USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Woonsocket > History of the Catholic church in Woonsocket and vicinity, from the celebration of the first mass in 1828, to the present time, with a condensed account of the early history of the church in the United States > Part 5
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Shortly after ordination Father Fitton was sent forth by Right Rev. Bishop Fenwick, with the injunction : " To find the children of the household of faith, wherever scat- tered between Boston and New York." Among his duties was the establishment of missionary stations, to be attended by priests, these being few and far apart in those days. A station was established by him at New Haven in 1834, and one at Hartford in 1836. In the latter year he visited Worcester and found there just five Catholic families, to- gether with eighteen unmarried young men and one girl not connected with any of the families.
Waterford, Mass., was visited by Rev. Father Fitton in 1834, and the use of a schoolhouse, through religious
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prejudice, being denied him there, in which to celebrate Mass, he was necessitated to hold service in the home of Edward McCabe. This faithful Catholic, at whose home the first Mass in Watertord was celebrated, assisted at the celebration of the first Mass in Woonsocket, in 1828, and lived to take the total abstinence pledge from Rev. Theobald Mathew on October 10, 1849, and was also one of the organizers and first treasurer of the Father Mathew Total Abstinence Society of Woonsocket. He was also one of the committee to collect funds for the erection of the first Catholic Church built in Woonsocket and was treasurer of that fund.
Rev. Father Fitton came direct from Blackstone- which includes Waterford-to Woonsocket, where he found just thirty Catholics. Here he established a missionary station. It was necessary for a considerable length of time after his first visit to hold services in the homes of Catholics, but finally the use of a hall was secured in the old Woonsocket Tavern, which stood on the site of the present Woonsocket Hotel. Mr. Reuel Smith, father of the late Col. R. P. Smith, and grandfather of the present Mr. George R. Smith, was at that time the landlord of the tavern in which the hall was located. Father Fitton found an excellent friend in the esteemed and popular hostess, who was a noble minded and warm hearted lady, who even anticipated the wants and sympathized with the trials of that pioneer priest of a religion against which an unwar- rantable, unjustifiable and unchristian prejudice then ex- isted.
An anecdote of Mrs. Smith's thoughtful kindness toward Father Fitton is told in the "History of Woon- socket," of which Erastus Richardson, A. M., is the author, as follows :
Once on the evening before the celebration of Mass by Father
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Fitton in the Tavern hall a ball was given. for which occasion the interior was tastefully decorated with evergreen, and on the wall back of where the temporary altar was usually placed was the motto " A Time to Dance." Mrs. Smith considered this inappro- priate for a religious service and consequently, with ready wit, and as if by the wave of a magician's wand. the word "Dance" was removed and the word " Pray " substituted. so that the motto read " A Time to Pray." Thus the whole scene was changed from a sound of revelry at night to the voice of prayer and praise at the Holy Sacrifice of Mass in the morning of that Sabbath day.
The late Col. Reuel P. Smith, father of Mr. George R. Smith, was at that time a boy yet in his minority, and, like his mother and father, was very much attached to Father Fitton, and on Sunday mornings, after the celebration of an early Mass in Woonsocket, would drive the pioneer priest down to Pawtucket, where Mass would be celebrated after his arrival there.
In those days the religious observance of the Sabbath was more general than at present. The emphasized Com- mandment of the Creator of Heaven and earth to Moses on Mount Sinai was in more general practice :
REMEMBER, that thou keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy works: but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, thy God : Thou shalt do no work on it.
Thus did the Lord speak through Moses to His chosen people. There is a sacredness about that day which brings consolation to the soul and peace to the heart ; a sacredness which seems to permeate Nature through all her works ; a sacredness and holy peace which is grandly described by James Grahame in the following lines .
How still the morning of the hallow'd day ! Mute is the voice of rural labor, hush'd The ploughboy's whistle and the milkmaid's song. The scythe lies glittering in the dewy wreath Of tedded grass, mingled with fading flowers,
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That yester-morn bloom'd waving in the breeze. Sounds the most faint attract the ear,-the hum Of early bee, the trickling of the dew, The distant bleating midway up the hill. Calmness seems thron'd on yon unmoving cloud. To him who wanders o'er the upland leas, The blackbird's note comes mellower from the dale, And sweeter from the sky the gladsome lark Warbles his heaven-tuned song ; the lulling brook Murmurs more gently down the deep-sunk glen : While from yon lowly roof, whose curling smoke O'ermounts the mist, is heard at intervals The voice of psalms. the simple song of praise.
