History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 57

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 875

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Aside from the religious services outlined above, and in connection with a debating society, a religious meeting was held generally once a week at the house of Mark Noble, Sr., who had arrived in Chicago in Au- gust, 1831, and moved into the old cabin of the Kin- zies'. These meetings were held to provide for those who had no taste for literary matters and dancing then indulged in at Fort Dearborn, and were the first prayer meetings in Chicago, In conducting them Mr. Noble was assisted by his wife and two daughters, and Mrs. R. J. Hamilton, all of them being members of the Method- ist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Hamilton contributed very largely to the interest and success of the meetings, be- ing a lady of great intelligence, comprehensive views and devoted piety. She was for many years among the first in all religious and benevolent enterprises, and furnished the first pulpit in Chicago with necessary articles. Mr. Noble also, was very zealous in his piety, and was the principal speaker at these meetings. He was a man of large experience, and of great practical common sense. Thus it will be seen that the Method- ists, when continued effort is considered, were the pioneers in Christian work, though they did not have the first completely organized society, nor erect the first church edifice.

In addition to the efforts made to improve the re- ligiaus characters of adults, the moral and religious training of the children was not neglected. A Sunday school, the first in Chicago, was organized on the 19th of August, 1832, by Luther Chikls, Mrs. Seth Johnson, Mrs. Charles Taylor, the Misses Noble and Philo Car- penter. The school first assembled in a small frame building then lately erected on the Reservation, near Mr. Noble's house, by Mark Beauhien. At this time the building was not completed; it had a floor, was sided up. and had on some of the roof-boards, but it was not shingled and had neither windows nor doors. The school afterward met in the fort, at the house of Rufus Brown, at Rev. Jesse Walker's cabin, and in the upper

story of P. F. W. Peck's store, as occasion offered. Since that 19th of August, 1832, few Sundays have passed without witnessing the assembling of children for re- ligious and moral instruction. The library of this first Sunday school contained about twenty small volumes,

but as there were only thirteen children in the school, each scholar and teacher could have a book. John S. Wright acted as secretary and librarian, and was ac- customed to carry the library to and from the temporary place of meeting in his pocket handkerchief. The pov- erty of the library in volumes was observed by two gentlemen from New York, Charles Butler and Arthur Branson, visiting in Chicago, who upon their return home sent two hundred volumes as a donation.

Having thus traced the religious movements of Chi- cago from the time of the noble and self-sacrificing Jacques Marquette, in 1673, down to that of the equally zealous and laborious " Pathfinder," Rev. Jesse Walker, in 1833, it will now be our province ta trace, with such attention to detail as the nature of this work will admit of, the inception of the original religious societies in Chicago, leaving the local societies to be described in their appropriate places in the histories of the towns of which they form an essential part.

CATHOLICISM.

In 1833, the first year in which regular church or- ganizations existed in Chicago, three churches were formed-a Catholic, a Presbyterian and a Baptist, in the arder named; the first in May, the second in June, and the third in October.

ST. MARY'S CHURCH .- This was the first Catholic society organized in Chicago. Its first priest was Father John Mary Irenaeus St. Cyr, who was born at Lyons, France, November 2, 1803, and educated in that coun- try. He left France in June, 1831, reached St. Louis August 1, of the same year, and was there made a sub- deacon. He was ordained at St. Mary's the Barrens by Bishop Rosatti in 1832, and on April 6, 1833, was by the same Bishop ordained priest. The period be- tween these two dates was spent by St. Cyr in studying the English language. In the meantime Catholics were increasing in numbers in Chicago, and were becoming desirous of receiving the ministrations of a resident Catholic priest. To accomplish their desires they pre- pared and forwarded to St. Louis the following petition:

"To the Right Rev. C'atholle Bishop of the Diocese of Mis- souri, of St. Louis, etc., etc.

