St. Mary's happenings 1888 - 1895

The next reference is to Holiday entertainment. Noted in the Elmira Daily Gazette and Free Press of December 11, 1888.

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT

During the holidays, the children at St. Mary’s Church, Southport, purpose to give a series of entertainments. The programme will consist of musical and literary exercises, views and lectures, to commence on Friday evening after Christmas and continue during the following week, closing with the grand festival Saturday night.

We insert here a paragraph from the History of the Valley and Chemung County by Turner, published in 1892 which is of interest:

St. Mary’s Church in the fifth ward was largely due to the labors of the Rev. James C. McManus, a constant and indefatigable laborer and usually successful in the building up of churches. He always held a high place in the regard of his superiors and his people. He came from Watkins, where he had built a church, and put St. Mary’s on the surest of foundations. The first church was built in 1872, a frame one, and was replaced in 1874 by the present brick structure costing in the neighborhood of $30,000. Father McManus was afterward transferred to Batavia, where he died in January 1882. His sister is the wife of John Moore, of the Albany Telegram. The present pastor of St. Mary’s is the Rev. Michael O’Dwyer, a revered pastor and well loved man of high natural abilities and scholarly attainments. He began his preparation for the ministry in France and completed his studies at the Seminary at Suspension Bridge, N.Y. He was ordained a priest on August 19, 1866 by Bishop Timon, the first bishop of Buffalo. He had charge of several parishes, being successful in all. In August 1891 he celebrated the twenty fifth anniversary of his ordination in a manner that will be long remembered by his people and friends.

This takes us over to a Columbus Day celebration in 1892 from the Gazette and Free Press, Oct. 13, 1892:

The young people of St. Mary’s Church celebrated Columbus Day last evening with a most excellent and appropriate musical, instrumental and literary entertainment at Miller’s Hall. The large hall was completely filled with members of the parish and their friends. The entertainment was in charge of Miss Rose Brady, the church organist. Those who took part were Misses May and Angie Geer, the little daughters of Chas. Geer; Father Trautlein, John Callahan, Dennis Sullivan, Miss Nellie O’Day, Miss Agnes Reardon and Miss Nellie Ryan. Father Lafferty of St. Mary’s Church delivered an eloquent and interesting lecture upon Columbus Day. After the entertainment an elegant spread was served.

In the Daily Gazette, Dated December 27, 1892, is carried a description of the Christmas Service for that year.

The services at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Sunday morning were beautiful and impressive. The musical program was composed of some of the choicest selections of sacred music and their rendition was excellent. The performance of Amos French on the violin and John Young the cornetist were especially commendable. Miss Brady’s organ selections were beautifully rendered. Father Lafferty, the assistant to Father O’Dwyer, preached two sermons appropriate to the occasion.

A financial report for the year 1893 was mentioned in the Gazette, January 29, 1894:

The annual report of the finances of St. Mary’s Church show that the church is free from debt. The report states that $5,018.89 was received during the year, and that after the annual expenses were paid, $51.49 remained in the treasury.

Father O’Dwyer made an appeal to his parishioners for aid in 1895 as reported in the Daily Gazette, February 4, 1895:

ST. MARY’S AID
CATHOLIC WOMEN OF THE SOUTHSIDE ORGANIZE
FOR CHARITABLE PURPOSES

Yesterday morning Rev. Father O’Dwyer told his congregation that this year for the first time in the history of St. Mary’s parish, it was necessary to provide some means for the indigent of the parish. There were more cases where good people of the parish could show their charitable instincts than ever before. Yesterday afternoon the women of the parish got together and formed St. Mary’s Aid Society. A large number enrolled their names upon the charter and an organization was effected. Mrs. Wheeler was elected president; Mrs. Dempsey, vice president; Mrs. Boylan, treasurer. These organizations have done great good in other parishes, and doubtless will in St. Mary’s.