Saturday, November 15, 2008

History of St. Mary's Church Elmira, NY


According to the “History of the Catholic Church of Western New York” St. Mary’s was the fourth parish to be established in Elmira. The Rev. Sheridan was pastor in Binghamton in 1845. He occasionally visited in Elmira and all the other little towns through several counties in this portion of the state. Elmira grew more rapidly than the other towns in the vicinity and Father Sheridan took up residence in Elmira in 1849 and bought a house for a parochial residence and built a brick church for the little congregation which he had organized as the first parish in Elmira. This first church was dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul.

The German Catholics of Elmira attended the church of St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s until they were formed into a congregation of their own in 1866. As early as 1857 a German priest occasionally visited and encouraged them to organize into a congregation. They bought property on Dickinson St. and started a little church building, the cornerstone of which was laid in 1866 and was consecrated in the fall of 1868. New property was bought and a cornerstone of the new church was laid in 1891 at the corner of Lake and Second Sts. This church was consecrated in 1892 by Bishop Ryan. This second parish was dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

The northern part of the town had a boom in 1868 from a large iron works, and from the railroad life and works in that section of the city. Bishop Ryan of Buffalo sent the Rev. T.R. Hopkins in 1868 to organize a new parish in that part of town. He purchased a beautiful site in a favorable locality, but his health failed and he died in July of the following year. Bishop Ryan was absent in Rome at the time of Father Hopkins death and the Very Rev. Gleason who directed the affairs of the diocese in the absence of the Bishop appointed the Rev. J.J. Bloomer to the new parish of St. Patrick’s in Elmira. Father Bloomer erected a temporary church the following year which served the congregation until the handsome brick structure was ready for the use of the people. Father Bloomer began work on the permanent church shortly after his advent to Elmira and it was dedicated on the 13th of September, 1874. This third parish was dedicated to St. Patrick. In the same history we read “The southern portion of Elmira across the Chemung River known as Southport grew rapidly about the year 1870 and it soon became necessary to organize another parish for this part of the town. The large shops drew many working men to this portion of the city and the houses sprang up here rapidly and were occupied by men employed by the works in this vicinity. The Rev. Jas. McManus was sent here in 1872 to organize the new parish of St. Mary’s.” This was the fourth parish established in Elmira.

New Main Altar and Baldachino


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From the earliest records of St. Mary’s Parish, there is a notation in Father McManus’ own handwriting that he was appointed as pastor to St. Mary’s in Elmira on Feb. 19, 1872 where he served as pastor until April 1880, when he was transferred to St. Joseph Church, Batavia, N.Y., where he died in 1882.

The original property of St. Mary’s Parish was purchased August 21, 1871, when Jas. And Mary McCrudden transferred to Jas. C. McManus for $1,600.00 one acre of land at Franklin and Fulton Sts. Extending 290 feet along Fulton St. by 148.2 feet on Franklin St. On August 21, 1875, this same property was transferred to the Rt. Rev. Stephen Vincent Ryan, Bishop of Buffalo in consideration for a mortgage of $6,000.00 made to John Arnot Jr. The first transaction was recorded with the County Clerk of Chemung Co. on January 19, 1874, and the second with the same on August 27, 1875.

Construction was begun on this property almost immediately following the advent of the new pastor as evidenced from an article from the Daily Advertiser under the date of Feb. 22, 1872.

“NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH”

“Yesterday ground was broken by the Catholics for the erection of a new church edifice at their lot, corner of Franklin and Fulton Streets in the fifth ward. They have undertaken the erection of a wooden building for the present church uses until the completion of the brick edifice originally contemplated. The present temporary structure will then be used as a schoolhouse. Father Ryan, the new pastor, is pushing the work with vigor.”

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