USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Morristown > The story of a parish : the first Catholic church in Morristown, N.J. ; its foundation and development, 1847-1892 > Part 10
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In the Winter months of 1885 a series of lec- tures were given to the members and friends of the Young Men's Catholic Association by Fathers M. A. McManus and Flynn. There was no admission fee, and the exercises were varied by recitations and music. They afforded amusement, and were a source of intellectual improvement to all.
The Bishops of the Third Plenary Council, to secure for all the faithful the nourishment their souls need and the Word of God supplies, made it obligatory on all pastors to explain the Gospel for at least five minutes at every Mass on Sundays and solemn feasts. In compliance with their wise enact- ment a five-minute sermon was written by either the Pastor or assistant and read at the low Masses.
Circumstances heretofore hindered the faithful from taking the active part in its ritual that the Church desires, and which it has insisted upon from time immemorial. The sacred service of song has always been a potent force in the Church, and her Pontiffs and Doctors in all ages have enshrined the dogmas of faith in poetry and music, which the people sang unto edification and instruction. It is not easy to impress a congregation with its ability to enter into song worship. There is timidity, a
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
mutual shyness, and a distrust of vocal powers to overcome. But with patience and encouragement these obstacles may be dissipated, and assured suc- cess awaits both pastor and people. The better to secure this result, Father Flynn published a booklet, with the consent of his Bishop, Lent, and how to spend it, in which were embodied hymns to be sung at Benediction, and during the devotions popularly known as the Stations of the Cross. The congre- gation at almost the first attempt succeeded beyond expectation. All entered into the singing with heartiness and zest, and the crowds which thronged the services during the holy season attested the value of this feature, not indeed new but hitherto disregarded.
A parish is the Lord's vineyard, and the fruits thereof are the sturdy Christians who, in the ranks of the laity, daily fight the battles which will one day win for them the victor's crown.
But that is a sterile field which yields only com- batants, which sends not leaders for the hosts of God, or virgins to his cloisters to storm heaven by prayer and purity of life while the conflict rages.
Mr. Eugene P. Carroll, born in Morristown, edu- cated in the parish school, at St. Benedict's College, Newark, N. J., St. Charles's College, Md., and at Seton Hall, had pursued successfully his studies, and he was deemed by his superiors worthy of the high
REV. EUGENE P. CARROLL.
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A CHILD OF THE PARISH.
office of the priesthood. As the diocese was in great want of priests, Bishop Wigger was compelled by the absence of some of his priests, by the sick- ness of others, to hasten the ordination. On Sun- day, March 8, through the kindness of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad Company, a party of his friends, many of them old schoolmates, chartered a train to enable them to witness Mr. Carroll's ordination in the Seminary Chapel, South Orange. The touching ceremony in this exquisite gem of Gothic architecture was witnessed by all with deep emotion. Although not the first child of the parish to be raised to this great dignity, Father Carroll was the first to be ordained for the Diocese of Newark .*
A substantial testimony of the affection and good-will of his friends was presented to the young priest, when the ceremonies were ended, in the shape of a gold watch. Father Carroll celebrated High Mass, assisted by Fathers Flynn and Farrell as deacon and sub-deacon, in our Church, Sunday, March 15. Father Flynn preached a sermon on the "Dignity of the Priesthood," and, after the Mass, Father Carroll gave his blessing to the congregation, which tested severely the capacity of the Church.
Again the attention of Bishop and Pastor was directed to the Condit property. Mr. Cleveland had
* The Very Rev. J. J. McDonald, Dean and Rector of St. Patrick's, Utica, N. Y., in the Diocese of Syracuse, was born in Morristown, but with his family left here at an early age.
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
been inaugurated President. The change in admin- istration had come and passed, the gruesome antici- pation of calamity vanished, the prosperity of the nation flowed uninterruptedly. Once more negotia- tions were opened; the insurance company who owned the property adhered to their price; and, with the Bishop's consent, this desirable piece of land and tenement became the property of the Catholics. No little excitement was stirred up on all sides when the news spread. Some of our own flock sharply criticised the priest for adding to the burden of the Church, although when he announced the purchase at all the Masses he laid special stress on the fact that Bishop Wigger, and not the Church of the Assumption, held the title of the property, and was answerable for the success or failure. In either event this parish was not to be benefited or mulcted a penny's worth. Others saw their plans shattered, and their dreams fade away from their fancy. The authority to secure the Condit property came in the following :
" SETON HALL COLLEGE,
" SOUTH ORANGE, March 5, 1885. " DEAR FATHER FLYNN :
"I hereby consent that you purchase the property on Speedwell Avenue for twenty thousand dollars, or as little above that sum as possible, for the pur- pose of eventually building a church on the same. " Yours very sincerely, " W. M. WIGGER,
"Bishop of Newark."