With dove-like wings Peace o'er yon village broods ;
The dizzy mill-wheel rests ; the anvil's din Hath ceased : all, all is quietness.
The little congregation of thirty pious Catholics who first welcomed Father Fitton to Woonsocket in 1834, in- creased gradually in numbers and in 1843, nine years later, had reached over two hundred. A large proportion of these early congregations attended from Blackstone and Water- ford. Those attending from these villages were zealous workers and liberal contributors to the funds raised for religious purposes and generously assisted in the building of the first Church erected here.
The first marriage took place in the new Church on the date of the first baptism, the contracting parties being Michael McCarthy and Mary McCormick. The baptism and marriages which took place before the erection of the Church were recorded at either Pawtucket or Worcester. A baptism found by Rev. Father Fitton was copied into a new book by Rev. John Brady on the date of the baptism and marriage here referred to, namely, October 12, 1844. The name of the child was William McCabe.
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The late Owen Kelley, whose home was on Cato street in this city, and who was father of ex-Councilmen John M. Kelley and Francis E. Kelley, was a liberal contributor to the building fund of the first Church. This old pioneer of the Faith was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1795 ; came to Boston, Mass., in 1825, and found employment in glass works at Charlestown, where on the first Holy Day after he began work he asked the foreman to allow him to attend Mass the following morning. This request was re- fused and Mr. Kelley was told that if he absented himself from work on that day for the purpose of attending Mass he would be discharged. He risked the consequence and attended Mass. When he returned to the works he was met at the gate by the Superintendent, a Mr. Barrows. The latter questioned Mr. Kelley concerning the faith he held dearer than his work, and as a result, instead of dis- charging him expressed his admiration for the strength of his faith and requested an opportunity to attend Mass with him. He subsequently attended the offering up of the Holy Sacrifice, where he experienced a spiritual change of heart, and after repeated visits to the Church became baptized in the faith. The other members of his family were also bap- tized and all afterward lived and finally died in the faith. Mr. Kelley went from Charlestown, in 1831, to Whitefield, Lincoln county, Maine, where he purchased and cultivated a farm and assisted in building the first Catholic Church in that section. He came to Woonsocket in 1842 and assisted ever afterward in forwarding the interests of religion and Was a liberal contributor to the building of the first Church here, and also a contributor to the building fund of the present edifice. He died in 1871, aged 76. Francis E. Kelley, one of his sons, served Mass, as an altar boy, for Rev. Charles O'Reilly, the first pastor. He also as a prac- tical printer set up all the manuscript copy of this History.
St. Charles' Church.
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CHAPTER XI.
PROGRESS OF CATHOLICISM IN WOONSOCKET-APPOINTMENT OF FIRST RESIDENT PASTOR-BRIEF SKETCH OF REV. CHARLES O'REILLY-SIXTEEN-MILE SICK CALL.
It became self-evident to that first small colony of Catholics in Woonsocket that a Church was needed in which to hold Divine services, and therefore a committee was appointed for the purpose of soliciting contributions. This committee consisted of the following gentlemen, all of whom have long since gone to their eternal reward : Edward McCabe, James Coyle, Michael Reddy, Edward Carroll, Richard Hopkins, Luke Burns and John Mulcahy. Edward McCabe was elected treasurer. When the contributions had reached $1,300 a lot of land was purchased from the late Dexter Ballou, this lot being located at North Main and Daniels streets and forms the site of the present St. Charles' Church. The building of a Chureh, forty by sixty feet, was contracted for with the late Jervis Cook, the con- tract price being $2,000. The building was completed in 1844. The first baptism performed in the new Church was that of Margaret McAuliffe, daughter of John and Catha- rine McAuliffe. The sponsors were Michael Gahan and Mary Egan. Rev. John Brady was the officiating priest, and the date of the baptism was October 12, 1844. The child was born on August 15 of that year, but owing to the fact that no priest had visited Woonsocket from the date of birth to the date of the ceremony delay was unavoidable.
