Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-04
OLD ST. MATTHEW'S CHURCH.
Capitol Hill and Holy Trinity in George
town.
Ceremonies at Corner Stone Laying.


town.
Ceremonies at Corner Stone Laying.
On the day of the corner stone laying
the procession started from the mother
church-St. Patricks. The city was bright
with flags. flowers and banners, and the
Marine Band played at the head of the
line. The sermon was preached by Rev.
DR.. Ryder. ST., president of Georgetown
College.
A writer of the time says that all three
of these early events, the corner stone
laying. dedication and conservation, were
attended by the elite of the city"
Rev. John z. Done'an was the founder
of ST. Matthew's Church. He bought the
land from w. S. Nichols and according
TO veracious chronicler of Washington's
early days, James Croggon, he paid IS
fps a foot for it-that is. IS cents.
Father Donelan's parish boundaries
were made up of magnificent distances,
a phrase in frequent use then in describ-
ing the whole city. They extended west
as far as Rock creek and almost any
where north. Thirteenth street was the
eastern limit, as it is yet, and the river
made the southern one. st. Stephens
Church. on the west, and ST. Paurs, on
the north are direct offshoots OF old. ST.
Matthew'S.
Father James Donelan succeeded his
brother as pastor. In later years follow
ed Father Byrne, Rev. Charles l. White
ID: Rev Francis f. Boyle. an 60
quent preacher, and widely known among
public men: Rev. P. L. Chappelle. ID,
afterward made bishop and archbishop,
and who died of yellow fever after his
ministrations to other victims in the last
epidemic in New Orleans, and Father
Thomas S. Lee, the present pastor, last
year raised to the dignity of monsignor
by Pope Plus X.
The golden jubilee of old St Matthew'S
was celebrated September 21. 1890. with
great splendor and pomp. Cardinal Glib
bons officiated at the pontificial high mass
and Rev J. Ravens Richards. 81, presi-
dent Of Georgetown College, preached the
sermon.
One Survivor Still Lives.
Two members of the or ginal congrega-
ton were present at the jubilee services
William Keefe, since dead, who was an
altar boy at the dedication, and Mrs. Cal
Ian, who. as the widow of Nicholas Cal
Ian. one of the best known citizens in his
day, whose home was on + street near
18th street, still survives. She celebrated
last July her ninetietE birthday and is
not only in possession of all her faculties
but presents an ideal picture of serene
and beautiful old age
She recounts with much delightful
charm the events of her young life and
of her visit to Rome about ten years ago
when she was received by Pope Leo and
given many attentions by officials of the
Vatican. Mrs. Callan, whose home is
with her son. DR. Callan. at 1916 NJ street,
is able to attend services occasionally at
St Matthew S. in the affairs of which she
is keenly interested.
Since the new church on Rhode Island
avenue has been in use the old one was
practically abandoned as q place of wor-
ship, although mass was said there from
September to May every Sunday morning
Those in attendance have rarely exceeded
twenty and more frequently not half
or a third of this number AS most of
the congregation now attending the new
church live to the north or west Of its
neighborhood, those interested i'm the con-
tinuance of worship in the old edifice were
only few whose homes are almost in it's
shadow, and who were baptized in it's
font, and whose earliest recollections are
bound up in the memories it evOkes or
else total strangers to the place and city,
and staying in the hotels nearby
The marble affairs. the pulpit and pews
from the old church are in the new one,
and will continue in use there till it's con-
struction and ornamentation are COM
pleted. The steeple was pulled down a
few years ago because it was considered
unsafe in the possible rott;ng away of its
supports.
''Steeple jack did the work and at
tracted much attention while he unfas-
tened and started downward the gold
cross which surmounted the top. The big
bell was also successfully removed from
the belfry where it had been for nearly
half a century.
HELENA MCCARTHY.