USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Pittsburgh > A history of the Catholic church in the dioceses of Pittsburg and Allegheny from its establishment to the present time > Part 44
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A reformatory conducted on proper principles might have been able to receive a large number, if not all, of the Catholic boys who are sent to the Pennsylvania Reform School-House of Refuge-and, while making them contribute, in part at least, to their own support, would have trained them in accordance with Catholic principles. There are about eighty Catholic boys in this State institution, while there are only about half a dozen girls ; and although they are permitted to hear Mass and go to confession, their opportunities are but meagre, and they are obliged to be present at all the heretical exercises con- ducted in the chapel of the institution by whatever preacher the authorities chance for the time to smile upon. Besides, they are constantly in the company of the worst boys in the State. Under such circumstances it is not to be wondered at that they should return from the institution, after the two years for which they are usually entered, with nearly all ideas of re- ligion obliterated from their minds.
The lamented Bishop Domenec, while occupying the See of Pittsburg, frequently expressed to me his desire of leaving
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the present asylum to the girls, the small boys, and found- lings, and of building a reformatory somewhere near the city. But having been trained in a Catholic country, where every- thing was so different from what it is here, his ideas were not always the most practical, and, which is more to be regretted, he did not keep the affairs of the new asylum from the com- mencement sufficiently under his control.
A farm consisting of fifty-nine acres underlaid with coal and lying about five miles from Pittsburg was bequeathed to the asylum a few years ago, but the terms of the bequest are such that it will not be available for some time, and it is, be- sides, difficult of access. The asylum has always been main- tained by voluntary contributions, such as collections in the churches of the diocese, by donations, fairs, etc., and by money paid by some persons for the maintenance of certain children. To obviate the difficulties arising from so precarious a means of support, the Orphan Society founded by Father . O'Reilly in the beginning was revived in a slightly modified form un- der the title of " The Relief Association of St. Paul's R. C. Orphan Asylum," in May, 1878. This it was hoped would secure a permanent income, but it has only in part realized the expectation of those who revived it.
But notwithstanding every effort to meet the liabilities of the institution, it was sold by the sheriff for a debt due cer- tain depositors about the beginning of December, 1878. But by a generous and united effort of the clergy and people, such as is seldom witnessed, much less in times like the present, $14,000 was immediately raised, and the institution was re- deemed and set afloat to meet whatever other storms may be in store for it.
The largest number of orphans ever sheltered in the insti- tution at once was about two hundred and eighty, but the average number is about two hundred and twenty-five. A priest usually resides in the asylum to minister to the spiritual necessities of the children ; but at such times as one did not, they were attended from Trinity Church near by. The children usually spend the greater part of the day in school, but the larger girls do much of the sewing and housework. In better times they took in sewing. Little difficulty is found
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in disposing of the girls, for as soon as they are capable of taking care of a child they are usually wanted, and find a home for the most part in the city. But it is more difficult to dispose of the boys, for the reasons already given. The future of the asylum for many years will be a struggle for existence, and it cannot be known with certainty at present whether or not it is destined to be finally successful.
ST. JOSEPH'S GERMAN ORPHAN ASYLUM, ALLEGHENY CITY.
The German like the English orphan asylum took its rise near the parent church. In 1849 a colony of School Sisters of Notre Dame came to St. Philomena's Church from Balti- more and took charge of the female department of the school. A little later in the same year the new building, destined as a school for the children and a convent for the Sisters, was fin- ished and occupied. There being as yet no German orphan asylum, the Sisters received the female orphans into the con- vent and cared for them. But the number increased, and their home, which was not meant to be permanent, was soon crowded. Measures were taken to provide a more suitable home, and one that would meet the future as well as the present wants of the destitute little ones. A very eligible lot of ground, containing about four acres, was purchased on Troy Hill in 1850, and the building of an asylum was soon after commenced under the supervision of the rector of St. Philomena's Church and a board of lay managers. The building was not finished for occupation until the spring of 1853. On the ist of May of that year a number of Sisters from St. Philomena's with twenty-four orphans entered their new home. It was a neat and substantial brick building, suffi- ciently large to meet the wants of the inmates for many years, and it stood out prominently on the brow of the hill over- looking the Allegheny River and the western portion of Pitts- burg. Being to the north-west of the cities it was not exposed to the smoke, while its elevated position secured a constant supply of fresh air and delightful scenery. But the Troy Hill of that day was not the Troy Hill of the present. The houses were few and of unpretending style. The place had yet to
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become celebrated for its beer-gardens and the boisterous Sunday gatherings that marked the period immediately pre- ceding its incorporation into the city.