Rev. Charles O'Reilly, a missionary priest, was ap- pointed first resident pastor of Woonsocket by Right Rev. William Tyler, first Bishop of the diocese of Hartford, in November, 1846, just a little over two years after the consecration of that Bishop. Rev. Father Fitton, there- fore, ceased his missionary labors here, after twelve years
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of faithful and energetic work, only to continue them with equal zeal to the end of life's journey. He went to New- port from Woonsocket and from there attended other mis- sions. In 1855, at the dying request of Rev. William Wiley, a convert priest, who had been a student with Father Fitton in the seminary taught by Rev. Virgil Horace Bar- ber, also a convert, at Claremont, New Hampshire, Father Fitton was appointed by Bishop Fitzpatrick pastor of the Church of the Holy Redeemer at East Boston, so that he might finish work on that edifice, the building of which was begun by Father Wiley. Work on the Church was com- pleted in 1857. The dedication took place on August 17 of that year. Father Fitton also built three other churches in the vicinity. He died in 1881, four years after cele- brating the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination. He was born in Boston of English and Welsh parentage on April 10, 1805, so that he was aged 76 when he died. This zeal- ous and untiring priest, who first established a mission in Woonsocket, labored in every section of New England and away over into Long Island. His name is associated with the early history of about every one of the old parishes in New England. Three bishops of Boston and about all his con- temporary priests had passed away before him. He studied under Bishops Cheverus and Fenwick as well as under Rev. Father Barber and taught Most Rev. John J. Wil- liams, the present Archbishop of Boston. He surely earned a crown of glory as a reward in Heaven for all the good he accomplished.
Rev. Father O'Reilly, in coming to Woonsocket as resident pastor, became a great favorite among all classes of people. He came to the diocese of Hartford from the West India Islands, where he labored as a missionary and built churches. He possessed all the characteristics of a faithful and devoted Celtic priest. He was proficient in a
.
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knowledge of the Gaelic language and loved to converse with those who could speak that language. He was born in county Cavan, Ireland, and obtained his early education there. He was endowed with the wit of his race in an eminent degree. This wit he frequently used in illustrating his sermons. He was in every sense a true priest, who always had the spiritual guidance of his people in view and in his work was simple, humble, unostentatious and chari- table. As a proof of his humility he made his home in the basement of the church of which he was pastor and in that home subjected himself to many privations. He was ever active in his duties as priest, not only as regarded his own parishioners, but also in regard to those far beyond the con- fines of his parish. As an illustration of this Mr. P. W. Houghton, now of Woonsocket, but during Father O'Reilly's pastorate a resident of East Douglas, states that in re- sponse to the call of a dying Catholic for the services of a priest he came to Woonsocket on a cold winter evening, this being then the nearest Catholic station to him, and at his request Father O'Reilly, to whom Mr. Houghton was an entire stranger, accompanied him back over sixteen miles of road in storm and darkness, and after administering the last rites of the Church to the dying penitent returned alone to Woonsocket, the satisfaction of having done his duty as a servant of Christ being his only remuneration.
Father O'Reilly was but a short time here when he discovered that the little first church was altogether too small to meet the requirements of the fast-increasing con- gregation, and therefore, in 1848, built an addition to the first edifice, which was twice as large as the original struc- ture, being eighty by one hundred and twenty feet. Gen. Lapham was the contractor and builder and the cost of con- struction amounted to $6,000. Land for a cemetery was also purchased by him, which is now known as St. Paul's
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cemetery, and is a part of St. Paul's church property, Blackstone. He was appointed pastor of Blackstone parish in 1852, and entered upon the work of building St. Paul's Church there immediately after his arrival. He attended Uxbridge as an outlying mission and entered upon the work of building St. Mary's Church there, this work having been subsequently completed by the late Rev. Edward J. Sheri- dan, who died a few years ago as pastor of St. Mary's Church, Taunton. Father O'Reilly died in Blackstone Sept. 29, 1857, aged 65 years. His remains lie at rest in St. Paul's Church.
Rev. Hugh Carmody, D. D., succeeded Rev. Charles O'Reilly in the pastorate of St. Charles' Church in 1852, and during his pastorate built a parish residence on Daniels street, the site being on the Church lot. This building was subsequently moved to the site of the present rectory on North Main street and again moved to a lot further back, in order to make room for the present stately and substan- tial structure.
The late Right Rev. Thomas F. Hendricken, D. D., succeeded Rev. Father Carmody here in 1854, and after acting as pastor for the short period of one week was suc- ceeded by Rev. John Brady, who remained here until the beginning of the year 1855, when he resigned, left Hart- ford diocese, went west and died. Father Brady was as- sisted while pastor here by Rev. Peter Egan, who only re- mained a short period, when he went to Lee, Mass., and died there.
VERY REV. M. MCCABE, V. G., Fifth and Eighth Pastor of St. Charles' Parish.
