaudi,  Rev.  Fr.,  364 
Rathner,  Rev.  Joseph.  D.D.,  236 
Rahway  ,411 

Reardon,  Father,  134,  359 
Read,  William  G.,  57 
Rectors,  Permanent,  489 
Redemptorists,    14,    109,    255,    256, 

Reform  School,  422 

Red  Bank,  247 

Reilly,  Rev.  Peter  E.,  367,  439,  405 

Reilly,  Rev.  Chas.  U.,  444,  445 

Rese,  Bishop,  280 

Richtartsick,  Rev.  E.  F.,  532 

Revere,  Gen.  Joseph  Warren,  231 

Reuland,  Rev.  John,  352 

Revolutionary  Period,  31 

Reynolds,  Rev.  James  A.,  248 

Rheiner,  Rev.  A'.,  O.M.C..   532 

Rhode  Island,  55 

Riordan,  Archbishop,  369 

Rights    of   subjects    in    East     New 

Jersey,  12 
Richmond,  Rev.  W.  J.,  580 
Ringwood,  31,52 
Road  in  West  Jersey,  26 
Robb,  Mr.,  195 
Rockaway,  369 
Rochambeau,  41,  59 
Rochford,  Father,  O.P.,  454 
Roche  de  Termay,  41 
Roche,  Rev.  Thomas  A..  471 


Sacred  Heart  Union,  Beginning  of, 

430 
Sacred  Heart  College,  382 
Salem  City,  N.  J.,   3 
Salem,  52 

Salary  of  Priests,  485 
Salaun,    Rev.    John    Francis,    247, 

350,  449,  455,  529 
Salt,   Very   Rev.'Wm.,   V.G.,   485, 

490,  610,  617 
Salt-making,  7 
Sartori,  John  D.,  61 
Saponio,  Rev.  A.,  538 
Satolli,  Most  Rev.  Francis,  248,  540 
San  Domingo  massacre,  18 
San  Domingo,  49 
Sandy  Hook,  3 

Sandy  Hook,  Fort  Hancock,  350 
Santee,  56 

Sattolli,  Cardinal,  School  Bill,  499 
Scammon,  General,  618 
Schandel,  Rev.  J.  J.,  83,   109,   189, 

236,  256,  326,  365,  412,  437,  615 
Schervier,  Mother  Frances,  622 
Sciolla,  Rev.  Vincent,  523 
Schneider,    Rev.     Louis,    52,     254, 

327,  346,  403,  608 
Schneider,  Father  Theodore,  30,  31, 

352 
Schotthoefer,   Rev.    Conrad,    D.D., 

193' 367, 437.  537- 538 
Scherer,  Rev.  Polycarp,  O.S.B.,  139 
Schuyler,  Arent,  6 
Schaeken,  Rev.  A.  M'H.,  365,  370. 

401 ,   512 
Schneller,  Father  Joseph ,  90 
Schulte,  Rev.  E.  F.,  367 
Schmidt,  H.,  451 
School,  classical,  6 


