USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > History of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Vol. I > Part 36
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Joseph Sherrick was born in Switzerland, December 25, 1757. He was the eldest of five sons, who came to America with their father (a widower) in 1765. He first located in Lancaster county, and in 1790 moved to Westmore- land county. His death occurred December 21, 1811. David Funk was born
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November 10, 1765, and died October 4, 1833. He was the first bishop of this congregation. Other ministers were: Conrad Rist, born September 10, 1787, died June 22, 1841. Christian Sherrick (a son of Joseph Sherrick) ; born Janu- ary 19, 1789, died March 12, 1845. John D. Overholt, born April 19, 1787, died August 29, 1878; ordained minister in 1830; ordained bishop 1833. Mar- tin Loucks, born December 9, 1798, died November 7, 1869; ordained minister in 1833. Henry Moyer. John Snyder. Henry Yothers, born January 10, 1810, died April 18, 1900; ordained minister September, 1845; ordained bishop Oc- tober, 1857. In October, 1864, he moved with his family to Livingston county, Illinois, and later to Blue Springs, Nebraska, where he died at the advanced age of ninety years. Up to his death he retained an active mind. He was especially gifted with ability to recall exact dates and incidents. He was very able as a quoter of Scripture. Jonas Blough moved here from Somerset county. In 1879 he moved to the Johnstown district, and was the last resident minister of this period.
From 1879 to 1892 the appointments were filled by ministers from other places. Among those from a distance were C. B. Brennaman and C. C. Beery from Ohio; J. S. Coffman from Virginia, afterwards from Indiana; Daniel Roth, from Washington county, Maryland. Afterwards, according to a request made to conference, Herman Snyder of Blair county, Pennsylvania, and J. N. Durr, of Masontown, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, were appointed to look after the work and see that appointments were filled every four weeks. Fol- lowing are some of the ministers who assisted in filling appointments during that time: Henry Blauch, David Keim, Levi A. Blough, D. H. Bender, Chris- tian Deffenbaugh, David Johnson, G. D. Miller, and others.
During this first period the congregation grew from a few members to a body of at least two hundred. As many as thirty persons were baptized and received into the church at one time. The growth continued until 1840, when it reached its climax. From that time on there were fewer members added and some of those who were members left the church and united with other denominations, some moved into other localities, and others were removed by death ; so that in 1892 there were but sixteen members left, and with but few ยท exceptions these were all old people. Among the apparent causes for the fall- ing off and decay of this congregation was the preaching in German to a people whose education was English, and who understood and spoke the Eng- lish language. Another cause was the neglect of special effort to reach and hold the young people, such as Sunday school, evening meeting, etc.
On September 18, 1892, the step was taken that led to the reviving of the work at this place. At this time Aaron Loucks was chosen and ordained min- ister by the unanimous voice of the congregation. January 10, 1891, he was ordained bishop.
As most of the members of the church at this time lived in and about Scott- dale, it became necessary for the best interests of the congregation that the
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church be located in the town. At a meeting of the members held July 22, 1893, at the home of Jacob S. Loucks, it was unanimously decided to erect a meeting house in Scottdale. The work of excavating was begun early in Au- gust, and a brick building, thirty-four feet by fifty feet, was erected on the corner of Market and Grove streets. It was dedicated December 3, 1903. J. S. Coffman, of Elkhart, Indiana, conducted the opening services and con- tinued the meetings for two weeks. As a result a number of young people confessed Christ. The Sunday school was organized December 24, and has been continued ever since. January 4, 1894, the first new members were re- ceived into the church-three by baptism, and one from another denomination -making a total membership at that time of twenty. From that date on there has been a gradual increase in membership. At the present time there are fifty members enrolled.
The Second Sunday School Conference of the Southwestern Pennsylvania District was held here the third Thursday in October, 1896. The First Bible Conference was held here from December 28, 1896, to January 9, 1897.