THE CONDIT PROPERTY, PURCHASED 1885.
FROM FOUNDATIONS OF ST. MARGARET'S CHAPEL.
165
A GRATEFUL. RECOGNITION.
When the transaction was ended, and the title passed, Bishop Wigger warmly congratulated Father Flynn :
" SETON HALL COLLEGE, " SOUTH ORANGE, March 10, 1885. " DEAR FATHER FLYNN :
" I congratulate you on the purchase, although it did cost the full twenty-five thousand. I hereby give you permission to begin at once to alter the stable into a chapel for the people. Of course you will pass a resolution to that effect at a meeting of Trustees. I must try and come up there next week to see the big house.
" With best wishes I remain,
" Very sincerely, " W. M. WIGGER, " Bishop of Newark."
The assistance rendered to the Pastor by Messrs. H. O. Marsh and D. D. Craig merits more than a passing mention. When these gentlemen met Father Flynn, they asked him to outline his plans for dis- posing of the property and paying for it. Without solicitation they offered to discount his note for fifteen thousand dollars, that he might pay the in- surance company that amount and thus secure a title, without encumbrance, on the bulk of the pro- perty, which he proposed disposing of in building lots, and for the balance of the ten thousand the com- pany should be satisfied with a mortgage on the substantial house and land. This offer met the ap- proval of all concerned. Mr. Howell surveyed the
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
land, laid it off in lots, and printed a number of maps for those who contemplated purchasing. A meeting of the congregation was called to order in the pavilion. The object, it was stated, was to dis- pose of the lots to Catholics, if possible, and, after a reasonable time, to all comers. Father Flynn acted as auctioneer, and most of the best lots were quickly disposed of at good prices. The Water Company laid their pipes through the streets, and thus the location became more desirable for resi- dences.
The streets were named Columba, in honor of the great Saint of Iona; Grant, in honor of the great General of the Civil War, who was then in his death agony, and Bellevue Terrace, from the charming prospect visible from the elevation.
The lot looking north, directly in front of Co- lumba Street, was reserved for the erection of a chapel. In the beginning of April the requisite permission was obtained :
" SETON HALL COLLEGE, " SOUTH ORANGE, April 7, 1885.
" DEAR FATHER FLYNN :
" I hereby authorize you to erect, when you con- sider it proper to do so, a little chapel on the new property, to cost about one thousand dollars.
" With best wishes, I remain,
" Yours very sincerely, " W. M. WIGGER, " Bishop of Newark."
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ST. MARGARET'S CHAPEL.
Louis Hazeltine prepared the plans, and the con- tract for grading the street was given to Thomas Holton ; for the carpenter and mason work, to Eakely & McEntee ; for painting and decorating, to William T. Coghlan. No delay was made in the construction of the modest building which was to rear aloft the cross and be a new sanctuary of the Most High. The great devotion of the Celtic race to St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland, as witnessed by their family names-for after Mary there is scarcely another more frequently bestowed upon their daughters than Margaret-her sweet and beau- tiful life, so much in its details like that of St. Elizabeth of Hungary and in some respects more attractive, prompted the Pastor to honor, even in an humble way, this great Saint, recognized thus for the first time in the United States. At the close of the month of May everything was in readi- ness for the laying of the corner-stone. It was de- termined to invest it with all the pomp and cere- mony possible. The members of the parish entered heartily into the Pastor's plan, and the ceremony was so grand and impressive that few who witness- ed it will ever forget it. The following accurate report was written by an eye-witness :
" Sunday, May 31, 1885, was a memorable day for the Catholics of Morristown. Surrounded by members of the local and visiting clergy, in the presence of a large number of the laity, the Right Rev. Winand M. Wigger, Bishop of the Diocese
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
of Newark, laid the corner-stone of the chapel to be erected to the honor of God and St. Margaret, with all the pomp and splendor of ritual with which the Roman Catholic Church invests such an important ceremony. But, apart from the interest that such an event naturally arouses, the occasion was one of deep significance. It illustrated and em- phasized not only the growth of our city, but it was likewise indicative of the rapidly increasing strength of the Catholic Church in our midst. There are some of the members of the Church of the Assumption who can recall the time, not so very long ago, when the nearest Catholic Church was at Madison, then known as Bottle Hill. Hence it was determined to give the ceremony an expres- sion of the significance it justly claimed, to mark it as an era in the history of the Catholic Church in Morristown. And so, despite the threatening weather, the mother Church gathered together her numerous societies, and, preceded by the cross- bearer and the acolytes with waving banners, fol- lowed by the clergy in their sanctuary dress and the Bishop in his purple vesture, they marched, over a thousand in number, through the town to Sussex Avenue, where the new chapel is to be erected. A peculiar feature of this procession was the corner-stone, adorned with flowers and carried by four of the oldest members of the congregation, preceded by six little girls in white, all representing the tribute of three generations to this happy event. Arrived at the grounds, the Bishop, vested in cope and mitre, and bearing his crozier, solemnly blessed and laid the corner-stone, in which was placed an iron box containing, besides various coins and copies of the Jerseyman, the Banner, and the Chroni-
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A MEMORABLE OCCASION.
