The San Francisco call., 1909-05-24
SOUTH OF MARKET
DISTRICT RECEIVERS
Father John Rogers of ST. Pat=
rick's Parish Wins Praise for
Efforts in Behalf of Section
First to Return TO Fire Swept
Territory and Open Church in
in Old Election Booth


When the old residence district south
of Market street is gain thickly popu-
lated. its broad ways and inner thor
oughfares again Ranked with thousands
OF cottage and fats. the chronicler OF
that achievement in pointing out how
and under what Influences this home
coming was effected viii turn with par
ticular emphasis to the work of Father
John Rogers pastor OF st. Patricks
church
The district bounded by Market and
Harrison. First and Seventh streets.
represents the parish over which Father
Rogers presides. 1t is the smallest
acreage OF any parish in the city. yet at
one time there were no less than 25.o00
Catholics living within it. and in April.
1906, there were more than 10, 600 COM
municants.
The IRE swept the district and every
body left, but no sooner had the bricks
cooled than the priest was back in the
district. housed in q little shack. an old
election booth that he had moved TO a
lot on the corner Of Fifth and Clemen-
ina streets.
BEGINNTNG OF NEW CHURCH
That was the beginning OF the new
ST. Pstrscks :. Daily the priest was
found radiating from this rude home
through the stricken district. giving
comfort TO whomsoever chanced TO
wander through the ruins The priest
spent his nights at the house of Father
Brady. pastor OF St. Johns church, but
the morning found him again in the i'm
prOVised chapel.
Later a larger structure with a bed
room and two parlors was built on the
same site and Father Kevany was ap
pointed as a curate 10 assist Father
Rogers.
Hotels Of a temporary character We're
being rapidly built in the district to
house the thousands of mechanics and
sborers who f1ocked TO the city. These
men We're looked after, so far as their
spiritual welfare was concerned, and
often their physical comfort, by the two
priests.
other work was also TO be done. The
supervisors had announced their inten-
tion Of extending the fire limits
throughout the south Of Market district.
Virtually the passing Of the order
meant the complete elimination of
home class south OF Market street. for
the property was held in small pieces
and the owners were not so financially
fixed to build OF brick.
OBJECTIONABLE BILL KILLED
Father Rogers saw the iniquity of the
bill and with Father p. z. Mulligan,
pastor of st Joseph's church, led a pro-
cession Of tbout {. 600 property holders in
the district to Mowry hall, where the
supervisors were meeting. and pro-
tested The extension was never made.
T.. 1araf1
in The parish. Money was received from
the insurance companies for damage
done 20 the church. the school and other
property.
with this money the. reconstruction
OF ST Patricks church was begun. The
side walls and the north wall were
found TO be firm. The front of the
church. however. had been demolished
nv the falling towers. The old church
was reopened on May IS, 1907, little
more than a year after the fire.
Since then a school has been built at
Fifth and Clementina streets. The
school is conducted by the Sisters of
Charity and has an enrolment of more
than 400 pupils A presbytery, COM
mOdiOus and solid. has also been built
for the housing OF the clergy. Father
I.ooney was later assigned to the
church
Today there are six masses said every
SUNDAY morning and the services are
we'll attended.
The Jesuits gave q, mission at st.
Patrick's recently. One OF the priests
rena rl1ed the large number Of men at
tending This is 4 peculiar condition in
ST. Patricks. The communicates are
almost entirely single men, mechanics,
laborers living in the large number OF
hotels in the district.
MANY CATHOLICS IN PARISH
There are about 5000 Catholics now
in the parish" Father Rogers said yes
terday. There are about geo families.
This is. Of course, far from the LOO
families we had in the parish before the
IRE and the 5 900 parishioners who at
tended service every Sunday But the
parish is growing all the time.
The great drawback to the district
is the presence Of large number Of
sta bles and junk yards" Father Rogers
said. The junk yards are unslghtiy
and the stables are intolersble- There
are four and FIVE stables on single
block At Ieast a dozen OF them are
existing in open and fragrant violation
Of the law.
I'm fact. hold the board of health
principally responsible for the slowness
~ the growth OF the south of Market
district It has one set OF rules Tor
ror+b OF Market street and another for
so,+b The order compelling the in
4 aiIation OF concrete floors in stables
i vt1idlv enforced north Of Market
streef but no attention is paid to it
south The result is that nobody wants
IA build. for il would be Impossible TO
..-o-+s A, Srch a neigh bOrhOOd."