The opening of the asylum was a day of joy and festivity not only for the poor children, but also for the good German people. A grand picnic and open-air feast inaugurated the new institution and marked the anniversary for many years, until it was at length discontinued. But the Sisters and the children were not long in their new home before a calamity befell them which left them in a more destitute condition than they had been before. When the "dry summer" of 1854 had prepared the way for a conflagration by drying up wells and fountains, and when as yet the city did not supply water to the Troy Hill district, the asylum took fire July 25th, and was reduced to ashes without it being in the power of any one to stay the progress of the flames. The orphans had by this time increased to about thirty-five. The loss, beyond the amount covered by insurance, was $8000. A temporary home was prepared for the Sisters and children, and a new and much larger building was commenced on the site occupied by the former. Work was pushed forward with all speed, and the building was ready for occupation in an incredibly short space of time. The new orphanage is a splendid brick block 80 feet in length by about 40 in width, and three stories high besides the basement. It is one of the most prominent build- ings on Troy Hill.
The German orphan asylum did not at first enjoy the ad- vantages of a resident chaplain, but in the year 1853 Rev. John Fred. Wolf came to this country from Prussia and entered the Diocese of Pittsburg; and being too far advanced in years to enter on the mission-he was then about sixty-four- he was appointed chaplain of the asylum. For fourteen years he continued to reside in the institution and minister to the inmates, until he was called to his reward in a good old age, October 18th, 1867. His remains repose near the little mortu- ary chapel in the cemetery adjoining the asylum. Nothing is known of the life of Father Wolf beyond what is contained in the above lines. Upon the death of their chaplain the Sisters and orphans were again exposed to a season of spiritual priva-
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tion, and were obliged for a time to go to the church of the Holy Name to hear Mass. But when an assistant was assigned to Father Mollinger of that church, Mass was celebrated regularly in the asylum. At length, in 1878, Rev. A. Ros- wogg was appointed resident chaplain, a position which he continued to fill until succeeded by Rev. J. Stillerich in July, 1879.
The number of orphans has gradually increased, and it is now about one hundred. Since the erection of the first asylum both the male and the female orphans have been kept in the institution. All the orphans attend school taught in the asylum during a certain portion of the day. The remaining hours are devoted by the larger boys to the care of the extensive garden, or to such other out-door work as may be assigned them, while the girls do the work of the house. Half-orphans as well as children deprived of both parents are received, and indeed, as in the English asylum, the former constitute the larger number. The children are disposed of in the same manner as those in the other asylum ; but from the character of their training they give more general satis- faction. About the year 1870 an addition was built to the asylum .. A motion was also made about the same time to build a new asylum on the large farm owned by the institu- tion not far from the eastern part of Pittsburg. But this was abandoned at least until such time as it could be done without entailing so heavy a debt. The asylum is in a flourishing con- dition, and is supported by a society similar to that established by Father O'Reilly for the support of St. Paul's, by collections taken up in the German churches of the two cities and of Al- legheny County, by donations, and by the produce of the large garden attached to the institution. A German newspaper, Der Republikaner, was established for the benefit of the asylum many years ago, on the principle that all net proceeds, after paying a certain interest on the money invested, should go to the support of the institution. The money paid to the asylum from this source has been variously estimated, some persons placing it as high as $20,000. But for certain reasons nothing appears to have been paid for the last few years.
