Archbishop's House Saint Louis
Nov. 14, 1929
My dear Father O'Connor:
I have delayed owing to the stress of business making formal announcement to you of what I would gladly have done some time ago, namely that your work in the, parish of Saint James has long since merited for you the position to which you are now formally appointed; that is, Pastor thereof, with all the rights, duties and emoluments of this office.
I remain with all good wishes for your success.
Sincerely yours,
(signed) JOHN J. GLENNON, Archbishop of Saint Louis.
Rev. P. J. O'Connor,
Saint Louis.
COMMENTS OF PASTOR
The formal appointment which I have received from His Grace Archbishop Glennon to the Pastorate of St. James Parish adds nothing to the position I have the honor and privilege of filling during the past twelve years, except the Canonical title of Pastor.
As administrator of the parish I have enjoyed the same rights, privileges and revenue as I shall receive as Pastor, and the same consideration from His Grace, and my brother priests. From the parishioners I have received more, they have shown the Archbishop and the clergy that they have confidence in my leadership and by their generosity and magnificent enthusiasm they made possible the erection of a church that is in design and craftsmanship a credit to St. Louis.
I am happy in the knowledge that His Grace thinks my work has long since entitled me to be Pastor of St. James; his official approval of my administration is more appreciated by me than my official appointment. During the seventeen years I have been in the parish I have endeavored to do my duty without hope of reward or fear of consequences. I worked as earnestly when I was assistant to Father Casey and later to Father O'Flaherty as I did when the whole responsibility was thrown upon myself; and when my well wishers became anxious about the permanence of my appointment I smiled at their solicitude because I felt confident that if my talents did not qualify me to care for the souls in this parish, the Archbishop would find a little place in the country where I would fit into the machinery of the Archdiocese and fulfill the designs of Providence just as well.
Canon Law does not consider the good of the man when making an ecclesiastic appointment; its chief concern is the best interest of religion and in this instance the Archbishop has decided the matter for me and you; hence I only hope that he has made no mistake and that your spiritual welfare will not suffer under my spiritual direction.
I am not unduly elated by my appointment. I realize I could be better qualified than I am for the position. I am keenly conscious of my shortcomings and have little hope of making any noticeable alteration for the better in my character. I only hope that in your charity you will continue to be patient with my defects which I suspect will increase with the infirmity that comes with age and the irritations that accompany burdens.
For all the parishioners, I have nothing but goodwill and hope that the kindly consideration which I have received from you in the past will continue with me in the future and that your enthusiastic co-operation will enable me to complete the unfinished vvork-of erecting a Convent and a Rectory suited to the requirements of the parish.
I am now glad to formally subscribe myself Your Pastor in Christ,
Patrick J. O'Connor.
Father John O'Sullivan
Father John O'Sullivan established St. James Parish January 1, 1861 and was its first pastor. He was also the founder of St. Malachy's Parish and its pastor until 1862 when he and Father John Bannon the Pastor of St. John's Parish resigned their charges and joined the Confederacy. Father O'Sullivan was a hot outspoken secessionist and accordingly he came in contact with the military authorities.
Father Myles Tobyn
Father Myles W. Tobyn succeeded Father O'Sullivan at St. Malachy's and appears in the records of St. James Parish as the one who performed the first Baptisms and Marriages. He also organized a Confraternity of the Rosary, of which a list of members is still extant in the parish records. He died as Pastor of Sts. Mary and Joseph's Parish, Good Friday, April 21st, 1905. At his funeral the sermon was preached by Father D. S. Phelan who said, in part: "Father Tobyn was a man calculated to add to the gayety of nations. His was a sunshiny disposition. He always had a view of the bright side of life, and he never wished to make the burdens of his fellowman heavier than they were. He was the most genial man we ever had in the diocese. But, strange to say, Father Tobyn while not a grave man was a very serious man. I remember last summer at the annual priests' retreat during the time of recreation, Father Tobyn and I were talking together, and he said to me: 'Something tells me that this is my last retreat.' It was his last retreat and he was preparing then for the death he died."
His Interest in St. James Parish continued into the year 1868, as his name appears quite frequently 1n the records with those of Father Michael Welby, Father Ring and Father Constantine Smith. Father Smith and Father Welby apparently were assistant pastors at St. John's and St. Malachy's.
Father Michael Welby
Father 'Michael Welby took charge of St. James Parish as resident pastor in 1864 and resided with his brother whose home was near Wade and Gregg Aves. He continued in charge until the end of the year 1866 when he was authorized to organize Holy Angels Parish and become its pastor. He remained at Holy Angels until February 16, 1869 when he was succeeded by Father Francis M. Kielty.
