USA > Rhode Island > Rhode Island : three centuries of democracy, Vol. IV > Part 51
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60
Dr. Radeke died many years ago, but the work to which he devoted his life lives on, serving mankind in the fields of greatest significance to the best of its potentialities and proving itself a memorial to the man of vision and broad humanity who launched it.
RT. REV. ANTHONY BOVE-As pastor of the parish of St. Ann, of Providence, Rhode Island, Rt. Rev. Anthony Bove has given, with unstinted zeal and energy, more than a quarter of a century of service. The results of his de- votion and activity are the present church build- ing, the parish schools, the parish societies, and, in fact, all that comprises the present parish of St. Ann.
The history of the parish of St. Ann goes back to the year 1895, when the people of the North End Italian Colony expressed their growing de- sire for a church of their own. Providence, a seaport town, had welcomed the people of many nations early in the nineteenth century, and the largest number of these were Italians, who were ministered to by their own priests, affiliated with Holy Ghost parish. The desire of the North End Italians for a church of their own was encour- aged by Bishop Harkins, through Father Paul Novati, then rector of the Holy Ghost Church and at that time the only Italian priest in the diocese. The population of the North End, then a neighborhood of unfinished streets and shabby houses, interspersed with patches of wood- land and rocky fields, with few and inadequate schools, was composed mostly of the employees of the mills of the vicinity; and the rougher ele- ment of the entire city made this district their special field of operations, defying law and order. To this neighborhood the colony of Italian immi-
grants brought thrift and energy, dotting the bar- ren hillsides with their tiny cottages, and culti- vating the sterile soil. On September 2, 1895, St. Ann's Mission was organized, and in 1898 a dilapi- dated town hall of North Providence was pur- chased by Bishop Harkins and converted into a temporary chapel, in which Holy Mass was said every Sunday until December 6, 1901. At that time Father Anthony Bove, then pro-rector at Thornton, Rhode Island, and also missionary to the Italians, was made pro-rector of the Mission of St. Ann's, carrying a large debt, but still shar- ing with Father Novati the care of the Italians of the entire diocese.
Father Bove at once set about remodelling the chapel, which, as town hall, had housed a school, a court, and a jail, at the cost of $10,000. Later, a sanctury, a sacristy, and a vestibule with steps were added, and in August, 1902, the building was dedicated as a church by Bishop Harkins. The mission then listed not very many. In 1906 St. Ann's Mission was organized as a parish, by Bishop Harkins, and in January, 1907, Father Bove was made pastor.
On March 13, 1908, Bishop Harkins sanctioned the removal of the old church to a site on Monti- cello Street (where it served first as a temporary church and then as a nursery) and the prepara- tion of plans for a new structure. Towards the end of the year additional land was purchased, making possible the splendid site fronting on Hopkins Park, and on May I, 1909, ground was broken for the new church. The corner-stone was laid by Bishop Harkins, May I, 1909, and on October 16, 1910, the present beautiful church building was dedicated by Bishop Harkins, after which the late Bishop Louis A. Walsh, of Port- land, Maine, celebrated Pontifical Mass, and the Rev. Robert Biasotti of New York City preached the sermon. The church is a modified copy of the famous Venetian Shrine of SS. Peter and Paul. The classic lines of its pleasing Italian Roman- esque simplicity and its slender, beautiful cam- panile form a lovely landmark in the neighbor- hood. Constructed of red face brick, laid Flem- ish bond with black headers in a white mortar joint with buff brick, with colored terra cotta, stucco trimmings, and granite composite entering into the design, the blending of the various col- ored materials in harmony with the general color scheme is an innovation in this country. though century old in the structures of Italy, especially in the colorful cities of Venice and Florence.
534
RHODE ISLAND-THREE CENTURIES OF DEMOCRACY
where this style of architecture and beautiful tinted materials are extensively used.
The interior is finished in plaster-stucco with white wood and oak trimmings. The ceilings of the nave and both side aisles are arched and pannelled in stucco, stained windows and appro- priately beautiful decorations add to the loveli- ness of the interior, and the sanctuary appoint- ments are in keeping with the general design. Five beautiful marble altars grace the church, and both inside and outside the building is a worthy memorial to the devotion of pastor and people, as well as a noble and fitting temple built to the glory of God.
