USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Catholicity in northern Ohio and in the diocese of Cleveland from 1749 to December 31, 1900, Volume I, pt1 > Part 10
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Bishop Rappe introduced into the diocese in 1864 the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, and, by special agreement with Bishop O'Connor, of Pittsburg, located them on a large tract of land near New Bedford (Villa Maria), Pa., where they founded a convent and an orphan asylum.
Previous to 1865 Cleveland had no public hospital. As early as 1850, two French Sisters of Charity attempted to establish one on the West Side-then known as Ohio City. Their noble purpose failed for want of means, and so they returned to their native France the following year.
In 1863, during the interstate war, then at its height of bloody carnage, many sick and wounded soldiers were sent to Cleveland for medical treatment, but no provision had been made to receive and care for them. It was then that Cleveland realized the neces- sity of a hospital, which Bishop Rappe would long before have built had he had the means. He now saw a near realization of his long-cherished plan. He offered to build a hospital and provide efficient nurses, on condition that the public would come to his assistance. This offer was gladly accepted, and Cleveland's citizens, irrespective of creed, generously contributed towards the building fund. Two years later (1865) Charity Hospital, costing about $75,000, was opened to the public, and placed in charge of the Sisters of Charity, and has ever since been in the forefront of Cleveland's hospitals.
The Bishop established St. Louis' College at Louisville, Stark County, in 1866, to replace St. Mary's College and Preparatory Seminary, Cleveland, opened in September, 1860. It was placed in charge of secular priests. The following year its management was transferred to the Basilian Fathers of Sandwich, Canada, but the college was closed in 1873 for want of support.
For the fourth time Bishop Rappe went to Europe-in the
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fall of 1867-the Very Rev. Vicar General Caron administering the diocese during his three months' absence. Besides visiting his native country the Bishop also went to Rome to attend to some affairs in connection with his diocese.
During the first three years of the third decade of Bishop Rappe's administration (1867-70), twenty-three churches were erected in the diocese.
St. Francis' Orphan Asylum and Home for the Aged was es- tablished at Tiffin, in 1867, under the direction of the Rev. Joseph L. Bihn, who applied his patrimony and savings, as also large donations from the Schaefer family at Tiffin, towards the purchase of the lands and the erection of buildings for this institution. He also established, in 1868, a sisterhood of the Third Order of St. Francis, which has charge of the domestic affairs of the asylum and home. Some of the sisters are also engaged as teachers in a number of parochial schools in the diocese.
In 1867 Bishop Rappe introduced the Franciscan Fathers of Teutopolis, Ill., into the diocese, and gave them pastoral charge of St. Joseph's Church, Cleveland. In the following year they erected their monastery and chapel, at the corner of Chapel and Hazen streets.
St. Mary's Church, Toledo, was placed in charge of the German Jesuit Fathers of Buffalo, in 1869.
Bishop Rappe invited the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, of Cincinnati, to establish a house of their Order in Cleveland. The invitation was accepted in 1869. Their convent was a frame building on Lake street, situated on a large lot which had been secured for them by Bishop Rappe. Here they remained until the completion of their present large building, in 1875. Their silent, saving work in behalf of fallen, erring woman has resulted in untold good and has forced recognition even from an anti-Catholic public.
The paternal heart of good Bishop Rappe next prompted him to provide for a class of unfortunates, neglected and rejected by a cold, selfish world-the aged poor. To give them shelter and needed care he had the Little Sisters of the Poor establish a Home for them on Perry street, in 1870. This charitable work soon met with generous support on the part of the citizens of Cleveland. irrespective of creed. In a few years the old buildings first bought
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IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH (Interior), OTTOVILLE, PUTNAM COUNTY.
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had to be enlarged and in part replaced by others more commo- dious and better adapted, so large was the number of applicants.
Following is the latest official communication published by Bishop Rappe to his clergy. It appeared in the Catholic Telegraph of July 28, 1869 :
"An ecclesiastical retreat will be opened in our seminary of Cleveland, on the evening of the 16th of August, and will close on the 23d of the same month. As our seminary has not sufficient accommodation for all the priests of our diocese we invite, first, the clergymen who did not enjoy the blessing of the retreat last year. Should a few rooms remain free they will be given to those who made their retreat last year. Let them apply as soon as possible.