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ST. MICHAEL'S GERMAN ORPHAN ASYLUM, PITTSBURG, SOUTH SIDE.
We remarked when sketching the history of St. Michael's Church, Pittsburg, that when the new convent of the Sisters of St. Francis was finished and occupied, in 1874, part of it was converted into an orphan asylum for the children of the congregation, where they have since been cared for and schooled by the Sisters. The number of orphans is neces- sarily small, since they are from but one parish, and will not perhaps exceed twelve or fifteen. But the foundation of the asylum besides being of advantage to the children is a further illustration of the energy that has characterized the congregation in every period of its history. It is not probable that the asylum will ever receive any other children than those of the parish, nor is it capable of accommodating many more than these.
THE HOUSE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, TROY HILL, ALLEGHENY CITY.
The institute of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shep- herd, or the Sisters of the Good Shepherd as the order is more commonly called, was established by Father Eudes, in France, in the early part of the seventeenth century. The object of the institute is the offering of an asylum to females whose virtue is exposed to danger, or the reclaiming of such as have fallen from virtue and are desirous of amending their lives. The rules are founded on the strictest principles of Christian charity, and no subject is received unless she is will- ing to enter ; hence the asylum is in no sense a prison. The inmates are divided into two classes: the penitents, or those who have fallen from virtue, and in whose case, as a sanitary precaution, certain conditions are required, and the class of perseverance, or those who seek a refuge from the dangers to which they are exposed. But the two classes are wholly separated from each other, and are under the care of different
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members of the community. The better to shield from re- proach those who are received into the house, the greatest secrecy is observed respecting their condition before entering ; and no questions on this head are asked of the person that ac- companies them. A still more ingenious invention of charity is that of giving the person received a fictitious name before she is introduced to the class of which she is to become a member. Hence not her condition only, but also her name, is unknown to all save the superioress.
The period for which persons are received is commonly two years, at the end of which time they are either returned to their friends, or the Sisters endeavor to find respectable situations for them. But if during her stay in the asylum any one has given entire satisfaction and is desirous of consecrating herself to a life of retirement from the world, she may remain. These are permitted to take a peculiar habit and make an act of con- secration. A still higher grade are the Magdalenes. They are governed in many respects as the penitents are, but they also take the Carmelite habit with their rule and office, and are besides encouraged to practise certain corporal austerities not permitted the penitents. Magdalenes are not, however, found in every asylum, and as yet there are none in the one under consideration.
The founder of the Order met with serious opposition from many prudent and influential persons, who feared that the bringing together of women of such character, even for the sake of reform, would prove a dangerous experiment. But it was soon apparent that it was directed by the finger of God. The dictates of human prudence were not, however, disre- garded. The selection of candidates for a mission so peculiar engaged special attention, and there is perhaps no other order in the Church so strict in this matter. The construction of the asylums received equal attention. They are separated from the convents to which they communicate by passages, the doors of which are always locked, and through which no one except the Sisters in charge of the inmates is permitted to pass. The Order itself is enclosed with the exception of the Sisters to whom the out-door business is confided, and who are for this reason called "the out-door Sisters."
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From a knowledge of the object to which the Sisters of the Good Shepherd are devoted, it will readily be seen that few cities in the present state of society can well afford to be without one of their houses. More especially is this true of a city like Pittsburg, where so large a proportion of the Catholic population is poor ; where many parents, owing to their indif- ference or their intemperate habits, are unfit to train up their children properly, and where they are obliged on account of their poverty to send their girls to live out without being careful, in all cases, to select proper places or to keep a vigi- lant watch over them. These and other causes made it de- sirable to have a house established in the city, and induced the Bishop to petition the community at Buffalo to give his diocese a foundation. His petition was granted, and six Sis- ters arrived at Pittsburg October 1st, 1872. They took pos- session of a house of the Sisters of Mercy, situated at the cor- ner of Pride and Bluff streets, overlooking the Monongahela River and near the Mercy Hospital. It had for a few years previously been used by the Sisters of Mercy for a purpose somewhat similar, according to a special provision of their rules in cities where no House of the Good Shepherd exists. Here as many subjects were received as the limited accom- modations would permit, which was never more than four- teen. But the occupation of this house was only meant to be temporary. Soon a spacious lot with a large brick dwelling on it was purchased on Troy Hill, Allegheny. It is situated at the brow of the cliff overlooking the Allegheny River and commands a good view of both cities and the surroundings, and being to the north of the cities is also free from smoke. A frame building 80 feet in length by 30 in width, and three stories high besides a basement, was erected as an asylum, while the dwelling should be used as a convent by the Sisters. This new asylum was taken possession of December 16th, 1874. The arrangement of the interior, which consists of school and work rooms, dormitories, etc., is admirably adapt- ed to the purposes for which the building was erected.
