USA > Indiana > History of the Catholic church in Indiana, Volume I > Part 22
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In 1874, under the pastorate of Rev. Victor A. Schnell, the congregation bought the Pence property, corner Washington and Sixth streets (now occupied by the Odd Fellows' building). This gave the congregation an entire half-square of fine property, 200 feet front by 150 deep. Three years later a new school-house was built and the Sisters reopened their school, which had been closed since the war broke out.
During the pastorate of the present rector, Rev. A. Oster, the church property on Washington street was sold and the fine prop- erty on the corner of Eighth and Sycamore streets was bought of Hon. Francis T. Hord, whose residence it had been. A new church, rectory and school-house were built. The property repre- sents $50,000 in value, with an incumbrance of $5,000.
Since the days when the first priest visited these parts and held divine service before a congregation, composed of one or two families, the Catholic church in Columbus has progressed steadily, and to-day St. Bartholomew's is one of the strong forces in the moral and religious life of the city.
CONNERSVILLE, FAYETTE COUNTY.
St. Gabriel's parish, Connersville, dates from August, 1846, and at that date began the curacy of Rev. John Ryan, who was located at Richmond, Ind. He remained in charge of this mission from August, 1846, to June, 1848. Next the Rev. William Doyle, then a resident priest of Richmond, had charge from May, 1849, to August, 1853, and boarded with A. Ebert, and said mass in his house. A. B. Conwell donated two lots and Father Doyle erected the first church in 1851, and this was dedicated to St. Gabriel as its patron saint. The next pastor in charge was Rev. Henry Peters, who remained from 1853 to December 21, 1873 -- a twenty years' pastorate. He completed the church and erected a spacious brick parsonage. The basement of the church was utilized for school purposes. The location of the church, being contiguous to the railroads, was an unfavorable one, so Father Peters purchased two lots in another part of the town in 1871, and on these lots
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erected a school-house of brick, and the Sisters of Providence were: placed in charge, and are still teaching with eminent success and have an enrolment of 187 pupils. Father Peters was succeeded by the Rev. Peter Bischof, who remained until 1876, he taking charge July 12, 1874. He was succeeded by Rev. J. B. H. Seepe, who officiated from August, 1876, to May, 1881. During his administration he had a hard struggle to manage the encumbrances of the parish. He was followed by the present able and efficient rector, Rev. Francis Joseph Rudolf, who took charge of the parish May 4, 1881-an administration of seventeen years.
The present membership of the parish will number. 200 fami- lies, or 1,000 souls. The fair cash value of the Catholic property of the parish is placed at $40,000. There are five sodalities or church societies, all in a flourishing state.
COVINGTON, FOUNTAIN COUNTY.
St. Joseph's Church at Covington, Ind., was erected in 1861,. at a cost of $6,000, under the direction of Father Stevens and Father Rademacher and was dedicated in October, 1867, by Bishop Luers. Prior to 1859 Covington had been visited by Father O'Flaherty, of Crawfordsville, and following him came Father Stevens, from LaFayette, as resident priest. He remained until 1863, .when Rev. Joseph Rademacher, the present bishop of the diocese of Ft. Wayne, was given charge of the parish and sur- rounding missions, and under this able clergyman the church edi- fice was completed. Father Rademacher was succeeded in 1870 by Rev. J. Blakeman, who officiated until 1874. For six months the pastorate was held by Father Cahill and then, in 1874, Father Mark was appointed, who did faithful work until 1880. He was followed by Father Plaster, who zealously labored until 1885, and was followed by Fathers King, Lentz and Lemper, and they in 1891 by Rev. John Tremmel, who also has a mission at Veeders- burg, Fountain county. The present congregation comprises about forty families and the parish is in an excellently flourishing condition.