The reverend clergy coming to the retreat are requested to bring along cassock, beretta. etc. ¡AMADEUS, Bishop of Cleveland."
In concluding this record of Bishop Rappe's eventful admin- istration, the following account is given of the origin and develop- ment of his long years of trouble, which led eventually to his resignation. The origin of his trouble was in part due to the question of Nationality, which was pressed beyond its legitimate sphere during his administration, and ended, as necessarily it had to end, in consequences dire to religion, to charity, and to the peace of the diocese.
Although of French birth, Bishop Rappe was intensely American in spirit, and from the beginning of his administration showed that spirit. His well-meant desire was to Americanize his diocese, and make the English language that of his diocesans. In attempting this, he antagonized the Germans in Cleveland, as far back as 1852, and for the same reason he gave more or less offense to the Germans throughout the diocese, during his entire adminis- tration. In 1857, the opposition of the Bishop to the Germans reached its climax, when he refused the Catholics of that nation- ality, at Fremont, permission to organize as a separate congrega- tion, and to erect a church in which their native tongue should be spoken. By his refusal he aroused the indignation of the Germans throughout the diocese, as they sympathized with their brethren and countrymen at Fremont, who in the face of the Bishop's refusal built the desired church. In this they were encouraged by the celebrated Jesuit missionary, Father Weninger. Very soon
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after this regrettable episode, Bishop Rappe recognized, to his sorrow, that it was unwise to force the language question on the Germans, and so he dropped it.
Bishop Rappe found it difficult to meet the expenses of his first Cathedral congregation, in old St. Mary's church, and later in St. John's Cathedral, as many of the parishioners did not con- tribute their fair share towards the support of the church. He therefore directed that the sum of ten cents be collected from every adult, at the church door, before Mass on Sundays and Holydays of obligation. To this also the Germans strenuously objected. Finally Father Weninger, above mentioned, brought the matter to the attention of the authorities at Rome, who then directed the Bishop to abolish that regulation, so offensive to the Germans, and, in fact, to all.
About 1865 complaint was made that Bishop Rappe favored the German and French speaking priests to the prejudice of the Irish priests; also that he had an undue proportion of German students in the diocesan seminary, which it was claimed was not fairly supported by the German element of the diocese, although they were unduly favored. The principal.complaint, however, was that some French priests had charge of English congregations. The demand was very pronounced on the part of the English- speaking priests, that no one should be appointed pastor of a con- gregation, unless his "vernacular" was that of his pastoral charge. At the Synod held in 1868 Bishop Rappe explained why he had more German students than those of other nationalities, giving as one reason that many rural congregations were either entirely German, or composed of members speaking English or German ; that the German priests spoke both languages, though they spoke the English imperfectly in many cases, and that they could and did serve their people better than could those who spoke but one language.
At the same Synod (1868) Bishop Rappe imposed, by Diocesan Statute, sixty cents per family for the support of the Seminary. This he did with the approval of the majority of the priests present at that Synod. The assessment, thus levied, was soon openly opposed by a number of priests, who based their opposition, partly on the ground that they were unwilling to
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support a "German Seminary," and partly because of the dislike they had for the Rector of the Seminary. In consequence of this opposition the Bishop felt himself obliged to enforce the above mentioned Statute, by removing several priests from prominent charges to places of less consequence. This action disturbed the peace of the diocese, and increased the opposition already existing against the Bishop.
