The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-10-21

in Philadelphia. If the City of Phila-
delphia was in Maryland, why then
was not Catholic chapel built in
Catholic Maryland?
Catholics in Maryland were being OPP
pressed and did not have freedom of
religion or Mass. 1t was not until
1904, after several priests had been
arrested for saying Mass, that the
law was relaxed SO as to let Catholics
have Mass in private houses. That
was why the old Catholic manors
had private chapels: they were a tes-
timony to the intolerance which pre-
vailed against Catholics The city
Boundary Controversy, between Penn
sylvania and Maryland, continued uni
til May 10, 1892, when it was decided
that Philadelphia was in Pennsyl-
vania.
After the settlement of Pennsylvall-
ia, Jesuits were passing through Phil.
adelphia from Maryland to New York,
ministering to Catholics. New Jersey
got to excepting Papists" from toll
Grafton, and New York in 1900 made
it death for a priest to enter, and
Catholics could not have public Mass
in Maryland. That is how things stood
when the boundary line agreement was
signed declaring Philadelphia was in
Pennsylvania.
Just as soon as the boundary line
was accepted in England and confir-
o. Nf -
Jesuits jumped across the line from
Maryland and located upon the land
where st. Joseph's Church was built,
and where it still stands in Vikings
Alley. Rev. Joseph Creation from 1920
had been visiting the Catholics in Phil
adelphia and celebrating Mass in pri-
vate houses; and from 1929 FIR. Grea-
ton held religious services in the
house of John Dixon; and he, through
Mr.. Dixon, bought the plot of ground
back of Walnut ST., below Fourth St.
in Philadelphia and in due time erect
ed the little chapel" To erect this
little chapel even the Quakers of
Philadelphia contributed as did the
Catholics of Maryland. Gov Sharp
was told the Catholics of Maryland
were going and others intended to
remove to Philadelphia so they might
be free to worship according to their
belief"
Catholic Maryland
Strange this may seen, that the
Catholics of so-called Catholic Mary
land left that place to go to the only
place in all the provinces where Mass
was openly Philadelphia,
the shrine of Religious Freedom, where
Christian, Protestant or Catholic, yes,
even the Jew, had Religious Liberty,
in the Sanctuary of Penn the Quaker,
who loved not the Church of Rome,
because he knew her not"
When it was decided that Philadel-
phia was in Pennsylvania, Father
Creation knew he was in the American
Sanctuary" Nowhere else in Colon
ial America at the time would public
exercise Of the Catholic Religion be
permitted. To William Penn, founder
of Pennsylvania, is due all honor for
granting Religious Freedom. Catho-
lie, Protestant and Jew owe him
debt of gratitude.
The Hebrews have erected in Fair
mont Park, Philadelphia, monument,
commemorative Religious Freedom"
Philadelphia, the birthplace of our
Civil Liberty, Philadelphia the birth
place in America of absolutely Relig
ious Freedom, where every man could
worship as he saw the light.
The words of Father Creation
should never be forgotten:
I'VE are and by right ought to be
free and independent of laws debar-
ring or restricting in any way our
religious liberty" We claim the
right from William Penn