USA > Maryland > A Century of Growth [electronic resource] or, the history of the Church in Western Maryland > Part 16
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After the departure of Father O'Reilly the good Re- demptorist Fathers took charge of St. Peter's little con- gregation, and, it must be said to their credit, they ministered to the spiritual needs of the people with com- mendable charity. The best remembered of these good priests are Fathers Eberhardt, Weist, and Gerdemann. Father Eberhardt, who is so well known in the George's Creek Valley, because he always said, "Let us bray," instead of "Let us pray," is remembered in Oakland on account of a famous instruction which he delivered on "Atonement." He pronounced the word "At-one-ment," and explained the at-one-ment doctrine as "a proxy righteousness," applied to individual souls through the sacraments. But the most fault-finding critic could see nothing objectionable in Father Gerdemann's English. He was a man of great talents. John Gerdemann was born in Cumberland January 5, 1840. He made his vows at the monastery January 6, 1857, was ordained
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priest March 21, 1863, and Oakland was his first field of labor. He is remembered as a brilliant, strong, kind- hearted, young man. He was drowned near Annapolis, July 9, 1866. The news of the young priest's death came with an awful shock to his Oakland friends-a shock accompanied with wonder that God, whose mercy had blessed the world with so beautiful a life, saw fit, in His mysterious wisdom, to recall the precious gift so suddenly and so soon.
Archbishop Spalding visited Oakland and adminis- tered the Sacrament of Confirmation in 1865.
Towards the end of 1866 the Carmelite Fathers suc- ceeded the Redemptorists in Cumberland, and they nat- urally fell heirs to the outlying Redemptorist missions. The best remembered Carmelite priests are Fathers Lewis, McDonald, and Elias. These good Fathers faithfully attended the congregation until 1868, when Oakland became a mission of Westernport. Up to this time the town was quite small and comparatively insig- nificant; but it had begun to assume some importance as a summer resort of health-seekers. The surrounding region had become known as possessing wonderful beauty ; the pure, cool, salubrious air was being talked about by the many travellers journeying over the new railroad. Here it was said, "both the robust and deli- cate enjoy sound sleep under blankets, when those who live in the cities are sweltering from excessive heat." The town had been incorporated in 1861, and it had continued to enjoy a slow but steady and healthy growth.
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This was the state of affairs when Father D. C. De Wulf, of Westernport, became pastor of Oakland. Father De Wulf was the first diocesan priest that had charge of the parish since Father. O'Reilly. He visited the congregation more frequently than the regulars had done. He enlarged the church and beautified it as far as his limited income would permit. Summer visitors were flocking to the "Glades," as the Oakland region was at that time called. Many of the visitors were Catholics, and their presence contributed numerically and financially to the growth of the congregation.
In 1869 the Rev. Jeremiah O'Sullivan paid his first visit to Oakland. He was then assistant to Father De Wulf at Westernport. The congregation at once began to clamor for Father O'Sullivan as resident pastor of Oakland. The young priest was approached by dif- ferent delegations ; his views were asked on the subject, and he gave the congregation every reason to hope that they would finally be successful in getting their man. He told them from the altar that "he had no fear whatever of failing to get a good living among them if His Grace, Archbishop Spalding, would accede to their request." From that time, the Oakland Catholics kept on petitioning for a resident pastor. Father O'Sullivan soon became pastor of Westernport, and as he always had a special fondness for Oakland, he arranged to have Mass there every second and fourth Sunday of the month. During Lent and other seasons of special de- votion, he arranged to have sermons every Sunday evening. He built the school-house and established a
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parochial school under charge of a lay teacher, and did all in his power to promote the spiritual interests of his mountain flock.
In 1871 affairs began to take on a new aspect in and around Oakland, a certain Mr. Zevely came to the mountains and began the publication of a newspaper called the Glades Star. The paper was only short lived. It died a natural death through lack of support; . but its few months of vigorous and aggressive existence had given birth to a very strong sentiment in favor of a new county. The ideas spread far and wide through this pioneer venture in mountain journalism, were caught up by the people-meetings were held in different sec- tions of the projected new county, orators traversed the mountains and valleys dilating on the manifold benefits to be derived from home rule, and haranguing the people to break the chains which so long had bound them to Cumberland fifty miles away. "We are paying twenty-eight thousand dollars taxes every year," they declared, " and receiving only eighteen thousand dollars. What becomes of the other ten thousand? It enters the pockets of the office holders of Cumberland !"
