The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-15
RECORDS OF A CENTURY AGO.
SHOW THE EARLY HISTORY OF
CATHOLIC CHURCH IN GEORGIA.


Light Upon list. Johns the Name
of the Early Church at Savannah.
It's Membership Was Largely Com
posed of French Refugees From
san DOminGO-One Missionary
Priest at savannah Had Charge of
the Entire Stnte-The First Chris
tIan Baptism in America Took
Place Near Macon.
In looking over the old records of the
| Catholic Church, which were saved at the
time of the destruction of 40 Cathedral
in the spring of 1898, Vicar General Kelly
| discovered a rare old volume, containing
what is probably the earliest records of
the Catholic Church in Georgia The Old
book contains the records Of baptisms,
burials and marriages from November.
1886 TO May, 1916.
Georgia was at that time missionary
district and the priest in charge at Sa-
vannah travelled throughout the limits
of the then almost unsettled state, attend
ing to the wants of a much scattered con-
gregatlon. Apparently there was but one
priest in the state at that time, as upon
the same page appears records of ceremo-
MES performing in widely separate coun-
ties. The names of the cities of Savannah
and Augusta and of Wilkes and Warren
counties appear most frequently in the
record.
Father Lemercier was the priest in
charge. AS his name indicates, he was
a Frenehman, and a good part of the
records are written in the French Ian
regular of the congregation of France and
missionary of Georgia" The name of
the church at Savannah is not given in
the earlier years of the record, but that
a church existed here is shown, and later
on 1t is mentioned as St. Johns Church.
In the later years of the record Father
Lemercier signs himself as of the Church
of st. John the Baptist, though this may
have been the church of that name in
Charleston, with which he seems to have
also been connected in the later years of
his ministry.
At that time the Catholic congregation
of Savannah consisted chiefly of the San
DOMINICAN refugees who fed to Savannah
towards the latter part of the eighteenth
century at the time of the instruction OF
the slaves under lie Touissaint, who drove
the French settlers from the island while
Napoleon was conquering Europe. There
as the names upon the headstones in the
southwest corner of the old cemetery
which was set apart to the Catholics
shows. The great majority of the French
names mentioned In these old records have
dong since passed out of the memory of
Savannah's oldest inhabitant, but there
are some which are still known in the
city and the state. Among the number
are Thomasson, Blois, Rossignol and De
Boifeuillet. Another name which appears
very frequently in the record is that of
Semmes.
1t would not be difficult to extract a ro-
nance from this old volume. On one of
the early pages is recorded the mar
riage at Augusta by Father Lemercier
of Thomas Luckett and Elizabeth
Semmes, a dispensation for the purpose
having been obtained from the Bishop of
Baltimore, the parties being of the sec
ond degree of consanguinity, and il is fur
Their stated in the record that they had
already been married by a magistrate. Re
sorts TO the magistrate, where parental
and religious obstacles interpose, is evil
IDENTIFY no new thing in Georgia.
Thereafter the names of I.uckett and
Semmes appear frequently among the rec
ords of births deaths and marriages.
many of their slaves children having been
among those baptized by Father L.emer-
cier, who seems to have been a frequent
visitor to their home in Warren county,
4AiSiS - now d nuIlftOuS family OF Lock-
etts in that portion of the state who may
have descended from this worthy coupIe
The present Catholic school and orphan
age at Sharon on The Georgia Railroad is
located not many miles from Locust Grove
in Warren county, where Father Kelley
states the Catholics established their
first church In Georgia These were set lers
from the eastern shore of Maryland who
removed to Georgia shortly after the revo-
lutlonary war and located in the upper
portion of the state.
The first Christian baptism in America
TOOK place at about the site of Macon.
Ga, In 1904" said Father Kelly recalling
an Incidental Renaissance. This may
seem strange statement, but 1t is true.
Accompanying the expedition of fernando
de Soto, who made his memorable tour
| of discovery through this portion of Amer
lca' was dominican priest and the re-
| cords show that two Indians We're baptized
| by him i'm this portion of the country
FROM the description given am satisfied
| that the baptism occurred at about where
the city of Macon now stands"
There are a number of old Savannah
names among Father Lemerciers records.
| Inc marriage of Joseph Clay and Joanna
| Maria Picquot DeboifeuIlet is recorded
| TO have taken place on April 30, 1888
| Among the signatures to the record are
those of several members of the Clay and
| Debolfeuiilet families and also those of
oOhh AAdbcASudil anu ROBERT Watkins.
In 1902 Father Lemerciers place was
! taken for time by Rev. Felix Mccarthy.
I who signs himself as rector of st. Johns
| Church" His ministrations do not appear
| to have been entirely satisfactory as II
| is recorded on the pages of the record by
| Francis Roma that on Feb. g. 1903. at the
| request of a large number of the congre-
| cation, he, as a trustee of the church.
| called upon Rev Oliver Lemercier. form
| eriy rector of this church. and lately re-
| turned to this place. for the purpose of
performing divine service" The KEYS of
the church could not be found so an en-
| try was effected through the window. and
| after the vestments and church ornaments
| had been collected, service was held. The
| record seems to have been made for the
| purpose of clearing Rev Lemercier of anv
| charge which might be brought against
| him in connection with the affair. The
names of John Dillon and Thomas De-
| chenaur are mentioned as witnesses. ana