, 1876-10-22
Historv Of st. Thomas Church.
Hyde Park.
Return Of Dr.. MoChesney-RemoVal
Of the Baptist Seminary.
The Papal Celebration at Canossa---The
Bible in a Hundred Tongues.
Mites and Personals at Home and
Abroad---Chnrch Services
To-Day.
HYDE PARK.

S1 1AbAAS NALhLd.
The following sketch Of the Catholic Church
xill conclude The checkered histories Of the
HYDE Park churches which have appeared in
recent Sunday issues OF THE TRIBUNE.
In the GEAR 1865 the Rt. Rev. DR.. Duggan was
Bishop OF the Catholic Church in Chicago The
reverend gentleman being III quite poor health,
was induced to remove hi residence
TO the sa1ubrious climate Of Hyde
Park, and so in the summer Of the above men
toned year lie took up quarters in the frame
dyclling-tlouse Oh the corner Of FIfty-tlird
street and Washington avenue, opposite the
First Presbyterian Church, now Occupied by
Dir. Carmschall.
that there were already large number OF
Catholics residing there who were obliged, Ike
himself, to attend church il rhicago. This fact
induced him TO found a church in the village.
Accordingly he deputed Father Bo1}s, clergy
man Of Chicago, to open subscription in Hyde
Park for the purpose of erecting 1 church. With
generosity in church matters characteristic Of
the people, i sufficient amount Was soon COLI
tributcd, and with it WAS purchased from B. ",
Philips lot A by l25 feet On Fifty-tiith street,
for S. O00 canal time, ct 10 per cent interest.
Father Bolls pushed things rapidly but some
mc.ntercd as sincere Christian and pleasant
gentleman but an inferior business manager, as
fhe sequel will show,
By him the building Of the church was let to
one contractor, the construction Of the pews to
another, and in 3 short time there WAS q large
number Of men at work. but not cent with
which to pay them. As 4 consequence Of all
this mismanase1ncnt, the church became mort
gagged to about three times the amount in cash
necessary for its construction
Now, according to one of his parishioners, the
Rev. Mr.. Bo1ls s'sniffed the battle from afar, u
and then that good aud pleasant priest Father
Iyden, now OF Engiewood, was assigned to SUI
persede him. Commencing his duties in the
year 1859, this gentleman laborcd with diligence,
both spiritually and otherwise, hut finally asked
financial condition Of the church.
From the date of the resignation of Father
Iylcn up to 1873 several other reverend gentle
men braye}y endcayored to carry forward i small
and one Of them, the Rev. Thomas Kennedy,
died at his post. At this time the Bishop (the
Rt. Rev. Dr.. Foley appointed three Trustees to
take temporary Charge OF the affairs Of the par
ish. The Trustees chosen were 7. Cudmorc, 2.
F. Ryan, and Daniel Healcy. They managed
a]l back-interest and portion OF the principal.
This was the state Of affairs when, in 1873, the
Rer: ?. NJ Flannigan took the parish INTO his
bands. he proved most excellent
paid oil the. church debt during
1874, the SUNDAY school Was started. In the fall
Of 1875 a1r. Flanuigan resigned, to take charge
Of the large Catholic congregation at South
Chicago. :,
The present pastor of the Hyde Park Church,
the Rev. Mr.. LeitueT, resides in Chicago, but
ol1iciatcs in the parish every Sunday. He is
middlc-aged gentleman, Of pleasant address,
and fine education, having graduated from the
Great Propaganda at Rome, and, as musician.
has few superiors here. The present
number OF the congregation Is from
425 to $50 souls, which Indicates rapid growth.
The parish now extends from, Thirty ninth street
to Grand Crossing, and from South Park ave-
nEe, on the west, to Lake Michigan. This par
lsh is filling up with such dispatch that It is
proposed to either build or purchase another
church cdite further north. the church is
supplied with i si:.all organ and good library,
which latter is well patroniZed. Services are
held twice on each Sabbath, at and 10 30 q. N.
The financial question with the church has
now been solved, ard it is entirely independent.
Everything has BEEN paid for, and not cent is
Que to any one. There is ut present some little
money in the treasury, which will be expended
next week in rcpainting the church The
Catholic Church, like ali the others, has been
beset by formidable dangers, but has sur
mounted every barrier, and now floats its ban
ncr in pence and prosperity anl,. as
one looks around upon the thirty
ing parishes, one cannot >lbut ad
mlre the pluck, faith, end cndu ras1cc which
have carried the HyGe Park churches through
every trial and embarrassment, and wish them
equal success in the future.