In April, 1895, Jacob A. Ressler and family, of Lancaster county, located with this congregation. July 28, 1895, he was ordained a minister, Bishop Isaac Eby, of Lancaster county, officiating. He assisted in the work of the min- istry until November 4, 1898, when at a meeting held in Elkhart, following the General Conference held near Wakarusa, Indiana, he was chosen a missionary to India. He with W. B. Page and sister, of Elkhart, Indiana, sailed February 22, 1899. He was ordained bishop January, 1899, at Tub, Somerset county, J. N. Durr officiating. After J. A. Ressler left for India, Aaron Loucks con- tinued to serve the church as pastor until 1901 when he moved to Riverside, California. He returned to Scottdale a year later. On March 10, 1901, A. D. Martin, who was formerly of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, was ordained to the ministry. He was born October 17, 1878, and united with the church at the age of fourteen.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The earliest Catholics in Westmoreland were in Unity township. In 1787 five men with their families came from Berks county and settled a short dis- tance east of Youngstown. Their names were John Propst, John Jung, Pat- rick Archibald, Simon Christian and George Ruffner. They came directly across the state, coming up the Juniata and crossing the Allegheny mountains, and thence to Unity township. They purchased rich lands, and two years later they were joined by Henry Kuhn, also from Berks county. They were not close neighbors in the new country, but were more or less associated together, for in 1789 they unitedly attempted to purchase a lot in Greensburg upon which to build a church and lay out a graveyard. They were very poor, hav- ing but a few shillings in cash. A lot was presented to them, perhaps with a view of encouraging the growth of Greensburg.
Before leaving their eastern homes they had arranged with Rev. John Bpt.
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
Causey, of Conewago, to visit them after they were located in their new homes. This he did in June, 1789. They had no church then, and the humble log cabin of John Propst, near Youngstown, was used as an edifice in which the visiting priest celebrated the faith of the church. This was perhaps the first promul- gation of the Catholic religion in Pennsylvania west of the Allegheny moun- tains, except that of the French Catholics in Fort Duquesne, prior to its cap- ture by General Forbes, in 1758. Other duties were pressing on Father Causey, and he remained here only a short time, and, we believe, never returned. They were also visited by Rev. Peter Hielborn, who in 1789 became pastor of St. Mary's parish, in Philadelphia. While here he founded the first permanent settlement of the followers of his faith on a tract of land called "Sportsman's Hall." The seed he planted took deep root, for his labors were on the spot now occupied by St. Vincent's Abbey. Soon after him came a priest named Theo- dore Browers, whose permanent location there was a great inducement for Catholic families to settle in that vicinity. Father Browers came from Hol- land, and reached Philadelphia in 1789. He brought with him a considerable sum of money to dispose of in the interests of his church. Great efforts were made by the Philadelphia societies to have him apply it there, for they had heavy debts, and, like all churches, had great need of both his services and his money. This he refused to do, for he had determined to settle with some poor people who had neither money nor priest. In some way he heard of the des- titute circumstances of these people in Unity township, and accordingly came here. He purchased one hundred and sixty-two acres of land in Derry town- ship, on the banks of the Loyalhanna. He came to Greensburg and boarded for some time with Christian Ruffner, who lived three miles to the east. It was his intention to build on his own land, a residence and a church for the poor of his faith, but he learned on investigation that the land was very poor and uninviting, and moreover, situated a long distance away from a Catholic set- tlement. So he purchased the tract known as "Sportsman's Hall," three hun- dred and thirteen acres, and had it conveyed to him April 16, 1790. With a carpenter he soon put up a building seventeen by seventeen feet, and one and a half stories high, where he lived and held services. Later an addition was built to his house, and it was used as a chapel. It had no seats, save some humble benches for the older people. Father Browers died, perhaps from over- work, on October 29, 1790. By will he bequeathed both his tracts of land to his successor, who should be a duly authorized pastor of the settlement. His will was not written by one of sufficient knowledge to draw it properly, and its construction gave rise to much litigation which lasted many years. The leg- islature, by act of March 7, 1827, legalized the will and gave the property to the congregation of St. Vincent's Church. In spite of this litigation the Unity township colony of Catholics increased very rapidly. so that Rev. Peter Heil- burn was made pastor in 1799, and in November of that year had seventy-five communicants. Though the Catholic settlement at Unity increased very rap- idly, the litigation into which the society was plunged because of Father Brow-
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ers' poorly written will, injured it a great deal. In 1797 Rev. F. Lannigan headed a considerable number of his people who left the Unity colony and lo- cated at West Alexander, in Washington county, and afterwards removed to Waynesburg, all because of the contentions in the Unity colony.
