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 37

Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1344

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 37

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That all this was impressing the outside world is well illustrated by an event which took place in 1853. In April of that year

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Rev. Francis A. Baker resigned the rectorship of St. Luke's Protestant Episco- pal Church. His amiable qualities had won for him the love of his flock, who were deeply moved by his announced intention of leaving them to enter the Catholic church. He is, however, but one of many Protestant clergymen in this diocese who have brought into the Catholic church the service of their talents and their virtues. Another event which took place at this time cannot in justice be passed over in si- lence, namely, the heroism of those Catholic nuns who cheerfully left their quiet re- treats in Baltimore to attend the sick and dying victims of the war then raging.

As an author Archbishop Kenrick has few if any equals in the Catholic Ameri- can Episcopate. His learning embraced not only the usual theological subjects, but he was a linguist of extraordinary powers. His pen was never idle, chief amongst his works being a translation with notes of the Scriptures, a "Vindication of the Catholic Church," a treatise on the "Primary of the Apostolic See," on "Justification and Bap- tism," besides very good dogmatic and moral theologies.

His death was totally unexpected, being attributed by some to the grief caused by the horrors of the Civil War. On July 6, 1863, he was found dead in bed. A friend wrote of him, "Full of years and of merit and yet apparently full of vigor the destroy- ing angel laid his hand on him that night. Without a struggle, for his body lay in the usual attitude in which he composed him- self to sleep, with placid countenance and his hands crossed on his breast, he was found dead-a form of death terrible in- deed to those forgetful of God, but a great

grace to one who like him died daily, be- ing every day ready for the call."

VIII.

Most Reverend Martin John Spalding, (1864-1872.)

Archbishop Spalding was descended from an old Maryland family, but born in Kentucky, May 23, 1810. His priestly la- bors were therefore first confined to Ken- tucky, where in 1850 he succeeded Bishop Flaget in the See of Louisville, whence transferred to Baltimore in 1864. The de- lay in the appointment was doubtless due to the strange interference of the Govern- ment at Washington in the matter for rea- sons best known to itself.

The most important act of his adminis- tration was the convening of the second Plenary Council, October 7, 1866, at which were present seven archbishops and thirty- eight bishops; besides which the usual pro- vincial and diocese meetings were held. This counciliar activity found a parallel in the internal growth of the diocese. The corner-stone of St. Mary's Star of the Sea was laid May 9, 1869, taking the place of St. Lawrence; that of St. Martin's was laid on July 9, 1865; that of St. Thomas, at Hamp- den, in May, 1867. The corner-stone of St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys was laid June 4, 1867; also of the new Carmelite Convent July 21, 1872; a convent of the Good Shepherd was founded in 1864; the Little Sisters of the Poor commenced their work in 1869; the Cathedral was finished and decorated and the episcopal residence greatly enlarged. The colored people were objects of his special solicitude. They now have at their disposal three churches as fol- lows: St. Francis Xavier's first erected by

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the Universalists in 1837, used as an assem- bly room up to the Civil War, when it fell into the hands of the German Lutherans; finally bought for the colored Catholics in 1863, and was re-built in 1874-5. It is of historic importance, as being the place where Henry Clay was nomi- nated for the Presidency in 1844, where the Democratic convention of 1848 was held, and finally, where, in 1861, the assembly convened to discuss whether or not Maryland should leave the Union; St. Monica, dedicated 1883; St. Peter Claver, dedicated 1889. Besides these churches there is St. Joseph's Seminary, opened by Father Slattery in 1887-the mother house of the St. Joseph's Society for the Colored Missions. The new Semi- nary was erected in 1893; Epiphany Apos- tolic College at Walbrook is a feeder for the Seminary.

Besides the holding of the Council there occurred several events in this period which throw considerable light on the character of the archbishop. In the first place his celebrated interpretation of the Syllabus of Pius IX of December 8, 1864, is a masterly exposition of American institutions with reference to Catholic doctrine and Euro- pean radicalism. Again his attitude on the question of Papal infallibilitywas at the time construed into one of Papal opposition, an interpretation which is far from true. His veneration for the Holy Father was on the contrary amply proven by the magnificent celebration of the Papal Jubilee on June 17, 1871, whilst the veneration of his own peo- ple was no less proven by the immense gathering of fifty thousand people to wel- come him on his return to Baltimore from the Vatican Council.

