USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Metropolitan Boston; a modern history; Volume V > Part 4
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42
INTERIOR OF ST. ANGELA'S CHURCH
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A convent which has accommodations for thirty-five Sisters gives ample home comforts to those who teach in the schools, and the schools are showing the effects of their faith- ful work.
Father Mohan, the first pastor of the Church of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, at Everett, continued in charge to the time of his death, in March, 1920, a period of thirty- five years. On March 17, 1920, he was suc- ceeded by Rev. Joseph V. Fitzgerald, who had been pastor of the Church of St. Mary of the Assumption at East Boston. Father Fitzgerald purchased property on Chelsea Street, which he renovated and remodelled into the Parish Hall, and in 1921 he began the erection of the parish school on Summer Street. The work went forward under his direction and was nearly finished when the faithful pastor's work was interrupted by his death, in June, 1923. In September, 1923, Father Riley pre- sided at the opening of the new parish school. Five years later, in June, 1928, the death of Father Riley left the parish again without a pastor, and Rev. Thomas J. McCormack, of the Church of St. Francis de Sales, of Charles- town, was appointed the fourth pastor. Al- though he has been here less than a year, Father McCormack is steadily advancing the interests of the parish and the activities of the various societies and sodalities. He is assisted by two priests.
As a pastor and as a man of integrity and of devoted Christian character, Father McCormack has long held a high place in the esteem of those with whom he has been brought into contact, and outside the limits of his parish, as well as within, he is regarded as a man of sincerity of purpose, of large ability, and of devotion to his work.
REV. FRANCIS J. RYAN-Since 1908 Rev. Francis J. Ryan has been devoting his energy to the promotion of the best interests of St. Angela's Church and parish, in Mattapan. Both
the present church building and the rectory were erected under the direction of Father Ryan, and the beauty of the two buildings is ample evidence of his artistic taste. The new rectory was completed and occupied in June, 1926, and is considered one of the most beauti- ful in this locality.
Rev. Francis J. Ryan was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and after completing his pre- paratory course in the local schools entered Fordham University, New York City. On the completion of his studies here he began his theological course at St. Joseph's Seminary, in Troy, New York, from which he was graduated and ordained a priest in 1886. His first assign- ment was to the Church of the Immaculate Con- ception at Stoneham, later he was transferred to Brockton, then to Somerville, and finally, in 1908, he came to Mattapan as pastor of St. Angela's Church, located at the corner of Blue Hill Avenue and Freemont Street. Here he has for twenty years been giving the most devoted service and the results of his labors are both material and spiritual. The present beautiful church building and rectory are lasting monu- ments to his devotion, energy, and good taste, and the general condition of the parish is a credit to him in every way.
St. Angela's Parish dates back some twenty years, to a time when there was no church and when services were held in Oakland Hall. It was on January 6, 1908, that the first mass was said in Oakland Hall, and Father Ryan is the first pastor of the parish. A man of energy and determination, he at once set about the task of building a suitable church. His labors were crowned with success, and on a pleasant day in May, 1909, ground was broken for the fulfillment of his purpose. The cornerstone was laid on October 17 of that same year, and the first mass was celebrated in the lower church on Christmas Day, 1909. In March, 1910, the lower church was dedicated, and for nearly nine years it was the church of the parish. Father Ryan had no intention of leav- ing his task uncompleted, however, and as soon as it was possible to raise the necessary funds, the upper church was begun, August
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15, 1916. Upon its completion it was dedicated by his eminence, Cardinal O'Connell, June 1, 1919, and is widely known as one of the beautiful churches of the city. The upper church provides seating capacity for eleven hundred people and the lower church or base- ment, for about nine hundred, making a total ca- pacity of two thousand. The lower church was built by F. F. Houghton, of New York, and the upper by MacGinnis & Walsh, of Boston, both well-known architects. Father Ryan's next proj- ect was the building of a new rectory in keeping with the appearance of the church. In this work, too, he was most successful, and in June, 1926, he moved into the completed rectory, which graces the church property and provides ample accommodation for the pastor of the par- ish. St. Angela's Parish numbers about four thousand souls, and in the work of ministering to these Father Ryan is assisted by two other priests. Through all the period of raising the money, planning and deciding upon the general features of the new building, and seeing that the plans were properly executed, Father Ryan was the inspiration, the indefatigable worker, and the presiding spirit. His devotion and zeal led the people in financially making pos- sible the erection of this beautiful church and rectory, and his skill and taste directed the selection of the final plans and provided the details of its completion, both externally and internally.
