A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 125

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188

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St. Charles' Borromeo .- If the Catholics in the Eastern District had been increasing in numbers and building churches in which they might practice the religion of their choice, their brethren in the Western District were not behind them. They, too, needed more church room. St. Paul's had become too far away from St. James', and the good Catholics in the intervening space 'must needs have a church of their own. Rt. Rev. Bishop Hughes had foreseen this and he soon organized a new parish, which he placed under the charge of the Rev. Charles Constantine Pise, D. D. Near the corner of Sydney Place and Living- ston street stood the old Church of the Em- manuel, which the Episcopalians had built ten years before and which they were now anxious to sell. Doctor Pise bought it and on Decem- ber 30, 1849, after having been remodeled and renovated, it was dedicated to the service of God, under the invocation of St. Charles Borromeo. There is an incident connected with the early history of this church which is not devoid of interest. It was here that the Rt. Rev. Levi Silliman Ives, Episcopal Bishop of North Carolina, ordained the Rev. Donald McLeod. Some years later Bishop and Min- ister met again in this same church, but the church had become a Catholic church, the Bishop had become a Catholic layman, and the minister had become a Catholic priest.

Rev. Charles Constantine Pise, D. D., was

born at Annapolis, Md., on Nov. 22, 1801. His father was a native of Italy and his mother was a Philadelphian. After completing his studies and graduating at Georgetown Col- lege, he began his novitiate as a Jesuit, and was sent to the Roman College of the Propaganda to pursue his theological studies. The death of his father compelled his return to his native country and his withdrawal from the Society of Jesus. Soon afterward he be- came professor of Rhetoric at Mount St .. Mary's College, Emmittsburg, a position he held until 1825, when he was ordained by the Most Rev. Ambrose Marechal, Archbishop of Baltimore. After serving for some time as assistant at the Cathedral in Baltimore, he was assigned to St. Matthew's Church, Washing- ton. While there his brilliant talents and courteous manners attracted the attention of Henry Clay, at whose instance he was unani- mously elected Chaplain to the United States Senate. In 1832 Dr. Pise visited the Eternal City, and while there passed a splendid public examination at the College of the Sapienza, earned the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and received the ring and other insignia of his of- fice at the hands of His Holiness, Pope Greg- ery XVI. His writings merited for him the Cross and Spur and the title of Knight of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1838 he again vis- ited Europe and he described his wanderings through Ireland in his Horae l'agabundac. Bishop Dubois invited him to New York and soon made him rector of St. Joseph's Church. He was afterwards transferred to old St. Peter's, and from there to the Church of St. Charles Borromeo, Brooklyn, where he labored until his death, in May, 1866. Few men, if any, have done as much work for Catholic literature as Dr. Pise. In 1830, while in Balti- more, he was editor of the Metropolitan, the first Catholic Magazine published in this coun- try. In 1842 he was associated with Very Rev. Felix Varela, D. D., in the publication of the Catholic Expositor, of New York, a magazine of great merit. Besides his maga-

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zine work, Dr. Pise wrote a "History of the Church;" "Father Rowland," a novel; "Ale- theia;" "St. Ignatius and His Companions;" "Christianity and the Church;" "Indian Cot- tage;" "Letters to Ada;" "Pleasures of Relig- ion," "Zenosius, or the Pilgrim Convert;" "The Acts of the Apostles," in verse. Among his masterly translations may be mentioned De Maistre's Soirees in St. Petersburg and Hymns from the Roman Breviary. His poetical writ- ings are numerous and full of genius.

In manners Dr. Pise was always courteous and refined, and in his many controversies lie never forgot that he was a gentleman; hence he never made enemies of his opponents. He was passionately fond of music and painting, and his choir and the decorations of his church evinced his fine taste.

In 1858 Dr. Pise established a parochial school, with ove- two hundred pupils. This school opened prosperously, but, difficulties arising, it became necessary to suspend it for a time. There is now a flourishing school of over 600 pupils. The girls are under the care of the Sisters of Charity and the boys under the Franciscan Brothers.

