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CHESTER TIMES
August 28, 1922
CHAPEL AND SCHOOL DEDICATED AT DREXEL HILL
Bishop Michael J. Crane Officiates, Assisted By Number of Priests
St.
Andrew’s beautiful chapel and school in Drexel Hill was dedicated yesterday morning
by Right Rev. Bishop Michael J. Crane of Philadelphia, assisted by Monsignor
McNally of Philadelphia, and a number of clergymen from Delaware and
Philadelphia counties. The beautiful
chapel as filled to the doors, many persons had to stand through the long and
beautiful impressive ceremonies.
Bishop
Crane was met at Lansdowne and Garrett Road, Drexel Hill, at nine-thirty
o’clock by male members of the congregation and escorted to the rectory where
Rev. Joseph M. McShain, pastor of the parish, met the bishop and visiting
clergymen. St. Francis de Sales Boys’
Battalion Band led the procession and Michael Kerney was marshal.
The dedication
of the chapel and school was a joyous occasion for Father McShain who has
labored hard and zealously to accomplish his first great work at Drexel Hill,
and also the parishioners who are a loyal band of people.
Father
McShain and the congregation were heartily congratulated by Bishop Crane and
Rev. William J. Carrigan, D. D., during the sermons, and the congratulations
were indeed worthy of every word of praise uttered by these two clergymen.
The
music for the dedicatory services was rendered by Mrs. Edward C. Fay, soprano;
Mrs. Michael Kenney, contralto; Paul Lutes, bass; and, Laurence Scully,
tenor. Miss Regina Ferry presided over
the new pipe organ.
The
dedicatory services preceded a Solemn High Mass. As Bishop Crane entered the chapel, preceded
by altar boys and priesthood students from St. Charles’ Seminary, the choir
sang Merchandante’s “Salve Regina.” Bishop Crane is dedicating the church was
assisted by Rev. Thomas P. Buckley, of St. Charles’ Church, Oakview; Rev.
Francis J. Markee of St. Philomena’s Church, Lansdowne, and a number of other
priests. Monsignor McNally of Philadelphia was master of ceremonies. After Bishop Crane concluded the dedicatory
services, he mounted the pretty new altar and preached a brief sermon, first
congratulating Father McShain, pastor of the church, for his zeal and
accomplishment in building the chapel and school and he also complimented the
congregation for their great work.
Bishop Crane said in part: “I
feel more than an ordinary interest in the welfare of St. Andrews’ Parish. Some time ago, while I was stationed in St.
Francis de Sales Parish in Philadelphia, a member of the congregation who was
formerly a member of St. Francis’ came to me and related the state of affairs
at Drexel Hill. This man said he had
several children whom he wished to be educated in a Catholic school. I told him to furnish me with a map; taking
Drexel Hill as a center point and to find out how many Catholic families lived
within a radius of one mile from Drexel Hill.
He did this, bringing me a map on which was carefully drawn and marked
out the proposed territory for a new parish.
He also presented me with the list of names and addresses of every
Catholic living within a radius of one mile.
This I presented to the late Archbishop Prendergast and it aroused his
enthusiasm, with the result that Rev. Joseph McShain was appointed the pastor
here.
“No
words of mine can do enough towards congratulating Father McShain and his
congregation in the splendid progress which they have made since his arrival
here. This building does all of
that. It shows the zeal with which “the
people of this congregation went to work, and by untiring efforts they have at
least succeeded in building these beautiful structure.
“The
church and school are usually side by side, but in such cases as this, they are
combined. Without a school, the church
would never accomplish anything, and children, not properly educated, would
never receive the places in the next world that God has prepared for them.
“I
hope,” continued His Grace, “that every family in this parish will take
advantage of this new school. You cannot
do with children as you like, they are given to you by God as a sacred trust
and it is your duty to see that they are properly educated. Our Lord says: “Woe to you who would scandalize these little
ones,” and again, “suffer these little ones to come unto Me, and forbid them
not for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
“What
greater scandal can you give these little ones,” went on the bishop, “that to
neglect to provide for then the proper means of education,, that are now at
your disposal; so I hope no family will be so foolish as to not take advantage
of the new school.”
Bishop
Crane ended his address by congratulating Father McShain on his splendid work
in so short a time, and he also congratulated the congregation on their
splendid cooperation given father McShain.
Immediately
following the dedication, Solemn High Mass was begun Rev. William J. McShain of St. Thomas Aquinas
Church, Philadelphia, brother of Father Joseph McShain, was the celebrant. Rev. William M. Sullivan, rector of the
Church of the Holy Savior, Linwood Heights was deacon and Rev. William F.
