USA > Maryland > Baltimore County > Baltimore City > History of Baltimore, Maryland, from its founding as a town to the current year, 1729-1898, including its early settlement and development; a description of its historic and interesting localities; political, military, civil, and religious statistcs; biographies of representative citizens, etc., etc > Part 35
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Mr. Walsh was survived by a brother, William H. Walsh, since deceased, leaving children. Mr. Edward J. Penniman is a son of his sister, Mrs. Mary Penniman, at whose
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house he died. Archibald Stirling, Sr., married his eldest sister. They are both dead, and left children, including the late Archibald Stirling, Jr., a prominent lawyer; Murray Stirling and Commander Yates Stirling of the United States Navy.
Mr. Walsh belonged to an era that pro- duced the highest forensic talent honoring the Bar of Baltimore. Of his time and period were Augustus W. Bradford,
George R. Richardson, John P. Kennedy, Henry May, S. T. Wallis, Reverdy John- son, Charles F. Mayer, J. Morrison Harris, William H. Collins, John V. L. McMahon, J. Mason Campbell, John Cousine, Richard Merrick, 1. Nevitt Steele and William P. Preston. They were giants, and it were pleasing to believe that men of like powers will again appear in the rich and expanding future.
CHAPTER XI.
CHURCH HISTORY (ROMAN CATHOLIC).
REV. LUCIAN JOHNSTON, BY APPOINTMENT OF CARDINAL GIBBONS.
I.
A Sketch of Catholic Church History In Baltimore City.
(Early History, 1729-1789.)
The first beginnings of Catholicity in Baltimore were indeed humble, since it was not until the Revolution that Mass could be said anywhere but in private houses. In fact, not much more could be expected in a town which in 1752 contained only two hundred inhabitants, in 1775 about six thousand, and which was situated in a region where ill-feeling continually hampered the growth of Catholicity. But in the year 1755 we have the arrival of a distinct body of Catholics, namely: the Acadians, about one hundred of whom landed in Baltimore, where they became definitely settled, at first lodging in private houses, afterwards in those built by them- selves on South Charles street near Lom- bard, giving to that quarter the designation of "French Town," which it preserved for a long time. Some such as Guttro, Blanc, Dashield and Berbine, who had suffered least perhaps, attached themselves mostly to navigation, whilst the infirm picked oakum.
The little colony's spiritual wants were met by Father Ashton, who came once a month from Doughoregan Manor, and said Mass in the abandoned brick house stand-
ing near the northwest corner of Calvert and Fayette streets. The congregation numbered about forty souls, mostly Aca- dians, of course, together with a few Irish, among whom occur the names of Patrick Bennett, Robert Walsh and William Sten- son. The services were correspondingly simple, the expenses, such as they were, be- ing borne by the Jesuit Fathers out of their individual estates. Such was the modest beginning of Baltimore Catholicity, which was in less than half a century to become an Episcopal See, and in a little more than a century to be presided over by a Cardinal.
The little community thrived well enough to resolve, in 1770, upon erecting a church, a design materially aided by Mr. Charles Carroll, whose generosity has ever since been imitated by his descendants. He ceded a lot fronting on Saratoga and Charles streets, on the northwest side of which was raised a brick building, twenty- five by thirty feet, known as St. Peter's Church. Mr. John McNabb erected, or superintended, the building until the walls and roof were completed. In this un- finished condition it may have been occu- pied, but before completion the superin- tendent failed in business, owing a debt on account of the building of about five hun- dred and forty dollars in present money. The chief creditor therefore locked up the church, keeping possession of the key until 1774 or 1775. Griffith, in his Annals of
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Baltimore, says: "By a ludicrous suit against Ganganelli, Clement XIV, Pope of Rome, for want of other defendant, to recover the advances of Mr. McNabb, who became bankrupt, the church was sometime closed. This was at the Revolution, and the con- gregation assembled in a private house un- til possession was recovered." The man- ner of reopening St. Peter's was some- what novel. A volunteer company, prob- ably in 1775, which was part of a military force organized to repel the apprehended attacks of incursions of Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, was in Baltimore un- der the command of Capt. Galbraith. The company was then employed guarding some Scotch malcontents from North Caro- lina. On Sunday morning some of the sol- diers asked permission to go to church, a majority deciding upon attending the Roman Catholic Church. On learning that it was closed and the key in the posses- sion of Mr. P- -, they marched in a body, with their captain at their head, to this gentleman's residence and demanded the key. It so happened that Mr. P.