Dr. Pise, while Pastor of the Church of St. Charles Borromeo, had as his assistants the Rev. Joseph Fransioli (1857-59), Rev. David O'Mullane (1861), and Rev. Thomas F. Mc- Givern (1865-66). Dr. Pise was succeeded by the Rev. Francis J. Freel, D. D., one of the assistants at St. James' Cathedral. Dr. Freel was born in Ireland, in 1840, and pursued his ecclesiastical studies at the famous Urban Col- loge of the Propaganda, in Rome. Like his predecessor, he was a gentleman of culture and fine tastes. He immediately applied himself with energy and good will to the continuance of the work of Dr. Pise. In December, 1866, he purchased seven lots, on Livingston street, for which he paid $22,000. It was his inten- tion to erect a larger and more imposing edi- fice than the one his congregation then occu- pied. This determination was hastened by an unexpected event. On the night of March 7,

1868, the church took fire from a defective flue, and, notwithstanding the most strenuous efforts of the firemen, the entire building with its valuable stock of church music, beautiful paintings, statues and costly furniture, was soon reduced to ashes. Dr. Freel, at the risk of his life, rescued the Ciborium and its sacred contents, some other sacred vessels and some of the most valuable of the vestments. This fire was a sad blow to the people of St. Charles', but in less than three weeks after the disaster ground was broken for a splendid new church, of Philadelphia brick, with a frontage of seventy feet on Sydney Place, and a depth of one hundred and thirty feet on Liv- ingston street. The corner-stone was laid in August, 1868. For eighteen years Dr. Freel carried on the work entrusted to him. His new church continued to attract the elite of the city, but the poor were never neglected. Dr. Freel also looked after the education of the children of his parish, and, as has always been stated, he placed his parochial school on a firm and flourishing basis. He was also par- ticularly devoted to the poor sailors at the Navy Yard, and at a time, too, when they had no Catholic chaplain. He devoted a great portion of his time to their service and later on became the first Catholic Chaplain at the Navy Yard, and a small chapel was built at his request. Dr. Freel died on April 5, 1884.

The successor of Dr. Frcel was the Rev. Thomas F. Ward. He had been at St. Charles, since Feb. 20, 1875. Father Ward was born in St. James' parish, Brooklyn, on Christmas Day, 1843. He pursued his early studies un- der the Christian Brothers, and was one of the first pupils of old St. James' School. When a boy he often served the Bishop's Mass, and he was a model altar boy. Dr. Freel became very much interested in him and advised him to study for the priesthood. In time young Ward entered St. Charles College, Ellicott City, Md. Having completed his studies he was ordained, the 20th of February, 1875, with the late Rev. Edward J. Smith, of Glen

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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON LONG ISLAND.

Cove, by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Loughlin, and was immediately assigned to St. Charles. He proved so valuable an assistant to Dr. Freel that on the death of the latter Father Ward was appointed to succeed him. He set to work at once to reduce the church debt, enlarged the school building and made needed improve- ments in other directions. With all his paroch- ial work Father Ward found time to devote to literature, and in 1892 he published his "Thirty-two Instructions for the Month of May"-a translation from the French. His genial face will long be remembered, especial- ly by the poor of the parish, who were es- pecially dear to the good pastor. He died on October 21, 1898, and was succeeded by the Rev. James E. Bobier.

St. John's, the Evangelist .- St. Jolin's Church (Gowanus), now Twenty-fifth street, near Fifth avenue, was opened in 1850 by the Rev. Peter McLoughlin, then of Fort Hamil- ton. The first Mass was said (1849) in the second story of Patrick O'Donnell's stable, which he kindly offered to Father McLough- lin until such time as he could build a church. Father McLoughlin soon secured three lots on Twenty-first street, upon which he erected an unpretentious frame church, 90 by 40 feet. In 1852 the tower was completed and other im- provements were made. In this year, too, Fa- ther McLoughlin was transferred to West- chester county to build another church, and he was succeeded at St. John's by the Rev. John Mckeon. This pastor turned his attention to the education of the children of his parish and built the first parochial school in that part of the city. It was a brick building, 25 by 60 feet, but ample for his needs at that time. Fa- ther Mckeon had been but three years at St. John's, when he was transferred to another mission. He died in 1857. His successor (1855) was the Rev. Patrick McGovern, who might well be called a patriotic priest. When the Civil War broke out Father McGovern was not slow in telling the men of his flock their duty to their country. The New York Cavalry

was organized in his parish, and before setting out for the front the men attended Mass and received Holy Communion. In 1862 Father McGovern was transferred to St. Paul's. Rev. Hugh McGuire became the next Pastor of St. John's. He was a man full of years and serv- ice, but he labored on until May, 1867, when the Bishop sent him an assistant in the person of the Rev. Peter Daly, who died the following year. He was succeeded by the Rev. John Mc- Guire. These two namesakes worked with no little success ; they enlarged and improved the church in 1872, so as to accommodate some 1,300 persons.