The success of Father Ryan in building up St. Angela's Parish and Church is to be found in his constant attention to the work, in the loyal cooperation of his assistants, and in the unfailing generosity of his parishioners.
In 1927, Father Ryan purchased an estate for school purposes; this estate comprises over 50,000 square feet of land, and is situated in the rear of the church at the corner of Babson and Freemont streets.
REV. PETER J. FOLEY-As pastor of St. Philip's Church, in Boston, Rev. Peter J. Foley
also presides over the old St. Patrick's Church on Northampton Street, which was dedicated in December, 1836, and is the oldest Catholic church in use in the city of Boston, taking pre- cedence, in point of age, of all but three of the Catholic churches in Boston. Services are still held in this old chapel, though St. Philip's Parish completed a new church edifice, on the corner of Harrison Avenue and Lenox Street, in 1906. In 1926 the Rev. Peter J. Foley became pastor, and he is a worthy successor of the de- voted men who preceded him.
Rev. Peter J. Foley was born in Medway, Massachusetts, May 4, 1873, and after attending the local public schools matriculated in Boston College. When his college course was com- pleted he began his theological training for the priesthood in St. John's Seminary, at Brighton, Massachusetts. Here he remained until he was ordained a priest, December 16, 1898. His first charge was as curate at St. Mary's Church, in Waltham, Massachusetts, where he remained for a period of twenty years. At the end of that time he was appointed first pastor of St. Luke's Parish, at Waverly, Massachusetts. Nothing had been done here, and he raised the money for the new church, and also built the rectory. He remained here until 1926, when he came to St. Philip's, where he is still (1929) serving efficiently and faithfully.
The history of St. Philip's Parish goes back to the old parish of St. Patrick, though its territory was set off from three parishes, St. Patrick's, St. Francis de Sales', and the Cathe- dral. About 1816, the South End of Boston was considered to center at the corner of Han- over and Washington streets. It was two miles south of this that, on a point of high ground beyond the old fortifications at the Neck, the Catholics of Roxbury erected their first church. This was a difficult time for those of the Cath- olic faith, for feeling was running high against them, and prejudice and the bitterness of re- ligious enmity had two years before brought about the burning of the Ursuline Convent on Mount Benedict. Thus it was that while the old St. Patrick's Church was building, men of the parish, well armed, had to guard the structure
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ST. ANGELA'S CHURCH, BLUE HILL AVENUE, MATTAPAN
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ST. ANGELA'S RECTORY, BLUE HILL AVENUE, MATTAPAN
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each night to prevent acts of vandalism which were freely threatened. When the building was finished the insurance companies refused to take the risk of insuring a frame building belonging to a Catholic church because the chances were so great that it would be burned by Protestant enemies, and the parish was compelled to sheathe' the wooden structure with brick walls. The church was dedicated December 11, 1836. This old chapel, still standing on Northampton Street, between Washington and Harrison Ave- the basement was begun. On Sunday, April 30, 1899, the lower church was opened for regular services, and in 1906 the upper church, which seats twelve hundred, was completed. Father O'Donnell was followed by Father Gerry, and he in turn by Father Mark Madden, who was succeeded by Monsignor Edward F. Hur- ley, and he was succeeded by the present Father Peter J. Foley. In 1899 it was estimated that the parish numbered about seven thousand as a congregation, and that there were eight hundred nue, is now (1928) a part of St. Philip's Parish. . children in the Sunday school. In September, 1925, a school building, which accommodates about three hundred and fifty children, was completed, and this is presided over by five Sisters of St. Joseph. St. Philip's is noted for special devotion to St. Rita, and a beautiful shrine has been erected in the church in her honor.
