USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II > Part 90
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was laid by Right Reverend Bishop Watterson on Sunday, July 27, 1884. A large number of the clergy of the city were present. The Bishop preached an earnest and practical sermon on the charity which on that day appealed to their hearts. All the societies of the eity were present, the entire assemblage number- ing about 2,000.
Rev. John C. Goldschmidt, the ehaplain of the Asylum and rector of the new Church, struggled earnestly and zealously in this new undertaking and finally saw his labors crowned with success when the neat little edifice was solemnly dedicated to God on Sunday, August 9, 1885, by Right Reverend Bishop Watter- son. High Mass was sung by Father Goldschmidt and the address was eloquently delivered by Rev. J. Larkin, Ph. D. The church is complete in all its parts and presents a very neat appearance, enjoying the distinction of being the next oldest Catholic Church in the city which possesses a spire surmounted by a cross. The windows are of tasteful patterns of stained glass, with polished marble sills. The interior decorations are chaste and appropriate to a convent church.
St. Dominic's Church. - In the northeastern portion of our city there has been a rapid growth of population bringing with it all classes and creeds - manufact- urers, artisans, laborers, Catholies and Protestants. The Catholies found St. Pat- rick's Church with its ministering clergy at too great a distance, and the advan- tages of a Catholic school had, to a great extent, heen denied them, as the distance to Sacred Heart or St. Patrick's school was too great for their little ones. To sup- pły these wants, it had long been the desire of the Bishop to establish a parish in that remote section of Columbus. A suitable location for a church and school was finally settled upon and on April 9, 1889, the Bishop purchased six lots on the corner of Twentieth and Devoise streets. But as it would require the organization of the parish previous to undertaking a building and collection of the necessary funds, the Bishop awaited the opportunity when he could appoint a priest whom he considered equal to the task. In September of the same year, to the great consolation of the people who would constitute the prospective congregation, Rev Thomas J. O'Reilly, who had served as secretary to the Bishop sinee 1885, was appointed pastor of the new church to be placed under the patronage of St. Dominic. The name was very appropriately chosen, for the major portion of the new parish was eut off from that of St. Patrick's, which is in charge of the Fathers of St. Dominic, and it will be the nearest church to the wellknown Academy of St. Mary's of the Springs under the control of the Sisters of St. Dominic.
Father O'Reilly's first efforts were directed towards procuring a suitable place in which to assemble the congregation for divine service. Benninghoff Hall, located in the third story of the large brick block at the southeast corner of Twentieth Street and Hildreth Avenue, was finally decided upon as the most eligible place for the church, school and pastor's apartments, and a lease of it was made for those purposes. The Sisters of Notre Dame donated an altar and the hall was otherwise furnished with articles necessary and suitable to a place in which to celebrate Mass. On Sunday, September 1, 1889, Father O'Reilly said Mass at six o'clock in the morning for the first time in the new parish and at nine o'clock sang the first High Mass. At both Masses Father O'Reilly stated the plans and hopes that he entertained and feelingly encouraged the congregation to persevere in building up both the spiritual and temporal edifice of the parish. A large congregation was present at both Masses. At the High Mass St. Patrick's ehoir, under the direction of Professor J. Seipel, furnished the music and Rev. Hugh F. Lilly, O. P., pastor of that church, preached the sermon, alluding to the work to be accomplished by pastor and people and wishing them Godspeed in the grand undertaking. The church began with about 125 families composed of Americans, Irish, Germans, French and Italians. The Sundayschool opened in
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the afternoon of September 1, with 125 pupils. On Monday morning, September 9, the parochial school was opened in this ball, used on Sundays for services, with a large attendance of children. The Sisters of St. Joseph, from Ebensburg, Penn- sylvania, have charge of the schools.
On August 17, 1890, the cornerstone of the new school building to be also used for church purposes, was laid by the Right Rev. Bishop assisted by nearly all the city clergy and witnessed by an immense concourse of people. The Bishop delivered the sermon iu his usual forcible style, pleading eloquently for Christian education. Within one year the building was ready for occupancy and divine services were held in the large and convenient secondstory, while the ground floor was used for schoolrooms. Father O'Reilly has purchased several other lots adjoining the original property and now has commodious grounds for school, church, pastor's residence and convent for the Sisters in charge of the schools. All these will come in time as the people are generous and anxious to have the parish work go on to completion. The schools have increased in attendance so that extra teachers have been engaged and the hall in which services are held is well filled at both Masses on Sunday.