The completion of the new church marked a new period in the spiritual and temporal progress of the parish. Father Bove early recognized the need of adequate parochial schools and set his heart and mind to the task of securing them. In 1915 his project was approved, and August 18, 1916, the corner-stone of the school was laid by Rt. Rev. Peter E. Blessing, D. D., Vicar-General of the diocese. On October 29, of the same year, the completed school was dedicated by His Emi- nence, John Cardinal Bonzano, the Apostolic Delegate to the United States, and the late Holy Father, Pope Benedict XV, cabled his blessing on the occasion. The building contains ten large, well equipped classrooms providing accommoda- tions for seven hundred children, and a large auditorium which seats eight hundred people. There are club room facilities offering fine recre- ational advantages, and the labors of the devoted Sisters of Mercy have brought rich returns in mental and spiritual development. The courses follow the standardized curriculum of the graded schools and are conducted in English, but pupils have an opportunity to master Italian through the instruction of the Maestre Pie Venerini. There is a well-attended evening school, where the principles of Americanization are carefully taught, giving to the newly arrived foreigner the hope and the inspiration toward citizenship in the new land to which he has come, a stranger. A nursery was opened January 19, 1914, and five nuns of the Maestre Pie Venerini are in charge of this meritable and noble work. The children are admitted at six in the morning, irrespective of creed or of condition in life, and the smallest tots receive a kindergarten training. Children over six attend school nearby and return for lunch, and the older girls learn the rudiments of cooking, sewing, and embroidery, while the young boys are trained in lines of industrial work. In
1927 suitable accommodations were made for the Junior High School, and the two schools are functioning splendidly, the first graduation of the Junior High being held on June 22, 1930, with a large class. Lately a rectory, two convents for the two religious orders and a double garage have been built, and in 1928 another piece of property was purchased, in the rear of the school. There is a building for social purposes, and the entire property is valued at $800,000. All this has been brought about by the untiring zeal and ability of Father Bove.
Rt. Rev. Anthony Bove was born in the village of Albano Di Lucania, in the foothills of the Apennines, Italy, May 17, 1877, son of Vincent and Mariannina (Molfese) Bove. The father was an honored citizen of that town, and the mother was of the noble family of Molfese, honored in Italian annals. The early education of Father Bove was under the direction of his mother and of tutors. At the College of Naples he received his classical training, and he studied philosophy and theology at the Seminary of Tricarico, where he was ordained June 9, 1900, by Monsignor De Constanzo, Bishop of Tricarico. In February, 1901, Father Bove came to this country, at the age of twenty-two, and his first assignment was the organization of the parish of Thornton, Rhode Island, where he did splendid pioneer work. A year later, he was transferred to the Mission of St. Ann, though still remaining a member of the Italian Apostolate. There he took up the arduous work of overcoming difficul- ties which required the most heroic effort and the most complete faith, as well as ability of high order. After averting financial ruin and com- pleting the remodelled church in 1902, he set about organizing the parish societies, the first of which was the Holy Name Society. He inspired the organization of the second council of Italian Knights of Columbus in the United States, and in his own parish founded a vigorous St. Vincent de Paul Society. He found time to translate into Italian a Holy Name manual, and in the midst of his heavy pastoral labors he was giving Italian missions both within and without the State. He organized an Italian Colony in Natick May 4, 1901, and there, today, a flourishing parish exists. He also founded Italian churches at Fall River, Barrington, and Warren. These are still being carried on in a very successful manner and doing a fine work. By pen and voice he campaigned for Christian education, delivering over two hun- dred lectures in English, French, and Italian.
Pearl M.P. Permungtou
535
RHODE ISLAND-THREE CENTURIES OF DEMOCRACY
And all this time he was carrying forward the gigantic parochial work already mentioned above. His vision has never been limited solely to his parish, and the children, everywhere, have been Father Bove's greatest interest. Fearing no man, or set of men, when seeking the accomplishment of a good work, he has had the warm friendship of many distinguished men of other faiths than his own, and the works of commendation spoken by Judge Rueckert in connection with Father Bove's efforts to reclaim children who came before the Juvenile Court, are eloquent. "Since Father Bove extended his care to the children," says Judge Rueckert, "the number of arrests has ap- preciably diminished and parole cases improved to such an extent that children were rarely ob- liged to appear in court." In 1915, Cardinal Sera- phino Vannutelli commissioned Father Bove to assist the orphans of Ficennicino, near Rome, and later he was recommissioned by Cardinal Antonio Vico, and these have since been carried on suc- cessfully.
