t eanc 0 VOL. 40, NO. 18
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Friday, May 3, 1996
FALl. RIVER, MASS.
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts' Lar~est Weekly
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On Nantucket:
30 miles at sea, rare anniversary marked By Pat McGowan Anchor Stl!Jf Most parishes celebrate only the 100th anniversary of their founding. Not St. Mary's/Our Lady of the Isle, Nantucket, 30 ocean miles from most of the rest of the Fall River diocese. This year it's celebrating the 100th birthday of its church building, erected by devout Portuguese and Irish Catholics in 1986, seven years before St. Mary's, as it's more often called, became a full-fledged parish with a resident pastor. Its parochial status came about, at least in part, said Father Thomas Lopes, the present pastor, because of the efforts of a sympathetic Episcopalian woman who repeatedly urged the:n Providence Bishop Matthew Harkins to send a fulltime priest to the island. (At the time, the diocese of Providence included the area of Massachusetts that is now the diocese of Fall River.) However, as early as 1849, an 1897 New Bedford newspaper clipping reported, Mass had been celebrated, at least occasionally, in the old Nantucket town hall and in other public buildings by a Father McNulty from New Bedford. He was followed by Father Henry E.S. Henniss, who died in 1859. During his ministry, a building on the site of today's church, known as Harmony Hall, was purchased as a place of permanent worship
for Nantucket Catholics, taking the name of SI. Mary's. Fathers Tallon,· Foley and McMahon, all of New Bedford, followed Father Henniss in pastoral visits to J\'antucket. Then, as development began on Cape Cod, priests from Harwich, Sandwich and Woods Hole took on the responsibility of serving island Catholics. ' Additionally, noted the 1897 account, a missionary priest from Portugal came to the area about 1875 "and was inStrumental in bringing back many persons to the Catholic fold and in many other ways increasing the spiritual welfare of the church." But despite such efforts from the mainland, up until 1903, when SI. Mary's attained parochial status, islanders were not able to attend Mass oftener than once every three weeks, and as the Catholic population grew there was more and more demand for an on-island priest, especially in view of the fact that many invalids and aged persons died without last sacraments. At last in 1903, following formation of a committee of Catholics anxious for a church home, as well as through the efforts of the congregation's Episcopalian wellwisher, Our Lady's church was erected as a parish, with Rev. Thomas J. McGee as its first pastor. He was spared the task of building a church, since Father Charles
ST. MARY'S, Nantucket, proudly shows its age-of the church building, that is. Still to come, in 2003, is the actual centennial of the parish. (McGowan photo) McSweeney, one of the last of Nantucket's off-island priests, had in 1896 overseen the selling and removal of Harmony Hall and its replacement by the present church building. Father McSweeney served Nantucket until 190 I, when he was succeeded by Father James M. Coffey, who was for 18 months the last ofthe island's once-every-three-
weeks priests. On Father Coffey's departure, he was praised by the Nantucket Inquirer and Mirroras having doubled attendance at SI. Mary's. Father McGee, who was to remain at the parish for 13 years, was considered "one of the most brilliant churchmen in the diocese." He was succeeded by Father Tho-
mas Kelley, who served three years and during that time acquired an organ for the church. The next pastor, Father Joseph M. Griffin, was on Nantucket alone from 1913 to 1926, except for the summer months, when he had the help of temporary assistants. Not until 1926 did he enjoy the luxury Turn to Page 16
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with Bishop Sean O'Malley, OFM, Cap. at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River
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Special one-hour Mass
Sunday, May 5, 8 a.m. MONS(;NOR THOMAS J. Harrington, Diocesan Director of the Catholic Charities Appeal, Mrs. William N. Whelan, III, Mr. William N. Whelan Ill, 1996 Lay Chairman of the Appeal, Bishop Sean O'Malley, Owen Shaughnessey of St. Thomas More parish, Somerset, Lucille Bolduc of St. Mary's parish, Fall River, and Yvonne LaFontaine of Blessed Sacrament parish, Fall River, after the kickoff Mass for the 1996 Catholic Charities Appeal at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River. (Studio 0 photo)
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