HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ANCIENT PARISH OF ST. MARY'S, LANCASTER, PA.

BY S. M. SENER.

No church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is more interesting in its history than that of St. Mary's Roman Catholic-a church that was presided over for more than half a century by the beloved and lamented Reverend Father Bernard Keenan, peace to his ashes. Who that remembers the quaint old stone church does not feel a thrill as he looks back to the

days when it was made to do duty for religious purposes; for it was a landmark that had stood through many progressive changes in the city's history. Lancaster was laid out by James Hamilton, Esq., in 1730, and by his plan of the city the tract was divided into lots, and a ground-rent levied upon each lot. According to the register accompanying the plan, lots Nos. 235 and 236, corner of Prince and Vine, were granted on August 10, 1742, to Henry Neill for the use of St. Mary's congregation. This Henry Neill was evidently the Rev. Henry Neill, S.J., who was supposed to have been at Lancaster sometime during Father Wilhelm Wappeler's time. On June 27, 1762, shortly after the burning of the first church erected, an additional lot (No. 237) was granted to Robert Harding for the use of St. Mary's congregation. This was evidently Rev. Robert Harding, S.J., who was at Philadelphia, and who died September 1, 1772. Priests of German origin could not be naturalized in Pennsylvania, so as to hold land, hence the titles were taken out in the names of British subjects. This explains why the land was granted to Fathers Neill and Harding instead of to the resident priest.

The exact year of the organization of St. Mary's parish is not known. Some place it in 1740, and others in 1741, but the presumption is that it was established in 1742, when the two lots were purchased. The first church built was a log one, and it was erected in 1745. Witham Marsh, in his journal of a treaty with the Indians, held at Lancaster in 1744, mentions that the Lutherans, Dutch Calvinists, and Church of England followers had churches, but makes no mention of the Catholics; hence it is reasonable to suppose that, although lots had been purchased for a church, for some reason or other none was erected until in 1745; the date settled upon by Rupp in his history of Lancaster County. It might be well to state that the ground-rents on the three lots were only extinguished in 1871 by Father Keenan. The first church, the log one, was destroyed by fire in 1760, and was rebuilt in. 1762. The church erected in 1762 was of stone, and it stood until 1881, when it was torn down to make place for the handsome convent and schools now in charge of the Sisters of Charity; dedicated in 1884.

The German and English-speaking Catholics worshipped together until 1850, when the congregation had been so largely increased that it became necessary to build a larger church; the German portion withdrew, and selected a site in the southwestern part of the city, and erected a fine building, under the patronage of St. Joseph; that church, owing to the increase of the congregation, has just been enlarged. Those who still worshipped in the old stone church soon finding it necessary to erect a larger building also, the foundation of the present edifice was laid in 1852, and the church dedicated in 1854. In January, 1867, a fire in the basement, supposed to have been occasioned by some defect in the flues of the heater, damaged the church considerably, and owing to the defective framing of the roof, it became necessary to remodel the entire church, which was rededicated on Sunday, May 3, 1868.

The church erected in 1852, which was entirely remodelled after the fire in 1867, was again remodelled during 1885-6.

It is to-day one of the most valuable church properties in Lancaster-perhaps the most valuable—and is admitted by all to be the handsomest interior in the city.

It is interesting to look back over the early history of the Catholic Church in Lancaster, to recall the zeal and devotion of its forefathers in the cause of their religion. It is recorded that, during the building of the old stone church, the women of the congregation came daily to mix the mortar, while the men gathered the stone from the adjoining farmers, and carried them to the site of the building, where they assisted at the erection of the edifice, considered, in that period, a very fine and commodious church.

Traditions extant among some of the oldest members of the congregation are to the effect that, prior to the building of the first church in 1745, mass was said at the houses of members. This state of affairs may have been carried on for a long time, possibly from 1730. The first priest stationed at Lancaster, of whom there is any record, was Father Wilhelm Wappeler, S.J., and he was stationed at St. Mary's from 1742 to 1748. He died at Bruges in September, 1781. Father Neill was supposed to have been at Lancaster a short period while Father Wappeler was there. Father Wappeler was succeeded by Father James Frambach, S.J., who was at St. Mary's for ten years, and was succeeded in 1758 by Father Ferdinand Farmer, who remained until 1764. Father Farmer died in 1786. Father Luke Geissler, S.J., who arrived in America in 1759, was also stationed at Lancaster, as was Rev. John B. Causse, a Recollect, or Reformed Franciscan. Father Causse was sent to Lancaster in 1785, by Rev. Dr. Carroll. Father Pellentz, S.J., was said to have been at Lancaster, but of this there is no positive evidence. Lancaster was supplied by priests from Conewago for many years, and as there is no early church-register of St. Mary's extant, the list of clergy who attended there is made up from various lists of priests who were stationed at Conewago, and from other sources. Rev. Francis Fromm, O.S.F., came to Lancas