Father Hugh died in 1872 and Father John acted as Pastor until March, 1873, when the Rev. James O'Beirne, one of the pioneer priests of Brooklyn, became Pastor. Born in Ireland, he made his ecclesiastical studies at Maynooth College, where he was ordained in 1852. He at once came to New York, and while laboring in that diocese became acquainted with the future Bishop of Brooklyn. A warm friend- ship was formed between the two priests, which terminated only in death. When Bishop Loughlin came to Brooklyn Father O'Beirne volunteered for the new diocese and his serv- ices were readily accepted. He was appointed to Flushing, where he labored for twenty-one years. During that time he built St. Michael's Church. In 1864 he purchased the ground upon which the Convent and Academy of the Sisters of St. Joseph now stands. While at St. John's, Father O'Beirne erected a hand- some parochial school, in 1885, and placed the girls' department under the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph, and the boys' under the Fran- ciscan Brothers. Father O'Beirne died, uni- versally regretted, in 1888, and was succeeded by the Rev. Bernard J. McHugh, formerly of the Church of the Holy Cross, Flatbush.

St. Benedict's .- In 1852 eight German Catholic families settled in what was then known as New Brooklyn, which district lay be- tween Bedford and East New York. They were poor but industrious people, thrifty withal, and

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anxious to secure homes for their growing families while property was cheap. But the faith they had brought with them from their. fatherland still burned in their bosoms and they were anxious to transmit it to their chil- dren. Hence the long journeys on foot they were required to take on Sundays to attend Mass, either at St. Francis', in Putnam ave- nue, near Bedford avenue, or to Holy Trinity, in Williamsburg, where good old Father Raf- feiner was still Pastor, were too long for the aged and the sick. These good people resolved to have a church of their own. They had little money but they had willing hands ; and, hav- ing secured a suitable lot on Herkimer street, near Ralph avenue, ground was soon broken and a small frame building, 60 feet by 30 feet, was erected. Those who could not contribute money were ready to contribute a day or two of labor every week to the work. The church was ready for occupancy in March, 1852, and was attended for a time by the priests from St. Francis' or from Holy Trinity. In Janu- ary, 1853, Bishop Dubois, of New York, sent the Rev. Maurus Ramsauer, O. S. B., to take charge of this parish. He did not remain long. however, and was succeeded by Father Peter Hartlaub, who remained only a few months. The next Pastor was Rev. Bonaventure Keller, who remained identified with St. Benedict's for over three years. On October 25. 1857, Bishop Loughlin sent the Rev. Aloys Enders to St. Benedict's, but after a stay of thirteen months he sought missionary work in the West. The next Pastor, the Rev. James Tuboby, came in December, 1858, and remained nearly two years. He was succeeded in October, 1860. by Rev. Father Peine, who also attended St. Francis'. Ill health forced him, after a few months, to give up his charge, and in May, 1861. the Rev. Franz Sales Klosterbaner be- came Pastor.

Up to this time little was done except to look after the immediate needs of the people, and an effort to give the children the rudi- ments of an education. Father Klosterbauer

remained at St. Benedict's for twelve years, during which time the little congregation out- grew the original frame church and the chil- dren were clamoring for increased accommo- dations. Father Klosterbauer determined to build a new church, but he did not remain long enough to realize his hopes. His successor, however, the Rev. M. Kochren, arriving May 25, 1873, carried out his plans, and the present beautiful St. Benedict's owes its commence- ment and completion to Father Kochren. The new church, 137 feet long by 65 feet wide, is built of brick, with slate roof, and surmounted by a tower 130 feet high. It faces Fulton street. The old church on Herkimer street was immediately altered, made two stories high, and was given over to the school. Father Kochren also erected a commodious brick pas- toral residence. He remained at St. Benedict's until September, 1875, and died not long after- wards. His successor, Rev. Francis Duermay- er, remained only until January, 1876, when Rev. Henry J. Zimmer became Pastor. Be- fore the year was out, however, he was or- dered to St. Patrick's Church, Kent avenue, and was subsequently transferred from there to Far Rockaway, where he built a very beau- tiful church. On October 1, 1876, Rev. Igna- tins Zeller came to St. Benedict's. He had been a Lutheran minister and became a Cath- olic under the instruction of the good Father Goetz. When he came to St. Benedict's he found a debt of over $44,000 to be liquidated. During the ten years of his pastorate he re- duced this debt to $26,000, besides having built a new rectory. The old parochial resi- dence he turned into a convent for the Sisters of Christian Charity, from Wilkesbarre, to whom he gave charge of his school, in 1881. Father Zeller resigned in January, 1886, as he desired to see the parish in the hands of a younger man. He went to Jamaica and built a new church for his countrymen there.

