Evening star., 1919-03-26
TRACES PROGRESS
OF CATHOLICS HERE
Virginia King Frye Reads
Paper at Meeting of Column
bia Historical Society.

"st. Patrick's, the First Church
of the Federal City, paper on the
growth of the Catholic religion in
this city was read by Virginia King
Frye. at meeting of the Columbia
Historical Society, in the gold room
of the Shoreham Hotel last night.
She read Of the days of 1774, when
Washington was wilderness, and
the Catholics on account of the Bit
ter feeling against them at that
time Were compelled to worship in
their own houses.
In 1776 the ban was removed, she
said, and Queens Chapel and Capitol
Hill Chapel sprang up. In 1894. $500
was paid for a plot of ground on
what is now f street between 9Th
and 10th streets.
Small Building Erected.
On account of the poverty of the
parish a long delay was experienced
in the building of a church. small
structure was erected, however, and
it became the first real Catholic
church in this city. In 1906 the
church proper was completed and
the first organ in Washington was
installed. -..> -
She read minutely of the history of
Washington up to this time, of the
discouragements of the early settlers
and the seeming imposeibilny Of ever
making anything worth while out OF
the plot of ground that had been
chosen for the capital of the nation.
the people in Georgetown and those on
Capitol Hill as to which end of the
city should receive the most build
ings.
Days of Terror in 1914.
The reader told of the terror. in
Washington in 1914. when it was
ransacked by the British. and of the
! conditions of the streets. which were
mere mudholes. She said that Penn
! sylvania avenue at times was .nayi-
| gable by fiat boats. She also spoke of
! the early horse cars and the trouble
experienced with them, and added
| that history repeats itself.
| In 1872 the present church corner
stone was laid she said, and after in
| Vulnerable delays, in which the
| church was forced to sell all its
and pocketbooks were strained to the
| utmost. the first service was held in
the new church in 1884.
SPEAKS or Early Pastors.
| She gave credit to Father Caffry,
the first pastor Of the old church. and
said that it was his untiring zeal
which kept the project alive.
| Father William Matthews was the
second pastor and was equally earnest
! in his efforts to benefit the Catholic
religion. She said that he had q fine
garden near the church and quoted to
his congregation the best prices on
! foodstuffs. which he sold in large
quantities. His chief worry, she said.
! was that a COW or chicken would get
| into his garden. and the first question
asked any one visiting him was. Did
, you close the garden gate?'
F., In 1854, despite the fact that the
! congregation had sent him abroad
| for his health a short time before, the
beloved Father Matthews died. Father
O'Toole becoming the third pastor Of
| the church. Reference also was made
| to the present magnificent church and
! to the beautiful spirit that had made
| it possible.
Discussion Of the paper by the So
ciety followed and new facts brought
| to light about the church and its as
sociattons.
New Members Enrolled.
New members admitted to the So
| ciety were: Jesse c, Adkins. Evans
Browne. Joseph A. Burkart. Dr.. Will
lam X. Butler. Mrs. Thomas H. Car
ter. William G. Carter. Myer Cohen,
| Edward r. Colladay. Daniel e. Ed
| wards. Edward Fl. Eeverett. Edgar T.
Gadds. Joseph d. Kaufman. Martin
A. Knapp, breckenridge Long. James
A. Measer, Charles Moore. Frank b.