About the year 1869 Bishop Rappe's troubles assumed another form. In 1868 he had. appointed as Rector of the diocesan Seminary, the Rev. Dr. James Stremler, of the Quebec (Laval) University. He was a learned, pious priest, but very set in his manners, and thus soon made himself obnoxious to most of the diocesan clergy. Dr. Stremler was a thorough Frenchman in feeling, and soon showed antipathy towards students of Irish birth or descent. He even went so far as to dismiss quite a number of them in 1869. Against this the priests of the same nationality justly protested, but the Bishop failed to heed their protest. This naturally aroused bitter feeling and brought the opposition against him to a climax. Charges, based on shadows, and possibly on want of prudence, were made against his character. These accusa- tions were taken to Rome by the Rev. Eugene M. O'Callaghan, for the purpose of personal prosecution by him-in 1870, while Bishop Rappe was there, attending the Vatican Council. When the Bishop was confronted with the charges he at once pronounced them false and calumnious. More than surprised, he was dazed and overwhelmed by them, and was wholly defenseless, as he had not at hand the means to refute them. Their refutation would have forced him to return to his diocese and to give undue publicity to this unwarranted assault upon his character. He would have been obliged to explain in detail the nature of the charges to persons who, though they made affidavit* to their truth, were ignorant of their real import, and thus unwittingly did their Bishop untold injury. Rather than face those humiliations, prejudicial as it would have been to religion and a scandal to souls,
*Some of the persons who made the original charges against Bishop Rappe, made affidavit shortly after his resignation, that they did not know the nature of the charges they had been asked to make against him; and now asserted that they knew nothing against his character. Their counter-affidavits were in the possession of an attorney, . from whose office they mysteriously disappeared. Most of these counter-affidavits were, however, replaced by the affiants who had made them, and are now on file in the Dio- cesan archives.
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to do so, the good Bishop saw fit to let his adversaries have the field against him-for better, or worse! The Prefect of the Propaganda, Cardinal Simeoni, never doubted the Bishop's inno- cence. Before God the Bishop, himself, knew he was innocent; and public opinion has long since pronounced its verdict in his favor. His accusers must settle the affair, as some have already done, with their consciences and God-the writer makes no accusa- tions. Finding himself so little appreciated, even by those whom he had favored most, he concluded to resign the responsible office of bishop, whose onerous duties he had discharged conscientiously and to the best of his ability, for twenty-three years, amid trials, difficulties and worry known only to God. Where others would have met and withstood the enemy, he thought it best to lay down crosier and miter, and thus secure peace in the evening of his life. This he believed himself all the more constrained to do, as in his advanced age, sixty-eight years, he felt himself physically unable to properly administer his large and rapidly growing diocese. The Holy See accepted his resignation, which took effect on August 22, 1870. A more detailed account of this sad chapter in Bishop Rappe's life will be found in his biographical sketch.
Shortly after his resignation he retired to the diocese of Burlington, Vt., where he resumed missionary work, with which he was so familiar, and for which he was so eminently fitted by nature and divine calling. In poverty, chastity, humility and self- denial he began his career in this country as a missionary; and clothed in these same virtues he ended it thus beautifully in death, when the summons came to him on September 8, 1877.
The Very Rev. Edward Hannin was appointed by the Most Rev. Archbishop Purcell Administrator of the Diocese of Cleve- land, within a few days after Bishop Rappe's resignation. At that time Father Hannin was pastor of St. Patrick's church. Toledo, which position he retained meanwhile. During his administratorship of the diocese ten churches were built and as many congregations and missions established.
One of Father Hannin's first administrative acts was to fill the vacancy in the rectorship of the diocesan Seminary, by the appointment, in September, 1870, of the Rev. Nicholas A. Moes, who has ever since ably filled that responsible and important office.
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ST. JOHN'S PASTORAL AND TEACHERS' RESIDENCES, GLANDORF
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He also invited bishops of neighboring dioceses for ordina- tions in the Seminary. Among them was the Rt. Rev. John H. Luers, Bishop of Fort Wayne. On June 29, 1871, this worthy prelate conferred Holy Orders in the Seminary chapel. After the ceremony he started for the Union depot, preferring to walk rather than take the carriage which had been placed at his service. Reaching the corner of St. Clair and Bond streets, he fell to the pavement, stricken with apoplexy. Unconscious, he was carried to the Bishop's house, near by, where he expired a few minutes later, after having received Extreme Unction.