In January, 1872, petitions were presented before the Legislature praying for a new county, dividing Allegany County where the Savage River empties into the Potomac, thence north to Savage Mountain and the boundary of Pennsylvania. The Legislature, by an Act, dated April 1, 1872, created Garrett County, named after John W. Garrett, president of the Balti- more and Ohio Railroad. November 5, 1872, the
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Act of the Legislature was ratified by the people, the proposition to create the new county being carried by a vote of 1,297 yeas to 405 nays. At the same election, Oakland was selected as the "shire town," and thus became the county seat of the mountain county. All these events had at least an indirect bear- ing on the growth of St. Peter's parish, because the fixing of the county seat at Oakland guaran- teed the permanence of the town; the erection of the Court House and other public buildings improved the town very materially ; and the con- struction of the grand Baltimore and Ohio ho- tel gave the mountain FATHER WILLIAM MAHONY. village all the dignity of a mountain city. The parish kept pace with the growth of the town, under the care of Rev. Father O'Sullivan and his able assist- ants, Fathers J. L. Andreis and William Mahony.
The year 1874 is a memorable one in the history of St. Peter's parish on account of a famous public controversy, which took place in the Deer Park vil- lage, between Father Mahony and a certain Rev. Mr. Thatcher, a Methodist minister of Oakland. Father
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Mahony, whose fame as an orator had spread far and wide through the mountain regions, was most cordially invited to lecture in a small Protestant church at Deer Park. He accepted the kind invitation, and, on the second Sunday of November, drove over, accom- panied by a couple of dozen able-bodied witnesses. In the evening, he went to the little church and delivered a plain instruction to a very much mixed congregation on "What Catholics Do Not Believe."
He began by calling attention to what was an unusual occurrence-" a priest in a Protestant pulpit." He then went on to show that Catholic doctrine has been misunderstood in America, because "English history, for the last three hundred years, has been a conspiracy against the truth." To put his points as strong as possible, he quoted Judge Gaston, in his famous speech against the thirty-second article of the first Constitution of North Carolina.
"A friend of mine, with whom, in early life, I spent many pleasant hours, and whom the tide of emigration has carried to the West, was accustomed to relate an incident which had actually occurred to him, as illus- tration of the ignorance and prejudice of a portion of the people in relation to Federalism. He had represented one of the counties of this State for several years in the General Assembly, and, after quitting public life, had occasion to pass through his old home on an election day. Stopping at a public house, he met with some old acquaintances, well- meaning but uninformed men, who soon entered into .
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conversation on the subject of the business of the day. 'Of course,' said my friend, addressing himself to one of them, 'you all go for Major A. here; you used to support him, tooth and nail, in old times.' 'Why, no, sir,' answered the good man, 'we are not so mighty much for him as we used to be.' 'And how has that happened ? What has occasioned such a change?' 'Why, haven't you heard, sir? Why, they say he's turned a featheral!' 'Turned a featheral!' exclaimed my friend; 'is it possible! and, pray, what is a "featheral ?"' 'I don't exactly know, sir,' he rejoined, ' but I allow it ain't human!'
"Such, surely, must be the conjecture, which the querists entertain of the strange animal called a papist. If quite candid, they will admit that the first time they saw one they peered in his face for the horns which should decorate his brow, then turned their eyes down to examine his cloven feet."
He next denied and explained the old, old, oft-refuted charges that "Catholics adore the Blessed Virgin," " pay the priest to forgive their sins; " and placed briefly but clearly before his auditors the teaching of Catholic faith in regard to the Church and the means of salvation. All had heard the great preacher. Every one seemed pleased. The sermon was the talk of the town. Father Mahony went home, and his able-bodied witnesses re- turned to Oakland. It seemed that all was over. But it happened that what seemed the end was really only the beginning. On Thanksgiving day, while Father Mahony was enjoying his thanksgiving dinner, he re-
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ceived a very polite note from Rev. Mr. Thatcher, stating that the reverend gentleman had decided to answer his recent lecture; telling Father Mahony that his explanations did not explain ; that the good people of Deer Park would be pleased to have him come back and explain his explanations. This was taken up by Father Mahony as a challenge for a public discussion of the claims of the Catholic Church against Protestantism, and he determined to accept the challenge thrown down, and to fight the battle with all the energy of his soul.