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CRAWFORDSVILLE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
St. Bernard's Church. - The first church-edifice of St. Bernard was erected about 1855 or 1857, and its first permanent pastor was the Rev. Edward O'Flaherty, a native of the north of Ireland. Bernard Kennedy, as layman, was largely instrumental in causing the erection of this building and freely contributed toward its com- pletion. The congregation grew apace and in 1874 the new or present building was erected and named St. Bernard, partly in honor of Mr. Kennedy. Rev. Father Walters. then pastor of the parish, superintended the construction, but it was completed under Father Dinnen's administration, the cost approximating $17,000; a fine pastoral residence was also erected. The school had been established in 1866 at a cost of $5,000 and was placed in charge of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. Father Dinnen had charge from 1878 until 1894, and then came Father Crosson. The parish is now in a most thriving condition and much of its prosperity is due to the zeal and untiring labors of Father Crosson. January 13, 1898, a destructive fire broke out in the basement of the church caused by defective heating apparatus, entirely destroying the interior and causing an expense of $5,000 to replace it.
The school has an attendance of 121 pupils, mostly Irish. There are 135 families in the parish at Crawfordsville and at Ladoga, a mission of St. Bernard's, there are eighteen. St. Ber- nard's church is now under the pastorate of the Very Rev. John Dempsey.
CROWN POINT, LAKE COUNTY.
St. Mary's Church .-- Father Wehrle was the first resident priest in this parish and the first baptismal sacrament was admin- istered December 31, 1865, to Anna M. Huber, daughter of John and Elizabeth Huber; the first matrimonial sacrament was admin- istered February 8, 1866, when Matthias Schmith and Catherine Scherer were united in marriage; the first extreme unction was administered May 27, 1867; the Holy Rosary society was formed in 1868, and at the dedication of the first church, in 1868, Right Rev. Bishop J. H. Luers confirmed into the faith and congregation (242)
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the following persons: Jacob F. Sweeney, John Pinter, M. Joseph Kramer, Elizabeth Metz, Catherine Johnson, Bridget Johnson, Catherine Elizabeth Sweeney, Mary Johanna Sweeney, M. Eliza- beth Barman, Mary E. Bardens, Matilda Hack, Mary B. Hillerich, Mary Blazer, Anna M. Blazer, M. Catherine Young, Mary Cath- erine Manus and Mrs. Klein. St. Mary's congregation since that time has continued to increase and wax strong, and much of this growth is due to the faithful work of Father Guethoff, whom the congregation reverence as a pious and devoted pastor and admire for his many admirable qualities as a man.
The new church is 50 x 113 feet in size and its tower is 145 feet high. The auditorium has a seating capacity for 600 persons, and the nationality of the congregation is about three-fourths Ger- man, the remainder being Irish, Polish and Bohemian. The old church has been raised ten feet, has been remodeled into a school- house and accommodates at least two hundred pupils. By remov- ing certain partitions the building can be converted into a hall 60 x 30 feet. The old structure is two stories high and contains four school rooms. The church property has 450 feet of frontage and the same depth, and the priest's residence and Sisters' house are on the same property.
DAVIESS COUNTY.
It is, perhaps, idle to-day to go back earlier than 1819 to find any Catholics in Daviess county. True, priests and bishops passed through, en route from Louisville to Vincennes and back, but to dwell on these would be no more fruitful of satisfactory results than to claim that a certain old converted Indian chief, who was camped with his tribe on the banks of White river about 1795, and who used to attend mass at Vincennes, was the first Catholic in the county. To leave the merely hypothetical and come down to the authentical, and not to narrow the honors too much, the Mur- phys and the Spinks at Washington, and the Montgomerys at Black Oak Ridge, were the first Catholic settlers in Daviess county, and the Baineys and O'Brians were the first in Martin county. Reference is had, of course, to the territory now known by the above names.