Shortly after Bishop Rappe left the diocese a series of letters* appeared, between September and December, 1870, in the Cleve- land papers, notably in the Leader, some attacking, others defend- ing the Bishop. Of the former, many were shameless in concep- tion and vile in language. Nearly all were unsigned. One com- munication, however, and the worst of the series, bore the name of the writer. It appeared in the Leader, on October 3, 1870. In charity, only the initials of his name are here given, viz., J. P. C. His letter aroused a storm of indignation among the many friends of Bishop Rappe, Protestants, as well as Catholics. Even the Editors of the anti-Catholic Leader and Herald came to the Bishop's defense, branding the letter as infamous, and the charges of his enemies as false. Father Hannin, hoping to quiet the news- paper turmoil, and to put Bishop Rappe in a proper light, published a dignified letter in the Leader, of October 5, 1870. It had not the desired effect, however, as the series of letters above mentioned continued to appear for some months longer. Follow- ing is the full text of Father Hannin's letter :
To the Editor of the Leader :
Within the past few days several articles appeared in your and other city papers, misrepresenting certain parties, and placing them in a wrong light before the public. I was absent from the city when these articles appeared, and therefore could not reply. For the sake of the parties concerned, and the proper understand- ing of matters I will do so now.
Whatever may have been the object of your correspondents in bringing these matters before the public, they have certainly exceeded the limits of their information, as facts do not sustain or justify them in making the statements these articles contain.
*The certified coples of all the letters as published, are on file In the Diocesan archives.
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Certain priests of this diocese, it is true, at the synod referred to, raised an objection to the reception of students from France and Germany, not on the ground of nationality, as your corres- pondent would have us believe, but because they supposed this practice at variance with the interests of the Catholic religion in this country. For, to my personal knowledge, they made the same objection to students coming from Ireland, alleging as a reason that young men brought up in Europe are more or less imbued with European ideas, and that in all cases it might not be easy for them to acquire a proper American spirit, which is the wish and desire of the Catholic church in this country. I had no part in presenting the petition, but this I know to be the spirit that moved it. The priests who signed and presented it felt, as a great portion of the Catholic clergy in this country do feel, the opinion prevalent in many parts of this country, "that the Catholic church is a foreign church," that much of the hostility to it is founded on the fact that a majority of its priests are of foreign birth, and that the only way to remove this false impression is to do away with the practice of receiving students from abroad and educating only those born in America. Why Bishop Rappe did not acquiesce in the sentiments of the petitioners, I know not. I never took the pains to learn. Nationality is a hobby on which I have not and will not torture my brains. I only know that he had the interest of religion at heart and that he did all in his power to promote it.
Your correspondent or informant, in speaking of Archbishop Purcell in connection with these matters, has transgressed or Overstepped the bounds of propriety, and does that learned and venerable prelate great injustice. He has always been a friend and admirer of Bishop Rappe, no matter what others may say to the contrary. Only a short time ago he sent a note to the Arch- bishop, thanking him in warm terms for services rendered him. Indeed, that venerable prelate's whole history is one record of facts that would stamp with falsehood any assertion that would make him a party to proceedings such as your correspondent mentions. His mind, as every one acquainted with him knows, is too great and noble to have its thoughts fettered by the narrow limits of nationality.
Thus far I have impartially dwelt on those subjects, the appearance of which in the public press must have occasioned no little surprise and, I fear, not a little scandal. And the spirit of those articles is such that your readers can see for what purpose they were written. Not to instruct the public; not to benefit the parties mentioned, but to give vent to and gratify the anger of those who wrote them.
The same is true of those remarks that have been made of
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Bishop Rappe. The least proof of the appreciation of his services that a great and good man could expect when retiring from the scene of his labors, is to allow him to retire in silence and not make him the subject of criticism in the public press. That Bishop Rappe has been a great and good man, every city, town and village in Northern Ohio will confess. His labors in this section of the State, for nearly a quarter of a century, have been almost with- out a parallel-teaching much by words, but more by example; and, if those persons who now so unbecomingly use his name in the public press, will only follow his advice and example, in calling themselves "Honest" or "Unassuming" Catholics they will not deem it prudent to conceal their names from the public, for every one will be prepared to award them the title. And the clergymen who will have labored in the vineyard of the Lord as faithfully as he has done, can pass over in silence, even without an expression of pain, a dart of criticism, when sent even by a cleric, from a remote part of the State. E. HANNIN,
Administrator of the Diocese of Cleveland.