The next Pastor was the Rev. John M. Hanselmann, who assumed charge of St. Bene- dict's on July 3, 1886. He is one of four

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brothers who have devoted their lives to the service of God at the altar. He was born on Aug. 5. 1854, in Holy Trinity parish, made his studies in Montreal, and was ordained on De- cember 21, 1878. His first work was under good Father May, whose assistant he was until January 13, 1880, when he became chaplain of St. Catherine's Hospital. Here he exhibited the true vocation of the priest. It is related that he made 234 converts and administered the last Sacraments to over 1,500 patients. Father Hanselmann is one of the live priests of the diocese. He is quick to see necessities and to devise the means of meeting them. He took was scarce. Father Zeller had made great ef- charge of St. Benedict's at a time when money forts to rid his church of debt, and Father Hanselmann found people willing to do all they could, and who had done great things with the little they had. The Rev. Father Hanselmann realized all this, but he must needs carry on the good work of his predecessor. He at once set to work to decorate the interior of his church ; he put in beautiful stained-glass win- dows, and new Stations of the Cross; he or- ganized societies of men and women, and ex- cited his people to a holy life. In 1893 he be- gan the erection of a new school on the north side of Herkimer street. It has a frontage of 67 feet and a depth of 55 feet, with a height of 70 feet from the court level, embracing three stories. The walls are of brick and terra cotta, with cornices of copper and galvanized iron, and the entire building is heated by steam. It is attended by some 300 children, under the care of six Sisters of Christian Charity. St. Benedict's Church property is now estimated to be worth $130,000, with a debt of a little over $20,000. Father Hanselmann is assisted by Rev. George M. Schaaf and Rev. Jacob A. Kunz. The present number of parishioners is estimated at 1,800.

St. Joseph's Church, on Pacific street, near Vanderbilt avenue, was founded in 1853, by the Rev. Patrick O'Neill. When it was decid- ed to form a new parish in this part of the city,

a meeting of the Catholics in the vicinity was called to see what could be done. The people were not rich but they were ready to do what they could. Fifty families contributed $500, and an equal amount was contributed by Messrs. Charles and Edward Harvey. With the amount thus secured ground was bought and a small brick church was erected in Pacific street, in which Mass was first said by Father Cassidy in April, 1853. It was not until Octo- ber of that year that Father O'Neill took charge of the parish. Like Father O'Beirne, lie had followed Bishop Loughlin from New York, and for nearly nine years he labored at St. Joseph's. He soon built a larger church, and in its tower was placed the first clock that proclaimed the hour from a Catholic church in the city of Brooklyn. In 1857 Father O'Neill established a school, which was attended by some 200 pupils, under the care of Mr. and Mrs. Garvey. This worthy couple continued to teach in St. Joseph's school until the advent of the Franciscan Brothers, in 1859. This was the first school in Brooklyn to have the Fran- ciscan Brothers. In February, 1864, the Rev. Edward Corcoran became Father O'Neill's assistant. These two worthy priests worked together until September, 1867, when Father O'Neill was called to his heavenly reward. It devolved upon Father Corcoran to continue the work.

Father Corcoran was born Sept. 4. 1836, in the County Westmeath, Ireland, and was ordained at All Hallows College, Dublin, in June, 1863. He at once volunteered for the American missions, and on being adopted by Bishop Loughlin was assigned as assistant at the Church of the Immaculate Conception. After a service of seven months Father Cor- coran was transferred to St. Joseph's. His succession to the pastorate of this church was by no means a sinecure. The parish was grow- ing ; it had a debt of some $30,000; and the children of the parish were clamoring for in- creased school accommodations. Father Cor- coran was a man of order; everything he un-

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dertook was done in a most systematic manner. It was not long before he began making neces- sary improvements upon the church; next he erected an academy and a large hall for liter- ary purposes, and also enlarged the parish schools. This work the zealous Pastor kept up until his death. In a few years the church property was the admiration of passers-by. It was 300 feet wide and extended from street to street. The church, school academy and hall were surrounded by beautiful lawns orna- mented with statues. Father Corcoran died in 1893, and was succeeded by the Rt. Rev. Mgr. P. J. McNamara, V. G.

We have, up to this date, dealt with church foundations commenced before the es- tablishment of the Diocese of Brooklyn. We shall now enter upon the Diocesan period.

PART II .- THE DIOCESAN PERIOD. BISHOP LOUGHLIN.