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The first church in either county was the rude log one put up- at Black Oak Ridge; the second was the log one at St. Mary's; the third was at St. Simon's, Washington; the fourth at St. Rose, Mt. Pleasant; the fifth, St. Patrick, at Glencoe; the sixth, the one- in Miles' settlement; the seventh, St. Patrick's, at the present site; the eighth, St. John's, at Loogootee; the ninth, St. Martin's, at Haw Creek; the tenth, St. Louis, at Shoal's; the twelfth, St. Joseph's; the thirteenth, St. Michael's. Several churches were. built at some of these points, i. e., four at St. Peter's, two at St. Simon's, four at St. Mary's and two at Loogootee. Three of the- above, those at Mt. Pleasant, Miles' settlement and Glencoe, have- been abandoned for other sites, the last named only partially, how -. ever, so we have at present ten parishes proper-four in Martin and six in Daviess county, The great majority of the Catholic- population are those who came from Kentucky or Ireland. The- Germans stand next as to numbers, though they are quite modern as to date of settlement. There are and have been a few French families; a few other families came direct from Maryland and a few from North Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The- first settlers were attracted to these counties because of the rich lands for sale at a very low price. This " land craze, " as it may- be called, gave rise entirely to St. Joseph's, St. Peter's and St. Mary's parishes and largely to that of Mt. Pleasant. The Wabash & Erie canal gave rise to St. Patrick's parish, and added materi -. ally to St. Simon's, St. Peter's and St. Mary's. The O. & M. R .. R. gave rise to St. John's at Loogootee and added to all conve- nient to its line. The opening of the coal mines at Washington, Cannelburg and Montgomery added many new names to the lists. of St. Simon's and St. Peter's, benefiting the former much more substantially than the latter, and largely gave use to the church of the Immaculate Conception. The piking of the state road from New Albany to Vincennes, which work was never finished, ben- efited chiefly the Mt. Pleasant or present Haw Creek parish. The last, and also important, influx of Catholics was occasioned by the- concentration of the B. & O. S. W. R. R. shops at Washing- ton, Ind.
St. Mary's, Daviess county, was visited in 1828 by the Rev. (244)
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Simon P. Lalumiere, who celebrated the august mysteries in the house of Nathaniel Spalding. This house still exists and is pointed out to the stranger as the beginning of St. Mary's. Divine serv- ices continued to be held at this house for about five years. Bishop Bruté writes: "A few days after (November 6, 1834) I went with the Rev. Mr. Lalumiere to visit his two missions-first to St. Peter's and then to St. Mary's. The last was not quite completed and I was requested to name it. It was a great happiness to me to put the first church which I was called upon to bless in my new diocese, under the patronage of the Blessed Mother of God, so I named it St. Mary's, aud promised to return again in two weeks and bless it when it was finished."
The Rev. M. de St. Palais was appointed the first resident pastor of St. Mary's, and remained from 1836, the year of his arrival in this country, until 1839, when he was removed to Chi- cago. The log church becoming too small for the congregation, Father de St. Palais built a new church.
The Rev. John Gueguen became the second pastor, and had charge of St. Mary's and the neighboring missions until 1848, when he was succeeded by the Rev. P. J. R. Murphy. Father Murphy had charge also of Mt. Pleasant, and built a church there. The town and church are now both extinct. It is on record that Bishop Flaget, accompanied by Father Abell," in August, 1823, confirmed thirty-four persons at Mt. Pleasant; in 1829 Bishop Flaget again visited the place, and found about forty Catholic families there. Father Murphy also attended Bloomington, Mon- roe county.