The news of the coming debate was welcome on all sides. The Catholics had the utmost confidence in the ability of their champion. Father Mahony was an able debater, naturally gifted with strong reasoning powers; he was a master in the art of word-painting, with a few touches drawing a picture graphic, vivid and true to life; he was a scriptural scholar, whose retentive memory could locate in a moment any controversial text; he was a thorough historian, particularly well-informed on all questions apt to arise in religious controversy ; all these were united with robust common sense, a tinge of pathos and inexhaustible and pointed wit. In person Father Mahony was commanding. He was tall, but a little heavy-weighing nearly two hundred pounds; his fea- tures, though coarse, had an intellectual stamp; his eyes were brilliant; his voice strong, but sweet; his manner showed intensity of purpose, emotion and extraordinary elocutionary power.
. Rev. Mr. Thatcher, on the other side, was a man of little education, very little natural ability, and no
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presence worth speaking of. When he came forward to draw his strictures on Father Mahony's first lecture, he appeared with a bundle of manuscripts, quoting the "Litany of the Blessed Virgin " to prove that Catholics adore the " Virgin Mary." Every one was disappointed in him from the very beginning; and what had prom- ised to be an interesting debate, dwindled down to a mass of incoherent unconnected assertions on the part of Rev. Mr. Thatcher, and their immediate denial and refutation on the part of his opponent. These dis- courses continued off and on until Christmas. But the Rev. Mr. Thatcher finally concluded that the state of his health and pressing duties in other fields would not permit him to pursue the subjects further. Father Mahony ended the debate by stating that " he was per- fectly willing to continue night after night as long as his reverend opponent had even a shadow of a charge to make against the Church; but that Mr. Thatcher had probably learned a lesson, which it is well for all mountaineers to know, that hunting is all one-sided sport as long as the hunter is chasing the bear; but it becomes the other-sided as soon as the bear begins to chase the hunter."
It is a well known fact that Father O'Sullivan, the pastor of the parish, was from the beginning opposed to the controversy ; but Father Mahony, the assistant, who had been challenged to the combat, felt that he could not, in honor to himself, allow the opportunity to pass without making use of it for the advancement, as he thought, of truth and religion. The whole congre-
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gation, too, it must be admitted, were on the side of Father Mahony. But looking back now, after twenty- five years have passed away, we ask, "Did the con- troversy do any good? Did it do any harm?" We must answer as professors of philosophy sometimes do : "Videbitur infra." It is probable that the majority of the auditors attended through the natural desire of seeing a fight; and the enthusiasm so boisterously mani- fested was about as sincere as the Athenian enthusiasm of old, which was willing to encourage both sides by shouting: "Go it, Socrates! Go it, Zantippe!"
Towards the end of Father O'Sullivan's pastorate in Oakland, he purchased the new cemetery, which is located a little more conveniently than the old "Shaffer Hill" cemetery. The late Henry Rasche was of great assistance to the good pastor in raising funds to buy the new ground. The blessing of the cemetery was Father O'Sullivan's last official act in Oakland.
On the 16th day of May, 1878, Rev. Joseph A. Gallen came to Oakland, having been appointed the first resi- dent pastor by His Grace, Archbishop Gibbons, of Baltimore. The enthusiasm of the parishioners, which had long been on the wane through that " hope deferred which maketh the heart sad," now began to glow again in all its first fervor. Nearly ten years had elapsed from the time the congregation sent the first petition to Archbishop Spalding until it was answered by Arch- bishop Gibbons. The one thought in the minds of all was: "Now that we have a resident pastor, what are we going to do to support him?" A meeting was called by
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Father Gallen, which was attended by nearly all the heads of families. It was admitted by everyone that the church was too small to get sufficient revenue from renting the pews; and, accordingly, it was determined at the meeting, over which Father Gallen himself pre- sided, that every family should contribute a settled sum monthly for the support of the church. The contri- butions volunteered aggregated one hundred dollars a month. Father Gallen was satisfied, and the members of the congregation felt jubilant. Father Gallen became very popular with his little congregation at once. He organized a sodality of the Blessed Virgin, reestablished the parochial school under charge of an able lay teacher, built the new sacristy, and embellished the church ex- teriorly and interiorly. Father Gallen rented a house, and furnished it, with the expectation of erecting a pas- toral residence as soon as convenient. In this he was doomed to disappointment, as the high altitude of Oakland soon proved detrimental to his health, and he was called away January 1, 1879.
