Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-05-26

lie population. about $4,000, was ia
Maryland Tho first settlers that came
to Maryland aboard tho Ark and the
Dove, in 1884. and founded St. Mary's
near the mouth Of the Potomac, were
Catholics fleeing England for home Of
freedom. In l649 those Catholic colo
nists passed the federation act where
as the enforcing Of conscience 10 mat
ters of religion hath frequently fallen
out to be of dangerous consequence, and
the better to preserve mutual love aud
amity among the inhabitants of the prov
lnce, and no person protesting to be a
Christian shall be in any way molested
in respect of religion nor in the free ex-
ercisc thereof" II is the glory of Mary
land, never to be taken from her, that
of all the American colonies she was the
first to erect into law liberty of worship
among Christians Fifty years later,
lO9l, the Professionals came into possess
sion of the government of the colony,
withdrew the federation act, established
the Church Of England, discountcnance
other Protestant scots, and prosecuted
Catholics in the province, which they
had thrown open by their humane toler-
ance to those who now repaid them with
ingratitude However, at the time of
CAROLS return kinder sentiments we're
prevailing, active persecution had abated
the great Catholic power, France, no
longer menaced the frontiers Of the colo
MES, and tho church was no longer regard
cd as an imminent danger, the necessity of
uniting against England the common
foe smoothed down religious asperities,
swept away theological prejudices,
created spirit of mutual tolerance.
and produced little later the wise and
broad liberty in religion that is one of
the foundations of the American Union.
Such was the condition Of the Church
in the country when Carroll took up his
residence in Rock Creek, in the home
of his mother and younger sisters.
Before leaving England he had taken
faculties as secular priest from the
Vicar Apostolic of Lond on, who had
jurisdiction over the Catholics of the
thirteen colonies, The field of work
allotted to Father Carroll by the supe-
rior of the missionaries, representative
and VicarG General Of the Vicar A pos
tolic of London. had this spot for its
center, aud comprised the country round
about. At first room in the mansion
was used as chapel in which the few
Catholic settlers in the immediate vi
cinity gathered for Divine worship.
Soon after St johns Church was
erected half mile from tho residence -
just where we are standing. In 1874 it
was described by Col Bernard u. Camp
bell as ian humble franc building
about thirty feet square, which still re-
mains frai and lettering memorial Of
its sanity pastor and an evidence of the
humble condition of Catholics sixty
years ago" Two years after this des-
cription was written the original build
ing was removed to give place to a large
frame structure, the one you see before
you used at the present time by the
Catholics of Rock Creek. To-day
monument more fitting the memory of
Carroll and the growth of this parish is
begun to perpetuate in stone to future
centuries the glorious and tender re-
membranes that have cung TO los more
modest predecessors
Here there lived John Carroll here
ho offered the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass; here be preached the word of
God as eloquently to the farmers of his
parish as formerly to the refined and
cultured congregations Of Europe here
he sailed forth on long missionary trips
up and down the country, or on his dis
tant sick calls in heat of summer or cold
of winter, by day, by night; here be
received in 1874 from Rome his appoint
ment as Perfect Apostolic and superior
Of the American missions; here he gov.
erned the Church of America during
three years, until he took up his resi-
dence in Baltimore, 1886. OF his life
from this date will not speak, for the
place and occasion bid me conine my
self to his connection with Rock Creek
and its chapel. But before passing on
TO considerations Of more general ma
ture, let me salute the cradle Of the
American hierarchy--St Johns Chapel,
Rock Creek Here was planted the
mustard seed that has grown into n great
tree. The germ Of the episcopate was
the Prefectship Apostolic II was SOW
ed here and nursed here until il was
transplanted, and bloomed into Bish-
opric at Baltimore in the year 1889.
This country parish, this humble chapel,
far removed from the noise and glamour
Of great cities, has been the birthplace
of body which to-day is power and
glory Of the United States, the wonder
and envy Of the Catholic world the
American hierarchy. Not in Jerusalem,
but in Nazareth aud Bethlehem have
the great things Of God been done.
"And thou, Bethlehem, the land of
Juda, art not the least among the princes
Of Juda. for out OF thee shall come forth
the captain that shall rule my pcople--
Israel" If Baltimore is the Jerusalem,
the Holy City of the American Church,
Rock Creek Chapel is its Bethlehem.
Soon after the discovery Of A morica
the great European powers proceeded 10
carve it up into dependencies, ms they
are doing to-day in Africa. The south.
crn half Of the continent was SPANS.
What was the state Of tho northern A? At
the time Carroll was born, France en-
circlod the English colonies from tho
Atlantic in Northern Maine 10 the Gulf
Of Mexico at the mouth of the Missis-
sippi Quebec, Detroit, New Orleans
we're the three main links Of chain,
made up Of military forts and trading
posts along the lakes aud the great rivers.
The great waterways, natures own high
ways, were in the possession Of France,
and claiming as hers all the territory
watered by the continents Of the mighty
river which is the main artery Of this
continent, she laid one hand on the re-
gion to the west as far "a the Rocky
Az