Within the parish the Sunday school has pros- pered most wonderfully, and while in 1902 there was no child in the parish sufficiently instructed to receive Holy Communion, in 1925 there were over three hundred youthful communicants. Dur- ing the World War Father Bove was active in every enterprise, urging his people to support the cause in which America had enlisted, lectur- ing on Americanization and American History in the public school in the evenings for a number of years under the auspices of the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and aiding the home war work in every possible way. Through the years of his long period of service Father Bove has used effectively the printed message to his people. His Italian column in the "Providence Visitor," has been influential, and he was active in the organization of "La Sen- tinella," the organ of the Italian Catholics.
In recognition of his most valuable services, honors have not been wanting. On May 18, 1918, Bishop Harkins presented Father Bove with a silver medal, as a gift from Pope Benedict XV, in recognition of service to church and State. On September 17, 1921, the Italian government con- ferred upon him the title, Chevalier of the Crown of Italy; Christmas Eve, 1924, brought his eleva- tion as Domestic Prelate of His Holiness, with solemn and memorable investiture service, and the felicitations of State, judiciary, and munici- pality pouring in; and in 1925, when the Silver Jubilee of St. Ann's parish was celebrated abund-
ant expression was given to the people's apprecia- tion of the great work accomplished by Father Bove.
On occasion of the Solemn Investiture of Rt. Rev. Monsignor Anthony Bove, as Domestic Pre- late to His Holiness, Pope Pius XI, on February I, 1925, the Rt. Rev. Bishop of Providence, Wil- liam A. Hickey, D. D., in the presence of scores of State and city dignitaries, besides the thou- sands of parishioners and friends, felicitated the Rt. Rev. Monsignor Bove:
Our Holy Church with searching glance over the vast world has found in the midst of us one whom she has desired to honor. Monsignor Bove, in his love of country, of God and of Christian character has reflected glory on the entire diocese. You have witnesses to Msgr. Bove's zeal and labors. This priest has known no discouragement. With the same lack of perception for difficulties that marked St. Paul, he has worked here for 25 years, for Christ and human souls. He has inspired and awakened your faith, your hope and your charity for things better here on earth and in the world to come.
To the town in which Father Bove was born he has donated to the bishop of the diocese a fam- ily chapel and adjoining property on which is be- ing erected an orphan asylum, a day nursery and school in which are to be taught Christian doc- trines, languages and domestic science. These buildings are to be dedicated to Msg. Bove.
Perhaps no tribute paid, better summarizes the quality of Father Bove's work than do the words of Mayor Gainor, once a boy of the North End neighborhood, when he said:
I doubt if any clergyman in Rhode Island can show a better record of achievement than Father Bove. While he has been building churches, nurs- ery and convents, he has made his people God-fear- ing, home-loving citizens.
PEARL MARY TILLINGHAST REMING- TON-Among the well-known educators of the State of Rhode Island and also well and favor- ably known in many parts of the United States is Mrs. Pearl Mary Tillinghast Remington, now assistant superintendent of schools of the town of East Providence, Rhode Island. The social wel- fare movement, in particular, has enlisted her hearty support, and her efforts have contributed much to the advancement of this cause.
