62 years and 9 months. See Griffin's Researches for July, 1897, p. 134. Rev. Daniel Kelly, (first Pastor). Father Kelly was appointed to York. "Will celebrate Mass there in St. Patrick's Church-on January 9, 1842." Catholic Herald, 1842. A letter dated "Columbia, March 1, 1842," in Catholic Herald (of that year) says: *** There is a neat Catholic Church built of brick, in a pleasant and retired part of the town, surrounded by a handsome lot, adorned with poplars. Rev. D. Kelly. who has been recently appointed to its charge, divides his time between this place and York. Prior to this the congregation received only an occasional visit, and had grown lukewarm; but now a new spirit has been infused among them. Catechism is regularly taught to the children, and afterwards explained by the Pastor, (NOTE.-The Sunday School was held in the church before the enlargement of it) to whom there seems a general attachment. The ladies have formed a society for the purpose of supplying the Altar with appropriate furniture. The number of communicants for the size of the congregation was truly edifying. From here I went to York *** (This letter was signed "S," and was written by Mr. P. F. Scanlon, agent for the Catholic Herald). For the names of some of the old members of the early congregation I refer to the list of subscribers to the "Seminary" for 1838. In it I find such early Catholics as Henry B. Eagle, John Arms, Henry Eagle, Thomas Keating, James Haughey, James McMahon, John Felix, Mrs. List, Joseph Hook, Mrs. B. McTague, Michael Hook, John Eagle, Daniel Gallagher, Mrs. H. Brunner, John McConomy, Jacob Wagner, R. Keegan, Miss Mary A. Walters, James Mathias, Daniel Manning, Patrick McMullen, Jacob Ochs, James McGee, John Doyle, Michael Conley, James McNamee, John McLaughlin, Michael Leddy, Andrew Leddy, Dennis Harkins, Patrick McEvoy. In 1838, December 13, the parish subscribed $145. 1839. October subscription. $13.00 40 00 1840. Additional list McTague family, Patrick Lough- 1842. Seminary Collection IO OO 2.00 8 00 1843. Father John P. Mackin (page 96 of RECORDS). Previous to the coming of Father Mackin no pews were rented. An annual payment was made for expenses of the church. He, however, introduced the system of renting pews. During his pastorate Father Neumann, C. SS. R., (later bishop of Philadelphia,) preached a mission at St. Peter's, in 1872. Father Mackin was prostrated with heat while on a visit to Philadelphia, though the immediate cause of his death was heart disease. In 1843 the collection for the Seminary, John Ziegler, solicitor, $9. Rev. Basil A. Shorb (p. 97). Born October 16, 1810, (not 1814). At the age of nine years he entered Mt. St. Mary's College, Maryland, remaining there eight years. In 1833, he went with Bishop Purcell to Ohio, who ordained him at Cincinnati on May 20, 1837. In 1838 Father Shorb was engaged in missionary service in the diocese of Cincinnati, Ohio, at Fulton, on the canal, and at Chippeway, in 1840, at Doylestown, in 1842 at West Liverpool, and in 1843 surrendered his mission at Wooster, he came into the Diocese of Philadelphia the same year. He died at Bonneauville, Adams County, Pa., April 4, 1871, and was buried on Holy Thursday afternoon, Rev. J. A. Ball preaching the sermon. Rev. — Enders, S. J., and Rev. Neckere, S. J., of Conewago, both present. Requiem Mass was celebrated for his soul on Tuesday April 18, 1871. In 1844 collections for sufferers by the Kensington riots, chiefly through agency of Mr. M. R. Keegan, $10. For Seminary, per Mrs. McTague, $2. Father Shorb often preached his sermons in the dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch," a source of much amusement to those who could speak German, and the occasion of many a laugh. He was a very quaint-looking man, more like a farmer than a priest. 1849. Rev. Joseph Balfe (p. 98), see Memoir of same in RECORDS Vol. IX, for 1898, wherein a complete life of this priest is given, together with some account of the members of his family. Errata (in Original Sketch of St. Peter's) corrected, viz., Balfe "born 1817" should be "born December 1, 1816.” Henry Balfe died (September, 1863) at Kellyville, Pa., not at Lancaster. Dr. Joseph Balfe ordained at Rome, June 9, 1839, by Cardinal Prefect of the Propaganda. The chandelier placed in the church (p. 99) during Dr. Balfe's second pastorate, was presented by P. S. McTague, on the occasion of the birth of his son. 1850. After the enlargement of the church it was formally dedicated by Bishop Kenrick, on Sunday, October 27, 1850. The committee on said improvement were S. S. Haldeman, John A. Hook, John Felix, and John Ziegler. 