A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 132

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

USA > New York > A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 132

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In August, 1863, the Rev. M. I. Decker took charge of the parish and began the erec- tion of a pastoral residence, a part of which, according to the custom of the Germans in small parishes, was to be used for school pur- poses. The building was finished by Father Peine, who returned to St. Michael's in May, 1864. This time Father Peine remained with his old parishioners for two years, devoting himself to their service with the zeal that had marked his early efforts. In July, 1866, he was succeeded by Rev. Casper Muller, who, in February, 1868, purchased two lots adjoining the pastoral residence, on which it was pro- posed to erect a new school building. In Au- gust, 1868, the Rev. A. Oberschneider began a pastorate at St. Michael's, which lasted until January, 1871, when the Rev. I. Michaels be- came Pastor. Between 1871 and 1875 three Missions were given in this church by the Redemptorist, Capuchin and Jesuit Fathers respectively. In March, 1875, the Rev. Aug- ust Maria Niemann became Pastor of St. Michael's. Father Niemann was not slow in realizing the fact that the growing needs of

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his congregation demanded the erection of a new house of worship. This not being prac- ticable, he obtained the consent of the Bishop to add sixty feet to the dimensions of the old building. This was done in September, 1875. Father Niemann was a great advocate of Plain Chant and he soon introduced it in his church, and its use was continued during his entire pastorate. He was fully alive to the needs of his people : he foresaw the rapid growth of his section of the city and consequently of his par- ish, and in 1876 he purchased three lots, in 1878 one and in 1879 two more. The wisdom of his purchases is evident to-day. In 1881 Father Niemann was given an assistant to aid him in the discharge of his duties. As time progressed Father Niemann's health began to fail and eventually he was obliged to with- draw from the active duties of the ministry. St. Michael's has since passed into the hands of the Capuchin Fathers, who still minister to the congregation.

St. Malachy's .- Before the advent of Bish- op Loughlin to the Diocese there were very few Catholic families in the vicinity of Cypress Hills. True, there were a few Catholics work- ing on the farms along the old New Lots Road and the Jamaica Plank Road, but they had no church and scarcely a house in which the priest might say Mass for them. Hence they were obliged to go to Flatbush, or for want of a better conveyance they must take the old- fashioned and dust-covered stage to Williams- burg or Jamaica. In 1853, however, good Father Andrew Bohan, of the Church of the Holy Cross in Flatbush, came to the relief of these people, as he did to that of many others on the outskirts of the city of Brooklyn. In the village of East New York he found, at the northwest corner of Atlantic and Vermont Avenues, a hostelry, a two-story frame build- ing, then known as Altenbrand's Hotel. Father Bohan rented the dining-room of this inn, which was connected with the bar-room-but having also a door leading to the street ; and' here Father Bohan (as Father McCoy did in another neighborhood, fifty years later) of-

fered up the adorable sacrifice of the Mass, and Mr. Barney Farrell "had the honor of 'answering the priest.'"

But the asylum offered by this dining-room- did not long satisfy Father Bohan. He soon found six lots on the east side of Van Sicklen Avenue, near the north side of Atlantic Avenue, and he secured them for his people. He secured the services of a Mr. Plunkett for the erection of a church suitable for that time. The preparing of the frame-work was done in Flatbush, and when completed its material was tran ported to East New York ; and so rapidly was the church completed that on April 9. 1854, Bishop Loughlin had the happiness of dedicat- ing it to the service of God under the patron- age of St. Malachy. The congregation began to increase and Father Bohan used to attend them from Flatbush until 1855. when he was succeeded by Rev. John Dowling. Like his predecessor, the latter would come from Flat- bush to St. Malachy's every Sunday, through' sunshine and rain, through heat and cold, until 1858, when he was killed by being thrown. from his buggy. His remains lie in Holy Cross- Cemetery.

Father Bartholomew Gleason was the next Pastor of Flatbush, and attended St. Malachy's until 1860, when he became Pastor of the new Church of St. Anne. Father Stephen Cas- sidy, as Pastor of Flatbush, attended St. Malachy's for a year, or up to the time of his- death. The next pastor was the Rev. Thomas . Mclaughlin, who seemed to take quite an in- terest in this mission. He established a Sun- day-school at St. Malachy's and among the- first teachers were Messrs. James Maguire, Thomas Landers and Maurice Murphy, and Misses Ellen Fleming, Bridget Farrell (now Mrs. John McCabe) and Margaret Delaney. Father Mclaughlin also made what improve- ments he could in the appearance of the altar. The ladies gave him all the assistance in their power and collected $20 for the purchase of lace and other necessary articles. The good Pastor also prepared the children for first communion and was prompt in the discharge.