Like his predecessor, Spalding was an author of distinction. Among his works are "Evidences of Catholicity," "Life of Bishop Flaget," sketches of the "Early Catholic Missions in Kentucky," "Re- view of D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation," "History of the Refor- mation," besides innumerable magazine articles and lectures, mostly of a con- troversial character. If his tone was at times severe it should be remembered that he was frequently provoked and that he never descended to mere vulgar abuse.

Before closing, a word is due one whose labors were of an humbler kind but were great enough to merit an enrollment in the annals of the city through whose streets he went in his course of devoted work. We mean, "good Father Dolan," pastor of St. Patrick's, who died January 12, 1870. In the words of the Chronicles he "was re- spected and admired by all for his virtues, charities and usefulness."

IX.

Most Reverend James Roosevelt Bayley, (1872-1877.)

This was the second archbishop of Bal- timore, who was a convert to the church, the conversion taking place in 1842, when Rev. Mr. Bayley was a minister of the Episcopal church. His life previous to his elevation to the See of Baltimore was spent as a priest in his native city, New York, and Newark, of which latter place he was ap- pointed the first bishop in 1853. He was appointed archbishop of Baltimore in 1872; his administration which lasted only five years was not particularly eventful, yet none of his predecessors has to this day a larger share in the memories and affections of Bal-

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timore Catholics. Under him the Cathe- dral was at length freed from debt and consecrated, and the corner-stone of the new building at St. Mary's Seminary was laid May 31, 1876. St. Ann's church, the gift of Capt. William Kennedy, was dedi- cated January 30, 1874. Two complete visitations of his diocese were also made de- spite his weak health. In October, 3, 1877, he passed away at Newark amidst the peo- ple he had so well loved, and from whom he was so unwillingly torn. He was buried at Emmittsburg. His literary abilities are attested by his "Life of Bishop Brute" and "History of the Catholic Church in the Island of New York."

His Eminence, James Cardinal Gibbons, (1877.)

This administration, judged by the note- worthy events which have happened during its existence, is, with the exception of Car- roll's, the most important not only in the history of Baltimore Catholicity, but of the American church at large. In it we see the full blossoming of the little seed planted long ago by Archbishop Carroll, which un- der the fostering care of its guardians has attained a vigor far surpassing the most sanguine hopes. And the various celebra- tions commemorating this success are but the joyous outbursts of exultation in the heart of this latest, yet not least nation, which the church has won over in her pale.

Cardinal Gibbons, who has been for so long the prominent actor in these events, was born in Baltimore on July 23, 1834; or- dained priest at St. Mary's Seminary June 30, 1861; consecrated bishop August 16, 1868, as Vicar-Apostolic of North Carolina;

transferred to govern the See of Richmond, July 30, 1872; later becoming coadjutor to Archbishop Bayley, succeeding at the death of the latter to his present position, Octo- ber 3, 1877.

Foremost among the events of his ad- ministration stands the third Plenary Coun- cil, over which he presided. The Council opened November 9, and closed December 7, 1884, taking part in it fourteen arch- bishops, sixty bishops besides five others from Canada and Japan, and many others- abbots, superiors of religious orders, theo- logians, et cetera. Sermons touching upon all important questions were preached by the best speakers in the hierarchy; at the Concordia Opera House, on November 20th, the citizens of Baltimore tendered a reception to all the members of the Coun- cil; finally at the last session on Decem- ber 7th the thanks of the Fathers in Coun- cil were expressed to Archbishop Gibbons for the able manner in which, as Apostolic Delegate, he had presided over thé delib- erations. The decrees can be found in the "Acta et Decreta," published after the ap- proval of the Holy Father. Archbishop Gibbons also addressed a pastoral to the clergy and laity of his diocese before the opening of the Council. This is the latest of the twelve Councils of various degrees over which the archbishops of Baltimore have presided since the first synod held by Carroll, November 7, 1791. Looking back over all these years the Catholics of Amer- ica can indeed experience a feeling of pride in considering them a body of laws which for sound practical sense have few equals and perhaps no superior ; whilst at the same time they are an index of the uninterrupted development which has gone on within