Church of St. Francis of Assissi .- When the parish of the Sacred Heart was organized, it properly included all the Catholics in what is known as the North End. It was the intention of Bishop Rosecrans to divide the parish by forming another one in that portion of the city lying between the Whetstone River and High Street, north of the Union Station. This section was familiarly known as " Fly Town." The formation of a parish was attempted in 1875 and Rev. Simon Weisinger, now of Straitsville, fitted up a small hall on Goodale Street and named it St. Pius Memorial Chapel. The attendance did not justify its continuance, and moreover, the Catholics of that part of the city could not support a pastor and church at that time. The chapel was discontinued and the people remained under the care of the pastor of Sacred Heart Church.
During the past few years the necessity for a church there became more evi- dent, and in February, 1890, six lots on the corner of Buttles Avenue and Harri- son Street were bought for the Bishop of Robert E. Neil. They afford a very snitable site for church property, being 240 feet on Buttles Avenue and 140 feet on Ilarrison Avenue. In June, 1892, the Right Rev. Bishop appointed Rev. A. M. Leyden first pastor of St. Francis's Parish, transferring him from Toronto, Ohio, where he had most faithfully served the mission for some years. Father Leyden was not without experience in such circumstances and possessed courage and energy in a high degree. The task of building up the parish was entered upou with all the zeal of a young priest. Neil Chapel, southwest corner Neil Avenue and Goodale, hitherto used as a Methodist Church, but for some time abandoned, was rented by Father Leyden, as was also a neat and comfortable pastoral resi- dence furnished in great part by himself. On Sunday, June 19, 1892, the church was ready for Catholic services and Father Leyden celebrated High Mass in it for the first time on Sunday, June 19. The Right Rev. Bishop was present and addressed earnest and encouraging words to the large congregation which com- pletely filled the building.
It is intended to begin soon the erection of a large school with a hall to be used for divine services for the present. Before many years the Catholics of the north- eastern portion of the city will have all the requirements of a wellregulated parish, and the Bishop predicts that it will become one of the largest and most important parishes in Columbus. There is record at present of over 250 Catholie families. Subscriptions have been takeu up and collections of money made with which to begin the building.
Although St. Francis is the youngest church in the city, it seems not destined to remain such for any length of time, as the Bishop has in contempla .
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tion the establishment of a parish in the southeastern part of Columbus, in the vicinity of St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum. When this shall have been done, the city will possess ten Catholic churches, four of them having been erected under the direction of Bishop Watterson during the twelve years of his episcopate. There are many other places in Columbus where Mass is celebrated at least onee in a week, but they are private chapels for the use of the hospitals, convents and academies.
Catholic Institutions, Charitable and Educational. - The Catholic Church in Columbus, as in other centres of Catholicity throughout the world, has not only struggled successfully in establishing and maintaining houses of diving worship in which the Sacrifice of the Mass is daily offered, but has also founded institutions for the exercise of a practical religion. Hospitals for the care and treatment of the sick and unfortunate ; asylums for the orphans and forsaken little ones ; houses of refuge for fallen and frail women and for girls in danger of acquiring vicious habits; convents and academies in which youthful minds are trained in the science of true morality and religion ; parochial schools to receive the young chil- dren and lead them to the practice of morality by instilling into their minds the wholesome truths of their faith ; all these are objeets of the Church's earnest solici- tude, and henee we find them all here in our own city, flourishing with the ovi- dent blessing of God's providence.