cle, a parchment describing the event in Latin, and of which the following is a translation :
"'D. O. M.
"'On the 31st day of May, in the year of our Redemption 1885-Pope Leo XIII. happily reign- ing, Right Rev. Winand M. Wigger being the Bishop of Newark, and Rev. Joseph M. Flynn, Rec- tor, with Rev. Eugene A. Farrell, his assistant, of the Church of the Assumption; Grover Cleveland being President of these United States; Leon Ab- bett Governor of the State of New Jersey ; and John Taylor Mayor of Morristown-Right Rev. Winand M. Wigger, D.D., in the presence of the clergy and before a large concourse of people, laid the corner-stone of this Chapel to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Margaret.'
" After the ceremony the Right Rev. Bishop made a short address to the people, congratulating them on the progress of the Church in Morristown, and in particular commending the zeal they uni- formly manifest in the furtherance of every good and praiseworthy work in the interests of morality and religion. He concluded with the hope that the day would not be distant when they and their labors would be so blessed that the humble begin- ning of to-day would ripen into a new, a large, and a flourishing parish."
Huge masses of black clouds rolled up from the southwest ; the wind was momentarily increasing in violence, and great drops of rain admonished all to seek shelter from the impending storm. Banners were taken from their poles and put away ; white veils were hurriedly exchanged, and soon all were
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
in shelter from the tempest, which disappeared al- most as quickly as it sprang up.
The patriarchs who carried the corner-stone from the mother Church were Thomas F. Burke, Thomas Degan, Martin Murphy, and John McGuire, and they were accompanied as a guard of honor by the little Misses Genevieve Welsh, Lulu Clifford, Rose Corcoran, Agnes Lucas, Marguerite Kenny, and Mar- guerite Martin. The Rev. William D. Hughes, Paulist, a guest at the Rectory, took part in the ceremony.
The corner-stone laid, an effort was made to raise the money to pay for the Chapel as the work went on, so that, if possible, by the time of dedica- tion it should be absolutely free from debt. To this end a bazaar was held, and in three days one thousand and eighty-nine dollars and five cents were realized. All worked with a will, and the parishioners showed their enthusiasm by their at- tendance in large numbers and generous liberality.
While advancing the material interests of the parish the schools were not neglected. Sister Mari- ana succeeded Sister Gaudentia as Sister-servant, and, together with Sister Adele, infused an excel- lent spirit into the children. Regular attendance, close application, active rivalry among the classes distinguished the children, especially in the higher grades. The examinations for graduation and pro- motion were held in public, and were attended by the parents and friends of the pupils. The un-
I. ST. MARGARET'S CHURCH, JULY 12, 1885.
2. INTERIOR.
3. ON THE ROAD TO ITS NEW SITE.
I71
GENEROSITY RECOGNIZED.
wearying patience of Professor Hurley afforded the congregation a pleasant surprise at the closing exercises of the school by the rendition of the operetta "The Pirates of Penzance," the entire part score sung solely by the children.
The unpleasant memories which cling to the 12th of July were varied this year by the dedication of St. Margaret's Chapel.
Generous friends again came forward to signalize their faith and devotion, and to enrich the Church by the wealth with which God had blessed them.
