Centenary of T~unton Parish Continued from Page One pended by the Korean War. June 14, 1954: the corner stone Until Nov. 1874, the parish church was in "Staple's Block" was laid for the parish school at the Weir, corner of West with Fr. McKeon as the "Clerk Water St. and Staples Ave. The of the Works" to insure that the first church, formerly the "dis- parishioners would get their trict school" was used until 1903. money's worth." June 18, 1961: first commenceFr. Hugh J. Smith ment exercises 'at Sacred Heart A new church was built under School. the direction of Rev. Hugh J. Oct. 30, 1961: Fl'. McKeon beSmith and was dedicated in comes a Monsignor. Mal'Ch 1912. It was a splendid Regis and Trinity Romanesque building decorated With the help of John Q. Dilby Ramblusch & McBride of New lingham of Berkley and Joseph York. , Rose together with many parishIt was' left to Rev. James ioners, Fr. McKeon was able to Beaven; the second pastor, to found River Ridge Ranch on the 'build the rectory in 1884. Taunton River. and to provide a Rev. Joseph McDonough beplace for recreation for parishcame pastor in 1886 and bought ioners. a little school house in Dighton The Regis and Trinity Clubs which became a mission of were formed under him and in Sacred Heart together with Holy 1937 the "Sacred Heart Players" Family Mission in East Taunton. began ,its many successful plays. He was succeeded by Rev. James Till this day these groups have L. Smith in 1892. shown their 'love for Fr.. McThrough Fr. Smith's efforts Keon by financing and contribthe parishes of South Dighton uting each' year-in his nameand Seekonk came into being, a scholarship to some worthy the latter still displays the student.路 stained glass windows that had The imported Italian marble been a part of the first Sacred statue of the Sacred Heart at Heart Church. Somerset Ave.路 and First St. was Though he was pastor for 18 erected by 路Fr. McKeon and the years, ,he did not live to see his practical parking lot was laid project ofa new church com- out. pleted although 'the basement After 35 years of servke in was used in 1904. the parish, Msgr. McKeon retired It was Rev. Thomas Magee, from :the active parish ministry D.D., a brilliant scholar and auin Sept. 1969. thority in Canon Law, who c0l1'!Rev. William A. Galvin was pleted the church. Only two pastor to 1971 and during that years later, however, he died on time restored the interior of the Sept. 3, 1912. chul'Ch and implemented the Rev. James H. Looby from changes sought by the Second Easton became the new pastor in Vatican Council. 1912 and he quickly became a On Oct. I, 1971, Rev. Walter leading figure in the district. A. Sullivan succeeded Fr. Galvin Sacred Heart prided itself in who had retired and after a bithaving the only sanctuary boys' ter struggle and the untiring choir in the city-40 boys up to efforts of parishioners had to see the age of 18. Sacred Heart School close due to The debt was cleared under lack of teachers. Fr. Looby and the interior of the Some of the priests who church was embellished. A parwere a great help to the menish honor roll was erected during tioned pastors should also be World War I cont,aining 131 named: Rev. Joseph Delaney names, 12 of whom gave their (1960-1966) now the Co-Chancellives. lor of the Diocese of BronwsIn 1924, it was Rev. Edward J. ville, Tex.; Rev. Brian HarringMoriarty who succeeded the uniton (1966-1970); Rev. Francis versally mourned pastor. He purConnors (1959-1970); Rev. Paul chased the Briggs and Staples F. McCarrick (1971-1972). properties and began ser,ious One layman has won the speplans for a school. However, his - cial respect of parishioners over transfer to St. Patrick Parish in the past 45 years: John Nichols. F'all River and the depression toHis physical care of the parish gether with World War II halted brought him the Marian Medal. a'll plans. On call 24 hours a day for the Holy Hour church, school, convent and recRev. Francis McKeon came to tory, he has also been the godSa,cred Heart Parish in 1934 and father for many baptisms, best saw 245 parishioners leave for man for weddings and an active the war with ten of them to be member of the St. Vincent de killed in the fighting. Paul Society. On New Year's Eve, 1942, a Observance of the centennial Holy Hour was held from 9 to will 'begin with the 4 o'clock 10 o'clock to pl'ay for the safe Mass Sunday afternoon, concelreturn of everyone in the war. ebrated with Bishop Cronin. A The holy hour was held nightly banquet and ball are slated for in the church uninterruptedly Friday, June 8, at Venus di Mill) until Sept. 2, 1945. Restaurant in Swansea, and a No lights were a'llowed be- Family Day and Picnic will be cause of black-out regulations held on Sunday, June 24, at Out for everyone feared an air raid Lady of the Lake Camp in Freeon the East Coast. town. Some important dates ,in Fr. McKeon's iong pastorate were: Papal Gift Sept. 4, 1938: lightning struck the church during Sunday Mass VATICAN CITY (NC)-A paand demolished a four foot cross pal envoying bearing a valuable atop the church without injury papal gift was present for the to anyone. opening of a Christian museum June 1944: gigantic clothing at Esitergom, Hungary, that was drive for "Clothes for Italy" restored to its early splendor brought 7,702 pounds of cloth- with funds provided by the ing. Communist Hungarian govern1950: Plans for the new school ment, the Catholic Church in were formulated but quickly sus- Hungary and the Vatican.