The labors of the Sisters have generally been crowned with success; for, although hearts have been met with so cal- lous as to resist every good impression, the number is small
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compared with those who have been reformed. It must not, however, be supposed that the girls-for unhappily the greater part of the subjects of such institutions are young-are main- tained in idleness. The first, and among the natural means the most powerful for preserving or restoring virtue, is useful occupation, and this is a truth to which the Sisters attach due importance. The inmates are constantly employed, with the exception of the time set apart for necessary recreation. Un- der the direction of the Sisters who have charge of the sev- eral departments, they do the work of the house, the sewing of the community, and also take in sewing ; and the younger girls devote a part of their time to study. But the strictest attention is paid to their religious and moral culture. Mass is daily celebrated in the chapel of the asylum ; opportunities are offered for the frequent reception of the sacraments, an exercise to which the inmates are earnestly exhorted ; pious reading is daily had for a suitable time in common, and noth- ing is omitted that could reclaim them from vice and establish them in virtue. There are at present about sixty inmates.
On the 5th and 6th of May, 1878, two or three attempts were made by one of the older inmates to set the asylum on fire, but she was at length discovered and handed over to the civil courts for punishment.
The community is in a flourishing condition, and from six members has increased to about double that number.
CONCLUSION.
In casting a retrospective glance over the period embraced within the present history, there is much to cheer, much to sadden the Christian heart. What a century ago was a forest, the habitation of savage beasts and yet more savage men, is now a flourishing portion of the Church of God. The little colony of six persons who first planted the standard of the Cross in Westmoreland County ninety years ago has, like the single mustard-seed to which the Church is compared by our divine Redeemer, multiplied until it will now number per- haps 140,000. At first its branches began to extend in different directions and here and there take root, spring up and flour-
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ish; and although many, alas! too many, souls have been lost to the faith for want of priests to minister to them, from lack of opportunities for seeing their religion presented with that attractive ceremonial with which it so well knows how to clothe itself, from indifference contracted in the pesti- lential atmosphere in which they were forced to move, and most of all from mixed marriages by which souls were led astray and families were multiplied and are still being multi- plied, but not for God and the Church, the branches have still borne consoling fruit, and yet give cheering promise for the future. The colonies gradually spread and formed new ones. At first a priest would penetrate the wilderness and visit the scattered families, riding perhaps fifty, it may be a hundred miles, to visit and minister to a dozen souls-living, it might be said, on horseback and enduring hardships and exposing himself to dangers of which the world knows little, but which were appreciated by those in whose behalf he bore them. Settlements increased, the germs of congregations ap- peared, churches were built, parishes organized, and the Church gradually began to assume her proper form among us. But priests were as yet few, and one would be required to minister to two or three, perhaps to even a larger number of congregations. But the work of organization and subdi- vision went on until at present almost every church has its own pastor. Residences were then to be built, schools to be opened, and churches enlarged or replaced by others more commodious and substantial. Lastly, the schools were to be placed, as they have been in many instances, in the hands of religious. Colleges, academies, hospitals, and asylums were opened in their turn. The gradual steps by which these ends were attained have been traced in the course of the preceding pages. A study of these will afford a fair specimen of what takes place in every country but recently converted to the faith, or in which the faith is but recently planted. All can- not be accomplished in a moment, nor can that which is done be immediately brought to perfection. Man is prone to err, and the spirit of evil will not permit him to use the feeble powers with which he is endowed without molestation. If this malicious spirit cannot prevent a good work, he will
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study to render it in some way imperfect; if he cannot de- stroy, he will try at least to vitiate.