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of his duty to the sick and dying. In 1862 he relinquished St. Malachy's to the care of the Rev. Patrick Creighton, who in April of that year became the first resident Pastor of the little church. "His first place of residence," says Rev. Wm. J. Maguire, "was a two-story frame building on the west side of Hendrix street (Smith avenue)."

He at once set to work renovating the little frame church. He next established the first Catholic school in the town and placed it under the charge of Mr. Simon Dunn, who later on practiced law in Brooklyn. The next teacher was a Mrs. French, who was assisted by her daughter, but, after a year's trial, Father Creighton determined to open a regular parochial school and was fortunate enough to . secure a three-story brick building on Atlantic 'Avenue, together with the nine lots adjoining ; and, after building an addition to the original building, opened his school. The boys were taught by Mr. Robert Whelan, and the girls, successively by Miss Dillon, Miss Herbert, Miss Galvin and Miss Shanahan. Father Creighton's work was appreciated by his Bish- op, who, in August, 1868, promoted him to the pastoral charge of the new Church of Our Lady of Victory. He left St. Malachy's deep- ly regretted by all his people.

Father Martin Carroll, the next Pastor of St. Malachy's, continued the work of his predecessor with great zeal. In the autumn after his appointment he held a fair, which realized $1,800, and in 1871 he secured the ser- vices of the Sisters of St. Joseph to take charge of his parochial school. He established a Temperance Society, and a Purgatorian So- ciety, and took a great interest in the young people, who were so much in need of a guid- ing hand. During the four years of his pas- torate he paid off $6,000 of the church debt. In 1872 he was called to the pastorate of the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, and his devoted people presented him with a handsome testi- monial of their appreciation of his labors among them.

Rev. John Purcell succeeded Father Car-

roll at St. Malachy's. His first care was to look after the needs of the poor of his parish and for this purpose he established the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, with Mr. James Mc- Guigan as President. In 1873 he established St. Malachy's Home for Orphans and Desti- tute Children, which was placed under the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Father Purcell was a man of great zeal and devoted to his sacred calling, but his zeal was beyond his powers. In the spring of 1873 he went south in the hope of building up an exhausted constitution, but it was too late. He tried the south of France, but with no better result. Feeling that his end was near he turned his face to- ward his native Ireland, and died in 1874, at Thurnes, in the County Tipperary, soon after his arrival there.

Father Purcell was succeeded at St. Ma- lachy's by the Rev. P. J. McNamara, the pres- ent Rt. Rev. Vicar General of the Diocese. He set himself to work to pay off the debt on the church. He met a call for $1,200 and im- proved the decorations of the church. His watchful care extended over all the needs of his parish, and his people, realizing his worth, soon learned to love him; but higher honors awaited him in the future, and on Aug- ust 15, 1877, he was transferred to the pastoral charge of the Church of Our Lady of Mercy. Bishop Loughlin, in looking for a successor to Father McNamara, turned his eyes to St. Pat- rick's, that mother of Pastors, as he had done once before, and Father Andrew O'Connell be- came pastor of St. Malachy's. He immediate- ly enlarged the church, erected a splendid new school-house, established the Catholic Benevo- lent Legion and the Young Men's Catholic Lyceum. For ten years Father O'Connell de- voted himself to the service of his people. He died on July 31, 1888. His successor was the Rev. Hugh B. Ward, who has carried on the work entrusted to him with all the zeal and prudence of his venerated predecessors.

Church of the Holy Cross, Flatbush .- The Catholics in the early '403 were obliged to go to St. Joseph's, the pro-Cathedral, and St.

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Paul's, in order to hear Mass on Sundays and holy days. In 1843 they were visited occa- sionally by the Rev. James O'Donnell, and in 1844 by the Rev. William Hogan of St. Paul's. When Bishop Hughes purchased ground in Flatbush for cemetery purposes, the priests of the pro-Cathedral used to go out to perform the last sad rites over the dead, and Mass was said occasionally in private houses. Finally, through the efforts of the Rev. James McDon- ough, of St. James', a small frame church was built in 1848, in that part of the town known as the English settlement. It was located on Erasmus street, near Prospect street. The first resident priest was the Rev. Andrew Bo- han. He had no rectory and was obliged to board with a family named Walsh, who lived in what is now Rogers avenue and Erasmus street. The first baptism recorded was on October 26, 1852, and is signed by Father Bo- han. The little church had evidently not yet been named, as in Father Bohan's own hand- writing the Baptismal Registry is entitled "The Baptismal Registry of the Catholic Church in Flatbush." Most probably, had it been otherwise, he would have inserted the words "Church of the Holy Cross." Father Bohan labored here until June, 1855, when he was transferred to the Church of the Immacu- late Conception, in Williamsburg. He was succeeded by the Rev. John Dowling, who was killed by being thrown out of his wagon on Flatbush avenue, near Church avenue.