The Rev. John Mougin resided at St: Mary's from 1858 to 1860, when he built a church at Loogootee, and resided there until 1866, visiting St. Mary's from Loogootee. Rev. J. Leblanc was pastor of St. Mary's, residing at St. Mary's, until February, 1873, attending also Miles' Settlement, eight miles from St. Mary's. For six months St. Mary's was then attended alternately by the pastors of St. Peter's and of Loogootee. The Rev. G. M. Ginnsz came next, and was pastor from November, 1873, until Septem- ber, 1875. The Rev. John W. Doyle succeeded him and was the pastor for three years. The old church becoming too small for
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the congregation, Father Doyle made preparations for the building of a new church, but was removed to Washington in the midst of his work. After him came the Rev. L. M. S. Burkhardt, who remained from April 4, 1879, until October 16, 1879. Rev. T. O'Donaghue successfully administered the temporalities and spirit- ualities of St. Mary's. He continued the work on the new church and completed it in the spring of 1881. It is a. handsome struc- ture, IIO X 55 feet. It is the third church built at St. Mary's- the first by Father Lalumiere in 1834, the' second by Father de St. Palais in 1839, the third by Father O'Donaghue in 1881. Father O'Donaghue was succeeded by Rev. John McCabe, Feb- ruary 1, 1890.
St. Patrick's Church, of Daviess county .- One of the old rec- ord books at St. Simon's contains the following names as being those confirmed at St. Patrick's by Bishop de la Hailandiere November 24, 1845 : James Taylor, Stephen Pennington, Michael Delaney, William Kane, George Major, John Delaney, John Brewer and Thomas Agan. Land was first secured about 1837 at old St. Patrick's, or Glencoe, as it was usually called, by Father Lalumiere, who bought eighty acres with the intention, it is said, - of laying off and founding a town, to be known as O'Cownetts- ville, but this project fell through and the land was sold. Soon the place was attended from St. Peter's and in 1840 the Rev. J. Delaune built the first and only church, which was of logs. Father Sorin visited it while at St. Peter's and after him it was attended by Fathers Dupontavice and Ducondray until 1847, when Father Piers took charge, retaining it until 1870, when the succession con- tinued as related elsewhere.
Only a small proportion of the graves in the older cemetery have tombstones, but from these some names and dates of interest are gleaned. Patrick Donnelly was born in 1798 and died in 1876. Near his grave are buried the remains of Eliza Donnelly, wife of Owen Cavanaugh, who died in 1881, aged forty-one ; Matthew died in 1849, aged twenty-seven ; Thomas A. died in 1873, aged twenty-seven ; Mary E., who was seven years old when she died in 1869 ; Mary E: was born in Memphis and the others in county Wexford, Ireland ; Margaret, wife of Philip Garragan, (246)
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died in 1854, aged fifty. The grave of Raphael Smith, a pioneer settler, is marked by a simple wooden cross, on which is painted the legend, " Raphael Smith, died 1888," and nothing more.
Part of the land on which the new church stands was devoted to burying purposes for those convenient to it and is known as the new cemetery, and the old cemetery was continued in use for the benefit of the cluster of families living in that locality. The first body buried in the new place was that of Mrs. Ann Cooney in 1859 ; and the next was that of James McGuire, the next year. None of the settlers in the immediate vicinity of the church came here earlier than 1840. Nearly all had been employed on the canal and came there to invest their savings in land.
The present St. Patrick's church was built in 1860 by Rev. B. Piers, who was then attending the parish from Montgomery. There were two sides in the congregation, and naturally enough the one at the old location, Glencoe, as it was called, was opposed to the removal of the church, as it would entail a journey of some miles in attending, but Father Piers thought the new location more centrally located and decided definitely upon it. The spirit of dissension thus begotten was left unallayed for some time, but Father Piers continued the devoted pastor of the people of St. Patrick's until 1870, having served them since 1847; in 1870 Rev. William Doyle became the first resident pastor of St. Patrick's. About 1875 he began the erection of a commodious pastoral resi- dence, which cost about $2,000. A log addition to its rear was built, partly of the logs from the old St. Patrick's church at Glen- coe, and while the two buildings did not blend very well, there was at least an exemplification of the union that was desirable between the two wings of the parish. To this house there was a good stone foundation inclosing a roomy cellar and basement rooms. Father Doyle also provided the church with a bell, which cost $250, and this is hung on scaffolding in front of the church.
