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ST. PATRICK’S CHURCH.Imposing Monument to the Zeal and Piety of the Irish Catholics of the Early Days of Louisville.tVK1y?33' We regret that we have not the data to e hand to give a sketch worthy of St. j Patrick's, the first Irish Catholic church in this city. About 1860 the work of e widening the Louisville and Portland t canal brought several hundred Irish Catholic laborers and their families, who built the “shanties” on leased ground on High street from Fifteenth street to Portland, and most of the people on Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth streets were Irish Catholics. To provide them with a church the parish of St. Patrick was cut off from the Cathedral, and its bounds were from Tenth to Twenty-sixth (or Shippingport road as it was then known) and from the river to Walnut street—a large territory but sparsely settled, below Fifteenth and south of High being farms, commotis and ponds, with no streets and few houses. Rev. Thomas Joyce (Father Tom he was affectionately called), an humble and zealous priest and tireless worker, was the first pastor. The first church was ou the ground floor of the present school building and was dedicated in 1863. The second floor was the boys' school with about fifty scholars, ranging from the tots to the big boys, in charge of the . Xaverian Brothers Ignatius, Stephen and Bernard, who lived for a time in a small room on the unfinished third floor, Brother Paul having charge later. The girls' school of about fifty scholarsr-in charge of the Sisters of Nazareth, occupied a two-story house across Pirtle street, later occupying the ground floor of the school building after the dedication of the new church. Father Joyce lived frugally in a small two-room annex to the church, and as he could not until years later afford a horse, he tramped over his large parish, often at night, ministering to bis flock and soliciting their mites to pay for the building. With the growth of the city westward the congregation increased. Father Joyce’s hope was to build a pastor’s resideuce and a church worthy of Ireland’s patron saint on the large lot at Thirteenth and Market, which was gratified, as he built both, occupying the residence and having the church dedicated in the early sixties, though he did not live to see the latter finished, paid for and consecrated,I dying in 1887.Rev. M. D. Lawler became pastor in 1868, and having rare executive ability, j energy and tact of dealing with the peo-] pie, lie soon overcame difficulties, won r | the confidence and love of his flock, aud under his pastorate St. Patrick's churchand schools progressed to the foremost in the city. The congregation grew to over 800 families, the church was crowded at all services, and in the three-story school building several hundred scholars were taught from the primary to the higher studies, the boys being under direction of Brother Stanislaus. It is the scholars of those days of St. Patrick’s schools who have attained success and prominence in this city and elsewhere, as many of them moved to other States and the Wild West.Father Lawler was a disciplinarian and encouraged organized effort among young and old, and with the aid of his assistant. Rev. Dotninic Crane, St. Patrick’s congregation became noted for’ its societies, earnestness and unity in parish work, and prominent in all public celebrations. There were sodalities of children, young ladies and young men, dramatic and debating clubs, temperance cadets aud society, benevolent society, St. Vincent de Paul, Ladies’ Altar Society and St. Joseph’s Aid. Nearly all those societies had regalias and banners, and several had libraries. In all parish work the committees to aid the pastor were selected from these societies, and thus the entire congregation, young and old, were united and active in the work. All these societies approached the sacraments at regular stated times in full : regalia, but it was the St. Patrick’s day 1 celebration that was the annual feast . day.Father Lawler’s ambition was to pay ' off the church debt, purchase the ad- 1 joining lot and enlarge the pastor’s residence, put a spire on the church and ' have it consecrated, all of whicn he ac- ! complished. He died in 1893.Right Rev. Mgr. Thomas F. Gambon was appointed pastor shortly after the ' death of Father Lawler, but the innova- ' tion of railroads, depots, warehouses and , factories had caused a large portion of 1 the congregation to move to the western 1 and southern suburbs, and many of the 1 young people, the real active workers, to other States. Thus the membership of the congregation was reduced, its personnel changed, and the new pastor was at a great disadvantage in becoming acquainted with his people and taking up the parish work. Instead of the old | • pioneer families who knew everybody , and were familiar with the church affairs, ; he had a new and strange element who I, must lie sought out, advised and in- i structed in their part of the pariah work, j while he had few of whom he could ob-Grand Work Inaugurated by Rev. Father Thomas Joyce and Continued by His Distin-
Newspaper Details
Louisville Kentucky Irish American
Louisville, Kentucky, US
Sat, Mar 15, 1902
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Elizabeth D.
USA 31 Dec 2023
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