had fallen under suspicion of being disaf- fected to the cause of American Indepen- dence, and on seeing a body of soldiers halted in front of his home, he apprehended they were about to make him prisoner, but on learning their object he readily de- livered the key to Capt. Galbraith. The company then moved off, opened the church, and, after they had satisfied their devotion, the Catholics retained possession of the key and the church until the close of the Revolutionary War, after which period the sum of two hundred pounds was raised by subscription and paid to Mr. P- - in discharge of the debt due him, and he
relinquished all claim upon the church. (Scharf's Chronicles of Baltimore, ad ann., 1770). This was the congregation whose present representative is the Cathedral. Calvert Hall for a long while occupied the site of the old St. Peter's after the Cathedral had replaced this latter as the parish church. During the Revolution the congregation was attended by Reverend Bernard Dide- rick, but here was no resident pastor be- fore 1784. Before that a Father Phelan passed through Baltimore celebrating Mass and preaching in English and French. Fre- quently also the chaplains of the French army celebrated Mass in this place. In 1782 Count Rochambeau, on his return from Yorktown, halted in Baltimore, where some of his troops remained until the close of the war. The Legion of the Duke de Lauzun encamped on the ground where the Cathedral now stands, which, as well as that around St. Peter's, was covered with forest trees. On one occasion a grand Mass was celebrated with great military pomp, the celebrant being an Irish priest, chaplain to Count Rochambeau. The bands of French regiments accompanied the sa- cred service with solemn music, the officers and a large concourse of the townspeople were present, so that the small church was not only crowded but the spacious yard in front was also filled. St. Peter's remained unfinished until 1783. In 1784 Reverend Charles Sewall was appointed pastor, being the first resident Catholic priest in the city.
In 1786 Reverend John Carroll, the then spiritual superior of the Maryland clergy, also took up his residence there. His elo- quence soon attracted attention, his ser- mons being so much admired that they were listened to by many Protestants.
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These seem, however, to have been excep- tions to the spirit of intolerance which then hampered Catholics. Dr. Carroll, in fact, found it necessary even after the adoption of the Constitution, to reply to a writer who, in the "Gazette of the United States," fa- vored the grant of certain privileges to Protestantism as a national religion.
This was but one of many causes which checked the growth of the infant church. A report of Dr. Carroll to Cardinal Anto- nelli, drawn up in 1785, presents a picture of it not any too flattering. After giving the number of Catholics in Maryland, which, in his opinion, amounted to 15,800, including 3,000 negroes, he thus speaks of their piety: "In Maryland a few of the lead- ing, more wealthy families still profess the Catholic faith introduced at the very foun- dation of the provinces by their ancestors. As for piety they are, for the most part, suf- ficiently assiduous in the exercises of re- ligion and in frequenting the sacraments, but they lack that fervor, which frequent ap- peals to the sentiment of piety usually pro- duce, as many congregations hear the word of God only once a month, and sometimes only once in two months." Regarding the immigrant Catholics: "You can scarcely find any among the newcomers who dis- charge this duty of religion (Easter duties), and there is reason to think the example will be very pernicious, especially in the commercial towns." As to the negroes: "Most of them are very dull in faith and depraved in morals." May we not be al- lowed an expression of surprise that the la- bors of the Jesuits should have produced such little fruit? Making allowance there- fore for the drawbacks naturally caused by the prevailing bigotry of the age, the con-
clusion seems forced upon us that there was something defective in the internal organ- ization of the church itself. Certain it is that at the time when Dr. Carroll penned his report there were but nineteen priests on the Maryland missions and five in Penn- sylvania, of whom two were over seventy years old, three almost seventy, the remain- ing in some cases in bad health, so that they were evidently unable to carry on the work. A bishop was therefore necessary in order to give the church greater stability. This brings us to the establishment of the Epis- copate.
II.
The Episcopate, established Nov. 6, 1789.