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CHAPTER XII.
VERY REV. MICHAEL MCCABE-LIFE WORK OF A BELOVED, FAITH- FUL, CHARITABLE AND ZEALOUS PASTOR-BUILT THE PRESENT ST. CHARLES' CHURCH, ST. BERNARD'S CONVENT, TWO SCHOOL HOUSES AND PAROCHIAL RESIDENCE.
Very Rev. Michael McCabe, the most widely known pastor of all, succeeded Rev. Father Brady here on Feb. 28, 1855, and on taking charge found a debt incumbrance on the church property amounting to $2,233, at which he at once set to work and cleared off. His next work was the building of a vestry to the church at a cost of $600. He purchased the lot in 1858 where the present parochial rec- tory stands ; moved the old one and one-half story wooden parsonage from Daniels street in 1859 to the newly pur- chased lot; raised the building one story and otherwise im- proved it; built a parochial school on Earle street in 1859, which was one of the first in the diocese, the cost of con- struction amounting to $3,100, and obtained a free title to two and one-half acres of land in 1860 from the late Hon. Edward Harris in East Blackstone and established a ceme- tery there.
The census of the parish, taken in 1859, showed that the number of Catholics had increased from ten in 1828, thirty in 1834, two hundred in 1843, to 2,300 in 1859. In 1863 Father MeCabe concluded that the Church edifice was too small for the still increasing number of Catholics in the parish and began to take up contributions toward the building of a new, substantial and ornate edifice, with much greater seating capacity than the old wooden building contained. In 1866 the very reverend gentleman was removed hy Right Rev. Bishop McFarland to St. Patrick's Church, Providence. The church property was not only clear of all debt when he left for Providence, but there was also $10,300 in the treas- ury toward building a new church.
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HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
Father McCabe returned to the charge of St. Charles' Church on Feb. 2, 1869, and set about pushing forward work on the new church to completion, the construction of which was begun under Rev. Francis J. Lenihan, and con- tinued by Rev. Bernard O'Reilly, D. D., during his pastor- ate. Together with the fund left at the time of Father McCabe's departure for Providence and the sums raised by Father Lenihan and Father O'Reilly during his absence, still an additional amount, estimated at $36,000, was needed to complete the building. This sum he raised by church fairs and collections and with it work on the beautiful Gothic edifice, measuring one hundred and sixty-four by seventy feet, was completed in 1871, and solemnly dedi- cated to God by Right Rev. Francis Patrick McFarland on October 15, of that year, the name St. Charles Borromeo being still retained. Through his great zeal every cent of debt was cleared from the whole of the church property and on Sunday, August 10, 1890, the edifice was conse- crated by Right Rev. Matthew Harkins, D. D., assisted by several priests.
After the consecration a grand Pontifical High Mass was celebrated by Right Rev. Bishop Bradley of the diocese of Manchester, with Rev. Father Cook of Harrisville Deacon, Rev. Father Kiernan of Fall River Sub-Deacon, Rev. P. Farrelly of Central Falls Master of Ceremonies and Rev. M. P. Cassidy, then of Fall River and now of St. Patrick's Church, Valley Falls, Assistant Master of Ceremonies. Right. Rev. Bishop Hennessey of the diocese of Dubuque, Iowa, preached the sermon, from the following text :
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day and forever.
At the end of the service a plenary indulgence to all present was extended by the Pope through Right Rev. Bishop Harkins.
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Right Rev. Bishop. Healy of the diocese of Portland was the celebrant at the vesper service in the evening, with Rev. William A. Power of St. Paul's Church, Blackstone, Deacon ; Rev. Father Clarke of East Greenwich, Sub-Dea- con ; Rev. P. Farrelly, Master of Ceremonies, and Rev. M. P. Cassidy, Assistant Master of Ceremonies.
Rev. Thomas J. Conaty, D. D., then of Worcester and now Rector of the Catholic University at Washington, D. C., preached the sermon, his text being as follows :
By their fruits shall you know them.
On the date of the consecration John Boyle O'Reilly, the patriot, poet and zealous Catholic, died at his summer home, at Hull, Mass.
The total cost of the Church, including tower and organ, was over $100,000. The tower was built by Father McCabe out of his own private purse, without asking the congregation for a contribution of even one cent.