St. Francis Hospital .- Familiar to all the citizens of Columbus for the past thirty years, St. Francis Hospital continues today the same work of charity. Its foundation was a heroic undertaking by a little band of pious women known as the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis. Emptyhanded they arrived in our city in Jannary, 1862, when the great struggle for our Union was at its bloodiest period and the sweet mission of merey of the Sisters of Charity was repeatedly witnessed amid scenes of carnage on the field of battle or about the couch of suffering in the hospital wards. They were not surprised when some of our citizens, not recogniz- ing their mission, failed to greet their arrival with the generosity that these same parties afterward delighted to bestow upon them. The Sisters entered upon their work of charity in a small dwelling situated on East Rich Street, about opposite to the Holy Cross Church. Accommodations could be provided for only twenty- four patients and thus the Sisters were limited in their ministrations to the sick and suffering who often sought and were refused admission because there was no room. Until 1865 the Sisters were thus impeded in the great work that lay before them. Early in 1864 three lots were purchased on East Friend, now Main Street, and upon these it was proposed to erect a hospital, trusting to the offerings of the charitable for means to complete it.
Doctor Starling Loving, who was then and has ever since been one of the attending physicians of the hospital, kindly undertook to solicit subscriptions among the more wealthy citizens. In consultation with Doctor J. W. Hamilton, also one of the physicians who gratuitously attended the sick under care of the Sisters, that gentleman mentioned the Starling Medical College, on the corner of State and Sixth streets, with which he was at that time connected, as having been founded to serve also as a hospital, and urged the Sister Superior to apply for it, as he believed she could obtain it with less difficulty than she would experience in the building of a new one. The idea was a good one and the Sisters took steps to obtain a portion of the college. Some opposition was raised when it was known that the Sisters had applied for one of the most beautiful and stately buildings in the city to be used for hospital purposes. Many objected to such an institution in their neighborhood as it would disturb their ease of mind to be so near to scenes of suffering and would, as they believed, depreciate the value of their real estate. Time has shown that these apprehensions were groundless.
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When urged by their friends to make reply to the charges and objections of the local press, the Sisters simply said: " If it is God's will that we should get it, we certainly will succeed." Unknown to the Sisters a Protestant gentleman by the name of Gilmore defended the justice of their cause and thus silenced the pre- judices expressed by the newspapers. When all the preliminaries had been com- pleted, a special meeting of the College trustees was called at the residence of Mr. William Sullivan. The Provincial Superioress and the Sister Superior of the hospital as well as several members of the faculty of the College were present. The trustees laid down the following conditions upon which the Sisters could establish their hospital in the College : The Sisters to pay $16,000 for a lease of ninetynine years, which amount was then an incumbrance on the building; the part which the Sisters thus leased to be used for hospital purposes only and not for a school or a home for the aged, which limitation as to the old was afterwards modified so as to allow a few invalids to be admitted; if for urgent reasons the Sisters were to leave the institution, the money was to be refunded. The trustees retained the right to remove the Sisters should they fail in this latter condition as to the patients, the sum agreed upon for the lease to be refunded to the Sisters should they be thus required to leave.
When the final contract was closed, the trustees accepted the house on Rich Street which they were then using as a hospital, in payment for $6,000, receiving, however, only 85,500 for it, thus requiring the Sisters to supply the balance of 8500. The amount asked for the lease was afterwards reduced to $10,000, leaving only $4,000 to be made up. Through the kindly interest of Rev. Edward M. Fitz- gerald, pastor of St. Patrick's Church, and Rev. John B. Hemsteger, pastor of Holy Cross Church, the only Catholic churches then in the city, a grand union fair was held in the old theatre on State Street and something over $4,000 was realized for the benefit of the hospital, thus enabling the Sisters to meet their obli- gations. The enthusiasm and kindly interest of the citizens in general were now aroused in behalf of the new hospital. Prejudice against the institution had nearly died away. Old battlescarred soldiers were returning from the war and they told of the work of the Sisters of Charity in the face of danger to life and limb. Their heroic sacrifice appealed to the generous American heart and the ladies of the different religious denominations united in a grand fair for the hospital. The sum of $3,000 was realized, and with this the Sisters hoped to pay for necessary alter- ations in the building and for furnishing the wards. The lots on Friend Street were sold, small payments only having been made on them, and on February 17, 1865, the Sisters moved into the handsome college building which they today occupy.