" We, the Catholics of Chicago, Cook Co., Ill., lay before you the necessity there exists to have a pastor in this new and flourishing city. There are here several familles of French de- scent, born and brought up in the Roman Catholic faith, and others quite willing to aid us in supporting a pastor, who ought to be sent here before other sects obtain the upper hand, which very likely they will try to do. We have heard several persons say were there a priest here they would join our religion in preference io any other. We count about one hundred Catholics in this town. We will not cease to pray until you have taken our important request in consideration."

This petition was signed by the following persons for themselves and their families, the number of mem- bers in each individual's family being appended to his nanie: Thomas J. V. Owen, 9; J. Bt. Beaubien, 14; Jo- seph Laframboise, 7; Jean Pothier, 5; Alexander Rob- inson, 8; Pierre LeClerc, 3; Alexis Laframboise, 4: Claude Laframboise, 4; Jacques Chassut, 5; An- toine Ouilmet; Leon Bourassa, 3; Charles Taylor, 2; J. Bt. Miranda and sisters, 3; Louis Chevalier, 3; Patrick Walsh, 2; John Mann, 4: B. Cald- well, 1; Bill Saver, 1; Mark Beaubien, 12; Dill Vaughn, 1 ; James Vaughn, 1 ; J. Bt. Rab. bie, 1; J. Bt. Roulx ; J. Bt. Tabeaux, 1; J. Bt. Du- vocher, 1; J. Bt. Brodeur, 1: Mathias Smith, 1; Antoine St. Ours, 1; Bazille Deplat, 1; Charles Monselle, 1; John Hondorf, 1; Dexter Assguod, 1; Nelson Peter Perry, 1; Jolm S. C. Hogan, 1; Anson H. Taylor, 1; and Louis

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Francheres, 1; a total of 122. The original petition written in French bears on its hack the memoranda, "Received April 16, 1833." "Answered April 17. 1833."

Very respectfully givers I. M. S. Saint Cyr, Pues

In response to this petition, Bishop Rosatti appointed St. Cyr priest of Chicago, in the following language :

JOSEPH ROSATTE, of the Congregation of Missions, hy the grave of God and of the Apostolic See, Bishop of St. t.ouis, to the Rev. Mr. John Irenaeus St, Cyr, priest of our diocese ; health in the Lord :

Rev. Sir :- Whereas, not a few Catholic men inhabiting the town commonly calledl Chicago, and its vicinage, in the Mate of Illinois, have laid before me that they, deprived of all spiritual consolation, ychememily desire that I should send shither a priest. who, by the exercise of his pastoral gifts, should sopply ta them the means of performing the offices of the Christian religion and providing for their eternal salvation. Wishing. as far as in me lies, Jo satisfy such a desire at once pins and praiseworthy, hy virtue of the powers of Vicar-fieneral to me granted by the most illustrious and most reverend Bishup of Bardstown (Ky.I. I depute you to the mission of Chicago and the adjoining regions within the State of Illinois, all of which have hitherto been under the spiritual adininistration of the said most illustrious and must reverend Bishop of Bardstown, grant you, until revoked, all the powers as described in the next page, with this comlition, however, that as soon socver as it shall becume known tu you that a new Episcopal See shalt have been erected aml established by the holy Apostolic See from the territory of other bees now existing, tv that Bishop within the limits of where diocese the aforesaid Chicago mission is included, you shall render an account of all those things which shall have been transneted by you, and surrender the place lo such priest as shall be by him stepused to the same mission, and you, with

God's favor, skall return In our diocese from which we declare you to he by no means separated by this present mission.

Given al M. Louis, from the Episcopal buildings, the 17th day of April, 1533.

JOSE.I'll. Biskop of St. Louis.

Jos. . A. L.cTz, Secretary.