The next Pastor was the Rev. Bartholo- mew Gleeson, who went to Flatbush on Octo- ber 3, 1858, and who was transferred to St. Ann's in 1861. His successor was the Rev. Stephen Cassidy, who remained only about one year. Father Frank T. Mclaughlin became Pastor in 1861 and ministered to the wants of his people until 1864, when failing health com- pelled him to seek a season of rest. A voyage to Europe was advised, but just as he was about to embark on the steamer he was strick- en by the hand of death. His successor was the Rev. J. Strain, who labored in Flatbush

until 1867, when he succumbed to a stroke of apoplexy and was found dead in his bed. The Rev. James Moran was Pastor of the church of the Holy Cross for two years, when he was transferred to St. Stephen's Church (1869.) During all these pastorates little was done towards the improvements of the parish. In 1869 Rev. Michael Moran became Pastor of Flatbush, and though full of zeal the condi- tions of his parish offered little to encourage him. Two years later, in 1871, he was trans- ferred to a more fruitful field, where his ener- gies would be taxed for years to come. He was sent to found a new parish at the corner of Classon Avenue and Madison Street. Here his life work began, and here, as rector of the Church of the Nativity, he still labors with undiminished zeal, as will be seen on another page of this history.

Father James J. Dougherty succeeded Fa- ther Moran, and it was during his pastorate that the present Church of the Holy Cross was built. The corner-stone was laid in 1872 and the church was dedicated by Bishop Loughlin in 1873. The old frame church was trans- formed into a school and it was placed under the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph. After a pastorate of ten years, Father Dougherty was replaced (in 1881) by the Rev. Bernard Mc- Hugh. During his pastorate of five years he built the church at Flatlands, and another church, since destroyed by fire, in that section, now comprising St. Matthew's parish. Hav- ing been promoted to the pastorate of the Church of St. John the Evangelist, he was suc- ceeded by the Rev. Matthew O'Connell, who died Dec. 15, 1892. Four days later, Dec. 19, the Rev. John T. Woods took charge of the parish, which was then encumbered with a mortgage debt of $18,000. By hard work Fa- ther Woods succeeded, in five years, in wiping out this debt. His next step was the decora- tion of the church, which was sadly needed, and this was accomplished at a cost of $8,000. No sooner was this accomplished than Father Woods, in 1898, erected a new convent, cost-

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ing $16,000. The following year the estates of Clayton and McCrory, to the west of the church, were purchased, for $8,000, and a new rectory, costing $16,000, and a parochial school costing $55,000, were built on the acquired es- tates. The old school-house is now (1901) being fitted up for a Young Men's Lyceum. From this it will be seen that Father Woods has not been idle. He now has 3,000 parish- ioners; 430 children attend his parochial school, which is under the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph, while 500 children attend his Sunday-school. The church property is esti- mated to be worth something like $175,000, on which there is a comparatively small debt.

St. Stanislaus, for Scandinavians .- In Feb- ruary, 1891, the Rev. Claudius Dumahut, a French missionary who had labored for twen- ty-five years in Norway, was authorized by Bishop Loughlin to found a church for Cath- olic Scandinavians. He at once leased the house, No. 299 Fifteenth street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues. This house became chapel as well as pastorate residence. On Sunday, Feb. 15, the chapel was opened and Catholic Scandinavians from Brooklyn, New York and Jersey City filled the parlors in which the serv- ices were held. Since that time Father Duma- hut has succeeded in building a church and rectory and his parish is in a flourishing condi- tion. The number of Catholic Scandinavians is not very large, but with the help of the Eng- lish-speaking Catholics who frequent the church they have succeeded in building a very handsome church edifice.

Suburban Parishes .- Up to the present we have dealt entirely with churches erected within the limits of the present city of Brook- lyn; but there are many parishes on the island, all of which are worthy of special mention be- cause they have connected with them stories of patient suffering, of unremitting toil, of heroic devotion, wrapped up in the simple and unos- tentatious lives of the pioneer priests who planted the mustard seeds that have brought forth such abundant fruit.