ter in 1790, but left, and went to St. Vincent's, in Westmoreland County, Pa. In 1791, Rev. William Elling was at St. Mary's, and at that time the congregation numbered 250 communicants. He left in 1793, and was succeeded by Rev. Father Erntzen, who found the church and priest's house out of repair, and complained of the people. He was followed by Father F. X. Brosius in 1796, who, while at St. Mary's, wrote "The Reply of a Roman Catholic Priest to a Peaceloving Preacher of the Lutheran Church." After Father Brosius came Rev. Ludwig DeBarth. Father DeBarth's family name was Walbach, and he was a relative of the family of Harbergers, still resident in Lancaster. Father Paul Kohlman, a brother of the priest who was committed in New York for contempt of court, in refusing to reveal the secrets of the confessional, is said to have been at St. Mary's. The next priest stationed at St. Mary's was Father Egan, who came to this country in 1801 or 1802. The first record of him is at Lancaster, on January 17, 1803. Father Egan was a very eloquent priest, speaking in both English and German, and while at St. Mary's his sermons were frequently listened to by members of the State Legislature, which was then in session at Lancaster. Father Egan was transferred to Philadelphia in April, 1803, and was stationed at St. Mary's church there. In 1808 the Diocese of Philadelphia was formed, which then comprised the States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. The Rev. Father Egan was appointed the first Bishop of Philadelphia. He died the 22d of July, 1814. His former associate in Lancaster, the Very Reverend DeBarth, was appointed Administrator of the Diocese after the Bishop's decease.

Their successors in the pastorate of St. Mary's church were the Rev. I. Beschter, S.J., Fathers Stoecker and O'Connor, M. Byrne, Schenfelder, and Rev. J. J. Holland. Rev. Father Mayerhoffer, who was at Conewago in 1819, is said to have been at Lancaster. Father Byrne, who was at Lancaster, died March 28, 1823, at Conewago. Father Holland remained at

St. Mary's until his death in 1822, and is buried in the church cemetery.

He was succeeded by Rev. Father Bernard Keenan, who died in 1877, after a pastorate of fifty-four years, during which Fathers Donoghoe, Corvin, Varin, Hebeuger, Steinbacker, Sylvester Eagle, Balfe, O'Brien, Marren, Barry, McDermott, Reilly, O'Connell, and Hickey acted as his assistants. After Father Keenan's death, Bishop Shanahan assumed the pastorate, acting in that capacity until the arrival of the present pastor, Dr. P. J. McCullagh, in 1881.

What delightful memories are recalled at mention of Father Keenan's name! There was scarcely a man, woman, or child in the community, when he lived, who did not know his familiar face and form, and everybody loved him. He celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his pastorate of St. Mary in 1871, an occasion when friends were gathered here from all over the State, and even from other States; and how happy the venerable man then seemed. He died in 1877, at the advanced age of ninety-seven years-having been at that time the oldest priest in America.

Father Keenan was born in the county of Tyrone, Ireland, and was early designed by his parents for the clerical profession. He began the study of the classics in the seminaries of his neighborhood, and as soon as he was qualified, entered the college of Dungannon, where he remained as a student for four years. He was then engaged as a teacher in that institution, and was thus occupied for the next seven years, having been the first Catholic who had been known to be employed as a teacher in the Protestant college of Dungannon. Having made up his mind to leave his native home, he proposed going to France; but as the Rt. Rev. Bishop Conwell was then on his way to London to be consecrated Bishop of Philadelphia, he accompanied him to Liverpool, where he remained until the Bishop returned, and thence sailed with him to the United States. They landed at Baltimore on the 21st of November, 1820, and from thence they proceeded to Philadelphia,