The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-02
CoLoREp CATHOLICS.
An Interesting History of the Church
OF st. Benedict the moor.

On the southeast corner OF Blocker and
Downing streets. and in the very heart of a
district containing more than two-thirds of
the colored inhabitants of the city of New
York, stands an edtf1ce of considerable di-
xnensions and much architectural splendor.
Tt was here that that sect Of religionists
known as the Third Universalist Society"
used to assemble for public worship not
many years ago. The building is now a
Roman Catholic church, and that, as such,
II is especially devoted TO the use of the col
ored race is indicated by its name of st.
Benedict the Moor.
Considering the few years Of its existence,
the bitter rancor and open, relentless hostil-
titles Of its avowed enemies and the herculean
efforts indispensable to its growth, st. Bene-
dict the Moor is prodigy of success.
Many years ago, long before the eman-
cipation of the colored people of this coun-
try, a system of immigration was conducted
on small scale between the West Indies and
this city. Colored families every now and
then landed here by scores. Most of them
were Catholics who had come chiefly from
those West Indian islands where they speak
a sort of French-patois and Spanish jargon,
and where too Catholicity has always been
the prevailing religion. AT that time slav-
cry did not exist in the Antilles, and why a
set of free blacks should voluntarily ex
change the delights Of a tropical archipel-
ago, where they breathed an atmosphere Of
freedom, for precarious living in a coun-
try in which slavery existed and where they
were not needed, is question that has not
vet been answered. But, however this may
be, it is certain that they managed some
how or other to get along much better than
they had done on the torrid shores of their
native isles.
At that time Father Felix Varello was the
pastor of the Church of the TranSfigura-
ton in this city, where many of these inn
migrants attended mass. They were also
frequently at the services in st. Peters
church. Barclay street, where also their
presence was not simply tolerated but well
coined. They were treated by their white
brethren with the same christian charity
and fellowship which the latter practiced
among themselves; and as for Father Var
clio. he always showed much loving anxiety
and the utmost devotion as well for the
temporal as the spiritual needs of his dusky
flock.
But 1t was not alone at the Church of the
TRANSPORTATION and at st. Peters that such
forces were at work.
Father Lafont, French priest, the
founder of the French church of st. Vim
cent de Paul, in Canal street, was giving
special attention to the French colored peo-
pie from the French West Indian islands.
This is the same Father Lafont whom
Father Aubril succeeded in the management
of two distinct beneficial societies, one for
colored men, under the patronage of st.
Francis Xavier, and the other for colored
women under the patronage of st. Ann.
These organizations still exist in this
city, and are the means of accomplishing
no small amount of solid good among the
colored inhabitants, non-Catholics as well as
Catholics.
Their object is the moral, intellectual and
industrial improvement of the colored peo-
pie The establishment of these institutions
and others that followed soon after formed,
without doubt, the nucleus Of st. Benedict
the Moor.
The Very Rev. T. S. Preston, v. G. Chan
cellor of the Archdiocese, when attached to
St. Patricks church in Mott street, having
the direction of the Sisters of Mercy of
Houston street, organized in their beautiful
chapel sodality for colored people. which
numbered between $50 and 200 members.
He afterwards became pastor of st. AIMS
church in Eighth street; but he did not
abandon his soicitude for the colored peo-
pie On the contrary, his zeal for their
welfare received fresh impetus, and he
encouraged the Catholic Sunday school
union to inaugurate a Sunday school for
them in the parochIal school building on
Fourth avenue About sixty members
Sunday school and at mass in st. AIMS
church, until the removal of the church to
a greater distance from their neighbOrhood
caused great diminution in their regular
attendance Meanwhile the work in their
behalf had not been intermitted at the Con
vent of Mercy in Houston street, where
several priests continued to give great care
to the colored sodality. Father Duranquet,
5. j., had also been known by the colored
people as devoted to them. By untiring
efforts he had started Sunday school for
them in the basement of the Church
of St. Vincent de Paul, in Canal street, in
1862 For the greater convenience of the
colored people he transferable to the apart
ments of Mr.. Morris, the well-known col
ored caterer in Thompson street, and when
the number of members was too large for this
place Father Duranquet hired hall, where
he constantly gave instruction to colored
Catholics.
But of all the clerical friends of the col
ored people, the foremost and most epthusi-
astic was the Rev. Thomas Farrell, the late
pastor of st. Joseph's church in Sixth av-
enue, who never ceased advocating their
rights and using all his influence to advance
their temporal and spiritual welfare. He
and his devoted friend Rev. S. Malone,
pastor of St. Peter and Pauls, Brooklyn. e.
D., made trip through the Southeastern
States to study the condition and needs of
the colored population in their own homes,
and both came back with an earnest, ardent
desire that could not be quenched for the
promotion of their intellectual and moral
development The clear marks of this
earnest sympathy with them are to be seen
in the provisions of his lastwill and tesla
ment, in which he expresses his hearty de-
testation of every form of slavery and be-
queathed five 81, 900 Alabama State bonds
for the erection or purchase of a Catholic
church for the coiored people of this city.
After his decease the Rev. r. l. BurtseN
d. D., pastor of the Church of the Epi-
phany, recognized as an ardent sympathizer
with the colored people, aided by his frien d
Rev Dr. Edward McGlynn, the then pas
tor of st. Stephens, took active steps to
realize the noble project towards which
Father Farrell had given such practical en-
couragement
In October, 1858, the church edifice, now
known as st. Benedict the Moor, was pur-
chased for $4,000. The beautiful altar and
organ which are to be seen in the church are
the gifts of Mrs. Jose de Navarro, lady
reputed for her benevolence and hberality
TO the cause of religion.
On Nov. IS of the same year the church
was dedicated by the Bishop of Trenton.
On that occasion the audience was enter
tanned with a sermon on the unity of the
Catholic church, and DR.. McGlynn poured
out his eloquence in an exposition of her
doctrines. Contributions amounting to
many thousand dollars flowed in from all
Al