Gaughan of St. Leo’s Church, Tacony, was sub-deacon. The latter two priests were classmates of St.
Andrew’s pastor.
In the sacristy during the mass
were Rev. Joseph Deering of the Church of the Nativity, Media; Rev. Maurice
Cowl of Highland Park; Rev. Thomas F. Buckley of Oakview; Rev. Father Gallagher
of Darby; Rev. Francis J. Markee of Lansdowne; Monsignor Walsh of Philadelphia;
Father Moore of Philadelphia.
The choir sang Rosewig’s Mass in
“D”. The mass was beautifully
rendered.
At the offertory, Mrs. Edward C. Fay sang Millard’s “Ave Maria.”
The sermon during the mass was
preached by Rev. Dr. Carrigan, who began by congratulating
Father McShain and the pastor on their great work in
building in a few years a beautiful chapel and school. He then went into the heart of his subject
which dealt with the fundamental of Catholic education, Dr. Carrigan said:
“Why do we Catholics build our own
schools?” said Father Carrigan, “when the State provides education for our
children. The State provides a good
education – our public schools are the boast of our nation, and there is some
reason for that boast. Why do we not
then take advantage of this?
“We do not take advantage of this
education – we do not send our children to public schools – we build our own
schools because the preservation of our holy Faith demands it. That is strong language, my friends, but it
is nevertheless true. The most sacred
obligation which we have on this earth is the preservation of our holy Faith;
we are obliged to hand that Faith, unsullied, down to our children, and this is
the reason why we build our own schools.
“The education which the church
proposes to give takes into consideration the whole man, it looks ahead into
the future, it takes into consideration the soul of the man, and provides for
his eternal destiny. The church claims
that education that is not founded on religion directed by religion and
intermingled with religion is not for her children and she further insists that
Catholic children receive Catholic education.
“What is this life?” went on Father
Garrigan. “It is not a mere passing
chance for the child in
which his sole aim and end is prosperity, and what men term
success; his ideal in education is not merely intellectual culture; no, it is
something higher than these. God gave us
life in order that we might prepare ourselves for life eternal and nothing
more.
“An education, to be a true
education, from the standpoint of the church, must take in these two elements,
the intellectual development and the spiritual welfare of the child, and that
is why we build our schools and educate our own children.
“Something is wrong with the world
today – great men have lost their moorings – things are all
upset; why? Because spirituality has flown, men have lost
their ide of God and spirituality; and the constituted law and authority is
being flaunted, all because of this necessary fundamental which is lacking in
education.
“The question of Catholic
education,” went on Father Carrigan, “is a very important question. There is an old but very true saying: “The child is the father of the man, the
children of today will be the men and women of tomorrow; whatever effects the
child now will have its effect on the men or women of the coming
generation. Whatever influence is
brought to bear upon the child now, that same influence will affect the
man. Whatever ideas the child forms, as
he grows into his first stages of manhood, these ideas become opinions, and as
he grows older these opinions become principles and stamp the character of the
man. Therefore these ideas, these
opinions, these principles must be good in order that the man of tomorrow will
have a strong perfect character; to have such a character he must have a
foundation on which to build that character.
In other words he must have a good
Christian education.
“What is the meaning of education?”
went on Father Carrigan, “the word education means the
act of developing or drawing forth the powers and faculties
of the mind and soul.”
The new
building is 101 feet long and 57 feet wide and of a domestic type of Gothic
design. The building contains an
auditorium in the basement, a chapel on the second floor and four classrooms on
the third floor. The building was
designed by George Lovett, a Lansdowne architect and Edward C. Fay Son,
builders of Drexel Hill, built the edifice, which cost approximately $120,000
including the heating, lighting, ventilating and furnishings such as seats,
organ and altars.
Father
McShain, who is a splendid type of the Catholic priesthood, is a man of kindly
personality, zealous and energetic and he is loved by his congregation. He also made a few remarks in which he
enthusiastically praised his congregation and thanked all those who have helped
to make his efforts a success.
Father
McShain came to Drexel Hill about six years ago to establish the parish. For the first year, he conducted services in
a residence at that time owned by Michael Kerney. Later a small building was moved from the
grounds of St. Vincent’s Home and erected on the church property where services
have been conducted until yesterday.
Although St. Andrew’s is a small parish, nevertheless, the members of
the congregation are an earnest and enthusiastic band, always being ready to support their pastor in
his efforts, and there is no doubt that Father McShain in a few years will be
able to build a permanent church.
The
sisters of St. Joseph’s will teach in the school which will open next Monday a
week. There will be four teachers, and
it is expected that there will be a goodly number of children who will take up
their studies in the new school.
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