The second period in the history of Cath- olicity on Long Island begins with the year 1853, when it became organized into a Diocese. At that time Long Island had in all only twelve churches, eight of which were in Brooklyn proper, two in Williamsburg and two in re- mote parts of the island. There was but one institution of charity, and that was situated on the corner of Congress and Clinton Streets. It was an orphan asylum, the Congress Street wing being occupied by the boys and the Clin- ton Street wing by the girls. This structure was erected by the Roman Catholic Orphan So- ciety, which was incorporated in 1836, for the purpose of receiving the legal transfer of a house on Jay Street from the Rev. Father Walsh, second pastor of St. James'. That house, which then had but two stories and a basement, was the first orphan asylum in Brooklyn. Later, another story was added, and an equally large building adjoined to it. This house, which was the episcopal residence for thirty-five years, is now used as the rec- tory of St. James' Cathedral.

The Diocese of Brooklyn was established by Pope Pius IX in 1853. It comprises the whole of Long Island, which a legend says was known to the early Catholic explorers (Gomez, 1525) as the Island of the Holy Apostles, because it is said that they discov- ered it on the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. Surely no name could have been more appro- priate than this latter, for it seemed to have been a forecast of that apostle "sent of God whose name was John," and who more than 300 years later was to be its first representa- tive of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles.

On the morning of October 18, 1840, three young men, classmates at old Mount St. Mary's, Emmittsburg, Maryland, knelt in old St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, before the valiant Bishop Hughes, and received at his hands the grand commission that sent them forth to preach Christ and Him crucified. They were Edward O'Neil, Francis Coyle and John Loughlin. These young men, full of zeal and energy, had chosen "the better part" and devoted the rest of their lives to the ser- vice of God and of their fellow men at the altar. They "were set for the rise and fall of many." Father Coyle was assigned to the missions of Sandy Hill, Lansingburg and Waterford. Father O'Neil became Treasurer and Professor of Natural Philosophy at St. John's College, Fordham; while Father Loughlin was assigned to St. Patrick's Cathe- dral, Mulberry Street, New York, of which he became Rector in 1848. While attached to the Cathedral, he went for a time to Utica to assist the Rev. Father Quarter.

John Loughlin was born near Rostrevor, in the County Down, Ireland, on Dec. 20, 1817. When only six years of age he was brought to America by his parents, who settled in Albany. In due time he entered the Albany Academy, where he had for professor the dis- tinguished Latinist, Dr. Bullion. At the age of fourteen young Loughlin was sent to a col- lege in Chambly, near Montreal, where he acquired a knowledge of the French language. Three years later he returned to the United

RT. REV. JOHN LOUGHLIN, D. D. FIRST BISHOP OF BROOKLYN.

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States and entered Mount St. Mary's Semi- nary, at Emmittsburg, Md. Here his remark- able talents were soon discovered, and he was, while yet a theologian, made tutor in the classics. The faculty of the college at that time was composed of such men as William Henry Elder, now Archbishop of Cincinnati; Rev. Dr. John McCloskey, and Rev. John Mc- Caffrey, D. D. Having completed his studies, the Rev. John Loughlin bade farewell to Alma Mater and repaired to New York to receive the Holy Order of Priesthood.

While laboring at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Father Loughlin had as his fellow assistants: Rev. John McCloskey, a distinguished son of Brooklyn, and the first American raised to the dignity of the Cardinalate; and Rev. James R. Bayley, the future bishop of Newark and later Archbishop of Baltimore. Father Loughlin was an indefatigable worker, and when Bishop Hughes was obliged to go to Rome in 1850 he appointed Father Loughlin Vicar General of New York. This appointment made him Ad- ministrator of the Diocese in the Bishop's absence. It was during this time that Father Loughlin gave evidence of that peculiar wis- dom, prudence and administrative ability that characterized him through life. In 1849 we find Father Loughlin at the Seventh Provincial Council of Baltimore acting as Theologian to Bishop Hughes. He served in the same ca- pacity at the First Plenary Council of Balti- more, in 1852, and, when the Fathers at this Council proposed the creation of several new Dioceses, among them the Diocese of Brook- lyn, Pius IX approved of their designs. By an Apostolic Letter, dated July 29, 1853, the new Sees of Brooklyn, Newark and Burling- ton, Vermont, in the ecclesiastical province of New York, were erected. When it became necessary to make a choice of a ruler for the new See of Brooklyn, the eyes of the assembled Fathers fell upon the Vicar General of New York.

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A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 125

Author: Ross, Peter. cn Publication date: 1902 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1188

Author: Ross, Peter. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1188