Rev. Joseph A. Gallen was born in Ireland. He came to America before he was out of his teens, and entered St. Charles' College, where he graduated, after a classical course of three years, in 1866. He studied philosophy and theology in St. Mary's Seminary, Balti- more, and was ordained priest by Rt. Rev. Bishop Foley, of Chicago, in 1870. He had been pastor of Hickory and Deer Creek, in Harford County, before his coming to Oakland. He was for many years in charge of the Laurel Mission, in Prince George's County, after leaving
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Oakland. He died as pastor of St. Paul's parish, Baltimore. This last parish he organized, built the church and pastoral residence, and established a paro- chial school under the care of the good Franciscan Sisters.
Father Gallen was in the eighth year of his priest- hood when he came to Oakland, and a comparatively young man. He is remembered as a handsome man ; a gentleman in every respect ; but his gentleness would be more likely to impress than his manliness. He had a good face; mild, kind and cheerful; but his cheer- fulness had a little more gayety than the usual clerical character manifests. He made many friends, and was much sought after socially. He was an excellent finan- cier, as is evident from the fact that, though during his life he was a generous giver of alms to every worthy charity, he, nevertheless, died a rich man.
" As creeping tendrils shudder from the stone, The vines of love avoid the frigid heart, The work men do is not their test alone, The love they win is far the better chart."
Rev. Joseph M. Trueschler was appointed to Oakland January 1, 1879, and arrived on the mountain top dur- ing the coldest blizzard of an extremely cold winter. Being a young man, fresh from his seminary studies, he contracted a severe cold, which developed into pulmo- nary consumption, and carried him to the grave a few years after his ordination.
Father Trueschler was born in Baltimore. He made his classical course of studies with the intention of
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becoming a Redemptorist; but finally deciding to become a diocesan priest, entered St. Mary's Seminary, Balti- more, and was ordained by Archbishop Gibbons at the Christmas ordinations of 1878. He is remembered as a very delicate little man; prayerful and pious, but knowing almost noth- ing of the ways of the world. To him to see the truth meant to fol- low it; and he was disappointed-very much disappointed - when he found, to his utter astonishment, that there are men in the. world who are not so well disposed. It was an insoluble mystery to him that a man could believe in God and still REV. JOSEPH M. TRUESCHLER. not endeavor to lead a good life. As a natural consequence of this innocence, in his character there was a little too much of the "simplicity of the dove," and as he was totally devoid of "the cunning of the ser- pent," his ability would never amount to much.
Rev. Caspar Schmitt came to Oakland in 1880 and remained head of the parish two years. He was a Bavarian by birth. He studied philosophy and theol- ogy in St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, where he was
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ordained priest by Rt. Rev. Bishop Becker, of Wilming- ton, in 1872. Father Schmitt was very well known at Oakland before he became pastor, as he had formerly been assistant to Father O'Sullivan, of Westernport ; and in that capacity he had frequently visited Oakland.
He was a man of considerable ability ; but impulsive and headstrong. He found life in the mountains- especially during the long and dreary winter, dull and monotonous-and he finally abandoned the hills of Maryland for the more exhilarating atmosphere of the far West.
September 10, 1882, Rev. Romanus Mattingly arrived at Oakland to take charge of the parish. He quickly discovered that although three resident pastors had preceded him, practically nothing had been done in the way of building up the parish; furthermore, that the congregation had grown tired hearing of plans, which never materialized. He accordingly determined to make a start, and at least see what could be done. He purchased a piece of ground, drew up his plans, and erected a large, comfortable pastoral residence. He not only built, but built judiciously, realizing what his congregation could do without being over- burdened; and, best of all, he paid off nearly the whole of his church debt before leaving to work in other fields.