Mr. Patrick Farrelly donated the bell, furnished by McShane & Co., and weighing four hundred pounds ; Miss Ella Carroll presented the Stations of the Cross ; Mrs. Maggie Howard, the Sanctuary lamp, statues of St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother, and the holy-water stoup; and other ladies, the car- pet. At eleven o'clock Sunday, July 12, the cere- mony of blessing the Chapel, performed by Right Rev. Bishop Wigger, was witnessed by a congrega- tion numbering over two hundred which filled and overflowed the little edifice. The high Mass, which followed, was sung by the Rev. Eugene P. Carroll, and the sermon was preached by the Rev. Michael P. Smith, the eloquent Paulist. Fathers McCartie, the Chancellor of the Diocese, and Flynn were pre- sent in the Sanctuary.
In the afternoon the Bishop administered Con- firmation, and blessed the bell for St. Margaret's.
This congregation has never been lacking in
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
generosity, whether for its own or diocesan pur- poses. This year the offering of Peter's Pence was so large, and so much in excess of what other churches in the Diocese had contributed, as to merit special encomiums from the Bishop. The following letter was received and read by the Pastor :
" SETON HALL COLLEGE,
" SOUTH ORANGE, August 18, 1885. "DEAR FATHER FLYNN :
"Your favor enclosing check for two hundred and twenty-eight dollars, Peter's Pence, has been received and is acknowledged with thanks.
" The Bishop desires me to convey to you and to the generous Catholic people of Morristown his grateful appreciation of the very liberal offering. It is the largest contribution hitherto received this year for the Holy Father from any Church of this Diocese, with the sole exception of the Cathedral collection, which exceeds yours only by the small amount of two dollars.
" With respectful regards,
" I remain faithfully yours, " D. MCCARTIE."
During vacation the Sisters' house was altered, improved, and enlarged to afford better accommo- dations to these devoted teachers.
When they returned, in September, the old house had been so changed that they hardly recognized it, and the inconveniences which they had borne so long without complaint or murmur had altogether disappeared.
CHAPTER XII.
WING to a serious throat affection, Father Flynn was ordered by his physician to go South to escape the rigors of the winter. But the unusual severity of frost and cold which desolated this refuge of the afflicted in search of balmy air and sunshine, and transformed the land of flowers and orange-blossoms into a veritable Arctic region, did not prove the desirable exchange he contem- plated, so the Pastor hastened from this unfriendly climate to the more promising and favored resorts of California. He returned home in March very little benefited by his trip, and on Sunday evening, March 14, entertained the parishioners with an in- formal talk on what he had seen during his absence.
On his return Father Flynn was met at the de- pot by the Young Men's Catholic Association, and to the music of the band, amidst lighted torches, was escorted to the rectory, where he was serenaded.
It pleased the Bishop at this time to testify the good esteem in which he held the parish by raising its Pastor, on March 17, to the dignity of Dean of Morris and Sussex Counties.
For a long time it was apparent that the old Church, transformed into a school, had outgrown its usefulness. Various schemes of altering and enlarg- ing were entertained, but it was wisely concluded to wait, as the contemplated improvements would ne-
I73
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
cessitate an outlay which the inadaptability of the building would not warrant, and which if made would be, at best, only a makeshift. Now, however, the time had come when inaction was no longer wise. The health of the little ones was imperilled. In the Spring session they crowded the pavilion, and added to the cares of their new teacher, Miss Mary Mulhall. March 29 the Pastor announced his inten- tion of erecting a new school in the old Cemetery, and requested their friends to remove from it the ashes of the dead.
Once more the old, old cry of distress in Ire- land reached the ears and touched the sympathetic hearts of Americans. Coupled with the want which prevailed, especially among the Galway fishermen, was the noble effort made by the Nationalists for some measure of freedom and independence. To the United States both the victims of hard penury and the patriots looked for aid. The members of the congregation took the matter in hand. The Dramatic Club of the Young Men's Catholic Asso- ciation prepared the Irish play "Eileen Oge," and on April 26 presented it most creditably to the largest audience the Lyceum ever held. The net proceeds were very near one thousand dollars, which were divided equally between both funds.
Bishop Carr, of Galway, acknowledged in a very graceful letter the generous offering sent to him.