During the year 1867 St. James was attended from St. Malachy's by Father Myles Tobyn and Father R. S. Tucker and occasionally by Father Ring, Pastor of St. John's.
Father Thomas Manning
Father Thos. Manning was appointed pastor of St. James Parish in 1869, the last record he wrote is January 31, 3 870. It is believed he went insane and died later at St. Vincent's Asylum. During Father Manning's administration there was a parochial school in St. James Parish in which he resided; it was taught by an Irishman named Thomas Conway. Mr. Jos. Robinson and Mr. Jim O'Gorman were pupils and recall how zealously, the rod was applied. Among the families who resided in the parish, at that time were the O'Gormans, Siegfried Grosch the wagonmaker. whose shop was at the northwest corner of Tamm and Clayton, the Ehles, the Merrimans, tho Rooneys, the Gittens, Gratiots, later came the Gibbons, the Shields, some of these families resided in Forest Park before it was taken over by the city. The parish was established before the park, hence the keepers' homes in the park are in St. James Parish and the park territory is included as being within the parish boundaries. At that time there was a Public School at Graham avenue south of W. Park, the school teacher was an Irishman named Murphy: the late Miss Baum also taught in that school. It preceded Gratiot School and all the other Public Schools of this locality. The Five Mile House stood at Tamm and Clayton, probably on the site of the present drug store. East of there at Graham avenue and Clayton was Gratiot's well and Gratiot's farm and orchard covered the district east of Tamm to Hampton and south to the Rectory. The site of the old church was donated to St. James Parish by the Gratiot family whose old home still can be seen at 6135 Victoria avenue. Mr. Ben Gratiot is now the oldest settler in this community. He is still hale and hearty and resides with his niece Mrs. James Blythe. His baptismal record goes back to the days when this territory was a part of the parish of Clayton. Other places of note were: Sulphur Springs Hotel, a fifteen room building at Manchester and Sulphur avenue. It was there the parish festivals were held. Leonards Grove came later. An industrial district in Cheltenham established by Evans & Howard, Laclede-Christy, Winkle Terra Cotta, and Mitchell formed the industrial center around which the parish grew. For this reason St. James Parish was known as the Cheltenham parish. There were also surface coal mines and fire clay mines that gave a good deal of employment and attracted Catholics to the community.
Among these families were the Husseys, the Bradys, the Loftus, Voltz, Cahill, James Riley. Henry Hanrahan worked the quarry at Dale and Manchester, Mr. Peter Humes father to Mrs. Nixon had a farm across the tracks, the Blacksmith's shop was on Clayton road near Tamm and was conducted by Felix Boswith.
Father Henry Kelly
Father Henry Kelly was appointed to St. James Parish February, 1870 and was a man of outstanding character and great merit. He was much beloved by the flock and his memory is still preserved with affection. He was a tall stately man, kind, gentle, silent and sympathetic. For many years Mrs. John Brady was his housekeeper. He set about establishing a rectory as there was none in the parish up to this time. When he came to the parish the parochial school was not functioning and he made it his residence until he built a house. His death was caused, it is said, by an application of a rag weed plaster to a small sore on the recommendation of a parishioner. He is buried in the priests' lot in Calvary Cemetery. The inscription on his monument gives a correct idea of his character, "He was simple and upright, fearing God" Job. 1. 1. He died in 1878, the last baptism he administered was that of William Johnson, January 7, 1878. the sponsors to which were Joe and Emma Ehle.
Thomas Ambrose Butler
Thomas Ambrose Butler was one of the most remarkable men amongst St. Louis priests in his day though he never attained any distinguished place in the church. He was a poet-priest and a book of his poems is in the library at the rectory, the most noted of which is "The Irish on the Prairies." He was born in Dublin, Ireland, May 21, 1837, he was educated in Maynooth, and ordained in Ireland, as were all the pastors who have administered to the flock of St. James. According to the well informed authoress of "Our Pastors in Calvary" he plunged into radical reforms to help the poor and oppressed in Ireland and his zeal brought him into conflict with the authorities so having friends in Kansas he came to America. He founded the first cooperative colony of any importance in the United States. It was composed of 600 men and women from Ireland, and the tract they settled upon was called Fort Butler. Now it is Butler City. It was his own great and original idea. Whatever may have been the cause of Father Butler's leaving his colony in Kansas, his reception in St. Louis, April 1875 was a hearty one. For three years he served as assistant to Bishop Patrick Ryan at St. John's and in 1878 was promoted to the rectorship of St. James Parish where he continued until 1884. Whilst there he organized St. Cronin's Parish and in 1882 took up his residence there, still administering to St. James. The records of his pastorate here are still retained at St. Cronin's Rectory. He died September 7, 1897.
