St. Mary's 1895 to 1898

In February, 1895 an entertainment was held at Miller’s Hall. The Daily Gazette of February 21 reported:


A GRAND TIME
THE ALTAR SOCIETY AND CHOIR OF ST. MARY’S CHURCH
ENTERTAIN
A Rich Musical Programme, a Splendid Supper and
A Merry Dance participated in by a Large and
Enthusiastic Gathering

Last evening the Altar Society and choir of St. Mary’s church gave an entertainment and dance, and served supper at Miller’s Hall. There was a large and enthusiastic crowd in attendance and the affair was highly successful, financially and socially. Supper was served from 6 till 12 o’clock p.m., and was one of the most delicious and appetizing layouts seen at a church affair in a good many moons, and those who sat down to the tables well satisfied their eating desires. Those in charge of the tables were: Mrs. Ellen Keavin, who is always to be found an earnest worker for all of the church’s causes, and Mrs. Jerry Bergan, Mrs. Thomas McInerney, Mrs. John Galvin, Miss Mame Brown, Mrs. Carroll, Mrs. John Dempsey, Mrs. Lorden, Mrs. Connelly, Mrs. O’Shay, Miss Sullivan, Miss Kane, Mrs. O’Leary, Miss Brown, Mrs. Hanrahan, Miss Kate Flynn. The program rendered was delightful and was listened to by the vast audience with absorbing interest. John Barnett sang “Farewell, Marguerite” with a strong, sweet tenor voice, and highly pleased the assemblage. Miss Maggie O’Brien sang “Olcott’s Serenade”, and received an encore. Miss O’Brien is a charming singer. “Come with Me” a duet by Messrs. T.A. Reynolds and Dennis Sullivan, was richly enjoyed and loudly applauded. John Callahan sang two of Olcott’s songs and the applause evoked was tremendous. Professor Ralph Mulcare played a cornet solo to the delight of everybody. Mr. Mulcare is one of the best cornetists in this section of the state. “Somebody Loves Me”, was rendered by Miss May Liddy, followed, upon an encore by an Irish ballad. Miss Liddy has a charming appearance and her sweet, musical voice combined with it, immediately elicit the good graces of an audience, so when Miss Liddy completes her song, rapturous applause greets her rendition, and last evening was no exception.

T.A. Reynolds has a rich tenor voice and sang, “Tell Her I Love Her So”, perfectly. To conclude a quartette, consisting of Mrs. G.C. Boylan, Anna Flynn, and Messrs. Reynolds and Sullivan rendered a charming selection. Mrs. Boylan, who is possessed of a highly cultured voice, leading. The hall was then cleared and Mulcare’s and George’s Orchestra furnished delightful music for dancing which continued until one o’clock a.m. St. Mary’s Church is supplied with as fine a choir and as pretty an altar as any church in the city, and it is the young ladies and gentlemen who had charge of this entertainment who make it so. Rev. Father M.J. O’Dwyer, the pastor, recently celebrated his 25th anniversary as a priest. Father O’Dwyer’s faultless execution of the duties of pastor, his tender heart, kindly words and charitable deeds have endeared him to his people so firmly that no earthly knife could sever the ties that bind them together. Like the late lamented Father Cunningham, Father O’Dwyer is ever jocular and good natured, and too many words of praise could not be earnestly said of him. The choir and altar society caused the church to be refurnished and have made other temporary and permanent decorations and improvements, which have been highly appreciated by all.

The choir is composed of Miss Rose Brady, organist; Mrs. G.C. Boylan, Misses Ellen Ryan, Mary Carroll, Maggie O’Brien, May Liddy and Messrs. John Callahan, T.A. Reynolds, John Nugent, Dennis Sullivan, and John Barnett. Father O’Dwyer has charge of the altar society. The stage decorations, potted plants and palms were donated by Rawson. Messrs. Jerry Bergan, Dennis Dempsey and Thomas Sullivan had charge of the door.

A reference is made to the completion of the steeple in the Elmira Daily Gazette and Free Press, July 2, 1895:

Workmen are engaged in completing the steeple on St. Mary’s church on Franklin St. The contract for the work was secured by Contractor John C. Williamson.