In the preceding century Lord Baltimore had applied to the Propaganda for a prefect apostolic of diocesan priests. As early as 1641 the Propaganda had taken steps in this direction, and in spite of the remonstrances of the Jesuits two other priests arrived in Maryland in 1642. Two Franciscans ar- rived about 1673, followed by three more in 1677, together with three Jesuits and some lay brothers. The clergy recived their jur- isdiction from ecclesiastical superiors in England; at first the archpriests, later the vicar-apostolic of London; an arrangement based rather on common law than on any formal document.
They were, however, in 1757, authorita- tively subjected to the Vicariate Apostolic of London, but Bishop Challoner finding himself unable to attend to the Colonies on account of the vast distance separating him from them, suggested the appointment of a Vicar Apostolic for themselves. The plan was for a time dropped owing to the oppo- sition of the Fathers, who feared lest the
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Cardinal of York, brother of Charles Ed- ward, the Pretender, would exercise an in- fluence in the appointment of a person, of- fensive both to the civil authorities then under the sway of the House of Brunswick, and to themselves, to whom the Cardinal was openly hostile. A remonstrance there- fore against the appointment of a bishop was drawn up by the leading Catholics of Maryland and sent to London by the Fath- ers. It was never presented at Rome. The suggestion was then made that the Bishop of Quebec should visit the Colonies for the sake of administering confirmation, . and the Superior of the Jesuits made a visit to Quebec in 1769 for such a purpose; the Propaganda also in 1771 tried to advance the same object, but this plan also failed, perhaps owing to the prejudice which the coming of a bishop from Canada might have excited.
The way, however, was none the less slowly and surely prepared for the estab- lishment of the hierarchy.
In the first place the bravery of the Catholics in the Revolutionary War did much towards softening the hostility towards them. Secondly, the war had separated the American Catholic Church from London as effectually as it had given birth to our civil independence, since from 1781 it was left to itself, no attempts being made to renew the connection. Thirdly, the Fathers since 1773 had as a Society been suppressed, and doubtless their con- tinued existence as individual clergymen had the effect of bestowing upon them a diocesan character which familiarized the community with the idea of a clergy in di- rect subjection to a local bishop. Lastly, the impossiblity of securing confirmation
was forcing the community to the same end.
The first steps towards it were therefore taken when, in 1783, the Fathers addressed to Rome petitioning that "Reverend Mr. Lewis be formally constituted Superior with power to administer confirmation and with other privileges not strictly of an Episcopal character." The result was somewhat different from expectations. The Superior asked for was given the rank of Prefect Apostolic, and instead of Lewis, Dr. Carroll received the dignity on June 9, 1784, the official document reaching him only in November 26, 1784. The incident curiously illustrates a strange condition of affairs, since we learn from a letter to Rev- erend John Carroll, of September 21, 1784. that "there are certainly some oblique views, most probably directed to the prop- erty of the American missions and to the obtaining superiority over the missionaries. The note delivered to the Nuncio proves their wish to exclude every Jesuit from trust of honor; and equally betrays the policy of the French ministry, who by bringing for- ward a Frenchman or Irish-Frenchman, would use religion as an instrument to in- crease their own influence in America." From this we should be led to suspect that Carroll, as a native American, and at least professedly not a Jesuit, was a compromise candidate to the satisfaction of all parties.
Good as this was still the need of a regu- larly constituted bishop forced itself more and more into notice. Carroll himself had hinted at the bigotry liable to be aroused by too close a connection with Rome as laid down in the articles of his appointment. Moreover, his powers soon appeared in- adequate to deal with such evils as grew
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out of trusteeism, because some took ad- vantage of his imperfect authority to rebel against it as null and void because emanat- ing directly from a foreign source, be- sides which the influx of foreigners had raised up other serious difficulties incident to national churches, whilst the former sup- pressed Jesuits were not on the best terms with the new clergy from abroad. The conviction therefore finally formed itself as to the necessity of a bishop, so that in 1788 the clergy and people of Maryland peti- tioned for one, a step which resulted in the election of Dr. Carroll. His consecration was performed August 15, 1790, by Right Reverend Charles Walmesley, the senior Vicar Apostolic of England, in the private chapel of his friend, Mr. Thomas Weld, of Lulworth Castle, England. As a site for his See, Philadelphia, the seat of Government, was first thought of; also Gallipolis, in Scioto county, Ohio, owing to the existence of a considerable colony of French Catho- lics there residing, was thought of as the seat of another American Bishopric at the time that Baltimore was determined upon. Finally Baltimore was selected, which thus enjoys the distinction of being the most an- cient See in the United States.