While it remained a parish, the church of old St. Patrick's had virtually but one pastor, Rev. Thomas Lynch, who, during the first ten years of his pastorate, had charge over the pleasant hills of Roxbury as far as Brookline and Brigh- ton. By 1899 a dozen churches were taking care of the people of the original territory of St. Patrick's. After a service of thirty-five years, Father Lynch, who had served under three different bishops, was laid to rest in 1870, in St. Augustine's Chapel, of which he had been the first pastor. Rev. Joseph H. Gallagher suc- ceeded him as pastor of St. Patrick's, and soon set about the task of erecting an edifice which would be larger and more central. An ad- mirable site on the crest of a hill, fronting on Dudley Street, was chosen, a brick church in the Gothic style was begun, and services were held in the basement, which was completed in 1874, and the entire building completed and dedicated in 1880.
St. Philip's Parish was formed early in 1895 by taking territory from St. Patrick's, St. Fran- cis de Sales', and the Cathedral. Rev. Philip J. O'Donnell, a native of this section of the city, who had been serving as a curate in Cambridge, was appointed the first pastor, and the old St. Patrick's Church, on Northampton Street, was turned over to him to be used as a place of worship. Land was soon purchased for the erection of a large building, however, and the cornerstone was laid September 20, 1896, by Archbishop Williams, Rev. J. D. Stafford, of Washington, preaching the sermon. The first mass was celebrated on Easter Sunday, 1897, and in January, 1899, the work of completing
Since coming to this parish as pastor, Rev. Peter J. Foley has devoted his energies to the quickening of the general activities of the parish, the building up of its various societies and or- ganizations.
REV. JOHN M. FARRELL-St. Pius' Church and Parish of Lynn, Massachusetts, are the progeny of St. Joseph's Church, of East Lynn, which, as early as 1874, was set off as a separate parish to accommodate the Catholic population which was employed in the numerous factories of the eastern section of Lynn. Rev. John C. Harrington, previously curate of St. Mary's, was entrusted with the task of organiza- tion, a site was purchased at the corner of West Green and Union streets, and the cornerstone was laid in 1875. Ten years later, the building, of brick and granite, was finished and dedi- cated. At that time it provided seating for one thousand two hundred people. By 1899 the following buildings were included in the par- ish property: a rectory on Green Street; a parish school, three stories high, of brick with
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stone trimmings, containing fourteen rooms, be- sides a hall seating eight hundred persons; and a convent which is occupied by the Sisters of St. Joseph. The last two buildings were opened during that year, 1899. The parish also owned at that time, and still owns, a cemetery on Bos- ton Street; and St. Joseph's Temperance So- ciety, affiliated with the church, already owned at that time its brick clubhouse valued at $14,- 000. Father Harrington, the first pastor, min- istered to St. Joseph's for twenty-five years, and the parish, in 1899, numbered six thousand souls. - Of the parishes "set off" from St. Joseph's one of the more recent and thriving is St. Pius', which was organized in 1914. Until 1915 the congregation worshipped in Paul Revere's Hall, but in that year the church building, seating about one thousand people, was completed, and since that time the parish has been rapidly growing, until now (1929) three thousand souls are included within its jurisdiction. The in- terior of the church is nicely finished, furnished with oak pews and appropriate altars, and the fine-toned organ is one of the oldest in the city, having been in use for seventy-five years, first, in the Protestant church from which it was purchased, and since 1915 here in St. Pius' Church.
Rev. John M. Farrell, who came here in 1914, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and received his early and preparatory education in the schools of his birthplace. After graduation from Boston Latin School, he matriculated in Boston College, and when his academic course was finished entered St. John's Seminary, at Brighton, Massachusetts, where he was gradu- ated and ordained a priest in December, 1889. His first appointment was to Watertown, Mass- achusetts, where he remained for a period of six years. He was then transferred to St. Mark's Church, at Dorchester, where he remained for seventeen years, until 1923, when he came to St. Pius' Parish in Lynn. Under his leadership the parish has purchased land for the erection of a parochial school and convent. Father Farrell is assisted by Father William F. Dren- nen, who has been here for five years.
