The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-09-10

st. Peters Catholic Church. at Oak
land, fine new stone structure, erect
ed by Contractors Bolden and F. Mer-
tens Sons, of Cumberland. after plans
prepared by Architect Thomas G..
Kennedy, of Baltimore, was dedica.
ted to the service of God by Right
Reverend Bishop Curtis, of Baltimore
last Sunday morning.
Excursion trains on the Baltimore
" Ohio railroad from Cumberland.
Md. and Clarksburg, w. Va, and on
the Cumberland & Pennsylvania
from Mt. Savage, brought large crowd
to witness the ceremony, which took
place in the morning. A solem high
mass was celebrated, with Rev. Thorn
as j. Stanton, of Homecoming. cele-
brant, assisted by Rev. John E. Wade.
of Baltimore, as deacon, and Rev.
Joseph Nolan, of Midland, as sub-dea-
con. The dedicatory sermon was de-
livered by Rev. T. Gibbons Smvth. of
Washington, d. G.
The new church building, erected
at a cost of 100000, is fine stone
structure, built in English Gothic
style. The building was started in
May, 1901, and was not completed un-
til February of this year. The new
structure was erected under the pas
tor of ST. Peters Church, Rev. James
E. Council, formerly of Cumberland,
one of the youngest priests in the
state. Father Cornell was born in
Pittsburg, Pa, but grew up in Cum
berland, where his mother, several
brothers and one sister still reside.
He was educated in the parochial
schools attached to st. Patrick's
Church, Cumberland; st Charles Col
lege, .Ellicott City, and st. Mary's
Seminary, Baltimore. He was ordain-
ed priest by Cardinal Gibbons at the
! Christmas ordinations of 1898. His
first appointment was as assistant
pastor at Newport, Charles county,
where he served about one year. when
Cardinal Gibbons, recognizing the
worth of the young priest, elevated
him to the pastor of st. Peters
Church, in January, 1900. In few
months after his appointment he
freed st. Peters Church of a debt of
nine hundred dollars and Immediately
began fund for the erection of the
present handsome edifce.
The first mass said in what is now
the town of Oakland was celebrated
by the late Rev. William d. Parsons
in 1S49, in the first building erected
| there, owned by Isaac McCartv, whose
guest Rev. Parsons happened to be on
camping trip. During the summer
of 1850 Rev. Michael Slattery. of
Frostburg, began to say mass, and
two years later the congregation was
sufficiently large to require church.
A small frame chapel, without steeple
or bell, was erected and dedicated.
under the patronage of st. Peter.
June 30, 1852, the Catholics being the
first denomination to build house of
worship in Oakland. The priests who
ministered to the parish wants were.
after Father Slattery, Rev. Richard
Brown, of Mt. Savage; Father Carney,
of Mt. Savage; Father O'Reilly. of
Frostburg; Fathers Eberhart. Weist
and Gerdeman, of the Redemptorist
Fathers, of Cumber land. Then came
the Carmelite Fathers, Lewis, Melon
aid and Elias Father d. G. DeWulf.
of Westernport, next had charge of
the parish, followed by Rev. jeremiah
O'Sullivan, assisted by Father J. l..
Andreis and William Mahoney. In
May, 1873, Rev. Joseph A. Gallen as
sumed charge, having beeen appoint
ed the first resident pastor. He was
followed by Rev. Joseph NJ. Truesch-
Ter, Rev. Casper Schmitt, Rev. Ro-
manus Mattingly, Rev. Francis A
Wunnenberg and the latter by the
present pastor, Rev. Jas. E. Council.
The new statues for the church. of
st. Joseph and the Virgin Mary,
were blessed about two weeks ago by
Father Kenny, of Baltimore. These
statues are the work of the celebrated
French artist Completre, who design.
ed and executed them. The Blessed
Virgin statue is an exact copy of thu
celebrated painting, Immaculate Con-
ception, by Murillo.
A class of sixty children were con-
tirmed by the Bishop, the scene being
most impressive.