Patrick J. McNamee
Patrick J. McNamee who was pastor at New Madrid was appointed in 1884 to succeed Father Butler. His life at St. James is described as a continuous struggle for existence until he retired on account of his health in December, 1896; the church was burned in 1890 and he rebuilt the one that now stands and Is known as the old church. He also built the present Rectory with the exception of that portion of it which is at the rear, an addition made by Father Casey. He died on May 3, 1897. Father Phelan wrote at that time, "Father Patrick McNamee for thirty years a priest of this diocese, died in Bement, Illinois, at the home of a sister, last week. For over a year Father McNamee has been on the retired list of this diocese, having given up his parish of St. James in this city in order to seek health in a change of climate. Kindly by nature, he was charitable to a fault. He was much liked by his fellow priests."
Father McNamee was buried from St. Malachy's Church, and Father Thomas Butler, Pastor of St. Cronan's preached his eulogy.
The last child he baptised was Henry Francis Delany, son of George Delany, on the 2nd day of November. 1896.
Rev. E. A. Casey
Rev. E. A. Casey, pastor of St. James, 1896-1916, was a colorful character and one much beloved, who had an extensive acquaintance ship throughout the whole state of Missouri. As pastor of Montgomery City he became intimate with the late Champ Clark and they continued to be boon companions until Father Casey's death. Had Mr. Clark been elected president, there is no doubt but Father Casey would have frequently found a bed in the White House. He exercised a good deal of influence in local politics, which was always availed of to advance the interest of his parishioners. Through his endeavor many of 'them found their way into the police force, fire department and post office. His recommendation usually meant an appointment. He was a man amongst men, genial, humorous and playful. He was of fine physique and unusually handsome. He erected the parochial school and was responsible for the Dominican Sisters' coming to St. Louis. He was a charter member of the Knights of Columbus and the first State Chaplain. He organized the first branch of the Holy Name Society in St. Louis and was always a hale fellow, well met amongst groups of men. In the latter years of his life he was infected with the Tubercular germ which he believed he contracted on a sick call. His illness necessitated his going west for a year. On his return, he had an acute heart attack which made the latter years of his life inactive. In his efforts to regain his health, he took an extended vacation returning periodically for a few months. On one of these trips he became ill and died at a sanitarium in Tucson, Arizona. His remains were brought back to St. Louis and interred in the family lot in Calvary Cemetery where his two sisters also are buried. Previous to his death, he contracted for a monument to be erected over his grave, a sculptored statue of Christ; and to perpetuate his worship of the Incarnation and of the Blessed Sacrament, he had carved under it, the following inscription, "Blessed be Jesus Christ, True God and True Man." As a memorial to his devotion the inscription is also carved at the entrance doorways of the new church. This is a tribute given to him by Father O'Connor who was his assistant for four years.
Rev. Maurice O'Flaherty
Rev. Maurice O'Flaherty was appointed pastor of St. James in June, 1916. He had been for many years a visitor to the rectory, a friend of Father Casey's and known to the parishioners; probably on this account he received his appointment and was transferred from the parish at Poplar Bluff where he had successfully assisted the Archbishop in establishing a Catholic colony at Glennonville. His long administration in country districts unsuited him to the strenuous exacting life of the city and had a tendency to upset his fine genial disposition and ended in his resignation. During his short stay in St. James he won the affection of the people by his gentle manhood and extensive knowledge. He is a Bachelor of Music and often regaled the parishioners with songs and selections on the violin. He has spent the past 11 years in and is now chaplain of St. Mary's Hospital, Cairo, ni., and has manifested a proficiency in writing poems and composing music. One of his poems, Christmas Hymn, is produced in this issue.
Father O'Connor
Father O'Connor was ordained in Carlow College. Ireland, in June, 1907 for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. His first assignment was to St. Edward's parish, St. Louis, where he assisted Rev. E. J. Wynn until September 1, 1912, when he was transferred to St. James where he has been during the past 17 years, one time assistant, twice administrator and now pastor. He was appointed administrator on Father O'Flaherty's departure and has been assisted during that time by Rev. Norbert E. Pohl. Since he came to St. James he has been active in reorganizing the parish and constructing buildings. He added two rooms to the present convent, five rooms to the school and promoted the erection of the present church.
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