Evening star., 1944-03-12
St. Potrick's Parish to Mark
75Oth Year in Rites Friday

st. Patrick's parish this week will
celebrate the Sesqui- of
the establishment of the original
Roman Catholic church of down.
town Washington.
| Special services of commemora-
ton have been announced by the
Very Rev. Lawrence J. Shehan,
pastor of the congregation since
1941, for Friday, March IT, ira
ditional feast of the patron of Ire
land. The Most Rev Michael j.
Curley, archbishop of Baltimore
and Washington, will of1iciate at
solemn pontificial mass at 1890 am.
An anniversary sermon will be
preached by the Rev. Dr. Ignatius
Smith of Catholic University.
-Four generations of members of
the parish are expected to attend
The legend of the founding of
ISt. Patrick's centers around the
name of James Hoban, a native of
Ireland, who came to the north
bank of the Potomac as designer
and superintendent of the building
of the Presidents House" 1t is
believed that he persuaded his
friend, the Rev. Anthony Caffrey, to
move to Washington to minister to
the needs of his fellow-comtrymen
who were engaged in construction
of the new Federal city.
Bought Property in 1894.
Father Caffrey, Msgr. Shehan sup
poses, arrived Some time before
1884" but it was on April II of that
year that he purchased several lots
which form part of the present
church property. At first house
at the corner of Tenth and E streets
N. w. was used by the congregation.
BY about 1896, however, the original
church edifice was ready for oc-
cupancy. 1t was a small frame
structure on the north side of F
street between Ninth and Tenth.
Joined to it by an ambulatory was
a modest frame parochial residence
in which Father Caffrey made his
home until 1904, when he resigned
to return to Ireland.
His successor was the Rev. Will
liam Mathews, one of the most re-
markable religious leaders of his
generation. Born member of a
prominent Maryland family, he at
tended the English Jesuit College at
Liege in Belgium. When he COM
|pleted his studies in Baltimore he
was the first native priest to be or
dained in the United States.
Serving as professor at George
town College and during the period
of the Jesuit suppression as presi-
dent there, he also was Apostolic
Administrator of Philadelphia dur
ing vacancy in that see and is un-
derstood to have declined appoint
ment as Coadjutor Bishop.
With funds inherited from his
parents, Father Matthews bought
additional land in the vicinity of
the lots acquired by Father Caffrey.
Msgr. Shehan in an account of his
life writes: ut is said that he pur-
chased all that remained of the
whole block bounded by Ninth and
Tenth, F and G streets.
One-half of it allegedly he gave
to the Jesuits for what was known
as the Washington Seminary which
in 1858 became Gonzaga College.
But the Jesuit Fathers disposed of
their portion after they had moved
to the present location of St.
Aloysius Parish and Gonzaga High
School.
Helped Establish Orphanage.
Father Matthews also was in
strumental in establishing st. Vim
cents Orphan Asylum, which start
ing in 1928 occupied the site of
Woodward and Lothrop's store, Just
opposite the church and rectory."|
He likewise Indirectly contributed
to the founding of st. Johns College
Meanwhile, the original church had
become inadequate and had been
demolished. Soon after taking
charge of the parish, Father Mat
thews set about the erection of a
new and more spacious building.
The second ST. Patrick's, brick
fabric located practically on the
exact site of its predecessor, is
thought to have been consecrated
by Archbishop Carroll on June 80,
1909. 1t remained in constant daily
use until 1870, when it was torn
down to make room for the present
church. Among its faithful at
tendants were: Maj. Pierre l'Enfant,
who drew the plans for the Federal
City; Hoban, the White House
architect; Robert Brent, first major
of Washington, and Roger B. Taney,
Chief Justice of the United States.
One of Father Matthews assistants,
the Rev. Father Charles Constantine
Pise, was chaplain of the Senate.
Concerning Father Matthews him.
self, it is recorded that he was re-
warded by seeing his labors bear
rich fruit" His partorate endured
through half century. The whole
city mourned him when at last he
died on April 30, 1854. His success
sors were: the Rev. Timothy Joseph
OToole, 1854-1860; the Rev. Jacob
Ambrose Walter, 1860-1894; the Rev.
John Gloyd, 1894-1901; the Rev.
Denis Joseph Stafford, 1901 1903;
the Rev. William T. Russell, 1908