In the early part of 1871, the Rev. James Monahan, then pastor of St. Bridget's church, Cleveland, made preparations for the erection of a new church. In fact, the work of excavation was already begun, but without the required authorization of the Very Rev. Edward Hannin, the Administrator of the Diocese. Although Father Hannin forbade the work to go on, no heed was paid to the prohibition. He then invoked the aid of the Civil court and obtained a restraining order to hold in effect until the injunction suit was heard in the Common Pleas Court, before Judge R. F. Paine, in June, 1871, Attorney Thomas H. Robinson appearing for the plaintiff. and Attorney Edward M. Brown, for the defendants. The Rev. Eugene M. O'Callaghan's testimony. (in the form of an affidavit), as an expert witness in Canon law, was given in behalf of the defendants. On July 3, 1871, Judge Paine gave his decision against Father Hannin, who appealed the case to the Circuit Court. Meanwhile, however, in May, of the same year, he had removed Father Monahan from St. Bridget's and appointed as his successor the Rev. Bernard B. Kelley. The appealed case was not tried, and although in its original form it had caused not a little scandal, it was finally dropped.
The following self-explanatory communication, relative to the above mentioned case, from the V. Rev. Edward Hannin, Ad- ministrator of the Diocese of Cleveland, was originally published
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in the Cleveland Herald of July 12, 1871, and republished in the Catholic Telegraph of July 27, 1871 :
Editors Herald :- Much has of late appeared in the public press relative to my action with St. Bridget's congregation of this city. Of this scarcely any portion went to show the true causes of that action, the whole tending to misrepresent me, and nothing, probably more so, than the editorial in the Herald of yesterday morning.
To say, or insinuate, that Catholic bishops are opposed to any improvements that their congregations are willing and able to make, is to say what is not true. The history of the Church, and the many splendid edifices that have been built in this country. not only with their sanction and approval, but also by their per- sonal efforts and sacrifices, is a flat denial of such assertions. But while anxious to see splendid churches erected by every congrega- tion that can afford them, they are at the same time unwilling that these should be on a scale so extensive as to be beyond their means; they are unwilling that buildings should be commenced that could not be finished, or, if finished, would be loaded with such a debt that the congregation could not pay.
Such buildings have from time to time been commenced in many parts of this country. Over-zealous priests and congrega- tions, in trying to compete with or outdo more numerous and wealthy congregations, commenced large and expensive churches, much beyond their requirements. Finding, after a year or two, that contributions, heavier and more frequent than at first antici- pated, were required and demanded, they became weary of the undertaking, and. either partly finished, or loaded with debt, shifted the responsibility on the Ordinary, leaving him to finish the church or pay its debts, or neither, as he might think best. Cases of this kind were so frequent and so embarrassed those charged with the care of church property, that a few years ago, in the Provincial Council of Cincinnati, and later in the Plenary Council of Baltimore, a law was made by the Bishops of the United States obliging pastors and congregations to have the written permission of the Ordinary before commencing to build an edifice on property belonging to the Church. Not that they would thereby deprive the people of the privilege of building a church as large and as beautiful as they desired, but to guard them against the possibility of being led, by an imprudent, rash or over-zealous few into an undertaking that they would be unable to finish, or load them with debts they would be unable to pay. This rule is a part of the discipline of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is a Society, and every sensible man will maintain that as long as we belong to a Society we ought to observe its
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rules. This rule, in its particular sense, applies to St. Bridget's congregation, or, rather, to that portion of it, the five or six, who are so anxious to build the church referred to. A committee was appointed. Plans and specifications of a church were drawn up, which, it was told to the committee, and to the committee only.' not to the congregation, would cost only thirty-four thousand dollars ($34,000), but which, in truth, would cost more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). The truth of this is clear from the contracts made for a part of the work. The amount to be paid for inclosing the church was twenty-nine thousand dollars, and every one experienced in building knows the inclosing of a church does not include windows, plastering, the interior finish, or the finishing of the spire. It therefore is little more than half the work, and hence the estimate I give is correct.
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