In 1880 Father Doyle resigned on account of ill-health, and he was soon after succeeded by the Rev. G. M. Ginnsz, who showed considerable spirit in his efforts for the betterment of the parish and people. As one means to this end he organized St. Patrick's Total Abstinence society, with a membership of sixty.
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This did much good for sobriety, charity and benevolence, and is still in existence. In 1883 he made some improvements and added the finishing touches to the priest's house, which was built by Doyle. He also undertook the building of a chapel on the ground where the old St. Patrick's church had stood. He got several generous subscriptions there and had the foundation built and some material collected. He was removed to Loogootee in August, 1885, and was succeeded by Rev. Charles Curran, who has labored zealously for the building up of the people not only spiritually but temporally. His Sunday sermons always have a well defined and needed end in view, and the very choicest words are banded together in smoothest sentences. Father Curran has greatly improved the church by having it nicely ceiled, re-roofed, re-floored and wainscoted. He has also purchased an additional plat of eighteen acres of land adjoining the church property. But his most important and of course most arduous work was the building of the chapel and school-house on the site of old St. Patrick's. He began this work in August, 1887, and completed it in Novem- ber of the same year. This building is of brick and contains two well-furnished school-rooms, each 22 x 28 feet. and a prettily arranged chapel that contains twenty-four pews. The total cost was $4,000, and not a cent of debt remains on it now. The chapel is used only for the celebration of mass when persons are brought there for burial in the old burying ground. The building is quite a handsonie and showy one and, the people of the locality are proud of it. Edward Lamb, who died recently, was the most enthusiastic in the matter and contributed $500 to its erection. His son, James, gave $200; Andrew Farrell, $100; James Morin, $100; William Donnolly, $100; Michael Zinkans, $100, while others gave lesser amounts, and many contributed willingly their labor.
The present pastoral residence was built in 1895. It is a handsome brick, two stories in height, with ten rooms, and cost about $3,000. The school is public, but as the patrons are all Catholic a Catholic teacher is engaged and when the public term is ended the congregation continues the school for some months by private contributions, under the same teacher usually, both (248)
ST. MARY'S CHURCH, DECATUR, IND.
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schools being well attended. The congregation numbers about 135 families.
DECATUR, ADAMS COUNTY.
St. Mary's Church .- In the year 1837 Henry Dierkes, Henry Minter, Joseph Smith, Anthony Kohne and Bernard Holthaus arrived at Decatur, the town having been laid out in 1836 by Samuel L. Rugg, John Reynolds and Joseph Johnson. At their arrival there were but few houses-those of Jacob Huffer, Rugg, Rey- nolds, Veiier and James Niblick.
In the following year, 1838, came George Fettich, John Mul- ler, George Spuller, Timothy Coffee, Daniel Coffee, John Closs and Henry Will. In the spring of 1838 the first mass was said in George Fettich's house by Father Mueller ; in 1840 arrived Henry Heidemann and Henry Grutzkamp, and in 1841 John Meiber's fam- ily came. The second priest of St. Mary's congregation was Father Hamion. The first Catholics baptized at Decatur were Minnie Holthaus, afterward the wife of Conrad Brake, and Mary Closs, now wife of Peter Holthaus. The first marriage was that of Timothy Coffee and Margaret Mueller, by Father Hamion, on the 10th of January, 1841. The third priest was Father Joseph Rudolph. He took up a subscription for a church and was assisted by Timothy Coffee, who collected $75, and by John Closs and Anthony Kohne, who collected $200 at Cincinnati. The beginning of the new church was made by the Spullers, who brought, with oxen, through the then deep mud, the heavy timber for the first church.
The fourth priest here was Father Moncina and the fifth was Father E. M. Faller. In 1842 the graveyard in the south part of town was bought. Father Faller began to build the old church in 1846. Before this time mass was said in Fettich's house, in the Closs tavern and in the old court house. During this time Father J. Benoit came here to say mass and to preach in English and in French and attend the sick. In 1847 the old frame church was plastered. Father Faller also bought the first bell at Cincinnati for $60, which bell had to be shipped by canal to Fort Wayne.