MONSIGNOR AMBROSE F. ROCHE- One of the most active and successful of the pastors of Roman Catholic churches in this section of the State is Monsignor Ambrose F. Roche, formerly pastor of St. Patrick's Church, at Watertown, Massachusetts, but now pastor of St. Thomas's Church at Jamaica Plain. Msgr. Roche was in charge of the parish in Watertown, from 1908 until 1928, and during the twenty years of his service there he accom- plished a great work, erecting new buildings, enlarging old ones, creating new institutions, and building up the general efficiency of all the organizations through which the work of the parish is accomplished. The schools have been his especial pride, and the splendid Commercial Institute is his creation. Twelve buildings and three acres of land in the city of Watertown have formed a beginning only of the expansion of the activities of Father Roche, and a thir- teen-acre cemetery and an estate in Lexington, which has been converted into the Sacred Heart Academy, have been added during his pastorate.
Msgr. Ambrose F. Roche was born in Bos- ton, Massachusetts, October· 8, 1854, and re- ceived his early training in the schools of that city and in the schools of Chelsea, and then en- tered St. Bonaventure's College, at Allegany, New York, from which he was graduated and here he later received the degree of Doctor of Laws. From that college he went to St. Joseph's Seminary, at Troy, New York, for his theolog- ical training, and there he remained until he was ordained a priest in December, 1880. His first assignment was as the first pastor to St. John's Church in Quincy, Massachusetts, and from there he was transferred to St. Paul's, Hingham, Massachusetts, then back to West Quincy, where he established a new parish, built a beautiful stone church and remained from 1900 to 1908.
In 1908 he came to St. Patrick's Church in Watertown, as pastor. Here he built the church which is a beautiful piece of architecture, of the Gothic type, on the corners of which are four beautiful towers or pinnacles of most sym-
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metrical proportions and terminate in four golden tips. Twelve burnt glass windows mellow the light as it enters the building which, in its interior appointments, resembles an old English cathedral. The lower church, built in 1898, has a seating capacity of about one thousand, making in all seating provision for twenty-one hundred people. In the upper church there is a sandstone altar, which is an object of interest to visitors, and the solid oak pews provide seating for about eleven hundred people. The upper church, built in 1901 by Father John S. Cullen, the predecessor of Msgr. Roche, was only seven years old when the present pastor took charge, and so Msgr. Roche turned his attention to the building of schools, and in this important work he has achieved marvelous results. There are three parochial schools now (1928) in the parish, a primary school, a grammar school, and a Commercial Institute. The latter has an enrollment of one hundred and forty-nine pupils, presided over by the Dominican Sisters. This institu- tion, which is the creation of Msgr. Roche, is housed in a beautiful building, modern in all its appointments and providing most completely for the health and comfort of students and teachers. Entering the building from the front, one finds on the left the principal's room, while on the right is a room fitted for the use of sisters, parents, and children for consulta- tion. Passing along the main hall, on the right and left, along the walls, are small compart- ments provided with hooks for the clothing of the students through which warm air passes for drying when the weather is damp. The seven classrooms, each providing accommoda- tions for forty pupils, are thoroughly lighted by a number of large windows, and the desks are fitted on iron standards which can easily be moved about and adjusted to the individual needs of the pupils. In this Commercial In- stitute all branches of a thorough business education are taught, including commercial law, stenography, typewriting, bookkeeping, busi- ness deportment, all forms of business letters, proper methods of meeting people in offices and in entering a place of business, and every
possible kind of instruction which can be of use in business life. Before graduation each pupil is required to pass a most rigid examina- tion in all subjects taught and must receive a standing of one hundred per cent before he can receive his diploma. Eight double doors provide means of exit from the building, which can be emptied in two minutes, and in its completeness the building reflects the care and the wisdom which created the Institute. All of this is the work of Msgr. Roche, and when the building was completed and ready for occupancy in 1924, he felt that one of his aims had been achieved. The Dominican Sisters are housed in a convent which was formerly a dwelling house. This was purchased by Msgr. Roche, and thoroughly remodelled, with all addition which now gives them twelve sleep- ing rooms, and provides excellent accommoda- tions for twenty sisters. In the rear of the Institute a large lawn surrounded by walls provides the sisters with a secluded place for exercise and rest, and in all its appointments the building and grounds are planned for ef- ficiency. The church buildings total twelve, built upon three acres of ground within the city of Watertown, and in 1923 Msgr. Roche purchased fourteen additional acres for St. Patrick's Cemetery. Here in addition to laying out the beautiful grounds he had built a beauti- ful receiving vault for the reception of bodies which might be placed there during the winter season. He also purchased a fine old estate in Lexington Street, Watertown, of eight acres, and this is now used as the grounds of the Sacred Heart Academy, which provides ac- commodation for one hundred and fifty girls under the instruction of the Dominican Sisters.