INDEX 


693 


School  bill,  text,  499 

School  bill,  letters,  503,  504 

Schools,  parochial,  support,  498 

School,  public  system,  504 

Schools,  public,  act  of  establish- 
ment, 506 

Schoenen,  Rev.  P.  M.,  403,  536 

Scollard,  Rev.  John,  182,  324 

Schaff,  Dr.,  55 

Schrick,  Susanna  Maria,  7 

Scotch- Irish,  52 

Sebastian,  Father  C.  R.,  405 

Seeholzin,  John  Philip,  59 

Seabright,  516 

Seton,  Archbishop,  244,  245,  338, 
405,  540,  609 

Seton,  Mother,  198 

Seton  Hall  College,  279,  597,  618 

Seton,  Eliz.  Bayley,  261 

Seeber,  Rev.  Father,  528 

Seidenbusch,  Rev.  Rupert,  O.S.B., 

137.  349 

Seitz,  Rev.  P.  Casimir,  O.S.B.,  138 

Seminary,  Diocesan,  485 

Seminary  for  Young  Ladies,  279 

Seminary  of  Sacred  Heart  (Vine- 
land),  238 

Sentiment  at  Salem  City ,  3 

Sentiment  on  Manhattan  Island,  3 

Sentiment  of  Bergen,  3 

Schoepen,  Rev.  A.  M.,  320 

Shane's  Castle,  27 

Shanahan,  Bishop,  62 

Shanahan,  Rev.  John,  77 

Shanahan,  Father,  36 

Shady  Side,  Church  of  the  Sacred 
Heart,  446 

Shannessy,  Rev.  John  J.,  410,  523, 
524,  626 

Shanley,  John,  574 

Shea,  John  Gilmary,  60,  149.  486 

Shoothofer,  Rev.  A.  T..  374 

Short  Hills,  251,  255 

Sheridan,  Rev.  Stephen,  128 

Sheehan,  Rev.  James  J.,  411,  536, 

537 
Sheeran,  Rev.  Jas.,  222 
Sheldon,  Rev.  Mr.,  of  injustice,  423 
Sheehey,  Rev.  Jas.  E.,  238,  239,  410 
Sheehey,  Rev.  Jas.,  S.P.M.,  383 
Sheppard,  Rev.  Jno.  A.,   194,  340, 

345 
Sheppard,  Mgr.,  87,  325,  328,  381 
Senez,  Rev.  Louis  D.,  83,  107,  116, 

170,  190,  193,  198,  254,  321 
Senez,  Father,   270,  324,  326,   343, 

Seven  Letters  by  Jas,  Walsh.  150 

Sibour,  Archbishop,  305 

Sisters  of  Charity,  86,  94,  103,  iii, 
226,  243,  255,  261,  310,  327.  344, 
362,  371,  374,  377.  382,  3S4,  387, 
391.  397.  404,  416,  587,  60s,  636 


Sisters  of  St.  Joseph,  359 

Sisters  of  Notre  Dame,   234,    255, 

330.  624 
Sisters  of  Sorrowful  Mother,  631 
Sisters  of  Mercy,  123,  234,  237,  239, 

354,  362.  390 
Sister  of  St.  Joseph  of  Peace,  635 
Sisters  of  St.  Francis,  235,  391,  395, 

398, 635 
Sisters  of  the  Poor  of  St.  Francis, 

Hoboken,  162,  622 
Sisters  of  St.  Dominic,  256,  413,  623 
Sisters  of  Mercy,  623 
Sister  Shaunessy,  634 
Sister  Josephus,  605 
Sister  Mary  Teresa,  592 
Sister  Mary  Vincent,  592 
Sluyter,  Peter,  9 
Slowey,  Mr.,  362 
Smallwood,  56 

Smits,  Rev.  A.  J.,  O.C.C.  369,  396 
Smith,  Mr.  Patrick,  112 
Smith,  Jas.,  Jr.,  574 
Smith,  Mathew,  127 
Smith,  Rev.  Jas.  P.,  112,  364,  406, 

436, 443 
Smith,  James,  Jr.,  197 
Smith,  Carolina,  55 
Smith,  Rev.  Chas.  A.,  364 
Smith,  Rev.  Anthony,  50,  61,  383. 

385 
Smith,  Rev.  Anthony,  V.G.,  123 
Smith,  Rev.  J.  J.,  528 
Smith,  56 

Smith,   Senator,    269 
Smith,  Bryan,  162 
Smith,  Rev.  Sebastian,  D.D.,   187, 

365. 401 
Smith,  Rev.  John,  360 
Smith,  Rev.  P.  M.,  518 
Smythe,  Very  Rev.  P.  O.,  121 ,  259, 

339,  408,  410,  416, 442,  542 
Steets,  Father,  310 
Slave-dealers,  13 
Somers,  Sir  George,  2 
South  Amboy,  122 
South  Orange,  529 
Sopomo,  Rev.  A.,  237 
Soul-drivers,  14 
Spierings,  Rev.  G.  A.,  459 
Somerville,  236 

Society  of  Mission  Helpers,  388 
Society  of  Jesus,  100 
Society  of  St.  Sulpice,  261 
Sotis,  Rev.  Eusebius,  C.P.,  394,  446 
Sotis,  Rev.  Nicholas  E.,  370 
Sourin,  Very  Rev.  Ed.,  I.V.G.,  179 
Sourin,  Rev.  E.  J.,  233 
Spierings,  Rev.  G.,  369 
Springfield,  251 
St.   Peter's    College    (Jersey  City), 