Mrs. Remington was born at Natick, Rhode Island, on May 14, 1875, a daughter of Ozias D. and Josephine (Bennett) Tillinghast, the father a
536
RHODE ISLAND-THREE CENTURIES OF DEMOCRACY
contractor and builder by occupation. She was educated in Rhode Island schools, being a gradu- ate of the Rhode Island State Normal School, now the Rhode Island College of Education. Mrs. Remington also took special courses at both the Rhode Island College of Education and Brown University. For five years, at the begin- ning of her career, she taught school at Provi- dence, Rhode Island, after which, due to the ill- ness of her husband, she took over his business and became president and treasurer of the Howard Braiding Company Textile Mill, which positions she occupied for fifteen years. Meanwhile her interest in public affairs and in the recognized spheres of women's efforts brought her promi- nently to the public attention. Mrs. Remington served for three years as a member and for four years as vice-chairman of the Public Welfare Commission of the State of Rhode Island. She was also a member of the school committee of the town of East Providence, where she is now assist- ant superintendent of schools, for a period of ten years, and is past president of the State branch of the National Congress of Parents and Teach- ers, and past vice-president of National Congress of Parents and Teachers. She has always been an active supporter of educational progress and is a member at the present time of the Board of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers; a member, and in 1928-29, president of the Rhode Island Institute of Instruction. In addition to these, Mrs. Remington is president and general manager of the Child Welfare Company of Phil- adelphia, publishers of the official organ of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers.
In the field of government and public affairs, Mrs. Remington has been equally active, render- ing important services to the Republican organi- zation of the State. She was for several years vice-president of the Woman's Republican Club of Rhode Island, and in 1920 and 1924 was a delegate to the National Republican Convention. In 1925 Mrs. Remington was chosen official State delegate to the International Prison Conference held in London. In 1929 was a National Educa- tion Association delegate to the World Federa- tion of Education in Geneva, Switzerland, and participated in one of the sectional meetings on the program. She visited England, Holland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Italy. Mrs. Remington has attended all of the conventions of the Congress of Parents and Teachers for the past twelve years and many of the fall board meet-
ings, thereby visiting nearly every State in the Union and having the opportunity of meeting many of the outstanding educators of this and other countries. She is past regent and honorary regent of the Gaspee Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, with whose work she is thoroughly in sympathy. For three years she was a member of the State Executive Board of Girl Scouts. Mrs. Remington is also a member of the Watchemoket Free Public Library Board of East Providence; a member of the Providence Plantation Club; and vice-president of the Altrusa Club of Rhode Island, an organization of business and professional women. She is a member of the First Church of Christ Scientist of Providence.
On September 7, 1899, at Brooklyn, New York, she was married to Charles Howard Remington, son of James H. and Ellen (Howard) Remington. Mr. Remington, a graduate from Yale in June, 1895. They are the parents of one daughter, Mary Howard, born on February 25, 1901. The residence of the family is maintained in East Providence at No. 214 Waterman Avenue.
FRANK E. STILLWELL-Comparatively few persons in the business circles of Providence prior to 1920 were unacquainted with the record of the late Frank E. Stillwell, who spent fifty years actively engaged in constructive employ- ment with the Atlantic Mills thus engaged up to the time of his death. He was born in Provi- dence, October 15, 1847, and died there, April 16, 1920, aged seventy-two years. Son of Albert G. and Lydia (Bailey) Stillwell, he belonged to a family long established in Rhode Island, and throughout his replete life typified the highest ethics of character connected with a distinguished line.
Following a sound academic instruction in the public schools of Providence, Mr. Stillwell en- gaged in several positions which brought him in close touch with the industrial spheres of Provi- dence, and in 1870, when twenty-two, secured em- ployment with the Atlantic Mills. He advanced from positions of lesser to those of greater re- sponsibility, and the close of his service with the corporation saw him one of its most valued men, widely known in circles of the trade. A quiet, unassuming man, he had many friends of long standing in Providence. These found in him a genial, warm spirit, and recall him with an affec-
537
RHODE ISLAND-THREE CENTURIES OF DEMOCRACY
tion which time cannot make less. He was a member of the Board of Trade, belonged to a few other organizations well known in Providence, and took part in social affairs. He preferred his home and family to club life, however, and spent his happiest hours in the home circle.
Mr. Stillwell married, September 15, 1886, Fan- nie Joslin, daughter of Willard and Sarah A. (Elliott) Joslin, and a granddaughter of William and Sophia (Angell) Elliott. Sophia Angell was a daughter of Colonel John and Mary (Sprague) Angell, and a descendant of Thomas Angell, who was born in England, 1618, came to America with Roger Williams in the ship "Lion," 1631, and removed from Salem, Massachusetts, to Provi- dence in 1636, with Williams. Hence, Mrs. Still- well is of a most honored descent. To Mr. and Mrs. Stillwell were born children: I. Harold, who married Clara Rodeman. 2. Robert Bailey, died at the age of eight by accident. 3. Everett, unmarried; employed in the Rhode Island Insur- ance Company's offices, Providence. Mrs. Still- well continues to make her home in the capital city.