For a number of years after the death of Father Browers the Catholics of Unity were without a pastor. Fathers Brosius and Pellentz came occasionally from missions in the east and ministered to them. For a time Rev. Whalen came and lived among them, living in great destitution and poverty in order to minister to them. In the meantime a colony of Roman Catholics was estab- lished on the Allegheny mountains by Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, a Rus- sian Prince, and he took charge of the Unity colony also.
"Sportsman's Hall" has long since been abandoned as a name of the col- ony. It is now and has for many years been known as St. Vincent's. It is,
SPORTSMAN'S HALL.
we believe, the parent of all Catholic churches in Westmoreland county. It adopted its present name from the patron saint of a church erected by Rev. A. Stillinger, its pastor, in 1833. The dimensions of this church were fifty-one and one-half by eighty-seven feet. It was finished in 1835, and on July 19th was blessed by Bishop Kendrick. Father Stillinger remained pastor till 1845, when the work became too heavy for one of his age, and he was transferred to Blairsville. He was succeeded at St. Vincent's by Rev. F. Gallagher, who a year later was succeeded by Rev. D. Boniface Wimmer. He labored with great energy and success at St. Vincent's.
The Benedictine Order was founded by St. Benedict, an Italian, born in 480. Much of the civilization and christianization of Europe, and particularly England, is due to this order. Doubtless without the work performed by this order many of the treasures of science and literature of Greece and Rome, and
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even the Bible itself, would have been lost. This seems to be admitted by most historians, and should dispel a mistaken idea so prevalent among many that the ancient monks were ignorant and superstitious. Many Benedictine mon- asteries were established centuries ago in the wilds of western Europe. Around these people of all religious beliefs settled and formed civic communities which are now flournishing as cities and towns. Thus the spread of Benedictine monasticism became extremely potent in the civilization of Europe. In the dark ages a flood of heathenism poured in on Europe from Asia, and these monasteries were the rallying points of Christianity, the refuge of modern civ- ilization, piety and learning.
The founder of the Benedictine order in the United States was Rt. Rev. Abbot Boniface Wimmer, O. S. B.,and the order was founded in Westmoreland county. He was born near Ratisbon, in Bavaria, January 14, 1809. Display- ing talents of a high order in his youth, his parents sent him to school in Ratisbon, where he received a classical education. From there he went to the University of Munich, in 1827, and began to study law. A year later he changed his mind, aban- doned the law for theology, and was or- dained a priest August 31, 1831. A year later he entered the Benedictine monastery at Metten, in Bavaria, where he wore the robes of his order and received the church name of Boniface. For some fourteen years he was employed as priest in various parts of Bavaria, and was a professor at St. Stephens' in Augsburg, and also in Munich.
In the meantime the population of the United States had increased to about twenty millions, and the Roman Cath- olics had increased correspondingly. The RT. REV. BONIFACE WIMMER, O. S. B. German element of this faith were calling loudly for priests and churches of their own nationality. This became known to Rev. Boniface Wimmer, and he therefore resolved to establish a Benedictine Abbey in America, in order that young men might be educated for the priesthood. As a general proposition his plan was opposed in Germany, but he nevertheless had many friends who tendered him material aid in the great enterprise, among whom was King Louis I, of Bavaria. Others followed this royal example, and very soon some nineteen young men were ready to turn their backs to their native land and sail with Father Wimmer to assist in his great undertaking in the New World. They accordingly left Munich for America, July 25, 1846. They em- barked at Rotterdam on the steamer "Iowa," and landed in New York on
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
September 16, 1846. They rested a few days in the city, and were met by Rev. Henry Lemke, a priest of Cambria county, who had heard of the project and had gone to New York to welcome them, and to suggest Western Pennsyl- vania as a proper place to found the abbey. He also offered his property and colony at a moderate sum should they locate there. Rev. Wimmer was cau- tious, and consulted Bishop O'Connor, of Pittsburgh, and on his advice lo- cated the abbey at St. Vincent, in Unity township, about forty miles east of Pittsburgh. When he arrived there in October, 1846, he found the brick church we have referred to, a small pastor's residence, a small schoolhouse and an old log barn, or stable. On October 18th they took possession of the prop- erty. On October 24th they laid the foundation of the future monastery by con- ferring the right to wear the Benedictine gown on his nineteen associates. Un- fortunately there were only six habits to be found, but the difficulty was in a measure overcome by transferring their gowns from one to another. The same scarcity was found as to dishes, but this was overcome by only five or six eating at a time. Notwithstanding these hindrances, their zeal for the cause in which they had enlisted was such that no one of them ever regretted the steps he had taken.