If then the reader should find something imperfect in the foregoing pages, let him not pass too severe a judgment until he has carefully considered all the circumstances, remembered the toil and labors of the few early missionaries, and the pri- vations and exposure of the scattered faithful, and withal the imperfections of the narrative, and I doubt not he will find more for edification than for censure.
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SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER.
ERRORS IN OUR EARLY CATHOLIC HISTORY.
"The old priest" mentioned by William Penn in 1686-The first priest to say Mass in Philadelphia-The first church in Philadelphia-Miss Elizabeth M'Gawley's Chapel near Nicetown.
THE lack of authentic records relating to our early history, and the want of critical examination of such as are extant, by early Catholic writers, have led to numerous errors. These having been frequently repeated by subsequent writers have come at length to be accepted as historical facts, and the author who would call them in question is regarded with suspicion. Having been led to believe that certain statements copied from standard authors in a previous chapter of this work (pp. 19-21) were errors of this kind, I began a careful investigation of the matter, and discovered the truth just in time to make the necessary correction before the electrotype plates were cast. Wishing to place the questions beyond further dispute-although they refer but incidentally to the present history-I have determined to add this supplementary chapter as the best means of discussing the errors in detail. The hold which they have on Catholic writers, and the desire of demonstrating the truth once for all, have induced me to accumulate evidence that would otherwise be superfluous. The most prominent of these errors are four in number: " The old priest " mentioned by William Penn in 1686; the priest who first celebrated Mass in Philadelphia; the first church built in Philadelphia; and the chapel said to have been built by Miss Elizabeth M'Gawley.
And first, of "The Old Priest:" Bernard U. Campbell, whose "Life and Times of Archbishop Carroll" was published in the U. S. Catholic Magasine (1844-1846), appears to have
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been the first to claim " the old priest " for a minister of the true faith. Quoting Mr. Watson," he says-U. S. Catholic Magazine, 1845, p. 252-" As early as 1686, Wm. Penn mentions ' the old priest' in Philadelphia." Here, then, is the unlucky quotation that has led all subsequent Catholic historians astray. Let us go back to Penn and to Mr. Watson, from whom Mr. Campbell copied the statement; for had he copied Penn's own words, there would have been no room for misunderstanding.
Penn's words are the following, as we find them in a letter written in the year 1686 from London to his steward James Harrison at Philadelphia. He requests Harrison to send certain rarities from the colony, " because people concerned ask much to see something of the place." Among other things he says: " Get also some smoked shad and beef. The old priest at Phil- adelphia had rare shad." + Mr. Watson says, speaking of the Roman Catholic churches in Philadelphia: "As early as 1686 I have recorded William Penn's letter to Harrison (his steward) wherein he tells him he may procure fine smoked shad of the old priest in Philadelphia. And in 1685 his letter spoke of Charles De la Noe, the French Minister, coming to settle among them with his servants as a Vigneron. These remarks may prove interesting inquiries to papists themselves among us, none of whom I am satisfied have any idea of any older chapel than the one now in Willing's alley, built in 1753, and now called the oldest." # These extracts are the sole foundations for "the old priest " story. Let us examine them carefully. Penn's words give no clue whatever to the identity of the person mentioned ; his reference is purely incidental. Writers who quote his words seem also to overlook the fact that this " old priest " must have been in Philadelphia not only in 1686, but at least as early as the beginning of 1684, since Penn, who sailed for Europe in May of that year, speaks of " the old priest " as well known to himself. Now, apart from the extreme improbability of a Catholic priest opening a fish- market at all, considered in itself, and apart from the little
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