From the date of this appointment, Catholics con- sider that the organization, or establishment, of their church in Chicago should be reckoned, although St. Cyr did not reach the city until Wednesday, May 1, accomplishing the journey part of the way on horseback and part of the way on fout. Having made the neces- sary arrangements, St. Cyr collected together the Cath- olies and celebrated his first mass, in a little log cabin, twelve feet square, belonging to Mark Beaubien, on Sun- day, May 5, 1833. On the zzd of May occurred his first baptism, the subject being George Beaubien, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Beanbien. Father St. Cyr immedi- ately commenced preparations for building a church. The first site selected was on Lake Street, near Market. upon which stood the log cabin above referred to. This lot was promised St. C'yr by Colovel J. B. Beaubien fur the nominal sum of $200, but being unable to raise that amount among the one hundred Catholics who peti- tioned for his appointment, and others, he was uhliged to louk for another location. About a year afterward the same lot was sold by Colonel Beaubien for $300, to Dr. William B. Egan, who, in 1836, sold it to Tertius Wadsworth, of Hartford, Connecticut, for $60,000. According to the advice of Colonel Beaubien and Thom- as J. V. Owen. St. Cyr selected a canal lot near the southwest corner of Lake and State streets, near the military reservation, where now 1883 stands the print ing establishment of Cameron. Amberg & Co. The privilege was arcorded St. C'yr of buying this lot at the canal commissioners' valuation ; but when that price was announced it was still farther beyond the reach of the Catholics than was that first selected, and it was purchased hy Dexter Graves for $10.000. In the mean- time, nut anticipating the high price at which the lot would be appraised, they erected thereon a church building, twenty-five by thirty-five feet in size. The lumber for this building was brought in a scow across the lake from St. Joseph, Mich., where it cost $12 per thousand. The lumber having arrived, Anson Tay- lor, a brother of Augustine Deodat Taylor, with his own team, hauled it from the schooner to the site of the pros- pective church. Augustine D). Taylor was the architect and builder. The total cost of the edifice was about $400, but though small and inexpensive it was not rumpleted sufficiently for occupancy and dedication until in October, Catholic Indians assisted at the first mass celebrated therein. Indian women had cleaned and prepared the modest buikdling for the celebration of the sacred rite, and Deacon John Wright, a strong sup- porter of Rev. Jeremiah Porter, pastor of the First Pres- byterian Church, had, in August, assisted in raising the frame of the building. At this dedication-service there were present abunt one hundred persons. The church itself was not plastered, it had only rough benches for pews and the simplest of tables for altar and pulpit. The nutside of the building was not painted and it had neither steeple nor tower. Some time afterwards, it was surmounted by a low, open tower, in which a small bell was hung. being the first bell used in Chicago to call the pions together for religious worship. It was abant the size of an ordinary locomotive bell of the present, and could be heard only for a short distance. It was of no use for sounding an alarm in case of fire. and nearly ten years elapsed before the first one which

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could be used for that purpose was hung in the steeple of the Unitarian church. The church building stood on this lot until sometime during the priesthood of Father O'Meara, when it was removed by him to a lot at the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Madison Street. Here it was enlarged and soon afterward, was moved to the southwest corner of Wabash Avenue and

ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

Madison Street. When the new St. Mary's, a brick building, was erected the frame church was again moved, this time to the westward in the same hlock. The removal froin the corner of Lake and State streets to Michigan Avenue and Madison Street, by Father O'Meara, together with the circumstances of the re- moval, caused great dissatisfaction to a portion of the Catholics. The dissatisfied ones refused to accompany the church to its new location, and engaged a room of Charles Chapman, in the second story of a building Standing at the corner of Randolph and Wells streets, in which mass was celebrated during the summer by Rev. Maurice de St. Palais. Among those who thus sepa- rated themselves from the church under Father O'Meara were Augustine D. Taylor, A. M. Talley, Samuel Parry and John Davlin. After the trouble caused by Father ('Meara's course had been overcome, the two portions of the church were re-united, under Rev. de St. Palais.