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the church under the wise guidance of her bishops. Nor must it be forgotten that the archbishops of Baltimore have been not merely the presiding officers, but as well the moving spirits in the shaping of that legislation which has proved so bene- ficial in its results. After the holding of the Council there come next in importance the various celebrations in connection with the archbishop's elevation to the cardinal- ate. In 1886 was received the official no- tice of the contemplated honor; in June of the same year the papal messengers with the beretta and official papers arrived. On June 30, 1886, the ceremony took place in the Cathedral, the venerable Archbishop Kenrick, of St. Louis, as the special repre- sentative of the Pope, imposing the red hat. Even for Baltimore, the scene of so many similar celebrations, the pageant was one of unusual magnificence, there being in the procession which wound its way into the Cathedral no less than twenty-four bishops and ten archbishops besides representatives of the religious orders, seminarians, stu- dents-from all parts of the country. Arch- bishop Ryan, of Philadelphia, preached the opening sermon, the new Cardinal closing the ceremony with a brief address to the assembled clergy and laity. After mass the clergy repaired for dinner to St. Mary's Seminary, which was decorated from roof to basement in honor of the occasion. At night the Catholic societies joined in a pa- rade, in which about twelve hundred men are estimated to have taken part, besides which various institutions such as the Semi- nary, Loyola College, Male Orphan Asy- lum, St. Mary's Industrial School and num- berless private houses were illuminated; the reception tendered to the visiting prelates

by Miss Emily Harper was also a note- worthy feature. In February, 1887, the Cardinal repaired to Rome as the final step in the ceremony of his admission to the sa- cred college; on March 17th His Holiness personally conferred the red hat upon him, and on the 25th of the same month took place the formal installation in his titular church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. The Cardinal's patriotic and truly eloquent ad- dress on this occasion was received in America with extraordinary favor, Father Hecker comparing him to "Benjamin Franklin championing our cause in Europe before and during the Revolutionary War." The return to America was as much of a triumph as the opening ceremonies, thou- sands thronging the streets of Baltimore, the Mayor making one of the addresses of welcome. A procession made up of Catho- lic societies, clergy and city officers in car- riages wound its way from Union Depot to the Cathedral, where His Eminence con- cluded the celebrations by a short address.

Hardly less imposing was the Episcopal Jubilee of October 18, 1893. In the Cathe- dral were assembled various Catholic so- cieties, students of St. Charles, seminarians of St. Mary's, thirty bishops, twelve arch- bishops and the Apostolic Delegate, Mgr. Satolli. Reverend F. Z. Rooker read a let- ter of congratulation from His Holiness, Pope Leo XIII; Archbishop Corrigan, of New York, preached the sermon. At St. Mary's Seminary an address was read on behalf of the clergy of the diocese; the Catholic Club of Baltimore tendered a ban- quet at which were Vice-President Steven- son and various prelates; celebrations fol- lowed at Washington, St. Charles' Col- lege, Calvert Hall, for all of which the

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Cardinal returned thanks in a closing ser- mon in the Cathedral on November 5th. In connection with this Jubilee the famous ser- mon of Archbishop Ireland, of St. Paul, on the "Church and the Age," will long be re- membered as one of the most, if not the most remarkable, of the addresses coming from the American Episcopate. Another celebration somewhat similar to the above was held in honor of the Cardinal's return from Rome, August 24, 1895. About two thousand people met him at Camden Sta- tion, where an address of welcome was read, followed by a reception at the Catholic Club.

Besides those in honor of His Eminence, Baltimore has seen in late years other cele- brations of importance. On June 21, 1882, the Redemptorists commemorated the fif- tieth anniversary of their coming to Amer- ica. At Philadelphia, on September 17, 1887, Cardinal Gibbons pronounced the benediction at the celebration of the Con- stitutional Centennial. At Baltimore, No- vember 10, 1889, the one hundredth anni- versary of the consecration of Bishop Car- roll was observed with the solemnities prop- er to the occasion, perhaps of all these cele- brations the most important. Besides the students and seminarians there were in the procession, which encircled the Cathedral, upwards of seventy-two bishops, seventeen archbishops, two cardinals and the Papal Delegate. The sermons were preached by Archbishop Ryan and Ireland, followed by other addresses at the banquet at St. Mary's Seminary. On November IIth and 12thi followed the holding of a Catholic congress, a striking illustration of the close sympathy existing between the clergy and laity in this country. Other features of the celebration were the illumination of the Cathedral and