The records of Rhode Island contain the names of many men whose efforts resulted in lasting benefit to the city of Providence, and few of those men were of more worth to the community than was Mr. Stillwell. His record entitles him to a place of lasting honor. He contributed liberally to charitable and civic causes, during the World War did all within his ability for the Allied victory, and continuously proved himself a most upright and patriotic figure.
WILLIAM J. HARPER-After having served as a teacher and principal in different Rhode Island schools for some thirteen years, Mr. Harper, fol- lowing an interval of three years during which he was at the head of the State Probation Service, in the fall of 1929 accepted the appointment as super- intendent of public schools at Bristol, a position he held until his association with the Department of Probation, White Plains, New York. Widely known in educational circles in his native State, he is regarded as one of the most able of Rhode Island's educational administrators and under his management the public school system of Bristol flourished and its usefulness extended for the years to come. A member of several fraternal and edu- cational organizations, Mr. Harper is also inter-
ested in religious activities and, indeed, in every respect represents the highest type of useful citizen- ship.
William J. Harper was born at Centreville, October 29, 1888, a son of Napoleon and Annie (Gallagher) Harper. Both his parents are natives of Canada, his father, who is engaged in the textile business, having been born at Drummondville, his mother at Perth, Province of Ontario. Mr. Harper received his early education in the public schools of Natick and then attended St. Joseph's Prepara- tory School, Watertown, New York, from where he went to St. Lawrence College, Montreal, Prov- ince of Quebec. After graduating from this insti- tution with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy in 1910, he was connected for one year with the Great Northern Railroad in its Montreal office as private secretary to the superintendent of the East- ern Division. At the end of this period he came to Providence and engaged there for the next eight years in private tutoring, specializing in American- ization and in social service work. This was fol- lowed by three years' teaching in the Branch Ave- nue Grammar School, Providence, where Mr. Harper was in charge of evening classes. Ap- pointed then principal of the Centredale Grammar School, he occupied this position for four years and then served in a similar capacity at the Harris Avenue Grammar School, West Warwick. In this position he showed so much ability and efficiency that he was appointed superintendent of public schools in North Providence, a position he held for five years. Then came a brief period of three years, during which Mr. Harper temporarily with- drew from his educational work, though the work in which he was engaged during these three years, was of great educational importance. At that time he served as Chief State Probation Officer, render- ing valuable services to his native State and to those who were placed in his charge. In Septem- ber, 1929, Mr. Harper returned to educational work and became superintendent of schools for the town of Bristol. During part of that period, while he was engaged in teaching others and in adminis- trative work as an educator, Mr. Harper con- tinued his own studies, first at Brown University, Providence, from which institution he was grad- uated with the degree of Bachelor of Education in 1922, and later at the Rhode Island College of Education, from which he received the degree of Master of Education in 1923. After a few months in Bristol, as superintendent of schools for the town of Bristol, Mr. Harper was called to White Plains, New York, where he became director of
538
RHODE ISLAND-THREE CENTURIES OF DEMOCRACY
the Department of Probation for Westchester County, New York, a position he occupies at the present time.
Mr. Harper is a member of the National Edu- cation Association, the New England Superin- tendents' Association and the Rhode Island Insti- tute of Instruction, as well as the Exchange Club and the Barnard Club. He also belongs to the Bristol Council, Knights of Columbus, and to Providence Lodge, No. 14, Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks. In politics he is independent, while his religious affiliations are with the Roman Catholic Church and more particularly with St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, of Bristol. He is fond of outdoor life and outdoor sports and in this manner finds his recreation and renewed strength for his professional activities.
Mr. Harper married, in 1915, Clara Dwyer, a native of Pawtucket. Mr. and Mrs. Harper are tl.e parents of two children, William J. Harper, Jr., and Thomas F. Harper.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.