Father Mattingly is a member of one of the oldest Western Maryland Catholic families ; a family, which has given to the Church scores of priests and religious ; a family, too, noticeably tenacious of their Catholic faith.
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He was born at Mt. Savage, studied classics, philosophy and theology, at Mt. St. Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md. He was stationed for a short time at St. Patrick's Church, Baltimore; afterwards at St. Patrick's, Cumber- land, whence he was promoted to Oakland. Here he labored with success for fifteen years.
Father Mattingly is blest with a good mind and a great deal of natural ability ; as a parish administrator, he is quite successful ; as a financier, he is conservative and safe ; in the pursuit of knowl- edge he has a laudable stick -to - it -iveness not often met with. With a rifle he is considered REV. ROMANUS MATTINGLY. one of the most expert marksmen in the State, and he is nearly as enthusiastic a musician as rifleman. Father Mattingly is at present pastor of St. Peter's Church, Hancock, Washington County.
In September, 1897, His Eminence, Cardinal Gibbons, appointed Rev. Francis A. Wunnenberg to the pastorate of Oakland. Father Wunnenberg is a Baltimorean by birth. He studied classics under the direction of the Jesuit Fathers, philosophy and theology under the
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Sulpicians, in St. Mary's Seminary. He had exercised the ministry in the capacity of assistant at St. Mary's Church, Washington, and as pastor of Hancock, Md., before coming to Oakland. During his short stay in Oakland he made many friends. But as the severity of the mountain winters threatened to impair his health, His Eminence, the Cardinal, deemed it wise to recall him to his native climate.
Father Wunnenberg is at present working with signal success as pastor of St. Joseph's Church, on the suburbs of Baltimore.
The century closes with Rev. James E. Connell in charge of St. Peter's Church. REV. JAMES E. CONNELL. Father Connell was born in Pittsburg, Pa., but grew up in Cumberland. He acquired his primary education in the parochial schools attached to St. Patrick's Church ; his classical course of studies he pursued at St. Charles' Col- lege, Ellicott City, Md. At College he was so highly esteemed for his gentlemanly deportment, piety and intellectual attainments that he was elected prefect of the Blessed Virgin's Sodality, the most honorable
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office held by a student in the College. His studies of philosophy and theology he made with success at St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore. He was ordained priest by His Eminence, Cardinal Gibbons, at the Christmas ordinations of 1898. His first appointment was as assistant pastor at Newport, Charles County, where he worked successfully for one year. His Emi- nence, the Cardinal, recognizing the worth of the young priest, elevated him to the pastorate of St. Peter's in January, 1900. Father Connell, as was to be expected, became a universal favorite at once. His success was immediate and marvelous. He has already freed his church from a debt of nine hundred dollars; and has begun a fund for the erection of a new and in every way up-to-date church, which, in his praiseworthy ambition, he hopes to have dedicated as the crowning glory of the golden jubilee of his parish, June 29, 1902. All who know Father Connell well enough to fully appreciate his energy need no prophet's eye to foresee that he will succeed.
Fast-falling old church, farewell! Tottering altar, good-bye! The sweetest joys and saddest sorrows of many a humble life are in thy keeping! Within thy sacred walls the zealous Slattery knelt, the sweet- souled Gerdemann sang, the thousand-thundered Ma- hony preached, the modest, but mitred O'Sullivan prayed ! Their lips have long been dust, their voices have long been silent !
"O Future, speak ! In mystic song declare
The laurels that our Mother's brow shall wear !"
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ARTICLE III. 1 .
OUTLYING MISSIONS.
Garrett County has five or six outlying Missions without resident pastors, the oldest of which is
ST. JAMES' CHURCH, JOHNSTOWN.
This mission has been known under different names. It was first called the Flatwoods Mission; then the Cross Roads Mission ; afterwards the Johns- town Mission. At pres- ent it is generally called the Hoyes' Mission. This little parish is one of the twin sons of dying Blooming Rose. As far back as the year 1840 there were Catholic fami- lies living in what is now the Johnstown dis- trict, but they went to REV. WILLIAM LAMBERT. old St. Mary's to hear Mass. About the year 1850, Meshack Browning, Domi- nic Mattingly and William Browning were appointed a committee to collect donations and build a church
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