The ambition to embellish the Church was still
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A JUBILEE PROCESSION.
alive and active. Miss Bessie Carroll, who on dif- ferent occasions had presented the holy-water stoups at the porch and the adoring Angels on the Altar, presented a silver ciborium.
The Paulist Fathers, M. P. Smith and A. P. Doyle, were invited to conduct the spiritual exer- cises of the Jubilee retreat. The sermons and instruc- tions drew large numbers during the week it con- tinued, and over eight hundred approached the Sac- raments. Now came a splendid manifestation of the faith of our people. It was determined that the visit to the other Church, a condition required by the Holy Father, should be made by the entire congregation processionally.
The different societies assembled in the Church at half-past three in the afternoon of Sunday, June 22. Mr. Cornelius Holly acted as marshal, and headed the procession, which was led by the cross-bearer and acolytes. The school children under the Sisters' charge followed, then the women's and men's societies, and behind them those of the parish not enrolled in any society, and finally the priests of the parish and the missionaries in cas- sock and surplice. The joyous ringing of the Church bell signalled the procession to start, and through the town streamed like a vari-colored ribbon the children, the young, the old-the girls in white, the boys wearing sashes across their breasts, and all the societies bearing aloft their banners.
Mute and reverential respect was shown to this bold and public manifestation of faith.
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
Arrived at the Chapel, on the porch of which an altar had been prepared, the faithful ranged them- selves in front and on the sides. The Most Blessed Sacrament was exposed amid a dazzling array of lights and fragrant flowers. The Litany of the Saints was recited in English, the hymns O Salutaris and Tantum Ergo sung, and, at the close, the Papal benediction imparted to the kneeling multitude. The impressive ceremony, the kneeling crowd hushed in deepest reverence, the glowing radiance of the setting sun, the smoke of incense, and melody of hymn framed a picture rarely to be seen and never to be forgotten.
It formed the topic of conversation among our fellow-citizens and furnished a text to the pulpits of the different churches. It was commented upon fa- vorably by almost all, and the example was pointed out as commendable and worthy of imitation.
A start was given June 29, by Mr. Patrick Welsh, to the new school project by the generous gift of one hundred dollars. From this grew the subscrip- tions, large and small, which aided so practically the desires of the Pastor. On October 25 the fence dividing the Cemetery from the street was torn down; the laborers set to work to excavate for the foundations of the new school. The bodies were carefully and reverently moved to the Cemetery by friends, if any remained; otherwise, under the per- sonal supervision of the Pastor.
THE BAYLEY SCHOOL AND HALL, 1887.
E
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER
COLLEGE LIBRARY 1847 NEW YORK, N. Y
I77
NEW SCHOOL CONTRACTS.
To Augustus Eichorn, of Orange, was entrusted the task of embodying the views of the Pastor and preparing the plans and specifications. The Allen Brothers received the contract to furnish the granite from their Waterloo quarries for the foundation and trimming ; the responsibility of erecting it was en- trusted to the rising firm of old school-boys, Mal- ley, Dempsey & Cooney, and the carpenter work to Lonergan & Brown. It was determined to push the work that the corner-stone might be laid on Thanks- giving Day, and the foundations so advanced that they might be covered in before the rigors of Winter set in. No one was regarded as more fit to preach at the forthcoming ceremony than the first pastor, now Bishop McQuaid. To the invitation he prompt- ly and willingly acceded :
" ROCHESTER, N. Y., November 6, 1886. " DEAR FATHER FLYNN :
" Do not trouble yourself about me. I will find my way to Morristown without difficulty, as I ought to know the road. I shall be with you Wednesday evening, and will accept with pleasure the hospitality of your house.
" I have told my secretary to get ready and send you a large photograph of me as Bishop (I would send one as Father McQuaid if I had it), hand- somely framed, for your bazaar, which you will please accept.
" It is probable that I shall go to New York on the preceding Monday.
"Yours sincerely in Christ,
" B., BP. OF ROCHESTER."
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THE STORY OF A PARISH.
The chronology of events makes it necessary to notice a remarkable cure which, through prayer, was effected in a young woman of the parish. At the time it excited wide-spread attention, and it now deserves a complete and succinct recital. Miss Jen- nie Smith, living some miles from the Church, near New Vernon, was at once the object of God's chas- tening hand and his caresses. As none realized more than herself the keen intensity of her suffer- ings, none can describe them better or tell more vividly the joy she experienced in this sudden and providential restoration of health :
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