The two bells in the church tower were presented by the late Mr. John F. Holt, in memory of his daughters Martha and Theresa. This zealous, pious and exemplary Catholic, who was a convert to the faith, was also the donor of the bell which hangs in the Sisters of Mercy Convent tower and was also a liberal contributor during his life in Woonsocket to every fund for either religious or charitable purposes.
Father McCabe also built St. Michael's schoolhouse on River street, in 1878, and made a free gift of that build- ing and lot to the parish. He also erected a Convent build- ing for the Sisters of Mercy on Earle street and made a donation of $2,000 toward a Parish Hall building fund. This sum, together with about $6,000 additional, raised by the parish hall building committee, was used in building the present St. Charles' School.
The Silver Jubilee of his ordination was grandly cele-
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brated on Trinity Sunday, June 8, 1879, on which occasion he was the celebrant of the solemn High Mass at the re- ligious service in the morning.
On August 10, 1879, on the day of the consecration of Right Rev. Lawrence McMahon as Bishop of Hartford diocese, he was appointed Vicar General of Providence diocese by Right Rev. Bishop Hendricken, to succeed Bishop McMahon, who up to the time of his consecration was Vicar General. In all Father MeCabe made five voyages to Ireland and each time on his return he was the recipient of an ovation by his parishioners. His last trip was made in July, 1893, and on his return, two months later, he was grandly received. At the reception given him he spoke in eloquent terms of the land of his birth and of his heart's sincerest love.
After the promulgation of the decree of the Council of Baltimore he was appointed permanent rector of St. Charles' Church. This excellent priest, who had been a sufferer from heart trouble for a few years, died suddenly on Thurs- day morning, December 14, 1893, after a pastorate of thirty-nine years, three years of which were passed at St. Patrick's Church, Providence, during which he built a par- sonage there, and thirty-six years in Woonsocket. His death caused profound sorrow, not only in Woonsocket,
but also throughout the whole of Providence diocese. The esteem in which he was held was manifested in various ways, but particularly so at the time of his funeral, which took place on Monday morning, December 18, 1893. At this funeral every class of people, and every religious faith in the city were represented. The seating capacity of the church, which is about 1,800, was by at least 2,000 too small for the number assembled to do honor to his memory. The following societies were represented at the obsequies : Christian Doctrine, Father Mathew, St. Charles' Branch,
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Catholic Knights of America, of which he was Chaplain ; Woonsocket Branch, Irish National League ; St. Jean Bap- tiste Society, Div. 6, A. O. H., and l'Institut Canadien. Major James W. Smyth was Chief Marshal.
Among the ecclesiastical dignitaries present were the following : Right Rev. Matthew Harkins, of Providence ; Right Rev. Bishop Beavens, of Springfield ; Right Rev. John Brady, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston ; Very Rev. Mon- signor Griffin of Worcester and Rev. Dom. Stuart, O. S. B.
The priests present numbered about one hundred and sixty, being nearly six times the whole number in the United States when Right Rev. John Carroll was consecrated first Bishop of Baltimore on August 15, 1790.
At the church service Right Rev. Matthew Harkins, Bishop of Providence diocese, was the celebrant of a Pon- tifical High Mass of Requiem, with Rev. M. Tierney, As- sistant Priest ; Rev. Owen Kiernan, Rev. M. J. Clarke and Rev. M. J. Cooke, Deacons of Honor; Rev. Thomas Taafe, Deacon of the Mass; Rev. Bernard O'Reilly Sheri- dan, Sub-Deacon, and Rev. M. P. Cassidy and Rev. Henry F. Conboy, Masters of Ceremonies.
The panegyric was pronounced by Right Rev. Thomas D. Beaven, Bishop of Springfield, who took the following for his text :
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, for their works fol- low them.
Right Rev. Bishop, Rev. Brethren, My Dear Bereaved Friends :
With you to-day I am here to offer my sincere respect to the memory of your deceased pastor. I bring with me also my token of affectionate esteem, and I place it reverently upon his funeral tomb. There are welling up from the past associations that bind us affectionately to hearts we found warm. We live to-day in memories that are dearly cherished, for those memories, with their entwining associations, run back to more than a quarter of a cen- tury. They are memories, my dear friends, that germinated whilst
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the heart was warm in its youthful spirit, whilst the character threw itself out with delicate tendrils to grasp every object with which its nature claimed kindred. And if out from these years there arise to-day such associations, it is because in the heart of him who to-day lies sleeping there was a simplicity, a richness and a naturalness in whose atmosphere youth always found it easy to breathe without reserve and without diffidence.
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