100 
Spalding,  Rev.  Dr.  Lancaster,  170 


694 


INDEX 


St.  Cyr,  Count  de,  49 

St.  John  (family  name),  50 

St.  Mary's  Hospital  (Hoboken),  106 

Stage  boat,  20 

Staten  Island,  5,:; 

Stanton,  Rev.  Th.  N,  401 

Staunton,  Rev.  Dr.,  331 

Starr,  V.  Rev.  Wm.,  184 

Stecker,  Rev.  Alois,  330 

Stein,  Rev  Anthonj',  352,  512 

Starr.  Very  Rev.  Wm.,  235,  449,  58S 

Stanislaus",  Rev.  Father,  Passionist, 

242 
Stanislaus,  St.,  Church,  Polish,  534, 

535 
Stoughton,  Don  Thomas,  48 
Stafford,   Rt.  Rev.  J.   A.,  250,  364, 

525.  621 
Stockton,  Atty.-Gen.,  502 
Sussex  Court  House,  52 
Sussex  Count}' ,  52,  315-31 
Sullivan,  Rev.  J.  A.,  379 
Sweeney,  Rev.  John  J.,  239 
Swinarski,  Rev.  Valentine,  387 
Synod  of  1878,  430 
Szabo,  Rev.  Avellino,  235,  390 
Szabo,  Rev.  Julius,  579 
Synod  V.,  485 
Svnod  VI.,  490 
SVnod  VII.,  506 
Synod  Vin.,\^o6 


Tarlatine,V.  Rev.  John  D.,  241,242 

Talbcrt,  Father,  38 

Tallon,  James,  150,  151 

Tallon,  Rev.  Walter.  321,  411 

Tathain,  John,  20 

Tatham  inventory,  2  i 

Ter  Woert,  Rev.   B.   H.,    107,   364, 

Teissicrs,  50 

Te  Deum  Laudamus,  i 

Test  Act,  6 

Thatcher,  Dr.  James,  46 

Thebaud,  Rev.  Leo,  49,  146 

Thistle  and  Crown,  20 

Trov,  Archbishop,  64 

Tuite,  Mr.  J.,  128 

Tulane,  so 

Turner,  Rev.  J.  P.,  O.P.,  454 

Tarnowski,  Rev.  Matthias,  389 

Tenafl}'  Church,  397 

Treacy,  Rev.  Wm.  P.,  342 

Trenton   diocese   created,  3S5,   513 

Thompson,  John,  20 

Thurnes,  Rev.  Joseph,  235,  397 

The  Irish  Tenth,  1 1 

Tighe,  Rev.  John  J.,  192,  193,  362, 

,^65,  376 
Tillietudlum,  154 
Tissorant,  Rev.  John  S.,  50,  142 


Toomey,  Rev.  Thos.   J.,    100,   255, 

399 
Tories,  The,  53 
Tracey,  M.,  220 
Trenton ,  5  ^ 
Triolo,  R.  J.,  237 

U 

Urj-,  Rev.  John,  21 
Union  Hill,  107,  351,  525 


V 


Valley  Forge,  56 

Vanquellen,  Robert,  6 

Vassallo,  Rev.  G.  A.,  364,  370,  416, 

447 
Varlo,  Charles,  4 

Varela,  Very  Rev.   Felix,  V.G,,  90 
Van  Rensselaer,  Rev..  S.  J,  31  i 
Venuta,  Rev.  A.,  106,  107.  208,  336, 

410 
Vianney,  Rev.  Peter.  49,  115 
Victor,  Father,  C.P.,  245 
Viennet,  50 
Vineland,  381 ,  578 
Vinyard,  Julia,  59 
Virginia,  2,  55,  57 
Virginia  colonists,  17 
Vogel,  Father,  451 
Vogel,  Rev.  Carl,  452 
Von  Schilgen,  Rev.  Albert,  258.  412 
Viret,  Rev.  P.,  365,  382,  392 
Vincent,  Rev.  C.  P.,  352 
Vincent,    St.,    Foimdling    Asylum, 