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During Father Faller's time were bought three more lots, so the church ground consisted of six. The sixth priest. Father B. H. Schulties, was the first permanently stationed here, and he built in 1852 the old priest's house and remained until August, 1856.
From August, 1856, until June, 1857, Father Faller and Father Rudolph paid visits to St. Mary's congregation. From June, 1857, Father Sebastian Gontez, C. PP. S., officiated until May, 1858. After him, in 1858, came Father L. Schneider, who remained but a few months. In July, 1858, came Father Jacob Greyer, who remained until September, 1862. Previous to this there were two missions held. The first one, in 1857, by Father Andrew Kunkler, C. PP. S .; the second one by Father F. X. Wenninger, S. J., in 1859. Father Meyers, there being no stationary priest here, and Father Heikmann, from St. Mary's church, Fort Wayne, came here occasionally to say mass. In January, 1865, Father Julius Becks came and remained one year. After him the congre- gation was without a pastor until the fall of 1865, when Father John Wemhoff came and remained until September, 1872. He took up a subscription for the present brick church and had the foundation laid.
In September, 1872, Father Wemhoff was succeeded by Father F. Von Schwedler, who remained until February, 1877, and was succeeded by Father J. Nusbaum, who remained until July, 1880, when he was succeeded by Father H. Theo. Wilken, who in the same year, 1880, began the new brick school-house, which was finished in 1881. He also built, in 1885, a new parsonage, and is at present the resident priest.
The St. Mary's people have grown from a small beginning into a large congregation, consisting, in 1898, of 230 families, or over 1, 300 souls. It also has a good church property, consisting of a large brick church, a good brick school-house with four rooms, and new brick parsonage. In 1893 a Sisters' house, with twelve rooms, and a school-house with two rooms were added. May I, 1888, Rev. Wilken was made irremovable rector and in the fall of 1896 an assistant priest was furnished.
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DOVER, DEARBORN COUNTY.
St. John the Baptist's Parish at Dover .- The records of this parish date as far back as 1840, but in 1820 there was erected a rude structure, as a place of worship, by the parishioners, who were chiefly Irish and English Catholics, and the parish was admin- istered to by missionary priests who passed through this section of Indiana from Cincinnati, Bardstown, Ky., and Vincennes, Ind. In 1840 the records of St. John's assumed permanent shape, and . show that Father Schneiderjans was the first priest who admin- istered to the people regularly.
Bishop J. B. Purcell, November 5, 1848, administered the rites'of confirmation to the first class of sixty-six in St. John's the Baptist, at Cross Roads, as the name of Dover was then unknown. Father Schneiderjans, the first resident priest, remained from March 12, 1840, to April 26, 1844; he replaced the log church by a frame structure more spacious, and was followed by Rev. Joseph Ferneding from 1841 to June 9, 1842, and his successor was Father O'Rourke, who officiated from June, 1842, to 1846. Next was Rev. Andrew Bennett. At this time the little frame church became too small for the growing congregation, and Father Ben- nett, in 1847, erected the first brick edifice, 60 x35 feet, with a spire and a small bell. He remained until 1858. In 1859 Father Weinzoepfel attended to the parish from New Alsace until Novem- ber, 1860. Father Anthony Scheideler was the next rector. He came in December, 1860, to St. Leon, Ind., and from that place attended to St. John the Baptist until 1870. He made great improvements in the parish. He erected the stations in the church, built the sanctuary to the church, and put in a new altar in 1863 and in 1864 procured a new pipe organ, the first musical instru- ment placed in the church. In 1865 he erected the new brick school of two stories, and two rooms for school purposes and rooms for the Sisters' home. This parish was the first in Dear- born county to establish the Franciscan Sisters from Oldenburg, Ind. March 18, 1866, Father Duddenhausen came and remained in the parish until September 20, 1870. During his pastorate the ground was purchased upon which the rectory and the new church
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