Evening journal., 1897-12-02
FOR A BIG CATHEDRAL
Bishop Monaghan Looking for
a Site on Which to Build.
HISTORY OF OLD ST. PETERS
THE DESIRED LOCATION is IN
THE VICINITY OF TENTH AND
BROOME CIR FRANKLIN STREETS
FUND MAY BE STARTED FOR
THE ENTERPRISE.


THE ENTERPRISE.
The Roman Catholics Of Wilmington
are greatly interested in the proposed |
movement which is soon to be inaugu-
rated by Bishop Monaghan and others |
of Catholic belief, for the building Of a |
large cathedral, which is to be a credit |
| to Wilmington, and which shall have |
no compeer south of New York.
Immediately after the conservation |
OF Bishop Monaghan. which took place |
in st. Peters Pro-Cathedral, on May |
10, he became dissatisfied, it is said |
with the present episcopal residence at
Sixth and West streets, owing to its
simplicity and barren appearance.
OLD ST. PETERS.
The old church was erected in the
year 1916 by Father Kenney, who
was pastor of st. Peters Church
at Coffee Run. A search Of the
Oldest records OF the church brings to
light the first baptism Of a Catholic in
a Wilmington church, but the most
diligent hunt failed to reveal the name.
The baptism was performed by Rev.
Father Etienne Faure, a French priest,
who was the pastor OF the church,
and who had been appointed as such
by Bishop John Carroll, OF Baltimore
who was at that time the officially
recognized head of the Roman CathO-
lies of the United States The registry
contains the names OF the sponsors,
however, and a great number of anti
Quarians have settled on the fact that
the babe christened by Father Faure
must have been of the great family Of
Garesche, who, together with' the Du-
Points, owned half OF Wilmington.
These names appear on the registry.
]. p. Garesche, Jean Garesche, Du
Rocher and NJ. V. NJ. Garesche. The
last named Garesche must have been
the god mother, or mother Of the
child as the signature Is that Of a
, woman, being very small and faint,
The other signatures are heavy and
masculine.
st. Peters Church, at that time, was
nothing more than plain stone struc-
: ture and It was the only Catholic
u church in Delaware On November a.
1897, a child Of the Dupont family was
l. baptized It's name was Marie Fran
= coise Jeanne Louisa Angelique Du-
Pont, daughter of Pierre Henry Du-
! Pont de Gault, of ST. Domingo. and
j. Marie Catherine Elizabeth DUPONT Or
y November, 1897 a marriage took place
i the first ever recorded in a church
Is book in Delaware. The church was re
y built in 1926 by Father Reilly anC
+ remained in its standing from tina
le date until the conservation Of Bishol
u Becker, Delaware's first Catholi
u bishop. When Bishop Becker wa
transferred to the see Of Savannah
Ca, he was succeeded by Bishop Cur
tbs, under whose rule the church un
Jy derwent extensive repairs, which mad
~ It the handsOmest of any church in tn
IS city.
ne Very few people Of this city knoV
81 that there is a graveyard, with his
as tory, attached to the old church, bu
IN which now forms a play ground 10
e the children attending st. Peters Pa
'r- rochial School The marble slabs GOV
er ering the dust Of those who have lai
OF beneath them for untold years., az
n greatly worn and the epitaphs II
re- scribed thereon are nearly efface'
-g- The slabs are about six feet in lengt
and four feet wide, and are firmly In
bedded in the earth. Underneath {
the large altar, in which the pries
ed officiate at mass, Is a vault containin
lal the bones OF the church's several pa
val tors, who were buried there aceordi1
In to their dying requests. Under the a
er. tar of the Blessed Virgin, on the Ia
nall street side, Is another vault
D. which sleep three persons by the nan
he OF Murphy, natives OF Ireland.
ng When Bishop Curtis assumed chari
an OF this diocese II will be recalled he r
be quested all OF the Catholic families
Wilmington having Teatiyes or frien
buried in the Cathedral Cemeter
adjoining the Wilmington and Brand
est wine Cemetery, to remove the bodi
,er- at his expense, TO the Cathedral Gem
ars terry, on Lancaster avenue. The I
len quest was compiled with by sever
obedient Catholics. He also order
that the few bodies in the graveya
attached to the Cathedral, be remov
likewise. but the order was aftC
-. ward withdrawn when the extreme a
- and the possible finding OF a few cru
~ ~ bled bones was considered, so the
'''ie that lie in the consecrated ground "
remain there until the day of reckc
- ing.
BISHOP MONAGHAN'S AMBITIO
ans Since Bishop Monaghan has been
be charge, nothing new has been done
,,,rf the church, and the moveme
fol- will end in the old cathedral with
Ben history being forseken for a cathed
rcd which will be a pride to the city a
ike. state.
lngs Bishop Monaghan has gone over 81
ing- eral sites in Wilmington which wOl
ront be suitable for a cathedral. He desi
to locate the cathedral in the nor
bee western section of the city, probal
sets. around or near Tenth or Eleventh a
Franklin or BroOme streets There
several available lots in that vicin
any of which could be purchased
GIG those interested in the moveme
ana ana When the bishops name was sent
that Rome, together with the three v
mington priests, to be selected as
,oS ClS one to succeed Bishop Curtis, tn
run were no names which received m
rect: notice from the propaganda, which
~ esl the selection of the bishops, than Z
t. is Of the present bishop. His w
rect among the poor classes of Charlest
,,, S. c., in which city he labored, '
rect highly meritorious and was given
JEFF consideration He built churches c