In 1875, the medical staff of the College, appreciating the crowded condition of the hospital, granted the use of some of their apartments and one large lecture- room which was converted into two commodious and airy wards. A few years later the numerous friends of the institution contributed means to put in an eleva- tor by which the sick and lame could be carried from floor to floor. Improvements have thus been gradually made, and in 1891 the interior underwent a thorough change. The apartments of the Sisters were so arranged as to improve their san- itation, which had been so imperfect heretofore as to cause much suffering and sev- cral deaths among the Sisters. A new chapel was fitted up in the second story, as the former one on the first or ground floor was too small to accommodate the Sis- ters and patients during divine service. An addition was also built in 1891, on the west side of the building.
The number of sick yearly treated has steadily increased from about five hundred in the beginning to 1,200 in 1891. These have been cared for in very great measure by the charitable offerings of our citizens without regard to race, creed or nationality, and daily the meek and humblyclad Sisters of St. Francis
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can be seen soliciting from house to house, from store to store and, in the market, from stand to stand the nourishment and means necessary for the care of the destitute sick. The Sisters have appreciated the kindness of heart manifested toward their labors and those for whom they have labored.
Mt. Carmel Hospital .- With the founding of the Columbus Medical College cane the necessity for another hospital in this city, with advantages not less than those enjoyed by the Starling Medical College. Doctor W. B. Hawkes, one of the trustees of the Columbus Medical College, who died in 1884, willed to the institu- tion a tract of ground 150 feet square, situated on an elevation at the corner of State Street and Souder Avenue, west side, on which should be erected a hospital for the use of the College. Doctor Hawkes also devised $10,000 toward the con- struction of the building. Under the superintendency of Doctor William D. Hamilton, plans were drawn for the new hospital and were accepted by the board of trustees. Work on the building began in the spring of 1885, but the funds gave out and only as donations and subscriptions to a limited extent were received did the work of completion proceed during the fall and winter of that year. But a hospital building without the competent persons to care for it and properly direct its management would be entirely useless. Hence, even before it was ready for occupancy, the trustees appreciated the necessity of placing it in the hands of those who were to have its entire control in order that it might be completed according to the latter's desires and convenience. It was decided, with the con- sent of the Bishop of Columbus, to place its management under some one of the religious communities of Sisters in the Catholic Church, and Doctor W. D. Hamilton finally succeeded in inducing the Sisters of the Holy Cross, from Notre Dame, Indiana, to accept it. Their lease amounted to almost a sale and the Sisters, under the direction of Mother Angela, immediately went to work to com- plete and furnish the building, for which purpose many prominent and wealthy citizens, both Catholic and non-Catholic, made handsome donations of money and useful articles.
On July 16, 1886, the first patient was received though the hospital was not fully prepared for the reception of the sick until some months later. The success attained by the Sisters in their careful nursing, the excellent hygienic surround- ings, the pleasant situation and the fame acquired by the medical staff in the treatment of very difficult cases, soon crowded the hospital, which was rather lim- ited in space; consequently the Sisters began preparations for enlargement of the institution by purchasing, in 1887, the adjoining property to the cast, thus giving a frontage from Souder Avenue to Davis Avenue and affording a very beautiful site for the new building, the foundations for which were laid in the spring of 1891. On May 31, in the same year, Right Rev. Bishop Watterson blessed the corner- stone and placed it in position. The ceremony attracted a large crowd of people and was accompanied by a parade of the Catholic societies. The platform at the site of the cornerstone laying was beautifully decorated with American and Papal colors, and upon it were seated Bishop Watterson, Fathers Logan, Moitrier, White, Reilly, Mulhearn, Goldschmidt, Clarke, O'Reilly, Rhode. Horn and Cush, Governor Campbell, Mayor Karb, Judge Nasb, Judge Gillmore, Hon. H. J. Booth and others. Addresses were made by Bishop Watterson, Governor Campbell, Mayor Karb and Hon. W. J. Clarke, the latter speaking for the Board of Trustees of the Medical College. During the past year and a half the work of finishing the grand and imposing structure has gone steadily on, and today it stands as one of the most attractive improvements of the West Side. The front on State Street is 201 feet with a depth of 80 feet. The buildings contain 70 rooms and three large wards, all comfortably and some of them luxuriantly furnished. On the fourth or top floor is a wellarranged amphitheatre for surgical operations. It will accommodate 300 persons Apparatus for hotwater heating has been put into all the apart-
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ments, and is accompanied by a perfect system of ventilation. A beautiful little chapel occupies a quiet and secluded portion of the building. Rev. F. Moitrier is the chaplain.