many other churches, public institutions and private houses; also a monster torch- light parade in which thirty thousand men are estimated to have participated. On Oc- tober 28, 1891, St. Mary's Seminary com- memorated its one hundredth anniversary with a solmen mass at the Cathedral and a banquet in its own halls, where a large con- course, not only of the clergy, but as well of the laity, alumni of the old college, gath- ered to render their tribute of love and re- spect to their venerable Alma Mater. Fi- nally, in 1892, occurred the Columbian cel- ebration, mass being said in the cathedral on October 16th, the monument to Colum- bus having been unveiled at Druid Hill Park on the 12th, Cardinal Gibbons speak- ing on the occasion. He also rendered the closing prayer at the World's Fair dedica- tory exercises on October 2Ist.

All this external magnificence can be re- garded as an index of the innate vitality of the church, and so, in fact, we are not sur- prised to find this period remarkable for the number of new churches opened for the accommodation of the rapidly increasing Catholic population.

Besides some already mentioned, there arose the following: Pius Memorial, so called to commemorate the Jubilee of Pius IX, corner-stone laid on May 5, 1878, in the presence of a large concourse of Catholic societies, who had formed a procession in honor of the event. St. Andrew, dedicated October 6, 1878; the congregation now con- templates a new church more in keeping with their numbers. St. Edward at Calver- ton, corner-stone laid on March 28, 1880, but the formal opening not taking place un- til September 19th of same year. St. Leo, corner-stone laid September II, 1880, erect-

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ed principally for the spiritual care of the Italian immigrants, who are now estimated at about five thousand, scattered through- out the city. St. Gregory, parish formed in 1883, corner-stone of present church not laid until September 13, 1885. Corpus Christi, corner-stone laid on April 18, 1886; built by the children of Mr. Thomas C. Jen- kins in honor of his memory. St. Joseph (Passionist), corner-stone laid on June 19, 1881. St. Jerome, corner-stone laid Sep- tember 25, 1887. Our Lady of Good Coun- sel, corner-stone laid on June 22, 1889. St. Luke, at Sparrow's Point, dedicated June 8, 1890. St. Athanasius, at Curtis Bay, ded- icated on April II, 1891. St. Stanislaus (Polish), dedicated on November 15th of same year. St. Bernard, corner-stone laid July 26, 1891. St. Benedict, opened August 27, 1893. St. Elizabeth, corner-stone laid July 7, 1895. Finally Sts. Philip and James, recently erected. The number of churches in the city which have arisen during the administration of His Eminence amount to the large number of twenty-four, the num- ber having increased from eighteen at the beginning of his administration to the pres- ent number of forty-two. This statement assumes that during his administration arose also the churches of St. Paul, Holy Rosary and St. John the Baptist, about which the writer has no information at hand. As for the numerous institutions of learning and charity which abound in the city the reader is referred to other sources of information, inasmuch as their number and the difficulty of collecting the correct data have made it impossible to put into the present short sketch any but a few of the earlier institutions and of those only sucli as have already found a place in the his-

torical works in current use. Suffice it to say that there are in the city at present three colleges, four academies, two semi- naries, four industrial schools, thirteen homes (asylums and orphanages), three hospitals, and twenty-eight religious com- munities. The population as given by the returns from the various pastors of churches is about one hundred and eight thousand, but inasmuch as this figure includes only those coming directly under their supervis- ion and not a large class such as immigrants and those in institutions, a conservative es- timate will easily bring the population up to one hundred and twenty-five thousand (125,000), which is the figure obtained by basing the calculation upon the number of baptisms. One instance alone will suffice to show that the figures are not too high, perhaps too low. St. Leo's Church (Ital- ian) gives its population as nine hundred and fifty (950); now, there are about five thousand (5,000) Italians in the city, who, in spite of some occasional carelessness in some matters of religion, are Catholic to the core in faith, are all baptized, married, die and are buried in their church, thus being entitled to be considered Catholics.

