The San Francisco call., 1909-03-08
FATHER CARAHFR'S
WAR AGAINST VICE
How the Militant Priest Waged
His Battles in Historic
Parish

St Francis parish of the Catholic
church has under consideration plans
for rebuilding the handsome edifce at
gomery avenue or of constructing an
entirely new building. The rapid
growth in the membership Of st. Fran
els church at North beach since the
first of the year has shown the i'm
perative necessity for the new building.
No definite plans for raising funds or
other details have yet been formu-
lated, but when the work is finally
undertaken it will be to put up a
church on larger scale than hereto
fore.
Linked with the history of st. Fran.
els church and parish are the earliest
traditions OF the old San Francisco.
1t was the first Catholic church regu-
larly established in San Francisco, the
charge being given to Rev Father An
toniVs Langlois from the original
Mission Dolores. At that time, in the
year 1S49. when the gold boom was at
its height, what is now known as the
North beach and Barbary coast was
then the city Of San Francisco proper,
and the Mission Dolores, now located
at Sixteenth and Mission streets, was
some distance in the country.
THE PRIEST MILITANT
And just as much vital part Of the
life of st. Francis church as is the par
ish an essential feature of the history
of San Francisco is one mantle finest
type Of the priest militant-Rev Father
rrsre
Gated for the cloth at All Hallows col
lege, Dublin, and adopted for the arch
diocese of San Francisco by Archbishop
Alemany upon his graduation in 1873,
Terence Caraher was destined to take
an important part in the affairs OF the
City of the Golden Gate. For the same
trick of fate that flung him over seas
and across continent placed him, at
the very. outset of his career, in the
midst of the most turbulent parish in
the new land of strife.
Then, rs today, where St Francis
church stands like a ray Of hope in the
very vortex of the whirlpool of vice,
shame and despair, the Barbary Coast
district was-what It is. Father Cara
her grappled with the situation and
for more than two decades fought
never a losing fight against all the
allied hosts of intrenched Haunting sin
and corruption. In this battle of years
he has met and conquered municipal
bossism and graft, corrupt men on the
bench and of the bar, all welded by
the common cause of greed. But 1T
was dollars against humanity, carrion
traffic against mems souls Father
Caraher never fiinched in the face of
the foul enemy, and at the same time
held out his helping hand to the pitt
full victims of the unholy barter And
now they say of him that he is the
most beloved and the most feared
priest in San Francisco.
FIRST IN SAN RAFAEL.
Father Caraher's first parish work in
California was in the mission at San
Rafael. where he was sent when he
came TO the United States from Ireland
in 1873. Within nine months he was
transferred to San Francisco and made
assistant priest of st. Francis parish
under Father Harrington, then in
charge. He served u years in the
parish and was then given charge of
the Mission San Jose, across the bay.
Here he built up one of the most power
full country parishes in California.
In 1896 the country priest, Father
Caraher, was called in as one of the
lecturers in the answer OF the church
to the charges of the American Pro-
tective association. 1t was as result
Of his brilliant presentation of the sub
ject that great public clamor arose
in San Francisco TO have the able priest
removed from obscurity In the coun-
try.
50 he was brought to San Francisco
and made head of that parish. which
IS years previously he had served so
well and so faithfully. He had not
been in charge of st. Francis parish a
year before he threw down the ga ge
of battle to the hosts of vice.
FIGHT AGAINST ~NYMPHIA,
One of the most notorious of the
unspeakable dens Of vice on the Rar-
barry coast was known as the ..Nym
phla- 1t was the worst of almost
incQnceivably low kennels of infamy.
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