Prior to 1834 there appear to have been few Catholics beyond the confines of Brooklyn proper. But in that year the faithful in the vicinity of Sag Harbor, near the eastern end of the island, began to be visited by priests from New York and Brooklyn. Later on, Flushing and Jamaica became mission stations. In 1843 Astoria had its church, dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel; Flushing re- joiced in St. Michael's ; and Jamaica and Sag Harbor had been placed under the protection of St. Monica and St. Andrew. From this time forth Catholics began to settle in differ- ent parts of the island, and churches sprang up almost "wherever two or three were gathered together in His name."

In October, 1838, the Rt. Rev. John Du- bois, D. D., Bishop of New York, sent the Rev. Michael Curran, Jr., of Astoria, to found a parish at Jamaica, Long Island. He built a small frame church on Washington Street, on what is now known as St. Monica's Cemetery property. The little church was 80 feet long and 25 feet wide. In this quaint structure some 200 Catholics gathered together from miles around and assisted at Mass as best they could, some having to kneel outside the door. In time the parish grew and out missions be- gan to depend upon it for their spiritual needs. Flushing (1843), Westbury (1850) and Far Rockaway (1848) became dependent on Ja- maica. Father Curran said Mass in some of these places only once a month, and this con- tinued until these missions grew into parishes. After six years of hard labor Father Curran was relieved of some of his outlying missions, and the Rev. John McGinnis took charge of St. Monica's, in 1844. In 1854 the Rev. An- thony Farley, Sr., became Pastor of St. Mon- ica's, and by this time the congregation had outgrown the old frame church. In 1856 Fa- ther Farley erected a new and more suitable building, the old church was used for a time as a hall and was afterward sold to Patrick O'Rourke, who had it removed to Talford Lawn. In 1879 Father Farley opened a paro-

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chial school and placed it under the care of the Sisters of Charity from Mount St. Vin- cent's on the Hudson. It is attended by 300 pupils. Father Farley ministered to the Catlı- olics of Jamaica for thirty-five years, and died late in 1890.

In the following January ( 1891) the Rev. Michael J. Dennison, of Sag Harbor, came to Jamaica, and his pastorate, which extended over a period of ten years, was a very success- ful one. Before he had been Pastor two years he had made repairs and improvements on the church to the amount of $5,000. He purchased a lot in Prospect street, and before his death he erected a new convent. Father Dennison was very highly esteemed by his parishioners, and even by people who were not of his relig- ion. He died on March 1, 1900, and was suc- ceeded by the present Pastor, the Rev. Maurice P. Fitzgerald, who is carrying on the good work with much zeal. He at once organized a church debt-paying society to assist him in paying off the debt on the church property, and the work of this society has already been felt.

Presentation .- In the meantime the Ger- man Catholic population of Jamaica had been growing, and a piece of ground was secured at the corner of Shelton and Flushing avenues, and on March 19, 1886, Rev. Ignatius Zeller laid the corner-stone of his new church, which he placed under the auspices of the Presenta- tion of the Blessed Virgin. There were about forty people present at this ceremony, among whom were Messrs. Hartmann, Kissel, Prinz, Oertel, Bernhard, Peine, Braun, Siebert and others. Prior to this time Mass was said in an old farm house built in 1767, and which is still standing on the church property. The church was enlarged in 1894 by Father Zeller, and, with the rectory, is now 125 feet by 50 in di- mensions. The first baptism administered by Father Zeller was on May 16, 1886. In 1893 Father Zeller erected a two-story school-house, 45 by 25 feet in dimensions. It is taught by nine Sisters of St. Dominic. Besides all this there is a convent and orphan asylum, dedicat-

ed to St. Elizabeth (widow), under the care of ten Sisters of St. Dominic, who provide for sixty or more orphans and look after other matters connected with the church.

Father Zeller has been a great worker among the German Catholics of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and it is to be regretted that his failing health has forced him to resign his parish (October, 1901) and seek the rest his long years of service have merited for him.