THE ANCHOR-
3
Thurs., May 24, 1973
LEADING AREA PARISHES Attleboro Area
St. John, Attleboro $14,660.95 St. Mary, N. Attleboro 10,272.00 St. Mary,. Mansfield 10,069.50 Mt. Carmel, Seekonk 9,948.50 9,407.00 St. Mary, Seekonk'
Cape & Islands Area
St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis . .15,363.00 St. Pius X, S: Yarmouth 14,816.50 St. Patrick, Falmouth 11,410.00 Corpus Christi, Sandwich 9,590.00 Assumption, Osterville 9,178.00
Fall River Area. Holy Name, Fall River 25,021.00 Our Lady of the Angels Fall River 13,725.00 Cathedral 12,614.00 Sacred Heart, Fall River 12,302.00 St. Thomas More Somerset 10,547.00
New Bedford Area
SACRED HEART CHURCH -
Mt. Carmel, New Bedford 21,329.86 st. Lawrence, New Bedford 17,274.00 St. Joseph, Fairhaven 136'.6.90 St. James, New Bedford 12,159.25 St. Patrick, Wareham 9,884.00
TAUNTON
Heeds Protest
Taunton Area St. Mary, Taunton 11,438.50 Sacred Heart, Taunton 7,984.85 Immaculate Conception North Easton 7,485.00 Holy Family, Taunton 7.098.50 St. Joseph, Taunton 6,756:00
Bishop Listens to' Parents; Rejects Advice to Close Seminary RICHMOND (NC)-Bishop John J. Russell has rejected the suggestions of his official advisers in favor of the pleas of a lay group and decided to keep the Richmond diocesan high school seminary open. Bishop Russell said St. John Vianney Preparatory Seminary, located near Richmond, is a "vital part of our program of seeing that our people have sufficient priests to meet their pastoral needs in the years ahead." Both the diocesan consultors and the Council of Priests had advised the bishop' to close the seminary, with the council recommendating it be closed in June. The Council of Priests' action drew strong protest from the seminarians' parents who heard of it in a letter from Father Thomas F. Shreve, seminary rector, who had said it was "unrealistic to think that the bishop will not follow this recom路 mendation." Parents held protest meetings, wrote and phoned the bishop and even sent telegrams to Pope Paul VI urging that the seminary be kept open. General Criticism . Reasons given for closing the seminary included the relatively small number of graduates who eventually reach the priesthood from high school seminaries, the mounting cost, and general criticism of the concept of high school seminaries. Bishop Russell, who founded St. John Vianney in 1960, acknowledged that when he began considering the possible closing several weeks ago, "there seemed to be valid reasons for discontinuing it." I "Then as things developed," he said, "it became apparent 'to me that. reasons for keeping the seminary open far outweighed those for closing it."
Among those reasons, he said, are the high priority. the Church. must give to encouraging vocations to the priesthood and the "indication that the percentage of its alumni continuing in advanced studies for the priesthood is increasing." Percentage Increasing The 'bishop said that "while the -number of young men in advanced studies for the diocesan priesthood is much smaJler than we would like," 33 of the 84 men from the diocese who are "now in college seminaries or theological studies attended the seminary. This, he said, "must be a major consideration for keeping St. John's open."
Charities Appeal Continued from Page One St. John of God, St. Patrick, St. Thomas More, Somerset; St. Louis of France, Swansea. Mt. Carmel, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Boniface, St. Hedwig, St. Hyacinth, St. Mary, New Bedford; St. Mary, Sacred Hearts, Fairhaven; St. Julie, North Dartmouth; St. Patrick, Wareham, St. George, Westport. Holy Rosary, Sacred Heart, St. Mary, St. Paul, Taunton; St. Joseph, North Dighton; Immaculate Conception, North Easton; Holy Cross, South Easton.
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