St. Anthony's Hospital .- The central and consequently very convenient loca- tion of St. Francis Hospital caused it to be generally known and recognized as the refuge of all emergency cases and particularly of the victims of accidents. The patrol wagon daily unloads the suffering and the dying at its doors. In such circum- stances room must be made for the unfortunate persons who have nowhere else to look for attendance and succor. Indeed the object of the Hospital was primarily for such as could be relieved or cured and was never intended as a refuge for the incurable or a home for the friendless. The conditions of the lease plainly indi- cated as much, yet the Sisters, in the charity which they always exercise, were from time to time compelled to admit such. This was the origin of the St Anthony's Hospital erected and controlled by the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis. It was to be used mainly for the treatment and care of incurables, while St. Francis will receive the accident and acute cases. Situated on Mann Street, corner of Taylor Avenue, in the extreme eastern part of the city, it possesses a location far removed from the bustle and excitement of city life, with abundance of pure air, so great a desideratum in the care of the invalid. St. Anthony's partakes of the nature of a sanitarium.
The first portion of the property was bought in March, 1889, and additions were made thereto in 1890, during which latter year plans and specifications were adopt- ed, and the work of excavation began in June. The building was enclosed before winter of 1890 and by October of the following year it was completed. The dedi- cation took place on Sunday, November 22, Right Rev. Bishop Watterson offici- ating. The Catholic societies celebrated the occasion by a parade. The Hospital is three stories in height, has a fine architectural appearance and contains about one hundred rooms. The tract of eight acres upon which it is located furnishes ample ground for the openair enjoyment of the patients. The cost of the estab- lishment will reach $100,000, most of which will be met by donations and other charitable offerings by our churches and individuals. Several business firms have furnished wards or rooms. The first patient was received December 7. 1891, and up to September 30, 1892, three hundred and eightysix were treated. The Hospi- tal has already proven its necessity and usefulness.
Conrent of the Good Shepherd .- The Sisters of the Good Shepherd were first established in the city of Caen, France, in 1851, and received the cordial approval of the Popes. Their object is to establish and sustain houses of refuge for penitent fallen women and girls of all ages, to rescue female children from dangerous occa- sions of crime and to train and instruct them in useful employment. The mother house of the order is in Angers, France, where the Mother-General resides and where, at intervals of three years, the general council of the order, composed of delegates from all their convents throughout the world, meet to deliberate upon the welfare of the order and the best means to carry on the great work of charity. One portion of the community is strictly cloistered and not permitted to go beyond the prescribed convent enclosure uuless for some extraordinary reason. Other members of the order, however, have the rule so modified that they are required to attend to the outside affairs of the convent.
The early history of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in this city indicates the spirit of selfdenial that pervades the order in general and, indeed, of all the sis- terhoods in the Church. They came from Cincinnati, a little band of them, with Mother Gertrude Molloy at their head, in May, 1865. Rev. Father Fitz- gerald, the present Bishop of Little Rock, urged their coming and secured for them a rented dwelling on East Spring Street. Their mission was little known at first and therefore inappreciated. The accommodations were limited and the
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growth of the institution was held in check and suffered much inconvenience. As they subsisted by the work of their own hands and made no appeal for char- ity they were soon compelled to obtain more commodious quarters in which to do the sewing, fancy needlework and laundry service that was required of them by their friends and patrons. Through the kind offiees of Father Fitzgerald the Sisters purchased the elegant property of the Sullivant heirs situated on Sandus- ky and Broad streets, West Side, where they have built up a beautiful convent home. Every year since 1866, when the Sisters came into possession of this property, they have added improvements to it. New and substantially constructed houses have been built for the different classes and departments, among these added structures being a neat and handsomely decorated little chapel where the entire community of Sisters and children daily congregates. The institution sup- ports itself almost entirely by the work of its inmates, all the children being employed at some useful occupation when not engaged in recreation or at school. The good work accomplished is continually manifested by the numbers of former inmates who are now leading useful and happy lives rendered so by the benign influence exerted over their early years when the world threatened to lead them astray.
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