1849. Collection for Cathedral Fund, $49. 1851. Rev. James C. McGinniss remained only about nine weeks in care. 1851. Subscription to Cathedral Fund by Rosanna McFall $2. "Rev. Sylvester Eagle (p. 100) supplies Columbia." Errata. Ordained June 11, 1852-not July. Sent to Lancaster, not York. 66 Father Eagle was born at Maytown, Lancaster Co., Pa., on February 11, 1828, of Henry and Ann Mary Eagle; and Baptized March 21, 1828, by Rev. Bernard Keenan, of St. Mary's Church, Lancaster, Pa." Baptism recorded at Elizabethtown, Pa. 1853. Rev. Louis Leitner, D.D. (p. 100). The vestments referred to were purchased from the agent of Jacob Neustader, of New York, by Dr. Leitner and Charles Zeitler (see "Organists"), who met the agent at McGrann's Hotel, in Lancaster, Pa. 1853. Forty Hours' Devotion (for the first time at Columbia) began October 16, 1853. 1854. Forty Hours Devotion, November 3, 1854. 1853. Father Martin, of York, made the collection (but no amount given in the Report). 1854. See Catholic Herald of October 5th for Dr. Leitner's letter to Cyrus Haldeman, on the rumor that the Catholics poisoned the water in the river at Columbia, which occasioned the cholera epidemic in that year. He attributes the origin of it to other reasons. 1854. Letter of Dr. Leitner in Catholic Herald of October 12th, to same, complaining of the injustice of the authorities in endeavoring to prevent him from having intercourse with cholera patients in the public hospital during that epidemic at Columbia. Dr. Leitner first lived in the old pastoral house, where he merely took his rest, and his meals elsewhere. An old parishioner-Michael Collins-aided the Doctor as man of all work. Later on he boarded with the family of Charles Zeitler for about two years; then at the hotel kept by Dennis Harkins ; about 1858, he boarded with the McMahon family, always lodging however at the pastoral house. In 1897, missing Dr. Leitner's name from the Directory since 1894, I made search for it, and found that he had retired from missionary service at De Kalb, Illinois, on November 20, 1894. On July 9, 1897, I received a letter from him which states I received a letter from you at De Kalb two days before my leaving America (1894) for Algiers, in Africa, and Italy 1860. Rev. Joseph Balfe returned. 1863. Rev. Patrick Joseph Toner was born at SkeriffTouchburn, Lower Creggan, County Armagh, in Ireland, on June 10, 1833. Ordained July 3, 1859, by Bishop Neumann, in the church of the Assumption, Philadelphia. He left America in May, 1877, appointed Missionary Apostolic in Rome, and during the Golden Jubilee of Pope Leo XIII was made Domestic Prelate, of the first-class, with the title Monsignor-Right Reverend, being thus honored for his efforts to supply the sailors of the United States vessels of war with Catholic chaplains. In May, 1896, Secretary of the Navy, Herbert, gave him a document appointing him Honorary Chaplain to such vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. Father Toner died suddenly September 11, 1897, at Dooner's Hotel, in Philadelphia, on his return from St. Joseph's Church, where he had said Mass that very morning. He was buried from St. Mary's Church in the priests' cemetery, alongside that church. The writer had been with him shortly before his death for the purpose of gathering data for a memoir, and neither of them had the slightest thought of the probable need of the few facts recorded at that time. Monsignor Toner was the same delightfully amiable man at his more than threescore years, as he was when we all knew him and loved him in Columbia. He related to the writer the following incident: "At the time of my ordination," he said, "Bishop Neumann impressed on me the necessity of extreme abstinence from all intoxicants, giving us as an example a late terrible sacrilege which had been committed through it. I was willing to take the pledge at once, but the Bishop said, 'No, take a month to consider.' In less than two months I met him at an episcopal ceremony, and told him I had determined to take his pledge, and I took it, and have never since in all my travel taken one single drink of intoxicating liquor." I had outlined many anecdotes regarding Father Toner and sketches of his travels in aid of the African Missions, but his sad death overturned all our designs. Mgr. Toner's descriptions of Rome and other cities, of their cathedrals, and ceremonies, were charming. His close intimacy with Cardinal San Felice, Archbishop of Naples, gave him opportunities of securing much data needed by the writer, for another work. Cardinal San Felice, by whose death |