To return to the personality which has occupied so prominent a place in the events of the period, the present Archbishop of Baltimore has been called on to meet more important yet delicate problems than per- haps any of his predecessors. The Knights of Labor question was one of peculiar dif- ficulty and was solved in a way highly cred- itable to the church in America. Certainly the laboring classes will long have cause to thank His Eminence for his famous mem- orial on this subject presented at Rome in 1887. The school question and the estab-

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lishment of the Catholic University at Washington also demanded his closest at- tention, but all of them are yet too fresh in the memories of the faithful to become mat- ter for present history. A

Finally, following in the footsteps of Ken- rick, Spalding and Bayley, the Cardinal has won distinction also in the world of litera- ture. Not to mention the "Faith of Our Fathers," "Our Christian Heritage," "The Ambassador of Christ," which are too well known to need comment, his pen has ever been busy in writing for the leading reviews on all questions touching the church and the public at large.

The fact of his now living in our midst forbids an estimate of the comparative re- sults of his episcopate, yet in closing this sketch a few words may be allowed in com- mendation of at least one characteristic on account of its being also the dominating characteristic of his predecessors, namely, his thorough sympathy with the genius of his native country. The very first arch-

bishop of Baltimore seems in this regard to have established a precedent, or rather to have stamped his influence upon the course of his successors, for like him they have been not only Catholic to the core, but sin- cere, stout-hearted Americans, as is abund- antly witnessed by Spalding's famous com- mentary on the Syllabus and the eloquent words of His Eminence at Rome in 1887. One may justly attribute to an everwise Providence the good fortune which has chosen such men to represent this newest and most vigorous Catholicity in the newest and most vigorous nation of the earth. The Catholics of Baltimore have therefore noth- ing in their history to be ashamed of, bar- ring the incidental faults common to any human society; and if in the past any mis- understandings have disturbed their rela- tions with their Protestant fellow-citizens, the better element on both sides deplores them, labors for their gradual correction and feels assured that they will find few, if any, imitations or reproductions in the fu- ture.

Encreme VEK Comme: New York

Royal M. Pullman

CHAPTER XII.

THE PROTESTANT CHURCHES OF BALTIMORE.

BY THE REV. ARTHUR CHILTON POWELL, A. M.

Baltimore has been a distinctly religious community from the day of its first settle- ment to the present hour. Its high moral tone and its great commercial prosperity are entirely due to the deep Christian prin- ciples which have ever guided and gov- erned the life of the people. There is no city in the country which has so fostered the religion of Christ, and paid such due regard to the feasts and fasts of the ec- clesiastical year as Baltimore. The numer- ous churches, of all denominations; the va- rious charities, for all purposes; the con- spicuous piety, of men of high and low de- gree, all betoken the strong hold which re- ligion has upon its citizens.

It is a matter worthy of special note that the original plat of the town of Baltimore designates a conspicuous lot-indeed the most conspicuous in the little settlement- for a church. Like Abraham of old, the early settlers of this place erected their altar as soon as they pitched their tent. This ancient site is still in the possession of the same congregation by which it was origi- nally purchased and the same order of ser- vice (with but slight modifications) which was first heard in Baltimore is still used. It is St. Paul's Church, at the corner of Charles and Saratoga streets, and the ser- vice is that of the mother church of the English speaking people, the Church of England. The first settlers of Baltimore

were Englishmen. Naturally their "Zion" was the Church of England. Hence it is that in the very year the town was laid out and on the highest ground near the centre of the new settlement, a lot, containing one acre of land, was purchased for church pur- poses. This was in 1730. Immediate steps were taken to erect a church under the charge of a settled clergyman.

The next religious body to organize in the town was the German Reformed in 1756 or 1757; the next was the Lutheran in 1760; the next was the Presbyterian in 1763; the Methodists and Baptists were organized in 1773; the Friends in 1780; the United Brethren in 1789; the Swedenborgians in 1792; and the other denominations, one af- ter another, at later periods. In this article the history of these Protestant bodies will be reviewed in the order of their organiza- tion, so far as that can be definitely ascer- tained.

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

It must always be borne in mind that the American Episcopal Church is the daughter of the Church of England, and that it took its present title only when the War of the Revolution had severed the bonds which bound America to England, and made a new name necessary. But inasmuch as Bal- timore is an ante-Revolutionary town, the Episcopal Church has an ante-Revolution-

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Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n Publication date: 1898 Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1344

Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1344