Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-06-09
CHURCH MUSIC IN ALEXANDRIA-ST. MARY's
81 (CATHOLIC)

Fitzgerald, an abide camp Of Washington, and
one of the most intimate friends in the evening
of his days.
Tradition points to. a spot on Princess street,
near the locality now called Petersburg, as
the site of the first chapel there are those
now living who have seen it after 1t had ceased
to be used for church purposes, but the name
of the pastor, who, probably, lived elsewhere,
and visited Alexandria periodically, has been
forgotten. :a@t
The first resident pastor was the Rev MI
Eden, who livcdin the small frame house on
Pitt street, in the rear Of the Orphan Asylum.
At that time. the old St. Mary's Church, at
the Catholic Cemetery, corner Of Church and
Washington streets, had been already erected
through the zeal of Mrs. Patton, OF Spllng
Bank, Miss Hammersley, and other ladies in
the vicinity, whose names will be tanlllar.to
some of our older citizens. This church was,
however, so far out, that, in bad weather,
Father. Eden frequently assembled his congre-
CATION, at his residence, on Pitt street, and Of
ficiated there. Tradition, also, tells Of an old
French priest, probably a victim of the ReTo-
luton who oficiatcd in Alexandria, making
his residence with ani old Frenchmau, VINO then
kept Yeates' Garden
The Rev. Enoch Femorick, and the Rev.
Francis Ncalc, brother to Archbishop Neale,
also attended the church prior to The war OF
1872, though neither of them resided here.
Father Neale, in 1909, or Whereabouts, purcha-
sed the old Methodist Church, On the site
where St. Mary's Church now stands, the en-
trance being upon the alley, thence called
''Chapel Alley and the old Chapel at the
Cemetery, was thcnceforth disused. Soon after
this Ignatius Junigal, an old French resident,
diving. left his entire estate to the church, and
the parsonage house, on Duke street, was pur-
chased, and the old tower erected. In 1t was
hung the bell now used for Sunday School puT-
poses at ST. Mary,s Hail. and it is, therefore,
with the exception of the bell used to call
Council together, the oldest bell in town, that
on the Theatre having long since departed, and
| the beautiful bell Of the lst Presbyterian
Church, having been broken, when the church
was burned, in 1885. ~ .ae
After the war of 1872, the Rev. Roderick Bax
Ter. a celebrated English divine, and finepreach-
er, was placed in charge; his newspaper contro-
versy with the Rev Mr. Wilmer, of ST. Paul $,
father Of the Bishop. will be remembered by some
ofvour readers Mr.. Baxter was assisted by the
Rev. Joseph William Fairclough: also an Ei-
glishmau, who was specially ordained for St.
Mary's, and became it's resident pastor in 1918.
| By his unwearied exertions, the present church
was erected in 1926. He was great fayorte
in our community, and in the church Difficult
ties which occurred in 1880, the sympathies Of
large proportion, both Of his congregation
aud the citizens at large, we're enlisted in his
favor. When the Rev. Ohm Smith was install
ed as pastor, he returned to England, where
he lived many years in the exercise Of his min
| stry.s s-'
! MIR. Smith was an Irishman, and quite an
able and eloquent man, and despite the unfa
vorablc circumstances under which he came,
soon gathered around him a large circle Of
| friends He founded St. Johns Academy,
and established an excellent Female Seminary,
under the direction Of the Sisters Of Charity,
over which Sister Agnes O. Common, a sister Of
| the distin guished legal gentleman OF that name,
now acting as senior counsel for Mr.. Davis. pre-
sided Rev. VIM. Grace was, for a short
! time, his assistant. e.. 30 ~ .-.
Father Smith was succeeded in 1898, by the
| Rev. Stephen L. Dubuisson, native of st.
Domingo, who had, in early life, been an officer I'M
der Napoleon Being afflicted with bronchitis, he
| returned in 1871 to France, where he resided
until his DEATH in 1864 He was greatly cs
teemed by both his congregation and >our citi
zers of all denominations
After his removal, there was a quick success
sion of pastors, Rev. James Moore, and Rev.
James Power, both Irishmen, and Rev. Roger
Dietz German, whose acquaintance with
! English was then quite limited, occupying the
| pastoral relation during the next two years.
In lS43, Rev Benjamin A. Young took charge;
he died in 1914, and was succeeded by the Rev.
| Charles Ii. Stonestreet, afterwards President
Of Georgetown College. In August, 1915,
| pastoral charge, assisted by the Rev. john +.
Aiken, who soon succeeded him. Father Aiken
was a most jealous and excellent priest, and
added many to the church. His health failing,
he was succeeded, in 1850, by the Rev. Joseph
NJ Finotti, noble Italian, to whom most OF
the congregation were devotedly attached. The
next pastor was the Rev. Geo. Villiger,a Swiss
who was succeeded in 1854 by the Rev. Jno. E.
Blox, the most beloved pastor, perhaps, that
the church ever had. His work remains as a
monument to his memory. The beautiful
spire, the grand, sweet bell, the elegant tres-
Goes and stained glass, the fine marble altar,
and the new organ, all testify to his zeal, while
the many whom he added to the church, still
bless his memory We'll is the feeling for him
expressed on the little monument which stands
before the church: IA grateful congregation
to the memory Of beloved pastor" He was
succeeded, in 1851, by the Rev Peter Kroes
the present esteemed rector. rs e.--..
Its not necessary for us to speak of tic no.
bic qualities Of this Jealous priest, and estema-
bic gentleman-his acts are too familiar to need
comment, During the war his untiring devo-
ton to the sick and wounded mot only endeared
him more with his own congregation; but found
him many warm admirers in other denomina-
tons He, like all of us has had his trials-on
-, Tho his oh