This brings us to the articles in the Gazette of Feb. 25 and 26, 1896:

On the evening of the 27th, a musical and literary treat will be given the people of Elmira in St. James Hall. The best musical talent in the city has been engaged for the occasion. The Reverend M.B. Curry of New York will deliver his celebrated lecture on the “Martyrdom of the Irish Nation.” The proceeds will go to St. Mary’s Church. The following program will be rendered tomorrow evening at St. James Hall:

Evening Bells -----Messrs. P.H. Stapleton, J. Buckley, C. Conlon, J. Hart
Pretty Little Island in the Ocean……………………………..Miss M. O’Day
Tenor Solo………………………………………………..Mr. James Buckley
The Harp That Once Through Tara’s Hall……………..……Miss M. Liddy
“The Martyrdom of the Irish Nation”…….…….…..Rev. Father M.B. Curry
The Shamrock…………………………………...……….…Miss M. O’Brien
Farewell…………………………Messrs. Stapleton, Buckley, Conlon, Hart

The choir presented a party on Oct. 13, 1896 which was carried in the Gazette of Oct. 14, 1896:

The members of St. Mary’s church choir and their friends enjoyed an excellent musical and a hop at Bundy Hall last evening. Selections were given by Mrs. Louis Duhl, Mrs. Thomas Durant, Misses Maggie and Anna Shay, and Messrs. Suganty, McCaffery, Sullivan, Morgan, Reynolds and Dowling.

Mulcare’s orchestra furnished music for the dancing.

At this time the Southern Tier counties of Tioga, Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben which had been in the diocese of Buffalo, were transferred to the diocese of Rochester. This is mentioned in the Gazette dated January 22, 1897:

At a meeting of the priests of this diocese held yesterday in Corning to hear the official announcement of the division of the diocese, the Rev. M. O’Dwyer and Rev. J. Moriarty of St. Mary’s church, Elmira were present.

Another reference to this was made in the Gazette of February 4, 1897:

All the priests of the recently enlarged diocese of Rochester gathered at St. Bernard’s Seminary on the Charlotte Boulevard yesterday to partake of a dinner tendered by their Bishop Rt. Rev. Bernard J. McQuaid and to spend the afternoon in an informal social manner. Rev. M. O’Dwyer and Rev. J. Moriarty of St. Mary’s Church, Elmira, were present.

Bishop McQuaid, bishop of Rochester, administered confirmation on October 5th, 1897. We read in the Gazette for that date:

Right Rev. Bernard McQuaid, Bishop of Buffalo, administered the sacrament of confirmation to a large class of children and some grown people at St. Mary’s Church this morning. He was assisted by the pastor Father O’Dwyer, Fathers Bloomer, Long, Gefell, Moriarty, Climer, Trautlein, Dean, Maley, Dunn, O’Shay and Bopple.

A number of people witnessed the ceremony and Bishop McQuaid delivered a pleasing address, particularly to the children.

St. Mary’s prowess in athletics was evidenced as early as 1897 where the Gazette reports under the date of December 4th of year:

A very interesting game of football took place yesterday afternoon on the corner of Euclid Avenue and First Street between representative teams from St. Mary’s parochial school and St. Patrick’s.

The game began at 3 o’clock. Captain Cahill of St. Mary’s won the toss and chose to defend the southern goal. After a few minutes of hard play half-back Sullivan broke through his opponents’ line and by a brillant [sic] run scored the first touchdown for St. Mary’s. During the remainder of the first half the honors were evenly divided, neither team being able to score. The second half was more stubbornly contested. St. Patrick’s forwards played with redoubled energy but St. Mary’s line was impregnable. The most brilliant play of the game was made by Captain Cahill. Securing the ball from the quarter-back on a long pass he ran around the end dodging all the backs until he landed the sphere behind the opponents’ goal making the score 8 to 0 in favor of St. Mary’s.

The game was a splendid specimen of clean gentlemanly football. Messrs. Cahill, Sullivan, Fennell, and Widman played with great skill and seemed to be ubiquitous throughout the game. Messrs. Sullivan, Ford, and Foley carried off the honors for St. Patrick’s. The tackling of Captain Sullivan was one of the features of the game. Mr. Scales, an old football player, acted as referee, while Messrs. Brink and Murtaugh acted as time keepers.

An interesting report was given by Father O’Dwyer in the Gazette of February 1, 1898:

At the Sunday morning services Father O’Dwyer of St. Mary’s Church read a synopsis of his report to Bishop McQuaid in regard to the statistics of his parish. He said that there were 1,500 Catholics in his parish, divided into 300 families. There were, he said, 335 children attending the parochial school. The receipts for the year were $4,207.09.

Purchase of more property was noted in a deed recorded with the County Clerk March 2, 1898:

Deed Volume 118, Page 238, Records of the County, Chemung County, Elmira, N.Y., March 2, 1898.
Michael O’Dwyer to St. Mary’s Roman Church Society property 53 feet along Franklin St. by 150 feet in depth. Also land on Franklin St. 87 feet by 150 feet.