St. Xavier Academy, at 131 Wabash Avenue, stood on the adjoining lot south of the church. St. Palais, in 1843, commenced the erection of St. Mary's brick church, corner of Madison Street and Wahash Avenne. This edifice had a substantial stone foundation, and was fifty-five feet wide by one hundred and twelve feet long. including a portico twelve feet wide, supported by four Innic colunins, and cost $4,000. The brick work was clone by Peter Page, and the wood work by Angustine D. Taylor. This church was opened for divine service December 25, 1843. It was consecrated by Bishop Quarter, December 3. 1845. In September, 1845, Felix Inglesby, a wealthy merchant of New York City, donated a bell to this church worth $:85.

St. Cyr remained in Chicago until 1837, when he

went to St. Lonis. From the latter part of October, 1836, he was assisted by Rev. L.eander Schaffer, who attended the German Catholics. He was himself suc- ceeded for the English-speaking Catholics by Rev. Father O'Meara, who was succeeded, in 1840, by Rev. Maurice de St. Palais. St. Palais was succeeded, May 5, 1844, by Rt. Rev. William Quarter, Chicago's first Catholic Bishop, who died April 10, 1848, Accord- ing to his desire his remains were deposited in the cathedral he had consecrated, which ceremony had occurred October 5. 1845. Bishop Quarter was emi- nently successful in the management of the affairs of his diocese. U'nder him its growth was remarkable. When he arrived at Chicago there were less than twenty priests in the State of Illinois, and only two priests in Chicago-Rev. Maurice de St. Palais and Rev. Mr. Fischer, and only two seminarians-Patrick McMahan and B. Metiorish. These two students were immedi- ately ordained and raised to the priesthood May 16, 1844. Two years later there were present at the first diocesan synod thirty-two priests, and nine others from sickness and other causes, were unable to attend. In 1844 there was but one Catholic church in Chicago ; in 1846 three new Catholic churches were erected-St. Patrick's, St. Peter's and St. Joseph's, the last two for the Germans. In 1848, when the bishop died, thirty new churches had heen erected in the diocese, ten of them being either brick or stone, making a total number of sixty-eight. These were presided over by fifty-three priests.

To Bishop Quarter is also due the credit of estah- lishing the University of St. Mary's of the Lake, the germ of which, the college, was established within thirty days from the time of his arrival in Chicago, and for which a charter was granted in December of the same year. The university building, with seminary at- tachment, was completed in June, 1845, and was opened with appropriate ceremonies July 4, following. This was the first institution for higher learning in the city.

Bishop Quarter also instituted the first community of mins. This community was established with six Sisters of Mercy, whose names will he elsewhere found, who came from Pittsburgh, l'enn., in 1848 from the first hause of the Sisters of Mercy opened in the United States.

To Bishop Quarter is due the credit of having se- enred the passage of the law under which the Catholic Bishop of Chicago was incorporated as a " Corporation Sole," with power to "hohl real and other property in trust for religious purposes."

Bishop Quarter wassucceeded in 1848, by the Rt. Rev. James Oliver Van de Velde, who was formally installed as Bishop of the See, in the Cathedral of St. Mary's, in 1849. Bishop Van de Velde was a member of the So- ciety of Jesus, in which he hell many important posi- tions. He was a man of great learning and zeal, but the active duties of the bishopric were not congenial to his tastes and he constantly yearned after the quiet and seclusion of a religious life. His adminstration, more- over, of the affairs of the diocese was troubled with dis. sensions and difficulties, which were in part the reason of his resignation and of his assignment to another field -the See of Natchez, where his labors were less ardu- ous, and where he could devote himself entirely to study and preaching. He left Chicago for his new field of labor November 4. 1853, and died in 1855.

