The times., 1901-05-26
ST. PETERS CHURCH
Memories of the Old House of
Worship and Its Pastors.
Incidents Recalled by Work on
the Handsome Presbytery-0ne of
the Priests Met Death by Sleep
ing in a Room Freshly Painted.


The erection of a new and splendid
parsonage in connection with ST. Peters
Church, on Capitol Hill, recalls some in
| teresting facts in the history of that
pioneer Catholic parish of East Washing
| ton.
st. Peters parish was the first offspring
of st. Patrick's because until st. Peters
parish was created st. Patricks Church
| included all the Catholics of Washington
| and the country Immediately contiguous.
| On Sunday mornings in those days per-
sons came into the city from distances
as far as Bladensburg and even farther
| for the purpose of attending mass in old
| St.Patrick's. The contributors to the build
| ing of st. Peters, too, were members of st.
| Patrick's congregation, headed by the
| pastor. the Very Rev. William Matthews
| II is related of that estima bic man that
| he had a barrel full of sermons in manu-
| script which he read successfully to his
congregation. and that after reading each
| sermon he laid it in another barrel and
| thus filed up the other barrel with the
sermons. Then, when this second barrel
| was filled. he would turn it upside down
and, commencing with the top sermon,
read them in reverse order all over again
| Several of his old parishioners, who
listened for many years to Father Mat
| thews' sermons say that they could tell
| In advance what sermon he was going to
| read
On May 10, 1920, active steps were taken
| to secure the erection of a Catholic par
| ish church east of the Capitol, and to
| this end the following were appointed a
| committee to receive subscriptions for
| this object: Very Rev William Matthe VS.,
| Daniel Carroll of Duddlngton, William
! Brent, James Hoban. Nicholas i. Queen,
| James Peter Callan. Edward Mattingly,
James Spratt. and James David Bany.
| Daniel Carroll of Duddington donated
| the three lots on which the church was
erected. The three other lots upon which
| the new pastoral residence is being erect
ed. and upon which the old one stood for
over seventy years, were purchased
! some time afterward. Before st. Peters
| Church was opened for divine worship the
| Catholics living south of the Eastern
Branch suffered peculiar hardships. For
| them St Patricks Church, at the corner
of Tenth and f Streets northwest, was
| a long distance off. To reach there they
| had to go from their homes by way of
| the Old Burnt Bridge" at the foot OF
| Pennsylvania Avenue east. as the Navy
Yard or Eleventh Street Bridge was not
| built until the year in which st. Peters
| Church was erected.
The Most Rev. Ambrose Marechal the
| third Archbishop of Baltimore, who had
succeeded Archbishop Neale, in 1917, ap-
| pointed the Rev. James f. NJ Lucas the
first pastor of st. Peters Church, and on
| Scpte nber g, 1921. the latter came to
Washington and took charge of his new
| flock.
| Old St Peters Church was plain
| building. making no attempt at display
| either in its material or architecture. 1t
was constructed of red brick and had
| shinele roof The facade was what IS
| called rough cast" or finished with
| coat of cement and pebbles. A straight
| stairway led from the street to the door,
| which was in the centre of the facade
The immediate surroundings have under
/ gone complete change during the course
| of time. The grade of both Second and Z
| Streets, at the intersection of which the
| church is situated, has been lowered, and
the lot north of the church, which was
| for a long time a graveyard, has been cut
| down.
| The first pastor of st. Peters lodged
and boarded at the house of Samuel P.
Lowe. on the east side OF New Jersey
Avenue, between L and NJ Streets South.
! In December, 1892, the pastoral residence
| was moved to the southeast corner Of
Second and D Streets southeast, on the
site where Providence Hospital now
stands. and, while living here, the priest
| instructed children in secular as well as
religious studies.
| uated on the lot north of the church.
This little abode was of brick and con-
| tanned on the first floor only two small
| rooms, to which was attached a small
| wooden kitchen. The second story con-
sisted of a small garret room or loft. The
! rafters and floor joists Of this building
| were built into the walls of the church.
| The original memberg of St. Peters
parish We're William Brent and sons, II.
j. and J. Carroll Brent Mr.. and Mrs
| Thomas Bayne, James BOisseau, Mrs.
Rebecca Bright, Daniel Carroll, OF Dud-
dington; the Misses Carroll, Patrick and
Dennis Callaghan. James Carberry, Nicho-
las Cassidy Mrs. Sarah Clements, VIII
patrick. James Hanna, and daughter,
| Mrs. Ann e. DoOley. and many other
prominent people. Only one of these
| James r. BOisseau, is now living.
1t is related In connection with st.
Peters old presbytery that when the Rev.
| Matthew z. Dedgle came 10 the church
in 1925 as Father Lucas first assistant
| pastor. he always slept in the little
second-stofy room or loft. on his be-
coming pastor he still occupied these cir
! cumscribed quarters. The room was
painted on one occasion, and the priest
slept in it before the paint was dry. Be
ing delicate man, he took what is called
morning October q, 1881. He was buried
under the sanctuary of old st. Peter s.
and the corpse was found to be In state
of perfect preservation when eXhumed
eight years afterward to be reinterred in
the yard north of the chdrch-
| The parochial school building of St
| Peters parish was erected in 1867, by the
Rev. f. +. Boyle. one of the most force
| full preachers and most popular men ever
known in Washington.
| The new pastoral residence viii be a
| beautiful structure of white marble, three
| stories in height, with basement The
| frontage Will be fcrty-siX feet. and the
elevation will be imposing on one side
of the entrance to the basement. which
| is well above ground. there viii be a large
! room for musical purposes and choir re-
| hearSals; or the other meeting room
for parish societies. In the rear will be
| kitchen, laundry, pantrtes, coal vaults
| and storerooms. The main floor is
| reached by ten steps, tiled and marble
! WainScoted Vestibule and broad hall on
the north side WIN be three parlors: on
| the south side the pastors public Office
ant three private offices, one each for
pastor and his two assistants; in the
euce rooms. on the second floor. north
side, will be three guest chambers; on the
| south side pastor study and sleeping
| apartment with library and toilet rooms.
| On the third floor are sleeping apart
! ments for the assistant pastors with
| each suite. In the rear on this and the
second floor are accommodations for the
| servants.
The front of the building will be of
white marble, and Fl the interior ap-
| pointments will be of the most modern
type, to correspond with the exterior,
with gas and electric lights, both being
| y1Sed The 6uiShiugrS will he OF hard