III.
Most Reverend John Carroll (1790-1815.)
At Carroll's consecration there were in the American church thirty-five priests in charge of thirty churches, exclusive of out- lying missions, who, at his death, in 1815, had increased to upwards of one hundred- the happy and logical outcome of the Epis- copate. But such results were gained only by the most heroic efforts. Outside the church the old bigotry was yet alive, so that
Carroll was compelled to call attention to the "violent and increasing oppressions of the church," a fact all the more discreditable to Baltimore, since such names as Dyer, Hynes, Dobson, Norris and Donovan, in the list of officers of the Second Maryland Brigade for 1778 prove the patriotism of the Catholics in the War of Independence, which was to be still further shown in that of 1812 by such as Murphy, Boyle, Mitchell. Jenkins and Dunn, names not necessarily, but presumably, Catholic.
In the bosom of the church yet greater dangers menaced her life, as is attested by the German schism about the beginning of the present century. Only thirty of this nationality in Baltimore were ignorant of English, yet their pastor, a Father Reuter, accused Carroll of obstructing the teaching of German and otherwise excited the Ger- man Catholics, who had in the meantime built up the church of old St. John's. In the subsequent dispute with the trustees of this church, the matter was carried to the civil courts, where the trustees set up the novel defense that "by the fundamental laws and usuages of the German Catholic Church the members of the church had the sole and exclusive right of nominating and appointing their pastor, and that they had put the church under the control of the Minorites Conventual of the Order of Saint Francis, and that they owed obedience to the civil magistrates and to that Order, and to no other ecclesiastical person or body whatever." Needless to say that Carroll won his case (in 1805). Such were but some of the difficulties constantly besetting the new bishop, but his ability rose equal to every emergency.
The violence of prejudice had so far hin-
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dered the rise of Catholic schools. For ex- ample, in 1775, John Hefferman, a Catholic, had his school broken up and was himself forced to leave the town. But such feeling must have softened when in 1815 Reverend John F. Moranville, pastor of Saint Pat- rick's Church, instituted a benevolent as- sociation for the support of a school, which enjoys the distinction of preceding all pub- lic schools in Baltimore. Higher education was provided for by Carroll's unceasing ef- forts to build Georgetown College at Wash- ington and St. Mary's; the latter was incor- porated in 1805, and continued its useful career until the middle of the century, when Loyola College fell heir to its position.
On the side of the clergy the want was met by the establishment of St. Mary's Seminary in 1791 in charge of the Sul- picians, a body of ecclesiastics which by constant devotion to the original object of its founder and a ready assimilation to the genius of its new country, has proved a friend indeed to the diocesan clergy of the whole country, but particularly of our own city. Carroll's comprehensive mind is well illustrated by his original intention of mak- ing Georgetown College a feeder for the Seminary. Reverend Mr. Badin was the first priest ordained of the Diocese of Bal- timore; ordination took place May 25, 1793.
Catholic literature also felt the good in- fluence of the gradual softening of feeling. Catholic publications which began almost by stealth in colonial days were taken up more openly after the rupture with Great Britain, Philadelphia leading the way in this direction. Chief amongst the new publi- cations must be mentioned a quarto Catho- lic Bible issued in 1790, being the first Eng- lish quarto Bible printed in this country.
Moreover, Carroll was at the head of the movement in 1795 to establish a public library in Baltimore, whilst the Library Company which he was active in organizing formed a fine collection of books, many of which were, if not now, preserved in the Maryland Historical Society. Reverend Mr. Perigny, a French priest, was first li- brarian. The "Maryland Society for Pro- moting Useful Knowledge," which lasted only a few years, also owed much to Car- roll's efforts.
In this period also arose the church of St. Patrick, the second in Baltimore. The Catholics residing in the southeastern part of the city known as Fell's Point, find- ing it too inconvenient to attend old St. Peter's, resolved in 1792 to commence the erection of a church for themselves. As a beginning a chapel was fitted up in an un- plastered room in the third story of a house on the northeast corner of Fleet and Bond streets; next was procured a room on Thames street for two or three years. Father Garnier was the first pastor of the little congregation, which amounted at first to about a dozen people. In 1796 their numbers had increased enough to justify building, so that a structure, 42x35 feet, was erected on Apple alley near Wilkes street. Father Floyd, who built this, died in 1797, when Garnier again resumed charge. The first resident pastor was a . Reverend Michael Cuddy, appointed in 1803, who died of the yellow fever in 1804. Under his successor, Reverend John Moranville, the old structure was replaced by a new one in 1806, and alongside of this arose a pastoral residence.