Bishop Van de Velde was succeeded in Chicago by the Rt. Rev. Anthony O'Regan, who was consecrated Bishop of Chicago July 25, 1854. Bishop O'Regan, like his immediate predecessor, found the administration of the affairs of the diocese an arduous task. His labors

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constantly increased. Besides the care of the diocese of Chicago, he was charged with the administration of the new See of Quincy, erected in 1852, but which con- tinued to be administered by the Ordinary of Chicago, until the erection of the See of Alton, in 1857. His administration of the affairs of the diocese of Chicago was soon marred by difficulties with some of the lead- ing Catholic priests of the city, in consequence of which Rev. Fathers Kinsella, Clowry and Breen left the dio- cese, But the troubles continuing, Bishop ('Regan sought peace by following the example of his predeces- sor. He resigned, and was assigned to a See, i. p. i., in Ireland with which he had been connected in his carly days, and where he spent the remainder of his life, dy- ing in London, England, in 1865. He was succeeded by Rev. Matthew Dillon, an amiable and popular clergy- man, who filled the post of administrator until suc- ceeded by the Rt. Rev. Clement J. Smythe. Bishop of Du- buque, who remained until 1859, when he gave place to the Rt. Rev. James Duggan, an account of whose labors will be found in the succeeding volume of this History.

Besides the bishops and priests already mentioned as being connected with the parish of St. Mary's, were the following, each of whom officiated for a time : Fathers DePontevieux, Quequew and Lawrence Hoey in 1844; Father P. T. McElhearne, with the occasional assistance of Father Fitzgerald, from 1852 to July 9, 1854. In 1854 Rev. Matthew Dillon was assisted by Fathers Michael Hurley, Fitzgibbon and Carral; in 1855 Fathers Patrick Sherry, Magan, and McGuire officiated, in 1856 Fathers John Waldron, Tierman, and Bolger, and in 1857 Fatlı- ers T. D. Butler and Thomas Burke.

The Catholic Church in its earlier days had a more serious difficulty to contend with than any of those in- cidentally referred to in connection with the names of some of its bishops. Cupidity appears to have taken possession of one of its early priests. Rev. Father ()'Meara. Rev. Father St. Cyr refers to Father f)'Meara, in a letter to Henry H. Hurlbut, under dale of February 8, 1875, in the following not very compli- mentary terms : "I was succeeded for the English speak- ing congregation by Father O'Meara, who proved to be a notorious scoundrel. May God preserve Chicago from such a priest."

The following extract from the pen of Hon. J. S. Buckingham, Member of the English Parliament, who was in ('hicago at the time 1840) gives an account of the troubles with their result :

"* Considerable excitement was occasioned during our stay here by an unexpected riot among the Irish Catholics, on behalf of a priest," (Father O'Meara), " who was a great favorite with them. It appears that this reverend father had in some manner caused the church of which he was pastor, and certain lands, house and furniture attached to it, to be made, by legal instrument, his own individual and exclusive property: and deeming himself thus in secure and immovable possession, he defied all his exclesiastical superiors. Ile had been for some time habitually intemperate, and it was alleged that he had also committed extensive frauds. This is certain, the Catholic Bishop of the diocese, and the Vicar-General from St. Louis, had come on to Chicago, from the south, for the purpose of forcing the priest to surremler the property which he un- lawfully held, and then publicly cxcommunicating him. The ex- pectation of this ceremony drew crowds of Protestants on the Sun- day morning it was appointed to take place; and the sympathy felt by the Irish laborers on the canal, here pretty numerous " (for the priest), "who freely drank whisky with them, was such that they had declared they would clear the church if any attempt were made to excommunicate their favorite. The Bishop and Vicar-General hearing this, went among these men, and addressed them upon the subject, reminding them of their allegiance to the Church, and of the duty of their obedience to its decrees; toll them they knew no distinction of nation or habit among Catholics, but that the only distinction which must be maintained, was between the worthy and unworthy, the faithful and unfaithful sons of the Church; and con-

chuling by warning them that if they offered the slightest resistance to any public ceremony enjoined by the Church, they would them- selves incur the guilt of sacrilege, and be accordingly subjected to the very pains and penaities of excommunication which they wished to avert from another. This had the effect of calming them into submission, and the priest, learning this, consented to assign over to his superiors the property of the Church which he had unlawfully withheld from it, and to leave the town on the following day, 50 that all proceedings were stayed against him."