312 
Von  Riel,  Anton,  39S 


W 


Warren  County,  52 
Walsh,  Archbishop,  152 
Walsh,  Rev.  Henry,  513 
Ward,  Father,  190,  390,  410 
Ward  Mansion,  274 
Ward,  Rev.  S.,  194 
Waterford  Township,  27 
Waldron,  Rev.  E.  S.,  179,  194,  195, 

233.  333 
Waas,  Ignativis,  27 
Waas,  Sebastian,  27 
Waas,  Xavier,  27 
Walter,  Rev.  Leonard,  O.S.B.,  13S, 

350 
Walter,  Rev.  Wm,  O.S.B.,  138,  353 
Washington's  Richelieu,  42 
Washington,  Gen.,  40 
West  Indies,  50 
Weiss  on  immigration,  18 
Westman,  Rev.  John,  250,  443 
West  Hoboken,  239 
Wesley,  John,  42 


INDEX 


695 


88,    120, 

255-  .311. 

378,  407 
490.  494. 

630,  635 


Catholic 


Wigger,  Rt.  Rev.  W.  M. 
121,  198,  246,  250,  253, 
323.  346,  370,  375,  376, 
412,  414,  435,  475,  480, 
50S,  509,  616,  624,  627, 

Williams.  Roger,  56 

Wimnicr,   Archabbot   Boniface 
O.S.B.,  137 

Wirts,  The,  56,  364,  413 

Weeklv      Register     and 
Diary,  90 

"Webster,  ^3 

Weldon,  Mr.  P.  M.,  242 

Whippany,  9,  58,  325 

Whelan,  Rev.  I.  P.,  225,  359,  434 

5" 
White,  Jonathan,  94,  446 
White  Meadow,  53 
White,  Bishop,  50,  59 
AVhite,  Richard  Grant,  58 
AVhite,  Rev.  Calvin,  58 
White,  Rev.  M.  J.,  530 
Whelan,  Capt.,  146 
Whelan,  Rev.  Chas.,  48 
Wharton,  Chas.  Henry,  D 
Whippany  Mission,  225,  3 
William's  Army,  12 
William  and  Mar}-,  11 
Witches,  The  true,  29 
Witchcraft,  Salein,   12 
Wingfield,  Rev.  Nicholas, 
Wiseman,  Rev.  Wm.  J., 

244,  253,  441,  542 
Winthrop,  56 
Witts,  18 

Wingfield,  Edward  Maria,  2 
Wirzfield,  Rev.  M.  M.,  146,  356 


.D.,59 

25 


257 
195.   196. 


Woodbridge,  6,  24,  53 

Wright,  MV. ,  155 

Welch,  Rev.  M'.  J.,  377 

Wirtzer,  Rev.  A.,  O.S.B.,  412 

Wenzel,  Rev.  P.  A.,  417,  528 

Wiest,  Rev.  J.  M.,  S.P.M.,  383 

Wendl,  Rev.  Jos.  F.,  365 

Waters,  Rev.  R.,  32 

Wahl,  Rev.  Wm.  F.,  3S0 

Westfield,  437 

Weyland,  Rev.  J.  A.,  352,  522 

Walsh,  Rev.  J.  A.,  313,  393,447,449 

Walsh,  Rev.  Sainuel,  434 

Walsh,  Rev.  S.  J.,  364  ' 

Wedman,  Rev.  Florian,  O.S.B.,  413 

Wawayander,  316 

Weehawken,  524 

Westwood ,   522 

Wadhains,  Bishop,  460 

Wallace,  Rev.  T.  A.,  449 


Young,  Rev.  Alfred,  182,  219,  324 
Young,  Rev.  Joshua  M.,  108 


Zardette,  Bishop,  496 
Zilliox,  Abbot,  139 
Zielmski,  Rev.  Julien,  389 
Zimmer,  Father,  236,  354 
Zuingl,  Rev.  Joseph,  S.J.,  100 
Zoeller,  Rev.  Alphonsus,  D.D. , 
O.M.C.,  436 


LOYOLA  SEMINARY  LIBRARY 
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Flynn,   Joseph  Michael 

The  Catholic  church  in 
New  Jersey