Old St. Peter's having now become too small, steps were taken for the erection of
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the present Cathedral. In a pastoral of 1803 Carroll had called on the faithful to aid in the work of "dedicating a church to God, to be erected by the united efforts of all our brethren in this diocese, to stand as the evidence of their attachment to the unity of Episcopal government," asking for that purpose one dollar a year for four years, from the head of each family. For a site a spot on the hill had been proposed, but finding it too costly it was proposed to build on the burial ground adjoining St. Peter's. This provoked a remonstrance signed by the priests of the Seminary, who were regarded as the priests of the Cathe- dral, which finally resulted in the purchase of the present site from General John Eager Howard, most of the expenses being de- frayed by a lottery. The corner-stone was laid July 7, 1806, with great solemnity.
Another congregation of mixed English, French, American and negro clustered around the chapel of St. Mary's in charge of the Sulpicians.
Whilst thus the church was expanding in a purely natural growth a large accretion came in 1793. The revolution of San Do- mingo drove out of that island the white residents, a great number of whom sought refuge in America. In July fifty-three ves- sels arrived in Baltimore bearing about one thousand whites and five hundred colored people, followed soon after by others. As a class they were desirable emigrants, a no- tice of Bishop Dubourg describes "most of them as full of piety and others disposed to it through misfortune." In the life of Abbe Moranville it is also stated that "besides the emigration from France, a very large number of the most respectable inhabi- tants of San Domingo, flying from the mas-
sacre of 1793, found refuge in Baltimore," whilst the annals of the city say that these immigrations of French colonists increased the wealth and population of Baltimore.
If Baltimore City was thus rapidly in- creasing its Catholic population, the church at large was becoming too unwieldly for the personal attention of one man. Hence, in 1808, four other bishoprics were erected, the first of those many partitions which have diminished the territory but increased the dignity of the See of Baltimore. En passant it should be noticed how strenu- ously Carroll resisted the interference of foreigners in the affairs of the American Church. The first attempts of the kind came from Frenchmen, and continued to come from Dublin during the first quarter of the present century, until the unremit- ting opposition of Carroll and his success- ors brought them to an end.
Before the divisions above referred to, the care of his diocese had become such a burden that Reverend Leonard Neale was appointed coadjutor in 1795, as a result of the deliberations of the first Diocesan Synod held in 1791; his consecration took place in 1800. The acts of this Synod are of peculiar importance, as being the first body of laws adopted by the American Church. At its close Carroll addressed a pastoral, the first of its kind from an Ameri- can Catholic Bishop, to the clergy and people, wherein, amongst other things, he appealed for funds for the support of the new seminary and Georgetown College, and urged the extreme poverty of both clergy and churches, which were reduced to great straits, all the more so, as the heroic Jesuit Fathers, in the hope of a final re- suscitation of their Society, had retained the
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property of the old missions and drawn up in 1784 a special resolution to the effect that "if a bishop was sent them he should not be entitled to any support from the present es- tates of the clergy." The indifference of the people in the matter of contributions was doubtless due to the Fathers having for so long been supported by their estates. The custom was therefore instituted of taking up collections at the offertory.
Such are a few salient events in the life of our first archbishop. That he made some mistakes none but the most prejudiced will deny, but the difficulties of his position are more than an excuse. Certain it is, how- ever, that on more than one occasion the rising Republic had cause to thank his pa- triotism. He cast the destinies of the young church in with those of the nation, and even when, as in 1812, he was opposed to war, his love of country rose superior to personal views. His work is therefore abiding, for to this day the Catholic church by him founded is in perfect touch with the na- tion's heart, and it may be said with equal truth that he has left his impress upon the long list of succeeding Archbishops of Bal- timore, who have so closely imitated his characteristic gentleness in dealing with their Protestant fellow-citizens. His death, which took place in 1815, was fittingly la- mented by all.
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