Their first duty was to sow wheat on the few cleared fields, so that they might have bread for the coming year. Rev. Wimmer set them all an example in this direction. Though bred to other work, he felled many a tree in the work of clearing land. He had, with his associates, cast his lot in a new country, and shrank from no hardships whatever. This example was neces- sary, too, for in the summer of 1847 their means were all exhausted, and star- vation almost stared them in the face. Some wanted to abandon the project, but at the darkest hour a letter reached them from Munich, stating that Rev. Peter Lechner, O. S. B., would soon arrive with a purse of coin equal to about two thousand dollars in gold, as a present from the Louis Mission Union of Bavaria, and a promise of eight hundred dollars per year from the same source if they would remain and make a success of the project. All their sorrow was turned into joy when Lechner and the twenty aspirants for the Benedictine or- der arrived on August 17, 1847.
Many difficulties arose. One was the scarcity of priests. Father Wim- mer's time should have been given to the founding of the order exclusively, yet there were Catholic societies in Saltsburg, Greensburg and Indiana, none of whom were supplied with priests. In addition to his monastic duties he was compelled to look after and minister to these societies. It was too much for him, and he therefore raised to the priesthood, on March 18, 1847, a young man who had finished his religious studies in Germany, named Martin Geyer- stanger, who took the name of Charles in religion. This was the first ordina- tion of a Benedictine in America.
Father Charles was born in Austria, November 20, 1820. He was a man of medium height, broad shoulders, and strong constitution. He was of san- guine temperament, well suited to cheer up the despondent feelings of a new
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country. Equally affable and pious, he won many friends, and was respected by all who knew him. In addition to his extensive knowledge of theology and history, he is said to have possessed a keen sense of humor which always stood him in good stead. At his death April 22, 1881, in the community in which he had labored during his entire religious life, he had few, if any, equals in his knowledge of sacred liturgy and literature. Rev. Lechner's arrival with twen- ty new aspirants to the Order and the contribution in money, though encour- aging generally, incommoded in a great degree the young family at the mon- astery, for the buildings were scarcely large enough to accommodate the twenty who were already there. A new building was begun shortly after. It was forty by one hundred feet, and the foundation stones were laid on September 28, 1848. The winter set in early that year, and it was but little service to them until the spring of 1849. It was under a hurriedly made board roof late in the fall of 1848, and was occupied that winter by a few aspirants because of neces- sity. Often when they woke in the morning their beds were covered with snow or drenched with rain and sleet. Nevertheless they did good work in the way of educating young men for the priesthood. but the demand was much greater than the supply. News of their hard work and privations in America reached Rome, and Pope Pius IX, to encourage them, raised the rank of the Benedictine Colony to that of a monastery, and the requisite number of priests to supply the pioneer Catholic societies in Westmoreland were at hand. In 1853 the legislature of Pennsylvania incorporated the monks at St. Vincent with the title, "The Benedictine Society of Westmoreland County." A new field for their energies was found in the demand for nuns to minister to the wants of the people and to act as teachers of parochial schools. A call for them was sent to Bavaria but only three sisters responded.
In 1854 Father Wimmer journeyed to Rome to thank Pope Pius IX for past favors, and to ask that the monastery be raised to the dignity of an abbey. The Pope did more. He made Father Wimmer an abbot, and gave him power to found new Benedictine Orders as the offspring of his own, in any diocese in the United States. Quite a number now flourishing in the United States were thus founded by Abbot Wimmer, and all are the offspring of the Benedictine Society of Westmoreland county. One was founded in Minnesota in 1856, which he named St. Louis, in honor of his benefactor, Louis I, King of Ba- varia. When the news of it reached His Royal Highness he sent the abbot the following letter, which is preserved in the archives of St. Vincent.
