Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-11-16
THE OLD MOUNTAIN CHURCH

The old Mountain Church, the centenary
Of which will open on November 10TH
stands on bold prominence of the Catoctn
spur of the Blue Ridge in the district OF
Emmitsburg, Frederick county, Maryland
Father John Dubois, a young French
Priest had arrived in the United States by
way of Norfolk in 1871 He brought letters
from Lafayette to the Monroe's, Randolphs,
Lees, Beverley's, etc, and won them all i'm
mediately by his graceful manner as we'll as
by his learning, so much so that he was al
lowed to say Mass in the Capitol at Rich
mond for the few Catholics that he found in
that city; and was 80 intimate with Patrick
Henry that the renowned orator used to
give him lessons in English. Meanwhile
he supported himself by teaching French.
Soon however he was able to do mission
work and settling at Frederick, Nd, evan
gelized Western Maryland and Virginia, he
Father Badin and Prince Gallitzen being al
most the only priests between Baltimore
and St. Louis. He used to visit Emmits-
burg once month saying Mass in the vii
lage and at the houses of the Elder families
at Hayand and Pleasant Level, where he
also opened about 1905 parish school in
log building, that still stands, and where he
himself then lived Having decided to build
a Church on what the original Catholic set
tiers had in 1928 called bt. Mary's Mount,
he assembled his people on the 10Th OF No
vember, one hundred years ago and having
listened to their good -natured objections to
the project of erecting the parish Church on
the uttermost bound of the parish, and on
what was then most inaccessible height in
in the depths of the forest he spoke with
his usual ardor, showing how glorious the
site was, and how agreeable it was to the
traditions of the human race, as well - to
the Gospel, that Church should be ION
Mountain" Then swinging the AK he held
in hand, he struck the first blow into one of
the primeval trees, Thomas jenkins helping
him from the opposite side. At once the
woods resoundcd with chopping and in
couple of hours clearing was made for the
new edfice. A barbecue followed, an OK
and several sheep being roasted whole, and
the entire population of the district enjoyed
themselves that Indian Summer Day.
Things were conducted very simply for
few years, and even after the opening of
Mt. St. Mary's College on the comb below
the little church, Oct. 6, 1868; but when
Mother Seton, the holy and cultured found
ress of the Sisters of Charity, arrived in 1909
from Baltimore, she and her associates bra
we'd the waters of Toms Creek every Sun
day and with the aid Of piano, High Mass
and Vespers were sung as regularly as pos
sble.
The cares of the infant college were sure
ly enough for one man. no matter how clev-
or and panstaking, but Father Dubois had
in addition the charge of the village church
as we'll as of vast territory stretching to
all the points of the compass, and the spirit
,lal direction as well OF the new Sisterhood
Father Dunhamel another of those Apostol-
ic French Missionaries, took Emmisburg in
1910, remaining pastor there until his death
in 1918 when he was succeeded by Father
Hickey, native of the place and pupil of
Father Dubois,
The latter had been visiting Mt st Ma.
rvs since 1894 and resided there from 1905
till he became Bishop of New York in 1927,
when his new stone college was completed
ind six priests taught within its walls and
administered also to the people along Ma
sons and Dixon's Line. Perhaps no one
hut soldier or a sheriff can properly apprc-
ciate the hardships and privations under
gone by those early priests of our country.
They were men in every best sense of the
word, and Father Dubois was man among
men anar andr0n as the Greeks have it.
Take these two facts of his life and judge.
By the most laborious exerton hy simplicity
of life and the strictest economy, he had
succeeded in erecting a three story stone
building, and his hundred pupils looked for
ward with boyish delight to their transfer
from the log house to the finest cditice their
Imagination had ever conceived Think of
the satisfaction of the Father of that little
community, as on that bright Pentecost
Sunday June 6, 1924 he gazed on the struct-
ure almost ready for occupancy and for
which he had not only collected monry, but
whose mortar was moistened with the sweat
ha Of N
hopes! That very night all were awakened
by cries of fire, and rushed out to see the
new college blazing. The fire had begun
in the roof, and to put it out was impossible
Father Dubois, the SHOWS of sixty winters
on his brow, armed himself with the sign of
the Gross, and while the faculty, neighbors,
seminarians, and boys gazed on him with
silent sympathy mingled with awe. recited
the words of job "The Lord gave and the
Lord hath taken away, Blessed be the name
of the Lord" And then quietly: there
were some defects in that building, which
I'll remedy in the next" George II. Miles
the mountain poet says of this; Come we
who 60 to Plutarch for your great sayings
or TO Roman history or to the American
savage, hear this servant of God though the
SHOWS of sixty winters are whitening his
head. Listen to those words. Compare
them even with the reply which had elected
Zachary Taylor President of the United
States, and they will not suffer by the con-
trast."
This great priest sheltered the young SO
ciety which Elizabeth Seton had founded out