RIGHT REV. WILLIAMI QUARTER, D. D., the first Bishop of Chicago, was born at Killurine, Kings County, Ireland, January 21, 1806, Ilis father's name was Michael Quarter, and his mother's maiden name Ann Bennett, who were the parents of four sons; John, the eldest of the four : Waher Joseph. Vicar-General of the diocese of Chicago, and administrator of the diocese after the death of his brother William; William, the subject of this memoir. and James. The Quarter family was a most respectable one. the maternal branch of it especially having given many priests and bishops to the Church, Mrs. Quarter devoted herself to the early training of her children in the path in which she desired them to walk; and besides the principles and precepts she continuously in- stilled into their minds, her life itself was a continual precept, and her virtuous example, pinus life and tender love made a deepand inefface- able impression upon the hearts of her children. Bishop Quarter was frequently heard to say, " I owe all to my mother; I should never have been a priest, never have been a bishop, but for her." Mrs. Quarter, having received an excellent education in the schools of a religious community, assumed the task of instructing young Will- iam, believing that the common schools were to the moral like a Siberian desert to the tender plant, transplanted thither from a sunny clime. He was as assiduous in his studies as she was earnest and industrious in her teaching, and he overcame the difficulties he found in his way with an ease that indicated the possession of a high order of mind. At the age of eight years he was prepared to enter a boarding school at Tullamore. Before leaving home to enter this school he partook of his first communion, and at the same time expressed his determination to live henceforth for God alone, and to enter the holy order of the priesthood. He immediately left home for Tullamore, and there entered the academy of Rev. Mr. Deran, a retired Presbyterian clergyman, one of the best classical scholars in Ireland. Here he commenced his mathematical and classical studies, and after spending about two years with Mr. Deran, he entered the academy of John and Thomas Fitzgerald in the same town. With the Messrs. Fitzgerall he completed his course of study prepara- tory to entering the college of Maynooth, and in his sixteenth year satisfactorily passed his examination with this purpose in view. During his preparatory course his demeanor had been so remark- alle that his companions styled him the " little bishop." During the vacation between his examination preparatory to entering May- nooth College and his proposed entry therein, the Rev. Mr. Me- Auley, brother of County McAuley, of Frankford. Kings County. Ireland, returned to freland from the United States. This gentle- man spent much time at Michael Quarter's house, and there young William heard given a full description of the condition of the Catholic missions in America, of the thousands of C'atholic chil- dren growing up in a land where Mamman was the deity most generally worshiped-of the wandering away from the sheepfold of so many that had been sealed to the one holy church at the bap- tismal font in their native land-of the extent of the harvest and the paucity of the gleaners, and he at once determined to forego his contemplated course of study at Maynooth College, to forsake his mother, and all in his native country he so dearly loved, and to devote his life in America to the salvation of souls from eternal perdition. He therefore embarked for North America, April to. 1822. The vessel landed him at Quebec. To the Bishop of Quebec he immediately applied for reception as an ecclesiastical »Indent, but was rejected on account of his youth. The same fate awaited him at Montreal; but at Emmetsburg. Md., the reason that caused his rejection in Canada proved his first and best recom- mendation, The Rev. Mr. Dubois, President of St. Mary's Col. lege at Emmetsburg, himself an exile, received young Quarter as a father would receive a son. Mr. Dubois at once placed him in the seminary, which he entered September 8, 1822. So thorough was found his scholarship that he was given charge of the classes in Greek, Latin and algebra, and the second year of his residence there he was appointed professor of the Greek and Latin languages. On the 29th of October, 1826, the Rt. Rer. Dr. Dubois was consecrated Bishop of New York, and in t829 on the completion by young Quarter of his theological studies, Dr. Du- bois called him to New York as his assistant priest. On the tạih of September he left the retirement of his mountain home and started to New York, reaching there on Wednesday evening the tóth of the same month. On Thursday morning the 17th, he re- ceived at the hands of Bishop Dubois the Clerical Tonsure. Minor Orders and Sub-Deaconship, and on Saturday morning he was

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History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 57

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas Number of Pages: 875

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 875