St. Andrew's, Sag Harbor .- Sag Harbor was visited back in the early '3os by priests from Brooklyn and elsewhere. In 1836 it was attended by Rev. John Wastl and Rev. Patrick Dougherty. In 1839 the church of St. An- drew was not yet dedicated, but the mission was visited by Rev. J. Cummisky and the Rev. James O'Donnell, O. S. A., the latter of whom continued his ministrations until 1845, when Father Curran, from Astoria, took his place. During the next two years the Rev. James Mc- Ginness, from St. Peter's, Barclay street, New York, used to attend to the Catholics of Sag Harbor. In 1848 Father McGinness, who was now resident Pastor of Flushing, continued his ministrations, until 1855, when he was re- lieved by the Rev. M. O'Neil, of Greenport. From 1860 to 1866 Sag Harbor was attended by Father Brunneman, from Southold. He was succeeded by Rev. John McCarthy. It was not until 1870 that St. Andrew's had a resident Pastor. This was the Rev. Felix O'Callaghan, but ill health compelled him to resign before a year had elapsed, and he was succeeded by Rev. J. J. Heffernan.

The history of this parish presents nothing very striking except the devotion of the good Catholics who lived there in early times, and who followed the priest from station to sta- tion on Sundays that they might hear Mass. In February, 1892, the Rev. Laurence Guerin made important repairs on the church, en- larged it and improved the parochial residence. The present Pastor is Rev. Michael C. Carey, who is assisted by Rev. E. P. Flaherty. A school is taught by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary.

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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON LONG ISLAND.

St. Luke's, Whitestone .- Back in the '30S, Samuel Leggett, a member of the Society of Friends, a philanthropist and financier, erec- ted a sort of union church for the use of all denominations in Whitestone and vicinity. It was known far and wide as the Quaker church, and was used as originally intended for some time. After the death of Mr. Leggett, it was used jointly by the Episcopalians and the Methodists. On Oct. 1I, 1866, the property was sold to the Rt. Rev. Bishop Loughlin, and in a short time after it was dedicated to the service of God under the invocation of St. Luke. The Catholics of Whitestone were no longer obliged to drive or walk to Flushing to hear Mass. It was Father James O'Beirne who first ministered to the Catholics of White- stone. He was followed by the Rev. William McCloskey; Rev. F. J. Blake, who came from the Diocese of Wilmington, Del .; Rev. Will- iam Connolly, who died in September, 1886; Rev. Peter Kearney, now rector of St. Ra- phael's Church, Blissville, who made quite a number of needed improvements in both church and rectory; and, finally, the present rector, the Rev. John F. O'Hara. Father O'Hara soon saw the need of a new church, and in due time he set to work. The new church is of brick, 50 feet by 123 feet in di- mensions, the style is English Gothic, and is surmounted by towers. The basement alone will be completed at present.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Astoria .- As- toria is one of the oldest parishes on Long Island. It was founded as far back as 184I. One of the earliest pastors, if not the earliest, was the Rev. Michael Curran, who attended Sag Harbor and some other out-missions. The first church was dedicated to St. John, and the congregation consisted of fourteen members, among whom were John Small and Michael Tuomey. After Father Curran came Father James Phelan, who took charge of the parish in 1858, and labored here until March, 1880, when he died of pneumonia. The corner-stone of the present church was laid on Sept. 9, 1871, and the edifice was dedicated by Bishop

Loughlin, Aug. 7, 1873. Father Phelan was succeeded by Rev. P. F. Sheridan, whose pas- torate was only one year in duration. At his death, in 1881, he was succeeded by Rev. Will- iam McGinness. In 1883 the present Pastor, Rev. P. A. Walsh, assumed charge of the par- ish. During his pastorate he has erected a splendid parochial school,rebuilt the old church and made many valuable and needed improve- ments. On December 27, 1891, he celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of his church. He has been honored with the title of Vicar Foraneus or Rural Dean.

St. Bridget's, Westbury .- Westbury mis- sion was founded in 1850. The original St. Bridget's was an old farm house, one of the first houses erected in Westbury, that had been altered and adapted as nearly as possible for church purposes. It was attended from Hempstead and elsewhere, by Rev. Father Mc- Enroe and other priests. On February II, 1893, the Rev. Thomas McGronen, one of the assistants at St. Anthony's Church, Green- point, was assigned by Bishop McDonnell to take charge of Westbury. There was no house for the priest, and Father McGronen had to live as best he could. He at once set to work to better the conditions of his poor mission. He made appeals, Sunday after Sunday, to different congregations in Brooklyn, and in time was able, in February, 1894, to lay the foundations of a new church, 40 feet by 79 feet, on the south side of the old church. Peo- ple began to gather around the new church, until in a short time Westbury came to be a flourishing parish. Hyde Park was one of its out-missions. In 1895 the Rev. Herbert F. Farrell became Pastor, and he has continued the good work commenced by Father Mc- Gronen. Westbury has now acquired the dig- nity of a deanery, and Father Farrell is the Dean for the county of Nassau.

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A history of Long Island, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Part 132

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