In addition to his many activities in con- nection with the parish of which he has charge, Msgr. Roche is also very active in various out- side bodies of the church, being a member of the Cardinal's Cabinet and senior councillor of that body; chaplain-general of the Daughters of Isabella, an organization that in Massachu- setts consists of seventy chapters, all of which Msgr. Roche is expected to visit frequently. The seventy chapters total about twelve hun-
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dred members. Father Roche is also a member of the Diocesan Building Committee, whose duty it is to examine the plans and specifications for all churches built in the State. He is one of the directors and a member of the examining board of St. John's Seminary, at Brighton, Massachusetts, entrusted with the task of ex- amining the junior clergy of the college, which
has more than three hundred students. He is also State chaplain of various branches of the Massachusetts Catholic Guild, and was one of the organizers of the Women's Guild which raised over $20,000 in this parish for the aid of the poor. In the multitudinous works of the parish Msgr. Roche is ably assisted by two priests, William W. Duffy and John W. Dowd. Among his 4,500 parishioners Msgr. Roche is greatly revered and honored.
In the parish of St. Thomas situated in the park section of Jamaica Plain, one of the most beautiful sections of Boston, he has a parish of some 11,000 souls, a graded school, high school, and a convent. It is one of the oldest parishes in the diocese, and here he will be assisted by four priests.
RT. REV. MONSIGNOR PATRICK J. SUPPLE, D. D .- The parishes of St. John's and St. Hugh's, Roxbury and Dorchester, Massachusetts, are under the care of Rt. Rev. Monsignor Patrick J. Supple, D. D., who has been in charge of both since 1908.
The first pastor of St. John's was Rev. Hugh P. Smith, who had been appointed permanent pastor of St. Joseph's, the parent parish, but so important did he consider the work to be done in the newly organized parish of St. John's that he gave up his permanent position and came to St. John's in order that he might build it up and strengthen its activities and its interests. Foundations he considered of prime importance and his plans for the new parish were very near to his heart. Only a few years
had passed after his coming, however, when his death occurred, July 8, 1908, and he was suc- ceeded by the present able pastor, Rt. Rev. Monsignor Patrick J. Supple, D. D. From that time to the present Monsignor Supple, D. D., has been engaged in carrying forward the work here. The parish contains four thousand souls and its present prosperous condition and that of the churches indicate the measure of his success. St. John's completed in 1918 seats fourteen hundred people and is one of most imposing and beautiful churches of the diocese,, and both interior and exterior are beautifully proportioned and decorated. The center aisle leads to the altar gates, which are of solid bronze, and within the gates five steps approach the magnificent altar, of the finest marble, de- signed and executed in this country. It is of Byzantine pattern and is of imposing grandeur, and greatly admired by all who see it. A beautiful stained glass window admits light above the altar, and on the right and left, are two other marble altars. The main body of the church is lighted by sixteen stained glass win- dows. Twelve massive columns, surmounted by beautiful arches, support the roof, which is very high, and the side aisles parallel with the inain aisle also have a series of arches extending from the walls to the columns in the center. The great organ loft, providing seating for one hundred and twenty-five singers, is equipped with a very large and beautiful toned organ, and all the appointments and furnishings, as well as the decorations, of the interior of the church are most harmonious and artistic. There is a parochial school with an enrollment of five hundred and forty children, presided over by twelve Sisters of Charity from the Mother Home at Morristown, New Jersey, and a rectory containing sixteen rooms. The sodalities for women and the Holy Name Society for men have a large membership and are prosperous and active, and the support given by the parish- ioners to all the plans for church work is gener- ous and sincere. Instruction in Christian doc- trine is given by the Fathers every week and there is a Holy Hour of devotional service each week, besides the usual church services.
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