Lord Abbot P. Boniface Wimmer. Aug. 29, 1867.
For the good wishes tendered me on the anniversary of my birthday, and that of the Saint whose name I bear, contained in your letter dated the 10th, I kindly thank you. I know well how to appreciate the grateful sentiments of the Bene- dictines in America. It pleased me very much to hear that the new Abbey in Minnesota bears my name. I wish the best prosperity to it, to you and to the whole Benedictine order in America.
With profound esteem, and devoted to you as ever,
Yours most sincerely LOUIS I.
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Ou business relative to the success of the Abbey, he visited Rome in 1865 and again in 1869. In 1880 he made a fourth trip there, that time to attend a celebration which he himself originally suggested, viz. : The fourteen hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Benedictine Order. First established as it was in 480, the anniversary was held at Monte Carlo, in Italy, in 1880. He died December 8, 1887.
The present number of students is 423. Although their buildings cover several acres of ground, they have been compelled each year for some years to refuse the admission of several hundred students. Very extensive additions to the buildings are now in process of construction. So hampered are they for room that many departments, including natural history, have been suppressed. For this reason rare and costly apparatus has been stored away and is not
INTERIOR OF MONASTERY CHURCH.
now in use, in order that the room originally assigned to such departments might be made available for the accommodation of students. In celebrated paintings, sculpturing and other almost priceless works of art, the institution is indeed replete. A large proportion of the work of the institution is performed by their own people. They operate, for instance, their own publishing house, printing office, bindery, machine and furniture shops, etc. In all there are over seven hundred persons housed within buildings of the institution. This in- cludes the faculty, students, and those who are otherwise employed.
In 1890, they began the erection of one of the most magnificent church edi- fices in the United States. The exterior of this building is of brick and stone, and may be equalled or surpassed by other structures, but the interior has no equal on the American continent. It is difficult, even impossible, to estimate
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its cost, because a great part of the work on it has been performed by those who belonged to the institution, and no account of their time was kept, though these include many. skilled artisans. Its main altar, made of onyx and set with precious stones, alone cost $18,000, and its immense pipe organ cost many thousands more. The fine art carving, mostly done in Italy, lends an artistic beauty and richness to the interior that no pen can truly describe. It was dedicated in August, 1905.
ST. XAVIER'S CONVENT.
In 1845 Henry Kuhn, an old gentleman from Westmoreland county, offered the Sisters a farm on liberal terms, upon which he wanted them to establish an academy for young women. With the encouragement and assistance of Abbot Wimmer they accepted the farm under the conditions of Mr. Kuhn. This farm was beautifully located, forty miles east of Pittsburgh, on the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia turnpike. The Pennsylvania railroad was not then projected, and the location on the pike made it a most desirable one. There were no buildings worthy of mention on the farm. The pastor of St. Vincent's church, which was but a mile distant, gave up his residence to accommodate the Sisters and their first pupils. As soon as possible they began the erection of a three-story brick structure which could later on be used as a wing of a more imposing edifice. In the foreground, as viewed from the building, lies the fertile valley of the Loyalhanna, while in the distance is the blue outline of the Chestnut Ridge clad in forests to its crest. The new building was almost finished in 1846. Trees were planted and the grounds were most beautifully laid out. On May 14, 1487, the Sisters and their pupils took possession of the new build- ing, with ceremonies appropriate to the occasion. They had in the meantime been incorporated under the title, "The Sisters of Mercy," and now worked with renewed energy to build up the school.
The trees planted afforded little shade, and for some years the grounds looked desolate enough. But near by was another farm which had on it a most enchanting grove of tall oak trees. Fortunately for the struggling institution, this farm was not for sale till 1852. By that time the Sisters, with some out- side assistance, saw their way clear to purchase it on extended payments which were promptly met when due. This, with the growing trees planted, made it, as it has been frequently termed by visitors, a veritable "little Paradise." In the same year the Pennsylvania railroad was completed, passing within two miles of it. These advantages so increased its popularity that in 1861 a chapel costing $40,000 was contracted for. Then came the Rebellion, and the build- ing progressed so slowly that it was not completed till 1866. In the meantime a "Guest House" was built on the grounds to accommodate the pupils' friends when visiting them.
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